新视野大学英语unit2快速阅读答案
新视野大学英语(第三版)读写教程2全册答案
新视野大学英语(第三版)读写教程2全册答案Unit 1 Text AEx.1 Understanding the text1、Because he is tired of listening to his father and he is not interested in grammar rules.2、The civilization of Greece and the glory of Roman architecture are so marvelous and remarkable that they should be described at least in a brief account; however, what the student could do was only one single utterance :“whoa!”without any any specific comment.3、Because the schools fail to set high standards of language proficiency. They only teach a little grammar and less advanced vocabulary. And the younger teachers themselves have little knowledge of the vital structures of language.4、Because teaching grammar is not an easy job and most of the students will easily get bored if it’s not properly dealt with.5、He familiarized his son with different parts of speech in a sentence and discussed their specific grammatical functions including how to use adverbs to describe verbs.6、Because the son had never heard about the various names and functions of words in an English sentence before.7、The author uses “road map”and “car”to describe grammar and vocabulary. Here,“road map”is considered as grammar and “as vocabulary.8、Since the subjunctive mood his son used is a fairly advanced grammar structure, the interjection“whoa!”reflects the tremendous pride the father had toward his son; it also reflects the author’s humor in using the word because it was once used by his student, though in two different situations and with two different feelings.Ex.3 Words in use1.condense2.exceed3.deficit4.exposure5.asset6.adequatepetent8.adjusting9.precisely 10.beneficialEx.4 Word building-al/-ial: managerial/editorial/substance/survival/tradition/margin-cy : consistency/accuracy/efficient-y : recovery/ministry/assemblyEx.5 Word building1.editorial2.recovery3.accuracy4.substance5.managerial6.margin7.assembly8.Ministry9.survival 10.tradition 11.consistency 12.efficientEx.6 Banked cloze1-5: L C J A I 6-10: O N E H FEx.7 Expressions in use1.feel obliged to2.be serious about3.run into4.distinguish between5.thrust upon6.was allergic to7.get lost8.be attracted to9.make sense 10.looked upon asEx.8 Structured writingSome bookworms in my dormitory often spend hours reading their “Bible”, Practical English Grammar, and do a lot of exercises in that book , but I don’t care about it at all. My assumption is since I have never learned Chinese grammar, what’s the sense of learning English grammar? In fact, English grammar has always been a big headache to me.English grammar is very complicated because, unlike Chinese, there are many verb tenses. Even stranger than verb tenses, English grammar also contains something very confusing. For example, I don’t remember how many times my middle school teacher tried to“impose”the differences between used to and be used to on us. Sometimes he would go on with the explanation for 20 minutes or so. He even summarized the differences by listing three or four points for us to memorize. However, they could never stay in my head . I don’t remember how many times I got it wrong with the sentences containing used to or be used to on my exams . I was really confused with these two phrases,and I can never get them right.In brief, I’m allergic to learning English grammar. Curiously, I just wonder if the native speakers of English have a microcomputer in their brain to help them utter the two phrases promptly with just a click of their brain mouse!Ex.9 E-C Translation人们普遍认为英语是一种世界语言，经常被许多不以英语为第一语言的国家使用。
新视野大学英语unit2快速阅读答案
新视野大学英语book4 unit2快速阅读答案Part 4 Skimmi ng and Scanni ng (Multip le Choice + BlankFillin g)(每小题：分)Direct ions: Read the follow ing passag e and then answer the questi ons. For questi ons 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choice s marked A, B, C and D. For questi ons 8-10, comple te the senten ces with the inform at ion givenin the passag e.Questi ons 1 to 10 are basedon the follow ing passag e.Locked Away Foreve rThe Sad Case of Rebecc a FalconOne nightwhen she was just 15, Rebecc a Falcon got drunkand made the decisi on that ruined her entire life. Now, she is servin g a life senten ce withou t chance of parole (假释) at the Lowell Correc tiona l Instit ution in Ocala,Florid a. Lookin g back, Falcon faults her choice of friend s."I was like a magnet for the wrongcrowd," she says.At the time, Falcon was living with her grandm other in Panama City, Florid a. On Novemb er 19, 1997, upsetover an ex-boyfri end, she downed a largeamount of alcoho l and hailed a taxi with an 18-year-old friend. Her friend had a gun and, within minute s, the taxi driver was shot in the head. The driver, Richar d Todd Philli ps, 25, died severa l days later. Each of the teenag ers latersaid the otherhad done the shooti ng.In Falcon's case, she was foundguilty of murder, though it was neverknownprecis ely what happen ed. "It brokemy heart," says Steven Sharp, one of the people who made the decisi on to send Falcon to prison. "Toughas it is, basedon the crime,I thinkit's approp riate. Still, it's terrib le to put a 15-year-old behind bars foreve r."Falcon's case is not so uncomm on in the US, but it is rare around the world. About9,700 Americ an prison ers are servin g life senten ces for crimes they commit ted before age 18. More than a fifthhave no chance for parole. Life withou t parole is availa ble for youngcrimin als in abouta dozencountr ies, but a recent report by HumanRights Watchand Amnest y Intern ation al foundonly 12 youngcrimin als—in Israel, SouthAfrica, and Tanzan ia—servin g such senten ces. In the U.S., more than 2,200 people are servin g life withou t parole for crimes they commit ted before turnin g 18. More than 350 are 15 or younge r.Cruel& Unusua l?Youngcrimin als are servin g life terms(with or withou t the possib ility of parole) in at least48 states, accord ing to a survey by The New York Times,and theirnumber s have increa sed sharpl y in the past decade. Of thoseimpris onedin 2001, 95 percen t were male and 55 percen t were black.Is such punish mentfair for youngoffend ers? In March2005, the Suprem e Courtruledthat the deathpenalt y for crimes commit ted by people under18 violat es the Eighth Amendm ent to the Consti tutio n, whichprohib its "crueland unusua l punish ments." That mighthave surpri sed the people who agreed to the Amendm ent in 1791, many of whom foundsuch execut ionsneithe r cruelnor unusua l. But the Courtsaid that the meanin g of the Amendm ent change s with "evolvi ng standa rds of decenc y." Theirdecisi on has convin ced lawyer s and activi sts that the next legalbattle groun d in the US will be over lifesenten ces for youngcrimin als."Unform ed" Person aliti esThe Suprem e Courtruledthat youths under18 who commit terrib le crimes are less blamew orthy than adults, at leastfor purpos es of the deathpenalt y: They are less mature, more willin g to give in to peer pressu re, and theirperson aliti es are unform ed. "Even a terrib le crimecommit ted by a youngperson," Justic e Anthon y M. Kenned y conclu ded, is not "eviden ce of a hopele sslyevil charac ter."Most of thoseyouthf ul qualit ies were eviden t in Falcon, who had troubl e fittin g in at school. She is in prison for murder, meanin g she partic ipate d in a crimethat led to a killin g but was not proved to have killed anyone.Jim Applem an, the lawyer that triedto put Falcon in jail, says she does not ever deserv e to be free. He is convin ced that she shot Philli ps. "If she were a 29-year-old or a 22-year-old," he says, "I have no doubtshe wouldhave gotten the deathpenalt y."Althou gh Falcon believ es her senten ce is unfair, she says her eightyearsin prison have change d her. "A certai n amount of time beingin jail was what I needed," she says. "But the law I fell underis for people who have no hope of beingchange d for the better, career crimin als who habitu allybreakthe law, and there's just no hope for them in societ y. I'm a comple telydiffer ent case.""This can be hard"The case of anothe r Florid a teenag er, Timoth y Kane, showshow youths can be sent away for life, even when they were not centra l figure s in a crime. (Florid a is amongthe states with the larges t number of youngoffend ers—about600—servin g life senten ces, about270 withou t parole.)On Jan. 26, 1992, Kane, then 14, was playin g videogamesat a friend's housein Hudson, Florid a, whilesome olderboys planne d a robber y. That night, five youths rode theirbikesover to a neighb or's home. Two backed out, but Kane follow ed AlvinMorton, 19, and BobbyGarner, 17, into the house.He did not want others to thinkhe was scared, he recall s. "This is the decisi on that shaped my life since," says Kane.He says he though t the housewouldbe empty. But Madeli ne Weisse r, 75, and her son, John Bowers, 55, were home. WhileKane hid behind a dining-room table, Morton shot and killed Bowers. He then stucka knifein Weisse r's neck; Garner steppe d on the knife, nearly cuttin g off her head.Morton was senten ced to death.Garner, like Kane, a youngoffend er, was givena life senten ce with no possib ility of parole for 50 years. Kane was also senten ced to life, but he may be able to get parole afterservin g 25 years. He doubts that the parole boardwillever let him out.Kane growsemotio nal when talkin g aboutthat Januar y night. "I witnes sed two people die," he says. "I regret that everyday of my life, beingany part of that and seeing that." He does not disput e that he deserv ed punish mentbut says his senten ce is harsh. His days at Sumter Correc tiona l Instit ution in Bushne ll, Florid a, are spentin the prison printshop making 55 centsan hour. "You have no hope of gettin g out," Kane says. "You have no family. You have no moralsuppor t here. This can be hard."Will the courtdo anythi ng to help?In decidi ng whethe r "evolvi ng standa rds" have turned agains t a partic ularpunish ment, the Suprem e Courtlooksat what the states are doing.Life withou t parole for youngoffend ers is widely used, and only threestates specif icall y ban it. If this form of punish mentis to be banned by virtue of its violat ing the Eighth Amendm ent, it will likely happen only when a majori ty of the states firstget rid of it.Robert W. Attrid ge, the lawyer in Kane's case, says he feelssorryfor him. "But he had option s," Attrid ge says. "He had a way out. Two otherboys decide d to leave."CouldTim Kane be your kid, beingin the wrongplaceat the wrongtime?" the lawyer asks. "I thinkhe could. It only takesone nightof bad judgme nt and, man, your life can be ruined."1.What happen ed on Novemb er 19, 1997?A. Falcon's boyfri end drankalcoho l.B. A taxi driver was shot.C. Falcon droveinto a taxi.D. Philli ps killed Falcon's friend.2.In the U.S., the number of people who are servin g life senten ce with no parole forcrimes they commit ted before age 18 is ________________.A. more than 2,200B. about9,700C. only 12D. more than 3503.Giving the deathpenalt y to people under18 goes agains t ________________.A. the Suprem e CourtB. standa rds of decenc y in 1791C. the Eighth Amendm entD. The New York Times4.The Suprem e Courtruledthat youngcrimin als under18 ________________.A. are pressu red by the deathpenalt yB. are guilty of terrib le crimesC. are hopele sslyevilD. are less blamew orthy than adults5.Falcon feelsthat she should have receiv ed ________________.A. an unfair senten ceB. the deathpenalt yC. some time in prisonD. a lifeti me in prison6.Florid a is one of the states with the most ________________.A. crimin als on paroleB. centra l figure s involv ed in crimesC. youngoffend ers with life senten cesD. youngpeople with no hope7.Who stucka knifein Madeli ne Weisse r's neck and killed her?A. Timoth y Kane.B. AlvinMorton.C. BobbyGarner.D. John Bowers.8.Even though he was not a centra l figure in the killin g, Garner was givena lifesenten ce withou t possib ility of 01_MYV ARIAB LE.9.Kane has had a hard time in prison becaus e he has no family, no moralsuppor t,and no hope of 01_MYV ARIAB LE.10.Accord ing to Robert W. Attrid ge, a youngperson's life can be perman ently affect edfor the worstfrom simply one nightof 01_MYV ARIAB LE.。
（完整版）新视野大学英语2读写教程第三版课文练习参考答案（2）
（完整版）新视野大学英语2读写教程第三版课文练习参考答案（2）新视野读写2第三版课文练习参考答案-打印稿目录Unit 1 Text A (1)Unit 1 Text B (2)Unit 2 Text A (3)Unit 2 Section B (4)Unit 3 Text A Discovery of a new life stage (5)Keys to Unit 3 Text B (6)Unit 4 Text A (7)(Unit 4) Section B (8)Key to Unit5 Section A (9)Key to Unit5 Text B (10)Unit6 Section A (11)Unit 6 Text B (13)Unit 7 Text B (14)Unit 8 Section A (15)Unit 8 section B (16)Unit 1 Text AEx.1 Understanding the text1、Because he is tired of listening to his father and he is not interested in grammar rules.2、The civilization of Greece and the glory of Roman architecture are so marvelous and remarkable that they should be described at least in a brief account; however, what the student could do was only one single utterance :“whoa!”without any specific comment.3、Because the schools fail to set high standards of languageproficiency. They only teach a little grammar and less advanced vocabulary. And the younger teachers themselves have little knowledge of the vital structures of language.4、Because teaching grammar is not an easy job and most of the students will easily get bored if it’s not properly dealt with.5、He familiarized his son with different parts of speech in a sentence and discussed their specific grammatical functions including how to use adverbs to describe verbs.6、Because the son had never heard about the various names and functions of words in an English sentence before.7、The author uses “road map”and “car”to describe grammar and vocabulary. Here,“road map”is considered as grammar and “car”as vocabulary.8、Since the subjunctive mood his son used is a fairly advanced grammar structure, the interjection“whoa!”reflects the tremendous pride the father had toward his son; it also reflects the author’s humor in using the word because it was once used by his student, though in two different situations and with two different feelings.Ex.3 Words in use1.condense2.exceed3.deficit4.exposure5.asset6.adequate/doc/bd16152927.html,petent8.adjusting9.precisely 10.beneficialEx.4 Word building-al/-ial:managerial/editorial/substance/survival/tradition/margin -cy : consistency/accuracy/efficient-y : recovery/ministry/assemblyEx.5 Word building1.editorial2.recovery3.accuracy4.substance5.managerial6.margin7.assembly8.Ministry9.survival 10.tradition 11.consistency 12.efficientEx.6 Banked cloze1-5: L C J A I 6-10: O N E H FEx.7 Expressions in use1.feel obliged to2.be serious about3.run into4.distinguish between5.thrust upon6.was allergic to7.get lost8.be attracted to9.make sense 10.looked upon asEx.8 Structured writingSome bookworms in my dormitory often spend hours reading their “Bible”, Practical English Grammar, and do a lotof exercises in that book , but I don’t care about it at all. My assumption is since I have never learned Chinese grammar, what’s the sense of learning English grammar? In fact, English grammar has always been a big headache to me.English grammar is very complicated because, unlike Chinese, there are many verb tenses. Even stranger than verb tenses, English grammar also contains something very confusing. For example, I don’t remember how many times my middle school teacher tried to“impose”the differen ces between used to and be used to on us. Sometimes he would go on with the explanation for 20 minutes or so. He even summarized the differences by listing three or four points for us to memorize. However, they could never stay in my head . I don’t remembe r how many times I got it wrong with the sentences containing used to or be used to on my exams . I was really confused with these two phrases,and I can never get them right.In brief, I’m allergic to learning English grammar. Curiously, I just wonder if the native speakers of English have a microcomputer in their brain to help them utter the two phrases promptly with just a click of their brain mouse!Ex.9 E-C Translation人们普遍认为英语是一种世界语言，经常被许多不以英语为第一语言的国家使用。
新视野大学英语2课后参考答案
Section AI. Comprehension of the Text1. The attitude is that if one is not moving ahead he is falling behind.2. Time is treated as if it were something almost real. (People budget it, waste it, steal it, kill it, cut it, account for it; they also charge for it.) They do this because time is a precious resource.3. Everyone is in a rush — often under pressure. City people always appear to be hurrying to get where they are going, restlessly seeking attention in a store or elbowing others as they try to complete their shopping.4. Don’t take it personally. This is because people value time highly and they resent someone else “wasting” it beyond a certain appropriate point.5. New arrivals in America will miss opening exchanges, the ritual interaction that goes with a cup of coffee or tea and leisurely chats.6. Americans produce a steady flow of labor-saving devices. They communicate rapidly through faxes, phone calls or emails rather than through personal contacts.7. The impersonality of electronic communication has little or no relation to the significance of the matter at hand.8. It is taken as a sign of skillfulness or being competent to solve a problem or fulfill a job with speed in the U.S.VocabularyIII.1. charge2. convention3. efficient4. obtain5. competent6. assessing7. fulfill8. conducting9. consequently 10. significanceIV.1. behind2. at3. in4. out5. to6. to7. in8.with 9. but 10. forV.1. L2. C3. D4. N5. O6.A7.E8.G9.I 10.KWord BuilingVI.1. commitment2. attraction3. appointment4. impression5. civilization6. composition7. confusion 8. congratulation 9. consideration 10. explanation 11. acquisition 12. depressionVII.desirable favorable considerable acceptable drinkable advisable remarkable preferable1. advisable2. desirable3. favorable4. considerable5. remarkable6. preferable7. drinkable8. acceptableStructureVIII.1. much less can he write English articles2. much less can he manage a big company3. much less could he carry it upstairs4. much less have I spoken to him5. much less to read a lot outside of itIX.1. Having meals at home can cost as little as two or three dollars, whereas eating out at a restaurant is always more expensive.2. We thought she was rather proud, whereas in fact she was just very shy.3. We have never done anything for them, whereas they have done so much for us.4. Natalie prefers to stay for another week, whereas her husband prefers to leave immediately.5. Some praise him highly, whereas others put him down severelyTranslationX.1. She wouldn’t take a drink, much less would she stay for dinner.2. He thought I was lying to him, whereas I was telling the truth.3. How do you account for the fact that you have been late every day this week?4. The increase in their profits is due partly to their new market strategy.5. Such measures are likely to result in the improvement of work efficiency.6. We have already poured a lot of time and energy into the project, so we have to carry on.XI.1. 我认为他不会抢劫，更不用说暴力抢劫了。
新视野大学英语第2册课后练习答案以及课文翻译
新版新视野读写教程第二版第二册课文翻译unit1美国人认为没有人能停止不前。
如果你不求进取，你就会落伍。
这种态度造就了一个投身于研究、实验和探索的民族。
时间是美国人注意节约的两个要素之一，另一要素是劳力。
人们一直说：“只有时间才能支配我们。
”人们似乎把时间当作一个差不多是实实在在的东西来对待。
我们安排时间、节约时间、浪费时间、挤抢时间、消磨时间、缩减时间、对时间的利用作出解释；我们还要因付出时间而收取费用。
时间是一种宝贵的资源，许多人都深感人生的短暂。
时光一去不复返。
我们应当让每一分钟都过得有意义。
外国人对美国的第一印象很可能是：每个人都匆匆忙忙──常常处于压力之下。
城里人看上去总是在匆匆地赶往他们要去的地方，在商店里他们焦躁不安地指望店员能马上来为他们服务，或者为了赶快买完东西，用肘来推搡他人。
白天吃饭时人们也都匆匆忙忙，这部分地反映出这个国家的生活节奏。
人们认为工作时间是宝贵的。
在公共用餐场所，人们都等着别人尽快吃完，以便他们也能及时用餐，你还会发现司机开车很鲁莽，人们推搡着在你身边过去。
你会怀念微笑、简短的交谈以及与陌生人的随意闲聊。
不要觉得这是针对你个人的，这是因为人们都非常珍惜时间，而且也不喜欢他人“浪费”时间到不恰当的地步。
许多刚到美国的人会怀念诸如商务拜访等场合开始时的寒暄。
他们也会怀念那种一边喝茶或喝咖啡一边进行的礼节性交流，这也许是他们自己国家的一种习俗。
他们也许还会怀念在饭店或咖啡馆里谈生意时的那种轻松悠闲的交谈。
一般说来，美国人是不会在如此轻松的环境里通过长时间的闲聊来评价他们的客人的，更不用说会在增进相互间信任的过程中带他们出去吃饭，或带他们去打高尔夫球。
既然我们通常是通过工作而不是社交来评估和了解他人，我们就开门见山地谈正事。
因此，时间老是在我们心中滴滴答答地响着。
因此，我们千方百计地节约时间。
我们发明了一系列节省劳力的装置；我们通过发传真、打电话或发电子邮件与他人迅速地进行交流，而不是通过直接接触。
新视野大学英语读写教程课后练习答案Unit(2)
Unit OneSection A: Learning a Foreign Language Ex. III, p. 8Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the form where necessary.1.rewardingmunicate3.access4.embarrassing5.positivemitment7.virtual8.benefits9.minimum10.opportunitiesEx. IV, p. 9Fill in each of the blanks with a suitable preposition or adverb.1.up2.into3.from4.with5.to6.up7.of8.in9.for 10.with Ex. V, P101.D2.B3.E4.I5.H6.K7.M8.O9.F 10.CEx. VI, p. 10Make a sentence out of each group of words. Us e “while” to introduceinformation that contrasts with what is conveyed in the main clause. Make changes where necessary.1.Universities in the east are better equipped while those in the west arerelatively poor.2.Allan Clarke kept talking the price up, while Wilkinson kept knockingthe price down.3.The husband spent all his money drinking, while his wife saved allhers for the family.4.Some guests spoke pleasantly and behaved politely, while others wereinsulting and impolite.5.Outwardly Sara was friendly towards all those concerned, whileinwardly she was angry.Ex. VII, p. 11Make a sentence out of each group of words. Use “not only…but also…” in each sentence with an inversion structure. Change the verb tense where necessary.1.Not only did Mr. Smith learn the Chinese language, but he alsobridged the gap between his culture and ours.2.Not only did we learn the technology through the online course, butwe also learned to communicate with friends in English.3.Not only did we lose all our money, but we also came close to losingour lives.4.Not only do the workers want a pay increase, but they also wantreduced working hours.5.Not only is the house expensive, but it is also too far away from mycompany.Ex. VIII, p. 12Translate the following sentences into English.1.Not only can students choose when and where to learn for an onlinecourse, but they can also take time to think through answers before making a reply.2.She is excited by the idea of online learning while he considers itmeaningless and useless.municating with native English speakers is a very rewardingexperience from which we can learn a lot.4.Today, more and more people have access to the Internet throughwhich they look for the information they need.5.He wants her to give up working and stay at home to look after thechildren. She feels, however, that is too much for her.6.Now that we have finished the course, we shall start doing morerevision work.Ex. Ⅸ, P121.我永远都不会忘记那位老师，是他告诉我学习外语是有趣的、有价值的。
新视野英语教程2答案
Unit 1 (Section A)Reading Out(1) peace (2) but (3) Even so (4) by (5) taking (6) inGetting the Message(1) Downey, California; 1953 (2) the building was damaged in an earthquake and the restaurant is losing money (3) they have good memories of that old McDonald's (4) rewrite the history (5) tell the story of the first McDonald's and to show people's different attitudesUsing the Right Word⑴location (2) denied (3) amount (4) damage (5) claim (6) actually (7) inspecting (8) structures Working with Expressions(1)in (2) with (3) of (4) from (5) down (6) away (7) with (8) downFocusing on Sentence Structure①There is no room for four people on the back seat of the car. ②There is room for 50 people in this restaurant. ③This is an order: there is no room for argument. ④He raised the radio close to his ear. Even so, he could not hear anything at all.⑤The team was defeated again yesterday. Even so, there is still hope to win in the final round.⑥The man had not received any formal education, but even so, he became a famous writer.Translating①The house was on fire and people inside were in danger of losing their lives.②He cannot afford to buy such a nice house.③Although this idea may sound strange,it does make sense.④John seems (to be)a nice so,I do not trust him.⑤虽说第一家麦当劳餐馆只售汉堡包和薯条，他还是成为了一种文化象征。
新视野大学英语2课后练习答案unit2
《新视野大学英语2》课后练习参考答案Unit Two College—The ladder to success? Section A Language focusWords in use3.1. promotes2.accelerate3.mystery4.insight5.boost6.analysis7. calculate8.barriers9. destruction 10. prospect 4.promisingbearinghousingobjectiveoffendexcludeexcessexecuteintensifyidentity1.excess2.bearing3.objective4.intensify15.execute6.promising7.exclude8.identity9.offend10. housingBanked Cloze6.1.C2.H3.D4.J5.B6.L7.M8.G9.F 10.AExpression in use7.1.are liable to2. in favor of3. is bound to4. speculate5. invested⋯..with6. stand up for7. in the form of8. prepared for9. in the company of10. in successionTranslation慕课是一种网络课程，它旨在通过网络实现广泛参与和开放接入。
慕课是远程教育迈出的最新一步，现已在高等教育领域迅速引领潮流。
通过这些课程，大学可以扩大影响的范围，从影响成千上万住在城里付学费的学生，扩展到惠及全球上百万的学生。
除了拥有传统的课程资料，慕课还给使用者提供互动论坛，支持学生和讲师之间的交流。
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Locked Away Forever
The Sad Case of Rebecca Falcon
One night when she was just 15, Rebecca Falcon got drunk and made the decision that ruined her entire life. Now, she is serving a life sentence without chance of parole (假释) at the Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala, Florida. Looking back, Falcon faults her choice of friends.
Although Falcon believes her sentence is unfair, she says her eight years in prison have changed her. "A certain amount of time being in jail was what I needed," she says. "But the law I fell under is for people who have no hope of being changed for the better, career criminals who habitually break the law, and there's just no hope for them in society. I'm a completely different case."
Is such punishment fair for young offenders? In March 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty for crimes committed by people under 18 violates the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits "cruel and unusual punishments." That might have surprised the people who agreed to the Amendment in 1791, many of whom found such executions neither cruel nor unusual. But the Court said that the meaning of the Amendment changes with "evolving standards of decency." Their decision has convinced lawyers and activists that the next legal battleground in the US will be over life sentences for young criminals.
Cruel & Unusual?
Young criminals are serving life terms (with or without the possibility of parole) in at least 48 states, according to a survey byThe New York Times, and their numbers have increased sharply in the past decade. Of those imprisoned in 2001, 95 percent were male and 55 percent were black.
On Jan. 26, 1992, Kane, then 14, was playing video games at a friend's house in Hudson, Florida, while some older boys planned a robbery. That night, five youths rode their bikes over to a neighbor's home. Two backed out, but Kane followed Alvin Morton, 19, and Bobby Garner, 17, into the house. He did not want others to think he was scared, he recalls. "This is the decision that shaped my life since," says Kane.
In Falcon's case, she was found guilty of murder, though it was never known precisely what happened. "It broke my heart," says Steven Sharp, one of the people who made the decision to send Falcon to prison. "Tough as it is, based on the crime, I think it's appropriate. Still, it's terrible to put a 15-year-old behind bars forever."
"This can be hard"
The case of another Florida teenager, Timothy Kane, shows how youths can be sent away for life, even when they were not central figures in a crime. (Florida is among the states with the largest number of young offenders—about 600—serving life sentences, about 270 without parole.)
Falcon's case is not so uncommon in the US, but it is rare around the world. About 9,700 American prisoners are serving life sentences for crimes they committed before age 18. More than a fifth have no chance for parole. Life without parole is available for young criminals in about a dozen countries, but a recent report by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International found only 12 young criminals—in Israel, South Africa, and Tanzania—serving such sentences. In the U.S., more than 2,200 people are serving life without parole for crimes they committed before turning 18. More than 350 are 15 or younger.
Most of those youthful qualities were evident in Falcon, who had trouble fitting in at schor, meaning she participated in a crime that led to a killing but was not proved to have killed anyone.
Jim Appleman, the lawyer that tried to put Falcon in jail, says she does not ever deserve to be free. He is convinced that she shot Phillips. "If she were a 29-year-old or a 22-year-old," he says, "I have no doubt she would have gotten the death penalty."
"Unformed" Personalities
The Supreme Court ruled that youths under 18 who commit terrible crimes are less blameworthy than adults, at least for purposes of the death penalty: They are less mature, more willing to give in to peer pressure, and their personalities are unformed. "Even a terrible crime committed by a young person," Justice Anthony M. Kennedy concluded, is not "evidence of a hopelessly evil character."