2015考研英语阅读理解精读P13—法学类.docVIP

2015考研英语阅读理解精读P13—法学类 　Passage 13 　　Rewards and punishments are used in different ways by different communities to maintain social order and preserve cultural values.In all cultures，parents must teach their children to avoid danger and to observe the community’s moral precepts.Adults also condition each other’s observance of social norms，using methods ranging form mild forms of censure，such as looking away when someone makes an inappropriate remark，to imprisoning or executing individuals for behavior considered deviant or dangerous.The caning of American teenager Michael Fay in Singapore for vandalism in 1994 brought wide media attention to cultural differences in the application of punishment.Faced with increasing violence at home，many Americans endorsed Singapore’s use of corporal punishment to maintain social order.Was Fay’s punishment effective? Whether he subsequently avoids vandalism is unknown，but the punishment did apparently lead to his avoidance of Singapore—which he left promptly. 　　The operant techniques societies use to maintain social control vary in part with the dangers and threats that confront them.The Gusii of Kenya，with a history of tribal warfare，face threats not only from outsiders but also from natural forces，including wild animals.Gusii parents tend to rely more on punishment and fear than on rewards in conditioning appropriate social behavior in their children.Caning，food deprivation，and withdrawing shelter and protection are common forms of punishment. 　　In contrast，the Mixtecans of Juxtlahuaca，Mexico，are a highly cohesive community，with little internal conflict，and social norms that encourage cooperation.Their social patterns appear adaptive，for the Mixtecans are dominated by the nearby Spanish Mexicans，who control the official government and many economic resources in their region.The Mixtecans do not generally impose fines or jail sentences or use physical punishment to deter aggression in either adults or children.Rather，they tend to r