On August 25, an American family’s vacation went terribly wrong. A man, his wife and their three children stopped at a shooting range (靶场) in the southwestern state of Arizona, where people pay to fire guns at targets. Charles Vacca worked for the business, called Bullets and Burgers. He helped the family’s nine-year-old girl shoot a submachine gun called an Uzi. But the girl lost control of the weapon. At least one bullet hit Mr. Vacca in the head. He fell to the ground. Later, he died of his injuries.
No one has been charged with a crime. In fact, the families of both Mr. Vacca and the girl have said they feel very bad for each other. But the event has made Americans talk once again about guns and children. In the United States, federal law bars anyone younger than 18 from owning a handgun. But, many state laws give young people the right to shoot all kinds of guns under certain conditions.
Some Americans say children (like adults) need to learn to shoot a weapon so they can protect themselves. Others say shooting guns is just part of the way they grow up. But “safety” is a word many people use when it comes to children and guns. Last year, the Pew Research Center reported that over one-third of American homes have a gun. So, the argument goes, children could easily see a gun at home, or in the home of a friend or neighbor, and decide to fire it. Indeed, the Nationwide Children’s Hospital says about 1,500 children die every year from a gun accident. Many more are injured.
Laura Cutilletta is a lawyer for the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. She said most U. S. states have firm restrictions on keeping children away from guns in the home. But state laws about children hunting or shooting for fun, such as at a shooting range, are much looser.
In general, most states permit children to hunt or use a gun when an adult is with them. But, Laura Cutilletta notes that even a responsible adult cannot protect a child who is too young to shoot a gun safely. And, she says no one needs to shoot the most powerful guns just for fun.
【小题1】The serious accident happened because ________.| A．Charles Vacca helped the girl shoot the gun. |
| B．the family went to the shooting range to play guns. |
| C．the girl was too young to control such a powerful gun. |
| D．Bullets and Burgers was a dangerous place to play in. |
| A．permit | B．suspect |
| C．accuse | D．forbid |
| A．Laws must be made to allow people to use guns safely. |
| B．She thinks that people who shoot a gun should be fined. |
| C．She objects to the idea that people play guns just for fun. |
| D．Adults should be responsible for the safety of children. |
| A．a gun accident happening at a shooting range |
| B．a discussion about children’s shooting for fun safely |
| C．adults’ responsibility to keep children away from guns |
| D．Americans’ legal right for possessing guns at home |
