​No Easy Answers|911 恐怖攻击 10周年回顾

by Matthew Brown

As the 10th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the US looks forward with hope and uncertainty.

On the last Monday of every May, Americans observe Memorial Day, a holiday meant to remember the men and women who lost their lives while serving in the United States Armed Forces over the years. This year's Memorial Day had a special significance because it was less than a month after the death of Osama bin Laden, the man who organized the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

It may seem gruesome, but for many Americans, bin Laden's death was a reason to celebrate. The US had long been frustrated in its attempts to find the terrorist leader, so there was a sense of relief when the announcement that Navy SEALs had found and killed him in Pakistan came.

The upcoming 10th anniversary is also a time to revisit the pain and sorrow of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and to remember the nearly 3,000 Americans who lost their lives on that day. A question that lingers for the US is whether enough is being done to prevent terrorist attacks in the future.

US relations with the religion of Islam have been intense since the 9/11 attacks. It has been difficult for President Obama to show that only Islamic terrorists and not all of the 1.5 billion Islamic people around the world are a problem for the US. Obama recently declared that religious tolerance is a priority for the US, but not all Americans agree with his goals. As always, the balance between world peace and military power is difficult to achieve.

1.  Why was this year's Memorial Day different?

(A) Terrorists attacked the United States again.

(B) Bin Laden was captured on this day.

(C) A terrorist that was at large for nearly a decade was killed.

(D) The United States is now fighting three wars in the Middle East.

2.  According to the article, when news about bin Laden made the headlines, what did some people do?

(A) They planned new terrorist attacks.

(B) They became overjoyed and comforted.

(C) They wanted to learn more about the religion of Islam.

(D) They donated money to the survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

3.  According to the final paragraph, what is President Obama trying to do?

(A) Get more people to convert to Islam.

(B) Have Americans report all suspected terrorist activity.

(C) Make the military stronger so terrorists won't attack the US anymore.

(D) Let Americans know that when someone believes in Islam, he or she is not necessarily a terrorist.

911 恐怖攻击 10周年回顾

911 恐怖攻击 10周年纪念来临之际，美国怀抱希望向前行，前途却也充满了不确定。

　　每年 5 月的最后 1 个星期一是美国的『阵亡将士纪念日』，纪念历年来在服役期间为国捐躯的男男女女，而今年的阵亡将士纪念日意义特别重大，因为在此不到 1 个月前，筹划 911 恐怖攻击的奥萨玛‧宾拉登遭到击毙。

　　这或许很骇人，但对许多美国人来说，宾拉登之死就是庆祝的理由。美国长期以来要找到这位头号恐怖分子的企图频频受挫，所以当美国海豹突击队在巴基斯坦发现他并将其就地正法的消息传来，大家都有如释重负之感。

　　即将到来的 911 恐怖攻击 10 周年纪念也是回顾那次恐怖攻击带来伤痛的日子，以及纪念当天罹难的近 3 千名美国民众。而美国有个挥之不去的问题要面对，那就是美国是否已有充分准备，避免将来恐怖攻击再度发生。

　　自 911 恐怖攻击后，美国和回教的关系一直很紧绷。对欧巴马总统而言，要让民众了解威胁美国的是回教恐怖分子，而非全球 15亿回教徒，是很困难的一件事。他最近表示美国的当务之急是宗教包容，但不是每个美国人都认同这个目标。一如以往，世界和平和军事力量一直在相互拉距难以达到平衡。

答案：1. (C)2. (B)3. (D)

世贸中心倒塌后，重建新大楼与否的争议不断，有人认为应该重建以恢复该区的贸易功能，且不向恐怖分子低头。但也有人认为在死伤惨重之处重建会对受害者不敬。最终决定重建，并向国际征图，在竞图后决定出重建的模型，主体建筑定名为自由塔（Freedom Tower），但在 2009 年正式更名为 One World Trade Center。（数据源：维基百科）

萨瓦里继任盖达领导人　继续对美、以两国圣战

盖达组织（Al-Qaeda）于 6 月 16 日在网站上发表声明，盖达组织已经选出长期以来的第二号人物萨瓦里（Ayman Al-Zawahiri），接替在 5 月 2日遭狙杀的宾拉登。盖达并且宣誓，不会停止对美国和以色列的『圣战』。（数据源：Yahoo!奇摩新闻）