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Visita Mikael Books en Facebook para ver más contenido de libros en inglés.

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Unit 16, page 278, exercise 9, listening.

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Good evening, and welcome to Sound Off, the international talk show where you express

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your uncensored opinions on today's controversial issues.

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I'm your host, Mike McGaffey.

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Tonight's topic is capital punishment.

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Most European countries have abolished it, and some states in the United States have

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as well.

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There definitely seems to be a growing movement worldwide to get rid of it.

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So where do you stand on this issue?

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Here's tonight's first caller, Jack Chu, who was born in Beijing.

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Go ahead, Jack.

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How do you feel about the death penalty?

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Good evening, Mike.

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I'm in favor of it overall.

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We have it back in China, and I think it serves its purpose.

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All right, Jack, but what is its purpose?

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And how do you respond to those who say it's a barbaric practice that has no place in the modern age?

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Mike, its purpose is clearly to dispense justice.

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Certain crimes are so terrible that they demand the ultimate form of punishment.

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As for the comment that the death penalty is a barbaric custom that is outdated today,

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I'll say this.

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Those with that view seem to think people have,

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somehow, gotten better and more civilized.

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No way do I believe that.

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Human nature doesn't change.

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We're as uncivilized, or as civilized, today as we were thousands of years ago.

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Just as an example, I read about a recent murder case in another country,

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where a man was convicted of killing everyone in a family,

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but he didn't even receive a 10-year sentence in prison.

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Okay, now, Jack.

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You said earlier that you're in favor of the death penalty overall.

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Does that mean that you support it for only certain crimes?

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Yes, that's correct.

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Basically, I support capital punishment just for capital crimes,

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for first-degree murder, for kidnapping, and for betraying your country.

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Okay, I take your overall point, but let me just play devil's advocate here.

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What about the idea that capital punishment,

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capital punishment, takes away any possibility of rehabilitation?

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Shouldn't we try to rehabilitate criminals and help them to become useful members of society?

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Mike, I'm certainly for rehabilitation in some circumstances,

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but not everyone can be rehabilitated.

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Some just go back to their evil ways.

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Obviously, capital punishment is the only way to make sure that evil people can't commit more crimes.

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Hopefully, people will realize that.

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this and capital punishment will continue to exist. Wow. Okay, Jack, thanks for your comments.

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Something tells me we're going to be hearing from plenty of people who disagree with you

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and from plenty of people who are in your camp.

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All right, we'll get to our next caller after this commercial message.