Chinese media and Internet users on Monday condemned a lack of morals in society after a toddler was struck twice by two different vans and left bleeding on the road as more than a dozen bystanders did nothing to help the seriously injured girl.
The incident, captured by a surveillance camera and aired by Southern Television Guangdong (TVS), showed the two-year-old girl was knocked down and run over by a white van on a narrow market street on the afternoon of Oct. 13, in Foshan City of Guangdong Province.
The driver fled the scene of the accident, leaving the girl to bleed on the sidewalk. Over the next six minutes, more than a dozen people walked by the girl, yet not one individual did anything to help her. The girl was then hit a second time by another van before an elderly trash collector came to her aid and brought the attention of the girl’s mother, according to the video and eyewitnesses.
Doctors said that the girl, who was put on life support after being hospitalized, remains in a deep coma. The girl's parents, who are migrants living in the city, are now with her.
Police said the drivers of both vehicles have been arrested. However, the apathy of the bystanders shown in the video has shocked the public, as Internet forums have seethed with anger, and people are questioning the morality of society.
High moral standards were once triumphed as national pride in China where individuals known for selflessly helping others were adored by the public.
But in recent years, the perception of a decline of morals has become a hot topic as profit and materialism are perceived to be affecting society’s values.
On Sept. 2. an 88-year-old man in central China collapsed, his face striking the pavement. Yet, no one came to his aid, and he ended up choking to death on the blood from his nose.
Some have linked the absence of good models to a previous case in which a man trying to help an elderly woman who fell was accused of harming her.
A strong chorus of opinion on the Internet says laws should exempt（免除）models from responsibility, yet laws themselves cannot solve society’s morality dilemma.
Cao Lin, a China Youth Daily commentator, said in a signed article published on Monday that the worry of responsibility should not be an excuse for not helping, and this case exposes the decline of humanity in Chinese society.
小題1:From the passage, what would happen if someone helped others selflessly in the past?
| A．He/she would be condemned by the public. |
| B．He/she would be awarded by the government. |
| C．The public would feel proud of him/ her and showed love and respect for him/ her |
| D．He/she would have to worry about liability. |
小題2:Which of the following is TRUE about this passage?
| A．Nobody helped the girl who was struck twice by two different vans. |
| B．The toddler died immediately after she was hit a second time. |
| C．High moral standards were once regarded as national pride in China. |
| D．Journalists from TVS captured the incident by using a camera. |
小題3:In recent years, society’s values is believed to be affected by .
| A．people’s perceptions | B．profit and materialism |
| C．the apathy of bystanders | D．the morals of society |
小題4:According to Cao Lin, what is the fundamental reason for not helping the girl?
| A．The worry of responsibility. |
| B．Lack of laws that exempt role models from responsibility. |
| C．The decline of humanity in society. |
| D．The other two cases mentioned in the article--the case of an 88-year-old man and the case where a man trying to help an elderly woman who fell was accused of harming her. |
小題5:Where is the article probably taken from?
| A．A fashion magazine. | B．A news report. |
| C．A science fiction. | D．An education column. |
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