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VOA慢速英语--Las Vegas Museum Lets Visitors Play Police Officer

时间:2018-04-30 23:58:00

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(单词翻译)

 

A home invader1 is holding a woman hostage in her bedroom. A police officer immediately starts shouting commands, ordering the man to let the woman go. But the invader refuses and uses a weapon in his hand to attack the police officer. The officer then raises her gun and shoots the man.

The officer in this training exercise was a British woman on a visit to Las Vegas, Nevada.

The imaginary victim and criminal were on a life-size video image inside the city’s Mob Museum. The visitor was taking part in a new hands-on exhibit. Museum workers arm visitors with a gun that shoots plastic balls and put them in situations similar to those police face in real life.

New interactive2 exhibits

The Mob Museum opened in 2012. Its official name is the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement.

For years, the courthouse-turned museum has told about organized crime and criminal groups, like the American Mafia, also called the mob. But visitors now can also learn about the complexity3 of the decisions that police officers face when they react to real life situations. Some crises may require the use of deadly force.

Parts of the Mob Museum were recently remodeled. The building now has an interactive crime laboratory and even a speakeasy area.

Almost a century ago, sales of alcohol were barred across the United States. A speakeasy was a place where alcoholic4 drinks were sold illegally during this period, a time known as Prohibition5.

The use-of-force exhibit walks visitors through video and live role-playing events, including a meeting with a suspicious person played by an actor. Museum goers are given a police duty belt and a gun that is as heavy as one police officers carry.

Visitors first watch a video presentation by a Las Vegas police officer and are then invited to a brief target-shooting exercise. Museum workers tell about gun safety, rules for use-of-force and methods used by police. Visitors learn to keep a distance from a suspect, not to keep their finger on the gun’s trigger and not to shoot someone who does not appear to be a threat.

Visitor Lesley Morris of London said, “It did feel real. It was the first time I ever held a gun. It was really informative6. We don’t have guns or anything like that in England.”

Morris added that her heart rate went up as she walked through the exhibit.

Home invasion

In the case of the home invasion, visitors see a video. It shows when a homeowner informs police that someone has entered the home. Visitors at that point start acting7 like the officer and begin to see the inside of a home.

“Police,” they are told to shout to announce themselves. The video then shows the bedroom with a man holding a woman.

Pictures hanging outside the exhibit explain the use-of-force policies and methods used by the Las Vegas Metropolitan8 Police Department. They also provide an official count of deaths resulting from police use of force nationwide.

Las Vegas police Captain Robert Plummer says he hopes the exhibit will educate and change some people’s ideas on what police face when it comes to using deadly force.

Plummer told the Associated Press, “A lot of people wonder ’Why didn’t you shoot the gun out of his hand or shoot him in the ankle?’” If you visit the exhibit, he added, you will learn that it is nearly impossible to do because there are so many issues to consider. You have to understand your situation. So, if you miss shooting at the elbow, what is behind it, he asked? Is it an innocent citizen standing9 back there, is it a child or is it someone else?

Experiencing crime scenes

In another part of the Mob Museum, visitors try to identify bullets that were fired from the same gun. They also can see pictures of a real crime scene from 2016 and things that would be collected at a scene.

People can play the role of medical examiner. A video screen shows images of bodies, and visitors are told to answer a series of questions to try to identify the cause of death. The cases are based on the deaths of famous mobsters.

And below it all, people interested in learning more about Prohibition or just looking to have fun, can visit a working speakeasy in the museum. The exhibit explains in detail how organized crime took steps to make, move and sell alcohol during the 1920s.

People can test a number of current and Prohibition-era drinks. Museum goers can easily visit the speakeasy as part of their trip.

“People want experiences,” said Jonathan Ullman, museum president and CEO. “This allows us to take them back in time.”

I'm Caty Weaver10.

Words in This Story

exhibit – n. an object or collection of objects shown to the public

belt – n. a material usually worn around the waist as a piece of clothing or to carry something

role – n. a part that someone has in a play or a situation

trigger – n. a moveable part of a gun that you pull to fire the gun

ankle – n. the joint11 between the foot and the leg

elbow – n. the joint of the human arm

scene – n. the place of an action; a sight

allow – v. to permit or let


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1 invader RqzzMm     
n.侵略者,侵犯者,入侵者
参考例句:
  • They suffered a lot under the invader's heel.在侵略者的铁蹄下,他们受尽了奴役。
  • A country must have the will to repel any invader.一个国家得有决心击退任何入侵者。
2 interactive KqZzFY     
adj.相互作用的,互相影响的,(电脑)交互的
参考例句:
  • The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
  • This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。
3 complexity KO9z3     
n.复杂(性),复杂的事物
参考例句:
  • Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
  • The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。
4 alcoholic rx7zC     
adj.(含)酒精的,由酒精引起的;n.酗酒者
参考例句:
  • The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
  • Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。
5 prohibition 7Rqxw     
n.禁止;禁令,禁律
参考例句:
  • The prohibition against drunken driving will save many lives.禁止酒后开车将会减少许多死亡事故。
  • They voted in favour of the prohibition of smoking in public areas.他们投票赞成禁止在公共场所吸烟。
6 informative 6QczZ     
adj.提供资料的,增进知识的
参考例句:
  • The adverts are not very informative.这些广告并没有包含太多有用信息。
  • This intriguing book is both thoughtful and informative.这本引人入胜的书既有思想性又富知识性。
7 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
参考例句:
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
8 metropolitan mCyxZ     
adj.大城市的,大都会的
参考例句:
  • Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
  • Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。
9 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
10 weaver LgWwd     
n.织布工;编织者
参考例句:
  • She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快,而且布的质量很好。
  • The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。
11 joint m3lx4     
adj.联合的,共同的;n.关节,接合处;v.连接,贴合
参考例句:
  • I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤,肩膀脫臼了。
  • We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

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