Many people write to newspapers and magazines to express their opinions. Letters to the editor must carry the writer’s full name, address and telephone number, although the information is not necessary for publication. This requirement to provide personal particulars is a clear indication that the writers are held responsible for what they say. When a writer wants his voice heard, he needs to claim ownership of his voice. Responsibility is the name of the game.
“People today prefer living together to putting their signatures on a marriage certificate (证书) because they refuse to accept responsibility for the relationship,” said social worker Ken Yip, “and this is what is causing a lot of family problems.” When we sign a paper, for example, a business contract or a bank document, the signature means an agreement to take the matter seriously. Most governments and many organizations will not process written complaints if they do not bear the writer’s signature. The absence of a signature, they explain, tells us that the writer cannot be too serious and therefore does not deserve a reply.
There are people who wish to remain anonymous (匿名的) for various reasons. Multibillionaire Mr. King donates generously to charity several times a year. He gives simply because he wants to help but not for the publicity his donations may bring, and he does not want his good deeds to make news. In other cases, people insist on anonymity because they are afraid of the consequences of revealing their identity. Crime witnesses may be willing to assist the police, but most are unwilling to give their names when reporting a crime.
Name or no name? The answer is very personal and lies in how much we want to get involved. We all have a name. It is a matter of responsibility to use it when we make a statement, a claim or an accusation. We all want to honor our own name, and it is only by stamping our expression of an opinion with our own name that we honor what we say.
53. What does the writer mean by saying “Responsibility is the name of the game”?
Writers need to provide their personal information in the game.
Publication must bear the writer’s full name, address and phone number.
Writers should be responsible for their names.
Names are required to indicate writer’s responsibility for what they say.
54. The second paragraph suggests that a paper without a signature may _______.
A. help to end a relationship B. not get a reply
C. be accepted all the same D. become a family problem
55. Some people don’t want their names known because they are _______.
A. hesitant to make a donation B. unwilling to draw public attention
C. afraid of an accusation D. ready for involvement
56. The passage is mainly about _______.
A. honor and writers B. identity and signature
C. signature and responsibility D. anonymity and signature
