环球英语 04 Defending Yourself Against Attacks

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Thank you for joining us for Spotlight 1. I’m Sara DeKoster.

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And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

It was a beautiful day in August 1990. Jenna* was walking home from work. A man in a mask began to walk behind her. The mask covered his whole head. The man attacked Jenna. He pulled her to the ground. He attempted to rape 2 her. He tried to force Jenna to have sex with him. “Stay still! Be quiet!” Jenna fought her attacker. She shouted loudly for help. “Help! Help! Someone please help!” She would not stay still. Finally her attacker ran away. He had failed to harm Jenna. And Jenna had succeeded in defending herself.

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Police could not immediately identify Jenna’s attacker. However, fifteen years later police linked a man to the crime 3. This man also admitted his guilt 4 for two other attacks on women. One of these past attacks resulted in rape. Jenna’s attacker was finally in jail 5. Jenna believes that fighting her attacker saved her from becoming another victim 6 of rape.

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Sadly, many women around the world experience attacks like this. In fact, women of all ages are at risk. Attacks can happen in any country, city, or street. Attacks can happen at night, or even during the day. Attacks can happen in private or public places. Attackers can be strangers or even friends or family members. Attackers may or may not have weapons. And attacks are not limited to women. Men can also be victims 7 of physical and sexual 8 attacks.

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What would you do if you were in a situation like this? Would you do what the attacker says and stay quiet? Would you try to fight the attacker? Would you shout for help? Would you try to find a way to escape?

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Personal safety is important in all parts of the world. It is important to think about how you might react 9 in a situation like this. On today’s Spotlight we would like to help you answer these questions. We will tell you how you can stay safe. We will tell a few ways that you can defend yourself against an attacker.

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Some of the ideas in this program may be sad or frightening to hear. But at Spotlight we believe that it is important to be prepared for possible physical or sexual attacks.

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Darren Laur is a policeman in Canada. Darren and his wife, Beth, began teaching 10 women about self defence 11 in 1993. Since then, they have taught thousands of women valuable ways to defend themselves. Here are a few things Darren and Beth suggest to stay safe.

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First, always be alert 12. That is, you should observe the environment around you. Ask yourself questions like: ‘Am I near a busy street?’ Or, ‘if I am attacked, how can I escape?’ Staying alert is especially important if you are alone. Attackers are less likely to attack a person who looks alert.

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Second, listen to your ‘sixth sense.’ All people have five senses: tasting, smelling, seeing, feeling and hearing. But a person’s ‘sixth sense’ is not a physical sense. Instead it is a mental feeling. Have you ever felt like you were in danger? This feeling is your ‘sixth sense.’ Self defence experts believe that this feeling is very important. This feeling of danger is often a sign that something is wrong.

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If you believe a person may be following you, listen to your sixth sense. Turn around. Look at the person. How tall is he? What is he wearing? Look directly 13 at his eyes. Make sure he sees you. This sends him a message. It tells him that you are alert. These may seem like simple or unimportant 14 things. But being alert and listening to your sixth sense can help you avoid becoming a victim.

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Third, try to escape. Many people believe that trying to escape could cause more harm. But self defence experts say this is not true. An attacker may try to bring you to a vehicle 15 or a more quiet space. Experts say that you should never let an attacker lead you to a different area. Do not be afraid to be loud. You can shout for help, run away, or even throw something.

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Fourth, remember that you can and should defend yourself. Experts show that fighting your attacker can increase your chance of surviving. You should not be afraid to use force to protect yourself. If the attacker is male, you can try to damage his sexual organs. The attacker’s eyes, neck, and knees are also good targets. Here are two ways to attack target areas on an attacker’s body.

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First, try to damage the attacker’s eyes. You can throw dirt, rocks, or liquids at the attacker’s face. This could slow the attacker down. This action could give you just enough time to run away and call for help. You can also use your fingers to damage your attacker’s eyes.

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Another target area is the attacker’s knee and foot. Feet contain many very small bones. And these bones are easy to break. This particular move is called a ‘stomp 16 kick.’ Here is how to do a stomp kick. Raise your knee and leg as high as you can. Your toes should be almost pointing up. Your heel 17, the back part of your foot, should be pointing down. With your foot raised in this position push your heel quickly into your attacker’s knee. But do not stop there. Continue pushing your foot down his leg. When you reach his foot, push your heel down very hard. You can even move your heel in a circle motion 18.

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Knowing how to defend yourself is only the first step. The second step involves staying calm and intelligent during an attack. If you are attacked, will you know what to do? Self defence experts say that practising self defence moves again and again is important. It helps you to stay calm during an attack. It helps you feel better and act quicker in defending yourself. And it is important that you decide how much damage you are willing 19 to do on your attacker. If you know what you are willing to do, you will not feel guilty 20 hurting your attacker.

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Remember, there is no wrong way to defend yourself against an attack. One self defence expert says: “The only wrong move in self defence is no move at all.”

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Finally, if you are attacked or raped 21, please tell the police or someone in authority 22 that you trust. Do not let your attacker stay free. Do not let your attacker attack another innocent 23 victim. You do not deserve 24 to be attacked. You deserve respect.

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The writer and producer of this program was Liz Waid. Computer users 25 can hear more Spotlight programs on our website at .This program is called ‘Defending Yourself Against Attacks.’ We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!

*We have changed some of the names in this program.