4、After being held hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan for six weeks, 21 Koreans finally returned home safely last month. But they are not as relived(釋然) as you might expect.

As they came through the airport, the hostages had their heads bowed, looked gloomy and some were fighting back tears.

“We truly fell sorry and thank the whole nation,” one woman said upon her arrival in South Korea. “We went to Afghanistan to help, but ended up giving trouble and anxiety to the Koreans.”

The 21 Koreans were among a group of 23 volunteers who went to provide medical aid to poor Afghans. But the Taliban Kidnapped them on July 19. For over 40 days they were held hostage and two men in the group were killed.

South Korea was divided on whether they should have traveled there. Websites and newspapers in the country have been flooded with messages criticizing the volunteers. The volunteers were blamed for ignoring government warnings about going to Afghanistan.

Not only did they put their own lives in danger, they also put their government in a difficult position.

The South Korean government was criticized internationally for striking a deal with the Taliban. Some worry it will encourage the Taliban to carry out more kidnappings.

“They have damaged the honor of the country,” said Chung Kyung-joon, a 23-year-old man in Seoul.

But not everyone agrees. Some think the volunteers should think the volunteers should not be blamed for unselfishly trying to help poor Afghans.

“They came with the principle of love for our neighbors,” said a Korean Christian organization. They said as other aid workers go to dangerous places, the volunteers did what they thought was right.

“The end of the crisis(危機(jī)) should be the beginning for South Koreans to reflect on past mistakes. The crisis raised grave questions about the divide between the responsibility of the country and the responsibility of individuals,” wrote Joongan Ilbo, a leading Korean newspaper.

1．23 Koreans went to Afghanistan because they wanted to ________.

       A．help some Christians there

       B．have an exciting tour there

       C．make a true record of the situation there

       D．provide some medical aid to the poor

2．________ became a burning topic in South Korea since the kidnap happened.

       A．Whether 23 Koreans should have been to Afghanistan

       B．Whether 23 Koreans should have been rescued

       C．Whether 23 Koreans should be criticized for helping the Afghanistan

       D．Whether 23 Koreans should be punished for their careless decision

3．Some people think 23 Koreans should be blamed for what they did because _______.

       A．they worsened relations between Afghanistan and South Korea

       B．they caused their country trouble due to their personal behavior

       C．they put themselves in danger and almost lost their lives

       D．they set a bad image of their country in the world

4．Why did some people think 23 Koreans shouldn’t be blamed for going to Afghanistan?

       A．Because they are Christians and they are also poor.

       B．Because they went there to experience the crisis and danger.

       C．Because what they did has nothing to do with hurting their country.

       D．Because they are adults and they know what they should do.