Section A Multiple-Choice Questions
Text A
A cassette deck plays an audio tape from the woman who died Tuesday and she is asked, "How do you feel about dying?" "I"m looking forward to it." Two days before her death, an 80-year old cancer patient made this audio tape. She said she was suffering, and no longer able to do things she enjoyed, such as gardening in her back yard.
The unidentified woman says, "Somebody saying that I—to sit in a chair, waiting to die—that"s not right, because I was always able to get around and do things and now suddenly I"m in a position I can"t even walk very good and I have trouble breathing."
Tuesday evening, in the presence of family members in her home, the still unidentified woman swallowed a lethal dose of drugs.
Barbara Coombs Lee says, "She took some medication that prevented any nausea and vomiting. She took her dose, the lethal dose of medication. She followed it with a shot of brandy and she fell asleep almost immediately."
The killing dose of barbiturates was legally prescribed by a doctor. Under Oregon"s law, first in the nation, doctors may assist a patient to kill him or herself if that patient makes it clear that"s what they want and if they have less than six months to live. The woman talked with three physicians before finding one to help her die.
Barbara Coombs Lee says, "Her original attending physician said he was not interested in participating and so she went to another attending physician. She actually went to a third attending physician because the second person, although was not opposed, he was not actually willing to meet her needs as she saw them."
Coombs did not attend the suicide. But she has been a leading advocate for Oregon"s death with dignity act, passed by voters in 1994, and overwhelmingly reaffirmed in a ballot measure last November. Oregon"s Roman Catholic church fought the law.
Archbishop John Vlazny says, "We are very fearful more people are going to feel that what we are trying to tell them it"s better to die than to burden us with your weakened life. That"s a great fear I personally have."
It"s been five months since Oregon"s Death with Dignity law took effect. This is the first suicide to be reported under the law. The report led to disclosure of still another, doctor-assisted death. A woman told the Portland newspaper, The Oregonian, that a family member suffering from cancer killed herself prior to Tuesday"s suicide.
Text B
In North Beach in San Francisco, where some pretty super food gets served every night "Absolutely very super food!" "I really like the taste" are comments by two diners. But we"re not just talking about taste. Research now shows some foods, including tomatoes, onions, garlic, and olive oil—are among the superfoods. Superfoods are packed with powerful chemicals that may offer your body great protection against chronic disease. "Including cancer, obesity, and heart disease. Vibrantly colored red yellow orange and green all giving you different types of phytochemicals!" Natalie Ledesma is a registered dietician at U.C.S.F. She says compounds found in superfoods—called phytochemicals—can reduce the risk of cancer, boost the immune system, and even protect the heart. She showed us what everyone should try to eat each week for optimal health. On her shopping list? Herbs! Dark green ones (herbs), like rosemary and thyme, and any intensely colored spice, like tumeric or red pepper. "Both of those have anti-inflammatory properties."
Tumeric may reduce the risk of leukemia, skin, and liver cancers. Hot peppers may reduce the risk of colon, stomach, and rectal cancers. Also on the list: green veggies, but not just any green veggies. "Brussel sprouts are part of the cruciferous (十字花科植物) vegetable family that has significant anti-cancer properties," said Ledesma. "That family also has a very favorable effect on hormone metabolism."
Other cruciferous veggies include cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. And don"t forget the tomato. "It is probably the best source of lycopene, which is one of the phytochemicals that has shown significant anticancer properties, especially with prostate and potentially lung and breast cancer as well," said Ledesma.
As for fruit, citrus contains Vitamin C, limonoids, and phenols, which inactivate cancer cells and strengthen the immune system. Cantaloupes, mangos, and carrots contain cancer-fighting carotenoids. And berries are bursting with flavonoids and ellagic acid—antioxidants that protect against cancer, ulcers, and viruses. Natalie recommends organic. "Organic fruits and veggies have shown not only to have lower pesticide toxicities and lower pesticide levels, but also now have been shown to have higher phytochemical content," she said.
Don"t forget the fatty fish or flaxseed—both are excellent sources of Omega Three fatty acids that inhibit the growth of cancer cells and boost the immune system, olive oil, which may reduce breast, prostate, or colon cancer, and soy. "Soy has protective effects for heart disease as well as osteoporosis, potentially," Ledesma said. And finally onions, garlic, and shallots. They may protect the heart, fight cancer, and help with asthma.
Text C
Every second, 1 hectare of the world"s rainforest is destroyed. That"s equivalent to two football fields. An area the size of New York City is lost every day. In a year, that adds up to 31 million hectares—more than the land area of Poland. This alarming rate of destruction has serious consequences for the environment; scientists estimate, for example, that 137 species of plant, insect or animal become extinct every day due to logging. In British Columbia, where, since 1990, thirteen rainforest valleys have been clear-cut, 142 species of salmon have already become extinct, and the habitats of grizzly bears, wolves and many other creatures are threatened. Logging, however, provides jobs, profits, taxes for the government and cheap products of all kinds for consumers, so the government is reluctant to restrict or control it.
Much of Canada"s forestry production goes towards making pulp and paper. According to the Canadian Pulp and Paper Association, Canada supplies 34% of the world"s wood pulp and 49% of its newsprint paper. If these paper products could be produced in some other way, Canadian forests could be preserved. Recently, a possible alternative way of producing paper has been suggested by agriculturalists and environmentalists: a plant called hemp.
Hemp has been cultivated by many cultures for thousands of years. It produces fiber which can be made into paper, fuel, oils, textiles, food, and rope. According to its proponents, four times as much paper can be produced from land using hemp rather than trees, and many environmentalists believe that the large-scale cultivation of hemp could reduce the pressure on Canada"s forests.
However, there is a problem: hemp is illegal in many countries of the world. This plant, so useful for fibre, rope, oil, fuel and textiles, is a species of cannabis, related to the plant from which marijuana is produced. In the late 1930s, a movement to ban the drug marijuana began to gather force, resulting in the eventual banning of the cultivation not only of the plant used to produce the drug, but also of the commercial fiber-producing hemp plant. Although both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp in large quantities on their own land, any American growing the plant today would soon find himself in prison—despite the fact that marijuana cannot be produced from the hemp plant, since it contains almost no THC (the active ingredient in the drug).
In recent years, two major movements for legalization have been gathering strength. One group of activists believes that ALL cannabis should be legal—both the hemp plant and the marijuana plant—and that the use of the drug marijuana should not be an offense. They argue that marijuana is not dangerous or addictive, and that it is used by large numbers of people who are not criminals but productive members of society. They also point out that marijuana is less toxic than alcohol or tobacco. The other legalization movement is concerned only with the hemp plant used to produce fibre; this group wants to make it legal to cultivate the plant and sell the fiber for paper and pulp production. This second group has had a major triumph recently: in 1997, Canada legalized the farming of hemp for fiber. For the first time since 1938, hundreds of farmers are planting this crop, and soon we can expect to see pulp and paper produced from this new source.

单选题 The woman committed suicide ______ after the law took effect. (Text A)

单选题 People who want help to die need to ______. (Text A)

单选题 The Death with Dignity Act has been passed in ______. (Text A)

单选题 According to the passage, Natalie Ledesma would most likely buy the following foods EXCEPT ______. (Text B)

单选题 What is the meaning of "registered" in Paragraph 1? (Text B)

单选题 Tomato is especially good for patients with ______. (Text B)

单选题 What"s the main idea of the passage? (Text B)

单选题 Who is suggesting that pulp and paper could be produced without cutting down trees? (Text C)

单选题 Why do agriculturalists think that hemp would be better for paper production than trees? (Text C)

单选题 When was hemp production banned in Canada? (Text C)

问答题 Section B Short Answer Questions
Why did the woman mentioned at the beginning of the report want to die? (Text A)

问答题 Which group fought the assisted suicide law? (Text A)

问答题 How do Vitamin C, limonoids and phenols help cancer patients? (Text B)

问答题 How long does it take for 100 hectares of rainforest to be destroyed? (Text C)

问答题 Why was hemp banned? (Text C)