单选题 Among the most enduring of all horrors is the prospect of a slow, painful death. Those who witness the protracted terminal illness of a friend or relative often view the eventual death more as a relief than a tragedy.
But to make life-or-death decisions on behalf of a dying person unable to communicate his or her wishes is to enter a moral and legal minefield. Could a doctor be sued for withholding treatment and allowing someone to dieor for not allowing him or her to die? Could it ever be lawful to withhold food and water?
Legal moves are afoot which may settle these questions. Recently, a group on voluntary euthanasia proposed legislation to make documents known as "Advance Directives", or Living Wills, legally binding.
An Advance Directive sets out the kind of medical treatment a person wishes to receive, or not receive, should he or she ever be in a condition that prevents them expressing those wishes. Such documents, much in vogue in the US and some Commonwealth countries, are becoming increasingly popular in Britain.
A clear distinction must be drawn between actions requested by an Advance Directive, and active euthanasia, or "mercy killing". A doctor who took a positive step such as giving a lethal injection-to help a patient die would, as the law stands, be guilty of murder or aiding and abetting suicide, depending on the circumstances.
An Advance Directive, however, requests only passive euthanasia: the withholding of medical treatment aimed solely at sustaining the life of a patient who is terminally ill or a vegetable. The definition of medical treatment, in such circumstances, can include food and water. The enforceability of the Advance Directive stems from the notion, long accepted in English law, that a person who is both old enough to make an informed decision and compos mentis, is entitled to refuse any medical treatment offered by a doctor, even if that refusal leads to the person's death. A doctor who forces treatment on a patient against his or her wishes is, therefore, guilty of an assault. Case law exists in the US and several Commonwealth countries that extends this right of autonomy over one's life to patients who write an Advance Directive refusing treatment and subsequently lose their previously made instructions any differently.

单选题 It will be a relief over the death of a friend or a relative if the friend or relative dies from ______.
A. a traffic accident B. an acute infectious disease
C. heart attack D. a three-year coma (昏迷)

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】文章第二句提到“Those who witness...a relief than a tragedy”——“看到亲戚朋友那种病拖延很久的晚期病人终于死去是一种解脱而不是悲剧”，所以选项D中说一个人死于三年的昏迷应该是一种解脱。

单选题 What is an Advance Directive?
A. A decision made by a doctor on how to end a patient's life
B. A hospital document on how to treat a terminally iii patient.
C. A wish made by a patient on how he will be medically treated.
D. A law that prohibits mercy killing.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】文章第三段和第四段进行了详细的说明。“proposed legislation to make documents known as 'Advance Directives', or 'Living Wills', legally binding.”说明Advance Directives是一种 document，还没有法律约束力。另外，表示的是病人对于医疗待遇的一种意愿。所以选C。

单选题 A doctor will be guilty of murder if he ______.
A. advises a patient to draw up his Advance Directive
B. refuses to carry out an Advance Directive
C. prescribes a medication that will quicken the death of a terminal patient
D. stops giving medication to terminally iii patient according to his Advance Directive

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】文章第五段提到“A doctor who took a positive step such as giving a lethal injection-to help a patient die would, as the law stands, be guilty of murder or aiding and abetting suicide”，可以看出，只有积极的作为去帮助病人死亡才是有罪的。所以答案应该为C。

单选题 According to traditional English law, ______.
A. a person could refuse medical treatment
B. a person should not endanger his life by refusing medical treatment
C. a person should not refuse medical treatment
D. a doctor could force his patient into accepting his treatment

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】文章最后一段提到“The enforceability of…offered by a doctor, even if that refusal leads to the person's death”，这句话说英国法律认为一个人有权拒绝医生的任何治疗，所以答案是A。

单选题 Which of the following best summarizes the author's attitude toward the Advance Directive?
A. It should be made legally binding in Britain.
B. It's morally questionable.
C. It is the same as mercy killing, and therefore should not be encouraged.
D. It runs counter to traditional English law.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】这是一个推断作者态度的题目。首先，文章第一段提到死亡对于“a patient with the protracted terminal illness”是一种解脱，接着，又分析了Advance Directive的法律基础，并且提到“the patient has the right to refuse medical treatment according to traditional law”，最后还提到在美国和其他英联邦国家有先例，所以得出答案是A。