单选题 With the possible exception of equal rights, perhaps the most controversial issue across the United States today is the death penalty. Many argue that it is an effective deterrent (威慑) to murder, while others maintain there is no convincing evidence that the death penalty reduces the number of murders.
The principal argument advanced by those opposed to the death penalty. basically, is that Lt is cruel and inhuman punishment, that it is the mark of a brutal society, and finally that it is of questionable effectiveness as a deterrent to crime anyway.
In our opinion, the death penalty is a necessary evil. Throughout recorded history there have always been those extreme individuals in every society who were capable of terribly violent crimes such-as murder. But some are more extreme than others.
For example, it is one thing to take the life of another in a fit of blind rage, but quite another to coldly plot and carry out the murder of one or more people in the style of a butcher. Thus, murder, like all other crimes, is a matter of relative degree. While it could be argued with some conviction that the criminal in the first instance should be merely isolated from society, such should not be the fate of the latter type murderer.
The value of the death penalty as a deterrent to crime may be open to debate. But the over whelming majority of citizens believe that the death penalty protects them. Their belief is reinforced by evidence which shows that the death penalty deters murder. For example, from 1954 to 1963, when the death penalty was consistently imposed in California, the murder rate remained between three and four murders for each 100000 population. Since 1964 the death penalty has been imposed only once, and the murder rate has risen to 10.4 murders for each 100000 population. The sharp climb in the state's murder rate, which began when executions stopped, is no coincidence (巧合). It is convincing evidence that the death penalty does deter many murderers. If the bill reestablishing the death penalty is vetoed (否决), innocent people will be murdered— some whose lives may have been saved if the death penalty were in effect. This is literally a life or death matter. The lives of thousands of innocent people must be protected.

单选题 The principal purpose of this passage is to ______.
A. criticize the government B. argue for the value of the death penalty
C. speak for the majority D. initiate a veto
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 主旨题。文章第一段指出，人们对死刑持两种观点：有效威慑谋杀或不能减少谋杀的数量，第三段中，作者表明自己的观点(in our opinion)，死刑虽残酷但必要。接着在第四段中举例说明，有些人是预谋实施残酷的谋杀，他们应得到严惩。在最后一段又进一步说，绝大多数的氏众认为死刑能保护他们，并且有证据证明死刑的确威慑谋杀(以加利福尼亚州为例)。因此得出结论，如果恢复死刑的议案被否决，无辜的人将会受害。所以本文是在论证死刑的价值，即B。
单选题 The passage attempts to establish a relationship between ______.
A. the importance of equal rights and that of the death penalty
B. executions and murders
C. the murder rate and the imposition of the death penalty
D. the effects of execution and the effects of isolation
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 综合理解题。本文主要论证死刑的意义，作者认为死刑能有效威慑谋杀。在最后一段中，作者以加利福尼亚州为例，在1954～1963年间死刑经常执行时，谋杀率保持很低；1964年后，死刑只执行过一次，谋杀率上升；而当死刑停止执行后，谋杀率剧烈上升，这不是巧合。因此谋杀率与死刑的实施之间有一定关系，即C。
单选题 The author's response to those who argue the death penalty for all degrees of murders would most likely be ______.
A. supportive B. hostile
C. negative D. friendly
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 作者态度题。在第四段中说，谋杀像其他犯罪一样也有程度之分，应视其程度不同给予不同的惩罚。所以作者不赞成把所有杀人犯都处以死刑，所以选C(否定的)。A“支持的”，D“友好的”都与此相反，而B“敌意的”也不准确。
单选题 In the passage the author is primarily concerned with ______.
A. supporting a position
B. describing an event
C. analyzing a problem objectively
D. settling a dispute
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 综合理解题。根据文章前三段，虽然人们对死刑的作用意见有分歧，但作者马上就表明了自己的立场：死刑是必要的，然后通过举例证明死刑能有效威慑谋杀，支持自己的观点。所以选A。D意为：解决一个争论。最后一段第一句说，关于死刑对犯罪的威慑作用可以公开争论。作者只是表明了自己在这个争论中的观点，并没有解决这个争论。
单选题 It can be inferred that the author thinks that ______.
A. the veto of the bill reestablishing the death penalty is of little importance
B. the value of the death penalty as a deterrent to crime is not to be debated
C. the death penalty is the most controversial issue in the United States today
D. the second type murderers (in Para. 4) should be sentenced to death
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 推断题。第四段中说，盛怒之下冲动杀人是一回事，而残酷地谋划并杀害一人或多人则是另一回事。对于前一种情况下的罪犯，可以有理由主张只将其与社会隔离(即投入监狱)，但这却不应该是后一种杀人犯应得的报应。这意味着，后一种杀人犯应被判死刑，所以选D。A意为：否决恢复死刑的议案意义不大。而最后一段中说如果恢复死刑的议案被否决，无辜的人将会被杀害。B意为：死刑对犯罪的威慑作用不会被争论。而文章中说，关于死刑对犯罪的威慑作用可能有公开争论。C意为：死刑是当今在美国最引起争议的问题。而文章第一句说，可能除了“权利平等”之外，死刑是当今在美国最引起争议的问题。