单选题Directions:In this part of the test, there are six short
passages. Read each passage carefully, and then do the questions that
follow. Passage One
In the U.S.A, 85% of the population over the age of 21 approve of the
death penalty. In the many states which still have the death penalty, some use
the electric chair, which can take up to 20 minutes to kill, while others use
gas or lethal injection. 20 minutes to kill, while others use gas or
lethal injection. The first of these was the case of Ruth Ellis
who was hanged for shooting her lover in what was generally regarded as a crime
of passion. The second was hanged for murders which, it was later proved, had
been committed by someone else. The pro-hanging
lobby(赞成极刑的活动集团) uses four main arguments to support its call for the
reintroduction of capital punishment. First there is the deterrence theory,
which argues that potential murderer's theory would think twice before
committing the act if they knew that they might die if they were caught. The
armed bank robber might, likewise, go back to being unarmed.
The other two arguments are more suspect. The idea of retribution demands that
criminals should get what they deserve: if a murderer intentionally set out to
commit a crime, he should accept the consequences. Retribution, which is just
another word for revenge, is supported by the religious doctrine of an eye for
an eye and a tooth for a tooth. The arguments against the death
penalty are largely humanitarian. But there are also statistical reasons for
opposing it: the deterrence figures do not add up. In Britain, 1903 was the
record year for executions and yet in 1904 the number of murders actually rose.
There was a similar occurrence in 1946 and 1947. If the deterrence theory were
correct, the rate should have fallen. The other reasons oppose
the death penalty are largely a matter of individual conscience and belief. One
is that murder is murder and that the state has no more right to take a life
than the individual. The other is that Christianity advises forgiveness, not
revenge.
单选题
All of the following death penalty methods are mentioned in the passage
EXCEPT ______
A. the electric chair
B. the lethal injection
C. the poisonous gas
D. the shooting
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】第一段提到electric chair, gas or lethal injection, 而shooting是在第二段提到的Ruth Ellis被判死刑的原因是开枪射死她的情人。
单选题
According to the first four paragraphs, which of the following
statements is NOT CORRECT?
A. Ruth Ellis was shot by his lover, which was regarded as a crime of
passion.
B. The death penalty may help the potential murderers to arouse moral
awareness.
C. The intentional murderer should eat his own bitter fruit.
D. According to the religious doctrine, punishment should be as severe as
the injury sufferer.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】第二段很清楚地提到Ruth Ellis是因为开枪射死她的情人而被判刑的，所以选A。
单选题
In paragraph 3, "deterrence" means ______.
A. proclamation
B. protest
C. prevention
D. protection
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】从“First there is the deterrence theory，…if they knew that they might die if they were caught.”这一句可以知道，deterrence是障碍物的意思，选项C也有障碍物的意思。
单选题
We can learn from the last paragraph that ______.
A. neither the state nor the individual has the right to take a life
B. the state has the right to take a life but the individual does not
C. the death penalty has nothing to do with individual conscience and
belief
D. the deterrence figures have added up and the execution rate has
fallen