语法与词汇
17.Although bound to impose the law, a judge is free to use his discretion to______the anachronistic barbarity of some criminal penalties.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】本题考查动词辨析。根据句意“尽管有强制执行法律的义务，法官可以自行决定______那些不合时宜的野蛮刑罚”判断，法官可以减轻或废除野蛮刑罚，mitigate(减轻，缓解，缓和)符合语义，故为答案。understand意为“理解；了解；谅解”。condone意为“容忍，纵容(不道德行为)”。provoke意为“对……挑衅，激怒；激起，引起”。