单选题 The practice of capital punishment is as old as government itself. For most of history, it has not been considered controversial. Since ancient times most governments have punished a wide variety of crimes by death and have conducted executions as a routine part of the administration of criminal law. However, in the mid-18^th century, social critics in Europe began to emphasize the worth of the individual and to criticize government practices they considered unjust, including capital punishment. The controversy and debate whether government should utilize the death penalty continue today.
The first significant movement to abolish the death penalty began during the era known as the Age of Enlightenment. In 1764 Italian jurist and philosopher Cesare Beccaria published An Essay on Crimes and Punishments. Many consider this influential work the leading document in the early campaign capital punishment. Other individuals who campaigned against executions during this period include French authors Voltaire and Denis Diderot, British philosophers David Hume and Adam Smith, and political theorist Thomas Paine in the United States.
Critics of capital punishment argue that it is cruel and inhumane, while supporters consider it a necessary form of revenge for terrible crimes. Those who advocates the death penalty declare that it is a uniquely effective punishment that prevents crime. However, advocates and opponents of the death penalty dispute the proper interpretation of statistical analyses of its preventing effect. Opponents of capital punishment see the death penalty as a human right issue involving the proper limits of governmental power. In contrast, those who want governments to continue to execute tend to regard capital punishment as an issue of criminal justice policy. Because of these alternative viewpoint, there is a profound difference of opinion not only about what is the right answer on capital punishment, but also about what type of question is being asked when the death penalty becomes a public issue.

单选题 We can learn from the first paragraph that in ancient times ______.
A. death penalty had been carried out before government came into being.
B. people thought it was right for the government to conduct executions.
C. death penalty was practiced scarcely in European countries.
D. many people considered capital punishment unjust and cruel.

单选题 Why was capital punishment questioned in the mid-18^th century in Europe?
A. People began to criticize their government. B. The government was unjust in this period.
C. People began to realize the value of life. D. Social critics were very active at that time.

单选题 Italian jurist and philosopher Cesare Beccaria ______.
A. was the first person to question the rightness of death penalty.
B. was regarded as an important author criticizing capital punishment.
C. was the first person who emphasized the worth of the individuals.
D. first raised the theory against capital punishment.

单选题 Critics of capital punishment insist that it ______.
A. violates human rights regulations. B. is an ineffective punishment of the criminals
C. is just the revenge for terrible crimes. D. involves killing without mercy.

单选题 The advocates and opponents of the death penalty ______.
A. agree that it is a human rights issue B. agree that it can prevent crimes.
C. explain its statistical analyses differently
D. think that they are asked different types of questions.

单选题 The author's attitude towards capital punishment can be summarized as _____.
A. supportive B. critical C. neutral D. contradictory