Withthepossibleexceptionofequalrights,perhapsthemosthea...

问题详情：

With the possible exception of equ

The argument advanced by those opposed （反对） to the death penalty is that it is cruel and inhuman punishment, that it is tile mark of a bad society and finally that it is of questionable effectiveness as a deterrent to crime (罪行) anyway.

In our opinion, the death penalty is a necessary action. Throughout recorded history there have always been those peculiar persons in every society who made terrible crimes such as murder. But some are more dangerous than others.

For example, it is one thing to take the life of another in time of blind anger, but quite another to coldly plan 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 different degree. While it could be argued with some reason that the criminal in the first instance should be merely kept 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 discussion. But the majority of people belie

1. The main purpose of this passage is to _____.

A. speak for the majority                      

B. support a veto

C. speak ill of the government                 

D. argue for the value of the death penalty

2. Which of the following is among the heated arguments across the USA besides death penalty?

A. Air pollution.                                       B. The war against Iraq.

C. Equal rights.                                        D. Election of president.

3. The numbers in the last paragraph show that ______.

A. if they stick to death penalty, the number of murders will be reduced

B. death penalty almost stopped from 1954 to 1963

C. the population of California has risen

D. death penalty is of little value

4. It can be inferred that the writer thinks that ______.

A. the death penalty is the most important problem in the United States today

B. the second type of murderers (in Paragraph 4) should be sentenced to death

C. the veto of the law about death penalty is of little importance

D. the value of the death penalty as a deterrent to crime is not to be discussed

【回答】

*解析：*为D。本题为文章的主旨大意题。由第一段的 “Many argue that …, while others think ...”和最后一段的首句 “The value of the death penalty as a deterrent to crime may be open to discussion.”可知，本文讨论死刑的价值。

*解析：*为C。本题为细节题。从第一段的首句 “With the possible exception of equal rights, perhaps the most heated argument across the United States today is the death penalty (死刑).” 可知，除了*问题，在美国讨论最热烈的问题是死刑。

*解析：*为A。本题为推理题。从最后一段的第二句 “But the majority of people believe that the death penalty protects them.” 和最后三句 “If the law about death penalty is vetoed (否决), some people will be murdered- some whose lives may have been saved if the death penalty were in effect. This is really a life or death matter. The lives of thousands of people must be protected.”都是在强调死刑可以保护人的生命，故*为A, 如果国家坚持死刑，谋杀案件的数目会减少。

由本段的第四句话 “For example, from 1954 to 1963, when the death penalty was carried out from time to time in California…” 可知，1954年到1963年期间，死刑时不时地在California执行，并不是废除了，故选项B错误。C选项在文中未提及，D选项与本段的中心意思违背。

*解析：*为B。本题为推理题。细读第四段， 由“it is one thing … blind anger, but quite another to coldly plan …in the style of a butcher. Thus,  murder… is a matter of different degree. While it could be argued with some reason that the criminal in the first instance should be merely kept from society, such should not be the fate of the latter type murderer.”可知，作者认为谋杀分为 “blind anger （盲目的愤怒）” 和 “coldly plan …in the style of a butcher （冷酷的屠夫式的谋杀），谋杀的程度不一样，如果是第一种就仅仅让谋杀者与社会隔离即可，而不是后一种谋杀者的命运，言外之意就是后一种谋杀应该判死刑。故*为B。

结合前面几题的分析，第一段作者认为除了*问题，在美国讨论最热烈的问题是死刑。故选项A错误。从最后一段倒数第三句话 “If the law about death penalty is vetoed, some people will be murdered- some whose lives may have been saved if the death penalty were in effect.” 可知，如果死刑被否决，一些本可以挽救的生命就会被谋杀，可见死刑的否决对保护人的生命有着重要的意义，C选项的意思与此相反，故错误。D选项与最后一段的首句  “The value of the death penalty as a deterrent to crime may be open to discussion.” 表达相反，故错误。

知识点：*经济文化类阅读

题型：阅读理解