Question

【題目】It was 3: 45 in the morning when the vote was finally taken. After six months of arguing and final 16 hours of hot parliamentary debates, Australia's Northern Territory became the first legal authority in the world to allow doctors to take the lives of incurably ill patients who wish to die. The measure passed by the convincing vote of 15 to 10. Almost immediately word flashed on the Internet and was picked up, half a world away, by John Hofsess, executive director of the Right to Die Society of Canada. He sent it on via the group's on-line service, Death NET. Says Hofsess: We posted bulletins all day long, because of course this isn't just something that happened in Australia. It's world history.

The full import may take a while to sink in. The NT Rights of the Terminally Ill law has left physicians and citizens alike trying to deal with its moral and practical implications. Some have breathed sighs of relief, others, including churches, right-to-life groups and the Australian Medical Association, bitterly attacked the bill and the haste of its passage. But the tide is unlikely to turn back. In Australia-where an aging population, life-extending technology and changing community attitudes have all played their part-other states are going to consider making a similar law to deal with euthanasia(安樂死). In the US and Canada, where the right-to-die movement is gathering strength, observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling.

Under the new Northern Territory law, an adult patient can request death-probably by a deadly injection or pill-to put an end to suffering. The patient must be diagnosed as terminally ill by two doctors. After a cooling off period of seven days, the patient can sign a certificate of request. After 48 hours the wish for death can be met. For Lloyd Nickson, a 54-year-old Darwin resident suffering from lung cancer, the NT Rights of Terminally Ill law means he can get on with living without the haunting fear of his suffering: a terrifying death from his breathing condition. I'm not afraid of dying from a spiritual point of view, but what I was afraid of was how I'd go, because I've watched people die in the hospital fighting for oxygen and clawing at their masks, he says.

【1】From the second paragraph we learn that ________.

A. the objection to euthanasia is slow to come in other countries

B. physicians and citizens share the same view on euthanasia

C. changing technology is chiefly responsible for the hasty passage of the law

D. it takes time to realize the significance of the law's passage

【2】When the author says that observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling, he means ________.

A. observers are taking a wait-and-see attitude towards the future of euthanasia

B. similar bills are likely to be passed in the US, Canada and other countries

C. observers are waiting to see the result of the game of dominoes

D.the effect-taking process of the passed bill may finally come to a stop

【3】When Lloyd Nickson dies, he will ________.

A. face his death with calm characteristic of euthanasia

B. experience the suffering of a lung cancer patient

C. have an intense fear of terrible suffering

D. undergo a cooling off period of seven days

【4】The author's attitude towards euthanasia seems to be that of ________.

A. opposition B. suspicion

C. approval D. indifference

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】D

【2】B

【3】A

【4】C

【解析】

試題分析：文章主要講的是“安樂死”這一話題。澳大利亞北部地區(qū)（澳北州）成為世界上第一個(gè)允許醫(yī)生根據(jù)絕癥病人個(gè)人意愿來結(jié)束其生命的合法當(dāng)局。

【1】段落大意題。根據(jù)“The full import may take a while to sink in.”可知，要充分理解這一法案的深刻意義可能需要一段時(shí)間；根據(jù)“bitterly attacked the bill and the haste of its passage. But the tide is unlikely to turn back...the right-to-die movement is gathering strength”可知，這一決議的倉促通過受到了猛烈抨擊，但但這一潮流已無法逆轉(zhuǎn)，死亡權(quán)利運(yùn)動在美國和加拿大正在積蓄力量，故選D。

【2】細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)“other states are going to consider making a similar law to deal with euthanasia(安樂死). In the US and Canada, where the right-to-die movement is gathering strength”可知，澳大利亞其它州也將考慮制定類似的法律，而美國和加拿大的死亡權(quán)利運(yùn)動也正在積蓄力量，說明這一趨勢可能在其它國家蔓延開來，故選B。

【3】細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)“he can get on with living without the haunting fear of his suffering”可知，Lloyd Nickson可以平靜地生活下去而無需整天懼怕即將來臨的苦難：因呼吸困難而在煎熬中痛苦地死去，故選A。

【4】觀點(diǎn)態(tài)度題。根據(jù)第一段“by the convincing vote of 15 to 10”中的“convincing”和第二段“The full import may take a while to sink in...But the tide is unlikely to turn back.”可知，作者認(rèn)為人們可能需要一段時(shí)間才能真正理解這一法令的深刻意義，“安樂死”的趨勢是無法你轉(zhuǎn)的，說明作者對“安樂死”持贊成態(tài)度，故選C。