英語(yǔ)四級(jí)難度提升閱讀訓(xùn)練 Text 10

Text 10

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 online service, Death NET. Says Hofsess: "We posted bulletins all day long, because 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. In the U.S. 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 U.S., Canada and other countries

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

D.the effect of 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

5.Reasons for why euthanasia was passed in Australia rather than America and Canada cover following EXCEPT_______.

A.old people share great part in whole Australian population

B.technology of extending life is advanced in Australia

C.people gradually recognize that suffering from disease was worse than immediate death

D.it is easy to deal with the moral and practical implications in Australia

長(zhǎng)難例句分析

［長(zhǎng)難例句］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.

［結(jié)構(gòu)分析］本句中，主干是word flashed and was picked up by John Hofsess。half a world away以及executive director of the Right to Die Society of Canada是兩個(gè)同位語(yǔ)，修飾John Hofsess。

［參考譯文］這一消息幾乎立即出現(xiàn)在互聯(lián)網(wǎng)上。身處地球另一端的加拿大“死亡權(quán)利學(xué)會(huì)”執(zhí)行主席John Hofsess看到了。

全文參考譯文

清晨3:45進(jìn)行了最后的投票表決。經(jīng)過(guò)6個(gè)月的爭(zhēng)論和最后16個(gè)小時(shí)的國(guó)會(huì)激烈辯論，澳大利亞北部自治區(qū)（即澳北州）成了世界上第一個(gè)允許醫(yī)生根據(jù)病人意愿結(jié)束絕癥患者生命的合法當(dāng)局。這一法案是以15:10的令人信服的投票結(jié)果通過(guò)的。這一消息幾乎立即出現(xiàn)在互聯(lián)網(wǎng)上。身處地球另一端的加拿大“死亡權(quán)利學(xué)會(huì)”執(zhí)行主席John Hofsess收到這條消息后，便通過(guò)該學(xué)會(huì)的網(wǎng)絡(luò)服務(wù)站“Diath NET”發(fā)了公告。他說(shuō)：“我們一整天都在發(fā)布公告，這當(dāng)然不只是因?yàn)榘拇罄麃啺l(fā)生的事情，這是要載入世界史冊(cè)的?！?/p>

這一立法的深刻意義可能要過(guò)一段時(shí)間才能為人們所理解。澳北州所通過(guò)的晚期病人權(quán)益法使得無(wú)論是內(nèi)科醫(yī)生還是普通市民都同樣地努力從道義和實(shí)際意義兩方面來(lái)對(duì)待這一問(wèn)題。有些人如釋重負(fù)，其他人，包括教會(huì)人士、生之權(quán)利組織成員以及澳大利亞醫(yī)學(xué)協(xié)會(huì)成員猛烈抨擊了這一法案及其草率的通過(guò)。而這種潮流將不太可能逆轉(zhuǎn)。在澳大利亞，人口老齡化、壽命延長(zhǎng)技術(shù)以及公眾態(tài)度的變化都在各自發(fā)揮著作用。其他州也準(zhǔn)備考慮制定類(lèi)似的法規(guī)來(lái)對(duì)待安樂(lè)死問(wèn)題。在美國(guó)和加拿大，死亡權(quán)利運(yùn)動(dòng)正在聚集力量，觀察家正等待著多米諾骨牌開(kāi)始倒下。

根據(jù)澳北州所通過(guò)的這個(gè)新法案，成年病人可要求安樂(lè)死——可能通過(guò)注射致死針劑或服用致死藥物——以結(jié)束痛苦。但須由兩名醫(yī)生診斷其已病入膏肓。病人經(jīng)過(guò)7天“冷靜思考”時(shí)間，方可簽署一份申請(qǐng)證明。48小時(shí)后，其安樂(lè)死愿望才能得到實(shí)現(xiàn)。對(duì)于居住在達(dá)爾文的現(xiàn)年54歲的肺癌者Lloyd Nickson來(lái)說(shuō)，這個(gè)法案意味著他可以平靜地生活下去而無(wú)須懼怕因呼吸困難而死去。他說(shuō)“從精神上說(shuō)，我并不怕死，害怕的是怎樣死。我曾看見(jiàn)醫(yī)院里的病人死前用手抓撓氧氣面罩，與氧氣抗?fàn)?。?/p>

題目答案與解析

1.我們從第二段了解到________。

A.在其他國(guó)家，對(duì)安樂(lè)死的反對(duì)意見(jiàn)出現(xiàn)的較慢

B.醫(yī)生和市民對(duì)安樂(lè)死所持的觀點(diǎn)一致

C.變化的技術(shù)應(yīng)該對(duì)這項(xiàng)法律的草率通過(guò)負(fù)主要責(zé)任

D.要認(rèn)識(shí)這項(xiàng)法律通過(guò)的意義需要時(shí)間

【答案】D

【解析】從文章第二段的內(nèi)容可知，要充分領(lǐng)會(huì)這一法案的全部意義可能需要一段時(shí)間；北部地區(qū)晚期病人權(quán)利法使得醫(yī)生和市民都以同樣的方式看待這一法案的道德意義和實(shí)際意義；一些人覺(jué)得如釋重負(fù)，而另一些人都對(duì)這一法案以及它的草率通過(guò)進(jìn)行了猛烈抨擊；但是這一趨勢(shì)不可能逆轉(zhuǎn)；在澳大利亞這樣一個(gè)人口老齡化、延長(zhǎng)壽命的技術(shù)以及變化的公眾態(tài)度都起了各自作用的國(guó)家，其他的州也將考慮制定類(lèi)似的法律來(lái)處理安樂(lè)死問(wèn)題；在美國(guó)和加拿大，死亡權(quán)利運(yùn)動(dòng)正在逐漸興起，觀察家們正在等待多米諾骨牌開(kāi)始倒下。據(jù)此可知，由于人們對(duì)安樂(lè)死的看法有異，要充分領(lǐng)會(huì)安樂(lè)死法案通過(guò)的全部意義需要時(shí)間。D項(xiàng)與文中的意思相符，因此為正確答案。

2.當(dāng)作者說(shuō)“觀察家在等待多米諾骨牌開(kāi)始倒下”時(shí)，他意指________。

A.觀察家對(duì)安樂(lè)死的未來(lái)持觀望態(tài)度

B.類(lèi)似的法律很可能在美國(guó)、加拿大和其他國(guó)家通過(guò)

C.觀察家在等著看多米諾骨牌游戲的結(jié)果

D.已經(jīng)通過(guò)的這項(xiàng)法律產(chǎn)生影響的過(guò)程可能最終會(huì)停止

【答案】B

【解析】本題中，domino意為“多米諾骨牌”，指引發(fā)連鎖反應(yīng)。從文章第二段的最后一句話(huà)可知，在美國(guó)和加拿大，死亡權(quán)利運(yùn)動(dòng)正在逐漸興起，觀察家們正在等待多米諾骨牌開(kāi)始倒下。據(jù)此可知，作者認(rèn)為，由于澳大利亞通過(guò)了安樂(lè)死法案，這對(duì)美國(guó)和加拿大產(chǎn)生了影響，使得這兩個(gè)國(guó)家的死亡權(quán)利運(yùn)動(dòng)逐漸興起，從而會(huì)產(chǎn)生連鎖反應(yīng)。B項(xiàng)與文章的意思相符，因此為正確答案。

3.當(dāng)Lloyd Nickson死時(shí)，他將________。

A.以安樂(lè)死的平靜心態(tài)面對(duì)死亡　B.體驗(yàn)肺癌患者所受的痛苦

C.非常懼怕可怕的痛苦　　　　　D.經(jīng)歷7天的冷靜期

【答案】A

【解析】從文章第二段的后半部分可知，對(duì)于Lloyd Nickson來(lái)說(shuō)——一位飽受肺癌煎熬、現(xiàn)年54歲的達(dá)爾文市居民，北部地區(qū)的晚期病人權(quán)利法案意味著他可以生活下去而無(wú)須時(shí)常畏懼他的病痛——由于呼吸障礙而可怕地死去；他說(shuō)：“從精神上說(shuō)，我并不害怕死亡，但我害怕的是怎樣死，我曾在醫(yī)院看到過(guò)病人因?yàn)槿毖醵嗫鄴暝?，用手抓他們的供氧面罩時(shí)的情景。”據(jù)此可知，他在去世時(shí)，將不會(huì)像其他病人那樣有恐懼感和折磨感。A項(xiàng)與文章的意思相符，因此為正確答案。

4.作者對(duì)安樂(lè)死持的態(tài)度似乎是________。

A.反對(duì)　　B.懷疑　　C.贊成　　D.漠不關(guān)心

【答案】C

【解析】從文章第一段的內(nèi)容可知，經(jīng)過(guò)6個(gè)月的爭(zhēng)論和16個(gè)小時(shí)議會(huì)的最后激烈辯論，澳大利亞北部地區(qū)成為第一個(gè)允許醫(yī)生結(jié)束那些無(wú)藥可救、但求一死的病人的生命的合法地區(qū)；這一法案的通過(guò)不只是澳大利亞發(fā)生的事情，它是世界上的一件歷史大事；從文章第二段的內(nèi)容可知，要充分領(lǐng)會(huì)這一法案的全部意義可能需要一段時(shí)間；一些人覺(jué)得如釋重負(fù)，而另一些人都對(duì)這一法案以及它的草率通過(guò)進(jìn)行了猛烈抨擊；但是這一趨勢(shì)不可能逆轉(zhuǎn)；在美國(guó)和加拿大，死亡權(quán)利運(yùn)動(dòng)正在逐漸興起，觀察家們正在等待多米諾骨牌開(kāi)始倒下；從文章最后一段的內(nèi)容可知，根據(jù)澳大利亞北部地區(qū)的新法，一名成年病人可以要求安樂(lè)死來(lái)結(jié)束痛苦；對(duì)于飽受肺癌煎熬的Lloyd Nickson來(lái)說(shuō)，北部地區(qū)的晚期病人權(quán)利法案意味著他可以生活下去而無(wú)須時(shí)常畏懼他的病痛：由于呼吸障礙而可怕地死去。據(jù)此可知，作者支持安樂(lè)死。C項(xiàng)與文章的意思相符，因此為正確答案。

5.安樂(lè)死在澳大利亞而不是美國(guó)和加拿大被通過(guò)，原因很多，除了________。

A.澳大利亞人口中，老年人比例較大

B.澳大利亞的長(zhǎng)生養(yǎng)老科技水平比較先進(jìn)

C.人們漸漸意識(shí)到，遭受疾病的痛苦比死亡還要糟糕

D.在澳大利亞更容易處理道德和實(shí)用方面的問(wèn)題

【答案】D

【解析】本題考查對(duì)語(yǔ)句意思的理解。第二段的后半部分給出了詳盡的解釋?zhuān)喊矘?lè)死被通過(guò)，是多方面因素共同作用的結(jié)果。