Question

【题目】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(安乐死). 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】

试题分析：文章主要讲的是“安乐死”这一话题。澳大利亚北部地区（澳北州）成为世界上第一个允许医生根据绝症病人个人意愿来结束其生命的合法当局。

【1】段落大意题。根据“The full import may take a while to sink in.”可知，要充分理解这一法案的深刻意义可能需要一段时间；根据“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，这一决议的仓促通过受到了猛烈抨击，但但这一潮流已无法逆转，死亡权利运动在美国和加拿大正在积蓄力量，故选D。

【2】细节理解题。根据“other states are going to consider making a similar law to deal with euthanasia(安乐死). In the US and Canada, where the right-to-die movement is gathering strength”可知，澳大利亚其它州也将考虑制定类似的法律，而美国和加拿大的死亡权利运动也正在积蓄力量，说明这一趋势可能在其它国家蔓延开来，故选B。

【3】细节理解题。根据“he can get on with living without the haunting fear of his suffering”可知，Lloyd Nickson可以平静地生活下去而无需整天惧怕即将来临的苦难：因呼吸困难而在煎熬中痛苦地死去，故选A。

【4】观点态度题。根据第一段“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，作者认为人们可能需要一段时间才能真正理解这一法令的深刻意义，“安乐死”的趋势是无法你转的，说明作者对“安乐死”持赞成态度，故选C。