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1、精选优质文档-倾情为你奉上蚁 1Text1 (1997)Passage 1It 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, Australias Northern Territory became the first legal authority in the world to allow doctors to take the lives of incurably il
2、l 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 groups on-line service, Death NET.
3、 Says Hofsess: "We posted bulletins all day long, because of course this isnt just something that happened in Australia. Its 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 mo
4、ral 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-ex
5、tending 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 US and Canada, where the right-to-die movement is gathering strength, observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling.Under t
6、he 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. Af
7、ter 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. "Im not afrai
8、d of dying from a spiritual point of view, but what I was afraid of was how Id go, because Ive watched people die in the hospital fighting for oxygen and clawing at their masks," he says.51. From the second paragraph we learn that _.A the objection to euthanasia is slow to come in other countri
9、esB physicians and citizens share the same view on euthanasiaC changing technology is chiefly responsible for the hasty passage of the lawD it takes time to realize the significance of the laws passage52. When the author says that observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling, he means _.A
10、 observers are taking a wait-and-see attitude towards the future of euthanasiaB similar bills are likely to be passed in the US, Canada and other countriesC observers are waiting to see the result of the game of dominoesD the effect-taking process of the passed bill may finally come to a stop53. Whe
11、n Lloyd Nickson dies, he will _.A face his death with calm characteristic of euthanasiaB experience the suffering of a lung cancer patient2C have an intense fear of terrible sufferingD undergo a cooling off period of seven days54. The authors attitude towards euthanasia seems to be that of _.A oppos
12、itionB suspicionC approvalD indifference Passage 2A report consistently brought back by visitors to the US is how friendly, courteous, and helpful most Americans were to them. To be fair, this observation is also frequently made of Canada and Canadians, and should best be considered North American.
13、There are, of course, exceptions. Small-minded officials, rude waiters, and ill-mannered taxi drivers are hardly unknown in the US. Yet it is an observation made so frequently that it deserves comment.For a long period of time and in many parts of the country, a traveler was a welcome break in an ot
14、herwise dull existence. Dullness and loneliness were common problems of the families who generally lived distant from one another. Strangers and travelers were welcome sources of diversion, and brought news of the outside world.The harsh realities of the frontier also shaped this tradition of hospit
15、ality. Someone traveling alone, if hungry, injured, or ill, often had nowhere to turn except to the nearest cabin or settlement. It was not a matter of choice for the traveler or merely a charitable impulse on the part of the settlers. It reflected the harshness of daily life: if you didnt take in t
16、he stranger and take care of him, there was no one else who would. And someday, remember, you might be in the same situation.Today there are many charitable organizations which specialize in helping the weary traveler. Yet, the old tradition of hospitality to strangers is still very strong in the US
17、, especially in the smaller cities and towns away from the busy tourist trails. "I was just traveling through, got talking with this American, and pretty soon he invited me home for dinner amazing." Such observations reported by visitors to the US are not uncommon, but are not always under
18、stood properly. The casual friendliness of many Americans should be interpreted neither as superficial nor as artificial, but as the result of a historically developed cultural tradition.As is true of any developed society, in America a complex set of cultural signals, assumptions, and conventions u
19、nderlies all social interrelationships. And, of course, speaking a language does not necessarily mean that someone understands social and cultural patterns. Visitors who fail to "translate" cultural meanings properly often draw wrong conclusions. For example, when an American uses the word
20、 "friend", the cultural implications of the word may be quite different from those it has in the visitors language and culture. It takes more than a brief encounter on a bus to distinguish between courteous convention and individual interest. Yet, being friendly is a virtue that many Ameri
21、cans value highly and expect from both neighbors and strangers.55. In the eyes of visitors from the outside world, _.A rude taxi drivers are rarely seen in the USB small-minded officials deserve a serious commentC Canadians are not so friendly as their neighborsD most Americans are ready to offer he
22、lp356. It could be inferred from the last paragraph that _. A culture exercises an influence over social interrelationship B courteous convention and individual interest are interrelated C various virtues manifest themselves exclusively among friends D social interrelationships equal the complex set
23、 of cultural conventions57. Families in frontier settlements used to entertain strangers _.A to improve their hard lifeB in view of their long-distance travelC to add some flavor to their own daily lifeD out of a charitable impulse58. The tradition of hospitality to strangers _.A tends to be superfi
24、cial and artificialB is generally well kept up in the United StatesC is always understood properlyD has something to do with the busy tourist trails Passage 3Technically, any substance other than food that alters our bodily or mental functioning is a drug. Many people mistakenly believe the term dru
25、g refers only to some sort of medicine or an illegal chemical taken by drug addicts. They dont realize that familiar substances such as alcohol and tobacco are also drugs. This is why the more neutral term substance is now used by many physicians and psychologists. The phrase "substance abuse&q
26、uot; is often used instead of "drug abuse" to make clear that substances such as alcohol and tobacco can be just as harmfully misused as heroin and cocaine.We live in a society in which the medicinal and social use of substances (drugs) is pervasive: an aspirin to quiet a headache, some wi
27、ne to be sociable, coffee to get going in the morning, a cigarette for the nerves. When do these socially acceptable and apparently constructive uses of a substance become misuses? First of all, most substances taken in excess will produce negative effects such as poisoning or intense perceptual dis
28、tortions. Repeated use of a substance can also lead to physical addiction or substance dependence. Dependence is marked first by an increased tolerance, with more and more of the substance required to produce the desired effect, and then by the appearance of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when the s
29、ubstance is discontinued.Drugs (substances) that affect the central nervous system and alter perception, mood, and behavior are known as psychoactive substances. Psychoactive substances are commonly grouped according to whether they are stimulants, depressants, or hallucinogens. Stimulants initially
30、 speed up or activate the central nervous system, whereas depressants slow it down. Hallucinogens have their primary effect on perception, distorting and altering it in a variety of ways including producing hallucinations. These are the substances often called psychedelic (from the Greek word meanin
31、g "mind-manifestation") because they seemed to radically alter ones state of consciousness.59. "Substances abuse" (line 4, paragraph 1) is preferable to "drug abuse" in that _.A substances can alter our bodily or mental functioning if illegally usedB "drug abuse&qu
32、ot; is only related to a limited number of drugtakers4C alcohol and tobacco are as fatal as heroin and cocaineD many substances other than heroin or cocaine can also be poisonous60. The word "pervasive" (line 1, paragraph 2) might mean _.A widespreadB overwhelmingC piercingD fashionable61.
33、 Physical dependence on certain substances results from _.A uncontrolled consumption of them over long periods of timeB exclusive use of them for social purposesC quantitative application of them to the treatment of diseasesD careless employment of them for unpleasant symptoms62. From the last parag
34、raph we can infer that _.A stimulants function positively on the mindB hallucinogens are in themselves harmful to healthC depressants are the worst type of psychoactive substancesD the three types of psychoactive substances are commonly used in groups Passage 4No company likes to be told it is contr
35、ibuting to the moral decline of a nation. "Is this what you intended to accomplish with your careers?" Senator Robert Dole asked Time Warner executives last week. "You have sold your souls, but must you corrupt our nation and threaten our children as well?" At Time Warner, howeve
36、r, such questions are simply the latest manifestation of the soul-searching that has involved the company ever since the company was born in 1990. Its a self-examination that has, at various times, involved issues of responsibility, creative freedom and the corporate bottom line.At the core of this
37、debate is chairman Gerald Levin, 56, who took over for the late Steve Ross in 1992. On the financial front, Levin is under pressure to raise the stock price and reduce the companys mountainous debt, which will increase to $ 17.3 billion after two new cable deals close. He has promised to sell off so
38、me of the property and restructure the company, but investors are waiting impatiently.The flap over rap is not making life any easier for him. Levin has consistently defended the companys rap music on the grounds of expression. In 1992, when Time Warner was under fire for releasing Ice-Ts violent ra
39、p song Cop Killer, Levin described rap as lawful expression of street culture, which deserves an outlet. "The test of any democratic society," he wrote in a Wall Street Journal column, "lies not in how well it can control expression but in whether it gives freedom of thought and expre
40、ssion the widest possible latitude, however disputable or irritating the results may sometimes be. We wont retreat in the face of any threats."Levin would not comment on the debate last week, but there were signs that the chairman was backing off his hard-line stand, at least to some extent. Du
41、ring the discussion of rock singing verses at last months stockholders meeting. Levin asserted that "music is not the cause of societys ills" and even cited his son, a teacher in the Bronx, New York, who uses rap to communicate with students. But he talked as well about the "balanced
42、struggle" between creative 5freedom and social responsibility, and he announced that the company would launch a drive to develop standards for distribution and labeling of potentially objectionable music.The 15-member Time Warner board is generally supportive of Levin and his corporate strategy
43、. But insiders say several of them have shown their concerns in this matter. "Some of us have known for many, many years that the freedoms under the First Amendment are not totally unlimited," says Luce. "I think it is perhaps the case that some people associated with the company have
44、 only recently come to realize this."63. Senator Robert Dole criticized Time Warner for _.A its raising of the corporate stock priceB its self-examination of soulC its neglect of social responsibilityD its emphasis on creative freedom64. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
45、A Luce is a spokesman of Time Warner.B Gerald Levin is liable to compromise.C Time Warner is united as one in the face of the debate.D Steve Ross is no longer alive.65. In face of the recent attacks on the company, the chairman _.A stuck to a strong stand to defend freedom of expressionB softened hi
46、s tone and adopted some new policyC changed his attitude and yielded to objectionD received more support from the 15-member board66. The best title for this passage could be _.A A Company under FireB A Debate on Moral DeclineC A Lawful Outlet of Street CultureD A Form of Creative Freedom Passage 5Mu
47、ch of the language used to describe monetary policy, such as "steering the economy to a soft landing" or "a touch on the brakes", makes it sound like a precise science. Nothing could be further from the truth. The link between interest rates and inflation is uncertain. And there
48、are long, variable lags before policy changes have any effect on the economy. Hence the analogy that likens the conduct of monetary policy to driving a car with a blackened windscreen, a cracked rearview mirror and a faulty steering wheel.Given all these disadvantages, central bankers seem to have had much to boast about of late. Average inflation in the big seven industrial economies fell to