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1、Unit 2（1997 年真题）Passage 1It was 3:45 in the morning when the vote was finally taken.After six months of arguing and final 16 hours of hotparliamentary debates,Australias Northern Terrilory became the first legal authority in the world to allow doctors to takethe lives of incurably ill patients who w
2、ish to die.The measure passed by the convincing vote of 15 to 10.Almostimmediately word flashed on the Internet and was picked up,half a world away,by John Hofsess,executive director of theRight to Die Society of Canada.He sent it on via the groups on-line service,Death NET.Says Hofsess:We postedbul
3、letins 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 III law has left physicians and citizensalike trying to deal with its moral and practical implications.Some have bre
4、athed sighs of relief,others,includingchurches,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 changingcommunity attitudes ha
5、ve all played their part other states are going to consider making a similar law to deal witheuthanasia.In the US and Canada,where the right-to-die movement is gathering strength,observers are waiting for thedominoes to start falling.Under the new Northeni Territory law,and adult patient can request
6、 death-probably by a deadly injection or pill一 to put an end to suffering.The patient must be diagnosed as terminally ill by two doctors.After a cooling off*periodof seven days,the patient can sign a certificate of request.After 48 hours the wish for death can be met.For LloydNickson,a 54-year-old D
7、arwin resident suffering from lung cancer,the NT Rights of Terminally III law means he can geton with living without the haunting fear of his suffering:a terrifying death from his breathing condition.Im not afraid ofdying from a spiritual point of view,but what I was afraid of was how Id go,because
8、Ive watched people die in thehospital fighting fbr 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 countriesB physicians and citizens share the same view on euthanasia|C|changing technology is chiefly respons
9、ible for the hasty passage of the lawD it takes time to realize the significance of the laws passage2.When the author says that observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling,he me a ns.A observers are taking a wait-and-see attitude towards the future of euthanasia|B similar bills are likel
10、y 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 stop3.When Lloyd Nickson dies,he wi l l.|A|face his death with calm characteristic of euthanasiaB experience the su
11、ffering of a lung cancer patientC have an intense fear of terrible sufferingD undergo a cooling off period of seven days4.The authors attitude towards euthanasia seems to be that of.A opposition B suspicion C approval D indifferencePassage 2A report consistently brought back by visitors to the US is
12、 how friendly,courteous,and helpful most Americans wereto them.To be fair,this observation is also frequently made of Canada and Canadians,and should best be consideredNorth American.There are,of course,exceptions.Small-minded officials,rude waiters,and ill-mannered taxi drivers arehardly unknown in
13、 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 otherwise dullexistence.Dullness and loneliness were common problems of the families who generally lived distant from one anoth
14、er.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 hospitality.Someone traveling alone,if hungry,injured,or ill,often had nowhere to turn except to the nearest cabin or settlement.It was
15、 not a matter of choice for the traveler ormerely a charitable impulse on the part of the settlers.It reflected the harshness of daily life:if you didnt take in thestranger and take care of him,there was no one else who would.And someday,remember,you might be in the samesituation.Today there are man
16、y charitable organizations which specialize in helping the weary traveler.Yet,the old tradition ofhospitality to strangers is still very strong in the US,especially in the smaller cities and towns away from the busy touristtrails.I was just traveling through,got talking with this American,and pretty
17、 soon he invited me home for dinner amazing.n Such observations reported by visitors to the US are not uncommon,but are not always understood properly.The casual friendliness of many Americans should be interpreted neither as superficial nor as artificial,but as the result ofa historically developed
18、 cultural tradition.As is true of any developed society,in America a complex set of cultural signals,assumptions,and conventionsunderlies all social interrelationships.And,of course,speaking a language does not necessarily mean that someoneunderstands social and cultural patterns.Visitors who fail t
19、o translate1 cultural meanings properly often draw wrongconclusions.For example,when an American uses the word friend1,the cultural implications of the word may be quitedifferent from those it has in the visitors language and culture.It takes more than a brief encounter on a bus to distinguishbetwee
20、n courteous convention and individual interest.Yet,being friendly is a virtue that many Americans value highlyand expect from both neighbors and strangers.5.In the eyes of visitors from the outside wor l d.A mde taxi drivers are rarely seen in the US|B small-minded officials deserve a serious commen
21、tC Canadians are not so friendly as their neighborsD most Americans are ready to offer help6.It could be inferred from the last paragraph t hat.|A culture exercises an influence over social interrelationshipB courteous convention and individual interest are interrelatedC various virtues manifest the
22、mselves exclusively among friendsD social interrelationships equal the complex set of cultural conventions7.Families in frontier settlements used to entertain s t r a n g e r s.A to improve their hard lifeB in view of their long-distance travelC to add some flavor to their own daily life|D|out of a
23、charitable impulse8.The tradition of hospitality to s t r a n g e r s.A tends to be superficial and artificialB is generally well kept up in the United States|C|is always understood properlyD has something to do with the busy tourist trailsPassage 3Technically,any substance other than food that alte
24、rs our bodily or mental functioning is a drug.Many peoplemistakenly believe the term drug refers only to some sort of medicine or an illegal chemical taken by drug addicts.Theydont realize that familiar substances such as alcohol and tobacco are also drugs.This is why the more neutral termsubstance
25、is now used by many physicians and psychologists.The phrase substance abuse1 is often used instead of drugabuse1 to make clear that substances such as alcohol and tobacco can be just as harmfully misused as heroin and cocaine.Wc live in a society in which the medicinal and social use of substances(d
26、rugs)is pervasive:an aspirin to quiet aheadache,some wine to be sociable,coffee to get going in the morning,a cigarette for the nerves.When do these sociallyacceptable and apparently constructive uses of a substance become misuses?First of all,most substances taken in excesswill produce negative eff
27、ects such as poisoning or intense perceptual distortions.Repeated use of a substance can also leadto physical addiction or substance dependence.Dependence is marked first by an increased tolerance,with more and moreof the substance required to produce the desired effect,and then by the appearance of
28、 unpleasant withdrawal symptomswhen the substance is discontinued.Drugs(substances)that affect the central nervous system and alter perception,mood,and behavior are known aspsychoactive substances.Psychoactive substances are commonly grouped according to whether they are stimulants,depressants,or ha
29、llucinogens.Stimulants initially speed up or activate the central nervous system,whereas depressantsslow it down.Hallucinogens have their primary effect on perception,distorting and altering it in a variety of waysincluding producing,hallucinations.These are the substances often called psychedelic(f
30、rom the Greek word meaningmind-manifesting)because they seemed to radically alter ones state of consciousness.9.Substances abuse(Line 4,Paragraph 1)is preferable to drug abuse in t hat.|A|substances can alter our bodily or mental functioning if illegally usedB drug abuse is only related to a limited
31、 number of drug takersC alcohol and tobacco are as fatal as heroin and cocaineD many substances other than heroin or cocaine can also be poisonous10.The word pervasive,(Line 1,Paragraph 2)might mean.A widespread B overwhelming C piercing D fashionable11.Physical dependence on certain substances resu
32、lts f r om.|A uncontrolled consumption of them over long periods of time.B exclusive use of them for social purposesC|quantitative application of them to the treatment of diseasesD careless employment of them for unpleasant symptoms12.From the last paragraph we can infer t hat.A stimulants function
33、positively on the mind|B 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 groupsPassage 4No company likes to be told it is contributing to the moral decline of nation.Is this
34、what you intended to accomplishwith your careers?Senator Robert Dole asked Time Warner executives last week.Y)u have sold your souls,but mustyou corrupt our nation and threaten our children as well?Al Time Warner,however,such questions are simply the latestmanifestation of the soul-searching that ha
35、s involved the company ever since the company was born in 1990.Its aself-examination that has,at various times,involved issues of responsibility,creative freedom and the corporate bottomline.At the core of this debate is chairman Gerald Levin,56,who took over for the late Steve Ross in 1992.On thefi
36、nancial front,Levin is under pressure to raise the stock price and reduce the companys mountainous debt,which willincrease to$17.3 billion after two new cable deals close.He has promised to sell off sonic of the property and restructurethe company,but investors are waiting impatiently.The flap over
37、rap is not making life any easier for him.Levin has consistently defended the companys rap music onthe grounds of expression.In 1992,when Time Warner was under fire fbr releasing Ice-Ts violent rap song Cop Killer,Levin described rap as a lawful expression of street culture,which deserves an outlet.
38、The test of any democraticsociety,he wrote in a Wall Street Journal column,lies not in how well it can control expression but in whether it givesfreedom of thought and expression the widest possible latitude,however disputable or irritating the results may sometimesbe.We wont retreat in the face of
39、any threats.Levin would not comment on the debate last week,but there were signs that the chairman was backing off hishard-line stand,at least to some extent.During the discussion of rock singing verses at last months stockholders meeting,Levin asserted that music is not the cause of societys ills*a
40、nd even cited his son,a teacher in the Bronx,New York,whouses rap to communicate with students.But he talked as well about the balanced struggle between creative freedom andsocial responsibility,and he announced that the company would launch a drive to develop standards for distribution andlabeling
41、of potentially objectionable music.The 15-member Time Warner board is generally supportive of Levin and his corporate strategy.But insiders sayseveral of them have shown their concerns in this matter.nSome of us have known for many,many years that the freedomsunder the First Amendment are not totall
42、y unlimited,*says Luce.I think it is perhaps the case that some peopleassociated with the company have only recently come to realize this.13.Senator Robert Dole criticized Time Warner for.A its rising of the corporate stock priceB its self-examination of soulC its neglect of social responsibility|D|
43、its emphasis on creative freedom14.According to the passage,which of the following is TRUE?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.15.In face of the recent attacks on the comp
44、any,the c h a i r ma n.A stuck to a strong stand to defend freedom of expression|B softened his tone and adopted some new policyC changed his attitude and yielded to objectionD received more support from the 15-member board16.The best title for this passage could be.|A A Company under FireB|A Debate
45、 on Moral DeclineC A Lawful Outlet of Street CultureD A Form of Creative FreedomPassage 5Much of the language used to describe monetary policy,such as steering the economy to a soft landing*or a touchon the brakes,makes it sound like a precise science.Nothing could be further from the truth.The link
46、 between interestrates and inflation is uncertain.And there 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 crackedrearview mirror and a faulty steering wheel.Given
47、 all these disadvantages,central bankers seem to have had much to boast about of late.Average inflation in thebig seven industrial economies fell to a mere 2.3%last year,close to its lowest level in 30 years,before rising slightly to2.5%this July.This is a long way below the double-digit rates which
48、 many countries experienced in the 1970s and early1980s.It is also less than most forecasters had predicted.In late 1994 the panel of economists which The Economist pollseach month said that Americas inflation rate would average 3.5%in 1995.In fact,it fell to 2.6%in August,and isexpected to average
49、only about 3%fbr the year as a whole.In Britain and Japan inflation is running half a percentagepoint below the rate predicted at the end of last year.This is no flash in the pan;over the past couple of years,inflation hasbeen consistantly lower than expected in Britain and America.Economists have b
50、een particularly surprised by favourable inflation figures in Britain and the United State,sinceconventional measures suggest that both economics,and especially Americas,have little productive slack.Americascapacity utilisation,fbr example,hit historically high levels earlier this year,and its joble