The right to die
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(议会的) debates, Australia’s northern Territory became the first legal authority in the world to allow doctors to take the lives of incurably sick 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 NT Rights of the Terminally III 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（通过）.
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(诊断) 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 III 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. This passage is mainly about ________.
| A．the development and function of euthanasia |
| B．the passage（通过）of a law on euthanasia and its worldwide influence. |
| C．some successful examples about euthanasia |
| D．conditions and procedures to perform euthanasia in Australia. |
What does “observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling” mean?
| A．Observers are taking a wait-and –see attitude towards the future of euthanasia. |
| B．There is a possibility of similar bills being passed in the US and Canada. |
| C．Observers are waiting to see the movement end up in failure. |
| D．The process of the bill taking effect may finally come to a stop. |
During a “cooling off” period, a patient will _________.
| A．wait for two doctors’ diagnosis |
| B．sign a certificate of request |
| C．think over his decision of euthanasia |
| D．turn to his doctors for more advice |
What’s the author’s attitude towards euthanasia?
| A．Hostile | B．doubtful | C．Favorable | D．Indifferent |
The cost of rice is expected to go up in the coming months, as an improving global economy raises demand, and drought (旱灾) cuts production in countries such as India. Some economists say prices for rice, the Precision Castingstaple food for much of the world's population, could be returning to levels that sparked inflation(通货膨胀) fears in much of Asia last year.
Charuk Singhapreecha is dean of the faculty (系)of economics at Thailand’s Kasetsart University. He says prices – especially for Thai rice – are being pushed higher by new customers coming into the market after the economic slowdown of the past year. They expect that the world demand will increase andCast steel we expect that the price of rice will increase next year," Charuk said. "There are many new markets for the Thai rice and also we still have for our old customer - China, some Arab countries - they will increase the demand."
Prices on the global market could again near the record above $1,000 a ton set in the middle of 2008. This month, export prices for Southeast Asian rice have jumped from about $550 a ton or less to more than $650.
Vichai Sriprasert, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, says further weakness in the US dollar and concerns over drought add to pressure on prices. Market experts say next year India is likely to try to import three million tons of rice – entering the world market for the first time in 21 years – because of a drought.
Vichai also warns that increasing demand for bio-fuels(生物燃料) from grain could reduce food crops, forcing the price of food grains higher. "This is very serious. That's why the price of rice will not go back to the level that we used to see," Vichai said. "It will have to be elevated at a higher level, but I don't know where."
The Philippines this week said it is cutting rice imports because of high prices, even though the country lost more than a million tons of grain to typhoons this year. Officials from Vietnam, a leading export competitor with Thailand, predict prices will reach about $800 a ton by the middle of 2010. This week the Philippines' National Food Authority offered almost $665 a ton for 600,000 tons of Vietnamese rice.
Economists say higher food prices will only increase the problems faced by the region's poor, who are highly dependent on rice as a staple food.
68．Which of the following is NOT true according to paragraph 1?
A．Drought reduces production of rice in India.
B．Prices for rice were lower all the time in 2008.
C．Rice is a major food for the world’s population.
D．The improving global economy increases the need for rice.
69．How many reasons did Vichai mention about rice price’s going up?
A．1. B．2. C．3. D．4.
70．Why does the Philippines plan to cut rice imports?
A．Because of high prices. B．Because of typhoons.
C．Because of civil war. D．Because of drought.
71．What’s the best title of the passage?
A．Higher food prices will increase problems
B．There are many new markets for the Thai rice
C．The global economy is improving
D．Prices for rice are expected to rise
Jean – Gilles was a millionaire. But Tuesday night, he was sleeping in his car.
Jean – Gilles was the owner of the Peace of Mind Hotel in Jacmel, Haiti, a three – story, 30 – room building in a quiet tropical valley on Haiti’s southern coast, 25 miles from the noises of the capital, Port – au – Prince. Jean – Gilles and his wife, Marie, lived in an apartment on the property, close enough to watch carefully over the guest rooms, conference rooms and restaurant, close enough that they know the first name of every guest.
After the 7.0 – earthquake hit at 4:57 pm on Jan. 12,2010, they slept in their aging Isuzu, parked in the hotel driveway.
Jean – Gilles figured a second was the difference between life and death when the earthquake struck. He was working in a ground – floor conference room and first heard, then felt the quake. He asked his electrician, Roberne St. Louis, who was working nearby, what was happening.
“Get out. Now . Get out. Now,” St. Louis said.
Jean – Gilles cleared the falling structure by a mere second, he estimated. His wife, who was working in the couple’s apartment on the second floor, wasn’t able to get clear. People nearby heard her screams after the shaking stopped and removed the building blocks around her by hand. She was shaken and scratched, but walked away from the ruins.
“I am alive. God is good,” she repeated over and over on Saturday.
The Peace of Mind Hotel was a dream which had come true for Jean – Gilles, 57, and Marie, 59. Born in Port – au – Prince, they moved to the United States shortly after meeting 34 years ago. Together, they owned a beauty supply store in jersey City, New Jersey, and invested in real estate. In 2003, they cashed out their US investments, returned to Haiti and began building the Peace of Mind Hotel, looking to make a future for themselves and the people of their homeland.
64．Which of the following statements about Jean – Gilles is TURE?
A．He lived far from the Peace of Mind Hotel.
B．He helped St. Louis to manage a hotel.
C．He was born in Haiti in 1976.
D．He once owned a store in the US.
65．According to the passage, the Peace of Mind Hotel_______.
A．offered guests different services
B．was located in the capital city of Haiti
C．was a building with 30 guest rooms
D．was owned by Marie and St. Louis
66．When the earthquake hit, Marie was_______.
A．sleeping in the car B．working in the conference room
C．working on the second floor D．cooking in the restaurant
67．It can be inferred from the passage that_______.
A．Haiti is the 51 st state of the US
B．the earthquake happened quickly and unexpectedly
C．nobody in the hotel died in the earthquake
D．Marie was not sad about losing her property in the earthquake
A boy was born to couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and the boy was the apple of their eyes. When the boy saw around two years old, the husband saw a medicine bottle open. He was late for work so he asked the wife to cap the bottle and put it in the cupboard. The mother, preoccupied in the kitchen, totally forgot the matter.
The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to it and, fascinated with its color, drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages(剂量). When the child fell down, the mother hurried him to the hospital, where he died. The mother was unconscious. She was terrified how to face her husband.
When the distraught (心烦意乱的)father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just four words.
What do you think those four words were? The husband just said, "I love You Darling".
The husband's totally unexpected reaction is proactive(积极主动的) behavior. The child is dead. He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he have taken time to put the bottle away, this would not have happened. No point in attaching blame. She had also lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave her.
Sometimes we spend time asking who is responsible or who's to blame, whether in a relationship, in a job or with the people we know and miss out on the warmth in human relationships we could receive by giving each other support. After all, shouldn't forgiving someone we love be the easiest thing in the world to do? Treasure what you have. Don't multiply pain, anguish and suffering by holding onto forgiveness.
If everyone could look at life with this kind of perspective, there would be fewer problems in the world.
Take off all your envies, jealousies, unwillingness to forgive, selfishness, and fears and you will find things are actually not as difficult as you think.
60．The meaning of the underlined phrase is_______.
A．an adult B．a healthy boy C．the love of the parents D．a naughty boy
61．Why was the mother terrified to face the husband?
A．Because she was afraid of her husband.
B．Because she thought that was her fault.
C．Because she poisoned her son herself.
D．Because she wanted to kill herself.
62．What does this passage mainly talk about?
A．Be careful to do everything.
B．Forgive what you shouldn’t forgive.
C．Treasure what you have now.
D．Envy can mislead the way you go.
63．Which column of a paper can we find this article?
A．Financial aid to students. B．Grand view of science.
C．Enjoying the countryside view. D．Life and society.
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
Sam, an unemployed piano tuner, said it was only the second thing he had ever won in his life．The first thing was an Afghan blanket at a church raffle（抽奖） when he was 25 years old．But this was much bigger: it was $120,000! He had won the Big Cube, a state lottery(彩票) game．To win, a contestant must first guess which number a spinning cube will stop on．The cube has six numbers on it: 1X, 10X, 50X, 100X, 500X, and 1000X．If he is correct, the contestant must then guess which of two selected variables（变量） is going to be greater．So, just guessing which number appears on the cube does not guarantee that you will win any money．
Sam correctly guessed 1000X, but he still had to choose between two variables．One variable was the number of cars that would run the stop sign at Hill Street and Lake Avenue in six hours．The other variable was the number of times that a teenage boy would change TV channels in a three-hour period．This was a tough decision．
Finally, Sam flipped a coin．It came up heads, so Sam picked the teenager．He picked right．The stop sign was run only 76 times, but the teen clicked 120 times．Sixty-year-old Sam jumped for joy, for he had just won 1000 times 120, or $120,000．Sam dreamily left the lottery studio．Talking excitedly on his cell phone while crossing the street, he got hit by a little sports car．
Sam is slowly getting better．He was in the hospital for a month．His hospital bill was $110,000．And the insurance company for the little sports car’s owner sued（起诉）Sam for $9,000 worth of repairs．Also, Sam still has to pay federal taxes on his winnings．Sam doesn’t play the state lottery any more．He says it’s better to be unlucky．
56．What can be inferred about Sam from the passage?
A．He always has bad luck. B．He seldom goes to a raffle.
C．He is a very careful person in life. D．He used to be crazy about lottery tickets.
57．Which of the following played a vital role in Sam’s winning the big prize?
A．The cube. B．The coin. C．The blanket. D．The stop sign.
58．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A．The lottery game was a complete lie.
B．Sam was quite familiar with the boy.
C．The owner of the car is now in hospital.
D．Sam will have none of the prize money left.
59．What could be the best title for the passage?
A．Curiosity killed the cat B．Joy puts heart into a man
C．Extreme joy ends in sorrow D．A bird in hand is worth two in the bush
I made a pledge (发誓) to myself on the way down to the vacation beach cottage. For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father. Totally loving . No ifs, ands or buts.
The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio. The speaker was quoting (引用) a Biblical (圣经的) passage about husbands being thoughtful（体贴的） of their wives. Then he went on to say," Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love." To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband. Well , for two weeks that would change.
And it did. Right from the moment I kissed Evelyn at the door and said," That new yellow sweater looks great on you."
"Oh, Tom, you noticed," she said, surprised and pleased, maybe a little puzzled.
After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read. Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach. I started to refuse, but then I thought, "Evelyn's been alone here with the kids all the week and now she wants to stay with me. " We walked on the beach while the children flew their kites.
So it went. Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums. Relaxed and happy, that's how the whole vacation passed, I made a new pledge to keep on remembering to choose love. There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however. Evelyn and I still laugh about it today. Last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with the saddest expression.
“What’s the matter?” I asked her.
“ Tom ,” se said in a voice filled with distress, “ do you know something I don’t?”
"What do you mean?"
"Well...that checkup(体检) I had several weeks ago...our doctor...did he tell you something about me? Tom , you've been so good to me... am I dying?"
It took a moment for it all to sink in. Then I burst out laughing.
"No, honey," I said, wrapping her in my arms. "You're not dying; I'm just staring to live."
71.In the first paragraph, "No ifs, ands or buts" probably means___.
A. unnecessarily B. unexpectedly C. impossibly D. unconditionally
72. From the story we may infer that Tom went to the beach cottage___.
A. with his family B. with Evelyn C. alone D. with his children
73. During the two weeks on the beach, Tom showed more love to his wife because___.
A. she looked lovely in her new clothes
B. he had made a lot of money in Wall Street
C. he was determined to be a good husband
D. she was seriously ill
74.The underlined words "one thing" in the passage refer to the fact that___.
A. he praised her sweater, which puzzled her
B. she insisted on visiting a museum, which he hated
C. he knew something about her illness but didn't tell her
D. he was so good to her that she thought she must be dying
75.By saying "I'm just starting to live", Tom means that___.
A. he is just beginning to understand the real meaning of life
B. he is just beginning to enjoy his life as a loving husband
C. he lived an unhappy life before and is now starting to change
D. he is beginning to feel regretful for what he did to his wife