Almost everyone accepts the fact that crime can never be wiped out entirely. Thus control of crime becomes the focus of police and government around the world. The question lawmakers must answer is, “Which system of criminal punishment works best for society?” Each country has developed its own ideas for solution to this question, and these solutions then determine how criminals are punished under different systems. However, none of the current system in use has proved 100 percent effective.
There are many ideas about punishment of criminals. Some systems look only to get retribution(严惩)against criminals. These systems work to frighten criminals away from repeating a crime in the future. These systems also try to deter(威慑)others in society by using the criminal as an example of what can happen to a person if he or she is caught committing crimes. Rehabilitation(改造)is another philosophy by which many systems of punishment operate. The goal of these systems is to return a former criminal to society after a required period of treatment and training, usually in prisons. The idea is to help change the person’s behavior so that he or she becomes a law-abiding citizen.
Capital punishment is another form of punishment which systems use in extreme criminal cases, sometimes involving such crimes as a murder, rape, and violent theft. In these cases, the person is put to death. Today, capital punishment is used in relatively few countries. Many countries have done away with it. In other words, capital punishment remains only in officially law books but is rarely used. However, capital punishment remains in use in some countries including the United States.
When looking at the number of crimes committed, the effectiveness of any of these forms of punishment comes into question. In the United States, for example, 80 percent of the people arrested each year are male, and the majority of these are young men or boys. One-third of all auto thefts, robberies, and burglaries are committed by young men under the age of 18. Generally, young people have less responsibility in society, so they risk losing little if they are caught in a criminal activity. However, it can also be argued that today’s youthful criminals do not fear the punishment they receive if caught by police. Current methods of criminal punishment do not serve the purpose of deterring young criminals in the United States.
A major problem with the current system of rehabilitation in the United Stated is that most criminals return to crime after they have supposedly been rehabilitated. Two-thirds of those caught by police each year are repeat criminals. As a result of this fact, many people feel that rehabilitation of criminals is a lost cause. Since the late 1970s, many see retribution as a preferred punishment in criminal cases in the United States.What is the passage mainly about?
| A.Capital punishment | B.Prison system |
| C.Young criminals | D.Control of crime |
What is the main purpose behind retribution?
| A.To satisfy the victim | B.To create repeat offenders |
| C.To frighten future criminals | D.To take criminals out of society |
Many crimes in the United States are committed by _________.
| A.leaders | B.teenagers |
| C.factory workers | D.street wanders |
According to the passage, which is true of the legal system in the United States?
| A.Capital punishment is not allowed |
| B.Few young people commit crimes |
| C.The majority of criminals will not repeat crimes |
| D.Many people see retribution as the preferred punishment |
What is a big problem with the system of rehabilitation ?
| A.Prisons are full | B.Criminals repeat crimes |
| C.The crime rate is going up | D.Young men are going to prison |
I came to study in the United States a year ago. Yet I did not know the real American society until I was injured in a car accident because after the accident I had to see a doctor and go to court.
After the accident, my roommate called a doctor for me. I was very grateful and determined to repay him one day. But the next day, he asked me to pay him $200 for what he had done. I was astonished. He had good reason to charge me, he said. And if I wanted to collect money from the person who was responsible for my injury, I’d have to have a good lawyer. And only a good doctor can help me get a good lawyer .Now that he had helped me find a good doctor, it was only fair that I should pay him .But every time I went to see the doctor, I had to wait about 50 minutes. He would see two or three patients
at the same time, and often stop treating one so as to see another. Yet he charged me $115 each time. The final examination report consisted of ten lines, and it cost me $215. My lawyer was all smiles the first time we met. But after that he avoided seeing me at all. He knew very well the other party was responsible for the
accident, yet he hardly did anything. He simply waited to collect his money. He was so irresponsible that I decided to dismiss him. And he made me pay him $770.
Now I had to act as my own lawyer. Due to my inexperience, I told the insurance company the date I was leaving America. Knowing that ,they played for time,… and I left without getting a cent.
My experiences taught me two things about America: firstly, in a country like America money is everything. It is more important than friendship, honor or professional morality. Secondly, foreigners are still being unfairly treated. So when we talk about America, we should see both its good and bad sides. The author’s roommate offered to help him because _____.
| A.he felt sorry for the author |
| B.he thought it was a chance to make some money |
| C.he knew the doctor was a very good one |
| D.he wanted the author to have a good lawyer |
A good doctor is essential for the author to_____.
| A.be properly treated |
| B.talk with the person responsible for the accident |
| C.recover before he leaves America |
| D.eventually get the responsible party to pay for his injury |
The underlined word “ charge ” in this passage means ______.
A.b e responsible |
B.accuse | C.ask as a price | D.claim |
Both the doctor and the lawyer in this passage are very ______.
| A.friendly | B.greedy | C.professional | D.busy |
What conclusion can you draw from the story?
| A.Going to court is something very common in America. |
| B.One must be very careful while driving a car. |
| C.there are more bad sides in America than good sides. |
| D.Money is more important than other things in the US. |
Are you worried by the rising crime rate? If you are, you probably know that your house and possessions are increasingly in danger of suffering from great rise in the cases of burglary(夜盗;抢劫) and attack.
Figures show an ever-increasing crime rate, but it is only too easy to imagine "It will never happen to me".Unfortunately, statistics show that it really can happen to you and, if you live in a large city, you run twice the risk of being a victim.
Fortunately, there is something definite which you can do.Protect Alarms can help to protect your house with a burglar alarm system which is effective, simple to operate and easily affordable.
You must remember that owning a burglar alarm is no indication(暗示) that your house is packed with valuable possessions.It quite simply indicates to unwelcome visitors that yours is one house they will not break into easily, so they carry on to an unprotected house where their job is made a lot easier.
Send now for our free leaflet telling you how we can Protect Alarm your house quickly, easily and cheaply.Complete and tear off the slip below and post it to us.Postage is free.Also, telephone us on 327 6721 where we have a round-the-clock answering service.It costs nothing to find out about Protect Alarm.Anyone who takes an interest in the crime rate will, according to the text, be aware that ___________.
| A.more burglars are being caught than ever before |
| B.people have more possessions to worry about nowadays |
| C.burglars are more at risk than they used to be |
| D.homes are more likely to be broken into nowadays |
It seems that people who live in cities are ____________.
| A.more often victims than those living in other areas |
| B.of the opinion that statistics are wrong |
| C.twice as well as people living in other areas |
| D.of the opinion that burglars only rob unprotected homes |
The article claims that possessing an alarm system will _________.
| A.show burglars that you have something worth stealing |
| B.persuade burglars not to break into your house |
| C.make the burglars' job less complicated |
| D.persuade burglars to try again another time |
In order to find out more information about this alarm system one can _______.
| A.buy a leaflet |
| B.write enclosing a stamped, addressed envelope |
| C.sign a contract |
| D.phone at any time of day or night |
The underlined word "Figures" in the second paragraph can be replaced by “__”.
| A.Pictures | B.Fingers | C.Numbers | D.Mathematics |
Almost all theme park accidents can be prevented.Here, based on coverage of theme park safety, are some tips to help you and your family stay safe on your next visit.
If you are visiting with a child, take a moment to explain the ride to them, and tell them what they should do.They are depending upon you to keep them safe.Set a good example for them by following the rules of the park, and make sure that they know you expect them to follow those rules, too.
Tell them to stay seated, to hold the grab bar or put their hands in the laps, and not to stick their knees and feet outside a ride vehicle.Make them look to you for the okay to get on or off a ride, too.And never put a crying child on a ride.If your child starts to cry, let others pass you in line until your child is calmed.Or, gently exit the queue and find something more relaxing to do.
Young kids can’t keep an adult’s pace in a theme park.Let them take plenty of breaks.
“Kids get tired,” said TPI reader Matt Johnson, a father of four.“Tired kids make parents even more tired.And tired kids and parents may get hurt — physically and emotionally.” He advises that parents plan a mid-day break, perhaps a swim back at the hotel, to avoid mid-day heat and crowds.“You will see cranky families having a miserable time while you are refreshed and having a great evening.”The second paragraph tells readers that ________.
| A.children should be trained to be more independent |
| B.adults should tell children some safety rules firstly |
| C.adults should set a good example to conduct well in a theme park |
| D.there is a danger to take young children to visit a theme park |
Which of the following is NOT right for children who are taking the rides?
| A.They cannot put their hands away from the grab bar. |
| B.They are forbidden to put their knees or feet out. |
| C.They should ask adults’ permission first to get on a ride. |
| D.Without adults’ okay sign, children shouldn’t get off a ride. |
If your child begins to cry just when he is going to take a ride, you should ________.
| A.tell him to be relaxed | B.make him share your interest |
| C.give up the present activity | D.encourage him to be brave |
We may infer from Matt Johnson’s words that ________.
| A.he doesn’t like to visit a theme park with his children |
| B.parents with many children may be tired of visiting a theme park |
| C.not all the families are relaxed or happy when they visit a theme park |
| D.visitors should arrange everything carefully before starting |
What is the meaning of the underlined word “exit” in the third paragraph?
| A.等待 | B.发现 | C.进入 | D.离开 |
One evening, a young man at a certain college who was known to be something of a poet read one of his poems to a small group of his friends in a room.The poem was greatly admired.But afterwards, one of them, who was called Crick, said, "I was very interested in Hand’s poem, but it was stolen from a book."
His words were reported to Hand, who was very angry and required an apology."Well," said Crick, "I don’t often take back what I said, but this time I admit (承认) I was mistaken.When I got to my room, I looked in the book which I thought the poem was stolen from, and I saw it was still here!"The poem Hand read one evening was written by.
| A.Hand | B.Crick |
| C.one of his friends | D.another poet |
Hand’s friends admired the poem mainly because.
| A.it was read by Hand | B.Hand was a poet |
| C.it was really wonderful | D.it was stolen from a book |
From the story, we know that Crick .
| A.was really mistaken | B.really took back what he said |
| C.was a poet himself | D.was quite familiar with the poem |
When Hand required an apology, Crick.
| A.didn’t do as Hand asked | B.admitted he was wrong |
| C.was unwilling to do so | D.showed the poem to Hand |
According to the passage, we can infer that Hand.
| A.was a young poet | B.liked poems very much |
| C.would be a poet | D.was regarded as a poet |
A recent study, while showing a generally positive attitude toward science, also suggests a widespread worry that it may be “running out of control”.This idea is dangerous.
Science can be a force for evil as well as for good.Its applications can be channeled either way, depending on our decisions.The decisions we make, personally or collectively, will determine the outcomes of science.But here is a real danger.Science is advancing so fast is so strongly influenced by businesses that we are likely to believe whatever decisions we come to will make little difference.And, rather than fighting for the best possible policies, we may step back and do nothing.
Some people go even further.They say that despite the moral and legal objections (反对), whatever is scientifically possible will be done ——somewhere, sometime.They believe that science will get out of control in the end.This belief is dangerous too, because it a fuels sense of hopelessness and discourages them from making efforts to build a safer world.
In our interconnected world, the lack of agreement in and of the world of science can lead to the failure to control the use of science.Without a common understanding, the challenges of “controlling” science in this century will be really tough.Take human cloning for example.Despite the general agreement among scientists on its possible huge impact (影响) on traditional moral values, some countries still go ahead with the research and development of its related techniques.The outcomes are hard to predict.
Therefore, discussions on how science is applied should be extended far beyond scientific societies.Only through the united efforts of people with hope, can we be fully safe against the misuse of science and can science best serve mankind in the future.What can we conclude from the recent study?
| A.People think highly of science. |
| B.People hold mixed opinions about science. |
| C.Science is getting dangerously out of control. |
| D.Science is used for both good and bad purposes. |
According to the passage, what will happen if we hold that science is getting beyond control?
| A.The development of science will hopelessly slow down. |
| B.Businesses will have even greater influence on science. |
| C.The public will lose faith in bringing about a bright future. |
| D.People will work more actively to put science under control. |
The discussion should reach beyond scientific societies because __________.
| A.scientists have failed to predict the outcomes |
| B.the ties between different areas need strengthening |
| C.united efforts are necessary for the development of science |
| D.people need to work together to prevent the bad use of science |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A.Science and its applications bring us many dangers. |
| B.The development of science mostly lies in people’s attitudes. |
| C.Mankind can largely take control of science with their efforts. |
| D.The future of science will be influenced by the dangerous ideas. |