1997年Passage 1

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 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. 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. 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 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.

52. 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

[答案] B

[解題思路]

本題對應于文章第二段的最后一句話"In the US and Canada, where the right to die movement is gathering strength, observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling"（在美國和加拿大，死亡權利運動正在積蓄力量積極準備。觀察家們正在等待著將產生的多米諾骨牌效應）。"dominoes"的意思為多米諾骨牌，在這里指的是多米諾骨牌效應，即其他國家可能效仿澳大利亞紛紛推出安樂死法律，因此答案為A。即使不知道dominoes的意思，也可以從該句的前半句以及第二段中間的"But the tide is unlikely to turn back"（但是安樂死這一潮流已無法逆轉）這句話也能判斷出正確答案。A和C選項與上下文的意思不符，可以排除。而D選項則與"But the tide is unlikely to turn back"這句話的意思以及該段的基調相反，也是錯誤選項。

[題目譯文]

作者說觀察家們正在等待著將產生的多米諾骨牌效應，其中的意思是         。
[A] 觀察家們對安樂死的未來持觀望態度
[B] 類似的法案可能會在美國、加拿大和其他國家通過
[C] 觀察家們正在等待著看多米諾骨牌游戲的結束
[D] 這項已經同股哦的法案的生效過程最終可能會停止

53. 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

[答案] A

[解題思路]

文章最后一段第四句指出"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"（對于居住于達爾文市、現年54歲的肺癌患者利奧德·尼克森來說，這個法律意味著他可以平靜地生活下去而無須整天懼怕即將來臨的苦難折磨：因呼吸困難而在煎熬中痛苦地死去），顯然B選項是正確答案。而B、C、D選項都與原文意思相似，D選項指的是安樂死執行過程中的一步，與例子無關。

[題目譯文]

當利奧德·尼克森死的時候，他會         。
[A] 帶著安樂死特有的平靜面對死亡
[B] 經歷肺癌患者的痛苦
[C] 非常害怕可怕的痛苦
[D] 經歷七天的冷靜期