Questions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.

　　With the possible exception of equal rights, perhaps the most controversial issue across the United States today is the death penalty. Many argue that it is an effective deterrent (威慑) to murder, while others maintain there is no convincing evidence that the death penalty reduces the number of murders.

　　The principal argument advanced by those opposed to the death penalty, basically, is that it is cruel and inhuman punishment, which is the mark of a brutal society, and finally that it is of questionable effectiveness as a deterrent to crime anyway.

　　In our opinion, the death penalty is a necessary evil. Throughout recorded history there have always been those extreme individuals in every society who were capable of terribly violent crimes such as murder. But some are more extreme than others.

　　For example, it is one thing to take the life of another in a fit of blind rage, but quite another to coldly plot and carry out the murder of one or more people in the style of a butcher. Thus, murder, like all other crimes, is a matter of relative degree. While it could be argued with some conviction that the criminal in the first instance should be merely isolated from society, such should not be the fate of the latter type murderer.

　　The value of the death penalty as a deterrent to crime may be open to debate. But the overwhelming majority of citizens believe that the death penalty protects them. Their belief is reinforced by evidence which shows that the death penalty deters murder. For example, from 1954 to 1963, when the death penalty was consistently imposed in California, the murder rate remained between three and four murders for each 100,000 population. Since 1964 the death penalty has been imposed only once, and the murder rate has risen to 10.4 murders for each 100,000 population. The sharp climb in the state’s murder rate, which began when executions stopped, is no coincidence. It is convincing evidence that the death penalty does deter many murderers. If the bill reestablishing the death penalty is vetoed, innocent people will be murdered—some whose lives may have been saved if the death penalty were in effect. This is literally a life or death matter. The lives of thousands of innocent people must be protected.

　　52. The principal purpose of this passage is to .

　　A) speak for the majority B) initiate a veto

　　C) criticize the government D) argue for the value of the death penalty

　　53. The author’s response to those who urge the death penalty for all is likely to be .

　　A) negative B) friendly C) supportive D) hostile

　　54. According to the Paragraph 4, it can be inferred that .

　　A) the death penalty is the most controversial issue in the United States today

　　B) the second type of murderers should be sentenced to death

　　C) the veto of the bill reestablishing the death penalty is of little importance

　　D) the value of the death penalty as a deterrent to crime is not to be debated

　　55. The passage attempts to establish a relationship between .

　　A) the murder rate and the imposition of the death penalty

　　B) the effects of execution and the effects of isolation

　　C) the importance of equal rights and that of the death penalty

　　D) executions and murders

　　56. The author’s attitude towards “death penalty” is .

　　A) opposing B) supporting C) neutral D) sarcastic

　　【答案】

　　本文围绕针对死刑是否应该存在展开讨论。许多人认为死刑对于凶杀具有有效的威慑作用，而其他人则认为没有令人信服的证据证明死刑降低了凶杀案的数量。

　　52. D)。【定位】 由题干principal purpose of this passage is定位到全文内容。【解析】 主旨题。从整篇看，作者是在为实行死刑争辩，因此选D)。【避错指导】A)“为多数人辩护”、B)“行使否决权”和C)“指责政府”均不是文章主旨。

　　53. A)。【定位】 由题干author’s response to those who urge the death penalty定位到原文第四段第一句For example, it is one thing to take the life of another in a fit of blind rage, but quite another to coldly plot and carry out the murder of one or more people in the style of a butcher.【解析】 推断题。在第四段中，作者认为谋杀案情况不同，还有相对程度之分。他把谋杀分为两类：一类是在盛怒之下杀人，另一类是有预谋的特别残忍的谋杀。他认为前一种杀人犯可以把他们与社会隔离起来，不一定要处以极刑。所以说作者并不赞成把所有杀人犯都处以死刑，因此A)是正确答案。【避错指导】 B)“友好的”和C)“支持的”显然是不对的;作者对把所有杀人犯都处以死刑只是不赞成，而不是怀有“敌意”，因此D)也不对。

　　54. B)。【定位】 由题干定位到原文第四段。【解析】 推断题。第四段最后一句说，虽然我们可以争论有关“第一种案例中的罪犯只应该隔离于社会”这样的宣判，但是后一种杀人犯的结局不应该是这样的。即：后一种杀人犯不应该只隔离于社会，言外之意要判死刑。因而B)是正确选项。【避错指导】 A)认为死刑问题是当今美国最具争议的问题，可文章第一句话“With the possible exception of equal rights,”除了平等的权利之外，说明死刑排在第二位，A)错误;C)文章结尾讲到“如果恢复死刑的法案被否决，无辜的人们将被谋杀——如果执行死刑，一些人的生命就可能被挽救。确切地说来，这是一个是生还是死的问题。成千上万无辜者的生命必须得到保护。”那么不能说否决(veto)是不重要的,所以C)错误;D)原文就是在讨论这个问题，不能说是“无争议的”。因此D)错误。

　　55. A)。【定位】 由题干attempts to establish a relationship between定位到原文最后一段倒数第四句It is convincing evidence that the death penalty does deter many murderers.【解析】 推断题。作者在文章最后一段花了很大篇幅讲谋杀率与施行死刑的关系，结合倒数第四句可知，A)是正确选项。【避错指导】文章没有谈到平等权利和死刑之间的关系，因此C)不可能是正确答案;执行死刑与谋杀之间似乎有点关系，但文章中并没有专门谈到执行死刑的问题，因此D)也不对;文章虽然提到了执行死刑的作用问题，但没有提及隔离的作用问题，更没有讲到两者之间的关系，因此B)也应被排除。

　　56. B)。【定位】 由题干的The author’s attitude towards“death penalty”定位于全文。【解析】 态度题。作者开篇指出公众对待死刑的一些看法，有正面的，也有负面的，但字里行间透露着对死刑的辩护。由最后一段最后一句This is literally a life or death matter. The lives of thousands of innocent people must be protected.可进一步确定，作者是在为实行死刑辩护，因此B)是正确的。【避错指导】A)“反对的”;C)“中立的”和D)“讽刺的”均不是作者的态度。