阅读理解

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　It was 3:45 in the morning when the vote was finally taken. After six months of arguing and final 16 hours of hat 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(急忙) 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(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(不易忘怀的) 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.

1 From the second paragraph we learn that ________.

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A．the objection to euthanasia is slow to come in other countries

B．physicians and citizens share the same view on euthanasia

C．changing technology is chiefly responsible for the hasty passage of the law

D．it takes time to realize the significance of the law's passage

2．When Lloyd Nickson dies, he will ________.

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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

3．The author's attitude towards euthanasia seems to be that of ________.

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4．Under the new Northern territory law, an adult patient, once diagnosed as terminally ill, can practice euthanasia ________.

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5．Which of the following is not the reason for sanctification of euthanasia?

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A．An aging population.

B．Development of life extending technology.

C．Changing attitude towards death.

D．Over population of the world.

阅读理解

　　It was 3:21 a. m., when nine－year－old Glenn Kreamer awoke to the smell of burning. Except for the cracking(爆裂声) of flames somewhere below there was not a sound in the two－storey house at Baldwin, Long Island.

　　With his father away on night duty at a local factory, Glenn was worried about the safety of his mother, his sister Karen, 14 and his 12－year－old brother Todd. He ran downstairs through the smoke－filled house to push and pull at Karen and Todd until they sat up. Then he helped each one through the house to the safety of the garden. There, his sister and brother, taking short and quick breaths and coughing, collapsed on the lawn.

　　The nine－year－old boy raced back into the house and upstairs to his mother's room. He found it impossible to wake her up. Mrs Kreamer, a victim of the smoke, was unconscious, and there was nobody to help Glenn carry her to the garden. But the boy remained calm and, as a fireman said later, “acted with all the self－control of a trained adult.”

　　On the bedroom telephone, luckily still working, Glenn called his father and, leaving Mr. Kreamer to telephone the fire brigade and ambulance service, got on with the task of saving his mother.

　　First he filled a bucket with water from the bathroom and threw water over his mother and her bed. Then, with a wet cloth around his head he went back to the garden.

　　He could hear the fire engine coming up, but how would the firemen find his mother in the smoke－filled house where flames had almost swallowed up the ground floor?

　　Grasping firmly a ball of string from the garage, Glenn raced back into the house and dashed upstairs to his mother's room. Tying one end of the string to her hand he ran back, laying out the string as he went, through the hall and back out into the garden.

　　Minutes later he was telling fire chief John Coughlan, “The string will lead you to Mother.” Mrs Kreamer was carried to safety as the flames were breaking through her bedroom floor.

1．Why did Glenn run downstairs first?

[　　]

A．He wanted to find out what was happening.

B．He was worried about his mother's safety.

C．He wanted to save his sister and his brother.

D．He went to see if his father had come back from work.

2．How did Glenn help the firemen to save his mother?

[　　]

A．By throwing water all over her and her bed.

B．By carrying her to safety with his brother.

C．By pushing and pulling at her.

D．By tying a string to her hand.

3．Who called the fire brigade and ambulance service?

[　　]

A．Glenn.

B．Glenn's father.

C．Glenn's sister.

D．Glenn's neighbor.

4．What did Glenn do to protect himself?

[　　]

A．He put a wet cloth around himself.

B．He threw water all over his head.

C．He hid himself in the bathroom.

D．He rushed out to the lawn.

5．Glenn saved his family because ________.

[　　]

A．his father had taught him to do so on the phone

B．he had learned something about the first aid

C．he had dealt with the emergency calmly and wisely

D．he had followed his mother's instruction

Cloze Test

Read the following passage, choose the one that best fits into the passage.

　　It was five days before Christmas. Holiday music plays over the sound system and coworkers excitedly 1 their plans. “Doing anything special?” they asked me. I shook my head 2 .

　　It was 3,000 miles from my family in Hawaii, pursuing(追求) my lifelong 3 of becoming a nurse. I attended classes all day, and then went straight to my full time 4 job at night. My weekly plan left me extremely tired and homesick.

　　I had 5 looked forward to the holidays. But this December I felt unable to go on. In my prayer(祷告) I told 6 that I could just get home to see my mum, dad and brothers. 1 could survive the next two years until I graduated. But 7 ? Rent, textbook and other expense left me with no 8 cash or money to go home. I hardly had money to eat.

　　“I'm on my 9 . Cover for me, will you?” asked Mari belle, another waitress, as she 10 me on her way to the employee's room. “ 11 , there's this guy at table five,” she said. “He's been sitting there for more than an hour, not making any trouble but not 12 anything either.”.She paused. “It's like he's — 13 somebody.”

　　I looked in the corner. 14 enough, there was a slim, pleasant－looking man 15 in a worn shirt, and a black baseball cap, just sitting, 16 . I went over, trying to force a smile. “I'm Cory.” I said. “please let me know if you want anything.”

　　I was turning to walk away 17 the man spoke. He had a soft, low voice, but somehow I could hear it clear and plain in the 18 restaurant. “I'd like an order of chips,” he said, “and a glass of water.” My heart 19 . Chips were the cheapest things on the menu, which meant I wouldn't get much of a 20 . But maybe this guy was broke(破产), and I sure know how that felt. So I tried my best to make him feel okay.

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