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1、1997 text 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, Australias Northern Territory became the first legal authority in the world to allow doctors to take the lives of incurably ill patients who wish to di
2、e. 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 groups on-line service, Death NET. Says Hofsess: We posted
3、bulletins all day long, because of course this isnt just something that happened in Australia. Its world history. The full import may take a while to sink in. The NT Rights of the Terminally law has left physicians and citizens alike trying to deal with its moral and practical implications. Some hav
4、e 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 communit
5、y 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
6、 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 Llo
7、yd Nickson, a 54-year-old Darwin resident suffering from lung cancer, the NT Rights of Terminally Ill law means he can get on with living without the haunting fear of his suffering: a terrifying death from his breathing condition. Im not afraid of dying from a spiritual point of view, but what I was
8、 afraid of was how Id go, because Ive watched people die in the hospital fighting for oxygen and clawing at their masks, he says. 51. From the second paragraph we learn that _. A the objection to euthanasia is slow to come in other countries B physicians and citizens share the same view on euthanasi
9、a C changing technology is chiefly responsible for the hasty passage of the law D it takes time to realize the significance of the laws passage 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 th
10、e 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 53. When Lloyd Nickson dies, he will _. A face his death wi
11、th 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 54. The authors attitude towards euthanasia seems to be that of _. A opposition B suspicion C approval D indifference Tex
12、t 2 A report consistently brought back by visitors to the US is how friendly, courteous, and helpful most Americans were to them. To be fair, this observation is also frequently made of Canada and Canadians, and should best be considered North American. There are, of course, exceptions. Small-minded
13、 officials, rude waiters, and ill-mannered taxi drivers are hardly unknown in the US. Yet it is an observation made so frequently that it deserves comment. For a long period of time and in many parts of the country, a traveler was a welcome break in an otherwise dull existence. Dullness and loneline
14、ss were common problems of the families who generally lived distant from one another. Strangers and travelers were welcome sources of diversion, and brought news of the outside world. The harsh realities of the frontier also shaped this tradition of hospitality. Someone traveling alone, if hungry, i
15、njured, or ill, often had nowhere to turn except to the nearest cabin or settlement. It was not a matter of choice for the traveler or merely a charitable impulse on the part of the settlers. It reflected the harshness of daily life: if you didnt take in the stranger and take care of him, there was
16、no one else who would. And someday, remember, you might be in the same situation. Today there are many charitable organizations which specialize in helping the weary traveler. Yet, the old tradition of hospitality to strangers is still very strong in the US, especially in the smaller cities and towns away from the busy tourist trails. I was just traveling through, got talking with this American, and pret
