【A+版】20年(1997-2017)考研英语阅读理解真题(附答案)

蚁1Text1(1997)Passage1Itwas3:45inthemorningwhenthevotewasfinallytaken.Aftersixmonthsofarguingandfinal16hoursofhotparliamentarydebates,Australia’sNorthernTerritorybecamethefirstlegalauthorityintheworldtoallowdoctorstotakethelivesofincurablyillpatientswhowishtodie.Themeasurepassedbytheconvincingvoteof15to10.AlmostimmediatelywordflashedontheInternetandwaspickedup,halfaworldaway,byJohnHofsess,executivedirectoroftheRighttoDieSocietyofCanada.Hesentitonviathegroup’son-lineservice,DeathNET.SaysHofsess:"Wepostedbulletinsalldaylong,becauseofcoursethisisn’tjustsomethingthathappenedinAustralia.It’sworldhistory."Thefullimportmaytakeawhiletosinkin.TheNTRightsoftheTerminallyIlllawhasleftphysiciansandcitizensaliketryingtodealwithitsmoralandpracticalimplications.Somehavebreathedsighsofrelief,others,includingchurches,right-to-lifegroupsandtheAustralianMedicalAssociation,bitterlyattackedthebillandthehasteofitspassage.Butthetideisunlikelytoturnback.InAustralia—whereanagingpopulation,life-extendingtechnologyandchangingcommunityattitudeshaveallplayedtheirpart—otherstatesaregoingtoconsidermakingasimilarlawtodealwitheuthanasia.IntheUSandCanada,wheretheright-to-diemovementisgatheringstrength,observersarewaitingforthedominoestostartfalling.UnderthenewNorthernTerritorylaw,anadultpatientcanrequestdeath—probablybyadeadlyinjectionorpill—toputanendtosuffering.Thepatientmustbediagnosedasterminallyillbytwodoctors.Aftera"coolingoff"periodofsevendays,thepatientcansignacertificateofrequest.After48hoursthewishfordeathcanbemet.ForLloydNickson,a54-year-oldDarwinresidentsufferingfromlungcancer,theNTRightsofTerminallyIlllawmeanshecangetonwithlivingwithoutthehauntingfearofhissuffering:aterrifyingdeathfromhisbreathingcondition."I’mnotafraidofdyingfromaspiritualpointofview,butwhatIwasafraidofwashowI’dgo,becauseI’vewatchedpeopledieinthehospitalfightingforoxygenandclawingattheirmasks,"hesays.51.Fromthesecondparagraphwelearnthat________.[A]theobjectiontoeuthanasiaisslowtocomeinothercountries[B]physiciansandcitizenssharethesameviewoneuthanasia[C]changingtechnologyischieflyresponsibleforthehastypassageofthelaw[D]ittakestimetorealizethesignificanceofthelaw’spassage52.Whentheauthorsaysthatobserversarewaitingforthedominoestostartfalling,hemeans________.[A]observersaretakingawait-and-seeattitudetowardsthefutureofeuthanasia[B]similarbillsarelikelytobepassedintheUS,Canadaandothercountries[C]observersarewaitingtoseetheresultofthegameofdominoes[D]theeffect-takingprocessofthepassedbillmayfinallycometoastop53.WhenLloydNicksondies,hewill________.[A]facehisdeathwithcalmcharacteristicofeuthanasia[B]experiencethesufferingofalungcancerpatient2[C]haveanintensefearofterriblesuffering[D]undergoacoolingoffperiodofsevendays54.Theauthor’sattitudetowardseuthanasiaseemstobethatof________.[A]opposition[B]suspicion[C]approval[D]indifferencePassage2AreportconsistentlybroughtbackbyvisitorstotheUSishowfriendly,courteous,andhelpfulmostAmericansweretothem.Tobefair,thisobservationisalsofrequentlymadeofCanadaandCanadians,andshouldbestbeconsideredNorthAmerican.Thereare,ofcourse,exceptions.Small-mindedofficials,rudewaiters,andill-manneredtaxidriversarehardlyunknownintheUS.Yetitisanobservationmadesofrequentlythatitdeservescomment.Foralongperiodoftimeandinmanypartsofthecountry,atravelerwasawelcomebreakinanotherwisedullexistence.Dullnessandlonelinesswerecommonproblemsofthefamilieswhogenerallyliveddistantfromoneanother.Strangersandtravelerswerewelcomesourcesofdiversion,andbroughtnewsoftheoutsideworld.Theharshrealitiesofthefrontieralsoshapedthistraditionofhospitality.Someonetravelingalone,ifhungry,injured,orill,oftenhadnowheretoturnexcepttothenearestcabinorsettlement.Itwasnotamatterofchoiceforthetravelerormerelyacharitableimpulseonthepartofthesettlers.Itreflectedtheharshnessofdailylife:ifyoudidn’ttakeinthestrangerandtakecareofhim,therewasnooneelsewhowould.Andsomeday,remember,youmightbeinthesamesituation.Todaytherearemanycharitableorganizationswhichspecializeinhelpingthewearytraveler.Yet,theoldtraditionofhospitalitytostrangersisstillverystrongintheUS,especiallyinthesmallercitiesandtownsawayfromthebusytouristtrails."Iwasjusttravelingthrough,gottalkingwiththisAmerican,andprettysoonheinvitedmehomefordinner—amazing."SuchobservationsreportedbyvisitorstotheUSarenotuncommon,butarenotalwaysunderstoodproperly.ThecasualfriendlinessofmanyAmericansshouldbeinterpretedneitherassuperficialnorasartificial,butastheresultofahistoricallydevelopedculturaltradition.Asistrueofanydevelopedsociety,inAmericaacomplexsetofculturalsignals,assumptions,andconventionsunderliesallsocialinterrelationships.And,ofcourse,speakingalanguagedoesnotnecessarilymeanthatsomeoneunderstandssocialandculturalpatterns.Visitorswhofailto"translate"culturalmeaningsproperlyoftendrawwrongconclusions.Forexample,whenanAmericanusestheword"friend",theculturalimplicationsofthewordmaybequitedifferentfromthoseithasinthevisitor’slanguageandculture.Ittakesmorethanabriefencounteronabustodistinguish