天津市宁河县2014高考英语阅读理解训练（6）及答案（解析）阅读理解Withthepossibleexceptionofequalrights,perhapsthemostheatedargumentacrosstheUnitedStatestodayisthedeathpenalty(死刑).Manyarguethatitisaneffectivedeterrent(威慑)tomurder,whileothersthinkthereisnoenoughproofthatthedeathpenaltyreducesthenumberofmurders.Theargumentadvancedbythoseopposed（反对）tothedeathpenaltyisthatitiscruelandinhumanpunishment,thatitistilemarkofabadsocietyandfinallythatitisofquestionableeffectivenessasadeterrenttocrime(罪行)anyway.Inouropinion,thedeathpenaltyisanecessaryaction.Throughoutrecordedhistorytherehavealwaysbeenthosepeculiarpersonsineverysocietywhomadeterriblecrimessuchasmurder.Butsomearemoredangerousthanothers.Forexample,itisonethingtotakethelifeofanotherintimeofblindanger,butquiteanothertocoldlyplanandcarryoutthemurderofoneormorepeopleinthestyleofabutcher.Thus,murder,likeallothercrimes,isamatterofdifferentdegree.Whileitcouldbearguedwithsomereasonthatthecriminalinthefirstinstanceshouldbemerelykeptfromsociety,suchshouldnotbethefateofthelattertypemurderer.Thevalueofthedeathpenaltyasadeterrenttocrimemaybeopentodiscussion.Butthemajorityofpeoplebelievethatthedeathpenaltyprotectsthem.Theirbeliefisprovedbythefactthatthedeathpenaltypreventsmurder.Forexample,from1954to1963,whenthedeathpenaltywascarriedoutfromtimetotimeinCalifornia,themurderrateremainedbetweenthreeandfourmurdersforeach100,000population.Since1964thedeathpenaltyhasbeendoneonlyonce,andthemurderratehasrisento10.4murdersforeach100,000population.Thesharpclimbinthestate'smurderrate,whichbeganwhenkillingsstopped,doesnothappenbychance.Itcertainlyshowsthatthedeathpenaltydoesdetermanymurderers.Ifthelawaboutdeathpenaltyisvetoed(否决),somepeoplewillbemurdered-somewhoselivesmayhavebeensavedifthedeathpenaltywereineffect.Thisisreallyalifeordeathmatter.Thelivesofthousandsofpeoplemustbeprotected.1.Themainpurposeofthispassageisto_____.A.speakforthemajorityB.supportavetoC.speakillofthegovernmentD.argueforthevalueofthedeathpenalty答案解析：答案为D。本题为文章的主旨大意题。由第一段的“Manyarguethat…,whileothersthink...”和最后一段的首句“Thevalueofthedeathpenaltyasadeterrenttocrimemaybeopentodiscussion.”可知，本文讨论死刑的价值。2.WhichofthefollowingisamongtheheatedargumentsacrosstheUSAbesidesdeathpenalty?A.Airpollution.B.ThewaragainstIraq.C.Equalrights.D.Electionofpresident.答案解析：答案为C。本题为细节题。从第一段的首句“Withthepossibleexceptionofequalrights,perhapsthemostheatedargumentacrosstheUnitedStatestodayisthedeathpenalty(死刑).”可知，除了人权问题，在美国讨论最热烈的问题是死刑。3.Thenumbersinthelastparagraphshowthat______.A.iftheysticktodeathpenalty,thenumberofmurderswillbereducedB.deathpenaltyalmoststoppedfrom1954to1963C.thepopulationofCaliforniahasrisenD.deathpenaltyisoflittlevalue答案解析：答案为A。本题为推理题。从最后一段的第二句“Butthemajorityofpeoplebelievethatthedeathpenaltyprotectsthem.”和最后三句“Ifthelawaboutdeathpenaltyisvetoed(否决),somepeoplewillbemurdered-somewhoselivesmayhavebeensavedifthedeathpenaltywereineffect.Thisisreallyalifeordeathmatter.Thelivesofthousandsofpeoplemustbeprotected.”都是在强调死刑可以保护人的生命，故答案为A,如果国家坚持死刑，谋杀案件的数目会减少。由本段的第四句话“Forexample,from1954to1963,whenthedeathpenaltywascarriedoutfromtimetotimeinCalifornia…”可知，1954年到1963年期间，死刑时不时地在Californ...
