首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
考研
California is having problems with its death penalty. It hasn’t executed anyone since 2006, when a federal court ruled that its
California is having problems with its death penalty. It hasn’t executed anyone since 2006, when a federal court ruled that its
admin
2014-09-05
103
问题
California is having problems with its death penalty. It hasn’t executed anyone since 2006, when a federal court ruled that its method of lethal injection was improper and could cause excessive pain. The state spent five years coming up with a better method — and last month, a judge threw that one out too. One indication of just how encumbered California’s capital-punishment system is: the prisoner who brought the latest lethal-injection challenge has been on death row for 24 years.
It isn’t just California. The Death Penalty Information Center reported last month that the number of new death sentences nationally was down sharply in 2011, dropping below 100 for the first time in decades. It also reported that executions were plummeting — down 56% since 1999.
There has long been an idea about how the death penalty would end in the U. S. : the Supreme Court would hand down a sweeping ruling saying it is unconstitutional in all cases. But that is not what is happening. Instead of top-down abolition, we seem to be getting it from the bottom up — governors, state legislatures, judges and juries quietly deciding not to support capital punishment. New Jersey abolished its death penalty in 2007. New Mexico abolished its death penalty in 2009. There are now 16 states — or about one-third of the country — that have abolished capital punishment.
There are several reasons we seem to be moving toward de facto abolition of the death penalty. A major one has been the growing number of prisoners on death row who have been exonerated — 139 and counting since 1973, according to a list maintained by the Death Penalty Information Center. Even many people who support capital punishment in theory balk when they are confronted with clear evidence that innocent people are being sentenced to death.
Another factor is cost. Money is tight these days, and more attention is being paid to just how expensive death-penalty cases are. A 2008 study found that California was spending $ 137 million on capital cases — a sizable outlay, particularly since it was not putting anyone to death.
According to the polls, a majority of the country has not yet turned against the death penalty — but support is slipping. In 1994, 80% of respondents in a Gallup poll said they supported the death penalty for someone convicted of murder. In 2001, just 61% did. In polls where respondents are given a choice between the death penalty or life without parole and restitution, a majority has gone with the non-death option.
Many opponents of the death penalty are still hoping for a sweeping Supreme Court ruling, and there is no denying that it would have unique force. Five Justices, with a stroke of their pens, could end capital punishment nationwide. But bottom-up, gradual abolition has other advantages. What we are seeing is not a small group of judges setting policy. It is a large number of Americans gradually losing their enthusiasm for putting people to death.
In the eyes of supporters for capital punishment, it is ______that there are innocent people sentenced to death because of erroneous judgment.
选项
A、unacceptable
B、inevitable
C、rare
D、undeniable
答案
A
解析
文章第四段中作者介绍了各州不再热衷于判处死刑的第一个原因,那就是冤假错案的增多。自1973年起,先前被判死刑后又被无罪赦免的事件共有139例之多。作者指出,即使是那些支持死刑的人(people who support capital punishment)在听到无辜的人被误判死刑的确凿证据的时候,也不免踌躇(balk)。本题题干问的正是这些人对于无辜的人被判死刑的感想,正确答案应该选[A]。他们虽然支持死刑,但是也认为这样的误判是无法容忍、不能接受的。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/RDK4777K
0
考研英语一
相关试题推荐
ButifstaffinMoscowfeltchilly,thegrabdidnotwarmthemmeansthemeasuregovernmentadoptedis______.Theexampleof"z
Credibilityaboutmessagesishigh,becausetheyarereportedinindependentmedia.Anewspaperreviewofamoviehasmorebeli
Credibilityaboutmessagesishigh,becausetheyarereportedinindependentmedia.Anewspaperreviewofamoviehasmorebeli
Youaregoingtoreadatextaboutbeingabetterfriend,followedbyalistofimportantways.Choosethebestwayfromthelis
Theestimatesofthenumbersofhome-schooledchildrenvarywidely.TheU.S.DepartmentofEducationestimatesthereare250,000
Theestimatesofthenumbersofhome-schooledchildrenvarywidely.TheU.S.DepartmentofEducationestimatesthereare250,000
AnexpressionusedbyAmericansforabout100yearsis"topassthebuck".Itmeansrefusingtotakeresponsibility,lettingothe
Lionsare【C1】______;theyprefertoeatwithouthavingtodotoomuchwork.Whenrestingintheshade,theyarealsowatchingth
DogandHumanHealthPeoplewholettheirdogssleepwiththemorallowthemtolicktheirfacesarenomorelikelythanoth
Generallyspeaking,aBritishiswidelyregardedasaquiet,shyandconservativepersonwhois(1)_____onlyamongthosewithw
随机试题
下列哪项不是目眩的常见原因()
以下属于估价报告内在质量的有()。
建筑材料耐火极限最常用的单位是( )。
下列商业银行业务中属于贸易融资的有()。[2014年6月真题]
反洗钱的主要制度中处于核心地位的是客户身份识别制度。()
安排住同一房间的游客,如因睡眠、起居习惯等问题发生矛盾,其中一位游客要求入住单间,单间费应由()。
HowmanydollarsdidMissJoanhandtoMr.Greenly?Thephrase"subjecttochangewithoutnotice"suggests______
holdingcompany
职业生活则是人们参与社会分工,用专业的技能和知识创造物质财富或精神财富,获取合理报酬,丰富社会物质生活或精神生活的生活方式。维系人们职业活动和职业生活的思想观念保障是()。
Travellinglikethisisreallyanadventure.Veryoften,you’reoffdoingsomethingstrangewhereyoudon’tknowwhat’sgoingto
最新回复
(
0
)