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  3. In the USA, 85% of the population over the age of 21 approve of the death penalty. In the many states which still have the death

In the USA, 85% of the population over the age of 21 approve of the death penalty. In the many states which still have the death

admin2005-06-26  92
问题     In the USA, 85% of the population over the age of 21 approve of the death penalty. In the many states which still have the death penalty, some use the electric chair, which can take up to 20 minutes to kill, while others use gas or lethal injection.
    The first of these was the case of Ruth Ellis who was hanged for shooting her lover in what was generally regarded as a crime of passion. The second was hanged for murders which, it was later proved, had been committed by someone else.
    The pro-hanging lobby(赞成极刑的活动集团)uses four main arguments to support its call for the reintroduction of capital punishment. First there is the deterrence theory, which argues that potential murderers would think twice before committing the act if they knew that they might die if they were caught. The armed bank robber might, likewise, go back to being unarmed.
    The other two arguments are more suspect. The idea of retribution demands that criminals should get what they deserve: if a murderer intentionally set out to commit a crime, he should accept the consequences. Retribution, which is just another word for revenge, is supported by the religious doctrine of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
    The arguments against the death penalty are largely humanitarian(人道主义的). But there are also statistical reasons for opposing it: the deterrence figures do not add up. In Britain, 1903 was the record year for executions and yet in 1904 the number of murders actually rose. There was a similar occurrence in 1946 and 1947. If the deterrence theory were correct, the rate should have fallen.
    The other reasons to oppose the death penalty are largely a matter of individual conscience and belief. One is that murder is murder and the state has no more right to take a life than the individual. The other is that Christianity advises forgiveness, not revenge.
In Paragraph 3, "deterrence" means______.
选项 A、proclamation
B、protest
C、prevention
D、protection
答案C
解析 该单词在文章第三段，也就是本段中所谈到的威慑理论，在所提出的这个理论后对此理论的观点作了叙述： “which argues that potential murderers would think twice before committing the act if they knew that they might die if they were caught．”潜在的杀人犯如果知道他们被捕后可能被判处死刑，那么他们在犯罪前会三思的。可见，这种理论是利用了杀人犯因为害怕被判处死刑而停止或者减少犯罪的心理。所以“deterrence”的含义应当是“妨碍，阻止”。C项与文章的意思相符。因此本题的正确答案为C。
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