Almost everyone accepts the fact that crime can never be wiped out entirely. Thus control of crime becomes the focus of police and government around the world. The question lawmakers must answer is, “Which system of criminal punishment works best for society?” Each country has developed its own ideas for solution to this question, and these solutions then determine how criminals are punished under different systems. However, none of the current system in use has proved 100 percent effective.
There are many ideas about punishment of criminals. Some systems look only to get retribution（严惩）against criminals. These systems work to frighten criminals away from repeating a crime in the future. These systems also try to deter（威慑）others in society by using the criminal as an example of what can happen to a person if he or she is caught committing crimes. Rehabilitation（改造）is another philosophy by which many systems of punishment operate. The goal of these systems is to return a former criminal to society after a required period of treatment and training, usually in prisons. The idea is to help change the person’s behavior so that he or she becomes a law-abiding citizen.
Capital punishment is another form of punishment which systems use in extreme criminal cases, sometimes involving such crimes as a murder, rape, and violent theft. In these cases, the person is put to death. Today, capital punishment is used in relatively few countries. Many countries have done away with it. In other words, capital punishment remains only in officially law books but is rarely used. However, capital punishment remains in use in some countries including the United States.
When looking at the number of crimes committed, the effectiveness of any of these forms of punishment comes into question. In the United States, for example, 80 percent of the people arrested each year are male, and the majority of these are young men or boys. One-third of all auto thefts, robberies, and burglaries are committed by young men under the age of 18. Generally, young people have less responsibility in society, so they risk losing little if they are caught in a criminal activity. However, it can also be argued that today’s youthful criminals do not fear the punishment they receive if caught by police. Current methods of criminal punishment do not serve the purpose of deterring young criminals in the United States.
A major problem with the current system of rehabilitation in the United Stated is that most criminals return to crime after they have supposedly been rehabilitated. Two-thirds of those caught by police each year are repeat criminals. As a result of this fact, many people feel that rehabilitation of criminals is a lost cause. Since the late 1970s, many see retribution as a preferred punishment in criminal cases in the United States.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Capital punishment | B．Prison system |
| C．Young criminals | D．Control of crime |
What is the main purpose behind retribution?
| A．To satisfy the victim | B．To create repeat offenders |
| C．To frighten future criminals | D．To take criminals out of society |
Many crimes in the United States are committed by _________.
| A．leaders | B．teenagers |
| C．factory workers | D．street wanders |
According to the passage, which is true of the legal system in the United States?
| A．Capital punishment is not allowed |
| B．Few young people commit crimes |
| C．The majority of criminals will not repeat crimes |
| D．Many people see retribution as the preferred punishment |
What is a big problem with the system of rehabilitation ?
| A．Prisons are full | B．Criminals repeat crimes |
| C．The crime rate is going up | D．Young men are going to prison |
Above is an entry taken from an English dictionary．
“Be careful not to scratch the furniture" most probably means “Be careful not
to ”．
| A．remove any marks | B．damage its surface |
| C．make any noises | D．change its position |
The word "scratch" in "Some drawings had been scratched on the back of the door" has the same meaning as in“ ”．
| A．We scratched some of the dirt away |
| B．The car's paintwork is badly scratched |
| C．The dog; kept scratching at the door to go out． |
| D．They scratched lines in the dirt to make marks |
“She had scratched because of a knee injury" might imply that “She couldn't ．
| A．take part in a race | B．cancel a prepared activity' |
| C．make a living af6ne | D．make enough money |
When the French girl says "I learned German from scratch iii six months she means she ．
| A．had previously well prepared |
| B．was unsatisfied with her German |
| C．knew no German before that |
| D．found few materials available |
“Can you take me golfing sometimes?” my 13-year-old son asked.
I had a bathroom to remodel(改建). I wanted to say no. “Sure,” I said.”What did you have in mind ?”
“Well, maybe you could, like, pick up Jared and me after school on Friday and take us out to Oakway.”
“Sounds good.”
Friday came. In front of the school, Ryan and Jared piled in. Ryan looked confused.
“What’s with the golf hat, Dad ?” he asked
It was, I thought, a silly question, like asking a diver: “What’s with the swim fins (脚蹼)？”
“Well, I thought we were going to play some golf.”
There was a strange pause. “Uh, you’re going, too ?” He asked. Suddenly, it struck me that I hadn’t been invited. Thirteen years of parenting flashed before my eyes.
All these memories sped by in about two seconds, leaving me about three seconds to reply.
I had to say something. I wanted to say this: “How could you do this to me? We have always been a team.” But I said: “Me? Play? No. You know I’m up to my ears in the remodel project.”
We drove on in silence for a few moments. “So, how are you planning to play for this?” I asked, my wounnded ego(自我) reaching for the dagger(匕首)
“Uh, could you loan me $7?”
Oh, I get it. He doesn’t want me, but he’ll gladly take my money.
“No problem, ” I said.
I dropped him and Jared off, wished them luck, and headed for home. Life would never be the same.
I walked in the door. “What are you doing home?” my wife asked.
“I wasn’t invited.” I replied.
Another one of those strange pauses came. Then my wife laughed. Out loud. At first, I was hurt. Then I, too, laughed.
I went back to the bathroom remodel and realized that this is what life is all about: change.
A few hours later, I heard Ryan walk in the front door.
“Dad,” he said, “My game stinks(糟透了). Can you take me golfing sometime ? I need some help.”
I wanted to hug him and shout: “I’m still needed!”
Instead, I got one of those serious-dad looks on my face and said: “Sure, Ry, anytime.”After the author picked up his son and Jared at school, he ____________.
| A．went to play golf with them |
| B．refused to pay for his son’s game |
| C．realized that he had not been invited to the golf game |
| D．realized that he had forgotten to bring along his golf hat |
The underlined phrase “up to my ears” probably means ____________.
| A．having a deep interest in something |
| B．being very busy with something |
| C．being satisfied with something |
| D．losing control of something |
When his son Ryan asked him for help playing golf, the author felt ____________.
| A．confused | B．excited |
| C．peaceful | D．disappointed |
What kind of father is the author according to the article ?
| A．He is so strict with his children that they are afraid of him |
| B．He loves his children, but is not good at communicating with them |
| C．He is always ready to help his children, but also respects their independence |
| D．He spends little time with his children because he is so busy at work |
The earth is dying before us yet we sit and watch. If the TV or the game system breaks, we run off to the stores to get it fixed immediately no matter what the cost. Why aren’t we willing to fix our earth? Are our televisions and game systems more important to us than where we live? Where shall we continue to live, until the end of time?
The earth is our home and cannot be replaced. We must take care of it. We have come up with so much technology that limits us instead of helping us. Take that game system we run to repair. What does it do? It occupies kids’ time! The earth has already given kids plenty of entertainment in the forms of fields and hills, forests and plains, water and land. However, instead of using what the earth has given us, and helping kids by giving them exercise as they run around, we decide to ruin kids’ minds with game systems that glue them to the screen for hours, and make them ignore their homework and chores. We have polluted this earth by making these things which do not even help in any way!
We have already messed up this world, we have ruined the air, water, and animals that it has so willingly provided for us. We need to stop this destruction of life and bring back the world we had before. It will not be easy, but everybody can help! What about something as simple as turning the lights off when you leave a room? Recycling what can be recycled? Picking up litter? Donating money to an environmental organization? None of these things are very hard. We can’t just always say, “Oh, the earth is a mess. Ah, well, those big companies that are polluting so much can stop and fix it.” Instead, we need to help out. It’s not only those big companies; it’s everyday things that we do too that are ruining the earth. So stop and think about what you can do to make a difference to our world!Why does the author mention televisions and game systems in Paragraph 1?
| A．To make people better aware of the urgency to the protection of the earth. |
| B．To explore the great harm done to the earth by too much technology waste. |
| C．To show the relationship between overuse of those things with early death. |
| D．To remind people to spend less on them and use the saved money in a wiser way. |
It can be inferred from the second paragraph that the author________
| A．thinks we must take care of our irreplaceable home-----the earth. |
| B．thinks running around in fields occupies too much of kids’ time. |
| C．takes an extremely negative attitude to things like game systems. |
| D．takes it for granted that technology gives kids plenty of entertainment. |
We can clearly feel that the author wrote this passage with deep_______
| A．anger | B．emotion | C．sadness | D．regret |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To criticize those big companies that ruin the earth |
| B．To ask people to save kids from the harm done by pollution. |
| C．To give kids plenty of entertainment in a clean environment |
| D．To call on people to stop ruining the earth |
Washington: NASA has announced evidence that Jupiter's largest moon, Ganymede, has a saltwater ocean under its icy surface. The ocean seems to have more water than all the water on Earth's surface, according to new Hubble observation.
New Hubble observations of Ganymede's magnetic field strongly suggest that the moon, which is the largest in our whole solar system, is home to a subsurface ocean.
Scientists estimate the ocean is 95 kilometres thick, which is about 10 times deeper than Earth's oceans. But unlike our salty waters, Ganymede's ocean is buried under 150 kilometres of ice.
While scientists have speculated(推测) since 1970s about the presence of an ocean on Ganymede------the largest moon in our solar system------ until now the only observational evidence came from a brief flyby by the Galileo spacecraft, which didn’t observe the moon long enough to confirm a liquid ocean.
This discovery marks an important milestone, highlighting what only Hubble can accomplish. In its 25 years in orbit, Hubble has made many scientific discoveries in our own solar system. A deep ocean under the icy surface of Ganymede opens up further exciting possibilities for life beyond Earth.
Scientists have already confirmed the existence of an ocean on Europa, another moon orbiting Jupiter, and NASA has announced plans to send an unmanned mission there searching for the life that might come with liquid water.
Hubble is a telescope that orbits Earth, but because of its impressive gravitational analyses it can be used to study the inside of far distant planets. Using these same principles, scientists could theoretically detect oceans on distant planets as well.What can we learn about the Ganymede from the passage?
| A．It is a planet with the largest moon in our whole solar system. |
| B．Its ocean adds to people’s excitement about life beyond Earth. |
| C．It will be used by NASA as a base for the Hubble telescope. |
| D．Its liquid ocean was first proved by the Galileo spacecraft. |
Which of the following best describes the writer’s attitude towards Hubble?
| A．Cautious | B．Doubtful |
| C．Negative | D．Favourable |
What does the underlined part in Paragraph 6 mean?
| A．An underground ocean has been found in Europa. |
| B．The presence of an underground ocean in Europa is not possible. |
| C．It is now certain that there is an ocean on Europa. |
| D．No evidence has shown the existence of an ocean on Europa. |
What type of writing does this passage belong to?
| A．A term essay | B．A news report |
| C．An experiment report | D．An exploration review. |
I went online to check if my pay was in my bank account. To my amazement I discovered that not only had I been paid, a company I’d never worked for had also paid me! I knew I’d have been beside myself if my own salary was not in my account, so I tried to get the money back to the right person. Easier said than done.
The bank couldn’t help as it wasn’t a bank problem. The human resources department at the company that paid me was unable to help as I didn’t have enough details. I rang the bank again. Thankfully, I had a sympathetic(同情的) call operator who gave me a name, so I again rang the company Daniel worked for.
I expected the bank would contact me to arrange to take the money from my account and repay Daniel. I heard nothing for a month and the money remained in my account when Daniel called, explaining he’d tried to get back his money but had been unsuccessful as neither the bank nor his company felt it was their error. He had rung to ask if I could speak to the bank, but after chatting for a few minutes we realized we could probably fix this problem ourselves.
We decided I would take the money from my account and he would pick it up from me. Due to my busy job I was unable to meet Daniel personally but he left me a lovely bottle of wine in exchange for what was rightfully(正当地) his. I never had any intention of keeping Daniel’s pay but red tape(繁琐手续) made it difficult to do the right thing. It all came down to two people being able to do what a huge bank and a large company couldn’t do--admit a mistake has occurred and fix it.The underlined phrase “beside myself”(in Paragraph1) probably means___________.
| A．very fortunate | B．very angry |
| C．really thankful | D．at ease |
What was the attitude of the author towards the extra money in his bank account?
| A．He didn’t know what to do with it. |
| B．He felt lucky to get it. |
| C．He thought of keeping it for himself. |
| D．He wanted to return it to the right person. |
From the passage we can infer that___________.
| A．the bank could solve the problem soon and easily with the red tape |
| B．some large organizations usually have troublesome official rules |
| C．Daniel didn’t know the error before he contacted the author |
| D．the company gave the wrong account to the bank |
How was the problem solved in the end?
| A．The author and Daniel solved the problem themselves. |
| B．It cost Daniel a lovely bottle of wine to get back his money. |
| C．The author gave the money back to the company. |
| D．The call operator offered to solve their problem |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号