根据下面资料，回答题 With the possible exception of equal rights, perhaps the m-考呗网

成人英语三级

单选题根据下面资料，回答题
With the possible exception of equal rights, perhaps the most controversial issue across the United States today is the death penalty． Many argue that it is an effective way to stop murder,while others maintain that there is no convincing evidence that death penalty re-duces the number of murders．
The main argument by those opposed to the death penalty, basically,is that it is a cruel and inhuman punishment that is the mark of a brutal society, and finally it is questionable whether it is effective to reduce crime anyway．
The value of the death penalty as a way to reduce crime may be open to debate． But the overwhelming majority of citizens believe that the death penalty protects them． Their belief is reinforced by evidence which shows that death penalty reduces murder． For example, from 1954 to 1963,when the death penalty was consistently imposed in California, the murder rate remained between three and four murders for each 100,000 population. Since 1964 the death penalty has been imposed only once,and the murder rate has risen to 10.4 murders for each 100,000 population. This sharp increase in the state´s murder rate,which began when exe-cutions stopped, is no coincidence. It is convincing evidence that the death penalty does stop many murderers. If the bill reestablishing the death penalty is vetoed, innocent people will be murdered--some whose lives may have been saved if the death penalty were in effect.
This is literally a life or death matter. The lives of thousands of innocent people must be protected.
"Penalty" means__________.

A．reward
B．punishment
C．management
D．control

参考答案：B进入在线模考

【参考译文】
可能除了平等权利外，美国现在最有争议性的事情就是死刑了。很多人认为这是阻止谋杀案发生的有效途径，然而也有人认为并没有令人信服的证据证明死刑能降低谋杀案的发生率。
一般来说，这些反对死刑的人主要认为死刑是很残酷、不人道的惩罚方式，是野蛮社会的标志，并且最终是否能有效地降低犯罪率还值得考究。
死刑所谓降低犯罪率的价值所在还是有争议的。但是绝大多数人认为，死刑能够保护他们。有证据表明死刑能减少谋杀案，这也坚定了他们的看法。比如，从1954年到1963年，加利福尼亚坚持实施死刑，谋杀案的发生率只占人口的十万分之三到十万分之四。从1964年开始，只执行了一次死刑，谋杀案的比率却占到了人口的十万分之10．4。当执行死刑停止后，出现谋杀案发生率的大幅度增加绝不是偶然的，这是死刑能够阻止很多谋杀案的强有力的证据。如果恢复死刑的法案被否决了，无辜的人们将会遭到谋杀——如果死刑还在实施的话他们的生命有可能被挽救。这简直是关乎生死的大事。成千上万的无辜生命必须受到保护。
【答案详解】
语义词义题。文章第二段提到death penalty是a cruel and inhuman pun-ishment，可以得知penalty的意思是punishment，故答案选B。

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1Which of the following is NOT an argument by those opposed to death penalty?

A．Death penalty is a cruel punishment.
B．Death penalty is an inhuman punishment
C．Death penalty is an effective way to reduce crime.
D．Death penalty is a mark of a brutal society.

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2The majority of citizens believe that the death penalty is__________.

A．inhuman to all the people
B．cruel to murderers
C．a brutal way of punishment
D．effective to stop murder

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3 The murder rates from 1954 to 1963 and since 1964 in California are used to show that death penalty__________.

A．is effective to reduce murder
B．is ineffective to reduce murder
C．does not influence murder rate
D．fails to protect innocent people

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