Murderistotallyunfair．Thevictims（牺牲者）ofmurderaregoneforever．Theywillneverenjoythepleasuresinlife．Butthemurdererisstillalive．Withoutthedeathsentence，murdererscanparticipateinlife．Mostkillerswouldrath

Question

Murder is totally unfair．The victims（牺牲者）of murder are gone forever．They will never enjoy the pleasures in life．But the murderer is still alive．Without the death sentence，murderers can participate in life．
Most killers would rather spend their lives in prison than die．It is natural that they want to live．In prison there are many small pleasures：the feeling of warm sunshine，the taste of a hot meal and the comfort of sleep．The lifestyle in prison is not always arduous； many prisoners have the chance to continue their education，to play sports，and to receive visits from their loved ones．
There is no reason why a killer should be allowed to live．Justice（公正）requires that each person respect the rights and freedoms of every other person，or be punished for not doing so．The murderers give up their rights to citizenship and to life itself．Also，keeping the killer in prison will cost taxpayers a lot of money．For these reasons，the only fair punishment is execution-to put the murderers to death．
The other side of this debate is that there are times when murder is committed not because of cruelty．People may kill for other reasons，such as out of anger，misunderstanding，or fear．Everyone has made mistakes because of such feelings．Sometimes people kill another person because they are defending themselves； this is another good reason to be careful when judging a person who has killed someone．
It is a very serious issue when someone takes another person's life．This is why it is so important to examine the facts of a murder closely．The reasons for murder are usually not very simple and that is why the government must take great care with this responsibility．The main concern is sentencing someone who didn't commit the murder．When the government kills someone，there is no way it can be changed．So the government must be sure they have the right person．
There is also the possibility that the people who committed the murder may change their life in prison and teach others to change their dangerous lifestyle．This way，a killer may be a benefit to society．Also，it takes many years before a killer is put to death，for there are extra trials and legal expenses the government must pay for．Finally，people must consider the idea of whether it is right for the government to kill someone who has killed a person．Is it right to answer violence with more violence？
1．The underlined word"arduous"in Paragraph 2 probably means___．
A．violent          B．pleasant    C．comfortable          D．difficult
2．What is the passage mainly about？___
A．The advantages and disadvantages of imprisoning a criminal for life．
B．The arguments about how the government can reduce the murder rate．
C．The disagreement on whether a murderer should be put to death or not．
D．The suggestions on how to improve the living conditions of the prisoners．
3．According to the passage，what should the government make sure about？___
A．The taxpayers prepare the money for extra trials．
B．The person who is to be put to death is a murderer．
C．The government will never change its beliefs to kill murderers．
D．The murderers want to give up their rights to citizenship and life．
4．Which statement supports the idea that murderers should be put to death？___
A．Killing a murderer is a violent act in itself in modern times．
B．People can change，even those who have made terrible mistakes．
C．Someone who didn't commit the murder might be put to death wrong．
D．Let sunshine fall on those who respect life，not on those who destroy it．

Answer 1

DCBD
1．D  词意猜测题  根据下文many prisoners have the chance to continue their education，to play sports，and to receive visits from their loved ones．可知，囚犯的生活并没有想象的那么糟糕困难，故答案为D
2．C 主旨大意题  由全文可知，本文讲述了谋杀犯杀了受害人，是否应该被判处死刑的话题．对于这一话题不同的人有不同的观点和意见，故答案为C．
3．B 细节理解题 根据倒数第二段When the government kills someone，there is no way it can be changed．So the government must be sure they have the right person．可知，政府应该确保没有杀错人，故答案为B
4．D 推理判断题 根据选项A现代社会枪毙杀人犯是暴力行为；B即使犯过大错的人也是可以变好的；C被执行死刑的人可能会被冤枉；可知都是为杀人犯辩护的立场，而D项的意思是让阳光照耀尊重生活的人而不是毁灭生活的人，说明应该将杀人犯绳之以法，故答案为D