The right to die
It was 3:45 in the morning when the vote was finally taken. After six months of arguing and final 16 hours of hot parliamentary(议会的) debates, Australia’s northern Territory became the first legal authority in the world to allow doctors to take the lives of incurably sick patients who wish to die.
The measure passed by the convincing vote of 15 to 10. Almost immediately word flashed on the Internet and was picked up, half a world away, by John Hofsess, executive director of the Right to Die Society of Canada. He sent it on via the group's on line service, Death NET. Says Hofsess: "We posted bulletins all day long, because of course this isn't just something that happened in Australia. It's world history."
The NT Rights of the Terminally III law has left physicians and citizens alike trying to deal with its moral and practical implications. Some have breathed sighs of relief, others, including churches, right to life groups and the Australian Medical Association, bitterly attacked the bill and the haste of its passage（通过）.
But the tide is unlikely to turn back. In Australia - where an aging population, life extending technology and changing community attitudes have all played their part, other states are going to consider making a similar law to deal with euthanasia(安乐死). In the US and Canada, where the right to die movement is gathering strength, observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling.
Under the new Northern Territory law, an adult patient can request death, probably by a deadly injection or pill, to put an end to suffering. The patient must be diagnosed(诊断) as terminally ill by two doctors. After a "cooling off" period of seven days, the patient can sign a certificate of request. After 48 hours the wish for death can be met. For Lloyd Nickson, a 54-year-old Darwin resident suffering from lung cancer, the NT Rights of Terminally III law means he can get on with living without the haunting fear of his suffering: a terrifying death from his breathing condition. "I'm not afraid of dying from a spiritual point of view, but what I was afraid of was how I'd go, because I've watched people die in the hospital fighting for oxygen and clawing at their masks," he says.
小题1:This passage is mainly about ________.
A．the development and function of euthanasia
B．the passage（通过）of a law on euthanasia and its worldwide influence.
C．some successful examples about euthanasia
D．conditions and procedures to perform euthanasia in Australia.小题2:What does “observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling” mean?
A．Observers are taking a wait-and –see attitude towards the future of euthanasia.
B．There is a possibility of similar bills being passed in the US and Canada.
C．Observers are waiting to see the movement end up in failure.
D．The process of the bill taking effect may finally come to a stop.小题3: During a “cooling off” period, a patient will _________.
A．wait for two doctors’ diagnosis
B．sign a certificate of request
C．think over his decision of euthanasia
D．turn to his doctors for more advice小题4:What’s the author’s attitude towards euthanasia?
A．Hostile
B．doubtful
C．Favorable
D．Indifferent
小题1:B
小题2:B
小题3:C
小题4:C
题目分析：这篇文章主要讲的是安乐死的通过和它对全球的影响。
小题1:主旨题：从第一段的句子：Australia’s northern Territory became the first legal authority in the world to allow doctors to take the lives of incurably sick patients who wish to die. 可知这篇文章主要讲的是安乐死的通过和它的全球的影响。选B
小题2:细节题：从第四段的句子：In the US and Canada, where the right to die movement is gathering strength, observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling.可知在美国和加拿大有可能通过相似的法律。选B
小题3:猜词题：从前面的句子：an adult patient can request death, probably by a deadly injection or pill, to put an end to suffering. The patient must be diagnosed(诊断) as terminally ill by two doctors.可知在 “cooling off”之前，病人提出了请求，医生做过了诊断，这里的7天应该是对安乐死的决定仔细的考虑。选C
小题4:作者态度题：从第四段的句子But the tide is unlikely to turn back.可知作者对于安乐死是赞同的。选C
点评：本文考查题型多样，在文章中搜查信息在阅读中非常重要它包括理解作者在叙述某事时使用的具体事实、数据、图表等细节信息。在一篇短文里大部分篇幅都属于这类围绕主体展开的细节。做这类题一般采用寻读法即先读题，然后带着问题快速阅读短文，找出与问题有关的词语或句子，再对相关部分进行分析对比，找出答案。