Euthanasia has been a topic of controversy in Europe since at least 1936. On an average of six times a day, a doctor in Holland practices "active" euthanasia: (1) administering a lethal drug to a (2) ill patient who has asked to be relieved (3) suffering. Twenty times a day, life prolonging treatment is withheld or withdrawn (4) there is no hope that it can (5) an ultimate cure. "Active" euthanasia remains a crime on the Dutch statute books, punishable (6) 12 years in prison. But a series of court cases over the past 15 years has made it clear that a competent physician who (7) it out will not be prosecuted.
Euthanasia, often called "mercy killing", is a crime everywhere in Western Europe. (8) more and more doctors and nurses in Britain, Germany, Holland and elsewhere readily (9) to practicing it, most often in the "passive" form of withholding or withdrawing (10) The long simmering euthanasia issue has lately (11) into a sometimes fierce public debate, (12) both sides claiming the mantle of ultimate righteousness. Those (13) to the practice see themselves (14) sacred principles of respect for life, (15) those in favor raise the banner of humane treatment. After years (16) the defensive, the advocates now seem to be (17) ground. Recent polls in Britain show that 72 percent of British (18) favor euthanasia in some circumstances. An astonishing 76 percent of (19) to a poll taken late last year in France said they would like the law changed to (20) mercy killings. Obviously, pressure groups favoring euthanasia and "assisted suicide" have grown steadily in Europe over the years.
14（）
A.abandoning
B.confirming
C.upholding
D.upgrading
参考答案：C
解析：
[注释] 词义搭配。uphold (=support or approve)支持，赞成：I cannot uphold such conduct.(我不能赞成这样的行为。)本题中upholding是现在分词作定语。如选upholding，可满足上下文的词义和结构要求。abandon vt. (=give up because of being useless)放弃，丢掉，废弃，如：1)an abandoned car(一辆废弃的汽车。)2)He has abandoned his original beliefs.(他已抛弃了原来的信念。)3)He abandoned his wife and children and went abroad.(他抛弃妻子和孩子，出国了。)confirm vt. (确认，证实)与上下文句意不符，不能入选。upgrade (=raise to a higher grade)提高…的等级，与上下文句意不符，不能入选。