2. 考研
  3. Do you believe that severe punishment would deter potential criminals from evildoing? Is death penalty (死刑) indispensable compon

Do you believe that severe punishment would deter potential criminals from evildoing? Is death penalty (死刑) indispensable compon

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问题       Do you believe that severe punishment would deter potential criminals from evildoing? Is death penalty (死刑) indispensable component of the criminal law? Do you believe the arch criminals deserve another chance to turn over a new leaf? Should capital punishment be abolished (废除的) ?
      In the USA, 85% of the population over the age of 21 approve of the death penalty. Many U.S. states still have the death penalty. Some use the electric chair, which can take up to 20 minutes to kill, while others use gas or lethal injection. The first execution was the case of Ruth Ellis who was hanged for shooting her lover in what was generally regarded as a crime of passion. The second, a man was hanged for murders which, it was later proved, had been committed by someone else.
      The death penalty advocates listed several points to support capital punishment. First there is the deterrence theory, which argues that potential murders would think twice before committing the act if they knew that they might die if they were caught. The armed bank robber might, likewise, go back to being unarmed.
      The other argument is more suspectful. The idea of retribution demands that criminals should get what they deserve: if a murderer intentionally sets out to commit a crime, he should accept the consequences. Retribution, which is just another word for revenge, is supported by the delicious doctrine of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
     The arguments against the death penalty are largely humanitarian. But there are also statistical reasons for opposing it: in Britain, 1903 was the record year for executions and yet in 1904, the number of murders actually rose. There was a similar occurrence in 1946 and 1947. If the deterrence theory were correct, the rate would have fallen.
     The other reasons to oppose the death penalty are largely a matter of individual conscience and belief. One is that murder is murder and that the state has no more right to take a life than the individual. The other is that Christianity advises forgiveness, not revenge.
The data in paragraph 5 illustrate that ______
选项 A、the deterrence theory is correct
B、the deterrence theory doesn’t hold water
C、the number of murders usually drops following a year of record execution
D、the murderer would think twice before they kill if they are aware of the consequence
答案B
解析 1903年和1946年死刑的执行率创历史最高水平(the record year for executions)，但在随后的年度中(1904和1947年)，杀人案的数量不但没有下降，反而上升了。可见“严惩以威慑”的理论站不住脚。
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