Ⅰ.CAREFUL READING If you are looking for an explanation of why we don't get tough with criminals, you need only look at the numbers. Each year almost a third of the households in America are victims of violence or theft. This amounts to more than 41 million crimes, many more than we are able to punish. There are also too many criminals. We don't have room for any more! The painful fact is that the more crime there is, the less we are able to punish it. We think that punishment prevents crime, but it just might be the other way around. When there is so much crime it is simply impossible to deal with it or punish it. This is the situation we find ourselves in today, the gradual increase in the criminal population has made it more difficult to get into prison. Some of the most exclusive prisons now require about five serious crimes before a criminal is accepted. These features show that it makes little sense to blame the police or judges for being soft on criminals. There is not much else they can do. The police can't find most criminals and those they do find are difficult and costly to convict. Those convicted can't all be sent to prison. The public demands that we do everything we can against crime. The practical reality is that there is very little the police, courts or prisons can do about the crime problem. We could, of course, get tough with the people we already have in prison and keep them locked up for longer periods of time. Yet when measured against the lower crime rates, this would probably produce, longer prison sentences are not worth the cost to states and local governments. Besides, those states that have tried to gain voters' approval for building new prisons often discover that the public is unwilling to pay for prison constructions. And if it were willing to pay, long prison sentences may not be effective in reducing crime. More time spent in prison is also more expensive. The best estimates are that it costs an average of $13,000 to keep a person in prison for one year. If we had a place to keep the 124,000 released prisoners, it would have cost us $1.6 billion to prevent 15,000 crimes. This works out to more than $100,000 per crime prevented. But there is more. With the average cost of prison construction running around $50,000 per bed, it would cost more than $6 billion to build the necessary cells. The first-year operating cost would be $150,000 per crime prevented, worth it if the victim were you or me, but much too expensive to be feasible as a national policy. Faced with the reality of the numbers, I will not be so foolish as to suggest a solution to the crime problem. My contribution to the public debate begins and ends with this simple observation, getting tough with criminals is not the answer.
1. By saying "it just might be the other way around" (para. 2), the writer means ______.
A.severe punishment lowers crime rates
B.soft measures lead to the rise of crime rates
C.easy policies are more effective than strict ones
D.the increase in crime makes punishment difficult
Ⅱ.DISCOURSE CLOZE BIFF: Why didn't you answer? WILLY: Biff! What are you doing in Boston? BIFF: Why didn't you answer? 1 . WILLY: I just heard you. 2 . Did anything happen home? BIFF: 3 . WILLY: What do you mean? BIFF: Dad... WILLY: Biffo, what's this about? Putting his arm around Biff. Come on, let's go downstairs and get you a malted. BIFF: Dad, 4 . WILLY: Not for the term? BIFF: The term. I haven't got enough credits to graduate. WILLY: 5 ? BIFF: He did, he tried, but I only got a sixty-one. WILLY: And they wouldn't give you four points? BIFF: 6 . I begged him, Pop, but he won't give me those points. You gotta talk to him before they close the school. 7 , I'm sure he'd come through for me. The class came right before practice, see, and I didn't go enough. 8 ? He'd like you, Pop. You know the way you could talk. WILLY: 9 . We'll drive right back. BIFF: Oh, Dad, good work! 10 ! WILLY: Go downstairs and tell the clerk I'm checkin' out. Go right down. A. I was in the bathroom and had the door shut B. I'm sure he will change it for you C. You're a good boy D. I flunked math E. He looks forward to it all day F. You mean to say Bernard wouldn't give you the answers G. Would you talk to him H. Birnbaum refused absolutely I. Dad—I let you down J. Because if he saw the kind of man you are, and you just talked to him in your way K. I've been knocking for five minutes, I called you on the phone L. You're on
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Ⅲ.WORD FORMATIONS
1. (distant) A straight line is the shortest ______ between two points.
distance
[解析] 题意是说两点之间最短的距离是直线,名词“距离”是distance。
2. (horrify) He was ______ at the thought of his son moving about on a stage in tights.
4. (concern) This is significant because many people are so ______ about water-borne pollutants that they drink only bottled water, worldwide sales of which are forecast to reach $72 billion by next year.
Ⅳ.GAP FILLING motionless grow up overemphasize listen to beside dare as down get valise breaks off merchandise WILLY: after a pause. Well, better 1 going. I want to get to the school first thing in the morning. Get my suits out of the closet, I'll get my 2 , Biff doesn't move. What's the matter? Biff remains 3 , tears falling. She's a buyer. Buys for J.H. Simmons. She lives 4 the hall—they're painting. You don't imagine. He 5 . After a pause. Now listen, pal, she's just a buyer. She sees 6 in her room and they have to keep it looking just so... Pause. Assuming command. All right, get my suits. Biff doesn't move. Now stop crying and do 7 I say. I gave you an order. Bill, I gave you an order! Is that what you do when I give you an order? How 8 you cry! Putting his arm around Biff: Now look, Bill, when you 9 you'll understand about these things. You mustn't—you mustn't 10 a thing like this. I'll see Birnbaum first thing in the morning. BIFF: Never mind. WILLY: getting down 11 Biff: Never mind! He's going to give you those points. I'll see to it. BIFF: He wouldn't 12 you.
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Ⅴ.SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS The following 2 questions are based on the passage. Read the passage carefully again and answer the questions briefly by referring back to the passage. If you are looking for an explanation of why we don't get tough with criminals, you need only look at the numbers. Each year almost a third of the households in America are victims of violence or theft. This amounts to more than 41 million crimes, many more than we are able to punish. There are also too many criminals. We don't have room for any more! The painful fact is that the more crime there is, the less we are able to punish it. We think that punishment prevents crime, but it just might be the other way around. When there is so much crime it is simply impossible to deal with it or punish it. This is the situation we find ourselves in today, the gradual increase in the criminal population has made it more difficult to get into prison. Some of the most exclusive prisons now require about five serious crimes before a criminal is accepted. These features show that it makes little sense to blame the police or judges for being soft on criminals. There is not much else they can do. The police can't find most criminals and those they do find are difficult and costly to convict. Those convicted can't all be sent to prison. The public demands that we do everything we can against crime. The practical reality is that there is very little the police, courts or prisons can do about the crime problem. We could, of course, get tough with the people we already have in prison and keep them locked up for longer periods of time. Yet when measured against the lower crime rates, this would probably produce, longer prison sentences are not worth the cost to states and local governments. Besides, those states that have tried to gain voters' approval for building new prisons often discover that the public is unwilling to pay for prison constructions. And if it were willing to pay, long prison sentences may not be effective in reducing crime. More time spent in prison is also more expensive. The best estimates are that it costs an average of $13,000 to keep a person in prison for one year. If we had a place to keep the 124,000 released prisoners, it would have cost us $1.6 billion to prevent 15,000 crimes. This works out to more than $100,000 per crime prevented. But there is more. With the average cost of prison construction running around $50,000 per bed, it would cost more than $6 billion to build the necessary cells. The first-year operating cost would be $150,000 per crime prevented, worth it if the victim were you or me, but much too expensive to be feasible as a national policy. Faced with the reality of the numbers, I will not be so foolish as to suggest a solution to the crime problem. My contribution to the public debate begins and ends with this simple observation, getting tough with criminals is not the answer.
1. According to the author, why is it that getting tough with criminals cannot reduce crime rates?
The author argues that getting tough with criminals cannot reduce crime rates because (1)there are too many crimes and (2)the more criminals there are,the less the police can do about it. (3)In fact, crime prevents punishment rather than the other way round.
2. What reasons does the writer give to support his argument against keeping criminals longer in prison?
The author argues against keeping criminals longer in prison because (1)the de crease in crime rates is not worth the cost. (2) It is too costly to the states and local governments and (3)the public refuses to pay for the construction of new prisons.