2008年大学英语六级阅读练习 13

　　The Guidford Four, freed last week after spending 15 years in prison for crimes they did not commit, would almost certainly have been executed for the pub bombing they were convicted of. They had the death penalty been in force at the time of their trial. They may now be a decent interval before the pro-hanging lobby, which has the support of the Prime Minister, makes another attempt to reintroduce the noose.
　　Reflections along these lines were about the only kind of consolation to be derived from this gross miscarriage of justice which is now to be the subject of a judicia l(司法的) inquiry. In the meantime, defense lawyers are demanding compensation and have in mind about half a million pounds for each of their clients.
　　The first three to be released-Mr. Gerald Conlon, Mr. Paddy Armstrong and Ms. Carole Richardson-left prison with the 34 pounds which is given to all departing inmates. The fourth, Mr. Paul Hill, was not released immediately but taken to Belfast, where he lodged an appeal against his conviction for the murder of a former British soldier. Since this conviction, too, was based on the now discredited statements allegedly made to the Survey police, he was immediately let out on bail(保释). But he left empty-handed.
　　The immediate reaction to the scandal was renewed demand for the re-examination of the case against the Birmingham Six, who are serving life sentences for pub bombings in that city. Thus far the Home secretary, Mr. Douglas Hurd, is insisting that the two cases are not comparable; that what is now known about the Guilford investigation has no relevance to what happened in Birmingham.
　　Mr. Hurd is right to the extent that there was a small-though flimsy and hotly-contested-amount of crime evidence in the Birmingham case. The disturbing similarity is that the Birmingham Six, like the Guilford Four, claim that police officers lied and fabricated evidence to secure a conviction.
　　Making scapegoats(替罪羊) of a few rogue police officers will not be sufficient to eliminate the Guilford miscarriage of justice. These are already demands that the law should be changed; first to make it impossible to convict on “confessions” alone; and secondly to require that statements from accused persons should only be taken in the presence of an independent third patty to ensure they are not made under punishment.
　　It was also being noted this week that the Guilford Four owe their release more to be persistence of investigative reporters than to the diligence of either the judiciary or the police. Yet investigative reports-particularly on television-have recently been a particular target for the condemnation of Mrs. Thatcher and some of her ministers who seem to think that TV should be muzzled(钳制言论的手段) in the public interest and left to get on with soap operas and quiz shows.
　　(495words)
　　1. The word “noose”(Line 7, Para. 1) has the closest meaning to ________.
　　A. death penalty B. hanging
　　C. trial D.punishment
　　2. To compensate the miscarriage of justice, the defense lawyers may_________.
　　A. demand 500,000 pounds for the Guilford Four
　　B. demand 500,000 pounds for each of the Guilford Four
　　C. demand 1,000,000 pounds for each of the Guilford Four
　　D. demand a re-examination of the Birmingham pub bombings
　　3. Why was there a renewed demand for the re-examination of the case against the Birmingham Six?
　　A. The Birmingham Six were believed to have criminal connections with the Guilford Four.
　　B. The two cases were similar in that both were about pub bombings.
　　C. The bombings in Birmingham happened at the same time.
　　D. The Birmingham Six also claimed that there were police malpractice’s in their case.
　　4. The existing law states that________.
　　A. convictions can be made on confessions and statements taken by police officers from accused persons are valid legal evidence
　　B. convictions can’t be made on confessions alone and there should be a third party when taking statements from accused persons
　　C. convictions can be made on confessions and a third party should be present when taking statements from accused persons
　　D. convictions can’t be made on confessions alone and the statements taken by police officers from accused persons are valid legal evidence
　　5. According to the article, which of the following parties contributed most to the release of the Guilford Four?
　　A. Reporters B. Lawyers
　　C. The police D. The judiciary
　　答案：
　　1.B 猜测词义题。在此意思是“绞刑”。
　　2. B 细节题。在文中第二段的最后一句中可以得到正确答案。
　　3. D 事实细节题。在文中第五段最后一句中提到“…police officers… a conviction.”因此D项为正确选项。
　　4. A 细节引申题。从文中第五，六段可以知道A项为正确选项。
　　5. A 细节理解题。从文中的最后一段第一句“It was also…or the police.”可以看出A项为正确选项。