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Itwas3:45inthemorningwhenthevotewasfinallytaken.Aftersixmonthsofarguingandfinal16hoursofhotparliamentarydebates,Austr alia’sNorthernTerritorybecamethefirstlegalauthorityintheworldtoallowdoctorstotakethelivesofincurablyillpatientswhowishtodie.Themeasurepassedbytheconvincingvoteof15to10.AlmostimmediatelywordflashedontheInternetandwaspickedup,halfaworldaway,byJohnHofsess,executivedirectoroftheRighttoDieSocietyofCanada.Hesentitonviathegroup’son-lineservice,DeathNET.SaysHofsess:“Wepostedbulletinsalldaylong,becauseofcoursethisisn’tjustsomethingthathappenedinAustr alia.It’sworldhistory.”
Thefullimportmaytakeawhiletosinkin.TheNTRightsoftheTerminallyIlllawhasleftphysiciansandcitizensaliketr yingtodealwithitsmoralandpracticalimplications.Somehavebreathedsighsofrelief,others,includingchurches,righttolifegroupsandtheAustr alianMedicalAssociation,bitterlyattackedthebillandthehasteofitspassage.Butthetideisunlikelytoturnback.InAustr alia—whereanagingpopulation,lifeextendingtechnologyandchangingcommunityattitudeshaveallplayedtheirpart—otherstatesaregoingtoconsidermakingasimilarlawtodealwitheuthanasia.IntheUSandCanada,wheretherighttodiemovementisgatheringstr ength,observersarewaitingforthedominoestostartfalling.
UnderthenewNorthernTerritorylaw,anadultpatientcanrequestd eath—probablybyadeadlyinjectionorpill—toputanendtosuffering.Thepatientmustbediagnosedasterminallyillbytwodoctors.Aftera“coolingoff”periodofsevendays,thepatientcansignacertificateofrequest.After48hoursthewishfordeathcanbemet.ForLloydNickson,a54yearoldDarwinresidentsufferingfromlungcancer,theNTRightsofTerminallyIlllawmeanshecangetonwithlivingwithoutthehauntingfearofhissuffering:aterrifyingdeathfromhisbreathingcondition.“I’mnotafraidofdyingfromaspiritualpointofview,butwhatIwasafraidofwashowI’dgo,becauseI’vewatchedpeopledieinthehospitalfightingforoxygenandclawingattheirmasks,”hesays.
56.Fromthesecondparagraphwelearnthat________.
[A]theobjectiontoeuthanasiaisslowtocomeinothercountr ies
[B]physiciansandcitizenssharethesameviewoneuthanasia
[C]changingtechnologyischieflyresponsibleforthehastypassageofthelaw
[D]ittakestimetorealizethesignificanceofthelaw’spassage
正确答案：D56.[D]意为：理解该法获批准的意义尚需要时间。
第二段第一句是该段的主题句，该句意为：其（即这一立法的）整体含义(import)可能需要一段时间才为人彻底理解(sinkin)。其实，该段的第二句是对第一句更具体的阐释，该句可译为：北部地方州（此处NT是NorthernTerritory的缩略形式，指澳大利亚中北部地区）晚期病人权利法的批准使医生和普通人都在思索其道义与实践方面的含义。本段下文提到了支持和反对该法的两种观点。
A意为：在（除澳大利亚以外的）其他国家，对安乐死的反对意见缓慢而至。这一点该段没有提到。实际上，听到该法批准后，远在美国和加拿大的人也很快作出了反应。 B意为：在安乐死这一问题上，医生和普通人观点相同。正像该段第三句所指出的，对于该法的批准，意见分歧很大。有些人松了口气，而有些人——包括教堂、保卫生命权益组织与澳大利亚医学会——对该法进行激烈的抨击，认为它的批准过于仓促。
C意为：技术（条件）的变化应对该法的仓促批准负主要责任。该段第五句意为：在澳大利亚，其他州也将考虑通过制定同样的一项法律来解决安乐死问题，而促成这一形势的是澳大利亚老化的人口、生命延续技术、正在变化的社会态度等因素。可见，这与C所表达的内容不一样。
