第4题:
问答题
Though euthanasia has been approved legally in some countries such as in Holland, it is still not widely accepted by many Chinese. Should euthanasia be carried out? Does a terminally ill patient have the right to die? Write a composition of about 400 words on the following topic, expressing your views. THE RIGHT TO DIE In the first part of your writing you should present your thesis statement, and in the second part you should support the thesis statement with appropriate details. In the last part you should bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or a summary. Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriateness. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.
正确答案:
THE RIGHT TO DIE One of the dilemmas that people face in society today is euthanasia, or mercy killing. Many young people are in an unconscious state because of accidents, and many old people are terminally ill because of incurable diseases. They are all kept alive on life-support machines. Although doctors cannot deliberately end a patient's life, mercy killing should be legally used because it could allow a terminally ill patient to end his misery, end the source of deep distress to his family, and end the increasing financial expenses.
Firstly and most importantly, a terminally ill patient has no hope of recovering. Opponents may argue that a person should live with dignity, and nobody can deprive another person of his right to live. However, these people neglect the fact that a terminally ill patient can never lead a normal life because he needs a life-support machine to breathe and a feeding tube to eat. A terminally ill patient is more dead than alive and will never get well again. No one can see such a life as a life with dignity.
Secondly, the family of the patient suffer. Since the nurses can only give the terminally ill patient minimum care, the family must spend endless time caring for the special needs of their loved one. For example, when the patient is conscious, they need to be interacting with him by talking to and touching him. Even if the patient is in a coma, they also have to be present with the patient. So it is unbearable to expect the whole family to watch the patient lying in a hospital bed in great pain, unable to do anything for him.
Lastly, medical treatment is too expensive. Although doctors should try their best to save a patient's life regardless of the high medical costs, it is really a waste to spend so much money on a patient whose condition will never improve. The costs of a hospital room, medicines and medical tests are all quite high, which often become the long-standing burden of the family.
It can be concluded that mercy killing should be carried out when the condition of the patient is critical, the patient's family members are in mental torture, and the medical costs skyrocket.
解析:
本文探讨的是一个颇有争议的话题——安乐死。本文为典型的五段式论文。文章论点鲜明,层次清晰,结构严谨。首先作者提出论点:安乐死应当合法化,因为它可以解除无药可救病人的痛苦;它可以结束病人亲属遭受的心灵的折磨;它可以终止高额的医疗费用。然后作者分别用三段论述这三个原因。最后一段总结上文,使全文前后呼应。