Dr.kimsma,from the Netherlands,believes that euthanasia(安乐死)is not simply a questio
n of ending someone's life.The important thing is how that person's life ends.If someone chooses euthanasia,he doesn't have to think about the worry and the suffering only.He can also focus on the things he really wants to do,such as taking a last trip,or making up a fight with someone in the family,or saying goodbye.The pressure on that person becomes lighter when he knows he won't have to go on suffering long.Often,people who have chosen euthanasia have such peace of mind that they die naturally.
Dr.Kimsma visits his patients every day in the final period of their lives,usually at their home,where most people prefer to die.He talks to them often about various treatments and ways to relieve their pain,so that they know about all the choices,not just euthanasia."If I ended the life of a patient because I had not given him good care,I would feel ashamed and guilty," he said.
Dr.Kimsma admits that in the case of euthanasia there is a conflict between his goals as a doctor:saving life and helping those who are suffering.He believes that helping people is the morally right thing to do."My patients can be sure that I will not let them suffer unnecessarily alone.That is just my goal and duty as a physician."
However,he thinks that euthanasia should never be easy for a doctor,or for a person's family,so that people do not begin to think of it as something ordinary.He says he can only continue to perform. euthanasia because it is something that happens very rarely.
In 1996 the government of Australia's Northern Territory passed a law allowing voluntary(自愿的)euthanasia.Peter Ravenscroft,a medical professor in Australia,suggests that this law was passed because very little care is available for patients beyond cure in the Northern Territory of Australia.
Dr.Ravenscroft holds that euthanasia is wrong.He believes that when people have an incurable illness,they should be given care that lessens their pain and suffering and helps them to feel less afraid.He says that such care should improve the quality of a person's life,even in the very last part of his life,without bringing death.Dr.Ravenscroft suggests that a patient should be given a drug to help him sleep for the last few days of his life,if nothing else will help him.
Ravenscroft says,"I value sitting with dying patients or holding their hands.It reminds me that life is a great mystery and we all share the characteristics of being human.We take part in all of life including dying,but we are not masters of it."
If euthanasia is legal,it may be easier to choose death instead of continuing to look for a better treatment.Ravenscroft has had patients who lived much longer than they were expected to live,and other patients whose pain suddenly became less.If euthanasia had been available,they might have died too soon.
Ravenscroft has another reason for not making euthanasia legal.He fears that people can be persuaded to choose euthanasia when they do not really want to.He thinks it is unlikely that any law can stop this from happening.
1、Which of the following is NOT Dr.Kimsma's opinion?_____
A、People may die peacefully in euthanasia because they feel less pressure.
B、Euthanasia allows people to focus on important personal things in the last phase of their lives.
C、It is wrong to give up looking for a better treatment for an incurable disease.
D、It is wrong to let a patient suffer when the disease is beyond cure.
2、According to Dr.Kimsma,when the two goals of a doctor conflict,_____.
A、saving life of those who are sick should come first
B、helping people who are suffering should come first
C、it is up to his patient to make a decision
D、the solution varies according to the situation
3、Dr Ravescroft is against euthanasia.One of his reasons is that _____.
A、nobody really wants to end his own life
B、saving life is the only goal for a doctor
C、care given to people having incurable diseases can prolong their lives
D、people can be given painkillers and drugs to make them suffer less
4、By "we are not masters of it [life]," Dr Ravenscroft means _____.
A、we have no right to end a person's life
B、we can never tell what will happen to us
C、life is as mysterious as death
D、life is always beyond our knowledge
5、Doctors Ravenscroft and Kimsma have opposite views on euthanasia,but many of their concerns are similar.They agree that _____.
A、life should be respected more than anything else in the world
B、euthanasia should not be seen as an easy answer to incurable diseases
C、people cannot know for sure that their pain will not get better
D、the policy on euthanasia will depend on the development of medicine