3. crusade

4. bed-ridden

5. expedite

a. long and determined effort to achieve something that you believe to be right

b. fatal, causing death

c. speed up

d. a mass of cells growing in or on a part of the body where they should not

e. having to stay in bed all the time because of illness, injury or old age

Fill in the blanks with the words you have learned

6. You can pay an extra fee to _________________ the application process for the passport.

7. His _________________ to combat air pollution has earned him a lot of praise from the society.

8. His illness left him _________________ for a long time before his death.

9. Be careful with pills! A wrong dosage could be _________________.

10. The _________________ in her breast was diagnosed as benign. She and her family were greatly relieved by the news.

Reading Comprehension

11. What is the main argument cited in the passage by the religious sector against the practice of euthanasia?

a. Human life is sacred and its sanctity should not be infringed upon

b. No one except the God has the power to end people's lives

c. The legalisation of the practice will give rise to a wave of assisted suicides

12. Which of the following are examples of passive euthanasia?

i. The suspension of medication which is essential to the patient

ii. Unplugging the patient's life support system

iii. Withholding life-saving surgeries from the terminally ill

a. i and ii b. ii and iii c. all of the above

13. Which of the following arguments was cited in the passage by Tang Siu-pun for the legalisation of euthanasia?

a. The value of human life is subjective and should not be judged by others

b. Legalising euthanasia can lessen pressure on the public health system

c. Hong Kong is an advanced city that should follow the lead of those liberal European states which allow the practice

Think about

1. Do you support euthanasia? Why?

2. Do you think Hong Kong has provided enough support for the terminally ill? What kinds of support are available to them in Hong Kong?

3. Doctors who perform euthanasia say they do it to lessen their patient's suffering. Their sympathy for their patients brings them legal trouble. Do you think it is justifiable to send those doctors to jail? Why?

Answers:

1. d, 2. b, 3. a, 4. e, 5. c, 6. expedite, 7. crusade, 8. bed-ridden, 9. lethal, 10. tumour, 11. a, 12. c, 13. a