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PASSAGEFOUR(1)TheSupremeCourt'sdecisionsonphysician-assistedsuicidecarryimportantimplicationsforhowmedicineseekstorelievedyingpatientsofpainandsuffering.(2)Althoughitruledthatthereisnoconstitutionalrighttophysician-assistedsuicide,theCourtineffectsupportedthemedicalprincipleof"doubleeffect",acenturies-oldmoralprincipleholdingthatanactionhavingtwoeffects—agoodonethatisintendedandaharmfulonethatisforeseen—ispermissibleiftheactorintendsonlythegoodeffect.(3)Doctorshaveusedthatprincipleinrecentyearstojustifyusinghighdosesofmorphinetocontrolterminallyillpatients'pain,eventhoughincreasingdosageswilleventuallykillthepatient.(4)NancyDubler,directorofMontefioreMedicalCenter,contendsthattheprinciplewillshielddoctorswho"untilnowhavevery,verystronglyinsistedthattheycouldnotgivepatientssufficientmediationtocontroltheirpainifthatmighthastendeath."(5)GeorgeAnnas,chairofthehealthlawdepartmentatBostonUniversity,maintainsthat,aslongasadoctorprescribesadrugforalegitimatemedicalpurpose,thedoctorhasdonenothingillegalevenifthepatientusesthedrugtohastendeath."It'slikesurgery,"hesays."Wedon'tcallthosedeathshomicidesbecausethedoctorsdidn'tintendtokilltheirpatients,althoughtheyriskedtheirdeath.Ifyou'reaphysician,youcanriskyourpatient'ssuicideaslongasyoudon'tintendtheirsuicide."(6)Onanotherlevel,manyinthemedicalcommunityacknowledgethattheassisted-suicidedebatehasbeenfueledinpartbythedespairofpatientsforwhommodemmedicinehasprolongedthephysicalagonyofdying.(7)JustthreeweeksbeforetheCourt'srulingonphysician-assistedsuicide,theNationalAcademyofScience(NAS)releasedatwo-volumereport,ApproachingDeath:ImprovingCareattheEndofLife.Itidentifiestheundertreatmentofpainandtheaggressiveuseof"ineffectualandforcedmedicalproceduresthatmayprolongandevendishonortheperiodofdying"asthetwinproblemsofend-of-lifecare.(8)Theprofessionistakingstepstorequireyoungdoctorstotraininhospices,totestknowledgeofaggressivepainmanagementtherapies,todevelopaMedicarebillingcodeforhospital-basedcare,andtodevelopnewstandardsforassessingandtreatingpainattheendoflife.(9)Annassayslawyerscanplayakeyroleininsistingthatthesewell-meaningmedicalinitiativestranslateintobettercare.“Largenumbersofphysiciansseemunconcernedwiththepaintheirpatientsareneedlesslyandpredictablysuffering,”totheextentthatitconstitutes“systematicpatientabuse。”Hesaysmedicallicensingboards“mustmakeitclear...thatpainfuldeathsarepresumptivelyonesthatareincompetentlymanagedandshouldresultinlicensesuspension.”37.Whichofthefollowingstatementsitstrueaccordingtothetext?

题型：单选题

选项

A. Doctors will be held guilty if they risk their patients' death.

B. Modern medicine has assisted terminally ill patients in painless recovery.

C. The Court ruled that high-dosage pain-relieving medication can be prescribed.

D. A doctor's medication is no longer justified by his intentions.

正确答案：C

名词解析

【答案】 C

　　【考点】事实细节题。

　　【分析】由于本题属于事实细节判断题，所以只有对每一个选项都进行辨析。选项[A]可以定位到第五段“Annas”的话。话中提到“只要医生不是想杀死病人，那么他们的死亡就不能被称为谋杀”。因此可以判定[A]不正确。[B]说病危者的无痛康复，在文中没有提到康复问题。[C]可以从第二段中找到，高等法院认为只要医生是出于好意，则可以去做。因此可以得出[C]是正确的。[D]错误是因为事实上，医生的意图在对于行为是否合法上面是非常重要的。