Many Americans regard the jury system as a concrete expression of crucial democratic values, including the principles that all citizens who meet minimal qualifications of age and literacy are equally competent to serve on juries; that jurors should be selected randomly from a representative cross section of the community; that no citizen should be denied the right to serve on a jury on account of race, religion, sex, or national origin; that defendants are entitled to trial by their peers; and that verdicts should represent the conscience of the community and not just the letter of the law. The jury is also said to be the best surviving example of direct rather than repre¬sentative democracy. In a direct democracy, citizens take turns governing themselves, rather than electing representatives to govern for them.
But as recently as in 1968, jury selection procedures conflicted with these democratic ideals. In some states, for example, jury duty was limited to persons of supposedly superior intelligence, education, and moral character. Although the Supreme Court of the United States had prohibited intentional racial discrimination in jury selection as early as the 1880 case of Strauder v. West Virginia, the practice of selecting so-called elite or blue-ribbon juries provided a convenient way around this and other antidiscrimination laws.
The system also failed to regularly include women on juries until the mid-20th century. Although women first served on state juries in Utah in 1898, it was not until the 1940s that a majority of states made women eligible for jury duty. Even then several states automatically exempted women from jury duty unless they personally asked to have their names included on the jury list. This practice was justified by the claim that women were needed at home, and it kept juries unrepresentative of women through the 1960s.
In 1968, the Congress of the United States passed the Jury Selection and Service Act, ushering in a new era of democratic reforms for the jury. This law abolished special educational requirements for federal jurors and required them to be selected at random from a cross section of the entire community. In the landmark 1975 decision Taylor v. Louisiana, the Supreme Court extended the requirement that juries be representative of all parts of the community to the state level. The Taylor decision also declared sex discrimination in jury selection to be unconsti¬tutional and ordered states to use the same procedures for selecting male and female jurors. (405 words)
1.From the principles of the U. S. jury system, we learn that （ ）.
2.The practice of selecting so-called elite jurors prior to 1968 showed （ ）.
3.Even in the 1960s，women were seldom on the jury list in some states because （ ）.
4.After the Jury Selection and Service Act was passed， （ ）.
5.In discussing the U. S. jury system, the text centers on（ ）.
问题1选项
A.both literate and illiterate people can serve on juries
B.defendants are immune from trial by their peers
C.no age limit should be imposed for jury service
D.judgment should consider the opinion of the public
问题2选项
A.the inadequacy of antidiscrimination laws
B.the prevalent discrimination against certain races
C.the conflicting ideals in jury selection procedures
D.the arrogance common among the Supreme Court judges
问题3选项
A.they were automatically banned by state laws
B.they fell far short of the required qualifications
C.they were supposed to perform domestic duties
D.they tended to evade public engagement
问题4选项
A.sex discrimination in jury selection was unconstitutional and had to be abolished
B.educational requirements became less rigid in the selection of federal jurors
C.jurors at the state level ought to be representative of the entire community
D.states ought to conform to the federal court in reforming the jury system
问题5选项
A.its nature and problems
B.its characteristics and tradition
C.its problems and their solutions
D.its tradition and development
第1题:D
第2题:A
第3题:C
第4题:B
第5题:D
第1题:
【选项释义】
From the principles of the U. S. jury system, we learn that _____. 从美国陪审团制度的原则中，我们了解到_____。
A. both literate and illiterate people can serve on juries A. 有文化的人和文盲都可以担任陪审员
B. defendants are immune from trial by their peers B. 被告不受同龄人的审判
C. no age limit should be imposed for jury service C. 担任陪审员不应受年龄限制
D. judgment should consider the opinion of the public D. 判断应该考虑公众的意见
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题目the principles和the U.S. jury system可定位到首段首句：Many Americans regard the jury system as a concrete expression of crucial democratic values, including the principles that all citizens who meet minimal qualifications of age and literacy... that jurors should be selected... that no citizen should be denied the right to...; that defendants are entitled to trial by their peers, and that verdicts should represent the conscience of the community.（许多美国人认为陪审团制度是至关重要的民主价值观的具体体现，包括所有年龄和文化程度最低的公民都有同等资格担任陪审员的原则；陪审员应该选择随机从社区的代表截面；公民不应因种族、宗教、性、或国籍否认担任陪审员的权利；被告有权接受同行的审判；这个判决应该代表社会的良知，而不仅仅是法律条文。D项‘判断应该考虑公众的意见’与最后一个that从句信息完全符合，所以D项正确。
【干扰项排除】
根据此句第一个that从句中的信息可知A选项‘文盲和有文化的人都可以担任陪审员’和C项‘担任陪审员不应受年龄限制’错误，属于曲解原文，故排除；
B项‘被告不受同龄人的审判’可定位到第四个that从句，但选项信息与该从句完全相反，属于反向干扰，故排除。
第2题:
【选项释义】
The practice of selecting so-called elite jurors prior to 1968 showed _____. 在1968年之前选择所谓精英陪审员的做法表明______。
A. the inadequacy of antidiscrimination laws A. 反歧视法的不足
B. the prevalent discrimination against certain races B. 对某些种族的普遍歧视
C. the conflicting ideals in jury selection procedures C. 陪审团遴选程序中的冲突理念
D. the arrogance common among the Supreme Court judges D. 最高法院法官中常见的傲慢态度
【考查点】推理判断题
【解题思路】根据题干prior to 1968可定位到第二段，再根据The practice of selecting so- called elite jurors 可精确定位到第二段尾句：Although the Supreme Court... had prohibited intentional racial discrimination in jury selection..., the practice of selecting so-called elite or blue-ribbon juries provided a convenient way around this and other antidiscrimination laws. （虽然美国最高法院早就禁止了陪审团遴选方面蓄意的种族歧视，但挑选所谓的精英或蓝带陪审团的做法却为绕过这种反种族歧视及其他反歧视法律提供了便利）。既然现实中可以规避反歧视法律，所以A选项“反歧视法律的不足”正确。
【干扰项排除】
B项与原文相反，原文提到为了反歧视才选择精英陪审团，而不是为了普遍歧视才选择精英陪审团，这里属于反向干扰，排除；
C项所涉及的内容在第二段首句可以找到，但这里的时间限定是1968年，而不是1968年之前，与题目不符，这里属于张冠李戴，排除；
D选项原文没有提及，属于无中生有。
第3题:
【选项释义】
Even in the 1960s, women were seldom on the jury list in some states because _____. 即使在20世纪60年代，一些州的陪审团名单上也很少有女性，因为_____。
A. they were automatically banned by state laws A. 她们被州法律自动禁止
B. they fell far short of the required qualifications B. 她们远未达到要求的资格
C. they were supposed to perform domestic duties C. 她们应该做家务
D. they tended to evade public engagement D. 她们倾向于逃避公众参与
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干in the 1960s定位到文章第三段尾句，再根据题干women were seldom on the jury list in some states可精确定位到第三段第三、四句：Even then several states automatically exempted women from jury duty unless they personally asked to have their names included on the jury list. This practice was justified by the claim that women were needed at home... “即便如此，几个州还是自动免除了女性担任陪审员的责任，除非她们亲自要求将自己的名字列入陪审员名单。”这种做法是有道理的，因为有人声称家里需要女性，这使得陪审团在整个20世纪60年代都没有女性代表）。所以选C项‘她们应该做家务’正确。
【干扰项排除】
A、B、D选项原文没有提及，属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
After the Jury Selection and Service Act was passed, ______. 《陪审团遴选和服务法》通过后______。
A. sex discrimination in jury selection was unconstitutional and had to be abolished A. 陪审团选举中的性别歧视违反宪法，必须予以废除
B. educational requirements became less rigid in the selection of federal jurors B. 在选择联邦陪审员时，教育要求变得不那么严格
C. jurors at the state level ought to be representative of the entire community C. 州一级的陪审员应该代表整个社区
D. states ought to conform to the federal court in reforming the jury system D. 各州在改革陪审团制度时应遵守联邦法院的规定
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干the Jury Selection and Service Act was passed可定位到第四段的首句，再根据题干After可锁定答案出处应是本段的第二句：“This law abolished special educational requirements for federal jurors. （这项法律废除了对联邦陪审员的特殊教育要求，要求他们从整个社会的各个阶层中随机挑选）。”，确定B选项‘在挑选联邦陪审员时，教育要求不再那么严格’正确。
【干扰项排除】
A、C、D选项原文没有提及，属于无中生有。
第5题:
【选项释义】
In discussing the U.S. jury system, the text centers on ________. 在讨论美国陪审团制度时，本文的中心是
________。
A. its nature and problems A. 其性质和问题
B. its characteristics and tradition. B. 其特点和传统
C. its problems and their solutions C. 其问题及其解决方案
D. its tradition and development D. 传统与发展
【考查点】主旨大意题。
【解题思路】综合全文会发现：前面几段讲的都是1968年之前陪审团的情形，最后一段讲的是1968年之后陪审团的全新情形；此外，前面讲的分别是“conflicted”和“failed”，而后面讲的则是“a new era”。所以本文的主旨是讲D选项‘陪审团制度的传统与发展’。
【干扰项排除】
A、B、C没有体现文章中心和主旨。
