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Comprehension Exercise
Capital Punishment
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Question 1
What is the ‘contradiction’ that arose with the use of the death penalty? [2] Everyone agreed that the death penalty
could stop the number of crimes from increasing [1]
Yet it was not uniformly applied in all the colonies to all crimes [1]
NOTE: The element of contradiction is very important, with the use of words like ‘although’, ‘while’ and ‘but’.
NOTE: Contradiction means 2 opposing ideas. NOTE: wrong answer- “It was useful”, because it was
only thought to be useful.
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Question 2
Beccaria ‘defied the trend at that time’ (line 11). What was this trend? [1]The trend was to increase the number
of crimes that were punishable by death [1]
OR to apply the death penalty to a wider range of crimes [1]
NOTE: wrong answer- to eliminate the death penalty (refer to the word ‘defied’)
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Question 3
How was William Bradford’s attack on the death penalty different from what the abolitionist movement proposed? [2] He wanted to limit the death penalty to very
serious cases [1] But the abolitionist movement wanted to
eliminate the death penalty for all crimes [1] NOTE: Must mention the abolitionists’ stand to contrast
against Bradford’s stand.
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Question 4
The death penalty was ‘not a preventive measure’ (line 51). What evidence did the writer give for having this opinion? [2] When there were no serious crimes, the death
penalty would be taken away, but it was put back when serious crimes were committed [1]
OR there was a cyclical pattern of abolishment and reinstatement of the death penalty [1]
It would have been too late by the time the death penalty was reinstated because the crime would already have been committed [1]
NOTE: No marks for describing only half of the cyclical pattern
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Question 5
Why was 1917 considered the ‘lowest point of the abolitionist movement’ (lines 46-47)? [1] The number of states that abolished capital
punishment was the least compared to other years [1]
OR the number of states that instituted the death penalty increased while the number that rejected it declined [1]
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Question 6
How do you think the public viewed criminals when prisons were used instead of the death penalty? [2]
IMPORTANT: remember that public opinion controlled the law. If the criminals were put in prison, it was because the public felt that was better. They felt that criminals could change their
ways [1] And they could be given another chance at
leading their lives again [1] NOTE: think of the question as: “What do you think was
the general public opinion of criminals at the time when most people opposed the death penalty?”
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Question 7
With the start of the Civil Rights Movement, the abolitionist movement became more successful. How did the former help the latter? [2]It argued that man had the right to live
[1]The death penalty would violate this
right [1] NOTE: Avoid throwing in whole chunks of information. You
get no marks for making the examiner select the points.
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Question 8
What evidence is there to show that there were ‘constant changes’ (line 64) to the death penalty?As the presidents changed [1]The laws changed [1]
NOTE: The point about the Supreme Court holding discussions is not evidence. Neither is the point about the serious consequences and irreversibility of capital punishment
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Question 9
Capital punishment is a contentious issue. What specific evidence does the writer provide to show this? [2] Whether capital punishment is right or wrong
has been widely discussed after more than two centuries [1]
And changes are always being made to the laws of a country [1]
OR Many ethical issues arise [1] OR There have been many groups in
support or opposition of the death penalty [1]
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Question 10
According to the writer, what are the benefits of imprisonment? [3]The level of suffering is higher,
especially for young offenders [1]There is the chance to turn over a new
leaf and be released early [1]The decision is reversible if the person
has been wrongfully accused [1]
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Question 11
According to the writer, what are ‘real criminals’ (line 41)?Hold high positions in society and
escape detection [1]OR too intelligent/ powerful to get
caught [1]
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Question 12
AntisocialDisruptiveNot doing the society goodOpposed to laws and societyHarmful to societyNot blending in well with societyContrary to the rules of society
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Question 12
StreamA long and continuous series of thingsFlowContinuous flowNOT ACCEPTED: continuous, series
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Question 12
OutlawedMade illegalAbolishedBannedDisallowed
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Question 12
RightAuthorityMorally justified to do somethingPower
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Question 12
MeticulouslyCarefullyWith attention to detailPreciselyNOT ACCEPTED: cautiously,
thoroughly
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Summary Answer Key1 Rush’s proposal sparked off a
stream of abolitionist petitions from people in the other states as well
Rush’s proposal led to many people petitioning for the end of capital punishment
2 In the 1790s, William Bradford, the Pennsylvania attorney general attacked the death penalty
A Pennsylvanian attorney general
3 While not arguing for its total elimination, he presented a strong case for its limitation to the most severe cases
Proposed the reduction in the types of crimes that were punishable by death
4 By the second quarter of the nineteenth century
Later on
5 Abolitionist movements sprang up
Many different abolitionist movements came about
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Summary Answer Key6 In many states in America In various American states
7 And in 1845, the American Society for the Abolition of Capital Punishment was founded
The American Society for the Abolition of Capital Punishment was later founded
8 It was only in 1846 A year later
9 That Michigan abolished the death penalty and replaced it with life imprisonment
Michigan used life imprisonment instead of capital punishment
10 By 1852, Rhode Island outlawed hanging and Wisconsin did the same a year later… their system of law and order
More states followed suit
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Summary Answer Key11 The civil war in the second
half of the eighteenth century interrupted the concern over the death penalty
But the Civil War later interrupted the momentum
12 A new perspective… the National Prison Association was formed in 1870
The National Prison Association was later formed
13 Once the death penalty was revoked in a state… it would be reinstated again
But the states were constantly removing and putting back capital punishment
14 Then, in the wake of an exceptionally heinous crime, the death penalty would be reinstated
The law was returned after a heinous crime
15 An eloquent and impassioned plea for abolishing the death penalty would lead to its consideration and even enactment in the judicial system
And when there were fewer crimes the law was removed again
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Summary Answer Key16 The abolitionist movement only recovered
in the 1960sThe abolitionist movement became popular again
17 With the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement
When the Civil Rights Movement occurred
18 Arguments were made against the killing of criminals because every human had the right to live
This was enhanced
19 Christian groups began to seriously adopt the abolitionist position on the death penalty
By Christian groups who opposed capital punishment
20 The Supreme Court held serious discussions about the case for capital punishment
Although the Supreme Court debated about the death penalty
21 Over the years, as the presidency changed, so too did the laws on the death penalty
The outcome usually depended on who the president was at the moment