We buried Donald Brown last May. He was murdered by four men who wanted to rob the supermarket manager he was protecting. Partolman Brown was 61 years old. In just six months he and his wife had planned to retire to Florida. Now there will be no retirement in the sun, and she is alone.
Donald Brown was the second police officer to die since I became Police Commissioner of Boston in 1972. The first was Detective John Schroeder, shot in a pawnshop(当铺) robbery in November 1970. John Schroeder was the brother of Walter Schroeder, who was killed in a bank robbery in 1970. Their names are together on the honor roll in Police Headquarters.
At least two of these police officers were shot by a handgun, the kind almost anyone can buy nearly everywhere for a few dollars. Ownership of handguns has become so widespread that this weapon is no longer merely the instrument of crime. it is now a cause of violent crime. Of the 11 Boston police officers killed since 1962, seven were killed with handguns. of the 18 wounded by guns since 1962, 17 were shot with handguns.
Gun advocates are fond of saying that guns don t kill, people do. But guns do kill. Half of the people who commit suicide do so with handguns. Fifty-four percent of the murders committed in 1972 were committed with handguns.
No one can convince me, after returning from patrolman Brown s funeral, that we should allow people to own handguns. I know that many Americans feel deeply and honestly that they have a right to own and enjoy guns. I am asking that they give them up. I am not asking for registration or licensing, or the outlawing of cheap guns. I am saying that no private citizen, whatever his claim, should possess a handgun. Only police officers should.
1. The suggestion the author presents in the passage is that _____. [A] handguns are the cause of violent crime [B] handguns are a dangerous weapon [C] American people s right to own and enjoy guns should be respected [D] only police offocers should possess guns
2. In paragraph 1,the tone of the author is _____. [A] calm [B] bitter [C] exciting来源:www.examda.com [D] regretful
3. When did the author become Police Commissioner of Boston? [A] In 1972 [B] In November,1970 [C] In 1962 [D] Before 1970
4. According to the author,which is true of handguns? [A] They don t kill. [B] We should not allow people to own handguns. [C] Anyone can easily buy a handgun at a very high price. [D] Handguns can t be the cause of violent crime.
5. The passage is mainly aimed to _____. [A] persuade the government 来源:www.examda.com [B] describe police officers death [C] tell the robbers means to kill policeman [D] explain means of people s possession of guns