Directions:
Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1.

Punishment depends as much on politics as it does on crime: crime rates have been stable in recent years but there’ s been a striking increase in the prison population, And because populism is coming so much to (1) the political agendas, politicians are advocating sharp increases in penalties to take (2) of public unease. The question is how far this will get. In the 21st century weak governments might try to win legitimacy by being especially (3) on crime. That could mean high prison populations and draconian (4) such as those adopted in the United States in recent years. Luckily, there remain significant differences between the UK and the USA: social divisions are less extreme and racial (5) are not as high. (6) there is a great deal of minor violent crime here, rates of murder— (7) particularly fuel public anxieties—are much (8) because guns have not been so widely (9) . It’ s unlikely that this will change greatly: the (10) to tighten up the gun laws in Britain will continue ,and all (11) the toughest criminals will still have a view about what is and what isn’t "acceptable violence. So I don’ t believe we will see a huge (12) in violent crime, but I (13) rates of property crime and crimes of opportunity to remain high. There will also be much more electronic fraud because it’ s so hard to (14) and pr. This is an important problem for business, but not one that (15) much popular agitation. It’ s unlikely we’ll see the return of the death penalty: the police are (16) about its effectiveness and its reintroduction would be highly problematic (17) the recent Council of Europe protocol outlawing its use. (18) punishment remains a pretty accurate temperature gauge, though: (19) there is significant political pressure for the death penalty, it’ s a (20) of harsher attitudes towards crime generally.