雅思阅读：从死刑下逃生的伊朗妇女

本文为大家准备了雅思阅读练习题：从死刑下逃生的伊朗妇女。通过模拟练习题，同学们可以直观地了解到自己的备考状况，从而更有针对性地进行复习。

在伊朗，妇女的地位很低，有很多的刑法是针对妇女的，也都是十分的残酷。近来一位伊朗妇女成功的从被石头砸死的死刑方式下逃生，究竟她是用了什么方法做到的呢?

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, 43, appears on Iraniantelevision

An Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoningafter she was convicted of adultery has beenreleased from jail, a human rights group claimed lastnight.

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, whose plightbecame an international cause célèbre, was said to have been released along with her son,Sajad, her lawyer and two German journalists who were arrested over the case.

Photographs of Ms Ashtiani meeting her son were released by Iran's state-run Englishtelevision channel, Press TV. They appeared to show the pair at home in Osku, in north-western Iran, and boosted her supporters' hopes that she had been released.

But footage broadcast by the station later raised doubts about whether Ms Ashtiani hadactually been freed, or whether Iranian officials had merely taken her home to collect evidenceagainst her and film a confession. In a short video clip, she was heard to say: "We planned tokill my husband."

The 43-year-old mother of two has been in prison since 2006 and faced execution bystoning for "having an illicit relationship outside marriage".

Mina Ahadi, a spokeswoman for the Germany-based Anti-Stoning Committee, which hascampaigned for Ms Ashtiani's release, said: "This is the happiest day in my life. I'm very happyfor her son, Sajad, who fought single-handedly and bravely in Iran to dend his mother andtell the world that she is innocent. I'm sure this day will be written in Iranian history books, ifnot the world's, as a day of victory for human rights campaigners.

"We have got news that they are free. We are waiting for another confirmation... then wewill be 100 per cent sure."

There was no official statement about Ms Ashtiani by authorities in Tehran, and the ForeignOffice in London said it was awaiting clarification. But Franco Frattini, the Italian ForeignMinister, said her reported release marked "a great day for human rights". "Iran has made thegesture of understanding and clemency that we were hoping for, and it did so using itsprerogative as a sovereign state," he added.

"It is a decision that merits strong praise and satisfaction. We take note of this in theknowledge that the prospect for dialogue with Iran also on human rights can resume in a spiritof renewed mutual confidence."

There was an international outcry in the summer when Ms Ashtiani's sentence became publicknowledge. Brazil's President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, offered to give her asylum in hiscountry, while the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, urged Tehran to respect thundamental freedoms of its citizens. In Britain, the Foreign Office minister, Alistair Burt,condemned the laws used against her as "medieval".

Iran's conservative Kayhan newspaper reserved its ire for the French First Lady, CarlaBruni-Sarkozy, calling her a "prostitute" after she attacked the Tehran regime over thesentence.

The news of Ms Ashtiani's possible reprieve came a day after another Iranian woman,Khadijeh Jahed, also known as Shahla, was hanged at dawn in jail, with her son pushing thestool from beneath her feet. The decision to carry out Ms Jahed's execution, which was alsothe focus of worldwide outrage, appeared to indicate that the Iranian regime was maintaininga tough stance despite a UN General Assembly committee criticising the country's "seriousongoing human rights violations" and "pervasive gender inequality and violence againstwomen".

Ms Ashtiani's lawyer, Javid Houtan Kian, was arrested in Tabriz in September with twoGerman journalists who were interviewing her son.

The Germans, who worked for the newspaper Bild Am Sonntag and had entered Iran ontourist visas, are accused of spying.