题目内容：
根据下面资料，回答题 With the possible exception of equal rights, perhaps the most controversial issue acrossthe United States today is the death penalty． Many argue that it is an effective way to stop murder,while others maintain that there is no convincing evidence that death penalty re-duces the number of murders．
The main argument by those opposed to the death penalty, basically,is that it is a crueland inhuman punishment that is the mark of a brutal society, and finally it is questionablewhether it is effective to reduce crime anyway．
The value of the death penalty as a way to reduce crime may be open to debate． But the overwhelming majority of citizens believe that the death penalty protects them． Their belief is reinforced by evidence which shows that death penalty reduces murder． For example, from 1954 to 1963,when the death penalty was consistently imposed in California, the murder rateremained between three and four murders for each 100,000 population. Since 1964 the deathpenalty has been imposed only once,and the murder rate has risen to 10.4 murders for each100,000 population. This sharp increase in the state´s murder rate,which began when exe-cutions stopped, is no coincidence. It is convincing evidence that the death penalty does stopmany murderers. If the bill reestablishing the death penalty is vetoed, innocent people willbe murdered--some whose lives may have been saved if the death penalty were in effect.
This is literally a life or death matter. The lives of thousands of innocent people must beprotected.
"Penalty" means__________. A．reward
B．punishment
C．management
D．control
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