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The only wonder is that so many states insist on closing their ears to the message. Tobacco taxes improve public health, they raise money and most particularly, they deter people from taking up the habit as teens, which is when nearly all smokers are addicted. Yet the rate of taxation varies widely. In Manhattan, for instance, which has the highest tax in the nation, a pack of Marlboro Light Kings cost $10.06 at one drugstore Wednesday. In Charleston, S.C., where the 7-cent-a-pack tax is the lowest in the nation, the price was $4.78. The influence is obvious. In New York, high school smoking hit a new low in the latest surveys----13.8%, far below the national average. By comparison, 26 % of high school students smoke in Kentucky, Other low-tax states have similarly depressing teen-smoking records. Hal Rogers, Representative from Kentucky, like those who are against high tobacco taxes, argues that the burden of the tax falls on low-income Americans “who choose to smoke.” That’s true. But there is more reason in keeping future generations of low-income workers from getting hooked in the first place. As for today’s adults, if the new tax drives them to quit, they will have more to spend on their families, cut their risk of cancer and heart disease and feel better. 61. The text is mainly about___________. A. the price of cigarettes B. the rate of teen smoking C. the effect of tobacco tax increase D. the differences in tobacco tax rate 62. What does the author think is a surprise? A. Teen smokers are price sensitive. B. Some states still keep the tobacco tax low. C. Tobacco taxes improve public health. D. Tobacco industry fiercely fights the tax rise. 63. The underlined word "deter" in Paragraph 3 most probably means . A. discourage B. remove C. benefit D. free 64. Rogers’ attitude towards the low-income smokers might be . A. angry B. unconcerned C. doubtful D. sorry 65. What can we learn from the last paragraph? A. The new tax will be beneficial in the long run. B. Low-income Americans are more likely to fall ill. C. Future generations will be hooked on smoking. D. Adults will depend more on their families. B Long bus rides are like television shows. They have a beginning, a middle, and an end with commercials (商业广告) thrown in every three or four minutes. The commercials are unavoidable. They happen whether you want them or not. Every couple of minutes a billboard glides by outside the bus window. "Buy Super Clean Toothpaste." "Drink Good Wet Root Beer." "Fill up with Pacific Gas. "Only if you sleep, which is equal to turning the television set off, are you spared the unending cry of "You Need It! Buy It Now!" The beginning of the ride is comfortable and somewhat exciting, even if you’ve traveled that way before. Usually some things have changed new houses, new buildings, sometimes even a new road. The bus driver has a style of driving and it’s fun to try to figure it out the first hour or so. If the driver is particularly daring, the ride can be as thrilling (惊心动魄的) as a suspense story. Will the driver pass the truck in time? Will the driver move into the right or the left hand lane? After a while, of course, the excitement dies down. Sleeping for a while helps pass the middle hours of the ride. Food always makes bus rides more interesting. But you’ve got to be careful of what kind of food you eat. Too much salty food can make you very thirsty between stops. The end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning. You know it will soon be over and there’s a kind of expectation and excitement in that. The seat of course, has become harder as the hours have passed. By now you’ve sat with your legs crossed, with your hands in your lap, with your hands on the armrests even with your hands crossed behind your head. The end comes just at no more ways to sit. 66.According to the passage, what do the passengers usually see when they are on a long bus trip? A. Buses on the road. B. Films on television. C. Advertisements on the billboards. D. Gas stations. 67.What is the purpose of this passage? A. To give the writer’s opinion about long bus trips. B. To persuade you to take a long bus trip. C. To explain how bus trips and television shows differ. D. To describe the billboards along the road. 68.The writer of this passage would probably favor . A. bus drivers who aren’t daring B. driving alone C. a television set on the bus D. no billboards along the road 69.The writer feels long bus rides are like TV shows because . A. the commercials both on TV shows and on billboards along the road are fun B. they both have a beginning, a middle, and an end, with commercials in between C. the drivers are always reckless on TV shows just as they are on buses D. both traveling and watching TV are not exciting. 70.The writer thinks that the end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning because both are . A. exciting B. comfortable C. tiring D. boring C In the past, people who graduated from college felt proud of their academic (学业的) achievements and felt confident that their degree would help them to find a good job. However, in the past four years the job market has changed greatly. This year’s college graduates are facing one of the worst job markets. For example, Ryan Stewart, a graduate of San Jose State University, got a degree in religious studies, but no job prospects. He points out that many people already working are getting laid off and don’t have jobs, so it’s even harder for new college graduates to find jobs. Four years ago, the future looked bright for the class of 2006. There were many high-tech job chances. Graduates received many job offers, and they were able to get jobs with high salaries and benefits such as insurance(保险) and paid vacations. However, "Times have changed and it's a new market," according to an officer of the San Jose State Career Center. The officer says students who do find jobs started preparing two years ago. They worked during summer vacations, they have had several short-time jobs, and they’ve majored in one of the few fields that are still hot, like chemical engineering, accounting, or nursing, where average starting salaries have actually increased over last year. Other popular fields (like information system management, computer science, and political science) have seen big declines(下降) in starting salaries. (责任编辑：admin) |