Besides such ethical concerns, the legal situations the autonomous vehicle industry is likely to be confronted with have
The word justice is usually associated with courts of law. There is no doubt
There are rare instances when justice almost ceases to be an abstract concept. Reward or punishment are given quite independent
When a thief was caught in a large jewellery store one morning, the shop assistants must have found it impossible to resist the temptation to say “it serves him right”. The shop was an old house with many large, disused fireplaces and tall, narrow chimneys. Towards midday, a girl heard a muffled (捂住) cry coming from behind one of the walls. As the cry
3 . Repair or replace? This is a difficult choice for people when appliances (家用电器) that they own, like TVs and refrigerators, break down. Too often, the only option, or at least the cheaper one, is to replace an appliance rather than get it repaired.
But now in the UK, people don’t have to do this. Manufacturers (制造商) are now legally required to make spare parts that people can buy to repair their products.
The right to repair rules are designed to deal with “built-in obsolescence” where manufacturers build appliances to break down after a certain period on purpose to encourage people to buy new ones.
These new rules should bring an end to the frustration (沮丧) of having to throw away a product because a small part is no longer working and no longer supplied. Rather than having to buy a whole new product, replacement parts must now be sold directly by the manufacturer for 10 years, whether or not they are still selling the complete product.
Some companies said the rules could make appliances more expensive. John Elliott, chairman of Ebac, said, “The rules will influence companies who have been in a race to the bottom on prices for many white goods, but it will not make much difference to my business. We don’t look to make the cheapest washing machine. We look for one that’s going to do the job and last a long time.”
The company has been manufacturing washing machines for about fifty years. “Our focus is always on quality — not just a low price,” Mr Elliott said. “The secret of a product that’s easy to repair and long-lasting is the design.”
Rob Johnson, operations director at repair business Pacifica, said that his company was now hoping to enlarge its team of engineers because of new rules. The company already has 400 skilful engineers going into homes to fix about 6,000 appliances per week.
He said the rules “give customers real choice” about whether to repair or replace their product.
1. What does the underlined word “this” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Fixing broken appliances. | B．Buying cheaper appliances. |
| C．Replacing broken appliances. | D．Finding spare parts of appliances. |
| A．Sell certain products for at least ten years. |
| B．Make sure their products last for ten years. |
| C．Sell spare parts of their products for ten years. |
| D．Have their products serviced for over ten years. |
| A．It will stick with its original focus. | B．It will lose business to its competitors. |
| C．It will sell its products at higher prices. | D．It will make its products easier to repair. |
| A．Take on more engineers. | B．Start a new repair business. |
| C．Give customers lessons on repairing. | D．Train its engineers to be more skilful. |
The center of American automobile innovation
In a bid to take production back to Detroit, Michigan lawmakers have introduced legislation that could make their state
“Michigan’s role in auto research and development is under attack from several states and countries which desire to take
If all four bills pass as
Lawmakers in Michigan clearly want to make the state ready for the commercial use of self-driving technology.
5 . A teenager of 17 walks into a corner store and grabs a Coca-Cola, but the cashier refuses to sell it to him because he is underage. That rule is expected to soon become reality in parts of Mexico, as lawmakers in several states push legislation (立法)to keep junk food away from children. know it can sound a bit difficult but we have to take action now," says Lopez, a lawmaker in Oaxaca's Congress.
More than 70,000 Mexicans have died from COVID-19, the world's fourth-highest recorded death toll, tracked by Johns Hopkins University. 89% of those who died in Mexico had an underlying medical condition such as obesity, diabetes (糖尿病)，high blood pressure and heart problems. That has led to a new urgency to change diets so that the younger generation doesn't suffer those illnesses.
The critics, however, say the leaders are using preexisting health conditions in COVID-19 patients to distract from a weak government response to the virus outbreak. Yet few people would deny that the country consumes large amounts of sugar-sweetened drinks and processed snacks with little nutrition --- or that Mexico has a major weight problem.
Oaxaca's governor approved the state's junk food prohibition last week. Legislators still have to complete the legal systems, and punishment could include fines and even jail. Lopez says legislators from all over the country have called her for advice. Many other states are debating a junk food ban. However, a nationwide law would not be easy. "There are powerful commercial interests that least want it to happen, but we must prioritize the well-being of our children," Lopez says.
1. What is Lopez 's attitude towards the junk food?| A．Negative. | B．Neutral. |
| C．Positive. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．Keep distance. | B．Avoid illnesses. |
| C．Break away. | D．Shift attention. |
| A．Selling children junk food has been banned nationwide in Mexico. |
| B．Most Mexicans who died of COVID-19 had other health problems. |
| C．The younger generation doesn't suffer any weight problems. |
| D．People who break the prohibition in Oaxaca will only be warned. |
| A．Teenagers. | B．Legislators. |
| C．Soft drink companies. | D．State governors. |
6 . Kerala, India, has placed a tax on hamburgers, pizza and other fast food. The 14.5 percent tax will be added to foods at restaurants such as McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Burger King.
The tax is being called a “fat tax” because it adds cost to foods considered high in fat and calories. It is the first fast food tax enacted in India, where obesity levels are rising in the growing middle class.
Kerala’s Finance Minister Thomas Isaac suggested the tax after learning of similar measures in other countries. He hopes it will get people to choose to eat healthy food, which he said is “going out of fashion.”
Dr. Anoop Misra at New Delhi’s Fortis Hospital strongly supports the “fat tax” as a way to reduce the number of diabetes cases in young people.
A government finance official in central Gujarat says that the state is considering a similar 14.5 percent tax. “This idea can also be adopted in the state, as we also have high consumption of junk and unhealthy food,” the official said.
Critics of the tax say it probably will not stop people from buying fast food. IT engineer Gaurav Singh wants the government to focus on education and awareness instead of taxing fast food.
“The one food that is eaten widely in Kerala is the ‘paratha’, which is basically high in fat, high in refined(精制的) flour, and it is cheap. It can't be taxed because it is highly unorganized.”
Some doctors and health experts say the tax should also include other snack foods and sugary drinks sold across the country.
One fast food customer In New Dehli, Vijay Deoli believes the government should deal with more important issues. “First you have to clear up the air, the water, etc. This is a small thing.”
Others say the government should do more to bring attention to fast food and obesity rather than changing people's choices.
Many health experts agree that bringing attention to the issue is important. But Dr. Misra thinks education alone does not work.
He compared the tax to a law passed several years ago that got people to wear seat belts to avoid paying a fine. “Laws can change people’s habits.”
1. Why did Thomas Isaac introduce the “fat tax”?| A．To follow the latest trend in other countries. |
| B．To prevent young people from getting diabetes. |
| C．To encourage people to change their eating habits. |
| D．To control the development of fast food restaurants. |
| A．Worried | B．Opposed | C．Surprised | D．Suspicious |
| A．education | B．regulations | C．people’s choices | D．people’s awareness |
