In Victoria, Australia, it’s illegal to change a light bulb unless you are a licensed electrician. People who disobey this law could receive a fine of up to AU$10 (£5.50).
In Milan, Italy, citizens are required to smile at all times, except during funerals or hospital visits.
In England, it is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament. This was voted the most ludicrous law in the UK in 2007. A spokesman for the House of Commons said: “The people who know about these things here say there is no basis for such a law, not to say it does not exist somewhere in writing.”
In Canada, by law, one out of every five songs on the radio must be sung by a Canadian.
Flushing(冲洗)the toilet after 10pm is illegal in Switzerland. The Government consider it noise pollution.
Running out of petrol is illegal on Germany's autobahn, and so is walking along it. So those who do break down must pull over and use their horn to attract attention. The fine is €80 (£65) for endangering other drivers.
7. In Chicago, it is against the law to eat in a place that's on fire.
No matter how good the pizza tastes, if the restaurant sets on fire – you can't stick around!
1. According to the text, which of the following is legal?
A.A doctor changing his bulb at his home in Victoria. |
B.A driver blows his horn when his car breaks down on a Germany’s highway. |
C.A spokesman dies in the House of Parliament in England. |
D.A customer eats in a Chicago restaurant while it is on fire. |
A.visiting a friend in the hospital | B.under great pressure |
C.having a quarrel with his boss | D.in a bad mood |
A.Canada and Chicago. | B.England and Chicago. |
C.Switzerland and Milan. | D.German and Victoria. |
A.To avoid overusing the toilet. |
B.To avoid disturbing others with unpleasant sounds. |
C.To save energy. |
D.To cut the cost of water. |
American Congress first passed the law in 2002.Stores have had to label seafood by country of origin since 2005.But industry pressure delayed other requirements until last week.
Products that must now be labeled include fresh fruits and vegetables, muscle meats and some kinds of nuts.But the rules are complex, and many foods are excluded.For example, organ meats are free to be labeled.So are processed foods, including cooked or smoked food.
The United States has imported more and more food in recent years to save money and expand choices.Country-of-origin labeling has become more common lately but has still been limited in many stores.
Food safety is one reason why some shoppers pay close attention to where foods came from.For example, when a large number of people recently got sick from salmonella(沙门菌病), officials blamed peppers from Mexico.Yet the last big food scare involved spinach (菠菜) grown in California.But labeling is also a way for people to know they are getting what they want.Some want to buy local foods or foods from a particular country.
The country-of-origin labeling law gives stores 30 days to correct any violations that are found.Stores and suppliers that are found to be deliberately violating the law could be fined 1000 dollars per violation.Federal inspectors are not to take action to enforce the law for six months to give time for an education campaign.
Some food safety activists say they are generally pleased with the law.They call it a good step that will give people more useful information.
1. Why has more and more food been imported to the United States in recent years?
A.Because it is economical and provides people with more choices. |
B.Because the United States is short of food supply. |
C.Because Americans need more and more food recently. |
D.Because foreign food is of higher quality than native food. |
A.Stores have to label food by its producing date from now on. |
B.The country-of-origin labeling has to be marked on more food. |
C.Stores have to label seafood by country of origin. |
D.Labeling of food should include more useful information. |
A.right now | B.in a month |
C.in three months | D.in half a year |
A.they are curious about the country of the food origin |
B.they are particular about the tastes of the food |
C.they are concerned about food safety and want to get what they want |
D.most of the shoppers are food safety activists themselves |
I argued,pointing to a very large belly(肚子) of mine,“I am married.I am having a baby.Why should I have to have someone sign for me to drive?”He answered coldly.“It’s the law,madam.”
Henry encouraged me to calm down,just go ahead and get the license and be done with it.“No,”I said.I refused to have him sign for me.So I left without a Maryland license.
I called the North Carolina Motor Vehicle office and renewed my NC license by mail--using my name Susan Brown.And thus it was for the next twelve years.Since Henry was in the army I could drive under my home state license.By the time Henry left the army we were once again living in Maryland,and I had to take the Maryland driver’s exam.Since then I just go in and renew every four years--sign the name Susan Brown,have my new picture taken, and walk out with a license to drive.
1. Susan got her first driver’s license_______.
A.before she got married to Henry |
B.when she was twenty years old |
C.after she finished high school |
D.when she just moved to Maryland |
A.she was forbidden to drive by Maryland law |
B.she lacked driving experience in Maryland |
C.she was to give birth to a baby soon |
D.she insisted on signing for herself |
A.American males should serve in the army |
B.different states may have different laws |
C.people have to renew their licenses in their home states |
D.women should adopt their husbands’ family names after marriage |
4 . Few laws are so effective that you can see results just days after they take effect. But in the nine days since the federal cigarette tax more than doubled-to $1.01 per pack-smokers have jammed telephone "quit lines" across the country seeking to kick the habit.
This is not a surprise to public health advocates. They've studied the effect of state tax increases for years, finding that smokers, especially teens, are price sensitive. Nor is it a shock to the industry, which fiercely fights every tax increase.
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.
1. 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 |
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 |
A.tolerance | B.unconcern |
C.doubt | D.sympathy |
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 |
I argued,pointing to a very large belly(肚子) of mine,“I am married.I am having a baby.Why should I have to have someone sign for me to drive?”He answered coldly.“It’s the law,madam.”
Henry encouraged me to calm down,just go ahead and get the license and be done with it.“No,”I said.I refused to have him sign for me.So I left without a Maryland license.
I called the North Carolina Motor Vehicle office and renewed my NC license by mail--using my name Susan Brown.And thus it was for the next twelve years.Since Henry was in the army I could drive under my home state license.By the time Henry left the army we were once again living in Maryland,and I had to take the Maryland driver’s exam.Since then I just go in and renew every four years--sign the name Susan Brown,have my new picture taken, and walk out with a license to drive.
1. Susan got her first driver’s license_______.
A.before she got married to Henry |
B.when she was twenty years old |
C.after she finished high school |
D.when she just moved to Maryland |
A.she was forbidden to drive by Maryland law |
B.she lacked driving experience in Maryland |
C.she was to give birth to a baby soon |
D.she insisted on signing for herself |
A.American males should serve in the army |
B.different states may have different laws |
C.people have to renew their licenses in their home states |
D.women should adopt their husbands’ family names after marriage |