Question

    The legislature(立法机构) finds that the cigarette is considered one of the deadliest products in human history. So begins a new bill introduced in Hawaii’s State House, calling for a ban on cigarette sales in the state by 2024.

Hawaii has some of the most restrictive cigarette laws in the nation. In 2016, it became the first state to raise the age to buy cigarettes to 21. Now, its new bill calls for raising the cigarette-buying age to 30 by 2020, up to 40, 50 and 60 in each following year, and up to 100 by 2024. That would effectively clear Hawai’s store shelves of cigarettes, although tourists could still bring them in. The age limits would not apply to e-cigarettes, cigars or chewing tobacco.

And curiously,, Hawaii would offer its centenarians (百岁老人) the chance to buy cigarettes ear the end of their life — if they could find them

Richard Creagan, the bill’s sponsor, said that he hoped the bill could represent an “endgame” for the cigarette problem, and that it might be easier to pass the bill in Hawaii than in a mainland state.

“On the mainland they have more trouble with this because they have states around them that are selling cigarettes,” he said. “We don’t have any states around us. And that’s why I thought it could be done here, and it would be kind of an example for the rest of the nation and the world.”

Creagan told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald he’s confident that the bill will survive any court challenges.

In 2015, the National Academy of Sciences released a report arguing that increasing the age to buy tobacco to 21 would have a “considerable impact” on the age at which someone takes their first puff. The report also suggested “if someone is not a regular tobacco user by age 25, it is highly unlikely he or she will become one.”

1.What can we know about Hawaii from Paragraph 2?

A. Hawaii has no cigarette laws at present.

B. The cigarette-buying age will be 50 in 2023.

C. The age to buy cigarettes was raised to 21 in 2016.

D. All cigarette stores in the state have been closed.

2.What does the new bill call for?

A. Even tourists can’t bring cigarettes to Hawaii.

B. No one under 100 can buy cigarettes by 2024.

C. Hawaiians can’t buy cigarettes in other states.

D. Growing tobacco is not allowed in Hawaii.

3.The underlined words in the last paragraph mean “________”.

A. buys their first pack of cigarettes

B. smokes their first cigarette

C. quits smoking for the first time

D. first offers cigarettes to others

4.What is the main idea of the text?

A. Hawaii is considering a bill to ban cigarette sales.

B. Hawaii will lower the cigarette-buying age.

C. Hawaii is to ban smoking in its neighboring states.

D. Hawaii has released a report on the harm of smoking.

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.B

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章围绕夏威夷正在考虑一项禁止香烟销售的法案展开，社会各界人士就此表达了自己的看法和评价。

1.细节理解题。根据第二段第二句“In 2016, it became the first state to raise the age to buy cigarettes to 21.”可知夏威夷在2016年成为第一个将购买香烟的年龄提高到21岁的州。故选C。

2.细节理解题。第二段第三句“Now, its new bill calls for raising the cigarette-buying age to 30 by 2020, up to 40, 50 and 60 in each following year, and up to 100 by 2024.”可知新法案要求到2020年将购买香烟的年龄提高到30岁，在接下来的每一年提高到40岁、50岁和60岁，到2024年提高到100岁。故到2014年时，100岁以下的人买不到香烟。故选B。

3.词义猜测题。根据下文“The report also suggested “if someone is not a regular tobacco user by age 25, it is highly unlikely he or she will become one.”” 报告还指出“如果一个人在25岁之前不经常吸烟，那么他或她成为烟民的可能性就非常小。”即可推理把购买烟草的年龄提高到21岁是为了推迟人们“第一次抽烟”的时间，使得他们在25岁之前不能经常吸烟，从而使人们不成为烟民。故划线部分短语应为“抽第一根烟；第一次抽烟”，故选B。

4.主旨大意题。第一段第二句“So begins a new bill introduced in Hawaii’s State House, calling for a ban on cigarette sales in the state by 2024.”以及文章主要围绕这一话题进行开展，论述了各界人士对于夏威夷禁止香烟销售的法案的看法和意见，故文章的中心思想是夏威夷正在考虑一项禁止香烟销售的法案。故选A。