卫生类英语补充短文（七）

Don't Mind if I Smoke



　　The French surprised even themselves when they banned tobacco ads three years ago, and created smoke-free zones in public spaces. Even then, ___(1)___ seemed a little too American. Now some French lawmakers are preparing to end the act as reform that simply can't work in a country __(2)___.

　　Law or no law, smokers and nonsmokers mingle __(3)__, whose owners generally ignore requirements to create separate no-smoking sections. French smokers __(4)___, in hospitals and directly under no -smoking signs. There are stiff fines for violating the smoke-free areas, but they are never imposed. "We have more important things to do", says a Paris official.

　　The 1992 law's most controversial provision is the tobacco-ad ban. An exception has been made for motor sports, which are underwritten by tobacco firms. And fans shouted angrily when French TV blacked out a soccer game from abroad because of "secondary" tobacco and liquor ads at the local stadium. Still, those __(5)___ credit the ad ban for a 15 percent drop in smoking among French teens in the last three years.

EXERCISE:

A) without apparent friction in Paris café and restaurants

B) light up in train stations

C) doing great harm to the smoker's health

D) the attempt to legislate good health

E) who are against smoking

F) that has always aided life's petty vices

KEY:D F A B E

Mergers

　　The most common kind of consolidation today is the merger. A merger occurs ____(1)____.

　　With the deregulation of natural gas, the nation's 20 interstate pipeline companies became fearful of cutthroat competition. Some felt that they could increase their efficiency and improve their market flexibility by merging. In 1985 Internorth of Omaha paid $2.3 billion for Houston Natural Gas Corporation, ____(2)____. The system connected markets from coast to coast and raised sales to $10 billion.