三、閱讀理解（本大題共10小題，每小題2分，共20分）

閱讀下面的短文，從A、B、C、D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中選出一個(gè)最佳答案填空或答題，錯(cuò)選、多選或未選均無(wú)分。

Passage 1

Most people agree that taxes must be paid. Government couldn’t run without money. But people argue about how taxes should be collected.

Now the government works with a “progressive tax”. Not everyone pays the same percentage of his salary in taxes. Poor people are in a low tax bracket. They pay the smallest percentage of income in taxes. Middle-income workers pay a larger percentage than the poor. And the rich fall into the high tax brackets. Few rich people like the progressive tax.

The government took a poll. Among other people, the government talked to Ray Mathers and Eve Winick. “Let’s change to a flat rate tax,” Says Ray Mathers. “Everyone should be taxed the same percentage. It’s fair. And it’s easy to figure out.” Mathers is president of Trig Computer Company. He makes over $80,000 a year. “I don’ t want a flat rate income tax,” says Eve Winick. Winick is a grammar school teacher. Her school is in a poor neighborhood. She makes $14,000 a year. “I don’t care if it’s easier to figure out. What I want to know is, would I pay less tax?” Winick worries about her students’ parents. “Some of them can hardly support themselves. Why should they pay heavier taxes? They’re the people who need government services.”

Mathers thinks a flat rate would help in the long run. “The country could lower taxes after a while. See, if I paid fewer taxes, I’d save money. I’d put that money into my business and hire more people. Those people could pay taxes. Everybody would be better off.”

31. Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?

 A. The flat rate taxes everyone the same percentage.

 B. The progressive tax covers a percentage of people’s wages.

 C. Ray Mathers and Eve Winick answered a government poll.

 D. There is an argument over two different types of taxation.

32. You can infer that an unstated reason Mathers likes the flat rate tax is that _________.

 A. it is easy to figure out                               B. he probably pays heavy taxes

 C. it is fair                                                   D. he is poor

33. The people who are presently supposed to pay the highest percentage of their income in taxes are the _________.

 A. rich                                                         B. middle class      

 C. poor                                                        D. businessmen

34. Winick does not want a flat rate tax, because _________.

 A. she is rich

 B. the flat rate tax is hard to figure out

 C. she might have to pay more taxes

D. the flat rate fax is unfair to the rich

35. The phrase “better off” (in the last sentence of the passage) means _________.

 A. in a worse condition                                 B. wealthy

 C. doing more than expected                          D. in a better condition