D. How Drones Will Change the Future of Railways

D

The Government's sugar tax on soft drinks has brought in half as much money  as Ministers first predicted it would generate, the first official data on the  policy has shown.

First announced in April, 2016, the tax which applies to soft drinks  containing more than 5g of sugar per 100ml, was introduced to help reduce  childhood obesity(肥胖). It is believed that today's children and teenagers are  consuming three times the recommended level of sugar, putting them at a higher  risk of the disease.

Initially the sugar tax was expected to make ?520m a year for the Treasury.  However, data of the first six months showed it would make less than half this  amount. At present it is expected to generate ?240m for the year ending in April  2019, which will go to school sports.

It comes after more than half of soft drinks sold in shops have had their  sugar levels cut by manufacturers(制造商)so they can avoid paying the tax. Drinks  now contain 45 million fewer kilos of sugar as a result of manufacturers'  efforts to avoid the charge, according to Treasury figures. Since April drinks  companies have been forced to pay between 18p and 24p for every litre of sugary  drink they produce or import, depending on the sugar content.

However, some high sugar brands, like Classic Coca Cola, have accepted the  sugar tax and are refusing to change for fear of upsetting consumers. Fruit  juices, milk-based drinks and most alcoholic drinks are free of the tax, as are  small companies manufacturing fewer than 1m litres per year.

Today's figures, according to one government official, show the positive  influence the sugar tax is having by raising millions of pounds for sports  facilities(设施)and healthier eating in schools. Helping the next generation to  have a healthy and active childhood is of great importance, and the industry is  playing its part.

32. Why was the sugar tax introduced?

A. To collect money for schools. B. To improve the quality of drinks.

C. To protect children's health. D. To encourage research in education.

33. How did some drinks companies respond to the sugar tax?

A. They turned to overseas markets. B. They raised the prices of their  products.

C. They cut down on their production. D. They reduced their products' sugar  content.

34. From which of the following is the sugar tax collected?

A. Most alcoholic drinks. B. Milk-based drinks. C. Fruit juices. D. Classic  Coke.

35. What can be inferred about the adoption of the sugar tax policy?

A. It is a short-sighted decision. B. It is a success story.

C. It benefits manufacturers. D. It upsets customers.

第二节(共5小题;每小题2分，满分10分)

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Friendship needs care and attention to keep it in good health. Here are  five ways to sustain(保持)long-distance friendships.

·Set a regular date

Long-lasting friendships share the characteristic that both sides equally  contact(联系)and share with one another. With busy schedules, squeezing in phone  calls can be a challenge. 36

·More isn't always merrier

Make sure yohave communicated with your friend about how frequently each  of yowants to be contacted and what method works best for yoboth. 37 . There  are alternatives to constant written communication, such as leaving voice  messages or having a group chat.

·Practise empathy(共情)

38 . The friend who is remaining needs to be sensitive to all the  additional time demands placed on the friend who has moved. The one in the new  environment should be sympathetic to the fact that your friend may feel  abandoned.

· 39

Anniversaries and birthdays carry even more weight in long-distance  friendships. Although technology might make day-to-day communication possible,  extra effort goes a long way on special days. Simply keeping a diary that keeps  track of friends' birthdays and other important dates will make sure nothing  slips by you.

·Don't rely on technology alone

40 , but long-distance friendships -even close ones -may require more  conscious effort to sustain. Try to seek out chances to renew friendships. How  to do it? Just spend face-to-face time together whenever possible.

A. Remember important dates

B. Compensate by writing letters

C. It is also helpful for yoto be a friendship keeper

D. Try to find a time that works for both of yoand stick to it

E. Friends need to talk about their preferred methods of communication

F. It is easy to have a sense of connectedness through social media

G. Yomay be the friend who left or the one who was left behind

语言知识运用(共两节，满分45分)