托福阅读背景材料：smoking ban

智课网 TOEFL备考资料 托福阅读背景材料： Smoking ban 摘要： 很多人不明白为什么要多读书，或者觉得没用。读书是一种无形中魅力的提升，时间久了自 然会散发出无限光芒。备考托福阅读也是一样，考生们平时可以多阅读一些英文刊物，提高 自己的阅读水平同时，也能充实自己，甚至还会提高托福写作水平，试想哪一个作家之前没 有读过很多书。 Smokers in New York City looking to light up in most public places will not be able to without paying a price after an outdoor citywide smoking ban takes effect Monday. The law， which Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed in February after it was passed by the New York City Council， will make smoking illegal in New York Citys 1，700 parks and on the citys 14 miles of public beaches. Smoking will also be prohibited in pedestrian plazas like Times Square. The ban is designed to help curb exposure to secondhand smoke as well as reduce litter. Secondhand smoke causes close to 50，000 deaths per year， and side effects may include lung cancer， respiratory infections and asthma， according to the American Lung Associations website. Cigarette butts account for 75% of the litter found on New York City beaches， according to a news release from Bloombergs office. “Smoking in parks and beaches not only harms people trying to enjoy these recreational facilities， it also causes a litter problem that harms the beauty of our parks，“ Bloomberg said before he signed the bill into law. New York follows in the footsteps of 105 municipalities (in states including California， Hawaii， Massachusetts and New Jersey) that have banned smoking on public beaches， according to data from the advocacy group Americans for Nonsmokers Rights. Major cities include Los Angeles， Minneapolis and Seattle. In states including California， Texas， Illinois， Minnesota and New Jersey， 507 municipalities impose laws that prohibit city parks， or specifically named city parks， to allow smoking. Major cities include Los Angeles， San Francisco and Salt Lake City. Puerto Rico prohibits smoking in all parks and beaches. “These smoke-free laws start at a local level，“ said Cynthia Hallett， executive director of Americans for Nonsmokers Rights. “They are based on community demand， science looking at exposure to secondhand smoke and the environmental impact.“ Thirty-five states have laws in effect that require 100% smoke-free nonhospitality workplaces， restaurants or bars， according to the American Nonsmokers Rights Foundations “Summary of 100% Smokefree State Laws and Population Protected by 100% U.S. Smokefree Laws“ compiled in April 2011. In all， 79.4% of the countrys population is covered by local and state laws banning smoking. Hallett added that the trend to ban smoking is working from the inside out， starting in the indoor workplace， moving to restaurants with patios and then eventually to the great outdoors. Not all New Yorkers are embracing the ban. New York City C.L.A.S.H. (Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment)， a grass-roots organization， is staging a “smoke in the park“ to call for repeal or to simply demonstrate anger， according to the groups website. The ban will be enforced by the citys parks department， and if violators are caught， they could be fined $50. New York passed its first Smoke Free Air Act in 1988， when smoking was banned in public restrooms and taxicabs. Since then， the law has been amended three times， most notably in 2002， when smoking in some indoor areas - including restaurants and b