英语听力精选进阶版 7094（在线收听）

Background: 背景：苏格兰政府部长们说，他们计划开始实施酒类商品最低售价以对付该国日益严重的酗酒问题。目前苏格兰的酒销量占居世界第八位，也是全欧洲肝脏疾病死亡率最高的地区。

Scotland's had a close relationship with alcohol 酒/酒精 for hundreds of years.

Scotch whisky 威士忌 generates vast export revenues 巨大的出口收入 and drink has long been a part of social occasions: dances, weddings and even funerals 葬礼.

Offering a drink is a gesture of hospitality 热情好客的一种表示.

Gaelic 盖尔语 speakers have a phrase for it: a wee deoch an dorus or one for the road. But other Northern European nations have also had a tradition of heavy drinking.

The trouble for Scotland is that our consumption 消费 now outstrips 超过了 that of Norway, Finland and even Russia.

The Scottish government says one of the reasons is that drink has become 70% more affordable 有能力支付的 here over the last 30 years but shop-keepers who sell alcohol say they're not to blame.

"If people drink too much it is not up to shopkeepers to decide that. It needs to be tackled 对付，解决 from an educational and a social point of view rather than merely legislation 立法. It is not the shopkeeper's duty to police what people drink."

The evidence of Scotland's steadily worsening booze 酗酒 habit is clear.

It plays a big part in all crime and especially violent crime, and drink places a huge strain 沉重的负担 on the health service.

40,000 people are taken to hospital every year with alcohol-related illness 和酗酒有关的疾病.

Scottish pubs can be lively, friendly places, but alcohol has come to play a central role in the lives of too many Scots.

GLOSSARY 词汇表

alcohol 酒/酒精

whisky 威士忌

vast export revenues 巨大的出口收入

funerals 葬礼

gesture of hospitality 热情好客的一种表示

Gaelic 盖尔语

consumption 消费

outstrips 超过了

affordable 有能力支付的

tackled 对付，解决

legislation立法

booze 酗酒

huge strain 沉重的负担

alcohol-related illness 和酗酒有关的疾病

Questions and Answers

1. What alcoholic drink from Scotland is sold all over the world?

Scotch whisky is exported globally.

2. What language other than English is spoken in Scotland?

Gaelic.

3. Why are people in Scotland drinking more now than in the past?

Alcohol has become 70% cheaper in recent years.

4. What are the social consequences of drinking too much according to the report?

Alcohol abuse increases crime and illness.