阅读理解A
题干:Nobodylikestaxes.Nowthat’safairlysafestatementtomake.IknowIdon’t.OneofthereasonsImovedbacktotheUSfromCanada,isthatAmericanspayfar,farfewertaxesthanCanadiansdo.Infact,itseemstobepartoftheAmericandreamtoavoidpayinganytaxes.Wedon’twanttopaythemontheInternet.Manystatesdon’twanttheircitizenstopaystatetaxes.AndPresidentGeorgeW.Bushjustpushedthroughahugefederalincometaxcut.Andnodoubttherearestillpeoplewhothinkwepaytoomanytaxes.ButthepeopleofBraintree,Massachusetts,mightbethinkingdifferently.Braintreehasaproblem.NotonceinthepasttwodecadesdidthetownpassresolutionsthatoverrodeProposition21/2—thelawthatsaysthetowngovernmentcannotraiseeachyear’staxlevymorethan21/2percentabovethepreviousyear’scharges.Nordidtheyfloatanybondsfordebt.Braintreeisalsoafairlybustlingcommercialtown,whichmeansthatresidenttaxrateswereamongthelowestintheBostonarea.Butthere’soneproblem.Braintreeis,well,fallingpart,especiallyitsschools.Whileeverybodywaspattinghimselforherselfonthebackforkeepingtaxesdown,school,roads,bridgesandthelikeweregrowingolderandweren’treceivingtheattentiontheyneeded.Buteveniftheydidgettheattention,notmuchcouldbedonebecausetherewasn’tenoughmoneyinthetown’skittytopayforneededrepairs.But,asmymotherwouldsay,onecanonlyignoretheelephantinthelivingroomforsolong.Andnowit’stimetopayup.Theschooldepartmentwants$100milliontofixtheschools.Millionsmorewillbeneededforroadrepairsandfixingthetown’sdeterioratingwaterandsewerlines.Boy,ohboy,peoplearegoingtohaveSOMEkindoftaxbillinBraintreethisyear.Andprobablyforthenextfewyearsaswell.Anddon’tforget,thissituationaffectsmorethanjustthetown’sinfrastructure.Realestatepriceswillsufferaswell.Whowantstomovetoatownwithcrumblingschools,badroads,andquestionablewater?Thereisalessoninallthis—notpayingenoughtaxisjustasbadaspayingtoomuchtax.TherearesomepeopleintheUSwhopointoutthatalltaxmoneyshouldbegivenbacktoindividuals,notthevariousbranchesofgovernment.It’sourmoney,theycry.Inoneway,Iagreewiththem.Itisourmoney.Butthefacttheyconvenientlyforget—orignore—isthatthemoneythegovernmentkeepsis“our”moneyaswell.That’sbecauseitpaysforOURschools,OURroads,OURmilitary,OURcommunitiesinneedofhelpaftereventslikefloodsorotherdisasters.
题目:
What makes the author come to the conclusion that people in Braintree pay the lowest tax rates in the Boston area is the fact that().