A new law makes it legal to have dogs in the outdoor areas of restaurants in New York. Old health and safety laws made it illegal to bring dogs to any restaurants in New York. This was to prevent the spread of diseases. Several special rules are included in this law. The dogs must be on a leash(皮带). Dogs must not share water bowls. Also, restaurants can choose to let people bring dogs or not.

State lawmakers voted in May to let people bring dogs to restaurants that have tables outdoors. These areas are often called patios(露天餐馆). Late Monday night, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the law. New York joins California, Florida and Maryland in the list of states with similar laws. In many European countries, bringing dogs to restaurants is common. Paris has allowed dogs to accompany their owners in restaurants for a long time.

Governor Cuomo believes that this new law will help businesses grow by attracting dog owners. He also said this law get a balance between health laws and development for businesses.

But, not all New Yorkers are happy about this new law. Christopher Miller is the spokesman for the New York City Department of Health. He told the New York Daily News that letting dogs in restaurants could cause problems. "The Health Department loves all dogs, but just not at restaurants where they can create a risk to the health and safety of diners, restaurant workers and other dogs," Miller said.

New York City is often the source of new trends and attitudes in the US. A law forcing some restaurants in the city to show the amount of calories in the food they served passed in 2009. Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg tried unsuccessfully to stop the sale of large amounts of soft drinks in 2012. Cigarette smoking was made illegal in restaurants in 1993.

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1.Why was it illegal to allow dogs to be taken to restaurants in the past?

A Other states didn’t allow dogs to restaurants, either.

B It was feared that diseases would spread through dogs.

C Restaurants didn’t have tables for dogs.

D It didn’t need to attract dog owners to develop businesses.

解析：选B。细节理解题。根据文章第一段第三句This was to prevent the spread of diseases可知，之前不允许将狗狗带到饭店的原因是为了防止疾病传播。政府将这一行为视为违法的根本原因在于狗狗会带来安全和卫生隐患，故选B。

2.What will be the effect of the new law?

A It strikes the balance between health laws and safety.

B It will lower the risks dogs bring to the people in the restaurants.

C The new law will make New York as popular as Paris.

D Business people will earn more with more dog owners coming up.

解析：选D。细节理解题。根据文章第三段第一句…this new law will help businesses grow by attracting dog owners可知，新法律的通过有望增加饭店的营业额，因为这将吸引带狗的顾客前来用餐，故选D。

3.What can we infer from the passage?

A It is likely that the new law causes debate and criticism.

B The new law will make the public healthy and safe.

C The economy in New York will enjoy a sharp increase.

D Many restaurants will be rebuilt to attract dog owners.

解析：选A。推理判断题。根据文章第四段首句But, not all New Yorkers are happy about this new law以及弥勒的担忧可以判断，这条新法律的实施无疑将引发争议，给政府带来批评，故选A。

4.What is the purpose of the author to write the last paragraph?

A To stress that New York is a great international city.

B To show that New York pays much attention to the public health.

C To help us understand why New York passed the new law.

D To tell us that New York always leads the trend of the world.

解析：选C。写作意图题。最后一段列举了几个例子，说明了纽约市近年来一些独树一帜的做法，其实是在帮助读者进一步理解本文介绍的纽约市通过所谓新法律的内在原因—尽管有些荒唐怪异，但总是走在国内甚至国际大都市的前列，故选C。