Laws are present, whether we are aware of them or not, in our day-to-day lives. However, some strange laws seem shocking.
Among many old laws which, for some reason, are not yet repealed, there is the “happy law” still in force today in Milan. To be more specific, it is not actually a law, but a local regulation from Austro-Hungarian times that requires every Milanese citizen to smile. It is unclear if it also applies to people visiting the capital of Lombardy, however, everybody is free to obey the local requirement. As with any law, it has a few exceptions. Obviously, the most understandable exceptions are for people who attend funerals or those at the bedside of a family member suffering from a serious disease. Moreover, exceptions also apply to people working in hospitals and for patients.
Singapore is one of the most developed countries in the world, so you might find it strange that it has “declared war” on a popular substance: chewing gum (口香糖). Since 1995, the date when Singapore adopted the “Anti-chewing Gum Regulation,” the import of any chewing gum has been prohibited. The reason was to promote the cleanliness of the city and to avoid spending large amounts of money on removing the gum from sidewalks. There are a few exceptions where the import of chewing gum is permitted, especially for medical purposes. The offender may face a fine of up to 200,000 Singaporean dollars or might even be imprisoned for a maximum of three years.
The Romanian Civil Code regulates domestic animals (家畜) that have wandered onto another person’s land. They are the property of the latter if the owner does not reclaim them within 30 days. Matters concerning wild animals fall under a different rule. It states that pigeons, rabbits, fish, and other such animals passing over a piece of land belong to the owner of the land as long as they remain there willingly. However, if the passage of the animals was caused by cheating or fireworks, the owner of the land has no rights over them.
奇速英语 原创编写 版权所有 侵权必究！ 每日更新 个性化阅读 英语飙升！
1.What does the underlined word “repealed” mean?
A Put an end to.
B Tried hard to fix.
C Made stronger.
D Got accustomed to.
解析：选A。A词义猜测题。根据第二段划线单词后文的“still in force today”可知，该条例仍然有效，即还没有被废除。故选A。
2.Who is NOT allowed to avoid smiling in Milan?
A Jane, a traveler.
B Lucy, at a funeral.
C Jack, with a cancer.
D Mike, working at school.
解析：选D。D推理判断题。根据第二段内容可知，到米兰的游客是否需要微笑的规则还不清楚；参加葬礼、家人患重病、在医院工作、为病人工作的人群，都可以不用遵守微笑规则。结合选项可知，在学校工作的迈克可以要遵守微笑规则。故选D。
3.Singapore refuses chewing gums for _________.
A creative inventions
B economic pressures
C environmental protection
D health service
解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据第三段中的“The reason was to promote the cleanliness of the city and to avoid spending large amounts of money on removing the gum from sidewalks.”其原因是为了促进城市的清洁，并避免花费大量资金清除人行道上的口香糖。即新加坡禁口香糖是为了保护环境和避免浪费人力和财力。故选C。
4.According to The Romanian Civil Code, _____________.
A people have the chance to own wild animals
B people are allowed to fight others for animals
C people can force wild animals to stay on their land
D people can feed others’ domestic animals for a season
解析：选A。A细节理解题。根据最后一段中的“It states that pigeons, rabbits, fish, and other such animals passing over a piece of land belong to the owner of the land as long as they remain there willingly.”它规定，鸽子、兔子、鱼和其他经过一块土地的动物，只要它们是自愿留在那的，就属于土地所有者。即人们有机会拥有野生动物，只要他们是自愿停留在土地所有者的土地上。故选A。
