7 ways a government shutdown will affect your daily life
(CNN) -- Democrats and Republicans were unable to resolve (解决) their differences over Obamacare (奥巴马医改计划）and now the government is shut down. The two previous shutdowns — 1995 and early 1996 — cost the country $1.4 billion. But what will the shutdown mean for you? Here are 7 ways the government shutdown will affect you.
7. Vacation all I ever wanted: Need to get away? Well, you can’t. At least not to national parks. Or to national zoos. Or to national museums. They'll be closed. Were you thinking more along the lines of a trip to France? If you don’t already have a passport, you might not get your blue book in time. The last time the government shut down, 200,000 applications for passports went unprocessed.
6. If you drive a car, I'll tax the street: You may be thinking, “No functioning government, no need to pay taxes.” Think again. The Man would continue to collect taxes. U.S. bonds would still be issued. And other essential banking functions will go on.
5. Wait a minute, Mr. Postman: You know that whole “Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night” thing? Apparently, the U.S. Postal Service works through shutdowns as well. Sorry, you won’t catch a break from the junk mail.
4. I want a new drug: Oh, the irony (讽刺的). Republicans still want to defund, delay or otherwise withdraw gradually at Obamacare in exchange for funding the government. But the health care act at the center of this storm would continue its process during a shutdown. That is because its funds aren’t dependent on the congressional budget (预算) process.
3. Pass the ammunition (军火): Not so fast. A shutdown would affect the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Translation: That gun permit you wanted processed won’t happen anytime soon if this goes on for a while.
2. Money (that's what I want): Well, if you owned a small business and needed a loan from the government, you would have to wait, depending on how long this lasts. If you were planning to buy a house and needed a federal loan, you would have to wait.
1. I'm proud to be an American: Perhaps the biggest hit would be to the collective psyche (下意识心理). America is the largest economy in the world and a beacon for how democracy ought to work. A recent CNN Research Corporation found that 51% would blame Republicans for the shutdown. The United States has operated without a budget since 2009 and has avoided a government shutdown with last-minute deals. Not only did the government run out of money on Tuesday, but the nation is set to hit its borrowing limit and potentially default on its debt in mid-October. Together, they serve as a double whammy (打击）.
小题1:Which is the most probably meaning of the underlined word?
A．Raise some money.
B．Take the money back.
C．Borrow some money.
D．went on a strike.小题2:When the government’s shut down, what can the Americans do?
A．Apply for a gun permit.
B．Apply for a new passport.
C．Apply for a loan.
D．Pay taxes.小题3:How many times has the American government ever shut down so far?
A．Once.
B．Twice.
C．Three times.
D．Not mentioned.小题4: According to the essay, what led to the shutdown of the American government?
A．The government of America ran out of money.
B．The government of America is on debts.
C．America is set to hit the borrowing limit of its debts.
D．The American government ran out of money and may fail in repaying its debts.
