【Unlocking Word Meanings】
今日の単語・フレーズ
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. motion /ˈmoʊ ʃən/ (n.) – a proposal to be voted on in a discussion or meeting
Example: The government has approved the motion banning the use of cigarettes in public places.
2. lobby /ˈlɒb i/ (v.) – to convince government officials to support or oppose an issue
Example: Various groups have lobbied the authorities to revise the tax rules.
3. black market /blæk ˈmɑr kɪt/ (n.) – a system that involves illegal exchange of goods and services
Example: The authorities are trying to arrest the people involved in the black market.
4. illiberal /ɪˈlɪb ər əl/ (adj.) – limiting one’s freedom in an unreasonable way
Example: Smokers view the smoking ban as an illiberal policy.
5. stock /stɒk/ (n.) – unit of ownership or share in a company’s earnings and assets
Example: Many investors sold their stocks in British American Tobacco after reports on its poor sales.
【Article】
ニュース記事
Read the text below.
British doctors have passed a motion to permanently ban citizens born in 2000 onwards from buying cigarettes.
Ram Moorthy [ram MOOR-th ee], board of science deputy chair at British Medical Association (BMA), presented the motion in the annual representatives meeting of the doctors’ union. The ban plans to promote health and to make the UK free from tobacco [tuh-BAK-oh] by 2035.
According to Moorthy, most teenagers begin smoking even before the age of 18. He added that “vaping” or the use of e-cigarettes can also lead to smoking addiction if not prevented. Thus, the union plans to lobby the government into banning the sale of tobaccos and e-cigarettes to anyone born from 2000 and beyond.
Despite the ban’s approval within the doctors’ union, West Midlands doctor Yohanna Takwoingi [yo-HAN-nuh TAK-woi-ngi] said that something prohibited can be highly attractive to the youth. He added that the cigarette ban is only BMA’s attempt to get attention, which will not necessarily solve the health problems brought by smoking.
On another note, Simon Clark, director of pro-smoking group Forest, said that the ban might create a black market for cigarettes where future smokers would deal with illegal sellers. He also thinks that imposing criminal charges for buying and using tobacco is illiberal.
Upon the announcement of the motion’s approval, stocks of the world’s largest cigarette company, Philip Morris International, fell by two percent. The stocks of Reynolds American, Altria Group, and British American Tobacco were also affected by the ban. It took a few hours before the stocks of these brands recovered.
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【Viewpoint Discussion】
ディスカッションテーマ
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
· Do you approve of BMA’s proposed cigarette ban? Why or why not?
· How do you think cigarette companies will react to this motion?
Discussion B
· Why do you think people keep smoking despite knowing its bad effects?
· How will you convince someone you know to stop from smoking?