VOA标准英语2010年-More US Companies Refuse to Hire Smoke
时间:2019-01-08 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2010年(二月)
Americans who smoke are beginning to feel unwanted as federal laws prevent them from smoking in public buildings
The World Health Organizations says smoking is considered a high risk factor in six of the eight leading causes of death worldwide. Medical experts have long preached about how smokers 2 can quit. Now a growing number of employers in the United States are refusing to hire them. Some smokers are wondering what kind of discrimination is next.
More and more Americans who smoke are beginning to feel unliked and unwanted. Federal laws prevent them from smoking in public buildings. They are not allowed to smoke within a certain distance of those buildings.
Since the federal law was passed a decade ago, many state and local communities have followed suit.
Now a growing number of companies and hospitals will not hire smokers, or worse, will fire them if they are caught lighting 3 up.
Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee is now giving check-ups to prospective 4 employees. A urine test that detects nicotine 5 means no job is offered.
Nurse Kristi Edmondson thinks her smoking habit is nobody's business but her own. "Memorial should not dictate 6 to us what we do in our own time, off the time clock," she stated.
The head of the hospital's parent company, Memorial Health Care Systems, is James Hobson. He defends the decision. "It's relevant to creating that healthy lifestyle," he said. "And again it's relevant to the entire community."
A growing number of large American companies are finding that health care costs for smokers are higher than for non-smokers.
A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports that medical care and the loss of worker productivity averages about $3,000 annually 7 for each smoker 1.
As a result, some companies now require smokers to pay a larger share of their health insurance than non-smokers.
While 29 of the 50 U.S. states have laws that protect the rights of smokers, 21 others do not. Weyco an insurance benefits administrator 8 in (the state of) Michigan, began imposing 9 random 10 smoking tests in 2005 on its own employees.
The President of the National Workrights Institute is Lewis Maltby. "Most people think they have a right to freedom of speech. They don't know that their freedom of speech disappears where their boss is concerned," Maltby said.
The World Health Organization says at least five million tobacco users die every year from lung cancer, heart disease and other smoking-related causes. The WHO says if current trends continue, tobacco-related deaths will climb to at least eight million a year by 2030.
- His wife dislikes him to be a smoker.他妻子不喜欢他当烟民。
- He is a moderate smoker.他是一个有节制的烟民。
- Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily. 许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
- Chain smokers don't care about the dangers of smoking. 烟鬼似乎不在乎吸烟带来的种种危害。
- The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
- The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。
- The story should act as a warning to other prospective buyers.这篇报道应该对其他潜在的购买者起到警示作用。
- They have all these great activities for prospective freshmen.这会举办各种各样的活动来招待未来的新人。
- Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily.许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
- Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily.许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
- It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。
- What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令?
- Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
- They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。
- The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
- He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。
- The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
- He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。