1. At age eighteen, Americans can legally purchase cigarettes, which contain the drug nicotine.

At
twenty-one, they can buy and drink beverages with alcohol, another type of drug. At no age, however,
are they legally allowed to buy and consume other kinds of drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine, or heroin.
Many people think this policy is hypocritical. They wonder why the government should choose which
drugs to sanction and which to ban.

2. The typical response is that drugs like marijuana and cocaine are unhealthy. But so are cigarettes and
alcohol. Smoking, for instance, is the leading cause of death in the US, killing more than 440,000 people
each year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC estimates that drinking
alcohol leads directly to about 35,000 annual deaths and indirectly to thousands of others. Studies show
that, used in moderation, marijuana and cocaine are no more harmful than cigarettes and alcohol.

3. Practically, proponents of legalization say that legalizing drugs would improve the economy. The US
receives billions of dollars each year from taxes on cigarettes and alcohol, while spending billions
fighting the illegal drug trade. If the government legalized drugs such as cocaine and marijuana, then it
could tax them and also stop spending money trying to catch and imprison those who sell them. Of
course, some people say that instead of legalizing all drugs, the government should make all drugs
illegal. The trouble is that, as long as the drugs are available, people will choose to take them, legally or
not.

1. What is the reading passage mainly about?

A. Legalizing drugs, the benefits, and the harmful effects of it.

B. Legalizing the use of drugs will benefit the sick from pain.

C. When drugs are legal to use, this can result to higher crime rate.

D. Drugs legalization can reduce government expenditure.

2. What can be inferred from the second paragraph?

A. Marijuana and cocaine are said to be unhealthy while cigarettes and alcohol are not.

B. Smoking and drinking have caused an insignificant number of deaths yearly in the U.S.

C. Although the fatal effects of cigarettes and alcohol are clearly identified, they are still legally
used.

D. Marijuana and cocaine are no longer harmful when used in a low dose.

3. People will still use drugs when they are________

A. Affordable

B. Eye-catching

C. Imprisonable

D. Accessible
4. It is a paradox that cigarettes and alcohol are allowed to be used at a particular age while
marijuana and cocaine are forbidden forever.F

5. Marijuana and cocaine have the same effects as cigarettes and alcohol do.F

6. Legalization of drugs can raise tax revenues for the government T

7. Making drugs easily accessible and without regulations can lead to more expenses from
enforcing the law of drug prohibition.NG