Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for family, health, and life in general. However, Black Friday has turned it into a business.
Traditionally, the true value of Thanksgiving lies at home not the shopping centers. However, Black Friday has nowadays allowed society to ignore this as individuals long for something that they do not need or even truly want. Shopping on Black Friday becomes a sign of a shift into a culture that values material wealth over spending time with loved ones. People are willing to force their way through the crowds in their desperate search for marked-down sweaters and necklaces.
In recent years, Thanksgiving has become a pre-Black Friday holiday for many families. They are devoted to mapping out shopping routes and making organized schedules for which stores to hit first. By drawing individuals out to shopping centers with "matchless savings", businesses encourage this behavior of ignoring Thanksgiving. Many families take their home-cooked meals while camping out at the door of shopping centers. With each new year, Thanksgiving is becoming victim to over-commercialization—switching from a meaningful time of thanks and family to a day dedicated to products and profit.
Black Friday has shown that with current common standards, people cannot even set aside a single day to appreciate what they already have without immediately buying more. Families have lost sight of what is truly important in life, and have found reasons in debating between a low cost HD television and an appreciation for what they already have. Remember, Thanksgiving should be a day in which people are grateful for all that they have.
小題1:The underlined word "this" in paragraph 2 probably refers to ______.

A．the sign of a shift	B．the material wealth
C．the shopping crowd	D．the true value of Thanksgiving

小題2:In recent years, what will many families do when thanksgiving comes?

A．Make full preparations for the Black Friday shopping.

B．Visit some newly-opened shopping centers in advance.

C．Find it difficult to choose a store for their first visit.

D．Go camping at the gate of shopping center for a good deal.

小題3:In the last paragraph, the author mainly intends to tell us that we should ______.

A．set aside a single day to buy more

B．try to spend less to get low cost products

C．stay with our families as long as we can

D．a(chǎn)ppreciate what we've possessed with our families

小題4:What's the author’s attitude towards the present ways people celebrate Thanksgiving?

A．Annoyed.

B．Worried.

C．Supportive.

D．Unconcerned.

Parties and social gatherings no longer excite us the same way they once did. This is not due to a lack of desire to socialize, but the smartphone.
At parties, more people are on their smartphones than on their drinks. According to a recent International Data Corporation study, well over half of all Americans have a smartphone and reach for it the moment they wake up, keeping it in hand all day. In addition, too much of society is using smartphones while driving and as a result getting into car crashes. 34 percent of teens admit to text while driving, and they confirm that text messaging is their number one driving interruption. People's attachment to their smartphones is unbelievably becoming more important than the lives of themselves and others.
Just as drivers dismiss the importance of focusing while on the road, many people also fail to recognize the significance of human interaction. When with their friends, some people pointlessly check or send text messages in the presence of a friend, which sends a message to that friend: the person I am texting is more important than you. In addition, relying on our smartphone to make friends does not give us the same advantage as being able to make new friendships in the real world. Face-to-face conversations will give us much stronger communication skills in the long run.
As many people risk their lives and the lives of people around them just to send a text or mindlessly check their massages, smartphones are in many ways more dangerous to people. The quality of this technology is de-advancing societal achievements and weakening the value of communication. Not only is the smartphone affecting our desire to interact (交流) face-to-face but it is also lowering society's ability to communicate.
小題1:The purpose of this text is to ______.

A．call for an end to use the smartphone while driving

B．a(chǎn)ppeal to us to pay attention to communication skills

C．express a concern about the overuse of the smartphone

D．a(chǎn)dvise us to be cautious about the addiction to the smartphone

小題2:The second paragraph is developed by ______.

A．giving examples

B．listing figures

C．comparing facts

D．a(chǎn)nalyzing the effects

小題3:The author advocates us to make new friends ______.

A．by using smartphones	B．in a face-to-face way
C．in different ways	D．under a free circumstance

小題4:Over dependence on the smartphone leads to the fact that ______.

A．parties and gatherings limit their social circle

B．people are more and more narrow-minded

C．people's communication skills are weakened

D．face-to-face communication becomes less important

La Gomera is the only place in the world which has a whistle （口哨）language. We do not know how and why it began because we do not know the complete history of the island. But we can certainly imagine the reasons for the beginning of the whistle language. There are many deep valleys on the island. A person on one side of a valley can not easily shout to a person on the other side. But he can whistle and be heard. Some of the best whistlers can be heard from four miles away and the record is seven miles.
The people who live on the island usually have good teeth, and this helps them to whistle well. They must also have good ears so that they can hear other whistlers.
We can understand why the whistle language continues. It is very useful on the island, and quite easy to learn. When somebody is hurt or ill, the whistle language takes the place of telephone. If the sick person is quite far away from the town, people pass the message from one to another. A boy guarding cattle on a hillside whistles to a man fishing from his boat. The last one is able to describe the trouble fully and exactly to the doctor in town. People help one another in the same way when a car breaks down or a cow is lost.
The whistle language is hundreds of years old, and probably it will continue to live on for hundreds of years more. Radio and TV often kill the special ways of speaking in different parts of a country. But on La Gomera you are nobody if you cannot whistle. Perhaps soon after TV arrives on the island, people there will be whistling the news and other facts and opinions.
小題1:If a person on La Gomera is ill,______.

A．others will phone the doctor in town

B．people will take him to town by carriage

C．his family will take him to the hospital

D．the whistle language will help pass the message to the doctor

小題2:La Gomera is special because ______.

A．many visitors go there every year

B．no visitors have ever been there

C．people there have special ears to hear whistles

D．people there use the whistle language to communicate with each other

小題3:Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．It is not easy for a person to live on La Gomera if he cannot whistle.

B．The whistle language can only be found on La Gomera.

C．The whistle language has been used for hundreds of years on the island, but will not be used any longer.

D．The record shows that one best whistler can be heard others seven miles away.

小題4:Which of the following will be the best title of this passage?

A．The Secret Language	B．Do You Know the Whistle Language?
C．The Life of Islanders	D．La Gomera一a Mystery

“When I grow up, I want to be...”
Almost all of us have thought about, or been asked to think about, our future careers. Our answers may differ greatly. Even now your aspirations(志向，抱負(fù))may have changed from when you were in primary school.
However, it seems career options aren’t only based on personal taste. In a survey carried out by Teens, doctors, lawyers, and bankers were some of most popular careers that people said they hoped to follow. This is in line with a similar survey carried out in the UK in May 2011 by job website---Co.uk, in which medicine was the top choice among UK teenagers aged between 13 and 17.
Medicine and law are two of the oldest and best known professions. Their prestige (威望) may come from the fact that doctors and lawyers are much-respected members of society, and they make good money. What’s more, these professions are often seen as a sign of upward social mobility.
It is equally unsurprising that banking is now one of the most common career choices. Youngsters worldwide think of banking and see the money rolling in. Wealth is increasingly becoming one of the most important indicators(標(biāo)志) of a successful career. British young men list the UK tycoon(巨頭,大亨) Alan Sugar, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg as their top role models “for their wealth”. Just as Chinese teenagers see being a banker as a good and fun way to “wealth”.
However, not every child has the makings of doctor, lawyer, or banker. They are those who see achievement and happiness in other areas, and many teenagers dare to ink more individuality into their career options. As the Teens’ survey discovered, a variety of unconventional jobs---coffee shop owner, gourmet(美食家)，waiter at a fast food restaurant---are among teenagers’ career choices. They can be equally interesting and rewarding jobs.
With every choice comes responsibility and challenge, and all career paths require specific education and training, you have to learn to balance optimism(樂觀主義)and confidence with being realistic about your particular talents and skills.
小題1:What is the passage mainly about?

A．Careers in teenagers’ mind.

B．Choosing a good job is very important.

C．Teenagers in the UK like doctors.

D．The choice of career needs challenge.

小題2:What is the top career choice among UK teenagers aged between 13 and 17 according to the article?

A．Medicine

B．Law

C．Bank

D．Education

小題3: According to the article, all of the following are the benefits of being a doctor or a lawyer except _______.

A．respect from others	B．the oldest profession
C．high pay	D．upward social mobility

小題4:What do youngsters think is increasingly becoming one of the most important indicators of a successful career?

A．Prestige

B．Achievement

C．Happiness

D．Wealth

小題5:According to the last two paragraphs, which of the following is TRUE?

A．Careers such as gourmets and waiters are not as rewarding as doctors and lawyers.

B．Specific education and training can help get a good job.

C．Responsibility is the most important when you choose a good job.

D．Optimism and confidence is more important than being realistic when

Everyone knows that the French are romantic, the Italians are fashionable and the Germans are serious. Or do they? Are these just stereotypes or is there really such a thing as national character? And if there is, can it affect how a nation succeed or fail?
At least one group of people is certain that it can. A recent survey of the top 500 entrepreneurs (實(shí)業(yè)家) in the UK found that 70 percent felt that their efforts were not appreciated by the British public.
Britain is hostile to success, they said. It has a culture of jealousy (嫉妒) . As a result, the survey said, entrepreneurs were “unloved, unwanted and misunderstood”. Jealousy is sometimes known as the “green-eyed monster” and the UK is its home. Scientists at Warwich University in the UK recently tested this idea. They gathered a group of people together and gave each an imaginary amount of money. Some were given a little, others a great deal. Those given a little money were given the chance to destroy the large amounts of money given to others—but at the cost of losing their own. Two thirds of the people tested agreed to do this.
This seems to prove the entrepreneurs were right to complain. But there is also conflicting evidence. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently reported that the UK was now the world’s fourth largest economy. That is not bad for people who are supposed to hate success. People in the UK also work longer hours than anyone else in Europe. So the British people are not lazy, either.
“It’s not really success that the British dislike,” says Carey Cooper, a Professor of management at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. “It’s people using their success in a way that seems arrogant (傲慢) or unfair or which separates them from their roots.”
Perhaps it is the entrepreneurs who are the problem. They set out to do things in their way. They work long hours. By their own efforts they become millionaires. But instead of being happy they complain that nobody loves them. It hardly seems worth following their example. If they were friendlier, people would like them more. And more people want to be like them.
小題1:What does the underlined “it” in the second paragraph refer to__________?

A．One group of people

B．A great survey

C．A nation

D．National character

小題2:Most entrepreneurs surveyed believe that       .

A．the British public are hardworking

B．they are not popular simply because they are successful

C．love of success is Britain’s national character

D．they are considered as “green-eyed monsters”

小題3:What does the result of the Warwich University test show_________?

A．Most people would rather fail than see others succeed

B．Two thirds of the people tested didn’t love money

C．An imaginary amount of money does not attract people

D．Most people are willing to enjoy success with others

小題4:The writer of the passage seems to suggest that        .

A．jealousy is Britain’s national character

B．British entrepreneurs are not fairly treated

C．the British dislike the entrepreneurs because they do not behave properly

D．the scientists at Warwich University did a successful test

小題5:Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．Everyone knows that the French are romantic, the Germans are fashionable and the Italians are serious.

B．About 350 entrepreneurs in the UK felt that their efforts were not appreciated by the British public.

C．The British people are not lazy and they work longer hours than anyone else in the world.

D．Carey Cooper said that the British really dislike success.

When did you last visit a shopping mall? In many places, the answer would be “l(fā)ast weekend.” Some people go even more often. Why? For one thing, malls offer goods and services that people need all in one place: food, clothing, things for their houses, entertainment, even medical services. So, are malls one of the highlights of modern civilization? Environmental activists would say No! They would go even further and say that consumer behavior is causing a huge environmental disaster. They cause consumers of ignorance of the side effect of their shopping—urban sprawl (擴(kuò)大) .
Social scientists agree that patterns of development have changed the landscape a great deal in the last half century. Before 1950, most people lived in towns or cities and either walked to work or took public transportation. Only very wealthy people had automobiles. Farmers lived in rural areas or isolated villages and came into town only when they needed things they couldn’t produce themselves. If you gazed at the landscape you would see towns surrounded by countryside. Then a massive change occurred.
Automobiles became affordable and people were quick to adopt them. Now ambitious workers could live in the suburbs, the areas just outside cities, which started to grow rapidly. As long as there was lots of cheap land in the suburbs, no one paid much attention to the usage of that land. Malls, fast food restaurants, cinemas, and car dealerships spread out in large, flat buildings. These one–storey buildings and their parking lot took up a great deal space. Well– meaning farmers thought they were better off selling their land than growing crops. In ignorance, no one realized that once the land was built up in urban sprawl, the good farming land would be ruined forever. There was no way to preserve it.
Only in recent years have people come to mourn the old way of life as they have developed insight into the problems. Now people realize that urban sprawl has come with serious environmental problems. The negative aspects of sprawl include air and water pollution, loss of agricultural land, traffic jams, and the death of businesses in the old town centers. Many scholars think the time has come to analyze the problems better so we can develop appropriate policies to control further sprawl. Some think the best way to do is to educate citizens about their priceless environment.
小題1:What is mainly discussed in the passage?

A．Weekend Fun

B．Urban Sprawl

C．New Automobiles

D．Isolated Villages

小題2:What does the underlined word “They” refer to in the first paragraph?

A．Scientists

B．Activists.

C．Farmers.

D．Malls

小題3:Who do environmental activists blame for environmental problems?

A．Endangered animals.	B．Shopping mall owners.
C．Unthinking shoppers.	D．Ambitious farmers.

小題4:What do scholars think should be done about urban sprawl?

A．Understand the situations better.	B．Follow customary policies.
C．Start school in shopping malls.	D．Charge polluters a lot of money.

小題5:What is the scholars’ attitude toward urban sprawl?

A．Respectful.

B．Negative.

C．Positive.

D．Doubtful.

Whether we should allow marine (海洋的) parks to stay open has been widely debated in our community recently. A variety of different arguments have been put forward about it.
Smith, a sociologist, argued that dolphin parks provide the only opportunity for much of the public to see marine mammals.  As this argument goes, most Australians live in cities and never get to see these animals. Marine parks allow the average Australian to appreciate our marine wildlife. However, in fact, there are many places where they can be seen in the wild. Moreover, these places do not charge an overpriced entry fee — they are free.
Dr. Alison Lane, the director of the Cairns Marine Science Institute, insists that we need marine parks for scientific research. She argues that much of our knowledge of marine mammals comes from studies which were undertaken at marine parks. The knowledge which is obtained at marine parks can be useful for planning for the preservation of marine mammal species. However, Jones, a zoologist, explains that park research is only useful for understanding captive animals and is not useful for learning about animals in the wild. Their diets are different, they have significantly lower life lengths and they are more likely to have a disease. In addition, marine mammals in dolphin parks are trained and this means that their patterns of social behaviour are changed.
The Marine Park Owners Association holds that marine parks attract a lot of foreign tourists. This position goes on to state that these tourists spend a lot of money, increasing our foreign exchange earnings and assisting our national balance of payments. However, foreign tourists would still come to Australia if the parks were closed down. Indeed, surveys of overseas tourists show that they come here for a variety of other reasons and not to visit places like Seaworld. Tourists come here to see our native wildlife in its natural environment and not to see it in cages and concrete pools. They can see animals in those conditions in their own countries.
In a word, perhaps an agreement cannot be reached now. However, a question does deserve our consideration: If we continue with our past crimes against these creatures, how will our future generations view us?
小題1:Who support(s) the idea of closing marine parks?

A．Most Australians.

B．Alison Lane.

C．Smith.

D．Jones.

小題2:What does the author intend to tell us in Paragraph 3 ?

A．The results from studies are valuable in animal preservation.

B．Scientific research at the marine parks has its limitations.

C．Captive animals have biology changes in marine parks.

D．Human behavior causes harmful effects on the animals.

小題3:Which is NOT the reason to keep marine parks?

A．For entertainment purpose.	B．For scientific research purpose.
C．For economic purpose.	D．For political purpose.

小題4:The author tries to persuade readers to accept his argument mainly by             .

A．pointing out the problems with keeping the marine parks

B．using evidence he has collected at the marine parks

C．discussing the advantages of animals' natural homes

D．questioning the way the animals are studied

Anger at the practice of demanding dowries，which can lead to violence against brides，has prompted a takeoff of “Angry Birds” called “Angry Brides” that aims to highlight the illegal practice still prevalent in many South Asian countries.
Dowries—such as jewelry，clothes，cars and money—are traditionally given by the bride’s family to the groom and his parents to ensure she is taken care of in her new home.
The custom was outlawed more than five decades ago.But it is still widely practiced，with the groom’s family demanding even more money after marriage，leading to mental and physical annoyance that can drive the woman to suicide.
“The Angry Brides game is our way of throwing a spotlight on the nuisance(陋習(xí)) of dowry.” said Ram Bhamidi，senior vice president and head of online marketing for Shaadi.com，a matrimonial(婚姻的) website with two million members.
According to a 2007 study，there is a dowry­related death every four hours in India；we condemn this and have consistently run campaigns on social media to help create awareness of the issue.
The name of the app，available on the group’s home page，is a spinoff from the globally popular “Angry Birds” game.Its home page shows a red­clad，eight­armed woman resembling a powerful female Hindu goddess.Underneath，there is a caption，“A woman will give you strength，care and all the love you need NOT dowry！”
To play the game，users have to try and hit three dodging grooms—a pilot，a builder and a doctor.There are a variety of weapons to choose from，including a frying pan，broomstick，tomato and loafer.
Each groom has a price tag，starting at 1.5 million rupees($29,165)．Every time the player hits a groom，his value decreases and money is added to the player’s Anti­Dowry Fund，which is saved posted on their Facebook page.
“Since we launched the game last week，more than 270,000 people have liked the app.Both men and women seem to be playing it，” said Bhamidi.
小題1:What caused “Angry Brides” to appear online?

A．Women’s rights being seriously abused.

B．Anger at the practice of demanding dowries.

C．The bride’s giving a great many dowries.

D．The popularity of “Angry Birds” online.

小題2:Which of the following is TRUE about “Dowries”？

A．The custom of giving dowries has been in practice for five decades.

B．Lack of abundant dowries may lead to the bride’s being in violence.

C．The illegal practice of dowries is still popular in many African countries.

D．More dowries the bride gives mean a high social status of her family.

小題3:The underlined word “spinoff” probably means “________”．

A．relation	B．connection
C．copy	D．fake

小題4:Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the game “Angry Bride”？

A．There are a variety of weapons to choose from.

B．Ram Bhamidi thinks highly of the game.

C．Men players don’t find the game enjoyable.

D．The game character looks like a Hindu goddess.

From the health point of view we are living in a marvelous age. We are immunized from birth against many of the most dangerous diseases. A large number of once fatal illnesses can now be cured by modern drugs and surgery. It is almost certain that one day remedies will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases. The expectation of life has increased enormously. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the incredible slaughter of men, women and children on the roads. Man versus the motor-car ! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing. Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.
It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel, his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man’s very worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel. They swear, they are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-years-olds and utterly selfish. All their hidden frustrations, disappointments and jealousies seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving.
The surprising thing is that society smiles so benignly on the motorist and seems to condone his behaviour. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy tragic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is desecrated by road networks; and the mass annual slaughter becomes nothing more than a statistic, to be conveniently forgotten.
It is high time a world code were created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are notoriously lax and even the strictest are not strict enough. A code which was universally accepted could only have a dramatically beneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of some the things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through stringent annual tests for safety. Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can impair a person’s driving ability. Present drinking and driving laws (where they exist) should be mad much stricter. Maximum and minimum speed limits should be imposed on all roads. Governments should lay down safety specifications for manufacturers, as has been done in the USA. All advertising stressing power and performance should be banned. These measures may sound inordinately harsh. But surely nothing should be considered as to severe if tit results in reducing the annual toll of human life. After all, the world is for human beings, not motor-cars.
小題1:The main idea of this passage is
[A] Traffic accidents are mainly caused by motorists.
Thousands of people the world over are killed each year.
[C] The laws of some countries about driving are too lax.
[D] Only stricter traffic laws can prevent accidents.
小題2:What does the author think of society toward motorists?
[A] Society smiles on the motorists.
Huge car parks are built in the cities and towns.
[C] Victims of accidents are nothing.
[D] Society condones their rude driving.
小題3:Why does the author say:’ his car becomes the extension of his personality?’
[A] Driving can show his real self.
Driving can show the other part of his personality.
[C] Driving can bring out his character.
[D] His car embodies his temper.
小題4:.Which of the followings is NOT mentioned as a way against traffic accidents?
[A] Build more highways.
Stricter driving tests.
[C] Test drivers every three years.
[D] raise age limit and lay down safety specifications.
小題5:.The attitude of the author is
[A] ironical
critical
[C] appealing
[D] militant
Vocabulary
1.immunise             使免疫，使免除
2.expectation of life =" life" expectancy    平均壽命
3.versus =" against"             對頂，反對
4.mutilate             傷害
5.wilful             任性的，固執(zhí)的
6.benign             寬厚的，仁慈的
7.condone             寬容
8.desecrate          褻瀆，玷污
9.code             法規(guī)，規(guī)定，慣例
10.stringent          嚴(yán)格的，緊急的，迫切的
11.performance                   演出，成品，這里是指
car’ s behavior such as speed,
function etc.可譯成行為，
汽車行為、功能等。
難句譯注
1.Man versus the motor-car ! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing.
【參考譯文】人和汽車對抗！這是一場人類永遠(yuǎn)是輸家的無休止的戰(zhàn)斗。
2.All advertising stressing power and performance should be banned.
【參考譯文】應(yīng)當(dāng)禁止所有強(qiáng)調(diào)力量和表現(xiàn)行為的廣告。
寫作方法與文章大意
文章論述“交通事故”，采用因果、對比手法。從人的平均壽命增加和交通事故率成正比談起，觸及事故率上升的原因，要求制定更嚴(yán)格的法規(guī)予以制止種種造成事故的不良行為。

Would you eat a ready meal from the fridge rather than cook by yourself? Have you been doing Internet shopping rather than going to the stores? What can’t you be bothered to do?
A study into how lazy British people are has found more than half of the adults are so idle (懶散的) that they’d catch the lift rather than climb two flights of stairs.
Just over 2,000 people were quizzed by independent researchers at Nuffield Health, Britain’s largest health center. The results were extremely surprising.
About one in six people questioned said if their remote control was broken, they would continue watching the same channel rather than get up.
More than one third of those questioned said they would not run to catch a bus. Worryingly, of the 654 respondents with children, 64% said they were often too tired to play with them.
This led the report to conclude that it’s no wonder that one in six children in the UK are classified as obese (very fat) before they start school.
Dr Sarah Dauncey, medical director of Nuffield Health, said, “People need to get fitter, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of their families, friends and evidently (明顯地；顯然) their pets too.”
“If we don’t start to take control of this problem, a whole generation will become too unfit to perform even the most fundamental tasks.”
And Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow, was shamed as the most idle city in the UK, with 75% questioned admitting they do not get enough exercise, followed closely by Birmingham and Southampton, both with 67%.
The results bring serious challenges for the National Health Service, where obesity-related illnesses such as heart disease and cancer have been on a steady increase for the past 40 years and are costing billions of pounds every year.
小題1:How many people questioned don’t play with their children?

A．1280.

B．More than 333.

C．654.

D．About 420.

小題2:The study leads us to believe that _____________.

A．the pets in the UK will be in trouble if their owners keep their way of life

B．Glasgow people feel ashamed because they don’t get enough exercise

C．British people are the laziest around the world

D．five sixths of the British children are healthy

小題3:How does the author convince the readers?

A．By presenting the results of a study.

B．By providing answers to questions.

C．By interviewing some experts.

D．By telling a story.

小題4:What is the passage mainly about?

A．A study of British people’s laziness.	B．A study of British people’s lifestyles.
C．The health service in the UK.	D．The obesity problem in the UK.