Every people has its own special words and expressions like the American expression “on the
wagon” It means a person who no longer drinks whisky, beer or other kinds of alcoholic drinks. The “wagon” is a water wagon. In other words, a drinker has decided to change from alcohol to water. An Oklahoma newspaper wrote about a man who had a history of heavy drinking on America’s Fourth of July holiday. Said the newspaper, “We believe that his experience had lifted him onto the water wagon, but he was even drunker the next Fourth of July.”
Why do people decided to go on the wagon? Well, usually because they are alcoholics. They loss control of themselves when they drink. If they take one alcoholic drink, then they want to drink another, and another, until all thought is gone.
Alcoholism is a major social problem in countries throughout the world. The United States is no exception. Experts believe that several million Americans are alcoholics today. Their health care needs, car accidents, reduced job performance and other problems cost thousands of millions of dollars every year.
In the early 1900s, many Americans joined in a campaign to make alcohol illegal in the United States. In 1920 an amendment was added to the Constitution. It made drinking or selling alcohol a crime. But the new law did not stop people from drinking. Criminals produced or imported alcohol illegally and sold it almost everywhere.
After a few years Americans realized the so-called Prohibition Law did not work. So in 1933 another constitutional change was made, canceling the amendment that made alcohol illegal.
In recent years Americans have taken other steps to deal with the problem of alcohol. One important action has been to increase the punishment for people who drive their automobiles after drinking alcohol. Many states now consider this to be a serious crime. Another important step has been to explain to children and students the danger of alcohol. Many schools now offer special programmes to teach young people about the problem. Doctors have been working to develop new drugs and treatment programmes to help alcoholics. Finally, alcoholics themselves are dealing with the problem of alcoholism. Many of them have “ gone on the wagon” and stopped drinking. They have joined the Alcoholics Anonymous group meeting regularly to discuss their problems and give each other support. “Going on the wagon” is not the only way to control alcoholism, but most alcoholic say it is the best way. They must give up alcohol completely so their own body and spirit can survive.
1．People decide to go on the wagon because .
A．they enjoy having one drink after another
B．they like the kind of drinks they get on the wagon
C．they are afraid of losing their self-control in drinking again
D．they are alcoholics and can not control themselves well
2．Americans are now taking steps to solve the problem of alcoholism by .
A．decreasing the amount of alcohol drunk by drivers
B．teaching young students how to drive safely after drinking alcohol
C．punishing people more heavily for driving after drinking alcohol
D．giving special courses to teach doctors about new drugs and treatments for alcoholics
3．In the United States today .
A．alcoholism is not a major social problem
B．there are no more than a million alcoholics
C．the problem of alcoholism costs thousands of millions of dollars every year
D．alcoholism has caused a million automobile accidents a year