填空题
Earlier this year when a lawsuit accused Anheuser-Busch of selling
watered-down beer, it caused only a minor buzz. America's biggest breweries have
long produced flavourless beer. And anyway, those seeking a more robust brew
have plenty of options. Today's beer market increasingly resembles that of the
pre-Prohibition era, when smaller, regional breweries dotted the map. Such is
the demand for good-tasting beer that, on average, more than one new brewery
opened every day last year. Small and independent breweries
have thrived during the recession and its wave, taking market share away from
traditional brands like Budweiser and Miller Lite. According to Beer
Marketer's Insights, a trade publication, craft beer (精酿啤酒) has grown over
13% by volume in each of the past three years. America's two biggest brewers,
Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors, still account for around three quarters of the
domestic market, to craft's 6.7%. But even they have noticed the change in
consumer tastes. Whereas sales of their big brands have dropped off, gains have
been made by offerings called "crafty beer", which look and taste like craft
brews. This has led to some debate over what constitutes a
craft beer and an intra-industry quarrel over taxes. The Brewers Association
promotes the interests of "small, independent and traditional" brewers that
produce up to 6m barrels of beer a year. The largest craft brewer under this
definition is the Boston Beer Company, maker of Samuel Adams, which produced
over 2m barrels last year. That number also happens to be the cut-off (界限) for
favourable treatment by the government, which gives small brewers a break on the
federal excise tax (消费税). As the craft-beer industry grows, the
Brewers Association thinks more of its members will join Boston Beer on the
wrong side of the tax code. So it is pushing Congress to pass a bill that would
raise the excise-tax bar to 6m barrels a year. In March hundreds of
small-brewery owners took their case to Congress. But the Beer Institute, which
represents big and small brewers alike, unsurprisingly favours a different bill
that would cut the excise tax for the whole industry. Opponents
of slashing the excise tax, which has not been adjusted since 1991, note that
inflation has already reduced its potency. Moreover, some see higher alcohol
taxes as a Way to increase revenues. But others are sympathetic to the Beer
Institute's claim that taxes have become the most expensive ingredient of beer.
Hence, perhaps, the bitter taste of some brews. A．small and
independent breweries B．produced over 2m barrels last
year C．produced up to 6m barrels of beer a year
D．claims that duties become the most costly part of beer
E．considers more of its members will leave Boston Beer F．small
and regional beer-makers scattered about the country G．pushes
Congress to pass an act that would raise the excise-tax
填空题
Currently, the beer market is like the pre-prohibition times when ______.
填空题
Budweiser and Miller Lite's market share has been taken away by ______.