单选题
Everyone knows that taxation is necessary in a
modern state: {{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}}it, it would not be
possible to pay the soldiers and policemen who protect us; {{U}} {{U}}
2 {{/U}} {{/U}}the workers in government offices who {{U}} {{U}}
3 {{/U}} {{/U}}our health, our food, our water, and all {{U}}
{{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}}things that we can not do for ourselves. By
{{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}of taxation, we pay for things that
we need as {{U}} {{U}} 6 {{/U}} {{/U}}as we need somewhere to
live and something to eat. In most countries, a direct tax on
persons, {{U}} {{U}} 7 {{/U}} {{/U}}is called income tax,
exists. It is arranged in such a way that the poorest people pay {{U}}
{{U}} 8 {{/U}} {{/U}}, and the percentage of tax grows greater as
the taxpayer's {{U}} {{U}} 9 {{/U}} {{/U}}grows. In England, for
example, the tax on the {{U}} {{U}} 10 {{/U}} {{/U}}people goes
up as high as ninety-five percent! But countries with direct
taxation nearly always have {{U}} {{U}} 11 {{/U}} {{/U}}taxation
too. Many things imported into the country have to pay taxes or"duties".
{{U}} {{U}} 12 {{/U}} {{/U}}, it is the men and women who buy
the imported things in the shops who really {{U}} {{U}} 13
{{/U}} {{/U}}pay the duties, in the {{U}} {{U}} 14 {{/U}}
{{/U}}of higher prices. In some countries, too, there is a tax {{U}} {{U}}
15 {{/U}} {{/U}}things sold in the shops. If the most necessary
things are taxed, a lot of money is collected, but the poor people suffer
{{U}} {{U}} 16 {{/U}} {{/U}}. If unnecessary things like jewels
and fur coats are taxed, {{U}} {{U}} 17 {{/U}} {{/U}}is
obtained, but the tax is fairer, as the {{U}} {{U}} 18 {{/U}}
{{/U}}pay it. Probably this last kind of indirect tax, {{U}}
{{U}} 19 {{/U}} {{/U}}with a direct on incomes which is low for the
poor and high for the rich, is {{U}} {{U}} 20 {{/U}}
{{/U}}arrangement.