节目资讯
刊物:美国行
日期:2009-02-03
难易度:Low
关键字:fantastic, calculate, property, groceries, not on
Welcome back, everyone.
My name is Steve.
You’re watching Studio Classroom Worldwide.
We are in the American Culture Corner.
And we are discussing the ever unpopular topic of taxes.
The United States doesn’t have the highest taxes in the world,
but it certainly gives its people plenty of opportunities to pay taxes.
Before we revisit Jack and Laura, let’s look at some Word Bank vocabulary.
The first word is property as in:
Kevin’s property includes a house, a barn and a garage.
Next is groceries as in:
Can you buy some groceries?
We have no food in the house.
Finally, we have an idiom:
not on your life.
Our example sentence reads:
Did you miss the concert?
Not on you life!
OK.
We’re on page eleven.
Let’s follow along now on line fourteen.
Sales Tax.
Conversation B.
Does every state have a sales tax?
I think most of them do.
But I know a few states don’t.
So how do states get money if they don’t have a sales tax?
They have a state income tax or high property taxes.
Oh. So if a state has a sales tax, do you have to pay it on everything?
No.
Many states don’t charge sales tax on groceries or prescription drugs.
That’s good.
So next time, let’s save money by buying food at the store and cooking it
ourselves!
Not on your life!
(Music).
Now we’re continuing our conversation between Jack and Laura.
And they’ve just had a great meal,
but it was very expensive because they had to pay for sales tax and add a tip on
top of what they had to pay.
So as we come to Conversation B, Laura has another question for Jack.
She says:
Does every state have a sales tax?
Esther, does every state have a sales tax?
No. Not every state has a sales tax.
In fact, some of the states that don’t have sales tax are Washington and Alaska
and Nevada.
There are other ones.
But if you go to these states, you won’t have to pay a sales tax.
I like shopping in these states because I feel like it saves me a little bit of
money when they don’t have to pay that sales tax.
Jack responds to Laura’s question by saying:
I think most of them do. But I know a few states don’t.
And that’s what you just shared with us, Esther.
So thank you.
Laura comes back with a good question though.
What does Lara ask Jack next?
Now she is very curious.
Because if some states do have a sales tax and other states don’t,
then where did they get the money?
Where did these states get money if they don’t have a sales tax?
And what does Jack say?
He tells Laura that they have a state income tax or high property taxes.
Now we’ve been talking about sales tax.
But there are other types of taxes that Americans pay as well.
One of those:
a state income tax.
Your income is the money that you made.
And so if you’re an American, some of that money is taken out of your paycheck
to go to the government.
How about high property taxes?
What’s that all about, Esther?
Well, your property is the things you own.
And here the word property has to do with land or houses.
So if you own land or if you own houses, then you have to pay tax on top of
these things,
your property.
So that’s what we call property taxes.
You pay property taxes for your land and house.
Laura then says:
Oh. So if a state has a sales tax, do you have to pay it on everything?
Do you have to pay it on everything, Esther?
And the answer is no.
Now this is a very good question,
because if you’re traveling to America or Canada, you’ll need to add a sales tax
in almost every state or province.
But you won’t need to add a sales tax on everything.
There are some things you don’t need to add a sales tax on.
For example, our article says,
many states don’t charge sales tax on groceries or prescription drugs.
groceries.
Those are items or food that you buy in a grocery store.
Groceries can be milk or bread or eegs or rice.
You probably will not be taxed when you buy your groceries.
Yes.
And you often will go to the supermarket to buy groceries.
Now you will also might not have to pay a sales tax on prescription drugs.
Now prescription drugs is not just drugs you buy at the supermarket or pharmacy.
They’re drugs that your doctor will need to prescribe or give to you.
Now Chelsea, can you tell us when are times doctors will prescribe or ask you to
not get your drug over the counter,
because they will give you a prescription drug?
Usually, Esther, it’s for more serious sicknesses or more serious illnesses,
something like a disease, like diabetes.
Or cancer would require a prescription drug.
I know anytime I have gone to the doctor, I have usually come away with several
prescriptions.
Sometimes if I have a very sore throat, I receive a prescription.
But the good news is that I do not have to pay sales tax when I go to buy my
prescriptions.
That’s right.
Because you don’t have to pay a sales tax for everything.
And if you get a prescription drug, then it means that you have to go to a
special place, a drug store or pharmacy, to buy it.
You can’t go and buy it on your own.
You need you doctor’s order, your prescription.
So let’s review.
You probably will be paying sales tax anytime you go to a restaurant or buy
goods or services such as if you go shopping.
But you don’t need to pay sales tax on things like groceries and prescription
drugs.
And in every state, it’s different.
In some states, you have to pay more sales tax than other states.
So be sure to check and find out how much you have to pay.
Well, Laura is happy that she does not have to pay sales tax on prescription
drugs or groceries.
And then Jack comes back and says:
So next time, let’s save money by buying food at the store and cooking it
ourselves.
It does seem like that would save money if you don’t have to pay sales tax on
groceries.
Right.
But then, of course, that means that Laura will need to spend probably a lot of
time cooking.
So what does she say?
She says:
Not on your life!
Not on your life.
No way.
There’s no way that I will want to do this.
That’s right.
Not on your life is an idiom that you can use if you want to tell somebody with
some force that there is no way.
Maybe one of your friends asks you if you want to go hiking in the mountains
this weekend,
and it’s supposed to be very hot,
and you’re afraid you will get very sweaty,
and you say:
Not on your life.
And then Jack and laura share a nice laugh.
And our conversation ends.
Let’s take a look at today’s skit.
Wow, the shopping here is fantastic.
I’m saving a lot of money.
Are you sure?
Did you calculate the sales tax?
No, I forgot about that.
Ooh, I guess I’m paying more than I expected.
I know.
Taxes, taxes, taxes.
We pay property tax and sales tax and income tax, too.
Oh. I wish I could go to a place with no taxes.
Yeah.
Hey!
The grocery store.
We don’t pay any taxes there.
Hey, great idea!
Let’s go shopping at the grocery store.
Yeah.
The cashier won’t charge us any sales tax.
Hurray!
From now on, let’s just purchase groceries.
And we can prepare our own meals.
You mean cook everything at home?
Yeah.
We can save a lot of money that way.
Oh. So what do you want for dinner tonight?
Oh.
Well, I guess uh... anything that you want to cook.
Me?
Cook?
Not on your life, dear.
Let’s go to a restaurant.
I’ll pay the sales tax.
Great idea.
And you can pay the rest.
Bad idea.
(Chinese).
I guess that’s all the time we have for today.
I’ll see you soon.
Bye-bye.
Thanks, Michelle.
So friends, do you think sales tax is a good idea?
Why is it important to pay taxes?
These are a few Talk About It questions that you can use to practice your
English with your friends.
Tomorrow’s lesson focuses on a very, very cold place.
So get out your mittens and ski hat and prepare for a visit to Antarctica.
Until then,
we have to say goodbye.
So we hope that you have a great day.
Bye-bye, friends.
(Music).