The evolution in public policy concerning the manufacture, sale and possession of semiautomatic assault weapons like AK-47s, AR-

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问题     The evolution in public policy concerning the manufacture, sale and possession of semiautomatic assault weapons like AK-47s, AR-15s and Uzis has been very disturbing. Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and I all supported a ban on these formidable firearms, and one was finally passed in 1994.
    When the 10-year ban was set to expire, many police organizations called on Congress and President George W. Bush to renew and strengthen it. But with a wink from the White House, the gun lobby prevailed and the ban expired.
    An overwhelming majority of Americans, including me and my hunting companions, believe in the right to own weapons, but surveys show that they also support modest restraints like background checks, mandatory registration and brief waiting periods before purchase.
    A majority of Americans also support banning assault weapons. Many of us who hunt arc dismayed by some of the more extreme policies of the National Rifle Association, the most prominent voice in opposition to a ban, and by the timidity of public officials who yield to the group’s unreasonable demands.
    Heavily influenced and supported by the firearms industry, N. R. A. leaders have misled many gullible people into believing that our weapons are going to be taken away from us, and that homeowners will be deprived of the right to protect ourselves and our families. The N. R. A. would be justified in its efforts if there was a real threat to our constitutional right to bear arms. But that is not the case.
    Instead, the N. R. A. is defending criminals’ access to assault weapons and use of ammunition that can penetrate protective clothing worn by police officers on duty. In addition, while the N. R. A. seems to have reluctantly accepted current law restricting sales by licensed gun dealers to convicted felons, it claims that only "law-abiding people" obey such restrictions—and it opposes applying them to private gun dealers or those who sell all kinds of weapons from the back of a van or pickup truck at gun shows.
    What are the results of this profligate ownership and use of guns designed to kill people? In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 30,000 people died from firearms, accounting for nearly 20 percent of all injury deaths. In 2005, every nine hours a child or teenager in the United States was killed in a firearm-related accident or suicide.
    The gun lobby and the firearms industry should reassess their policies concerning safety and accountability—at least on assault weapons—and ease their pressure on acquiescent politicians who fear N. R. A. disapproval at election time. We can’t let the N. R. A. ’s political blackmail prevent the banning of assault weapons—designed only to kill police officers and the people they defend.
According to the text, American public opinion disapproves of______.

选项 A、compulsory registration of private weapons
B、the opposition to a ban on assault weapons
C、the public officials who remain undecided
D、the right of every citizen to own weapons

答案B

解析 根据第四段中的“Many of us…are dismayed by…the most prominent voice in opposition toa ban,…”,B应为答案。
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