Tens of thousands of couples across the United States are racing to get married by April 30．This is the result of a new law that makes illegal(不合法的)immigrants(移民) legal(合法的)if they marry by then．

　　The law has sent marriages rising by 50 percent to 300 percent this year in immigrant-rich Los Angeles, Houston and New York．The new law, passed in the last days of the Clinton administration(任期)，contains a large number of measures to help immigrants and their loved ones become legal．

　　Critics(批评家)say it also brings many marriage frauds(诈骗)．A key aspect allows immigrants to look for houses while remaining in the USA－if they are married to a citizen or legal resident and hand in applications by April 30．After the date, applicants will have to return to their native countries to deal with their paperwork－a requirement that could take as long as 10 years．

　　Demand for marriage licenses in Manhattan this year jumped from 100 a day to more than 300．The Los Angeles County registrar(户籍员)recorder's office supplied 12 997 marriage licences during January and February, and 59 percent increase over last year．

　　Critics say the new law encourages false marriage．There are a lot of frauds as people rush to make use of this window．In the past cases citizens or legal residents were paid US ＄10 000 or more to marry illegal immigrants in which immigration is concluded may be investigated for as long as the years after the vows．

　　“It's not worth the risk to attempt an illegal marriage, ”says INS spokesman Bill Strassberger．

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阅读理解

　　Besides going by car, there are three other ways to get across the country：planes, trains and buses．Air travel is the most expensive of the three but in many ways the easiest and most comfortable．There are hundreds of flights a day criss-crossing the country, and it is easy to make an order．You will get to your destination(目的地)quickly and find the services(服务)at the airports excellent．There will be connecting bus services to the center of town, car rental agencies and porters(出租公司和搬运工)．

　　Traveling by train is cheaper than by airplane．In the past, train service was poor but in recent years the government has changed the service with AMTRAK, the nationalized train system．You can travel first or second class．Your ticket is for the journey only, sleeping and dining conditions will be extra．The most inexpensive way to travel is by bus．Continental railways and Greyhound can buy special tickets that allow you unlimited travel for a certain period of time．In this way you can stop along the way to visit the places that interest you most．

　　If you do travel long distances, be ready for the time changes．There are four time zones(时区)in the continental USA, starting on the East Coast with Eastern Standard Time(EST), then moving west to Central Standard Time(CST), Mountain Standard Time(MST)．If you travel east to west, you gain one hour each time you enter a new time zone．

　　A good way to see the USA is by car．Americans love their cars and in the past fifty years they have developed a vast network of roads and freeways to help them reach their destinations．

　　As few visitors have their own cars, renting one is the next best thing．You will need a valid driver’s license(it is best to have an international driver’s license)and either international credit cards(信用卡)(Diners, American Express), or a deposit(存折)．

　　You should start out with a working knowledge of the road．You travel from state to state and this can be very exciting to a newcomer．For example, in some states it is legal(合法)to turn right at a red light if there is no closing traffic, while in other states you will be fined(罚款)for this action．

　　People can enjoy vast(广袤的)areas of wild beauty．Throughout the country, animal and plant life is now protected by law, Americans are learning to be conservationists(天然资源保护者)．

　　Thinking over．

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