A、A brief history of British pubs. B、Beer—the British national drink. C、Various attempts made to curb drinking in Britain. D、The

Most foreigners find British pubs both fascinating and frustrating; fascinating because they are unique to Great Britain and not at all like the bars you find in most other countries and frustrating because their peculiar opening and closing hours.
    In fact, much of the law history of pub in Britain is to do with people who want to drink and others who want to stop them. The development of pubs and the law surrounding them is an interesting way of learning a little more about our social history. Foreigners often think of tea as the British national drink. But compared to beer drinking, tea drinking is a very recent development. Beer has been drunk in Britain since before the Roman invasion. The earliest breweries were parts of the monasteries. And as early as 1659 AD the king of Kent was making laws in an attempt to stop priests from getting drunk.
    By the late 16th century, drunkenness was a real problem and laws were passed to restrict drinking hours. In 1606, a law was passed which stated the purpose of inns was to lodge way-faring people only. Travelers were allowed to buy drinks at times forbidden to local people. However, the ingenuity of the dedicated drinkers got around this problem and the result was that the locals would simply move on to the next town or village when they wanted to continue drinking after time in their own village.
    In the 19th century, cheap gin appeared in Britain. It was very popular among poor people. Drunkenness again increased and more laws were passed. The Temperance Society was formed to fight against the demon drink. This group of dedicated tea-toilers tried to persuade people to abstain from drinking by getting them to sign the pledge. In spite of their various attempts to curb drinking, or step it out completely, pubs continue to provide a major part of British social life. Their opening and closing hours are still restricted by law although they have their recommendations recently for big changes, including extending licensing hours and admitting children. But nothing has happened yet.
Questions 26-30 are based on the passage you have just heard:
26. What is this talk mainly about?
27. When did people start to drink beer in Britain?
28. What was the purpose of the law passed in 1606?
29. Which of the following factors contribute to the rise of drunkenness in the 19th century?
30. Which of the following is true of English pubs today?