The Bush Administration appears determined to continue the war on drugs that has been actively (47) by all US governments since the Nixon Administration.
Defenders of the war on drugs often throw in an economic (48) . It has been (49) because it curtails (削减) use by raising street prices. It does this because suppliers have to be compensated for the risk of imprisonment and other punishments. It may be true that high prices have (50) the demand for drugs, but the fact remains that most illegal drugs remain popular and (51) , regardless of price. More important, any (52) in the number of addicts and other users has come with an enormous price label. The US alone spends almost $ 40 billion annually waging the drug war, and other countries also spend big sums.
The war is fought by seizing and destroying drugs and by apprehending and imprisoning suppliers. A (53) fact is that the US imprisons a larger fraction of its population for drug-related offenses than European nations do for all crimes.
The high prices due to the war have (54) huge profits for cartels and others who evade detection and punishment. Estimates place the world market value of illegal drugs at several hundred billions of dollars -- in the same league as the markets for cigarettes and alcohol.
Although legalization would make drugs cheaper and more (55) available, sales to minors could be discouraged by harsh punishments and by restricting (56) sales to fixed shops.

• A) reducedI) compensated
• B) disagreementJ) legal
• C) depressing K) argument
• D) pursued L) available
• E) damaging M) speedily
• F) reduction N) successful
• G) provided O) illegal
• H) easily