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摘要

Americans live in a permanent state of siege. We are bombarded by telemarketers, direct mail, commercials, faxes and e-mails. It is this constant assault on our time and sensibilities that mostthreatens what should be a national treasure: the once-a-decade Census. The Census Bureau plans to mail 98 million forms this week to most homes and apartments (an additional 22 million are being hand-delivered in rural areas). Naturally, the forms arrive with the bills, junk mail and magazines. The Census Bureau predicts that only 61 percent of the forms will be returned. This would be lower than in 1990 (65 percent), 1980 (75 percent) or 1970 (78 percent). Fill it out.