When families gather for Christmas dinner, some will stick to formal traditions dating back to grandma’s generation. Their tables will be set with the good dishes and silver, and the dress code will be Sunday best.
But in many other homes, this china-and-silver elegance has given way to a stoneware (粗陶) and stainless informality, with dresses assuming an equally casual-Friday look. For hosts and guests, the change means greater simplicity and comfort. For makers of fine china in Britain, it spells economic hard times.
Last week Royal Doulton, the largest employer in Stoke-on-Trent, announced that it is eliminating 1,000 jobs－one-fifth of its total workforce. That brings to more than 4,000 the number of positions lost in 18 months in the pottery (陶瓷) region. Wedgwood and other pottery factories made cuts earlier.
Although a strong pound and weak markets in Asia play a role in the downsizing, the layoffs in Stoke have their roots in earthshaking social shifts. A spokesman for Royal Doulton admitted that the company “has been somewhat slow in catching up with the trend” toward casual dining. Families eat together less often, he explained, and more people eat alone, either because they are single or they eat in front of television.
Even dinner parties, if they happen at all, have gone casual. In a time of long work hours and demanding family schedules, busy hosts insist, rightly, that it’s better to share a takeout pizza on paper plates in the family room than to wait for the perfect moment or a “real” dinner party. Too often, the perfect moment never comes. Iron a fine-patterned tablecloth? Forget it. Polish the silver? Who has time?
Yet the loss of formality has its down side. The fine points of etiquette (礼节) that children might once have learned at the table by observation or instruction from parents and grandparents (“Chew with your mouth closed.” “Keep your elbows off the table.”) must be picked up elsewhere. Some companies now offer etiquette seminars for employees who may be able professionally but inexperienced socially.
67．Why do people tend to follow the trend to casual dining?
A. Family members need more time to relax.
B. Busy schedules leave people no time for formality.
C. People prefer to live a comfortable life.
D. Young people won’t follow the etiquette of the older generation
68．It can be learned from the passage that Royal Doulton is ________.
A. a seller of stainless steel tableware B. a dealer in stoneware
C. a pottery chain store D. a producer of fine china
69．The main cause of the layoffs in the pottery industry is ________.
A. the increased value of the pound
B. the worsening economy in Asia
C. the change in people’s way of life
D. the fierce competition at home and abroad
70．Formal table manners, though less popular than before in current social life, ________.
A. are still a must on certain occasions
B. are certain to return sooner or later
C. are still being taught by parents at home
D. can help improve personal relationships
I came to study in the United States a year ago .Yet I did not know the real American society until I was injured in a car accident because after the accident I had to see a doctor and go to court.
After the accident .my roommate called a doctor for me. I was very grateful and determined to repay him one day. But the next day, he asked me to pay him $200 for what he had done. I was astonished. He had good reason to charge me, he said. And if I wanted to collect money from the person who was responsible for my injury, I’d have to have a good lawyer. And only a good doctor can help me get a good lawyer .Now that he had helped me find a good doctor, it was only fair that I should pay him.
But every day I went to see the doctor, I had to wait about 50 minutes. He would see two or three patients at the same time, and often stop treating one so as to see another. Yet he charged me $115 each time .The final examination report consisted of ten lines, and it cost me $215.
My lawyer was all smiles the first time we met. But after that he avoided seeing me at all. He knew very well the other party was responsible for the accident, yet he hardly did anything. He simply waited to collect his money. He was so irresponsible that I decided to dismiss him. And he made me pay him $770.
Now I had to act as my own lawyer. Due to my inexperience, I told the insurance company the date I was leaving America. Knowing that, they played for time…and I left without getting a cent.The author’s roommate offered to help him because________.
| A．he felt sorry for the author |
| B．he thought it was a chance to make some money |
| C．he knew the doctor was a very good one |
| D．he wanted the author to have a good lawyer |
A good lawyer is essential for the author to __________.
| A．be properly treated |
| B．talk with the person responsible for the accident |
| C．recover before he leaves America |
| D．eventually get the responsible party to pay for his injury |
The word “charge” in the third paragraph means_________ .
| A．be responsible | B．accuse |
| C．ask as a price | D．claim |
Both the doctor and the lawyer in this passage are very__________.
| A．friendly | B．selfish | C．professional | D．busy |
What conclusion can you draw from the story?
| A．Going to court is something very common in America. |
| B．One must be very careful while driving a car. |
| C．There are more bad sides in America than good sides. |
| D．Money is more important than other things in the US. |
Johnny Smith was a good math student at a high school. He loved his computer. He came home early every day, then he worked with it till midnight. But Johnny was not a good English student, not good at all. He got an F in his English class. One day after school Johnny joined his computer to the computer in his high school office. The school office computer had the grades of all the students: the math grades, the science grades, the grades in arts and music, and the grades in English. He found his English grade. An F! Johnny changed his English grade from an F to A. Johnny' parents looked at his report card. They were very happy.
"An A in English!" said Johnny's Dad. "You're a very clever boy, Johnny."
Johnny is a hacker. Hackers know how to take information from other computers and put new information in. Using a modem, they join their computers to other computers secretly. School headmasters and teachers are worried about hackers. So are the police, for some people even take money from bank computer accountant put it into their own ones. And they never have to leave home to do it! They are called hackers.Johnny changed his English grade with the computer in _______.
| A．the classroom | B．the school office |
| C．a bank near his house | D．his own house |
When Johnny's parents saw the report, they were happy because _______.
| A．Johnny was good at math |
| B．Johnny loved computers |
| C．Johnny could join one computer to another |
| D．they thought Johnny was not poor in English any longer |
Who are worried about hackers in the story?
| A．Johnny's parents. |
| B．School headmasters, teachers and the police. |
| C．The police. |
| D．School headmasters and teachers. |
What should the hackers know well, do you think, after you read this story?
| A．Information. | B．Back computer accounts. |
| C．Computers. | D．Grades. |
The last paragraph is about _______.
| A．Johnny | B．computers | C．hackers | D．Modem |
When Cath Pirret and her husband Iain took their daughters Jessie, 10, and Holly, 7, to Britain earlier this year, it was a trip that was all about showing the girls where their parents grew up. But there were also some key sightseeing opportunities, such as Stonehenge, Hadrian’s Wall and Tate Modern, before heading to Paris to see the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.
So, what did the couple from Melbourne hope their girls would get from the trip? "A greater understanding that travel is not a difficult thing to do," Cath says."Some of the highlights are to meet new people and adapt to lots of different situations."
Cath believes that children, in order to truly benefit from travel, need to be old enough to understand and appreciate the experience. Sydney-based ABC Radio broadcaster and film critic C.J. Johnson travelled a lot with his parents as a child. His father was "really into rivers" and decided he was going to make it the "family mission" to see the "seven great rivers of the world".
There’s no doubt, thanks to a richer society and the greater ease and access to all forms of travel, that few — if any — generations of parents and children have ever had the ability to journey together as far, as wide and as deep as the present one.Travel brings history to life, builds children’s independence and opens their minds. A child’s view also helps adults to see the world through new eyes.
For Keith Bellows, the award-winning editor-in-chief of the American National Geographic Traveler magazine says the world is simply"the greatest classroom we have". He’s convinced, like Spicer, that any parent willing and financially able to give the gift of travel offers a gift that keeps on giving.
"Children who learn to travel will travel to learn," he says. "And they will do it all their lives."
With that in mind, Bellows, a father of three, wrote a book, 100 Places that Can Change Your Child’s Life.Why did the couple take their daughters to Britain?
| A．To prove their parents grew up in a rich country. |
| B．To meet the friends and relatives in Britain. |
| C．To help them enjoy their wonderful holidays. |
| D．To assist them to get benefit from travelling. |
The couple and their kids .
| A．went to see the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo first |
| B．visited Hadrian’s Wall and Tate Modern in France |
| C．first stayed in Britain and then went to France |
| D．only preferred to have the key sightseeing trips |
When Johnson was a child, .
| A．he made a decision to see the greatest rivers |
| B．he fully understood his family mission |
| C．he was forced to keep his father company |
| D．he learned a lot and developed a broad outlook |
Now many children can travel around the world .
| A．because they are lucky to have good parents |
| B．because they were just born in rich families |
| C．because they are living in a prosperous society |
| D．because they are longing for new knowledge |
We can learn from the passage that .
| A．children who learn to travel will travel to learn |
| B．Keith Bellows objects to taking children to travel |
| C．children will purchase gifts for their parents |
| D．Keith Bellows is managing a famous TV show |
One day, a brave jackal (豺) came to the river to drink some water. He saw a lion looking weak and tired, and asked, "What is the matter, King of the Jungle?"
The lion told the jackal his story. The jackal felt sorry for the lion. He pulled and pulled at the lion’s tail until the lion became free. The lion was very happy and said, "Thank you so much for helping me. I thought I would die! You are my friend for life! I would like you to come and live with me. From now on, I will hunt and share my food with you."
The jackal moved in with the lion’s family and had a wonderful time.
Soon, the lion had children of his own and so did the jackal. The lioness was not happy about the friendship. She complained to her children. Her children complained to the jackal’s children; the jackal’s children complained to their mother and their mother complained to the jackal.
The jackal was upset and told the lion, "You told me to live with you. If you don’t like it any more, you should have said so yourself." The lion was shocked and said, "This is not true. I’ve never complained about you. I still want you to continue staying with me."
The jackal said, "We understand each other. But our families don’t. Perhaps it is better for us to live apart, but continue meeting each other when we are free. We can even hunt together!"
The two families parted, but the lion and the jackal met often and remained friends for the rest of their lives.
From the above paragraphs, we can conclude that in order to keep our good friendship, we have to give something up or give in in some particular cases. However, we can never give up or destroy our families. What do you think of it?How was the lion when the jackal first met him?
| A．Strong and happy. | B．Fierce and cruel. |
| C．Kind and friendly. | D．Weak and tired. |
The lion thanked the jackal for saving his life by .
| A．serving the jackal dinner | B．inviting the jackal to live with him |
| C．offering the jackal a house | D．protecting the jackal |
When both the lion and the jackal had family, .
| A．the two families still lived happily together |
| B．the two families often quarreled with each other |
| C．the lioness began to complain about the friendship |
| D．the lion’s children laughed at the jackal’s children |
What was the jackal’s advice for the two families’ problem?
| A．Live apart and stop meeting each other. |
| B．Live together and hunt apart. |
| C．Live apart but continue meeting each other. |
| D．Teach the children to learn to share. |
We can learn from the text that .
| A．we should try to value true friends without giving up our family |
| B．family relationship is more important than friendship |
| C．it is easy to give up a friendship |
| D．we should not make friends with those who refuse to help you |
A friend asks you to be a volunteer. Your husband asks you to glance over an e-mail he is writing to his boss. You say you’d love to. Really! But..."I don’t have time".
It seems plausible( 有道理的). We’re all busy these days, right? But there are reasons not to use these four words, at least with yourself.
Here’s the big one: it is not true. You tell yourself "I don’t have time" to exercise, but we all have 168 hours a week. If someone offered to pay you $100,000 a week to go to the gym for 5 of those 168 hours, you would probably find the time to do it. Since that isn’t going to happen, this is a more exact description: " It’s not a priority(优先考虑的事)."
There are a million things we could be doing with our time; some are priorities and some are not, even if it’s wrong to say so. Try it. "I’m not going to read to you tonight, sweetie, because it’s not a priority. Daddy’s present priority is to check my e-mails."
Using the words "I don’t have time" keeps us from admitting to the fact that how we spend our time is a choice. It puts the responsibility for our lives on someone else: a boss, a client or a family member.
Better to be truthful: "I have another volunteer job on which I am focusing my energy right now. It is the cause that is most important to me." Or, to your husband "I wish you had mentioned this earlier. Right now, my priority is to get our children dressed and out of the door for school. I will be available around lunch time if you would like to talk".What does the word "it" in the third paragraph refer to?
| A．Saying "I don’t have time". |
| B．Saying "We are all busy today". |
| C．Checking your husband’s e-mail. |
| D．Telling your friend you won’t be a volunteer. |
From the third paragraph we can learn that .
| A．it is enough to exercise for five hours a week |
| B．we are too busy to exercise these days |
| C．we can earn $100,000 a week by exercising |
| D．we don’t often regard exercise as a priority |
Which would be the best answer if your friend asks you to be a volunteer?
| A．I have to check my e-mails first. |
| B．I already have a volunteer job that I enjoy. |
| C．I cannot find any time to do it. |
| D．I have a million things to do. |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．How to be responsible for our lives. |
| B．How to get time to do exercise. |
| C．How to say no to others without saying "I don’t have time". |
| D．How we should spend our time reasonably these days. |
You can find this text in the section of a newspaper.
| A．sports | B．entertainment | C．culture | D．science |