Itwasawintermorning,justacoupl-优题课

There are probably no people on Earth who like to gossip as much as the British. If prying into(打探) other’s lives were an Olympic sport, then Team GB would surely take the gold medal.
And when the British can’t watch the lives of real people, they have another source of entertainment to fall back on—the soap opera． British soap operas are very different to US TV dramas. For one, they are normally longer running. The two most popular, Coronation Street and East-enders, have been running for 48 and 24 years respectively. Both are broadcast several times a week, so remarkably there have been more than 7,000 episodes of Coronation Street.
The most obvious difference is that, unlike US dramas, the British soap operas focus on the real world． There is little glamour (魅力), the stars are rarely rich, and they normally have boring jobs. Perhaps the appeal is that the lives of the characters often mirror the lives of the audience—but with some drama added． This means the viewer can relate to the characters and feel the pain and happiness they go through on the show.
Because these soap operas last for decades, the cast is ever changing. The shows rarely focus on one or two main characters. Like the real world, people come and go all the time. However, there are exceptions. Coronation Street’s William Roach, 76, has played the role of Ken Barlow since the very first episode of the show in 1960, and he is still a regular.
The choice of which soap opera you follow is often cultural: People from the north of British tend to watch Coronation Street as it is set in Manchester. People from the south generally prefer East-enders, which is set in the east of London. The show is generally considered grittier and is aimed at a younger audience.
What is the main difference between American dramas and British soap operas?

A．American dramas are longer.

B．British soap operas are longer.

C．American dramas deal with dangerous things.

D．British soap operas deal with real people.

Why do British people like to watch such operas?

A．They can find their own life from the operas.

B．They can enjoy the operas in their free time.

C．They can watch the operas for many years.

D．They care about the fate of the characters in the operas.

The underlined world “episodes” in the 2nd paragraph probably means ______.

A．plays

B．pages

C．issues

D．parts

One characteristic of British operas is that ______.

A．the characters play the same role for a long time.

B．the characters in the play often change

C．people don’t know what will happen next

D．there is only one or two characters in them

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项中（A、B、C和D），选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Britons may like to complain a lot, but they rarely do so right now, explains BBC writer Ruth Margolis. They would rather grumble (发牢骚) afterward． This is because Britons hate to put someone out and cause any embarrassment. Margolis writes, “For instance, I’m much more comfortable just leaving that piece of raw chicken on my plate instead of complaining to restaurant staff. But beware: if this kind of thing happens when you’re dining with an American, they will most likely speak up on your behalf and not understand why you find this ashamed．”
In a BBC blog post comparing cultural differences between the UK and the US, Margolis mentions a few other things that Americans like to do that are offensive to Britons.
● Not making introductions
Margolis says most Britons dislike this approach because “talking to strangers without being introduced gives them a stomachache”. Americans rarely introduce a new friend to their friends at parties. Strangers are supposed to introduce themselves.
● “Quite” good
Using “quite” to mean “very” happens a lot in the US. But if you are invited to a dinner party in Britain, don't describe the meal as “quite good” if you want to express high praise. To Britons’ ears, “quite” detracts from the “good”: the meal was OK but could have been better.
● Money Talk
Americans can talk about money subjects for hours without feeling uncomfortable. For Britons, says Margolis, “Talking about how much we make is unthinkable — even 1ess so than discussing our feelings.”
● Over-politeness
“It’s not that I want shop assistants to be actively rude. But neither do I want to expend energy responding to someone who's been paid to ask: ‘How are you today?’” says Margolis. In the US, it is not unusual to be greeted by a perfect stranger as “honey” or “sweetie”. But Margolis says Britons find put-on friendliness, especially in stores, deeply irritating.
Margolis’ dining experience in Paragraph 1 shows that_______.

A．Britons are particular about foods

B．Britons are not good at complaining

C．Americans usually complain directly

D．Americans complain more than Britons

Which of the following might Margolis agree with?

A．Britons enjoy talking about their feelings.

B．Americans introduce themselves at parties.

C．Americans dislike talking to strangers at parties.

D．Britons feel happy if treated like close friends.

The underlined phrase “detracts from” in the text probably means ____.

A．differs greatly from

B．increases the quality of

C．reduces the strength of

D．draws attention away from

What does the text mainly talk about?

A．How to get on well with westerners.

B．How to start conversations with Britons.

C．Ruth Margolis’ tips on public behavior.

D．Some American habits that annoy Britons.

We are not who we think we are.
The American self-image is spread with the golden glow of opportunity．We think of the United States as a land of unlimited possibility，not so much a classless society but as a place where class is mutable—a place where brains，energy and ambition are what counts，not the circumstances of one's birth.
The Economic Mobility Project，an ambitious research led by Pew Charitable Trusts，looked at the economic fortunes of a large group of families over time，comparing the income of parents in the late 1960s with the income of their children in the late 1990s and early 2000s．Here is the finding: "The 'rags to riches' story is much more common in Hollywood than on Main Street．Only 6 percent of children born to parents with family income at the very bottom move to the top.
That is right，just 6 percent of children born to parents who ranked in the bottom of the study sample，in terms of income，were able to bootstrap their way into the top．Meanwhile，an incredible 42 percent of children born into that lowest are still stuck at the bottom，having been unable to climb a single rung of the income ladder.
It is noted that even in Britain---a nation we think of as burdened with a hidebound class system-children who are born poor have a better chance of moving up．When the studies were released，most reporters focused on the finding that African-Americans born to middle-class or upper middle-class families are earning slightly less，in inflation-adjusted dollars，than did their parents.
One of the studies indicates，in fact，that most of the financial gains white families have made in the past three decades can be attributed to the entry of white women into the labor force．This is much less true for African-Americans.
The picture that emerges from all the quintiles，correlations and percentages is of a nation in which，overall，"the current generation of adults is better off than the previous one"，as one of the studies notes.
The median income of the families in the sample group was $55，600 in the late 1960s; their children's median family income was measured at $71，900．However，this rising tide has not lifted all boats equally．The rich have seen far greater income gains than have the poor.
Even more troubling is that our nation of America as the land of opportunity gets little support from the data．Americans move fairly easily up and down the middle rungs of the ladder，but there is "stickiness at the ends" —four out of ten children who are born poor will remain poor，and four out of ten who are born rich will stay rich.
What did the Economic Mobility Project find in its research?

A．Children from low-income families are unable to bootstrap their way to the top.

B．Hollywood actors and actresses are upwardly mobile from rags to riches.

C．The rags to riches story is more fiction than reality.

D．The rags to riches story is only true for a small minority of whites.

It can be inferred from the undertone of the writer that America，as a classless society，should ________.

A．perfect its self-image as a land of opportunity

B．have a higher level of upward mobility than Britain

C．enable African-Americans to have exclusive access to well-paid employment

D．encourage the current generation to work as hard as the previous generation

Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The US is a land where brains，energy and ambition are what counts.

B．Inequality persists between whites and blacks in financial gains.

C．Middle-class families earn slightly less with inflation considered.

D．Children in lowest-income families manage to climb a single rung of the ladder.

What might be the best title for this passage?

A．Social Upward Mobility.

B．Incredible Income Gains.

C．Inequality in Wealth.

D．America Not Land of Opportunity.

By far the most common difficulty in study is simple failure to get down to regular concentrated work．This difficulty is much greater for those who do not work to a plan and have no regular routine of study．Many students muddle along，doing a bit of this subject or that，as the mood takes them，or letting their set work pile up until the last possible moment.
Few students work to a set timetable．They say that if they did work out a timetable for themselves they would not keep to it，or would have to change it frequently，since they can never predict from one day to the next what their activities will be.
No doubt some students take much more kindly to a regular routine than others．There are many who shy away from a self-controlled weekly timetable，and dislike being tied down to a fixed program of work．Many able students state that they work in cycles．When they become interested in a topic they work on it attentively for three or four days at a time．On other days they avoid work completely．It has to be admitted that we do not fully understand the motivation to work．Most people over 25 years of age have become used to a work routine，and the majority of really productive workers set aside regular hours for the more important areas of their work．The “tough-minded” school of workers doesn’t fully accept the idea that good work can only be done naturally，under the influence of inspiration.
Those who believe that they need only work and study as the fit takes them have a mistaken belief either in their own talent or in the value of “freedom”．Freedom from control and discipline leads to unhappiness rather than to “self-expression” or “personality development”．Our society insists on regular habits，timekeeping and punctuality (being on time)，and whether we like it or not，if we mean to make our way in society，we have to meet its demands.
The most widespread problem in applying oneself to study is __________ .

A．changing from one subject to another

B．the failure to keep to a set timetable of work

C．the unwillingness to work out a systematic plan

D．working on a subject only when one feels like it

Which of the following is TRUE?

A．Many students are not interested in using a self-controlled timetable.

B．Many students don’t like being told to study to a fixed timetable.

C．Most people over 25 years of age don’t work to a set timetable.

D．Tough-minded people agree that good work is done naturally.

The underlined part “as the fit takes them” means __________.

A．when they have the energy

B．when they are in the mood

C．when they feel fit

D．when they find conditions suitable

A suitable title for the passage might be __________.

A．Attitudes to Study

B．A Study Plan

C．The Difficulties of Studying

D．Study and Self-discipline

You may not pay much attention to your daily elevator ride．Many of us use a lift several times during the day without really thinking about it．But Lee Gray，PhD，of the University of North Carolina，US，has made it his business to examine this overlooked form of public transport．He is known as the “Elevator Guy”.
“The lift becomes this interesting social space where etiquette (礼仪) is sort of odd (奇怪的)，” Gray told the BBC．“The elevators are socially very interesting but often very awkward places.”
We walk in and usually turn around to face the door．If someone else comes in，we may have to move．And here，according to Gray，liftusers unthinkingly go through a set pattern of movements．He told the BBC what he had observed.
He explained that when you are the only one inside a lift，you can do whatever you want – it’s your own little box.
If there are two of you，you go into different corners，standing diagonally (对角线地) across from each other to create distance.
When a third person enters，you will unconsciously form a triangle．And when there is a fourth person it becomes a square，with someone in every corner．A fifth person is probably going to have to stand in the middle.
New entrants to the lift will need to size up the situation when the doors slide open and then act decisively．Once in，for most people the rule is simple – look down，or look at your phone.
Why are we so awkward in lifts?
“You don’t have enough space，” Professor Babette Renneberg，a clinical psychologist at the Free University of Berlin，told the BBC．“Usually when we meet other people we have about an arm’s length of distance between us．And that’s not possible in most elevators.”
In such a small，enclosed space it becomes very important to act in a way that cannot be understood as threatening or odd．“The easiest way to do this is to avoid eye contact，” she said.
According to Gray，when people enter an elevator，they usually _____.

A．turn around and greet one another

B．look around or examine their phone

C．make eye contact with those in the elevator

D．try to keep a distance from other people

Which of the following describes how people usually stand when there are at least two people in an elevator?

A．