Question

E

Manners nowadays in big cities like London are particularly non-existent. It’s nothing for a big, strong schoolboy to elbow an elderly woman aside in the dash for the last remaining seat on the tube or bus, much less stand up and offer his seat to her.

This question of giving up seats in public transport is much argued by young men, who say that, since women have claimed equality, they no longer deserve to be treated with courtesy(謙恭有禮) and that those who go out to work should take their turn in the rat race like anyone else. Women have never claimed to be physically as strong as men. Even if it’s not agreed, however, that young men should stand up for older women, the fact remains that courtesy should be shown to the old, the sick and the burdened. Are we really so lost to all ideals of unselfishness that we can sit there indifferently reading the paper or a book, saying to ourselves “ First come, first served”, while a gray-haired woman, a mother with a young child or a cripple stands? Yet this is too often seen.

Older people, tired and easy annoyed from a day’s work, aren’t angels, either—far from it. Many a brisk argument or an insulting quarrel breaks out as the weary queues push and shove each other to get on buses and tubes. One cannot commend(推崇) this, of course, but one does feel there is just a little more excuse.

If cities are to remain pleasant places to live in at all, however, it seems necessary, not only that communication in transport should be improved, but also that communication between human beings should be kept smooth and polite. Shop assistant won’t bother to assist, taxi drivers growl at each other as they dash dangerously round corners, bus conductors pull the bell before their desperate passengers have had time to get on or off the bus, and so on. It seems to us that it’s up to the young and strong to do their small part to stop such deterioration (惡化).

1.What is the writer’s opinion concerning courteous manners towards women?

A. They no longer need to be treated differently from men.

B. Young men should give up their seats to young women.

C. “Lady first” should universally practiced.

D. Special consideration ought to be shown to them in some cases.

2.What does “ the rat race” in paragraph 2 probably mean in the passage?

A. A race that involves many people

B. A well-paid job

C. A fierce competition

D. A race for rats

3.According to the passage, communication between human beings would not be smoother unless ____.

A. people become more considerate towards each other

B. people are not so tired and easily annoyed

C. women are treated with more courtesy

D. public transport is improved

4.The main purpose of the passage is to ______.

A. call on people in big cities to pay more attention to politeness

B. blame the schoolboy’s rude behavior towards elderly women on tube or bus

C. criticize the fast pace of life in most of the big cities

D. tell young men to give their seats to elderly people and women

Answer 1