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 (禮節(jié)) 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
BDCA
67.B  [分析]陶瓷業(yè)的衰落源于飲食習(xí)慣,飲食習(xí)慣根源于社會(huì)生活的節(jié)奏。
68.D  [分析]第三段。
69.C  [分析]陶瓷業(yè)裁員是因?yàn)槿藗兩罘绞降母淖儭?br />70.A  [分析]文章最后一段。
練習(xí)冊系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

You’re rushing to work and a man ahead of you collapses on the sidewalk. Do you stop to help? In a study of by-standers, it was found that some people avert their gaze and keep on  walking rather than stop and get involved.
“There is a tendency to decide that no action is needed.” says a psychologist. “The first thoughts that pop into your mind often keep you from offering help. In order to take action, you have to work against them.” Here are some common thoughts that might prevent you from helping.
● Why should I be the one? I’m probably not the most competent person in this crowd. You might think someone older or with more medical knowledge should offer assistance.
● What if he doesn’t really need my help? The fear of embarrassment is powerful; no one wants to risk looking foolish in front of others.
● No one else looks concerned- this must not be a problem. We can follow the people around us, but most people tend to hold back their emotions in public.
“If you spot trouble and find yourself explaining inaction, force yourself to stop and evaluate the situation instead of walking on,” says the psychologist. “Then retry to involve other people; you don’t have to take on the entire responsibility of being helpful. Sometimes it’s just a matter of turning to the person next to you and saying, ‘It looks like we should do something.’ Or asking someone if an ambulance has been called and, if not, to call for one. Once you take action, most people will follow you.”
小題1:Which is NOT the common thought that stops you from helping others?
A.I’m not the very person capable of setting the problenu.
B.It looks like we should do something.
C.It must not be a problem as no one else is concerned.
D.He doesn’t really need my help.
小題2:According to a study of by-standers, what will some people do when a man ahead falls down on the sidewalk?
A.They will call for help and then walk away.
B.They will stop and offer help.
C.They will turn away their eyes and go on walking.
D.They will laugh at him.
小題3:We learn from the last paragraph that if we spot ttouble,           
A.we sbould call the ambulance as soon as we can.
B.we should take on the whole responsibility and do something alone.
C.we should stop and evaluate the situation and try to make other people follow.
D.we should turn to other people and ask them to take on the responsibility
小題4:In order to offer others your timely help, you need to        
A.a(chǎn)sk others for help and call the police
B.get along well with the passers-by who spot the trouble
C.go directly to the police station
D.work against the rirst thoughts that prevent you offering help
小題5:The main purpose of the text is to tell readers        
A.to give others a handB.to be more competent
C.not to risk looking foolishD.to stop and evaluate the situation

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:完形填空

完形填空(共20小題,每題1分,滿分20分)
閱讀下面短文,從短文后各題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)(A、B、C和D)中,選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項(xiàng)。
I got lots of interesting experiences in a free school. At first I couldn’t believe it. There were no    41    in rows or loud-sounding bells, nor did anyone have to go to    42   . Although we lived “in”,    43   made us go to bed at a certain time; there was no “ lights out”.
The    44  thing was that practically all the students went to class, and very few people stayed up late at night. Only the new people stayed up or    45  class. The new ones always went wild    46   , but his wildness never lasted long. The freedom took some getting used to. Our teachers treated us like  _47  ; never did we have to   48_   “ stand up”, “ sit down”, “ speak out”. I don’t    49    one student who didn’t try his best.
The subjects were the same as those in the ___50_____ school, but what a difference in the method! For example, in botany (植物學(xué)) we had   51__  classes in the spring or fall, but instead we planted two gardens, a vegetable garden and a flower garden. Then in winter we each studied a few    52  things about what we had grown. In math the students built three different sizes of storerooms---small ones   53   , but usable. They did this instead of having lessons in the classroom. They really had a    54  time, too, designing everything, drawing the blueprints(藍(lán)圖;設(shè)計(jì)圖), figuring out the angles and so on. I didn’t take    55__ . But I could do the basic things with numbers. That’s   56   .
57_    I think I am a      58    person for having gone to the school. I can read and write as well as anyone else of my age, and I think better. That’s probably a real big      ___59     between the free school and the regular school--- the amount of   60   .
41.A.desks           B. lights         C. books            D. windows
42.A. home           B. bed           C. class             D. work
43.A. teachers         B. parents        C. nobody           D. somebody
44.A. sad             B. last          C. good             D. strange
45.A. attended         B. took          C. missed           D. studied
46.A. from then on     B. at first         C. once more        D. just then
47.A. workers         B. pupils         C. gardeners         D. grown- ups
48.A. play            B. say           C. study             D. understand
49.A. hear from        B. feel like       C. think about        D. know of
50.A. night           B. regular        C. small            D. real
51.A. all             B. short        C. no               D. indoor
52.A.wild            B. successful     C. interested        D. particular
53.A. as well         B. after a while  C. of course         D. as a result
54.A. funny          B. great         C. convenient        D. terrible
55.A. math          B. angle        C. botany           D. gardens
56.A. uninteresting    B. interesting     C. enough          D. dangerous
57.A.On the whole    B. Once again     C. Sooner or later     D. After a while
58.A. careful         B. better         C. busier            D. lovely
59.A. problem        B. chance        C. difference         D. change
60.A. reading         B. gardening     C. teaching         D. thinking

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


Last spring, members of Alaska’s Troop 34, based in Fairbanks, trudged (跋涉) out into the snowy wilderness to take part in their state’s Take a Kid Trapping program. In many parts of the state, beavers (海貍)are pests and need to be controlled.
The 10-to-12-year-old girls found out where beavers lived, set traps, and skinned the two animals they caught. The girls hope to catch ten more beavers so that the entire troop can make mittens and hats with the fur. They also want to cook beaver meat.
Troop leaders and members say the Scouts are doing a good deed by helping control the state’s beaver population. But animal-rights activists say trapping is cruel. They want the Girl Scouts to stop in their tracks.
Beavers aren’t only causing a problem in Alaska. Residents in Sampson County, N.C. , have turned to a local committee to help them battle the growing beaver population there.
County landowners are frustrated after the county spent more than $ 50,000 in eight years trying to reduce the beaver population through a government program. The joint state and federal program included paying money to trappers for every beaver carcass  they trapped.
Many local residents say that the program didn’t work because there were too few trappers. That’s why the county set up its own committee to investigate other ways to control the area’s beaver population.
The county will rely on its own beaver-trapping program. It has hired a trapper to set traps in various areas. The county will pay $10 for every beaver carcass.
Why do many people say that beavers are a nuisance? For beavers to survive, they need lots of water. Water provides the large rodent (嚙齒動(dòng)物)with a place to hide from meat – eating animals. Beavers also store food underwater for the winter. When there’s not enough water in a particular area, beavers get busy building dams.
Beaver dams can cause major flooding and damage to the surrounding countryside as the animals cut down trees to use in their construction projects. Beavers build canals to transport heavy objects.
59.What is Alaska’s Troop 34?
A.A team of the Boy Scouts.     B.An army.
C.A team of the Girl Scouts.     D.A sports team.
60.Why does the troop hope to catch ten more beavers?
A.To fulfill their task.        B.To sell them for money.
C.To get enough fur.   D.To exchange them for mittens and hats.
61.Which of the following statements is true?
A.Sampson County has to find a new way to control the beaver population there.
B.The government program in Sampson County has proved to be a success.
C.The local government has controlled the number of beavers in the County.
D.More and more trappers now start to set traps in Sampson County.
62.Local residents hate beavers because they can ___________.
A.cause damage to dams
B.block up canals with heavy objects.
C.do great harm to construction projects.
D.badly damage the environment and cause floods.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

(共5小題;每小題2分,滿分10分)
根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容,從短文后的選項(xiàng)中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項(xiàng)。選項(xiàng)中有兩項(xiàng)為多余選項(xiàng)。
Are you suffering a lot from test anxiety? Follow these tips to help you overcome it.
71     Prepare for the test by developing good study notes.Pick out the main points of the information or follow a study sheet from the teacher.Know the who, what, when, where, why and how of any main ideas.
Pick out the key words in the main points.Write a very short description of each point next to the key words.You will now have two sets of study notes.    72     Use the second to review right before the test.
Teach yourself little memory tricks.Some people use mnemonic(助記符號(hào))devices to remember facts.If there is a list of information, take the first letter of each word and make an interesting saying.
73     Some people read all the questions first and then begin working.Others start with the first question and don’t look at the rest.They skip any hard questions and come back to them later.
Do some relaxation exercises like deep breathing.Some anxiety is normal going into a test.
74   
Review the material one last time right before bed.We often remember things that we read or think about right before going to sleep.
75     Make sure you go to bed early enough the night before the test.It is very difficult to remember anything when you are overtired.
A.Work out a plan ahead.
B.Get a good night's sleep.
C.Pay attention to the proper order of answering the questions.
D.Use the first detailed set to study the material.
E.Learn to develop a strategy for taking the test.
F.Always get as much sleep as possible.
G.Breathing deeply helps you calm yourself and concentrate on the test.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


第三部分閱讀理解(共20小題。每小題2分,;滿分40分)
閱讀下列短文,從所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)(A、B、C和D)中,選出最佳選項(xiàng)。                           
Everyone has their friends, but I knew one girl who didn't. I guess you could call her a geek, because all she did was reading, studying, and doing homework. I don't think she even played a sport. She was one of those quiet people who no one really paid attention to, and
those who did only made fun of her. I had heard all kinds of rumors (謠言) that she had problems, but I didn't really believe them. I felt bad for her.
My friends and I were nice to her. We let her sit at our lunch table and we often said "Hi" to her, but she wasn't our best friend. Throughout the year, she started talking to us more and more. We continued being kind to her. She was normal as far as I was concerned (就我而言). She was just really quiet.
That summer I got a letter. When I opened it, I realized it was from her. “I just wanted to thank you so much for being so extremely kind and friendly to me this year. Before you
became my friend, I had no one to talk to or sit with at lunch. I even wanted to kill myself. But you and your friends changed that. You made me feel wanted and included. It meant so much to me. I am going to be moving and switching to another school next year. I'll never forget you and what you did."
By the time I finished the letter, I was in shock. I could not believe what I had just read. I learned that the simplest things and the smallest acts of kindness can mean the world to someone else.
56. What kind of person does the underlined word "geek" in Para1 probably refer to?
A. A confident and hardworking student.
B. A dishonest and badly behaved person.
C. Someone is not popular and does strange things
D. Someone is naughty and always makes fun of others.
57. How did the girl feel before the author became her friend?
A. Happy and comfortable.                 B. Pleased and confident.
C. Worried and surprised.                   D. Sad and lonely.
58. From the passage, we learn that the author and her friends ______.
A. helped get the girl out of trouble           B. got the girl to go to another school
C. changed the girl’s the habit of working hard  D. didn't want to help the girl at all
59. What's the best title for the passage?
A. A Strange Girl                          B. A Quiet Heart
C. A Girl without Any Problems              D. Just the littlest Things

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


How to Be a Winner
  Sir Steven Redgrave
  Winner of 5 Olympic Gold Medals
  “In 1997 I was found to have developed diabetes(糖尿病). Believing my career(職業(yè)生涯) was over, I felt extremely low. Then one of the specialists said there was no reason why I should stop training and competing. That was it the encouragement I needed. I could still be a winner if I believed in myself. I am not saying that it isn’t difficult sometimes. But I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn't finished yet. Nothing is to stand in my way.”
  Karen Pickering
  Swimming World Champion
“I swim 4 hours a day, 6 days a week. I manage that sort of workload by putting it on top of my diary. This is the key to success-you can’t follow a career in any field without being well—organized. List what you believe you can achieve. Trust yourself, write down your goals for the day, however small they are, and you’ll be a step closer to achieving them.”
  Kirsten Best
  Poet & Writer
“When things are getting hard, a voice inside my head tells me that I can’t achieve something. Then there are other distractions, such as family or hobbies. The key is to concentrate. When I feel tense, it helps a lot to repeat words such as ‘calm’, ‘peace’ or ‘focus’, either out loud or silently in my mind. It makes me feel more in control and increases my confidence. This is a habit that can become second nature quite easily and is a powerful psychological(心理的) tool”
60. What does Sir Steven Redgrave mainly talk about?
A. Difficulties influenced his career.       B. Specialists offered him medical advice.
C. Training helped him defeat his disease.   D. He overcame the shadow of illness to win.
61. What does Karen Pickering put on top of her diary?
A. Her training schedule.                B. Her daily happenings.
C. Her achievements.                   D. Her sports career.
62.What does the underlined word “distractions” probably refer to?
A. Ways that help one to focus.           B. Words that help one to feel less tense.
C. Activities that turn one's attention away.  D. Habits that make it hard for one to relax.
63. According to the passage ,what do the three people have in common?
A. Courage.   B. Devotion.    C. Hard work    .D. Self-confidence.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


第二部分:閱讀理解(共兩節(jié))
第一節(jié):閱讀理解(共20小題;每小題2分,滿分40分)
閱讀下列短文,從每題所給的A、B、C、D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中,選出最佳選項(xiàng),并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。
We already know the fastest, least expensive way to slow climate change: Use less energy. With a little effort, and not much money, most of us could reduce our energy diets by 25 percent or more—doing the Earth a favor while also helping our wallets.
Not long ago.My wife, PJ, and I tried a new diet—not to lose a little weight but to answer an annoying question about climate change.Scientists have reported recently that the world is heating up even faster than predicted only a few years ago, and that the consequences could be severe if we don’t keep reducing emissions(排放)of carbon dioxide(CO2)and other greenhouse gases that are trapping heat in our atmosphere.
We decided to try an experiment.For one month we recorded our personal emissions of CO2.We wanted to see how much we could cut back, so we went on a strict diet.The average US household produces about 150 pounds of CO2 a day by doing common-place things like turning on air-conditioning or driving cars.That’s more than twice the European average and almost five times the global average, mostly because Americans drive more and have bigger houses.But how much should we try to reduce?
For an answer, I checked with Tim Flannery, author of The Weather Makers: How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth.In his book, he had challenged readers to make deep cuts in personal emissions to keep the world from reaching extremely important tipping points, such as the meltingof the ice sheets in Greenland or West Antarctica.“To stay below that point, we need to reduce CO2 emissions by 80 percent,” he said.
Good advice, I thought.I’d opened our bedroom windows to let in the wind.We’d gotten so used to keeping our air-conditioning going around the clock.I’d almost forgotten the windows even opened.We should not let this happen again.It’s time for us to change our habits if necessary.
41.Why did the author and his wife try a new diet?
A.To take special kinds of food B.To respond to climate change.
C.To lose weight      D.To improve their health
42.The underlined words “tipping points” most probably refer to          .
A.freezing points         B.burning points      
C.melting points           D.boiling points
43.It can be inferred from the passage that        .
A.it is necessary to keep the air-conditioning on all the time
B.it seems possible for every household to cut emissions of CO2
C.the average US household produces about 3,000 pounds of CO2 a month
D.the average European household produces about 1,000 pounds of CO2 a month
44.Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A.Saving Energy Strats at Home       B.Changing Our Habits Begins at Work
C.Changing Climate Sounds Reasonalbe    D.Reducing Emissions of CO2 Proves Difficult

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

A car drew up outside the Swan Hotel and a young man got out.Pausing only for an instant to see that he had come to the right place,he went into the hotel and rang the bell on the counter of the bar.
Mrs.Crump,the landlady,who was busy in the kitchen at the time,hurried out,wiping her
hands.The young man raised his hat.“Excuse me,”he said.“I’m looking for my uncle,Mr.White.I believe he is staying here.” “He was staying here.”Mrs.Crump corrected him.“But I’m afraid that he went back to London yesterday.” “Oh,dear,”said the young man,looking disappointed.“I understood that he was going to stay here until the end of the month.At least that is what his servant told me when I rang up his house.” “Quite right,”said Mrs,Cramp.“He intended to stay here the whole of July,as he always does. But yesterday he got a telegram to say that his relative was ill.So he caught the train back to London immediately.”  “I wish he had let me know,”The young man said.“I wrote him a letter saying that I was coming.I’ve had all this trouble for nothing.Well,since he isn’t here,there’s no point in waiting.”
He thanked Mrs.Grump and went out.Mrs.Grump went to the window and watched him
drive off.When his car was out of sight,she called out:“You can come out now,Mr.White.He’s gone.”
Mr.White came out of the kitchen,where he had been waiting.
“Many thanks,Mrs.Grump,”he said,laughing,“you did that very well.These nephews of mine never gave me any peace.That young man is the worst of them all.As you see,when he needs money,he even follows me into the country.Well,perhaps next time he won’t warn me by writing a letter!”
49.The young man said “Oh,dear” to express his           .
    A.disappointment       B.sadness       C.surprise      D.a(chǎn)nger
50.This story is about a man         .
A.who was very much loved by his nephews 
B.whose nephew went to visit him at the hotel
C.whose nephew is always asking him for help
D.who was not willing to meet his nephew
51.When his nephew came to the hotel,Mr.White            .
A.took the train back to London            B.left to visit a sick relative
C.went to pick up a telegram               D.hid himself in the kitchen
52.Mr.White didn’t like his nephews because         .
A.they always follow him around            B.they frequently disturb their relatives
C.they won’t write to him often             D.they usually visit him in hotels

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊答案