题目
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 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 causes economic hard times． Last week Royal Doulton,the largest employer in Stoke-on-Trent,announced that it is reducing 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 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．(1)Why do people tend to follow the trend to casual dining? ______A.People prefer to live a comfortable life.B.Family members need more time to relax.C.Busy schedules leave people no time for formality.D.Young people won't follow the etiquette of the older generation.(2)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.(3)The main cause of the layoffs in the pottery industry is ______.A.the increased value of pound.B.the worsening economy in Asia.C.the change in people's way of life.D.the fierce competition at home and abroad.(4)Formal table manners,though less popular than before in current social life, ______.A.are certain to return sooner or later.B.are still a must on certain occasions.C.are still being taught by parents at home.D.can help improve personal relationship.
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 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 causes economic hard times．
Last week Royal Doulton,the largest employer in Stoke-on-Trent,announced that it is reducing 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 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．
(1)Why do people tend to follow the trend to casual dining? ______
A.People prefer to live a comfortable life.
B.Family members need more time to relax.
C.Busy schedules leave people no time for formality.
D.Young people won't follow the etiquette of the older generation.
(2)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.
(3)The main cause of the layoffs in the pottery industry is ______.
A.the increased value of pound.
B.the worsening economy in Asia.
C.the change in people's way of life.
D.the fierce competition at home and abroad.
(4)Formal table manners,though less popular than before in current social life, ______.
A.are certain to return sooner or later.
B.are still a must on certain occasions.
C.are still being taught by parents at home.
D.can help improve personal relationship.
But in many other homes,this china-and-silver elegance has given way to a stoneware 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 causes economic hard times．
Last week Royal Doulton,the largest employer in Stoke-on-Trent,announced that it is reducing 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 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．
(1)Why do people tend to follow the trend to casual dining? ______
A.People prefer to live a comfortable life.
B.Family members need more time to relax.
C.Busy schedules leave people no time for formality.
D.Young people won't follow the etiquette of the older generation.
(2)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.
(3)The main cause of the layoffs in the pottery industry is ______.
A.the increased value of pound.
B.the worsening economy in Asia.
C.the change in people's way of life.
D.the fierce competition at home and abroad.
(4)Formal table manners,though less popular than before in current social life, ______.
A.are certain to return sooner or later.
B.are still a must on certain occasions.
C.are still being taught by parents at home.
D.can help improve personal relationship.
题目解答
答案
【答案】
(1)C.细节理解题。根据倒数第二段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. " (在长时间的工作时间和苛刻的家庭日程安排下，忙碌的主人坚持(正确地) ，与其等待完美的时刻或真正的晚餐聚会，不如在家庭活动室里用纸盘子共享外卖披萨。) 可知指出现今休闲文化流行的背景：工作时间长，家庭生活节奏紧张，C中的Busy schedules与文中的demanding family schedules对应，故选C。(2)D.推理判断题。Royal Doulton在文章中出现过两次：第三段说它裁员，因为人们用餐越来越随意(不再讲究餐具的精致)；第四段中"A spokesman for Royal Doulton admitted that the company.."( Royal Doulton 的一名发言人承认，该公司"在赶上休闲餐饮的趋势方面有些缓慢"。)，暗示公司的性质，可以推断它是精制器皿的生产者。故选D。
(3)C.细节理解题。根据文章第四段首句" 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." (尽管英镑走强和亚洲市场疲软在裁员中起到了一定作用，但斯托克城的裁员却根源于翻天覆地的社会变化。)，其中的have their roots in相当于题目中的maincause is，shifts相当于C中的change，陶瓷业裁员是因为人们生活方式的改变。故选C。
(4)B.细节理解题。根据最后一段第二句"The fine points of etiqutte..must be picked up elsewhere" (良好的餐桌礼仪必须在其他地方被重拾起来)，可知礼仪在某些场合还是必要的 ，故选B。