Question

You’ve just come home, after living abroad for a few years. Since you’ve been away, has this country changed for the better—or for the worse?

If you’ve just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight’s holiday, small changes have probably surprised you—anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.

So how have things changed to people coming back to Britain after seven, ten or even 15 years living abroad? What changes in society can they see that the rest of us have hardly noticed—or now take for granted? To find out, we asked some people who recently returned.

Debi: When we left, Cheltenham, my home town, was a town of white, middle-class families—all very conservative (保守的). The town is now home to many eastern Europeans and lots of Australians, who come here mainly to work in hotels and tourism. There are even several shops only for foreigners.

Having been an immigrant (移民) myself, I admire people who go overseas to find a job. Maybe if I lived in an inner city where unemployment was high, I’d think differently, but I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they’re more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.

Christine: As we flew home over Britain, both of us remarked how green everything looked. But the differences between the place we’d left behind and the one we returned to were brought sharply into focus as soon as we landed.

To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening—in Cyprus, they’re very relaxed—and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall. Everyone seemed to be on guard. Even the airport car-hire firm wanted a credit card rather than cash because they said their vehicles had been used by bank robbers.

But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they’ve got. 

1.After a short overseas holiday, people tend to _______.

A. notice small changes

B. expect small changes

C. welcome small changes

D. exaggerate small changes

2.How does Debi look at the foreign settlers?

A. Cautiously.

B. Positively.

C. Sceptically.

D. Critically.

3.When arriving at the airport in Britain, Christine was shocked by _______.

A. the relaxed policemen

B. the messy arrivals hall

C. the tight security

D. the bank robbers

4.Which might be the best title for the passage?

A. Life in Britain.

B. Back in Britain.

C. Britain in Future.

D. Britain in Memory.

 

Answer 1

【答案】

 

1.D

2.B

3.B

4.C

【解析】

试题分析：本文主要讲述的是一些人在离开英国以后再回来的时候，对于故乡发生的变化的自己的理解。

1.D推理题。根据文章第二段If you’ve just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight’s holiday, small changes have probably surprised you—anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.可知短期出国的人在回来的时候，会对小的变化很惊讶。故使用动词exaggerate夸张。会夸大这些很小的变化。故D正确。

2.B 推理题。根据文章第五段最后2行I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they’re more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.可知她对于外来的移民评价很高，认为他们更开放更努力。故B正确。

3.B 推理题。根据文章倒数第2段To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening—in Cyprus, they’re very relaxed—and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall.可知她对于机场到达大厅里的混乱很惊讶，没有想到会有如此多的人。故B正确。

4.C 主旨大意题。本题较难，文章主要讲述的是离开英国的人在回来以后的感觉，属于对未来的英国的感觉。从文章最后一段But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they’ve got.也可知道是在对以后的英国的说明。故C正确。

考点：考察人生百态类短文