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 (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.

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

Ⅳ．阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
A
People in cities all over the world shop in supermarkets. Who decides what you buy in the supermarket? Do you decide? Does the supermarket decide?
When you enter the supermarket, you see shelves full of food. You walk in the aisles between the shelves. You push a shopping cart and put your food in it.
You probably hear soft, slow music as you walk along the aisles. This may be an attempt to please you, so you will enjoy shopping. Some supermarkets want to increase their profits by playing soft and slow music, because the slow music makes you walk slowly and you have more time to buy things.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are usually put near the entrance. When you arrive at the supermarket, you concentrate on the kinds of fruit and vegetables you need first. Once you've got that out of the way, you can relax and do the rest of the shopping without any hurry. Besides, if you see fresh goods first, it gives you a "feel good" impression of freshness, so you can not help spending your money.
Maybe you go to the meat department then. There is some meat on sale, and you want to find it. The manager of the supermarket knows where customers enter the meat department. The cheaper meat is at the other end of the meat department, away from where the customers enter. You have to walk past all the expensive meat before you find the cheaper meat. Maybe you will buy some of the expensive meat instead of the meat on sale.
Most of the food in supermarkets is very attractive. It all says "Buy me quickly!" to the customers. The fresh fruit and vegetables say "Buy me quickly!" as you walk by. The expensive meat says "Buy me quickly!" The supermarket tells you what to buy.
56. Some supermarkets play soft, slow music because it ________.
A. can help customers get the things they want
B. makes customers walk slowly and buy more
C. can make customers relaxed and happy
D. can tell customers exactly where to go
57. The manager knows ________.
A. where customers come from    B. which customers like slow music
C. where fresh meat should be put  D. which customers like cheap meat
58. When walking past the expensive meat, the customers will _______.
A. possibly buy some                     B. pay no attention to it
C. look for some cheap meat              D. feel uncomfortable
59. If you see fresh goods first in the supermarket, ________.
A. you know where to get things   B. it brings you good luck
C. it makes you spend less money  D. you’ll get a fresh impression
60. Supermarket managers make the food attractive so that ________.
A. the customers will buy more              B. it looks very expensive
C. the customers come often                D. it seems cheap and fine

Ⅳ．阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）

    阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。

A

    People in cities all over the world shop in supermarkets. Who decides what you buy in the supermarket? Do you decide? Does the supermarket decide?

    When you enter the supermarket, you see shelves full of food. You walk in the aisles between the shelves. You push a shopping cart and put your food in it.

    You probably hear soft, slow music as you walk along the aisles. This may be an attempt to please you, so you will enjoy shopping. Some supermarkets want to increase their profits by playing soft and slow music, because the slow music makes you walk slowly and you have more time to buy things.

     Fresh fruit and vegetables are usually put near the entrance. When you arrive at the supermarket, you concentrate on the kinds of fruit and vegetables you need first. Once you've got that out of the way, you can relax and do the rest of the shopping without any hurry. Besides, if you see fresh goods first, it gives you a "feel good" impression of freshness, so you can not help spending your money.

    Maybe you go to the meat department then. There is some meat on sale, and you want to find it. The manager of the supermarket knows where customers enter the meat department. The cheaper meat is at the other end of the meat department, away from where the customers enter. You have to walk past all the expensive meat before you find the cheaper meat. Maybe you will buy some of the expensive meat instead of the meat on sale.

    Most of the food in supermarkets is very attractive. It all says "Buy me quickly!" to the customers. The fresh fruit and vegetables say "Buy me quickly!" as you walk by. The expensive meat says "Buy me quickly!" The supermarket tells you what to buy.

56. Some supermarkets play soft, slow music because it ________.

   A. can help customers get the things they want

   B. makes customers walk slowly and buy more

   C. can make customers relaxed and happy

   D. can tell customers exactly where to go

57. The manager knows ________.

   A. where customers come from    B. which customers like slow music

   C. where fresh meat should be put  D. which customers like cheap meat

58. When walking past the expensive meat, the customers will _______.

   A. possibly buy some                     B. pay no attention to it

   C. look for some cheap meat               D. feel uncomfortable

59. If you see fresh goods first in the supermarket, ________.

   A. you know where to get things   B. it brings you good luck

   C. it makes you spend less money  D. you’ll get a fresh impression

60. Supermarket managers make the food attractive so that ________.

   A. the customers will buy more              B. it looks very expensive

   C. the customers come often                D. it seems cheap and fine

    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 (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.

67．Why do people tend to follow the trend to casual dining?

    A. Family members need more time to relax.

    B. Young people won’t follow the etiquette of the older generation

    C. People prefer to live a comfortable life.

    D. Busy schedules leave people no time for formality.

68．It can be learned from the passage that Royal Doulton is ________.

    A. a seller of stainless steel tableware                      B. a producer of fine china

    C. a pottery chain store                                                 D. a dealer in stoneware

69．The main cause of the layoffs in the pottery industry is ________.

A. the increased value of the pound       

B. the fierce competition at home and abroad

C. the change in people’s way of life       

D. the worsening economy in Asia

70．Formal table manners, though less popular than before in current social life, ________.

A. are still a must on certain occasions                    

B. can help improve personal relationships

C. are still being taught by parents at home                   

D. are certain to return sooner or later

    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 (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.

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