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 spells economic hard times. Last week Royal Doulton， the largest employer in Stoke－on－Trent， announced that it is eliminating 1，000jobs －－ 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 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 competent professionally but clueless socially.
The main cause of the layoffs in the pottery industry is_____. A. the increased value of the pound B. the economic recession in Asia C. the change in people‘s way of life D. the fierce competition at home and abroad
ID：9121-11885 Interestingly, __1__ Chaplin came from Britain, he was __2__ popular in other countries than in his own mother country. The truth is that most English people __3__ the Tramp a little __4__. It was generally thought __5__ them that he had __6__ of an eye for the ladies __7__ his clothes gave him an appearance more __8__ an Italian waiter than __9__ else. __10__ the image was not gentleman-like according to many English people. __11__, the silent movies helped Chaplin to __12__ his true nationality from American audiences. He __13__ making a talking movie __14__ 1936 when he __15__ a nonsense language which sounded like no known nationality. He __16__ said he thought of the Tramp __17__ an educated man who had fallen __18__ hard times. The truth is, however, that he was probably popular because he __19__ as character who revolted __20__ the privileged classes. 17 A for B by C as D with
ID：9121-12899 People who want the typist's job will be judged _________ how accurate and fast they are. A. in favor of B. in terms of C. in ways of D. in spite of
ID：9121-12149（本题为引用材料试题，请根据材料回答以下问题） It can be inferred from the passage that apologizing properly is _______. A. a social issue calling for immediate attention B. not necessary among family members C. a sign of social progress D. not as simple as it seems
ID：9121-11826（本题为引用材料试题，请根据材料回答以下问题） Greenhouse emissions will more than double by 2050 because of _________ . A. economic growth. B. wasteful use of energy C. the widening gap between the rich and poor D. the rapid advances of science and technology
