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.

1. 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.

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 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

4. 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

Today’s children are the “result” of the modern society. Our parents have jobs that keep them busy almost all day long. They only have a free day in a week. This doesn’t allow them to keep an eye on their children.

On the other hand, the modern society gives more freedom to the children than they could “handle”. As a child, you don’t know how to grow up by yourself until you reach a certain age. That is why you need school and parents to be by your side all the time. If you don’t have either of them you may make a lot of mistakes. The social system of the modern society is very lenient especially with the children.

Most of the children today are rebels (判逆者). They are rude. They are given too much freedom by their families. This is their parent’s mistake. They ought to know that the freedom they give to their children is misunderstood.

For example it is a bad thing for a 17 – year – old child to go out in the evening on weekends. Parents are also guilty of the way their children show up in the street or at school. The same guilt belongs to the teaching system as well. Pupils shouldn’t be allowed to dress like they were on a fashion presentation at school.

Another important fact we can think of regarding the freedom of children is their free will of spending money. Parents shouldn’t allow their children to spend money on whatever they want.

I think children are given too much freedom not only by their parents, but also by the society. The latter is more to be blamed!

1.The writer implies that parents’ busy lifestyle         .

A．makes their children become independent

B．may lead to a tense parent – child relationship

C．is harmful to their children’s health

D．is likely to create a troubled generation

2.What does the underlined word “lenient” (in Para 2) mean?

A．Not responsible     B．Not strict.          C．Unkind.           D．Unfair.

3.It seems that the writer agrees that students          .

A．should stay at home on weekends

B．can wear trendy clothes at school

C．had better wear school uniform at school

D．can be allowed to go out in the evenings

4.According to the writer, which of the following takes the primary responsibility for children’s problems?

A．The social environment.                  B．The educational system.

C．Each family.                            D．The school.

完成句子，每空只填一词。

1.但是毫无疑问,他无愧于“一代杰出球员”的称号。

But ______ _____ _____ _______ _______ he deserves the title “outstanding player of his generation”. 

2.有些地方几乎全部被杂草覆盖,造成严重破坏。

Some areas are almost completely covered in weeds, ________ ＿＿＿＿　＿＿＿＿＿. 

3.因为接触到这种化学物质，这些动物死亡了。

The animals have died ＿＿＿　＿＿＿　＿＿＿＿＿＿＿　＿＿　coming into contact with this chemical.

4.她对电脑游戏的兴趣现在在下降。

Her interest in computer games is now _____ _____ _________．

5.任何在医院纵火的人都要受到惩罚。

Whoever ＿＿＿＿　＿＿＿＿　＿＿＿ the hospital will be punished.

1. The custom has __________________ (pass) from generation to generation.

2. I _______________________ (别无选择只好)obey him.

3. Dr. Watson and I will spend the night ____________________(被锁在你房间里).

4. Victor apologized for his ______________________ (not be able) to inform me of the change in the plan.

5. The party was going well until Mary arrived, then everything _______________ (出问题).

6. This score ________________ (被认为是)represent the achievement of an average 7-year-old.

7. The project was predicted _________________ (以……的设想为依据)the economy was expanding.

8. ________ (随着)the wealth of the country increases, more waste will be produced.

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.

1. 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.

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 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

4. 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