WhenfamiliesgatherforChristmasdinner,somewillsticktoformaltraditionsdatingbacktoGrandma’sgeneration.Theirtableswillbesetwiththegooddishesandsilver,andthedresscodewillbeSunday-best.
Butinmanyotherhomes,thischina--and--silverelegancehasgivenwaytostoneware(粗陶)--and--stainlessinformality,withdressesassuminganequallycasual--Fridaylook.Forhostsandguests,thechangemeansgreatersimplicityandcomfort.FormakersoffinechinainBritain,itspellseconomichardtimes.
LastweekRoyalDoulton,thelargestemployerinStoke-onTrent,announcedthatitiseliminating1,000jobs--one-fifthofitstotalworkforce.Thatbringstomorethan4,000thenumberofpositionslostin18monthsinthepottery(陶瓷)region.Wedgwoodandotherpotteryfactoriesmadecutsearlier.
AlthoughastrongpoundandweakmarketsinAsiaplayaroleinthedownsizing,thelayoffsinStokehavetheirrootsinearthshakingsocialshifts.AspokesmanforRoyalDoultonadmittedthatthecompany“hasbeensomewhatslowincatchingupwiththetrend”towardcasualdining.Familieseattogetherlessoften,heexplained,andmorepeopleeatalone,eitherbecausetheyaresingleortheyeatinfrontoftelevision.
Evendinnerparties,iftheyhappenatall,havegonecausal.Inatimeoflongworkhoursanddemandingfamilyschedules,busyhostsinsist,rightly,thatit’sbettertoshareatakeoutpizzaonpaperplatesinthefamilyroomthantowaitfortheperfectmomentora“real”dinnerparty.Toooften,theperfectmomentnevercomes,Ironafine-pattenedtablecloth?Forgetit.Polishthesilver?Whohastime?
Yetthelossofformalityhasitsdownside.Thefinepointsofetiquette(礼节)thatchildrenmightoncehavelearnedatthetablebyobservationorinstructionfromparentsandgrandparents(“Chewwithyourmouthclosed.”“keepyourelbowsoffthetable.”)mustbepickedupelsewhere.Somecompaniesnowofferetiquetteseminarsforemployeeswhomaybecompetentprofessionallybutcluelesssocially.
练习题：
Choosecorrectanswerstothequestion:
1.Thetrendtowardcasualdininghasresultedin______
A.bankruptcyoffinechinamanufacturers
B.Shrinkingofthepotteryindustry
C.restructuringoflargeenterprises
D.EconomicrecessioninGreatBritain
2.Whichofthefollowingmaybethebestreasonforcasualdining?
A.Familymembersneedmoretimetorelax.
B.Busyschedulesleavepeoplenotimeforformality.
C.Peoplewanttopracticeeconomyintimesofscarcity.
D.Youngpeoplewon’tfollowtheetiquetteoftheoldergeneration.
3.ItcanbelearnedfromthepassagethatRoyalDoultonis_______
A.aretailerofstainlesssteeltableware
4.Themaincauseofthelayoffsinthepotteryindustryis_______
A.theincreasedvalueofthepound
B.theeconomicrecessioninAsia
C.thechangeinpeople’swayoflife
D.thefiercecompetitionathomeandabroad
5.Refinedtablemanners,thoughlesspopularthanbeforeincurrentsociallife,_______
A.arestillamustoncertainoccasions
B.areboundtoreturnsoonerorlater
C.arestillbeingtaughtbyparentsathome
D.Canhelpimprovepersonalrelationships
答案：
1.[B]推理判断题。首先依据题目中的casualdining找到第2段中的informality。其后有两个for引导的介词短语，后一个说“对于英国精致瓷器的制造商来说，这(informality)意味着经济困难时期”;此外,第3段用数据具体指出陶瓷业裁员之严重，说明陶瓷业在萎缩，即B。A、D均属夸大事实，C与文章内容无关。
2.[B]事实细节题。根据倒数第2段第2句中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,B中的Busyschedules与文中的demandingfamilyschedules对应，故为答案。
3.[D]事实细节题。RoyalDoulton在文章中出现过两次：第3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4段中“AspokesmanforRoyalDoultonadmittedthatthecompany...”，暗示公司的性质，可以推断它是精制器皿的生产者。
4.[C]事实细节题。根据题目中的thelayoffs找到文章第4段首句，其中的havetheirrootsin相当于题目中的maincauseis,shifts相当于C中的change。其实本题与第1题是交叉相关的，从第1题的题目可找到本题的答案。
5.[A]事实细节题。根据最后一段，特别是第2句“Thefinepointsofetiquette...mustbepickedupelsewhere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，故答案为A。
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