Passage Three

Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.

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 1,000jobs -- one-fifth of its total workforce. That brings to more than 4,000 the number of positions lost in 18 months in the pottery (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 ( 禮節 ) 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.

31. The trend toward casual dining has resulted in_____.

A) bankruptcy of fine china manufacturers
B) shrinking of the pottery industry
C) restructuring of large enterprises
D) economic recession in Great Britain

32. Which of the following may be the best reason for casual dining?

A) Family members need more time to relax.
B) Busy schedules leave people no time for formality.
C) People want to practice economy in times of scarcity.
D) Young people won't follow the etiquette of the older generation.

33. It can be learned from the passage that Royal Doulton is_____.

A) a retailer of stainless steel tableware C) a pottery chain store
B) a dealer in stoneware D) a producer of fine china

34. 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

35. Refined table manners, though less popular than before in current social life_____.

A) are still a must on certain occasions
B) axe bound to return sooner or later
C) are still being taught by parents at home
D) can help improve personal relationships

Passage Four

Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.

Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example of the second type of house won an Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Architects.

Located on the shore of Sullivan's Island off the coast of South Carolina, the award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by Hurricane ( 颶風 ) Hugo 10 years ago. In September 1989, Hugo struck South Carolina, killing 18 people and damaging or destroying 36,000 homes in the state.

Before Hugo, many new houses built along South Carolina's shoreline were poorly constructed, and enforcement of building codes wasn't strict, according to architect Ray Huff, who created the cleverly-designed beach house. In Hugo's wake, all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced codes. The new beach house on Sullivan's Island should be able to withstand a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour.

At first sight, the house on Sullivan's Island looks anything but hurricane-proof. Its redwood shell makes it resemble "a large party lantern ( 燈籠 )" at night, according to one observer. But looks can be deceiving. The house's wooden frame is reinforced with long steel rods to give it extra strength.

To further protect the house from hurricane damage, Huff raised it 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings -- long, slender columns of wood anchored deep in the sand. Pilings might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also elevate the house above storm surges. The pilings allow the surges to run under the house instead of running into it. "These swells of water come ashore at tremendous speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings," said Huff.

Huff designed the timber pilings to be partially concealed by the house's ground-to-roof shell. "The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn't look like it's standing with its pant legs pulled up," said Huff. In the event of a storm surge, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained.

36. After the tragedy caused by Hurricane Hugo, new houses built along South Carolina's shore line are required_____.

A) to be easily reinforced C) to meet stricter building standards
B) to look smarter in design D) to be designed in the shape of cubes

37. The award-winning beach house is quite strong because____.

A) it is strengthened by steel rods C) it is in the shape of a shell
B) it is made of redwood D) it is built with timber and concrete

38. Huff raised the house 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings in order to _____.

A) withstand peak winds of about 200 km/hr
B) anchor stronger pilings deep in the sand
C) break huge sea waves into smaller ones
D) prevent water from rushing into the house

39. The main function of the shell is

A) to strengthen the pilings of the house
B) to give the house a better appearance
c) to protect the wooden frame of the house
D) to slow down the speed of the swelling water

40. It can be inferred from the passage that the shell should be____.

A) fancy-looking C) easily breakable
B) waterproof D) extremely strong