Unit 10

Task  1

【答案】

A.

1) washing machines, televisions, cars, 1946, unemployment, soldiers, politicians, on television, in films

2) 10 percent

B.

1) The Market Research Society.

2) More than 3,000 people were questioned.

3) People dress far more casually than they used to.

4) In the past "an evening out" for most people mean a visit to the cinema. Today they would be more likely to go to a restaurant or to a disco.

5) The lack of ambition among the middle-aged.

C.  1) F    2) T    3) F   4) T    5) F    6) F

【原文】

Ordinary people in Britain have more washing machines, televisions and cars than in 1946. They also have more fear of unemployment. Whereas once the nation's heroes used to be soldiers or politicians, today they are more likely to be famous faces on television or in films, such as Sylvester Stallone.

These are just some of the changes discovered in a series of surveys by the Market Research Society. More than 3,000 people were questioned and the results were compared with a similar survey done in 1946. In many cases, the new survey tells us what we already knew, such as the fact that many people are better off in a material sense and that women spend much less time at the kitchen sink or in the home looking after their families. But we also learn a number of other things. Tastes in clothing and entertainment have changed considerably. People dress far more casually than they used to. And whereas "an evening out" for most people used to mean a visit to the cinema, today it is far more likely to involve going to a restaurant or to a disco. Some things have not changed. People still adore the films of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman even though they are more likely to watch them on television or video. And despite the variety of foreign food now available, more than a quarter of the people in the survey said they preferred a meal of steak and chips. The only change is that a large number would also like wine with it instead of beer. In 1946 only a small proportion—less than 10 percent—ever drank wine with their meals.

One of the most surprising things to come out of the new research is the lack of ambition among the middle-aged. Many executives feel that by the time they are in their mid-forties, they have achieved all their most important goals in life. Most of them said they would prefer to retire in their fifties rather than go on working for a promotion.

 

Task  2

【答案】

A.

Column 1                     Column 2                  Column 3

Dilip Sardesai              a shop on the Internet             Ohio, USA

and his wife Andrija     

Nicole Pernot              a small stationer’s shop          near Arras, France

Dave Stirling              a Forum hypermarket           Newcastle, England

B.

1) d)   2) c)    3) a)    4) b)    5) c)

【原文】

For the past eighteen years, Dilip Sardesai and his wife Andrija have run a small stationer’s shop in the university city of Newcastle, in the north-east of England. As well as selling paper, pens, computer and office equipment, they also offer a photocopying and fax service. They work long hours to keep the shop going, and both of their children help them after school. Dilip sees the personal contact he has with his customers as the most important part of his job. “Many of our customers are from the university”, says Dilip. “We’ve seen generations of students come and go. we like to offer them the kind of personal service they can’t get in a larger shop. We’re never too busy to stop and chat about exams, or whatever they want to talk about.”

Nicole Pernot is the manageress of a Forum hypermarket, situated 20 kilometers from Arras, a town in the north-east of France. Forum has 600 stores in five different countries and plans to expand into Eastern Europe. The huge hypermarket employs over 300 people, and has parking spaces for over 3.000 cars. “People nowadays have busy lives”, says Nikole, “so we try to attract families by offering them a complete shopping experience, including a full restaurant service and free entertainment for the children. We try to make it possible for shoppers to do all their weekly shopping in one place. People come here not only for food and household goods, but also clothes, electrical goods, books, CDs…..In fact, we sell everything from peanuts to personal computers!”

Five years ago, Dave Stirling had the idea of selling CDs over the Internet. The business he started from his home in Ohio, USA, now sells 500,000 CDs year and his made him into a millionaire at the age of twenty-four. “I could see right away that this was the future of shopping”, says Stirling. “Why should you pay $15 for a CD – and spend the time and money getting to the store and parking your car, when, by clicking on your computer, you can have the same CD brought to your door for half the cost? And of course, there’s the choice – we promise to find any CD and deliver it within seventy-two hours.” According to Stirling, this is only the beginning. “I believe that one day we will do all our shopping over the Net: It’s easier, quicker and cheaper. Shops and supermarkets will soon be a thing of the past.”

 

Task  3

【答案】

A.

1)

  a) One in three

b) doubled, 25 years

c) increased, 50 percent

d) went up, 15 percent, 1980, 1995

2)

  a) around half, unmarried parents, a third

b) births outside marriage

3)

  a) seven, 1970, five

b) the lowest, 1995

4)

  a) the United States, the United Kingdom

b) Denmark

c) 10 percent, 1980, 1990

B.

1) This fall in the birthrate is due in part to the fact that, as more women have careers, they are waiting longer and longer to start a family.

2) It is still too early to tell. Because in some countries these patterns are actually reversing.

【原文】

As the divorce rate rises and fewer couples bother with marriage, we ask if the traditional nuclear family is becoming a thing of the past.

While you are reading this article, somewhere in the United States two couples will get married and another will get divorced. One in three American children now live with only one parent, and the United States is not alone in this: In Canada and France the divorce rate has doubled in the last 25 years, and in Hungary and Greece it has increased by 50 percent. Even in Japan, where the traditional family is still strong, divorce went up by 15 percent between 1980 and 1995.

What is more, the nature of the family is changing. In Sweden and Denmark, around half of all babies are now born to unmarried parents, and in the United Kingdom and France more than a third. Even in Ireland, traditionally the most Catholic country in Europe, the rate of births outside marriage is 20 percent.

Families are also getting smaller. The average Turkish family had seven members in 1970; today it has only five. And in Spain and Italy, where families were always traditionally large, the birthrate was the lowest in the developed world in 1995. This fall in the birthrate is due in part to the fact that, as more women have careers, they are waiting longer and longer to start a family. The age at which the average woman has her first baby is now 28 in Western Europe, and it is getting later.

So the nuclear family is clearly changing, but is it in danger of disappearing completely?

The truth is that it is still too early to tell. In some countries these patterns are actually reversing. In the United States, Scandinavia and the United Kingdom, the birthrate is rising once more; and in Denmark, for example, marriage is becoming more popular again. In the United States, the divorce rate in fact fell by 10 percent between 1980 and 1990, and it is continuing to fall.

Perhaps a new revolution is beginning?

 

Task  4

【答案】

A.  b)

B.

1) Because younger workers are generally more productive, adaptable and flexible, while older workers tend to lose speed and flexibility. In the future, with constantly changing technology, it is countries with much younger populations that will succeed, rather than the major industrial nations like Japan, the USA and Germany.

2) According to Angela Seligman, one of the problems is that a relatively small working population will have to support

a large number of unproductive retired people. And “younger” countries will be more competitive in the world

market than “elderly” countries. Another problem is that huge sums will have to be spent on health and welfare

facilities for these old people.

【原文】

Presenter: In the West old people are living longer and fewer babies are being born. According to Tracy Harris, this is having a drastic effect on the profile of the population.

Tracy Harris: If we look ahead to the year 2025, we can see that the profile of the population in many countries will be very different from what it is today. In Germany, for example, 41 percent of the population will be over 50 compared with the current figures of 2.7 percent. And one in ten people will be over 75 years old, and that will be true in Japan as well. By the year 2025 in most Western countries one in five people will be over 65. So today's 25 to 40 year-olds are tomorrow's over- sixties.

Presenter: Why should this be regarded as a "problem"?

Tracy Harris: The major industrial nations like Japan, the USA and Germany will be elderly, whereas countries like Brazil, Korea and Egypt will have much younger populations. Now, the point is that younger workers are generally more productive, adaptable and flexible. While it is true that older workers have acquired skill and judgment, they do tend to lose speed and flexibility. In the future, with constantly changing technology, it's the more adaptable workers who will succeed, and they're more likely to be the younger ones.

Presenter: According to Angela Seligman, there are several problems facing Western countries in the future.

Angela Seligman: One of the problems as I see it is that a relatively small working population will have to support a large number of unproductive retired people. And of course “younger” countries will be more competitive in the world market than “elderly” countries. Another thing is that huge sums will have to be spent on health and welfare facilities for these old people.

Presenter: So, how can these problems be solved?...

 

Task  5

【答案】

A.

man is slowly changing all the time

1) three inches, man will continue to grow taller

2) forehead, grow larger, our brains, a physical change

3) stronger

4) grow weaker, more sensitive

5) disappear from the body altogether, it won’t be useful any longer

a human being, thoughts and emotions

B.

1) F    2) T    3) T

【原文】

    What will man be like in the future—in 5,000 or even 50,000 years from now? We can only make guesses, of course, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today. For man is slowly changing all the time.

Let us take an obvious example. Man, even five hundred years ago, was shorter than he is today. Now, on average, men are about three inches taller. Five hundred years is relatively short period of time, so we may assume that man will continue to grow taller.

Again, in the modern world we use our brains a great deal. Even so, we still make use of only about 20% of the brain’s capacity. As time goes on, however, we shall have to use our brains more and more, and eventually we shall need larger ones! This is likely to bring about a physical change to the head, in particular the forehead, will grow larger.

　　Nowadays our eyes are in constant use. In fact, we use them so much that very often they become weaker and we have to wear glasses. But over very long period of time it is likely that man’s eyes will grow stronger.

　　On the other hand, we tend to make less use of our arms and legs. These, as a result, are likely to grow weaker. At the same time, however, our fingers will grow more sensitive because they are used a great deal in modern life.

　　But what about hair? This will probably disappear from the body altogether in course of time because it does not serve a useful purpose any longer. In the future, then, both sexes are likely to be bald!

Perhaps all this gives the impression that future man will not be a very attractive creature to look at! This may well be true. All the same, in spite of all these changes, future man will still have a lot in common with use. He will still be a human being, with thoughts and emotions similar to our own.

 

Task  6

【答案】

A.

1) d)    2) b)    3) b)

B.

1) F    2) T    3) T    4) T

【原文】

It is their ordinariness that makes them interesting. Lisa, Tina and Cheryl are 14-year-old schoolgirls who come from families which are neither rich nor poor. Newbury Park, the area they inhabit, is also quite typical.

Still too young to go to the pubs and discos, the youthful trio spends much of its non-school time on this landscape’s streets, or at its various fast-food outlets.

      Talking to these girls, as they giggle beneath a lamppost, is not difficult. Lisa, the tallest one, seems to be the leader. She has creamy skin and shoulder-length, dark ringlets. Cheryl and Tina are smaller and have medium-length, fair to brown hair. They join readily in chatting about pop music and fashion.

      What do they do when they are not at school or on the streets? “Watch television,” say Lisa and Tina, in tandem. What else? “The problem is we don’t have much money,” Lisa adds. “Sometimes we go to the pictures. Or up West, Leicester Square for the amusement arcades.”

      What do they do in the amusement arcades? “Play video games. Space Invaders. Things like that,”says Tina. She turns to Cheryl. “Cheryl’s the one for the video games.” Cheryl blushed deeply.

     What about boys? Do they have boyfriends? This causes giggles. “That’s our business.” says Lisa. She is smiling, but there is a prohibitive look in her eyes. What about books, do they ever read books? “Adrian Mole,” says Tina. “I’m reading it now. It’s all right.”

      No other books? “I’ve read Jude the Obscure,” volunteers Lisa. “It’s by Thomas Hardy,” she adds. What did she think of it? She looks at her friend, and their eyes, in some private permission, meet. “I think,” she says, turning towards her friends, “that’s a load of crap.” The other two break into laughter, as if she had said something clever.

       It is obviously time, before the conversation wanders too far into the comic to get to the heart of things. What do they think life is all about? Is it about pleasure, or is it about finding something to believe in? Tina and Cheryl look shocked; Lisa looks offended. Perhaps such questioning is too reminiscent of what issues from the religious studies teacher.

      Tina and Cheryl gaze, in appeal, at Lisa. Her voice is now abrupt. “We don’t bother with that stuff,” she declares. “We just get on with it. Like everybody else.”

      Then Cheryl, who has not yet spoken, suddenly contributes. “Your problem is that you’re out of date,” she says, staring at me. “You miss the point by miles.” The other two are looking at her expectantly.

      “What it’s all about is machines. Not books. Not big questions. Computers and videos are what really count. That’s what the future is all about.”

      A little later the conversation is over and the trio heads off down the road, arm in arm. They are tomorrow’s wives and mothers and they carry with them their flat, video-game consciousness.

      In a country which increasingly approximates to the dreariness of a giant Newbury Park, the thought is inescapable that such a consciousness may well be a commonplace part of “what the future is all about”.

 

Task  7

【答案】

A.

1) T    2) F    3) F   4) F   5) T    6) F    7) T   8) F   9) F

B.

1) The financial news reads that he Euro has risen sharply in Shanghai. Then Mary tells the computer to buy 5,000 Euros.

2) He is a computer programmer, working for several companies on a contract basis. He used to be in marketing and then television.

3) She is doing research into genetic engineering together with several other people. She works at home.

4) Classrooms vanished in 2030 because there was no longer any need for them: Interactive communications systems have made it much easier to learn at home.

5) Louise regards marriage as an old-fashioned concept, and doesn’t want one herself. She likes the idea of a serious relationship, and thinks there will probably be several during her lifetime since she doesn’t want to tie herself down to one person.

【原文】

It's March, 2050.

Frank and Mary Smith wake up in their comfortable house overlooking the sea and switch on the bedroom computer to give them a news update. They used to take The Times, but changed to electronic newspapers many years ago.

There is the usual stuff about space: Another mission has returned from Mars and scientists have discovered a new planet. No big deal. There was great excitement back in 2027, when signals were received from Titan which indicated that there might be life on a remote moon, but efforts to make contact came to nothing and no aliens have appeared on Earth to say "hello". The Catholic Church has elected a black Pope. Interesting, but religion does not play a significant role in their lives. Financial news: The Euro has risen sharply in Shanghai, one of the world's leading business centers. Mary tells the computer to buy 5,000 Euros, and there is instant confirmation that the transaction has been done. Not for the first time she wonders why Europe ever bothered to have so many different currencies.

As they watch the screen, Frank and Mary take their usual weight control pills, and order one of the household robots to make coffee. Frank disappears into the study to join a live video conference with his colleagues around the world. He is a computer programmer, working for several companies on a contract basis. This is his third career: He used to be in marketing and then television.

Mary has a quick look at the shopping channels—the usual selection of electric cars, household robots and cheap travel offers—before picking up the video phone to talk to a colleague. She also has a job, which she shares with several others. They are doing research into genetic engineering, which has become a major industry. Both she and Frank used to have an office desk in London, but in 2014 they decided to move to the seaside and work from home.

 Frank and Mary have one child, Louise, who also has her own workstation in the family home. She goes to school only one day a week, mainly to play with other children. Classrooms vanished in 2030 because there was no longer any need for them: Interactive communications systems have made it much easier to learn at home. Louise, now thirteen, is currently studying Chinese, which has become as important as English as a world language. Louise has many Chinese friends with whom she communicates by computer.

According to medical experts, Louise will live to at least 130. She intends to work for a few decades and then devote her time to music and painting. Louise has given little thought to marriage, which she regards as an old-fashioned concept, and she is not sure whether she will ever want to have a child. She likes the idea of a serious relationship, and thinks there will probably be several during her lifetime, but why should she tie herself down to one person?

 

Task  8

【原文】

In many countries the status of women has improved considerably over the last 50 years. Although there are still relatively few women in senior business positions, many women pursue their careers in much the same way that men do. In the UK, men's behavior towards women has had to change. For example, men must be careful when they talk about a woman's appearance; some women may find a complimentary remark sexist. Many women prefer not to be referred to as "ladies"; they prefer the more neutral "women". Many women are naturally sensitive about typically male jokes. There are areas of social interaction where men now feel uncertain how to behave. Twenty years ago would always open doors for women; nowadays some women might find this action patronizing.