单选题 Last month, the public address system at Earl's Court subway station in London was ordered to get the noise down. Passengers, it seems, had had enough of being told the blindingly obvious: "Stand back or the train will run you over." "Don't lean on the doors." "Stand back from the opening doors." "Do this." "Don't do that."
Bossiness is not just aural. It is also written. As a commuter, I'm continually bombarded by notices on car walls. "Please take your feet off the seat." "Please turn down your personal stereo." And when I drive past the local primary, a sign flashes: "School. Slow down!"
The presumption behind these signs is that Britons must have everything spelled out because we are low, uncivilized people who were raised by wolves.
Britain didn't use to be so bossy. When I was a boy, for instance, the local cinema put a warning on screen before we settled down to watch. "Don't," it said, "make noises." In those days, long before mobile phones, it was the only bossiness we saw in the cinema. Since then, bossiness has become more commonplace. Television, that strongest guide to public morals and lifestyles in this country, is alive with dominant people. On screen, we see health experts holding some poor woman's breasts and demanding that she get in shape. Cooking programs tell us not to think of leaving toast crumbs on the kitchen table.
There is no point in blaming TV for this new bossiness. We want to be bossed. We have behaved badly and now we yearn to feel the whip to correct us. On July 1, smoking will be banned in public places in England. My local government told churches in the area last week that no-smoking posters must be prominently displayed by church entrances.
I love this: the governments are bossing people to make them more bossy. They are insisting that priests tell their congregations (教区的教发) what to do.
My local government isn't the only source of bossiness. I find it everywhere. But the rise in bossiness does not seem to have been accompanied by a rise in socially well-adjusted behavior. In fact, the opposite. Perhaps this is because, if you feel as though you are treated with contempt, you will respond with the same.
单选题 The case at Earl's Court subway station shows that______.
  • A. it is very noisy in public places
  • B. it is necessary to warn the passengers of their safety
  • C. people have realized the importance of public order
  • D. people have been tired of being bossed
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】
单选题 It is presumed that bossiness is everywhere because Britons
  • A. need to be bossed to behave themselves
  • B. want to be reminded of how to behave well
  • C. must have everything spelled out
  • D. are raised in uncivilized society
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】
单选题 It is suggested in the passage that
  • A. now Britons behave much better than they did in the past
  • B. in the past Britons behaved much better than they do now
  • C. the dominant people on screen should be blamed for the new bossiness
  • D. television has misguided the public morals and lifestyles in Britain
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】
单选题 According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
  • A. Television should play a role in enhancing public morals.
  • B. The local government has got involved in the church activities.
  • C. The governments want to make themselves more authoritative by bossing people.
  • D. The rise in bossiness has helped the improvement of people's behavior.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】
单选题 The author writes this passage in a
  • A. funny tone
  • B. criticizing tone
  • C. friendly tone
  • D. radical tone
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】
单选题 What is the appropriate title of this passage?
  • A. British People Have Had Enough Bossiness Around
  • B. British People Want to Be Bossed
  • C. Bossiness in Great Britain: Its Past and Present
  • D. Bossiness in Great Britain Should Be Ignored
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】