Manners nowadays in metropolitan cities like London are practically non-existence, it’s nothing for a big, strong schoolboy to elbow an elderly woman aside in the dash for the last remaining seat on the tube or bus, much less stand up and offer his seat to her.
This question of giving up seats in public transport is much argued by young men, who say that, since women have claimed equality, they no longer deserve to be treated with courtesy 礼貌、谦让) and that those who go out to work should take their turn in the rat race like anyone else. Women have never claimed to be physically as strong as men. Even if it is not agreed, however, that young men should stand up for younger women, the fact remains that courtesy should be shown to the old, the sick and the burdened. Are we really so lost to all ideals of unselfishness that we can sit there indifferently reading the paper or a book, saying to ourselves “First come, first severed”, while a grey-haired woman, a mother with a young child stands? Yet this is all too often seen.
Older people, tired and quick-tempered from a day"s work, are not angels, either-far from it. Many a brisk argument or an insulting quarrel breaks out as the weary queues push and shove each other to get on buses and tubes. One cannot commend this, of course, but on does feel there is just a little more excuse.
If cities are to remain pleasant places to live in at all, however, it seems imperative（迫切的）, not only that communications in transport should be improved, but also that communication between human beings should be kept smooth and polite. All over cities, it seems that people are too tired and too rushed to be polite. Shop assistant"s won"t bother to assist, taxi drivers growl at each other as they dash dangerously round corners, bus conductors pull the bell before their desperate passengers have had time to get on or off the bus, and so on and so on. It seems to us that it is up to the young and strong to do their small part to stop such deterioration（恶化）.
小题1:What is the writer"s opinion concerning courteous manners towards women?| A．Since women have claimed equality, they no longer need to be treated differently from men. | | B．It is generally considered old-fashioned for young men to give up their seats to young women. | | C．"Lady First" should be universally practiced. | | D．Special consideration ought to be shown to them. |
小题2:According to the passage communication between human beings would not be smoother unless ________.| A．people were more considerate towards each other | | B．people were not so tired and quick-tempered | | C．women were treated with more courtesy | | D．public transport could be improved. |
小题3:The author probably does NOT agree that in big cities _______.| A．Life will be even worse if no change is made | | B．transport conditions are rather poor | | C．it’s not uncommon to see people quarrel in public places | | D．it’s unreasonable to require the tired people to be polite |
小题4:The main purpose of the author is to ________.| A．call on people in big cities to pay more attention to politeness | | B．blame the schoolboys’ rude behavior towards elderly women on the tube or bus | | C．criticize the fast pace of city life | | D．tell young men to give their seats to elderly people |
小题5:How could you describe the tone of this passage? | A．acceptable | B．opponent | | C．negative | D．encouraging |
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