A recent article in The New York Times noted that Hollywood types now are wearing flip-flops(拖鞋)-- shoes appropriate for beachcombers--to business meetings. Decades ago, Californians were forgiven their sloppy attire as unique to their somewhat frivolous culture.
Elsewhere during that bygone era, people were careful how they dressed when seen in public and certainly when going to the office. No one would think of traveling by plane in shorts or wearing anything but their best clothes for attending a church service, concert, wedding, or funeral. Look at old newsreels of baseball games and you will see most of the men in a shirt and tie.
Walk through an airport today and you have to strain to find a man wearing a jacket (forget the shirt and tie) or a woman in a nice shirt. If so, they clearly are over 60. The standard for dressing down continues to decline. Neckties and suits no longer are fashionable; male models think it cool to have a face full of stubble(胡子茬). A rock star slouches onto the stage in his undershirt. Think about it: Dean Martin never failed to appear in Las Vegas in anything but his tux, and Frank Sinatra always was dressed to the nines when seen in public. That was the standard. Dress reflects many things about us and our culture. It tells us about standards, deportment, pride, and character.
Somewhere along the way, our elites lost their self-confidence. Codes of dress fell by the wayside and, with them, standards of language and behavior. In a world stable and peaceful with no enemies lurking in the shadows to do us unspeakable harm, why would it matter what standards of courtesy we follow Life would go on as it is. Sadly, this is not a relaxed era such as the 1990s. It matters now what kind of the society we are. We must recapture the seriousness of a generation that won World War II and persevered through the Cold War. We may be involved in a struggle even more lengthy, deadly, and demanding than the Cold War. The watchwords must be sacrifice, vigilance, and determination. A sloppy, self-indulgent culture will not produce an effective effort against an enemy as fanatical as the Japanese Kamikaze(日本神风敢死队) pilots.
Our seriousness in World War II and the early Cold War reflected the qualities of a generation of American leaders, embodying the virtues of public spiritedness, selflessness, courage, and integrity. These leaders were human and made mistakes, but they set the tone for an entire era. Their tough-minded policies and dignified appearance reflected their character. That is why it matters how we present ourselves in public. For in a time as serious as theirs-- and ours-- it is character that eventually will triumph.
From the text we can conclude that the author ______.

A:is to discuss the standard of manner and courtesy. B:is to emphasize the importance of dressing down. C:is to advocate the seriousness of character. D:is to advise on how to be selfless and thrifty.

What does the passage mainly discuss

A:The equipment divers use. B:The effects of pressure on gases in the human body. C:How to prepare for a deep dive. D:The symptoms of nitrogen bubbles in the bloodstream.

A recent article in The New York Times noted that Hollywood types now are wearing flip-flops(拖鞋)-- shoes appropriate for beachcombers--to business meetings. Decades ago, Californians were forgiven their sloppy attire as unique to their somewhat frivolous culture.
Elsewhere during that bygone era, people were careful how they dressed when seen in public and certainly when going to the office. No one would think of traveling by plane in shorts or wearing anything but their best clothes for attending a church service, concert, wedding, or funeral. Look at old newsreels of baseball games and you will see most of the men in a shirt and tie.
Walk through an airport today and you have to strain to find a man wearing a jacket (forget the shirt and tie) or a woman in a nice shirt. If so, they clearly are over 60. The standard for dressing down continues to decline. Neckties and suits no longer are fashionable; male models think it cool to have a face full of stubble(胡子茬). A rock star slouches onto the stage in his undershirt. Think about it: Dean Martin never failed to appear in Las Vegas in anything but his tux, and Frank Sinatra always was dressed to the nines when seen in public. That was the standard. Dress reflects many things about us and our culture. It tells us about standards, deportment, pride, and character.
Somewhere along the way, our elites lost their self-confidence. Codes of dress fell by the wayside and, with them, standards of language and behavior. In a world stable and peaceful with no enemies lurking in the shadows to do us unspeakable harm, why would it matter what standards of courtesy we follow Life would go on as it is. Sadly, this is not a relaxed era such as the 1990s. It matters now what kind of the society we are. We must recapture the seriousness of a generation that won World War II and persevered through the Cold War. We may be involved in a struggle even more lengthy, deadly, and demanding than the Cold War. The watchwords must be sacrifice, vigilance, and determination. A sloppy, self-indulgent culture will not produce an effective effort against an enemy as fanatical as the Japanese Kamikaze(日本神风敢死队) pilots.
Our seriousness in World War II and the early Cold War reflected the qualities of a generation of American leaders, embodying the virtues of public spiritedness, selflessness, courage, and integrity. These leaders were human and made mistakes, but they set the tone for an entire era. Their tough-minded policies and dignified appearance reflected their character. That is why it matters how we present ourselves in public. For in a time as serious as theirs-- and ours-- it is character that eventually will triumph.

From the text we can conclude that the author （）

A:is to discuss the standard of manner and courtesy. B:is to emphasize the importance of dressing down. C:is to advocate the seriousness of character. D:is to advise on how to be selfless and thrifty.

Many people want to know how to analyze problems they meet. There are six stages in analyzing a problem.
First the person must recognize that there is a problem. For example, Sam’s bicycle is broken, and he cannot ride it to class as he usually does. Sam must see that there is a problem with his bicycle.
Next the thinker must define the problem. Before Sam can repair his bicycle, he must find the reason why it does not work. For instance, he must determine if the problem is with the gears, the brakes, or the frame. He must make his problem more specific.
Now the person must look for information that will make the problem clearer and lead to possible solutions. For instance, suppose Sam decided that his bike does not work because there is something wrong with the gear wheels. At this time, he can look in his bicycle repair book and read about gears. He can talk to his friends at the bike shop.
After studying the problem, the person should have several suggestions for a possible solution. Take Sam as an illustration. His suggestions might be: put oil on the gear wheels; buy new gear wheels and replace the old ones; tighten or loosen the gear wheels.
Eventually one suggestion seems to be the solution to the problem. Sometimes the final idea comes very suddenly because the thinker suddenly sees something new or sees something in a new way. Sam, for example, suddenly sees that there is a piece of chewing gum between the gear wheels. He immediately realizes the solution to his problem: he must clean the gear wheels.
Finally the solution is tested. Sam cleans the gear wheels and finds that afterwards his bicycle works perfectly. In short, he has solved the problem.

By referring to Sam’s broken bicycle, the author intends to （　）

A:illustrate the ways to repair his bicycle B:discuss the problems of his bicycle C:tell us how to solve a problem D:show us how simple it is to repair a bicycle

Many people want to know how to analyze problems they meet. There are six stages in analyzing a problem.
First the person must recognize that there is a problem. For example, Sam’s bicycle is broken, and he cannot ride it to class as he usually does. Sam must see that there is a problem with his bicycle.
Next the thinker must define the problem. Before Sam can repair his bicycle, he must find the reason why it does not work. For instance, he must determine if the problem is with the gears, the brakes, or the frame. He must make his problem more specific.
Now the person must look for information that will make the problem clearer and lead to possible solutions. For instance, suppose Sam decided that his bike does not work because there is something wrong with the gear wheels. At this time, he can look in his bicycle repair book and read about gears. He can talk to his friends at the bike shop.
After studying the problem, the person should have several suggestions for a possible solution. Take Sam as an illustration. His suggestions might be: put oil on the gear wheels; buy new gear wheels and replace the old ones; tighten or loosen the gear wheels.
Eventually one suggestion seems to be the solution to the problem. Sometimes the final idea comes very suddenly because the thinker suddenly sees something new or sees something in a new way. Sam, for example, suddenly sees that there is a piece of chewing gum between the gear wheels. He immediately realizes the solution to his problem: he must clean the gear wheels.
Finally the solution is tested. Sam cleans the gear wheels and finds that afterwards his bicycle works perfectly. In short, he has solved the problem.
By referring to Sam’s broken bicycle, the author intends to ______.

A:illustrate the ways to repair his bicycle B:discuss the problems of his bicycle C:tell us how to solve a problem D:show us how simple it is to repair a bicycle

They are not aware of the reasons ______ people are unwilling to discuss insurance.

A:when B:where C:why D:how

What does the passage mainly discuss（）

A:The difference between "scientific" and "unscientific" explanations. B:The difference between human and animal behavior. C:How fear would be explained by the psychologist, physiologist, and molecular biologist. D:How scientists differ in their approaches to explaining natural phenomen

What does the passage mainly discuss

A:The difference between "scientific" and "unscientific" explanations. B:The difference between human and animal behavior. C:How fear would be explained by the psychologist, physiologist, and molecular biologist. D:How scientists differ in their approaches to explaining natural phenomena.

In a house, the kitchen is most likely to change in the future. The refrigerator may be able to talk to the owner when some part of it wears out. So before it stops working, the refrigerator itself" may let you know that there’s a problem. In addition, your fridge will also be able to tell you what are inside it. You don’t need to stand in front of an open refrigerator and look for what you want. When you have taken out the food from your refrigerator, your table may suggest recipes based on what you put on it. How is this possible The reason is the tiny computer chips, called RFIDs. They will be put in all the equipment in your kitchen, and even in furniture.
Besides refrigerator and table, other equipment in your kitchen will benefit you because of the chips. The washing machine will know how to wash plates cleaner. And you will be able to control your oven with your cell phone. You put your dinner into the oven before you leave home, and your phone will tell the oven when to start cooking, so that the meal has been ready when you get home. When you go to a grocery store, the RFIDs will also help you a lot. You put the chips in your shopping bag before leaving home, and then they wild tell you what you already have in your refrigerator. And the chips will charge your credit card, so that you don’t need to wait for a long lime before the cash desk any more.
If you love all the things today’s kitchen can do for you, you’ll love what tomorrow’s kitchen will do for you.
The main purpose of the passage is to ______.

A:give advice on how to use your kitchen B:discuss what our life will be like in the future C:tell how the kitchen will be developed in the future D:describe how we will go grocery shopping in the future