Looking back on years of living in a working-class home in the North of England, I should say that a good living room must 11 three principal things: homeliness, warmth and plenty of good food. The living-room is the warm heart of the family and 12 often slightly stuffy to a middle-class visitor. It is not a social centre but a family center; little entertaining goes on there or in the front room, if there 13 to be one; you do not entertain in anything approaching the middle-class 14 The wife's social life outside her 15 family is found over the washing-line, at the little shop on the corner, visiting relatives at a moderate 16 occasionally, and perhaps now and again a visit with her husband to his pub or club. Apart from these two places, he has just his work and his football matches. They will have, each of them, friends at all these places, who may well not know what the inside of their house is like, having never "stepped across the threshold," as the old 17 phrase has it. The family hearth is 18 for the family itself, and those who are "something to us"(another favorite formula) and who look in for a talk or just to sit. Much of the free time of a man and his wife will 19 be passed at that hearth. Just staying in is still one of the most common leisure-time 20

　　A. happens

　　B. professions

　　C. sense

　　D. nevertheless

　　E. fashioned

　　F. distance

　　G. immediate

　　H. usually

　　I. occupations

　　J. preserved

　　K. imitate

　　L. provide

　　M. therefore

　　N reserved

　　0. contribute

　　答案：11. L 12. M 13. A 14. C 15. G 16. F 17. E 18. N 19. H 20. I

　　Personality is , to large extent, inherent --A-type parents usually bring about A-type offspring. But the environment must also have a profound effect, since if competition is improtant to the parents, it is likely to become a major factor lives of their children.

　　One place where children soak up A characteristics is school, which is, by its very nature, a highly competitive institution. Too many schools adopt the "win at all costs" moral standard and measure their success by sporting achievements. The current passion for making children compete against their classmates or against the clock produces a two-layer system, in which competitive A types seem in some way better than their B-type fellows. Being too keen to win can have dangerous consequences:remember that Pheidippides ,the first marathon runner, dropped dead seconds after saying:"Rejoice, we conquer!".

　　By far the worst form of competition in school is the disproportionate emphasis on examinations . It is a rare school that allows pupils to concentrate on those things they do well.The merits of competition by examination are somewhat questionable, but competition in the certain knowledge of failure is positively harmful.

　　Obviously, it is neither practical nor desirable that all A youngsters change into 'B's. The would needs types, and schools have an important duty to try to fit a child's personality to his possible future employment. It is top management.

　　1. According to the author, what factors contribute to the building of personality?

　　A. inheritance

　　b. inheritance, competition and environment

　　c. competition

　　d. environment

　　2.Which of the following statements is not true according to the author of the passage?

　　A. Schools usually adopt severe competitive policies.

　　B. Students are often divided by competition results.

　　C. School is place where children cultivate their characteristics.

　　D. The stronger desire for winning, the better.

　　3.The phrase "soak up" is closest in meaning to ____.

　　A. pull up b. take up c. take in d. pull in

　　4.What attitude does the author hold toward examinations in schools?

　　A. positive b. negative c. doubtful d. neutral

　　5.what suggestion does the author make concerning the management of schools?

　　A. All students be made into competitive A types.

　　B. A child's personality be considered in regard to his possible future job.

　　C. All students be changed into B characteristics.

　　D. Schools abolish all forms of examinations.

　　答案：bdccb