Question

You’ve just come home, after living abroad for a few years. Since you’ve been away, has this country changed for the better—or for the worse?

If you’ve just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight’s holiday, small changes have probably surprised you—anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.

So how have things changed to people coming back to Britain after seven, ten or even 15 years living abroad? What changes in society can they see that the rest of us have hardly noticed—or now take for granted? To find out, we asked some people who recently returned.

Debi: When we left, Cheltenham, my home town, was a town of white, middle-class families—all very conservative (保守的). The town is now home to many eastern Europeans and lots of Australians, who come here mainly to work in hotels and tourism. There are even several shops only for foreigners.

Having been an immigrant (移民) myself, I admire people who go overseas to find a job. Maybe if I lived in an inner city where unemployment was high, I’d think differently, but I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they’re more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.

Christine: As we flew home over Britain, both of us remarked how green everything looked. But the differences between the place we’d left behind and the one we returned to were brought sharply into focus as soon as we landed.

To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening—in Cyprus, they’re very relaxed—and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall. Everyone seemed to be on guard. Even the airport car-hire firm wanted a credit card rather than cash because they said their vehicles had been used by bank robbers.

But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they’ve got. 

1.After a short overseas holiday, people tend to _______.

A．expect small changes

B．notice small changes

C．welcome small changes

D．exaggerate small changes

2.How does Debi look at the foreign settlers?

A．Cautiously.	B．Sceptically.
C．Positively.	D．Critically.

3.When arriving at the airport in Britain, Christine was shocked by _______.

A．the relaxed policemen	B．the messy arrivals hall
C．the bank robbers	D．the tight security

4.Which might be the best title for the passage?

A．Back in Britain.	B．Life in Britain.
C．Britain in Future.	D．Britain in Memory.

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.D

4.A

【解析】文章主要讨论的是那些在海外多年以后回到英国会看到的内容以及做出的反应。

1.B 细节题。根据文章第2段small changes have probably surprised you—anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.可知B正确。人们会注意一些小的变化。

2.C 推理题。根据t I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they’re more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.可知他认为国外移民给英国社会带来了很多好的方面。所以他对国外移民的态度应该是积极的。

3.D 细节题。根据To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening及倒数第2段所有内容可知他对英国机场的安保工作感觉到非常的震惊。

4.A 主旨大意题。文章主要讨论的是那些在海外多年以后回到英国会看到的内容以及做出的反应。