Question

Thirty years ago not many people would have dreamed of doing the repairs and decorations in their own homes. In those days labor was fairly cheap and most people would have thought it worthwhile to employ a professional painter and decorator, unless of course they were either very hand up or were in the trade themselves.

Today, however, it is quite a different story. Men and women in all walks of life turn their hands to all sorts of jobs round the house including painting, papering, putting up shelves and wall units, and tiling walls and floors. Some people with no professional training of any kind have even successfully built their own houses. These jobs have been made easier today by the introduction of prepared materials, which require the minimum amount of skill to use. In every high street throughout Britain nowadays there is at least one “Do-It-Yourself” shop containing a vast range of timber, tiles, paints, wallpapers and floor coverings besides tools of every description including power drills and many accessories. “Do-It-Yourself” is a booming（繁荣的） business; all these shops do a roaring trade and look like continuing to do so. Probably the main reason for the craze is the high cost of present-day labor and the shortage of building firms willing to do small jobs.

1.Why did people employ professional workers to decorate homes thirty years ago?

A. Because they could not do it themselves.

B. Because professional workers could do much better.

C. Because they had no time.

D. Because professional workers were very cheap.

2.Thirty years later what changes took place?

A. People could do everything themselves. 

B. People with no professional training successfully built their own houses.

C. Few people chose to be a professional worker.

D. New expensive materials required no skills at all.

3.What caused the DIY craze?

A. High cost of professional workers.

B. “Do-It-Yourself” is a booming business.

C. There were fewer building companies.

D. Young people liked to follow the fashion

4.What is the speaker telling us ?

A. Changes in housing..        

B. Changes in building.

C. How DIY comes into being   

D. Great changes in these thirty

Answer

1.D

2.B

3.A

4.C

【解析】

试题分析: 本文介绍了DIY的兴起过程。在三十年前由于劳动力的廉价，许多家庭的装修任务都是请专业人员去做。但是由于劳动力的升值和部分事情的简化，现在的情况有了很大转变，各行各业的人们都开始自己动手去做家装活动，包括粉刷、订架子或者铺地板等。

1. 细节理解题。根据文章第一段In those days labor was fairly cheap and most people would have thought it worthwhile to employ a professional painter and decorator可知请专业人员的费用很便宜，故答案选D。

2.Some people with no professional training of any kind have even successfully built their own houses.可以判断答案选B。

3. 细节理解题。从文章末句Probably the main reason for the craze is the high cost of present-day labor and the shortage of building firms willing to do small jobs.可知使DIY流行起来的原因是由于劳动力成本的上升，故答案选A。

4.“Do-It-Yourself”商店也流行起来，最后提出“Do-It-Yourself”这种现象流行的原因，由此判断文章讲述的是DIY的兴起形成，故答案选C。

考点：考查社会生活类短文阅读。