D

More people are working than ever before in France. In the cities the traditional leisurely (休闲的) midday meal is disappearing. Offices, shops, and factories are discovering the great efficiency (效率) of a short lunch hour in company lunch rooms. In almost all lines of work emphasis now falls on ever-increasing output. Thus the “typical” Frenchman gains in creature comforts and ease of life. What he loses to some extent is his sense of personal uniqueness, or individuality.

Some say that France has been Americanized. The so-called Americanization of France has its critics. They fear that “assembly-line (流水线) life” will lead to the disappearance of the pleasures of the more leisurely (but less productive) old French style. What will happen, they ask, to the cultivation (培养) of the good things in life — to enjoy in the smell of freshly picked apple, a stroll by the river, or just happy hours of conversation in a local café?

Since the late 1950’s，life in France has indeed taken on qualities of rush, tension, and the pursuit of material gain. Some of the strongest critics of the new way of life are the young, especially university students. They are concerned with the future, and they fear that France is threatened by the success of this competitive, goods-oriented culture. Occasionally, they have reacted against the trend with great violence.

In  spite  of  the  critics,  however,  countless Frenchmen are committed to keeping France in the forefront of the modern economic world. They find that the present life brings more benefits, conveniences, and pleasures than that of the past. They believe that a modern, industrial France is better than the old.

1. Which of the following is NOT a feature of the new French way of life?

A. Shorter lunch hour.           B. Greater output.

C. Creature comforts.           D. Leisurely café talk.

2. The passage suggests that ______.

A. in pursuing material gain the French are suffering losses elsewhere

B. it’s now unlikely to see a Frenchman enjoying a stroll by the river

C. the French are fed up with the smell of freshly picked apples

D. great changes have occurred in the life style of all Frenchmen

3. Which of the following is TRUE about the critics?

A. Critics are greater in number than people enjoying the new way of life.

B. Student critics are greater in number than critics in other fields.

C. Student critics have, sometimes, resorted to violent means against the trend.

D. Critics are concerned only with the present and not the future.

4. Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?

A. Changes in the French way of life.

B. Criticism of the new life style.

C. The Americanization of France.

D. Features of the new way of life.