原创试题专区
开通学校服务
Passage 2
I grew up in an age of delayed gratification,when I had to wait for almost everything. The mail came once a day,and I recalled the thrill of anticipation when expecting my issue of Mad magazine or some fancy item I had ordered fromthe Johnson Smith novelty company.Classic movies were shown on television,and the farthest in advance one couldlearn about them was a week-courtesy of TV Guide.And,of course,one had to behome at the appointed time to watch
them.The Wizard of Oz,for example,wasbroadcast only once a year, an interval seemingly set in stone,and thesteadily heightening sense of anticipation as the broadcast date approachedwas almost too much for my 10-year-old heart to bear.Finally, though,my longwait was rewarded as Judy Garland sang “Over the Rainbow”against the backdropof rural Kansas.It was the same with TV shows.If you had a favorite and you missed anepisode,well, tough luck—you had to wait until summer to catch the rerun.Andthen there was money.The banks did business on weekdays only.They opened atnine and closed at four.You needed money but didn't make it to the bank ontime?Well, check under the sofa cushions or borrowfrom family or friends.Most stores were closed on Sundays,which gave that day a particular “feel”thathas disappeared in an age when commerce continues non-stop around the clockand quiet, stand-down (休整期)Sundays—the serenity broken only by the sound ofchurch bells-have disappeared.Such was the world as recently as the 1970s.Everything seemed to operate on astrict clock,and the words "on demand"had no meaning,for there was no force onearth that could alter the US Mail's schedule,conjure up The Wizard of Oz outof season,or get the bank to stay open a minute past four,and don't you forgetit.This was the way things worked,and itwas all we knew.And then,seemingly overnight,everything changed.It suddenly seemed as if I never had to be anywhere at an appointedtime,because everything was available all the time.ATMs,movies on DVD,and,ofcourse,the personal computer,meant that we could have almost anything we wanted,when we wanted it.But rather than being charmed by what we have gained,I am gently haunted bywhat was lost.Having to wait for almost everything meant living a life inslower motion.When one is subject to unvarying,institutional schedules,one hasno choice but to wait.In this way the virtue of patience is developed.The changed times,on the other hand,have encouraged nothing less than aconstant sense of urgency,which is ironic:If we can have anything we wantanytime we want it, shouldn't we be less hurried?The answer is that an “ondemand”lifestyle has created,and increased,an appetite for speed:IfI can havesomething this fast,why can't I have it faster?This was brought home to me when I read a book that has “FSTR”(getit?)splashed across its cover.The official title is “Faster:The Accelerationof Just About Everything.”One of its metaphors was telling;First there was thefresh-squeezed lemon;then there was the lemonade mix;now we just buy thelemonade by the gallon.And so,on this hot summer day,as a gentle,rather nostalgic form of protest against the demands of a hurried age,I went to the supermarket and bought three fresh lemons.Diligently, carefully,and with no sense of needing to beanywhere else or do anything else,I squeezed them into a tall glass.Then Iflled the glass with cold water,ice,and a teaspoon of sugar. Fresh lemonade inhand,I went outside,sat in my lawn chair,and looked out over the river.And I sipped.Yes,time passes quickly.But,now and then,it doesn't have to.
[单选题]
A.He missed the rural life in Kansas.
B.He was sure he would be given a reward.
C.He became increasingly eager to watch the show.
D.He knew it was not suitable for children to watch.
[单选题]
A.You might find some coins there.
B.Someone might have left a note for you.
C.You might want to sell the sofa cushions for cash.
D.Someone might have hidden something valuable there.
[单选题]
A.People tried in vain to change the long intervals between TV programs.
B.The inflexibility in service schedule made people more patient.
C.People enjoyed shopping on Sundays with free time.
D.The slow living pace made people feel bored.
[单选题]
A.He misses the slow-paced life in the past.
B.He enjoys the convenience of modern life.
C.He hates it because it robs people of their leisure time.
D.He welcomes it because it brings about more efficiency.
[单选题]
A.To give the reader an example of what modern life is like.
B.To teach the reader how to make a home-made lemonade.
C.To show his desire for occasional relaxation in fast-paced life.
D.To protest against mass production of goods in industrial age.
