4．As you move around your home，take a good look at the things you have．It is likely that your living room will have a television set and a video，and your kitchen a washing machine and a microwave oven．Your bedroom drawers will be filled with almost three times as many clothes as you need．You almost certainly own a car and possibly a home computer，holiday abroad at least once a year and eat out at least once a week．
Now，perhaps，more than ever before，people are wondering what life is all about，and what it is for．Seeking material success is beginning to trouble large numbers of people around the world．They feel that the long-hours work culture to make more money to buy more things is eating up their lives，leaving them very little time or energy for family or pastimes．Many are turning to other ways of living and downshifting is one of them．
Six percent of workers in Britain took the decision to downshift last year．One couple who downshifted is Daniel and Liz．They used to work in central London．He was a newspaper reporter and she used to work for an international bank．They would go to work by train every day from their large house in the suburbs，leaving their two children with a nanny．Most evenings Daniel wouldn't get home until eight or nine o'clock，and nearly twice a month he would have to fly to New York for meetings．They both earned a large amount of money but began to feel that life was passing them by．
Nowadays，they run a farm in the mountains of Wales，"I always wanted to have a farm here，"says Daniel，"and we took almost a year to make the decision to downshift．It's taken some getting used to，but it's been worth it．We have to think twice now about spending money on car repairs and we no longer have any holidays．However，I think it's made us stronger as a family，and the children are a lot happier．"
Liz，however，is not quite sure．"I used to enjoy my job，even though it was hard work and long hours．I'm not really a country girl，but I suppose I'm gradually getting used to looking after the animals．One thing I do like，though，is being able to see more of my children．My advice for other people wanting to do the same is not to think about it too much or you might not do it at all．"
9．When Daniel was a reporter，heD．
A．lived in central London
B．disliked his job
C．missed his children
D．was well paid
10．Daniel and Liz both agree that the move to the farmB．．
A．was easy to organize
B．has improved family life
C．was extremely expensive
D．have been a total success
11．What does the underlined"it"in the last paragraph refer to？C
A．Child-caring．
B．Liz's advice．
C．Downshifting．
D．Liz's job．
12．The underlined word"downshifting"in the second paragraph meansC．
A．repairing your car by yourself
B．spending money carefully
C．moving out to the countryside to live a simpler and better life
D．living in a big house in the suburbs and dining out once a week．
分析 本文敘述了社會上存在的一種現象，年輕人為了自己的工作，把孩子托付給保姆，由于自己的工作時間長，所以和家人呆在一起的時間很短，Daniel 和 Liz就是其中的兩個例子，他們兩個逐漸認識到除了掙錢社會上還有一種東西很珍貴就是親情，所以他們決定搬回到農場和家人呆在一起，享受天倫之樂．
解答 DBCC
9．D 細節理解題．根據They both earned a large amount of money可知Daniel當記者時工資很高，故選D．
10．B 細節理解題．根據I think it's made us stronger as a family，and the children are a lot happier．搬回農場能夠使一家人享受天倫之樂，故選B．
11．C 詞意理解題．推斷題．由文章最后一句"My advice for other people wanting to do the same is not to think about it too much or you might not do it at all．"可知兩個 it 所指內容相同，均指代 the same 所指內容，結合文章內容可知 Liz 的行為是 downshifting，故正確答案為C．
12．C 詞意猜測題．根據短文所列舉的Daniel和Liz的事例可判斷出downshifting的意思是"把家搬到農村去，過一種簡單而更好的生活．"答案為C．
點評 閱讀理解題測試考生在閱讀基礎上的邏輯推理能力，要求考生根據文章所述事件的邏輯關系，對未說明的趨勢或結局作出合理的推斷；或根據作者所闡述的觀點理論，對文章未涉及的現象、事例給以解釋．考生首先要仔細閱讀短文，完整了解信息，準確把握作者觀點．
