Statuses are wonderful human inventions that enable us to get along with one another and to determine where we fit in society. In our everyday lives whenever we meet people, we always try to judge them in terms of their statuses. For example, we must judge whether the person in the library is a reader or a librarian, whether the telephone caller is a friend or a salesman and so on.
Our statuses often vary with the people we meet, and change through life. Most of us can, at very high speed, assume(表现出) the different statuses that various situations require. Much of social munication consists of recognizing and selecting among proper statuses and allowing other people to assume their statuses in relation to us. This means that we fit our actions to those of other people, based on a constant mental process of assessment and understanding. Although some of us find the task more difficult than others, most of us perform it rather easily.
A status has been pared to ready-made clothes. Within certain limits the buyer can choose style and material. But an American is not free to choose the clothes of a Chinese peasant or that of a Hindu prince. We must choose from among the clothing presented by our society.
Furthermore, our choice is limited to a size that will fit, as well as by our wallet. Having made a choice within these limits, we can have certain changes made. But apart from small adjustments, we tend to be limited to what the stores have on their shelves. Statuses too e ready-made, and the range of choice among them is limited.
【小题1】According to the writer, people often assume different statuses .A．in order to distinguish themselves from othersB．in order to better recognize other peopleC．as their mental processes changeD．as the situation changes【小题2】In the last sentence of the second paragraph, “it” refers to “ ”A．constant mental processB．selecting one’s own statusesC．recognition of other people’s statusesD．fitting our actions to those of other properly【小题3】What can be the best title for this text?A．Proper Relations.B．Limited Choices.C．Judgment of Statuses.D．Comparison of Clothes.D
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(答案→)D
解析：本文围绕着status 展开对于身份判断的叙述，人们在不同场合表现出不同的身份，而且很形象地把身份的判定比作对成衣的选择，同时身份的判定也受一定情况的局限。
【小题1】D推理判断题。从第二段“Most of us can, at very high speed, assume the different statuses that various situations require.”中的定语从句可知人们在不同情况下表现出不同的身份，所以D选项正确。
【小题2】D词意猜测题。从文章第二段可知it 指代前面句中的the task，而the task又是指前面“这意味着我们得根据大脑持续的判定和理解过程来使我们自己的行为做事方式适合别人的行为做事方式”。所以正确选项为D。
【小题3】C 主旨大意题。文章开头提出在日常生活中，我们都用“status”来判断一个人，然后一步步深入论述，所以文章是围绕身份这一话题来写的，故正确选项应是C。