六级练习2013.06.14
[audio]http://sound.yywz123.com/tingbbs/cet6/cet620130614.mp3[/audio]I'm sure almost every one of you looked at your watch or at a clock before you came to class today.(1)________________________________________________________.And yet, do you know that watches and clocks were very rare in the United States until the late 1850s.In the late 1700s people didn't know the exact time unless they were near a clock.Those delightful clocks in the squares of European towns were built for the public.After all, most citizens simply couldn't afford a personal clock.Well, until the 1800s, in Europe and the United States,the main purpose of a watch, which was on a gold chain,was to show others how wealthy you were.The word “watch” didn't even enter the English language until nearly 1900.(2)_________________________________________.How could the factory worker get to work on time,unless he or she knew exactly what time it was.Since efficiency was now measured by how fast the job was done,everyone was interested in time and pay attention to the importance of time.And since industrialization made possible the manufacture of large quantities of goods,watches became fairly inexpensive.(3)________________________________________________.Being “on time” had entered the language and life of every citizen.
**** Hidden Message ***** watches and clocks seem as much a part of our life as breathing or eating
by then the rapid pace of the industrialization in the United States meant that measuring time has become essential.
furthur more, electric life kept factories going around the clock.
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