(77) Heredity (遗传) is not the only thing that influences our color. Where we live and how we live after we are born are important too. For instance, our genes influence how fat or thin we are. But our weight depends mainly upon how much we eat and how much exercise we get. In the same way, our skin color depends to a large extent upon how much sunshine we get.When summer arrives and light-colored people go to the beaches, some will tan dark-ly, some will tan lightly and few will not tan at all. Each one has inherited a different abili-ty to tan, but the differences do not appear until the conditions are right. An outdoor man will soon become pale if he changes to an indoor job, while a desk clerk will take on tan after a short vacation in the sun.Sometimes people decide that being tanned is better than being pale. Sometimes they decide the opposite.Centuries ago, most of the people in Europe were peasants and they had to work in the fields all day. Noblemen, on the other hand, did not have to work. They stayed indoors and remained pale. You could always tell a nobleman from a peasant because a peasant had a tan. As a result, a skin so pale that veins (血管) were showed was considered a mark of great beauty.During the Industrial Revolution things changed. Farmers left their fields and went to work in factories, minesand mills. Working for long hours in dimly-lit factories and mines made theirskins pale. (78) Wealthy people, however, could afford to travel to sunny countries. They had the leisure to lie around on the beaches and get tan. Having a tan became a sign of wealth.In Western Europe and North America pale skin is no longer desirable. Instead of bleaching themselves white with lemon juice, many women spend their time under a sun-lamp. The desire for a quick tan has led to the invention of pills and lotions (涂剂) that darken the skin artificially without exposure to sunlight. These pills and lotions can be bought by anyone at any drugstore. A rich man can spend hundreds of dollars on a vacation in the sunny West Indies and get his suntan there. But his lowest-paid clerk can have what looks like the same tan out of a bottle for a few cents. During the Industrial Revolution people began to like to have a tan because it was a sign of ______.
A. good health
B. great strength
C. wealth
D. youth
A couple of months ago, I went to a department store to buy a few things for the house. I needed a set of curtains for the living room, two table lamps, a mg and several (36) . I asked them to (37) the things as soon as possible, but they said that they were unable to send them out until 20 days later. After about 3 weeks, I received only the curtains and lamps. I was a little disappointed when I didn’t receive all the (38) I had bought. But nevertheless, I was eager to see what the curtains and lamps looked like. I first opened the (39) with the curtains. I had bought a lovely (40) blue, and instead they had sent me a horrible dark (41) Well, you can just (42) how angry I was. Then I opened the boxes with the lamps. They were exactly what I’d (43) . But one of the lamp shapes was damaged. (44) They promised to come and (45) . It has been two weeks since my complaint. (46)
(77) Heredity (遗传) is not the only thing that influences our color. Where we live and how we live after we are born are important too. For instance, our genes influence how fat or thin we are. But our weight depends mainly upon how much we eat and how much exercise we get. In the same way, our skin color depends to a large extent upon how much sunshine we get.When summer arrives and light-colored people go to the beaches, some will tan dark-ly, some will tan lightly and few will not tan at all. Each one has inherited a different abili-ty to tan, but the differences do not appear until the conditions are right. An outdoor man will soon become pale if he changes to an indoor job, while a desk clerk will take on tan after a short vacation in the sun.Sometimes people decide that being tanned is better than being pale. Sometimes they decide the opposite.Centuries ago, most of the people in Europe were peasants and they had to work in the fields all day. Noblemen, on the other hand, did not have to work. They stayed indoors and remained pale. You could always tell a nobleman from a peasant because a peasant had a tan. As a result, a skin so pale that veins (血管) were showed was considered a mark of great beauty.During the Industrial Revolution things changed. Farmers left their fields and went to work in factories, minesand mills. Working for long hours in dimly-lit factories and mines made theirskins pale. (78) Wealthy people, however, could afford to travel to sunny countries. They had the leisure to lie around on the beaches and get tan. Having a tan became a sign of wealth.In Western Europe and North America pale skin is no longer desirable. Instead of bleaching themselves white with lemon juice, many women spend their time under a sun-lamp. The desire for a quick tan has led to the invention of pills and lotions (涂剂) that darken the skin artificially without exposure to sunlight. These pills and lotions can be bought by anyone at any drugstore. A rich man can spend hundreds of dollars on a vacation in the sunny West Indies and get his suntan there. But his lowest-paid clerk can have what looks like the same tan out of a bottle for a few cents. Centuries ago in Europe, it was considered of great beauty to have ______.
A. pale skin
B. light-colored skin
C. dark-colored skin
D. a suntan
We had not suffered much from the war there,though like most children of my age,I was used to seeing bombed houses in the streets and the enormous army lorries pass-ing through.