Concern with money, and then more money, in order to buy the conveniences and luxuries of modern life, has brought great changes to the lives of most Frenchmen. More people are working than ever before in France. In the cities the traditional leisurely midday meal is disappearing. Offices, shops, and factories are discovering the great efficiency of a short lunch hour in company lunchrooms. In almost all lines of work emphasis now falls on ever-increasing output. Thus the "typical" Frenchman produces more, earns more, and buys more consumer goods than his counterpart of only a generation ago. He gains in creature comforts and ease of life. What he loses to some extent is his sense of personal uniqueness, or individuality.
Some say that France has been Americanized. This is because the United States is a world symbol of the technological society and its consumer products. The so-called Americanization of France has its critics. They fear that "assembly-line life" will lead to the disappearance of the pleasures of the more graceful and leisurely (but less productive) old French style. What Mil happen, they ask, to taste, elegance, and the cultivation of the good things in life -- to joy in the smell of a freshly picked apple, a stroll by the river, or just happy hours of conversation in a local card
Since the late 1950s life in France has indeed taken on qualities of rush, tension, and the pursuit of material gain. Some of the strongest critics of the new way of life are the young, especially university students. They are concerned with the future, and they fear that France is threatened by the triumph of this competitive, goods-oriented culture. Occasionally, they have reacted against the trend with considerable violence.
In spite of the critics, however, countess Frenchmen are committed to keeping France in the forefront of the modern economic world. They find that the present life brings more rewards, conveniences, and pleasures than that of the past. They believe that a modern, industrial France is preferable to the old.
Which of the following is TRUE about the critics

Half a year.

Half a circle.

A bicycle.

Quarter of a circle.

An Indian boy ran swiftly from a village in Mexico. In his hand he carried a basket of fish. Only a few moments before, the fish had been pulled from the cold water of the lake. Farther on, another runner was waiting to take the basket from the tired boy and to race on. And so from one swift runner to another, fresh fish were rushed from the lake to the dinner table of Montezuma, ruler of the Aztecs. Speed is important in transporting fish and many other fresh foods. Foods that spoil easily must reach the market and the dinner table as quickly as possible. But now planes, trucks, trains, and ships have replaced runners. Planes are the fastest way to transport food. They are especially useful in carrying food to people and animals that could not be reached otherwise. Suppose there were a flood or an earthquake and the people could not be reached by trains or trucks. Unless packages of food could be dropped from planes, the people might starve. Trucks have many advantages. A truck can start as soon as it is loaded, and it can deliver goods directly to the market. Many modern trucks have their own refrigeration system. Today the tank truck that carries milk is a familiar sight on many country roads. The modern dairy farmer makes use of tank tracks that keep the milk fresh until it is delivered to stores and homes. Trains cannot always carry food as quickly as trucks. Many freight cars must be loaded before a train can start on a trip. And when the freight train arrives in the city, the food must be unloaded from the cars onto trucks to be taken to the market. All of this takes time. When railroad companies wanted to move perishable foods faster, they developed a plan that run on the rails. Some perishable foods can be transported by refrigerator ships. Bananas can be shipped in this way. They are loaded in the refrigerated hold of the ship while they are still green during the trip. As the green bananas are loaded, a man watches carefully for signs of yellow on them. If even one ripe banana is loaded, a whole shipload of fruit might be spoiled. But not all food needs to be moved as quickly or as carefully as perishable fresh food. Grains can make a slower trip without danger of spoiling. Transportation by water is usually a cheap way of sending such foods. Trucks, trains, planes, and refrigerator ships are modern ways of transporting food. But a great deal of food is still carried on the heads of women and on the backs of animals. Over the desert sands, camels carry loads of salt, dates, and cheese.

beyond

in

of

under