阅读理解Itishardtogetanyagreementontheaccuratemeaningoftheterm“socialclass”.Ineverydaylifepeopletendtohaveadifferentapproachtothosetheyconsidertheirequalsfromthatwhichtheyassumewithpe

　　阅读理解

　　Itishardtogetanyagreementontheaccuratemeaningoftheterm“socialclass”.Ineverydaylifepeopletendtohaveadifferentapproachtothosetheyconsidertheirequalsfromthatwhichtheyassumewithpeopletheyconsiderhigherorlowerthanthemselvesinthesocialscale.Thecriteriaweuseto“place”anewacquaintance(熟人)howeverareacomplexmixtureoffactors.Dresswayofspeakingareaofresidenceinagivencityorprovinceeducationandmannersallplayapart.

　　InGreeceafterthesixthcenturyB．C．therewasagrowingconflictbetweenthepeasantsandthelandedaristocrats(贵族)andagradualdecreaseinthepowerofthearistocracywhenakindof“middleclass”oftradersandskilledworkersgrewup.ThepopulationofAthensforexamplewasdividedintothreemainclasseswhichwerepoliticallyandlegallydistinct.AboutonethirdofthetotalwereslaveswhodidnotcountpoliticallyatallafactoftenforgottenbythosewhopraiseAthensasthenurseryofdemocracy.Thenextmaingroupconsistedofresidentforeignersthe“metics”whowerefreementhoughtheytwowereallowednoshareinpoliticallife.Thethirdgroupwasthepowerfulbodyof“citizens”whowerethemselvesdividedintosubclasses.

　　InthelaterMiddleAgeshoweverthedevelopmentofmonetaryeconomyandthegrowthofcitiesandtradeledtotheriseofanotherclassthe“burghers”orcitymerchantsandmayors.Thesewerethepredecessorsofthemodernmiddleclasses.Graduallyhighofficeandoccupationassumedimportanceindeterminingsocialpositionasitbecamemoreandmorepossibleforapersonborntoonestationinlifetomovetoanother.Thischangeaffectedthetownsmorethanthecountryareaswhereremnantsoffeudalismlastedmuchlonger.

　　Withthebreakupofthefeudaleconomytheincreasingdivisionoflabourandthegrowingpowerofthetownburghers(公民)thecommercialandprofessionalmiddleclassbecamemoreandmoreimportantinEuropeandtheolderprivilegedclassthelandedaristocracybegantolosesomeofitspower.

　　1．Themainideaofthefirstparagraphisthat________.

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　　A．todefinethetermsocialclassdoesnotinvolvemuchdifficulty

　　B．thereismuchalternationinpeople'ssocialclasses

　　C．toevaluateaperson'ssocialcla