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 communication 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 compared 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 come 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.