1 . Australians have long been known for having a relaxed and casual attitude to life. According to Dr. Tanya King, senior lecturer from Victoria's Deakin University. "It's Australians' egalitarianism ,sense of humor and informal language that are most commonly mentioned as examples of this attitude. "
Egalitarianism roots in the way that the nation was built. In Australia's founding car in the late 1700s, criminal settlers were often cruelly treated and robbed of their basic human rights by governors. The criminal class. who were mostly working-class Brits and Irish. was unable to seek civic positions that were reserved for immigrants w ho were not the criminal, with the latter arguing that if criminals gained equal rights it would be "rewarding criminality ". Because of this, an egalitarian spirit was worn as a symbol of honor by many criminal settlers. They may not have had power, education or wealth. but they had a shared belief in equality.
The informal way Australians use language is also believed to root in criminal times. Philologist Sidney Baker once wrote that "no other class would have a better talent for creating new terms to fit in with their new conditions in life. " Cockney rhyming slang brought over by the British working class was abbreviated even further - so " have a Captains Cook"（have a look）. became "ava captains". This same practice was used to economize ordinary clauses. Words like "good day" became "g' day". and barbecue was "barbie".
The tough conditions of settler times also played a part in Australians' dry self-criticizing and sarcastic（讽刺的） sense of humor. While in many countries it's considered poor taste to find humor in difficult circumstances. Australians lend to look at the lighter side. On one road trip, as I hit the stale line and entered Victoria. I drove past some blackened trees, the leftovers of a recent bush-fire. A road sign warning drivers about wildlife was half-melted and bent, but the shape of a hopping kangaroo was still distinct. Behind the figure, someone had drawn flames making it look as though the animal's tail was on fire. I couldn't help but laugh - it was a brilliant reminder of the country's "nothing upsets us" and anti-authoritarian attitude.
And one thing you can't help but notice when driving around Australia is the country's plentiful amounts of space. This. along with considerable leisure time plus favorable climate, all contributes to Australian's relaxed attitude.
1. The underlined word "egalitarianism" is closest to ______ in meaning.| A．criminality | B．cruelty | C．equality | D．governmentalism |
| A．They use more slangs than other people. |
| B．They give new meaning to existent words. |
| C．They favor shortened forms of expressions. |
| D．They coin terms in memory of criminal times. |
| A．Kangaroos' living conditions are getting tougher. |
| B．Forest fires threatened Australian's life to a great extent. |
| C．Potential danger is here and there on the roads in Victoria. |
| D．Australians' jokes may not be as careless as they seem on the surface. |
| A．how the late 1700s impacted Australia |
| B．why Australians enjoy casual life so much |
| C．what contributes to Australians' relaxed lifestyle |
| D．how Australians present their attitude towards life |
