Thirty years ago not many people would have dreamed of doing the repairs and decorations in their own homes. In those days labor was fairly cheap and most people would have thought it worthwhile to employ a professional painter and decorator, unless of course they were either very hand up or were in the trade themselves.
Today, however, it is quite a different story. Men and women in all walks of life turn their hands to all sorts of jobs round the house including painting, papering, putting up shelves and wall units, and tiling walls and floors. Some people with no professional training of any kind have even successfully built their own houses. These jobs have been made easier today by the introduction of prepared materials, which require the minimum amount of skill to use. In every high street throughout Britain nowadays there is at least one “Do-It-Yourself” shop containing a vast range of timber, tiles, paints, wallpapers and floor coverings besides tools of every description including power drills and many accessories. “Do-It-Yourself” is a booming business; all these shops do a roaring trade and look like continuing to do so. Probably the main reason for the craze is the high cost of present-day labor and the shortage of building firms willing to do small jobs.
小题1:Why did people employ professional workers to decorate homes thirty years ago?
A．Because they could not do it themselves.
B．Because professional workers were very cheap.
C．Because they had no time.
D．Because professional workers could do much better.小题2:Thirty years later what changes took place?
A．People could do everything themselves.
B．Few people chose to be a professional worker.
C．People with no professional training successfully built their own houses.
D．New expensive materials required no skills at all.小题3:What caused the DIY craze?
A．Young people liked to follow the fashion.
B．“Do-It-Yourself” is a booming business.
C．There were fewer building companies.
D．High cost of professional workers.小题4:What is the speaker telling us ?
A．How DIY comes into being.
B．Changes in building.
C．Changes in housing.
D．Great changes in these thirty years.
小题1:B
小题2:C
小题3:D
小题4:A
题目分析：本文主要讲述的就是以前和现在在装修方面的问题所在，以前劳动力便宜人们都是请别人来装修，现在人们都是自己在做，因为现在的劳动力成本很高。
小题1:B 细节题。根据第一段2,3行In those days labor was fairly cheap and most people would have thought it worthwhile to employ a professional painter and decorator说明那时的劳动力很便宜，所以人都请别人来装修。故B正确。
小题2:C 细节题。根据第二段3,4行Some people with no professional training of any kind have even successfully built their own houses.说明C正确。
小题3:D 细节题。根据文章最后两段Probably the main reason for the craze is the high cost of present-day labor and the shortage of building firms willing to do small jobs.人们喜欢DIY的原因是现在的劳动力成本太高了，D正确。
小题4:A 主旨大意题。本文主要讲述的就是以前和现在在装修方面的问题所在，以前劳动力便宜人们都是请别人来装修，现在人们都是自己在做，故Ａ项正确。
点评：本文是关于现在的DIY现象原因的分析，考查细节题较多，细节题是针对文中某个细节、某句话或某部分具体内容设置问题，正确答案的根据一定可以在原文中找到，即原文的改写往往成为正确选项。通常细节题的正确选项有以下特征：
1.对原文句子中的关键词进行替换。把原文中的一些词换成意义相近的词，成为正确选项。
2.词性或者语态的变化。把原文中的一些词变换一下词性，或者改变原文句子的语态，给考生制造障碍。
3．语言简化。把原文中的复杂语言现象进行简化，成为正确答案。
4．正话反说。把原文中的意思反过来表达而成为正确选项(适用于寻找错误选项的题目)。