In the United States, friendships can be close, constant, intense, generous and real, yet fade away in a short time if situations change. Neither side feels hurt by this. Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while— then no more. If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship where it left off and are delighted.
In the States, you can feel free to visit people’s homes, share their holidays, or enjoy their lives without fear that you are taking on a lasting obligation(义务). Do not hesitate to accept hospitality（好客） because you can’t give it in return. No one will expect you to do so for they know you are far from home. Americans will enjoy welcoming you and be pleased if you accept their hospitality easily.
Once you arrive there, the welcome will be full and warm and real. Most visitors find themselves readily invited into many homes there. In some countries it is considered inhospitable to entertain at home, offering what is felt as only home—cooked food, not “ doing something for your guest”. It is felt that restaurant entertaining, shows more respect and welcome. Or for other different reasons, such as crowded space, language difficulties, or family custom, outsiders are not invited into homes.
In the United States, both methods are used, but it is often considered more friendly to invite a person to one’s home than to go to a public place, except in purely business relationships. So, if your host or hostess brings you home, do not feel that you are being shown inferior treatment.
Don’t feel neglected if you do not find flowers awaiting you in your hotel room, either. Flowers are very expensive there; hotel delivery is uncertain; arrival times are delayed, changed, or canceled —— so flowers are not customarily sent as a welcoming touch. Please do not feel unwanted! Outward signs vary in different lands; the inward welcome is what matters, and this will be real.
1.In the United States, you will find friendships ______ if circumstances change.
A. die suddenly B. pass away
C. disappear gradually D. last forever
2.Americans _____ their foreign friends to make a return for their hospitality.
A. ask B. don’t expect C. never allow D. wish
3.In some other countries, giving a dinner party at home is considered ______ than in a restaurant.
A. less friendly B. less hospitable C. more natural D. more popular
4.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A. Flowers are signs of outward welcome.
B. Flowers are expensive.
C. Flowers are available at all time.
D. Flowers are not necessarily sent to guests.
Situated in the South West of England, between Exeter and Plymouth, Torquay is one of the most popular holiday resorts in Britain. It provides a variety of entertainment, sports of every kind and cultural facilities, all set in a position of outstanding natural beauty. Visitors can choose between luxury hotels by the sea, with private suites（套房），swimming pools and saunas, and comfortable but less expensive guest houses. There are camping sites, too, and hundreds of houses displaying“B & B”signs.
As well as a number of small quiet bays, which are ideal for beach barbecues away from the crowds, Torquay has large sandy beaches where you can buy refreshments（饮料）and hire deck chairs, boats and even beach huts. There are large areas of grassland overlooking the sea, and miles of winding cliff paths for walkers who just want to enjoy the scenery and what is often said to be the healthiest air in the country. For the sportsmen and women there are opportunities not only for golf, tennis, squash and bowls, but also for water-skiing, hang-gliding and deep-sea fishing.
After a day in the open air, there’s lots to do in the evenings, too. There are plenty of discos, the occasional opera or ballet, and summer variety shows in the seafront theatres. For the children, there is a beautiful model village with a complicated railway layout which is remarkably realistic-especially when the lights are all on at night.
Of course, there’s no need to spend your whole holidays in Torquay. Only a short drive away is Dartmoor National Park, where you can walk for miles through dramatic, unspoiled countryside, or picnic by beautiful rivers and streams. Or, nearer to home, you can sail across Tor Bay to the lovely old fishing village of Brixham.
Torquay seems to have something for everyone. But don’t take my word for it----come and see for yourself.
1. Which of the following best explains what “B & B” means on the signs?
A．Beach and barbecue B．Breakfast and bath
C．Bed and breakfast D．Beautiful and British
2.According to the text Torquay might be described as .
A．comfortable and expensive B．remote and beautiful
C．croweded and lively D．fresh and healthy
3.What is special about the model village?
A．It opens at night. B．It has a real railway system.
C．It’s in the open air. D．It has something for the children
4.What is the purpose of writing this text?
A．To introduce the geography of Torquay to students.
B．To make some places known to visitors.
C．To show the beauty of resorts.
D．To attract more tourists.
Ed Jocelyn and Andy McEwen might have appeared to be a bit mad---the two set off on their own “Long March” through the remotest regions of China on October 16. The idea was to take a year to retrace one of the epic movements of modern military history.
The two British men in their mid-30s were working as editors in Beijing when they decided to reexperience the tales of the original marches. “We hold these people in such respect,” McEwen says.
They plan to keep diaries but will not share the contents during the trip. “When we get to the end we’ll put our heads together and try and come up with a book,” Jocelyn said.
Their trip has had some auspicious beginning, they have already met two Long March veterans(老战士) in less than a month of travel.
In this modern version, the pair are aided by high-tech equipment including a satellite phone, mini-computer, video camera and solar panels to recharge batteries. A mountain tent and portable stove will help them in the remoter stretches.
They plan to average 35-40 kilometers a day, and rest about every third day. Ed admitted that their trip would be very tough.
If they succeed, they will be the first foreigners to complete the entire Long March route since Otto Braun, the German military advisor who accompanied the Red Army on the Long March.
1. This text is mainly about .
A．high-tech equipment helpful to the Long March
B．first foreigners to walk the Long March
C．British recall of the Long March spirit
D．British editors’ adventure original in China
2. The underlined word “auspicious” most probably means .
A．friendly B．favourable C．strange D．surprising
3. Which of the following statements is NOT true about the two foreigners?
A．They will use anything modern on the way.
B．They will do some cooking by themselves.
C．They’re planning to have a book published one year later.
D．They will send off news about what happens day by day.
完形填空（每小题1分，共20分）
A high school history teacher once told us, “If you make one close friend in school, you will be most fortunate. A 21 friend is someone who stays with you for life”. 22 teaches that he was right. Good friendship is just not easily 23 .
It is possible that we simply do not stay in one place 24 enough for true
friendship to develop. However, there can be 25 disagreement on the need for each of us to think carefully about the kind of friendship we want.
To most of us, friendships are considered very important, 26 we need to
have it clear in our minds the kinds of friendship we want. Are they to be close or 27 at arm’s length? Do we want to 28 ourselves or do we want to walk on the surface? For some people, many friendships on the surface are 29 enough. And that’s all right. But at some 30 we need to make sure that our expectations are the same as our friends’ expectations. The sharing of personal experience including our tears as well as our dark 31 is the surest way to deepen friendships. But it must 32 slowly and carried on only if there are 33 of interest and action in return.
What are some of the 34 of our friendship? The greatest is to 35 too
much too soon. Deep relationships 36 time. Another “major difficulty” is the selfishness to think one “possesses” the other, including his time and attention. 37 , friendships require actions in return. In other words, you must 38 as much as you take. Finally there is a question of taking care of. Unless you spend 39 time together, talking on the phone, writing letters, doing things together, friendships will die 40 .
1. A. useful B. fair-weather C. school D. true
2. A. Knowledge B. Hardship C. Experience D. Schooling
3. A. formed B. understood C. realized D. produced
4.A. certain B. long C. patiently D. Fortunately
5. A. some B. any C. no D. great
6.A. and B. but C. or D. while
7. A. remained B. left C. stayed D. kept
8. A. share B. deepen C. strengthen D. hide
9. A. less B. not C. quite D. very
10.A. degree B. places C. point D. length
11. A. clothes B. dreams C. clouds D. Letters
12. A. be undertaking B. be undertaken C. have been undertaken D. have been undertaking
13. A. signs B. marks C. sciences D. sights
14. A. disadvantages B. differences C. requirements D. difficulties
15. A. command B. pull out Ｃ. expect D. develop
16. A. waste B. take C. kill D. spend
17. A. Surprisingly B. Differently C. Strangely D. Similarly
18. A. act B. possess C. give D. walk
19.A. considerate B. reasonable C. wonderful D. comfortable
20.A. away B. down C. out D. off
--- I wonder if I could use your telephone?
--- _________.
A. I wonder how B. I don’t wonder
C. Sorry, it’s out of order D. No wonder, here it is.
The watch ______ unnoticed for several days before I found it.
A. had laid B. had lain C. had been laying D. had been laid
