We all have ideas about what kinds of foods are good to eat. We also have ideas about what kinds of foods are bad to eat. As a result, people from one culture often think the foods that people from another culture eat are nauseating(令人作呕的). When the famous boxer Muhammad Ali visited Africa, for example, one member of his group became quite sick when he saw someone pick up a butterfly and eat it. Many people would find it disgusting to eat rats, but there are forty-two different cultures whose people regard rats as appropriate food.
Food likes and dislikes do not always seem related to nutrition. For example, broccoli is first on a list of the most nutritious common vegetables, but it is twenty-first on a list of vegetables that Americans like most to eat. Tomatoes are sixteenth on the list of most nutritious vegetables, but they are first on the list of vegetables that Americans like most to eat.
But dislike is not the only reason why some cultures will not eat a certain food. In some cultures, certain foods are taboo. Some foods are taboo in certain religions, but there are also other food taboos that are not connected to a religion. We do not usually think about why certain things are taboo in our culture. We may not even know why they are taboo. Anthropologists(人类学家) try to discover the hidden reasons for taboos.
Anthropologists believe that most food likes and dislikes are a result of the ways of life of different people. Some people live in areas where there are both large animals and many insects. It is difficult for these people to kill large animals, and it requires a lot of energy. It is easier for them to use insects for food because it is not difficult to catch insects and it does not require a lot of energy. Nomadic(游牧的) people who move around will not want to keep pigs for food. People will not eat pets such as dogs. Americans eat a lot of beef because there is plenty of land for raising cattle and the meat can be shipped cheaply for long distances by railroads.
1. What’s the main topic of this passage?
A. Food and religion. B. Food and culture.
C. Nutrition of different foods. D. Different ways of life.
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE about food likes and dislikes?
A. They are seldom related to nutrition.
B. They are mostly associated with people’s taste.
C. They are mostly connected with people’s life styles.
D. They are usually related to cultures or religions.
3.The underlined word “taboo” (Line 3, Para. 3) refers to _____.
A. something undiscovered B. certain religions
C. something forbidden D. certain foods
4.What can we infer from the passage?
A. It is believed that brcoccoli is more nutritious than tomatoes.
B. Americans prefer tomatoes to beef.
C. People in Inner Mongolia would probably like to keep pigs for food.
D. The famous boxer Muhamm Ali would like to eat rat rather than butterfly.
5.Why do Americans prefer to eat beef?
A. Because beef provides a lot of energy people require.
B. Because beef is on the list of the most nutritious foods.
C. Because they have the ideal condition to keep and ship cattle.
D. Because cattle are large animals.
PALO AITO, California—“Switching off the television may help prevent children from getting fatter—even if they do not change their diet or increase the amount they exercise,” US researchers said last week.
A study of 192 third and fourth grades, generally aged eight and nine, found that children who cut the number of hours spent watching television gained nearly two pounds(0.91 kg) less over a one-year period than those who did not change their television diet.
“The findings are important because they show that weight loss can only be the result of a reduction in television viewing and not any other activity,” said Thomas Robinson, a pediatrician(儿科专家) at Stanford University.
“American children spend an average of more than four hours per day watching television and videos or playing games, and rates of childhood being very fat have doubled over the past 20 years,” Robinson said.
In the study, presented this week to the Pediatric Academic Societies’ annual meeting in San Francisco, the researchers persuaded about 100 of the students to reduce their television viewing by one-quarter to one-third.
Children watching fewer hours of television showed a significantly smaller increase in waist size and had less body fat than other students who continue their normal television viewing, even though neither group ate a special diet nor took part in any extra exercise.
“One explanation for the weight loss could be the children unstuck to the television may simply have been moving around and burning off calories,” Robinson said.
“Another reason might be due to eating fewer meals in front of the television. Some studies have suggested that eating in front of the TV encourages people to eat more,” Robinson added.
1.The purpose of the first two paragraphs is ______.
A. to report the time children spend watching TV
B. to show that more TV time leads to getting fatter
C. to tell us the best way to reduce weight
D. to introduce the background of the research
2.According to the passage, the time American children usually spend on watching TV ____.
A. is more than four hours a day B. is less than four hours a day
C. doubled in the last twenty years D. is more than on any other activities
3. The time the 100 children spend on TV every day is about _______ in the study.
A. a quarter of an hour B. four hours C. three hours D. one hour
4.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage ?
A. Weight increase owes to the result of a reduction in TV viewing.
B. The percentage of children getting fatter has doubled in the last 20 years.
C. Children usually eat less while watching TV.
D. Children usually eat nothing while watching TV.
5.The main idea of the passage would be ______.
A. less TV time helps reduce children’s weight
B. fewer meals is a must in reducing children’s weight
C. the less you eat, the thinner you will be
D. more exercise is of great benefit to reduce weight
In England three foreign gentlemen came to a bus stop. They studied the information on the post sign and decided which bus to take. About five minutes later the bus they wanted came along. They prepared to get on. Suddenly people rushed onto the bus and tried to push them out of the way. Someone shouted insulting remarks about the foreigners. The bus conductor came rushing down the stairs to see what all the trouble was about. The three foreign gentlemen looked puzzled and ashamed. No one had told them about the British custom of lining up for a bus so that the first person who arrived at a bus-stop is the first person to get on the bus.
Learning the language of a country isn’t enough. If you want to ensure a pleasant visit, find out as much as possible about the manners and customs of your hosts. You will probably be surprised just how different they can be from your own. A visitor to India would do well to remember that people there consider it impolite to use the left hand for passing food at table. The left hand is supposed to be used for washing yourself. Also in India, You might see a man apparently shaking his head at another and assume (认为) that he is disagreeing. But in many parts of India a rotating (旋转) movement of the head is a gesture that express agreement or acceptance. Nodding your head when offered a drink in Bulgaria is likely to leave you thirsty. In that country you shake your head to express “yes” — a nod means “no”.
In Europe it is quite usual to cross your legs when sitting, talking to someone, even at an important meeting. Doing this when meeting an important person in Thailand, however, could cause offence (冒犯). It is considered too informal an attitude for such an occasion. Also when in Thailand avoid touching the head of an adult — it’s just not done.
Attitudes to women vary considerably around the world. In Japan, for example, it is quite usual for men to plan evening entertainments for themselves and leave their wives at home.
Knowing about customs and attitudes is useful when you are travelling, but you also need to know the language used to express different degrees of formality (礼节).
1.The three foreign gentlemen looked puzzled and ashamed because ________.
A. they didn’t know the English language
B. the bus conductor told them to jump the queue
C. they didn’t know the custom of lining up for a bus
D. they thought they were looked down upon
2.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “insulting” in Para. 1?
A. Modest. B. Entertaining. C. Misunderstanding. D. Rude.
3.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to this passage?
A. In Europe, using the left hand is considered less respected.
B. In India, the left hand is not used as a sign of respect to others.
C. In Thailand, you’d better cross your legs when sitting or talking.
D. In Japan, it is considered bad manners to touch the head of an adult.
4.The underlined sentence “Nodding your head when offered a drink in Bulgaria is likely to leave you thirsty” means in Bulgaria _______.
A. you are probably thirsty if you nod your head
B. you’re possibly eager to have a drink if you nod your head
C. you probably refuse to drink when you nod your head
D. you’d like to have a cup of tea because you nod your head
5. We can infer from the passage that _________.
A. in Asian countries, women are equal to men in every field
B. learning a language well is a necessity before going abroad
C. attitudes to women vary from country to country
D. in Japan, men are still the centre of the family
I sit at my kitchen table, while my daughter, Anna, sits next to my mother. On the wall hangs a photo of my father.
“When is Rick going to be here?” My mother asks, referring to my husband.
“I don’t know, Mom,” I answer patiently. “He’ll be here for dinner.”
I sigh and get up from the table. This is at least the tenth time she has asked that question.
While my mother and daughter play, I busy myself making a salad.
“Don't put in any onions,” Mom says. “You know how Daddy hates onion.”
“Yes, Mom,” I answer.
I scrub(洗擦) off a carrot and chop it into bite-size pieces.
“Don't put any onions in the salad,” she reminds me. “You know how Daddy hates onion.”
This time I can’t answer.
My mother had been beautiful. She still is. In fact, my mother is still everything she has
been, just a bit forgetful.
I cut off the end of the cucumber and rub it to take away the bitterness. Cut and rub. This
is a trick I have learned from my mother, along with a trillion other things: cooking, sewing,
dating, laughing, thinking. I learned how to grow up.
And I learned that when my mother was around, I never had to be afraid.
So why am I afraid now?
I study my mother's hands. Her nails are no longer a bright red, but painted a light pink.
Almost no color at all. And as I stare at them, I realize I am feeling them as they shaped my
youth. Hands that packed a thousand lunches and wiped a million tears off my cheeks.
Now my hands have grown into those of my mother's. Hands that have cooked uneaten
meals, held my own daughter's frightened fingers on the first day of school and dried tears
off her face.
I grow lighthearted. I can feel my mother kiss me goodnight, check to see if the window is
locked, then blow another kiss from the doorway. Then I am my mother, blowing that same
kiss to Anna.
Outside everything is still. Shadows fall among the trees, shaped like pieces of a puzzle.
Someday my daughter will be standing in my place, and I will rest where my mother now sits.
Will I remember then how it felt to be both mother and daughter? Will I ask the same
question too many times?
I walk over and sit down between my mother and her granddaughter.
“Where is Rick?” my mother asks, resting her hand on the table next to mine. And in that
instant I know she remembers. She may repeat herself a little too much. But she remembers.
“He’ll be here,” I answer with a smile.
1.What’s wrong with the writer’s mother?
A. She is very old. B. She suffers forgetfulness.
C. She is absent-minded. D. She is eager to see Rick.
2.What can we learn about the writer’s father according to the passage?
A. He might have passed away for years.
B. He goes out for a walk by himself.
C. He is out doing something with Rick.
D. He loves the writer’s mother deeply.
3.The underlined sentence “I realize I am feeling them as they shaped my youth” probably means that ______.
A. Mother’s hands witnessed my growth as a youth
B. Mother’s hands are similar to mine as a youth
C. I like to feel mother’s hands when she was young
D. I realize her hands were exactly like those in her youth
4.Which of the following words best describe the writer’s mood towards her mother?
A. Content. B. Disappointed. C. Loving. D. Considerate.
5.The best title for the passage would be ______.
A. Mother’s beauty B. My father hates onion
C. Hard-working mother D. Mother’s hands
语法填空
31.Tom looked at me ______ (curious), he wanted to know everything.
32.There are _______ (variety) kinds of plants in the world.
33.He couldn’t afford the fare, so he had to earn his passage _______ doing jobs on the ship
34.Whether it will do us harm or good still _______ (remain) to be seen.
35.She is always complaining, for she is not content _______ what she has had.
36.When the day breaks, the soldiers found themselves _______ (surround) by their enemies.
37. -- Must I finish my paper before 4 o’clock?
-- No, you ______. You may hand it in tomorrow.
38.Van Gogh was ______ unique painter for his painting style was quite different from others.
39.The discovery of new evidence led to the thief _______(catch).
40. _______ needs further discussion whether we can raise money for the Hope Project.
41.He couldn’t say a word when he heard the _______ (disappoint) news.
42.That they won the game was _______ we had expected.
43.She always criticized Tom, _______ made him very unhappy.
44._______(see) I was angry, she stopped talking and left.
45.Helen ______(leave) her key in the office, so she had to wait until her husband came back.
阅读下面短文, 掌握其大意, 然后从16 ~ 30各题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项, 并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Mrs. Jones was very fond of singing. She had a good 16 , except that some of her high notes tended to sound like a gate, which someone had forgotten to 17 . Mrs. Jones was very conscious of this 18 , and took every 19 she could find to practice these high 20 . As she lived in a small house where she could not practice without 21 the rest of the family, she usually went for long walks along the country roads whenever she had time, and practiced her high notes there. Every time she heard a 22 or a person coming along the 23 , she stopped and 24 until she could no longer be heard before she started practicing again, because she was a 25 person, and because she was sensitive about those high notes.
One afternoon, however, a fast, open car came up behind her so 26 and so fast that she did not hear it until it was only a few yards from her. She was singing some of her highest and most 27 notes at the time, and as the car passed her, she saw an anxious 28 suddenly come over its driver’s face. He put his brakes on violently, and as soon as the car stopped, jumped out and began to 29 all his tires carefully.
Mrs. Jones did not dare to tell him what the noise he had heard had really been, so he got back into his car and drove off as 30 as he had been when he stopped.
1.A. voice B. noise C. sound D. note
2.A. close B. open C. repair D. oil
3.A. strength B. sickness C. weakness D. advantage
4.A. time B. chance C. person D. place
5.A. notes B. songs C. signs D. sounds
6.A. preventing B. harming C. disturbing D. damaging
7.A. train B. car C. noise D. driver
8.A. path B. avenue C. street D. road
9.A. waited B. expected C. confused D. puzzled
10.A. brave B. shy C. ordinary D. unique
11.A. slightly B. gently C. quickly D. silently
12.A. beautiful B. exhausting C. difficult D. energetic
13.A. expression B. explanation C. impression D. reaction
14.A. approach B. observe C. repair D. examine
15.A. convinced B. upset C. puzzled D. pleased
