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（显然地）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（相当地）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 __________________.
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A．they didn’t know the English language |
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B．someone called their names |
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C．they didn’t know the custom of lining up for a bus |
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D．they knocked someone down while getting on the bus |
2. According to the passage, which attitude to women is usual in Japan?
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A．Men always go to parties with women. |
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B．Men plan evening entertainments for their wives. |
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C．Men and women have equal rights to go to parties. |
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D．Men plan evening entertainments for themselves, while their wives stay home. |
3.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “insulting” in Para. 1 ?
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A．善意的 |
B．咨询的 |
C．商量的 |
D．无礼的 |
4. From the passage, we know that shaking head means Yes in ______________.
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A．India and Thailand |
B．India and Bulgaria |
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C．Bulgaria and Thailand |
D．Thailand and Japan |
5.The underlined sentence “Nodding your head when offered a drink in Bulgaria is likely to leave you thirsty.” means ____________.
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A．It’s probably that you are thirsty if you nod your head |
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B．You’re possibly eager to have a drink if you nod your head |
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C．You probably refuse to drink when you nod your head |
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D．You’d like to have a cup of tea because you nod your head |
Most Americans believe that someone isn’t grown-up until the age of 26 and they should complete their education, have a full-time job, have a family to support and be financially independent. They also believe that becoming a real grown-up is a process which begins at about the age of 20 and takes about five years, according to the report from the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center.
The findings are based on a representative sample of 1,398 people over the age of 18 who were surveyed in person. The survey found that people expect the transitions to grown-up status to be completed at the following ages: age 20.9 self-supporting; age 21.1 no longer living with parents; age 21.2 having a full-time job; age 22.3 education completed; age 24.5 being able to support a family financially; age 25.7 getting married; and age 26.2 having a child.
“There is a large degree of agreement across social groups on the relative importance of the seven transitions,” said Tom Smith, director of the survey. The only obvious pattern of differences is on views about supporting a family, having children and getting married. Older adults consider these more important than younger adults do. This probably shows in large part a change in values across generations away from traditional family values. The most valued step toward reaching adulthood, the survey found, is completing education, followed by full-time employment, supporting a family, financial independence, living independently, and marriage.
1. According to the first paragraph, someone is a grown-up when he _______.
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A．has found a full-time job |
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B．has finished his study in university |
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C．can make money and support himself after completing his education |
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D．can support a family and be financially independent after graduation |
2. A young man of 24 may be busy ________.
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A．finding a job |
B．finding a girl friend |
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C．making money |
D．preparing for his wedding |
3.The underlined word “status” in the second paragraph probably means “________”.
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A．position |
B．rank |
C．level |
D．situation |
4.From the passage, we learn that _________.
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A．being grown-up is just a matter of age |
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B．being grown-up is a process which takes some time |
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C．all people think completing education means being grown-up |
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D．the survey found everyone had a different view about being grown-up |
5. The best title for the passage should be “________”
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A．It takes a long time to grown up. |
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B．Are we grown-up yet? |
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C．Getting married means being grown-up. |
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D．Completing education means being grown-up. |
A thief entered the bedroom of the 30th President of the United States, who met him and helped him escape punishment．
The event happened in the early morning hours in one of the first days when Calvin Coolidge came into power, late in August, 1923．He and his family were living in the same third-floor suite (套房) at the Willard Hotel in Washington that they had occupied several years before．The former President’s wife was still living in the White House．
Coolidge awoke to see a stranger go through his clothes, remove a wallet and a watch chain．
Coolidge spoke, “I wish you wouldn’t take that．”
The thief, gaining his voice, said, “Why?”
“I don’t mean the watch and chain, only the charm (表坠)．Take it near the window and read what is impressed on its back, “ the President said．
The thief read, “Presented to Calvin Coolidge．”
“Are you President Coolidge ? “ he asked．
The President answered, “Yes, and the House of Representatives (众议院) gave me that watch charm．I’m fond of it．It would do you no good．You want money．Let’s talk this over．”
Holding up the wallet, the young man said in a low voice, “I’ll take this and leave everything else．”
Coolidge, knowing there was ＄80 in it, persuaded the young man to sit down and talk．He told the President he and his college roommate had overspent during their holiday and did not have enough money to pay their hotel bill．
Coolidge added up the roommate and two rail tickets back to the college．Then he counted out ＄32 said it was a loan (借款)．
He then told the young man, “There is a guard in the corridor．” The young man nodded and left through the same window as he had entered．
1.What caused the thief to meet the President?
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A．He knew the President had lots of money． |
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B．He knew the President lived in the suite． |
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C．He wanted to be a rich businessman． |
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D．He wanted to steal some money． |
2.Why did Calvin Coolidge live at the Willard Hotel in those days?
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A．Because the former President was still living in the White House． |
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B．Because the former First Lady hadn’t left the White House． |
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C．Because the First Lady liked to live there． |
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D．Because he liked there． |
3.Coolidge counted out ＄32 ______．
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A．in order not to be killed by the thief |
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B．in order to be out of danger |
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C．so as to help the young student overcome his difficulty |
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D．because he had no more money |
4.The young man’s roommate went back to the college ______．
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A．by air |
B．by water |
C．by bus |
D．by train |
5.Which of the following might happen afterwards?
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A．The young student repaid the＄32． |
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B．The thief was put into prison． |
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C．The President told many reporters the thief’s name． |
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D．The President ordered the young man to repay the money． |
Learning experiences happen to us throughout our lives. Not long ago, I had one that I would like to __16__.
I was going to Marblehead with my sailboat team. The team was racing down the highway at 85 mph __17_ we realized we were __18_. Luckily, we saw a rest area ahead. I had a brand-new $20 bill. I was so __19_ because I had never had that kind of cash before. But spending it on __20__ seemed like throwing it away. We all rushed into the pizza line. __21__ I got a pizza and a drink, and walked to my table. About halfway through the meal, I __22_ I had not actually handed any money to the cashier. I had just __23__ out, and nobody had noticed. I felt terrible.
My conscience (良心) opened its mouth and swallowed me in one big bite. I couldn’t __24__ over it. I just couldn’t go back to the cashier and __25__ for my stolen pizza. I was so upset that I __26__ to give myself the pleasure of an ice cream for __27__ that someone would say, “Hey, Jeff, why not you use the change __28__ the pizza instead of that nice, new $20 bill?” I was not so __29__ of my cash now. For the next two years, whenever I was __30__ of the “pizza incident”, I would say to myself, “Don’t think about it…”
I have learned two things from this __31__. Maybe I was a fool for __32__ in to my conscience, and being too stupid to appreciate a __33__ pizza. But the real lesson is that even if you get away with what you have done, your conscience will __34__ up with you.
This reflects the saying, “Coward (懦夫) dies a thousand deaths, a hero dies one.” I was a coward and have felt terrible about that incident at least a thousand times. If I had been a “__35__” and gone back to pay for the pizza, I would have felt a little uncomfortable about it only one, or maybe twice.
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All the people ____the meeting were very important.
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A．attending |
B．present |
C．attended |
D．presented |
The novel is said _____ into many languages.
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A．being translated |
B．having been translated |
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C．to translate |
D．to have been translated |
