In the US, people prefer waiting for a table to sitting with people they don’t know. This means a hostess may not seat a small group until a small table is available, even if a large one is. If you are sitting at a table with people you don’t know, it is impolite to light up a cigarette without asking if it will disturb them.
At American restaurants and coffee shops you are usually served tap water before you order. You may find the bread and butter is free, and if you order coffee, you may get a free refill.
Most cities and towns have no rules about opening and closing time for stores or restaurants, though they usually do make rules for bars. Especially in large cities, stores may be open 24 hours a day.
Serving in restaurants is often large; too large for many people. If you can’t finish your meal but would like to enjoy the food later, ask your waitress or waiter for a “doggie bag”. It may have a picture of a dog on it, but everybody knows you’re taking the food for yourself.
Supper and dinner are both words for the evening meal. Some people have “Sunday dinner”. This is an especially big noon meal.
Tips are not usually added to the check. They are not included in the price of the meal, either. A tip of about 15% is expected and you should leave it on the table when you leave. In some restaurants, a check is brought on a plate and you put your money there. Then the waiter or waitress brings you your change.
1.Which statement is true?
A. American people like sitting with people they don’t know.
B. A hostess always seats a small group at a large table.
C. American people never sit with people they don’t know.
D. American people will not light a cigarette if the people who sit at the same table mind their smoking.
2.What is served before you order?
A. bread B. butter C. coffee D. cold water
3.What do American people always do when servings are too large for them?
A. They take the food home with a doggie bag for their dogs.
B. They leave the food on the table and go away.
C. They take the food home with a doggie bag and enjoy the food later.
D. They ask the waitress or waiter to keep the food for them.
4.Sunday dinner is_______.
A. a dinner in the evening B. A big noon meal
C. a big lunch on Sunday D. A supper on Sunday
One silly question I simply can’t stand is “How do you feel?” Usually the question is asked of a man in action—a man on the go, walking along the streets, or busily working at his desk. So what do you expect him to say? He’ll probably say, “Fine, I’m all right,” but you have put a bug in his ear—maybe now he’s not sure. If you are a good friend, you may have seen something in his face, or his walk, that he overlooked(忽略) that morning. It starts worrying him a little. First thing you know, he looks in a mirror to see if everything is all right, while you go merrily on your way asking someone else “How do you feel?” Every question has its time and place. It’s perfectly acceptable, for instance, to ask “How do you feel?” if you’re visiting a close friend in the hospital. But if the fellow is walking on both legs, hurrying to take a train, or sitting at his desk working, it’s silly to ask him that silly question. When George Bernard Shaw, the famous writer of plays, was in his eighties, someone asked him. “How do you feel?” Shaw put him in his place. “When you reach my age”, he said, “either you feel all right or you’re dead.”
1.According to the writer, greetings such as “How do you feel?” _______.
A. show one’s consideration for others
B. are a good way to make friends
C. are proper to ask a man in action
D. generally make one feel uneasy
2.The question “How do you feel?” seems to be correct and suitable when asked of _______.
A. a man working at his desk
B. a person having lost a close friend
C. a stranger who looks somewhat worried
D. a friend who is ill
3.George Bernard Shaw’s reply in the passage shows his _______.
A. cheerfulness B. cleverness
C. ability D. politeness
4.“You’ve put a bug in his ear” means that you’ve _______.
A. made him laugh
B. shown concern for him
C. made fun of him
D. given him some kind of warning
A man was selling medicine at a fair（集市）．At first he sold bottles of a cure（药剂）for colds（感冒）for just a dollar a bottle．
Many people wanted to buy it and the man's young assistant moved quickly through the crowd collecting money and handing out bottles of the cure．
Then，when he had a big crowd， the man held up a very small bottle．
“And now，ladies and gentlemen,” he shouted，“Here is the medicine you have been waiting for．The cure for old age．Drink just one bottle of this and you will live forever.”
“And，ladies and gentlemen,” the man continued，“I'm not going to charge you a hundred dollars a bottle for this wonderful medicine．I'm not going to charge you fifty dollars a bottle．I'm not going to charge you twenty-five dollars a bottle. Now，ladies and gentlemen，I'm going to charge you just ten dollars a bottle. Think，my friends，for ten dollars you can live forever.”
Most of the people in the crowd did not believe this．
One person shouted，“If it can make you live forever，why don't you drink it?”
Then another person cried，“Yes，you look as if you're at least sixty years old．
“Thank you，sir，thank you,” the man answered，“I'm so glad you said that． My real age is three hundred and twenty-nine.”
The crowd laughed at this but there were still some people who wanted to believe the man. One of them spoke to the man's assistant as she passed by, “Is that true？”he asked．“Is he three hundred and twenty-nine？”
“Don't ask me,” the assistant said，“I've only worked for him for a hundred and fifty years.”
1.What did the man sell at first at the fair？
A．a cure for colds
B．bottles
C．a cure for old age
D．a medicine that made people live forever
2.How much did the man charge for the cure for old age？
A．one dollar a bottle
B．twenty-five dollars a bottle
C．ten dollars a bottle
D．fifty dollars a bottle
3.What does the word “assistant” mean in this passage？
A．仆人 B．朋友 C．同伴 D．助手
4.What does this passage really mean？
A．The cure for old age is very useful and not so expensive．
B．The man is not honest，and neither is his assistant．
C．The cheaper the medicine is，the more people will buy．
D．The two men are very honest，and they would like to help people live forever．
My sister and I grew up in a little village in England. Our father was a struggling 16 , but I always knew he was 17 . He never criticized us, but used 18 to bring out our best. He’d say, “If you pour water on flowers, they flourish. If you don’t give them water, they die.” I 19 as a child I said something 20 about somebody, and my father said, “ 21 time you say something unpleasant about somebody else, it’s a reflection of you.” He explained that if I looked for the best 22 people, I would get the best 23 . From then on I’ve always tried to 24 the principle in my life and later in running my company.
Dad’s also always been very 25 . At 15, I started a magazine. It was 26 a great deal of my time, and the headmaster of my school gave me a 27 ：stay in school or leave to work on my magazine.
I decided to leave, and Dad tried to sway me from my decision, 28 any good father would. When he realized I had made up my mind, he said, “Richard, when I was 23, my dad 29 me to go into law. And I’ve 30 regretted it. I wanted to be a biologist, 31 I didn’t pursue my 32 . You know what you want. Go fulfill it.”
As 33 turned out, my little publication went on to become Student, a national 34 for young people in the U.K. My wife and I have two children, and I’d like to think we are bringing them up in the same way Dad 35 me.
1.A. biologist B. manager C. lawyer D. gardener
2.A. strict B. honest C. special D. learned
3.A. praise B. courage C. power D. warmth
4.A. think B. imagine C. remember D. guess
5.A. unnecessary B. unkind C. unimportant D. unusual
6.A. Another B. Some C. Any D. Other
7.A. on B. in C. at D. about
8.A. in case B. by turns C. by chance D. in return
9.A. revise B. set C. review D. follow
10.A. understanding B. experienced C. serious D. demanding
11.A. taking up B. making up C. picking up D. keeping up
12.A. suggestion B. decision C. notice D. choice
13.A. and B. as C. even if D. as if
14.A. helped B. allowed C. persuaded D. suggested
15.A. always B. never C. seldom D. almost
16.A. rather B. but C. for D. therefore
17.A. promise B. task C. belief D. dream
18.A. this B. he C. it D. that
19.A. newspaper B. magazine C. program D. project
20.A. controlled B. comforted C. reminded D. raise
–Did you manage to contact professor Li?
--Well, yes, _________.
A. particularly B. lately C. really D. eventually
–You’re coughing badly, Martin. Why not give up smoking?
--Give up smoking? Easier said than done, Amy. Once you _________ the habit of smoking, it is very had for you to _________.
A. keep up; break it away
B. take up; drop it out
C. pick up; get rid of it
D. build up; do away with it
