Teachers’ Day is, interestingly, not celebrated on the same day all over the world. In some countries it is marked by a holiday, in others it is a working day.
International Teachers’ Day is celebrated on October 5. Being held ever since 1994, it is in honor of teachers' organizations worldwide. Its aim is to encourage supports for teachers and to meet the needs of students.
China―In 1939, Teachers’ Day was set for August 27, Confucius' birthday. In1951, the celebration was stopped. However, it was founded again in 1985, and the day was changed to September 10.
India―Teachers’ Day is celebrated on September 5 in honour of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the second president of India, whose birthday falls on that day.
Russia―In Russia, Teachers’ Day was celebrated on the first Sunday of October between 1965 and 1994. Since 1994, the day is observed on October 5, just the same day as World Teachers’ Day.
The US―In the US, Teachers’ Day is non-official holiday. It is celebrated on the Tuesday of the first full week of May. A number of activities are organized in schools to honor teachers. The celebrations can continue for the whole week of May.
Thailand―In Thailand, National Teachers’ Day is celebrated every year on January 16. The first Teachers’ Day was held in 1957. The day is a holiday in schools.
1.What country celebrates Teachers’ Day in October?
A. India. B. The US. C. India. D. Russia.
2.Which of the following has the same meaning as the underlined word “observed”?
A. stopped B. celebrated C. held D. fell
3.Which of the following is possibly true?
A. China has celebrated Teachers’ Day since the year 1931.
B. Teachers’ Day is an official holiday in the United States.
C. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s birthday is in September.
D. Teachers’ Day is a working day in schools of Thailand.
4.From the passage we can learn that ________.
A. The first Teachers’ Day was held in 1965 in Thailand.
B. Teachers’ Day falls on Confucius' birthday in China.
C. International Teachers’ Day aims to benefit the students.
D. Teachers’ Day is celebrated on the same day all over the world.
By May，after three months, I had lost 22 pounds and reached my goal of 115 pounds. My friends would say “Alice you look great !” or “ How did you lose so much weight? ”. Those praises made me feel good and confident.
Soon I dropped to 110 ponds. A few of my friends told me that I need to stop dieting because I was starting to look sick. They brought me a present——a bag of chocolates, which I later gave to my sister. My mum would come to my room, with tears in her eyes, and have long chats about how harmful this diet was and begged me to stop. My dad would leave worried messages on my cell phone at school, telling me that it would do serious harm to my body.
By mid-June, when school was coming to an end, I was down to an only alive state of 95pounds. All of a sudden, I knew I had to do something. I guessed the number itself scared me. I recalled my doctor. He told me about a girl who was 95 pounds and was at the risk of dying. I knew I was putting my life at risk, but for what?
To make those who love me worried? Is it worthwhile to be thin?
Now I realize that models in magazines, TV and movies are not realistic. The price to pay for the “perfect body” is living with the dangerous and sometimes deadly eating disorder. And there are more important things to think about than how thin you are.
1.The author’s mother went to her room to ________.
A. bring her some chocolates.
B. tell her she missed her..
C. ask her to stop dieting.
D. talk about her studies.
2.The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 probably refers to ______ .
A. the author’s cellphone.
B. the author’s diet to lose weight .
C. the parent from the author’s friends.
D. the author’s father’s long chat with her.
3.The author decided to stop dieting____ .
A. when her friends told her to do so
B. when her father left some messages
C. when her weight dropped to 95 pounds
D. when her mother had a talk with her
4.What does the writer want to tell us?
A. It is too expensive for people to lose weight.
B. You will be healthy as long as you stop dieting.
C. There is no model with a perfect body in real life.
D. Being thin is not the most important thing in our life.
Jean is a bright young woman who comes from a rich and famous family. She goes to a good university and has everything that money can buy. Well, almost everything. The problem is that Jean’s family are so busy that they can hardly find time to be with her. In fact, Jean is quite lonely. So Jean spends a lot of time on her QQ. She likes being anonymous, talking to people who do not know about her famous family and her rich life. She uses the name Linda on QQ and has made a lot of friends who she keeps in touch with quite often.
Last year Jean made a very special friend on QQ. His name was David and lived in San Francisco. David was full of stories and jokes. He and Jean had a common interest in rock music and modern dance. So it always took them hours to talk happily on QQ and sometimes they even forgot their time. Of course, they wanted to know more about each other. David sent a picture of himself: He was a tall , good looking young man with big , happy smile. As time went by, they became good friends and often sent cards and small things to each other.
When Jean’s father told her that he was going on a business trip to San Francisco, she asked him to let her go with him so that she could give David a surprise for his birthday. She would take him the latest DVD of their favorite rock singer. But when she knocked on David’s door in San Francisco, she found that her special friend was a twelve-year-old boy named Jim!
1.Jean spends a lot of her time on QQ because she is _________.
A. rich B. young C. lonely D. a bad student
2.Jean thought “David” was special because he _________.
A. made her quite happy on QQ
B. was from San Francisco
C. was tall and good-looking
D. was rich
3.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. Don’t believe those you get to know on QQ so easily
B. People don’t use their real names on QQ so often
C. Don’t go to meet those you get to know on QQ
D. Don’t spend much time on QQ
If you want to be a volunteer, you have to answer the following typical questions. Do you want to work with people, animals or machines? Do you want to work indoors or outdoors, directly serve people in need or serve people behind the scenes? Every year, thousands of people in the west offer volunteer service. Volunteering greatly strengthens the community because it helps the old, the young, the weak, the sick, and the disabled and the injured to solve problems.
Volunteers usually help in many different ways. They may give people advice, offer friendship to the young, drive the elderly to church (if up to the driving age), advise kids against drugs, work as assistants in schools or nursing homes, raise funds, plant trees, help out in local libraries and do many other things. Volunteering can be a few hours a week or a few hours a month. Anybody who wants to serve people in need can become a volunteer.
In fact, the art of volunteering is a process of both giving and receiving. Volunteering allows volunteers to meet new people, make new friends and mix with people from all walks of life. Volunteering is an excellent way to experiment and try out new techniques and skills, discover your individual talents and explore career choice. Being a volunteer will take you on a wonderful journey and help you learn more than what you can get from books.
1.As a volunteer, only when you grow old enough can you _______.
A. plant trees on hills
B. drive the elderly to church
C. give advice to others
D. help out in local libraries
2.How is the second paragraph mainly developed?
A. By listing examples. B. By comparing.
C. By giving explanations. D. By discussing.
3.It can be inferred from the passage that to be a volunteer, _______.
A. you can do experiments
B. you must be very strong
C. you need to work very long
D. you can get something valuable
4.What’s the best title of the passage?
A. How to hunt for jobs
B. Volunteer service in the west
C. How to make friends
D. How to work with animals
Culture in general is concerned with beliefs and values on the basis of which people explain experiences and behaviors, individually or in groups. Generally speaking, culture refers to a group or community with which you share common experiences that shape the way you understand the world.
The same person, thus, can belong to several different cultures depending on his or her birthplace, nationality, ethnicity, family status, gender, age, language, education, physical condition, religion, profession, place of work and so on.
Culture is often at the root of communication challenges. Exploring historical experiences and the ways in which various cultural groups have related to each other is important in opening channels for cross-cultural communication. Becoming more aware of cultural differences, as well as exploring cultural similarities, can help you communicate with others more effectively. Next time you find yourself in a confusing situation, ask yourself how culture may be shaping your own reactions, and try to see the world from the others’ point of view.
写作内容:
1. 用约30个单词写出上文概要;
2. 用约120个单词发表你的观点,内容包括:
1) 你如何看待文化多样性(cultural diversity) ?
2) 我们应该如何解决文化差异方面的问题 ?
写作要求：
1.在作文中可以使用亲身经历或虚构的故事，也可以参阅材料的内容，但不能直接引用文中原句。
2.不必写标题。
3.不能出现真实姓名和班级。
Traveling to a new country isn’t as simple as just buying a ticket and boarding a plane. In fact, it can be easy for an awkward situation to occur. Different customs can often cause misunderstandings and even trouble. To help prevent a serious culture pas, an article in the Daily Mail highlighted taboos in certain countries. Let’s take a look.
France
When visiting France, you’d better not be caught cutting your lettuce with a knife and fork. It’s an insult to the chef and suggests that the salad hasn’t been prepared correctly. The correct way to eat lettuce in France is to fold it with your fork to make it fit in your mouth.
Italy
It’s actually best to be a little less friendly than usual when you visit Italy. It’s considered strange to make small talk with strangers, as the locals are reserved. Too much familiarity from a stranger can be seen as threatening, so keep greetings short.
Mexico
In Mexico, bringing an expensive gift to someone’s home is a no-no, as it could be seen as a tribe. Something simple like flowers and chocolates would be accepted. But you should avoid taking along marigolds (金盏花) or red flowers, because in Mexican culture, they symbolize death and can be associated with witchcraft(巫术).
Germany
You have to be careful with gifts of flowers in Germany too. Steer clear of carnations(康乃馨)，as they are used for funerals. And an even number is considered unlucky. So if you want to give your host flowers, ask them what their favorite flowers are before your visit. And be sure to bring an odd number.
How to avoid 1.________ taboos in a new country
France | Taboo: Cutting your lettuce with a knife and fork. Reason: It’s an 2._______ to the chef, suggesting the salad has not been prepared correctly. Solution: 3.______ your lettuce with your fork to make it fit in your mouth. |
Italy | Taboo: Acting too 4._______ to strangers. Reason: Too much familiarity from a stranger can be seen as 5._______. Solution: Don’t make small talk with strangers, and keep greetings short. |
Mexico | Taboo: Bringing an6.______ gift to someone’s home. Sending people marigolds or red flowers. Reasons: An expensive gift could be considered a bribe. Marigolds and red flowers are associated with7._______ and witchcraft. Solution: Just send something 8.______ like flowers or chocolates, but avoid Marigolds or red flowers. |
Germany | Taboo: Sending people carnations or an even number of flowers. Reasons: Carnations are used for funerals. And an even number is considered 9._________. Solution: Ask your hosts what their favorite flowers are before your visit. And be sure to bring an 10._ number. |
