Facial expressions carry meaning that is determined by situations and relationships. For example, in American culture the smile is in general an expression of pleasure. Yet it also has other uses. A woman’s smile at a police officer does not carry the same meaning as the smile she gives to a young child. A smile may show love or politeness. It can also hide true feelings. It often causes confusion (困惑) across cultures. For example, many people in Russia consider smiling at strangers in public to be unusual and even improper. Yet many Americans smile freely at strangers in public places (although this is less common in big cities). Some Russians believe that Americans smile in the wrong places; some Americans believe that Russians don’t smile enough. In Southeast Asian culture, a smile is frequently used to cover painful feelings. Vietnamese people may tell a sad story but end the story with a smile.
Our faces show emotions (情感), but we should not attempt to “read” people from another culture as we would “read” someone from our own culture. The fact that members of one culture do not express their emotions as openly as do members of another does not mean that they do not experience emotions. Rather, there are cultural differences in the amount of facial expressions permitted. For example, in public and in formal situations many Japanese do not show their emotions as freely as Americans do. When with friends, Japanese and Americans seem to show their emotions similarly.
It is difficult to generalize about Americans and facial expressiveness because of personal and cultural differences in the United States. People from certain cultural backgrounds in the United States seem to be more facially expressive than others. The key is to try not to judge people whose ways of showing emotions are different. If we judge according to our own cultural habits, we may make the mistake of “reading” the other person incorrectly.
1.What does the smile usually mean in the U.S?
A. Joy. B. Politeness.
C. Love. D. Thankfulness.
2.The author mentions the smile of the Vietnamese to prove that smile can _____.
A. show friendliness to strangers
B. be used to hide true feelings
C. be used in the wrong places
D. show personal habits
3. What should we do before attempting to “read” people?
A. Learn about their relations with others.
B. Figure out what they will do next.
C. Find out about their past experience.
D. Understand their cultural backgrounds.
4.What would be the best title for the test?
A. Cultural Differences B. Smiles and Relationship
C. Facial Expressiveness D. Habits and Emotions
For the first time in Hong Kong's history，an entertainer has been written into middle school textbooks. He is considered one of the best actors in Hong Kong. Yes，he is Chow Yun fat．
The example of his long hard struggle for success has been used in a chapter in a Hong Kong middle school textbook．Using his experience，students can learn to make the most of their time and to get every opportunity to succeed．
On hearing about this，Chow said happily，“I really hope that my experiences can make young people understand that one should not be afraid of difficulties and setbacks（挫折），for they are the only way to success．”
Indeed，Chow has travelled a long and difficult path to reach his success．In 1955，he was born into a poor family in Hong Kong. When he was 17，he had to leave school．He worked in a number of jobs—as a postman，camera salesman and taxi driver. These experiences paved the way for him to play all kinds of roles later in life．
Chow broke into the film industry in the late 1970s. He was one of the hardest working actors and starred in a number of popular TV dramas and films including “Shanghai Bund”（《上海滩》） and “A Better Tomorrow”． Since 1985， he has won many awards including Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards and Hong Kong Film Awards .
In 1995, he went to Hollywood． Although he was already in his 40s, he had to learn English．He even put chopsticks in his mouth to practise pronouncing certain sounds. His film， “Crouching Tiger，Hidden Dragon”，began to gain him more fame and recognition around the world．In 1998，the mayor of Chicago set aside January 12 as “Chow Yun fat Day．”
1.Chow Yun fat has been written into middle school textbooks mainly because________．
A. he plays best in Hong Kong
B. he keeps on struggling for success
C. his experiences are very special
D. he is well thought of
2.What can we infer from the passage？
A. Chow Yun fat is proud of his success．
B. Chow Yun fat is popular both at home and abroad．
C. Chow Yun fat prefers to make a living by selling cameras rather than by _________performing．
D. Chow Yun fat has won more awards than other actors．
3.The underlined sentence（in Paragraph 6） suggests _________．
A. chopsticks is of great help to practise English pronunciation
B. Chow Yun fat is willing to struggle with difficulties
C. Chow Yun fat has suffered a lot since he went to Hollywood
D. it is hard for a person who is over 40 years old to learn spoken English
4.The author wrote this passage to _________．
A. introduce Chow's way to success
B. praise Chow for his excellent performance
C. call on people to learn from Chow
D. show why Chow is popular
My color television has given me nothing but a headache. I was able to buy it a little over a year ago because I had my relatives give me money for my birthday instead of a lot of clothes that wouldn’t fit .I let a salesclerk fool me into buying a discontinued model, I realized this a day later, when I saw newspaper advertisements for the set at seventy-five dollars less than I had paid, The set worked so beautifully when I first got it home that I would keep it on until stations signed off for the night, Fortunately, I didn’t got any channels showing all-night movies or I would never have gotten to bed.
Then I started developing a problem with the set that involved static (静电) noise. For some reason, when certain shows switched into a commercial, a loud noise would sound for a few seconds. Gradually, this noise began to appear during a show, and to get rid of it, I had to change to another channel and then change it back. Sometimes this technique would not work, and I had to pick up the set and shake it to remove the sound. I actually began to build up my arm muscles(肌肉) shaking my set.
When neither of these methods removed the static noise ,I would sit helplessly and wait for the noise to go away. At last I ended up hitting the set with my fist, and it stopped working altogether .My trip to the repair shop cost me $62, and the set is working well now, but I keep expecting more trouble.
1.Why did the author say he was fooled into buying the TV set?
A. He got an older model than he had expected.
B. He couldn’t return it when it was broken.
C. He could have bought it at a lower price.
D. He failed to find any movie shows on it.
2.Which of the following can best replace the phrase ”signed off” in Paragraph 1?
A. ended all their programs B. provided fewer channels
C. changed to commercials D. showed all-night movies
3.How did the author finally get his TV set working again?
A. By shaking and hitting it. B. By turning it on and off.
C. By switching channels. D. By having it repaired.
4.How does the author sound when telling the story ?
A. Curious B. Anxious
C. Cautious D. Humorous
Do you find yourself reaching for just one more cup of coffee to get through the day? Are you tired of being tired ? Instead of relying on things like coffee or sugar for energy, get happy by eating more foods that give you energy through nourishment. Here are four foods that can help improve your energy levels.
Hemp Seed
A complete protein, rich in fiber and omega-3s, hemp is a great low-glycemic (低胰岛素) addition to any diet. The glycemic index (GI) is a measurement of how fast the carbohydrates in food are broken down into glucose (葡萄糖) and how much it will affect your blood sugar. Fiber, fat and protein all lower the GI of a food, which is why hemp seeds (along with nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes)are low-glycemic. Look for hemp seed oil for salad dressing, and hemp seeds to be added into salads.
Soaked Almonds
Raw almonds are nutrient dense, and soaking them releases（释放） higher nutrition potential. Soaking increases vitamin levels and removes the enzyme (酶) inhibitors that slow down digestion. I soak my almonds in water overnight (at least eight hours) and then dry them.
Quinoa
It is 20-percent protein, making it a balanced source of carbohydrates. Even though you feel like you're too busy to make home-made meals, quinoa is a fast food that cooks in less than 15 minutes.
Green Tea
Caffeine from green tea feels steadier and less sharp than the spike and crash with caffeine from coffee. This is likely because green tea contains L-theanine, a kind of acid found in tea that helps promote relaxation.
1.The writer wrote the passage in order to______.
A. introduce four foods making people energetic
B. find reasons why people need some coffee
C. reach for something to get through the day
D. tell people way of keeping fit
2.Why did the almonds get soaked?
A. It helped increase the enzyme. B. It helped unlock the nutrition.
C. It helped make digestion slow. D. It helped lock nutrient dense.
3.From the fourth paragraph we can know quinoa_______.
A. is rich in protein B. includes much fiber
C. can be served quickly D. has less sharp flavor
I first met Li Meng at a friend birthday party five years ago. Then I invited Li Meng over in my place. We listen to my CDs together and soon became good friends. Three years ago, Li Meng’s parents invited I to spend a couple of wonderful week in Qingdao with them during the summer holiday. Li Meng and I loved walking along the beautifully beaches there. Last year I was ill but had to stay in hospital for a week. Li Meng came see me every day. Then, her father has changed jobs and they moved to another city. Since then we haven’t see each other much, but we’ve kept writing to each other.
The “Give It Up for Earth Day” encourages people to commit to giving up actions that are harmful to the environment, such as using poisonous cleaners.
Throughout the month of April, Canadians are being asked to “Give It Up for Earth Day！” Earth Day has been celebrated every year on April 22 since 1970. Earth Day Canada president Jed Goldberg says that as people become more environmentally aware, they want to find ways to reduce their environmental influence, not just celebrate one special event.
“Earth Day is a great launching_pad for thinking about environmental action every day，” said Goldberg. “Choosing healthier options, even for the short term, can lead to thinking about the influence of our decisions for a lifetime.”
That's the reason behind the “Give It Up for Earth Day” campaign. It's designed to encourage healthy habits that benefit people and the planet. It challenges everyone to help create a healthier world by making changes in their daily routine.
“We wanted to plan an actiontargeted campaign that will give people a chance to act on their concern for the environment in a positive way，” said Goldberg.
The campaign has identified four daily actions that can add up to huge environmental savings. They include pledging (保证) to turn off the TV, give up the use of poisonous cleaners, reduce consumption of consumer products and cut out meat.
At the end of April, all of the pledges will be recorded and converted (转化) into the number of TV hours not watched, dollars not spent on unnecessary items, electricity saved, greenhouse gas emissions (排放) avoided by cutting out meat, and poisonous chemicals produced from homes and landfills.
“What we're trying to achieve this year for Earth Day is to give people a chance to do something that is meaningful and measurable，” said Goldberg.
1.The aim of the campaign mentioned in the passage is to ________.
A. enable people to save more money for future use
B. help people develop environmentally friendly habits
C. prevent people from making changes in their daily routine
D. warn people against reducing consumption of consumer products
2.The underlined word “launching pad” (in Paragraph 3) probably means “________”．
A. starting point B. finishing line
C. exchanging stage D. reforming stage
3.We can conclude from the passage that ________.
A. Earth Day was first celebrated over half a century ago
B. short term decisions will by no means influence our lives
C. Earth Day Canada is actually an everyday environmental action
D. daily actions must be measured to benefit the environment
4.Which disagrees with the spirit of “Give It Up for Earth Day”？
A. Switching off TV.
B. Riding bikes.
C. Using poisonous cleaners.
D. Saving electricity.
