Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.
Different cultures emphasize the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in "small talk", usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job．In many European countries -- like the UK or France -- people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.
Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand．I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled．After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.
Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.
People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.
1.In some countries, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to _____.
|
A．develop closer relations |
|
B．share the same culture |
|
C．get to know each other |
|
D．keep each other company |
2.The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that _________.
|
A．the English prefer to make long speeches |
|
B．too many words are of no use |
|
C．people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature |
|
D．even talk and silence can be culturally different |
3.According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?
|
A．By sharing different ways of life. |
|
B．By accepting different habits. |
|
C．By recognizing different values. |
|
D．By speaking each other' s languages. |
4.What would be the best title for the text?
|
A．Multicultural Environment. |
|
B．Cross-Cultural Differences. |
|
C．How to Understand Each Other. |
|
D．How to Build Up a Relationship. |
Many facts suggest that children are overweight and the situation is getting worse, according to the doctors. I feel there are a number of reasons for this.
Some people blame the fact that we are surrounded by shops selling unhealthy, fatty foods, such as fried chicken and ice cream, at low prices. This has turned out a whole generation of grown-ups who seldom cook a meal for themselves. If there were fewer of these restaurants, then probably children would buy less take-away food.
There is another argument that blames parents for allowing their children to become overweight. I agree with this, because good eating habits begin early in life, long before children start to visit fast food shops. If children are given fried chicken and chocolate rather than healthy food, or are always allowed to choose what they eat, they will go for sweet and salty foods every time, and this will carry on throughout their lives.
There is a third reason for this situation. Children these days take very little exercise. They do not walk to school. When they get home, they sit in front of the television or their computers and play computer games. Not only is this an unhealthy pastime（消遣）, it also gives them time to eat more unhealthy food．What they need is to go outside and play active games or sports.
The above are the main reasons for this problem, and therefore we have to encourage young people to be more active, as well as steering them away from fast food shops and bad eating habits.
1.According to the text, what kind of children may eat more unhealthy food?
|
A．Those who often take exercise. |
|
B．Those who often watch television. |
|
C．Those who often have meals at home. |
|
D．Those who often walk to school. |
2.The author thinks that children are becoming overweight because
|
A．their parents often cook meals for them |
|
B．they are too busy to go out and play |
|
C．they can' t choose what to eat |
|
D．there are too many fast food shops around |
3.The word "steering" underlined in the last sentence most probably means _______.
|
A．forcing |
B．guiding |
C．driving |
D．moving |
4.The main purpose of the text is to _________.
|
A．tell a story |
B．provide facts |
C．give advice |
D．compare opinions |
The passengers on the subway who caught a glimpse of me may have thought I was strange. In particular a gentleman sitting opposite me was always staring at me, looking at the cheese bread on the floor in front of me and then staring back at me. A passenger probably dropped it by mistake and got off at a previous stop, but the gentleman might not think so. “Next stop, St. Patrick Station” — my stop was quickly coming up. I had few minutes to either take the cheese bread, which nobody else was claiming, or left it there.
In those few minutes I felt my pride getting in the way. “What would others on the subway think of me if I took the cheese bread? Would they think that I was poor and hungry? Would they think that I was stealing?” The ignorant thing to do was say “yes” to any of those self-imposed questions. Actually, they were just my own thoughts. Though I would leave the subway, walk a block to my office, get settled at my desk, and sit comfortably in my office for the whole day, I couldn’t get rid of the enormous sense of guilt and regret.
My thoughts once pushed me towards pride and ignorance, but finally I had to admit I was wrong. This missing cheese bread could be a gift for a homeless person who suffered from cold and hunger. So why not overcome a little bit of my pride and pass along so much kindness?
Just as the doors opened at my stop, I grabbed the cheese bread and left the subway. It felt awesome, but I didn’t care if people were looking at me or what they were thinking. Instead of going directly to my office as usual, I walked a few more blocks up to Queen’s park, where I often saw a homeless man sitting outside. I always wanted to give him something, but only today I walked toward him, who wrapped himself in a sleeping bag. I was full of satisfaction, and so did the homeless man, I thought.
1.The gentleman kept staring at the author because _______.
|
A．he wanted to talk to the author |
|
B．the author appeared too nervous |
|
C．the author was going to get off |
|
D．he might think the author dropped the bread |
2.The underlined word “self-imposed” in paragraph 2 probably means “_______”.
|
A．easily obtained |
B．deliberately created |
|
C．strongly supported |
D．completely unaccepted |
3.Why did the author grab the cheese bread when he got off?
|
A．He noticed that no one was looking at him. |
|
B．He didn’t want to see the cheese bread to go to taste. |
|
C．He valued kindness more than his own pride. |
|
D．He remembered a homeless man at that very moment. |
My husband Sid and I were never able to have children. I had always wanted a family and that feeling 36 after his death. He was all I had. When he 37 , I felt like I had lost my entire family. I never 38 I would finally get the family I had always wished for. A few years later I met Tom. When we married, I 39 got four grown children and eight grandchildren.
I was 40 about my first meeting with his children. My worries melted away when I realized that they 41 me and were more than willing to bring me into their family. And when his daughters 42 me if their children could call me “Mimi,” I was excited, Tom was divorced, and 43 I was also concerned about the 44 that the children already had two grandmothers. Would the little ones understand 45 I fit into the family？
At our first extended family gathering, I 46 our six-year-old grandson Jim staring at me with a 47 look. He seemed to be thinking about something serious. 48 sporting a big grin(咧嘴笑)，he jumped and said, “I know who you are! You are our 49 grandma!” At that moment, I know it was time to just relax and enjoy my new 50 .
People say when a door close, God opens a window. Now I know what that 51 . I lost so much joy when Sid died, 52 now I have a new happy life. I am enjoying so many things I 53 got to experience before like reading bedtime stories. My refrigerator is covered with drawings, and my walls are 54 with photos of the kids. I may be an instant “extra” grandma in Jim’s eyes, but I am just as 55 any other “regular” grandma I know.
|
1. |
|
|
2. |
|
|
3. |
|
|
4. |
|
|
5. |
|
|
6. |
|
|
7. |
|
|
8. |
|
|
9. |
|
|
10. |
|
|
11. |
|
|
12. |
|
|
13. |
|
|
14. |
|
|
15. |
|
|
16. |
|
|
17. |
|
|
18. |
|
|
19. |
|
|
20. |
|
---Do you need more beef steak?
---______.
|
A．Not exactly |
B．Hold it |
C．You ‘re welcome |
D．No, thanks, I’m full |
They _____ have arrived at lunch time but the flight was delayed.
|
A．should |
B．can |
C．must |
D．will |
