Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong
signals(信号). Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a
relationship.
     Different cultures emphasize(强调) 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; 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(多元文化
环境) 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 name
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 babits
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

1. What is the main idea of the passage?  

A. Water cycle      
B. Water vapor  
C. How rain forms  
D. Water ,vapor, rain

2. How many ways of the water returning to the air are discussed in the text?  

A. Two  
B. Three  
C. Four    
D. Five

3. Whether water vapor can be seen or not depends on _______.  

A. how much water is evaporated    
B. how good your eyes are
C. in which way water is evaporated  
D. climate or weather

4. From the passage we get to know___________.

A. there is more water vapor in the air in the tropics than in cold polar regions
B. there is more water vapor in the air in cold polar region than in the tropics
C. it gets more rain in the tropics than in cold polar regions because there is less vapor
D. the amount of water vapor in the air depends on how often it rains

     In kindergarten your idea of a good friend was the person who let you have the red crayon when all
that were left were the ugly black ones.
     In third grade your idea of a good friend was the person who shared his or her lunch with you when
you forgot yours on the bus.
     In eighth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you pack up your childhood
stuff so that your room would be a "middle school student's" room, but didn't laugh at you when you
finished and broke out into tears.
     In eleventh grade your idea of a good friend was the person who came to comfort you when you
broke up with someone.
      In the twelfth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you pick out a university,
assured you that you would get into that university and helped you deal with your parents, who were
having a hard time to adjust to letting you go.
     At graduation your idea of a good friend was the person who was crying on the inside but managed
the biggest smile one could give as they congratulated you.
     Now , your idea of a good friend is still the person who gives you the better of the two choices; holds
your hand when you are scared; thinks of you when you are not there; reminds you of what you have
forgotten; helps you put the past behind you, but understands when you need to hold on to it a little longer; stays with you so that you have confidence; goes out of their way to make time for you; helps you clear
up your mistakes; helps you deal with pressure from others; smiles for you when you sad; helps you
become a better person; and ______, loves you!
Thank you for being a friend. No matter where we go or who we become, never forget who helped us
get here.

1. What is the best title of the passage? (please answer within 10 words)
  _________________________________________________________________________
2. Translate the underlined sentence in the passage into Chinese.
  __________________________________________________________________________
3. Please fill in the blank with proper words or phrases to complete the sentence. (please answer
    within 10 words)
   ____________________________________________________________________________
4. Please find out the sentence which can be replaced by the following one.
   We will remember those who have helped us when we are in need of great help.
   ____________________________________________________________________________
5. By reading the passage, what kind of friend do you think is a good one?(please answer within 30
    words.)

     Like fine food, good writing is something we approach with pleasure and enjoy from the first taste to
the last. And good writers, like good cooks, do not suddenly appear full-blown. Quite the opposite, just
as the cook has to undergo a particular training, mastering the skills of his trade, the writer must sit at his
desk and devote long hours to achieving a style in his writing, whatever its purpose is-schoolwork, matters of business, or purely social communication.
     You may be sure that the more painstaking the effort, the more effective the writing, and the more
rewarding.
     There are still some faraway places in the world where you might find a public scribe to do your
business or social writing for you, for money. There are a few managers who are lucky enough to have
the service of that rare kind of secretary who can take care of all sorts of letter writing with no more than
a quick note to work from. But for most of us, if there is any writing to be done, we have to do it
ourselves.
     We have to write school papers, business papers or home papers. We are constantly called on to
put words to papers. It would be difficult to count the number of such words, messages, letters, and
reports put into mails or delivered by hand, but the daily figures must be extremely large. What is more,
everyone who writes expects, or at least hopes whatever he writes will be read,    from first word to last,
not just thrown into some "letters-to-be-read" files or into a wastepaper basket. This is the reason we
bend our efforts toward learning and practicing the skills of interesting, effective writing.

1. In this passage, good writing is compared to fine food because _______.

A. both are enjoyable     B. both are hard to learn
C. both are necessary to lifeD. both take a long time to prepare

2. according to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A. Writing skills are less important than experience.
B. A good writer should have his own way of writing.
C. A good writer should learn to write all kinds of articles.
D. The more efforts one makes, the more money one can earn.

3. The author thinks that the most important reason for us to practice writing skills is _______.

A. to earn our living        
B. to attract others to read
C. to do daily reports easily
D. to become good secretaries

4. The purpose of the author in writing this passage is to _______.

A. comment and blame  
B. introduce and describe
C. explain and persuade  
D. interest and inform

     More surprising, perhaps, than the current difficulties of traditional marriage is the fact that marriage
itself is alive and thriving (兴盛)。As Skolnick notes, Americans are marrying people-relative to
Europeans, more of us marry and we marry at a younger age. Moreover, after a decline in the early 1970s,
the rate of marriage in the United States is now increasing. Even the divorce rate needs to be taken in this
pro-marriage context: some 80percent of divorced individuals remarry. Thus, marriage remains, by far,
the preferred way of life for the vast majority of people in our society.
     What has changed more than marriage is the nuclear family. Twenty-five years ago, the typical American
family consisted of a husband, a wife and two or three children. Now, there are many marriages in which
couples have decided not to have any children. And there are many marriages where at least some of the
children are from the wife's previous marriage, or the husband's, or both. Sometimes these children spend
all their time with one parent from the former marriage; sometimes they are shared between the two former
spouses.
      Thus, one can find the very type of family arrangement. There are marriages without children; marriages
with children from only the present marriage; marriages with full time children from the present marriage and
part time children from former marriages. These are stepfathers, stepmothers, half-brothers, and half-sisters.
It is not all the unusual for a child to have four parents and eight grandparents! There are enormous changes
from the traditional nuclear family. But even so, even in the midst of all this, one thing remains constant: most
Americans spend most of their adult lives married.

1. By calling Americans marrying people the author means that ______.

A. more of Americans, as compared with Eroupeans, prefer marriage and they accept it at a younger ate.
B. Americans expect more out of marriage than Europeans
C. there are more married couples in USA than in Europe
D. Americans are more traditional than Europeans.

2. Which of the following can be presented as the picture of today's American families?

A. A typical American family consists of only a husband and a wife.
B. Many types of family arrangements have become socially acceptable.
C. Americans prefer to have more kids than before.
D. There are no nuclear families any more.

3. Even though great changes have taken place in the structure of American families ______.

A. the functions of marriage remain unchanged
B. most Americans prefer a second marriage
C. the vast majority of Americans still have faith in marriage
D. marriage is still enjoyed by all Americans.

     Our "Mommy and Me" time began two years ago. My next-door neighbor and fellow mother, Christie,
and I were out in our front yards, watching seven children of age 6 and under ride their bikes up and down.
"I wish I could take one of my children out alone," said Christie.
     Then we worked out a plan: When Christie takes one of her children out, I'll watch her other three. And
when she watches two of mine, I'll take someone out.
     The children were extremely quick to accept the idea of "Mommy and Me" time. Christie's daughter,
McKenzie, went first. When she returned, the other children showered her with tons of questions. McKenzie
was smiling broadly. Christie looked refreshed and happy. "She's like a different child when there's no one
else around," Christie shared with me quickly. With her mother all to herself, McKenzie didn't have to make
an effort to gain attention.
     Just as Christie had noticed changes in McKenzie, I also discovered something different in each of my
children during our alone times. For example, I am always surprised when my daughter, who is seldom close
to me, holds my hand frequently. My stuttering (口吃的) son, Tom, doesn't stutter once during our activities
since he doesn't have to struggle for a chance to speak. And the other son, Sam, who's always a follower
when around other children shines as a leader during our times together.
     The "Mommy and Me" time allows us to be simply alone and away with each child-talking, sharing, and
laughing, which has been the biggest gain. Every child deserves (应得到) to be an only child at least once in
a while.

1. What is the text mainly about?

A. The experience of the only child being with mother.
B. The advantage of spending time with one child at a time.
C. The happy life of two families.
D. The basic needs of children.

2. Right after McKenzie came back, the other children were _____.

A. happy
B. curious
C. regretful
D. friendly

3. What is one of the changes the author finds in her children?

A. The daughter acts like a leader.
B. Sam holds her hand more often.
C. The boys become better followers.
D. Tom has less difficulty in speaking.

4. The author seems to believe that _____.

A. having brothers and sisters is fun
B. it's tiring to look after three children
C. every child needs parents' full attention
D. parents should watch others' children

     Mail was usually carried west on ships that sailed around the bottom of South America and then north to
California. That could take several months.
     So, in eighteen fifty-seven, D. C. Lawmakers in Congress (国会) in Washington wanted to make it possible
to send mail all the way across the United States by land. Congress offered to help any company that would
try to deliver mail overland to the West Coast. A man named John Butterfield accepted this offer. He developed
plans for a company that would carry the mail-and passengers, too.
     Congress gave John Butterfield six hundred thousand dollars to start his company. In return, he had to
promise that the mail would travel from Saint Louis, Missouri, to San Francisco, California, in twenty-five days
or less.
     It was not possible to travel straight through because of the Rocky Mountains and the deep snow that fell
in winter. So the stagecoach (马车) would travel south from Saint Louis to El Paso, Texas, then over to
southern California, then north to San Francisco. The distance was about four thousand five hundred kilometers.
     Two hundred of these stations were built, each about thirty-two kilometers apart. The workers were to
quickly change the horses or mules whenever a stagecoach reached the station. There could be no delay. Each
stagecoach was to travel nearly two hundred kilometers a day.
     One hundred stagecoaches were built and painted red or dark green. They were the most modern coaches
that money could buy. They were designed to hold as many as nine passengers and twelve thousand pieces of
mail. The seats inside could be folded down to make beds. Passengers either slept on them or on the bags of
mail.
     The cost would be one hundred fifty dollars to travel from Saint Louis to San Francisco. If a passenger was
not going all the way, the cost was about ten cents a kilometer. The passengers had to buy their own food at
the stations. The stagecoach would stop for forty minutes, two times a day.
     The company warned passengers about the possible dangers. A poster said:"You will be traveling through
Indian country and the safety of your person cannot by granted by anyone but God."

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A. Different ways of sending mail in the United States.
B. The difficulty in sending mails across the USA by land.
C. The first stagecoaches that carried both passengers and mail.
D. The history of the first stagecoaches carrying mail to the American West.

2. The reason why Lawmakers wanted to send mail by land was that _____.

A. mail was usually carried west on ships
B. it was safer to travel to send mail by land
C. it would take less time to send mail by land
D. stagecoaches could carry passengers and mail

3. As is described in the passage, the stagecoach _____.

A. could only stop once a day
B. was modern with seats, beds and cooking equipment
C. was a closed wagon operated only by skillful drivers
D. had different horses or mules pulled all the way

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A. John Buttterfield got thousands of dollars for delivering mail in stagecoaches.
B. John Buttterfield kept his promise to deliver mail straight to the West Coast.
C. Passengers might be robbed by Indians when traveling through the West.
D. Passengers needed to pay one hundred dollars for their journey.

______ 1. How I was struck by the clear water and fresh air in my childhood! But everything has changed,
that is, the clear water and fresh air are nowhere to be found again as they were. Above all, a great deal of
waste hardly rots away.
______ 2. More and more people are beginning to have a good knowledge of the importance of a safer and
cleaner environment, which in turn forces the business to be cleaned up.
______ 3. Organic products are getting more and more popular among people, but we should know the fact
that organic products might also have something to do with pesticides (农药).
______ 4. I'm very much fond of growing some vegetables of my own in my small garden, for many
vegetables on sale in markets are actually becoming more and more dangerous as a result of widespread
pesticides.
______ 5. Nowadays it is very convenient for consumers to find and buy green food in supermarkets as they
are clearly marked.

A. "Organic produce is always better," Gold said. "The food is free of pesticides, and you are generally
supporting family farms instead of large farms. And more often than not it is locally grown and seasonal, so
it is more tasty." Gold is one of a growing number of shoppers buying into the organic trend, and supermarkets
across Britain are counting on more like him as they grow their organic food business.
B. Market research shows that Gold and others who buy organic food can generally give clear reasons for
their preferences - but their knowledge of organic food is far from complete. For example, small amounts of
pesticides can be used on organic products. And about three quarters of organic food in Britain is not local
but imported to meet growing demand. "The demand for organic food is increasing by about one third every
year, so it is a very fast-growing market," said Sue Flock, a specialist in this line of business.
C. Many cities around the world today are heavily polluted. Careless methods of production and lack of
consumer demand for environment-friendly products have contributed to the pollution problem. One result is
that millions of tons of glass, paper, plastic, and metal containers are produced, and these are difficult to get
rid of.
D. However, today, more and more consumers are choosing "green" and demanding that the products they
buy should be safe for the environment. Before they buy a product, they ask questions like these:"Will this
shampoo damage the environment?" "Can this metal container be reused or can it only be used once?"
E. Only a few years ago, it was impossible to find green products in supermarkets, but now there are hundreds.
Some supermarket products carry labels (标签) to show that the product is green. Some companies have
made the manufacturing (制造) of clean and safe products their main selling point and emphasize it in their
advertising.
F. The concern for a safer and cleaner environment is making companies rethink how they do business. No
longer will the public accept the old attitude of "Buy it, use it, throw it away, and forget it." The public
pressure is on, and gradually business is cleaning up its act.