In the U.S., people prefer waiting for a table to sitt
ing 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 first 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 are 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. According to the passage, 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 would not light up a cigarette if the people who sit at the same table mind their smoking.
2. What is served before you order? ______ .
A. Cold water B. Bread C. Coffee D. Butter
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 ask the waitress or waiter to keep the food for them.
D. They take the food home with a doggie bag and enjoy the food later.
4. What can you learn about “tips” according to the passage?
A. Tips are usually included in the total check.
B. A 15 percent tip in large cities indicates satisfactory service.
C. Tips are supposed to be left on the table when customers leave.
D. People are not expected to pay tips in addition.
Visiting the Arctic
Zhou Mingfeng，17，has only stepped out of his birthplace, Qingdao, once to visit the top of the world, the Arctic！
The Senior 2 student from the High School Attached to Ocean University of China joined a two-week journey to the Arctic at the beginning of this month, after he was recommended for the trip. Including his teacher, Wu Jianying, the adventure group consisted of12 students and teachers from China, Spain, Canada, Britain and the US.
" The trip brought the whole subject of geography and climate change to life，" Zhou said.
Before they landed by air on Canada's research icebreaker(破冰船）in the Arctic, Amundsen, the group visited an Inuit(英纽特人的）community. Zhou also got the chance to experience dog-sled-ding for the first time!
He was surprised to find that Inuit people don't live in snow igloos(圆顶建筑）any longer. "They live in modem, warm wooden houses and travel mostly by snowmobile，" he said.
During the time on board Amundsen, everyday was science orientated ( 以……为主）. Zhou and other teenagers were guided by scientists, who work there, to take part in laboratory and field work. Sometimes they went outside to collect ice and snow samples for experiments despite the windy, freezing climate.
As the only Chinese student, Zhou didn't feel very confident due to his English inefficiency.
“Those students soon got close to the on-board scientists and became involved (参与）in their research，“ he recalled in admiration.
However, it didn't prevent Zhou from enjoying the unique and remote life there.
When the wind died and the sun shone on the frozen desert, Zhou and his new friends recorded their days with photo shoots out on the ice beside the Amundsen ！
"The views were breathtaking! Everything around us seemed lifeless, which is shocking，" he said.
But there proved to be something alive, under the ice caps. A seal popped out of the water below the ship and greeted them on the last day of their stay.
“ It was the only animal I saw in the Arctic ！ ” he said，“ But it's a pity that I didn't see a single polar bear in the ‘ capital ’ of the creature. ” According to the passage, the students and teachers visiting Arctic are most likely to __________.
| A．go sightseeing |
| B．take part in some science research |
| C．learn English |
| D．learn about Inuit community |
In the passage, Amundsen is __________.
A. an icebreaker B. an Inuit igloo
C. a place in Arctic D, a dog-drawn sled Which of the followings is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Zhou was surprised to find the Inuit lived in modem, warm wooden houses. |
| B．Zhou visited an Inuit community first. |
| C．Zhou's inefficient English made him unable to enjoy the life in Arctic. |
| D．Zhou took many photos with his new friends. |
The underlined sentence " The trip brought the whole subject of geography and climate change to life，" in Paragraph 3 probably means __________.
| A．the trip made what had been learned in geography lessons more vivid or interesting |
| B．the trip suddenly started working |
| C．the trip completely changed his life |
| D．the trip made animals in Arctic live |
Going green seems to be a fad （时尚）for a lot of people these days. Whether that is good or bad, we can't really say, but for the two of us, going green is not a fad but a lifestyle.
On April 22，2011，we decided to go green every single day for an entire year. This meant doing 365 different green things, and it also meant challenging ourselves to go green beyond the easy things. Rather than recycle and reduce our energy, we had to think of 365different green things to do and this was no easy task.
With the idea of going green every single day for a year, Our Green Year started. My wife and I decided to educate people about how they could go green in their lives and hoped we could show people all the green things that could be done to help the environment. We wanted to push the message that every little bit helps.
Over the course of Our Green Year, we completely changed our lifestyles. We now shop at organic （有机的）stores. We consume less meat, choosing green food. We have greatly reduced our buying we don't need. We have given away half of what we owned through websites. Our home is kept clean by vinegar and lemon juice, with no chemical cleaners. We make our own butter, enjoying the smell of home-made fresh bread. In our home office anyone caught doing something ungreen might be punished.
Our minds have been changed by Our Green Year. We are grateful for the chance to have been able to go green and educate others. We believe that we do have the power to change things and help our planet. What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Going Green |
| B．Protecting the Planet |
| C．Keeping Open-Minded |
| D．Celebrating Our Green Year |
It was difficult for the couple to live a green life for the whole year because __________.
| A．they were expected to follow the green fad |
| B．they didn't know how to educate other people |
| C．they were unwilling to reduce their energy |
| D．they needed to perform unusual green tasks |
What did the couple do over the course of Our Green Year?
| A．They tried to get out of their ungreen habits. |
| B．They ignored others' ungreen behavior. |
| C．They chose better chemical cleaners. |
| D．They sold their home-made food. |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．The government will give support to the green project. |
| B．The couple may continue their project in the future. |
| C．Some people disagree with the couple's green ideas. |
| D．Our Green Year is becoming a national campaign. |
Low-Cost Gifts for Mother's Day
Gift No. 1
Offer to be your mother's health friend. Promise to be there for any and all doctor's visits whether a disease or a regular medical check-up. Most mothers always say " no need "，but another set of eyes and ears is always a good idea at a doctor's visit. The best part? This one is free.
Gift No. 2
Help your mother organize all of her medical records, which include the test results and medical information. Put them all in one place. Be sure to make a list of all of her medicines and what times she takes them. " Having all this information in one place could end up saving your mother's life，" Dr. Marie Savard said.
Gift No. 3
Enough sleep is connected to general health conditions. " Buy your mother cotton sheets and comfortable pillows to encourage better sleep，" Savard said. " We know that good sleep is very important to our health. "
Gift No. 4
Some gift companies such as Presents for Purpose allow you to pay it forward this Mother's Day by picking gifts in which 10percent of the price you pay goes to a charity （慈善机构）. Gift givers can choose from a wide variety of useful but inexpensive things-many of which are" green"-and then choose a meaningful charity from a list. When your mother gets the gift, she will be told that she has helped the chosen charity. What are you advised to do for your mother at doctor's visits?
| A．Take notes. |
| B．Be with her. |
| C．Buy medicine. |
| D．Give her gifts. |
What can be a gift of organization for your mother?
| A．Keeping her medical information together. |
| B．Buying all gifts for her from one company. |
| C．Making a list of her medical check-ups. |
| D．Storing her medicines in a safe place. |
Where can you find a gift idea to improve your mother's sleep?
| A．In Gift No. 1. |
| B．in Gift No. 2. |
| C．In Gift No. 3. |
| D．in Gift No. 4. |
Buying gifts from Presents for Purpose allows mothers to __________.
| A．enjoy good sleep |
| B．be well-organized |
| C．get extra support |
| D．give others help |
A young father was visiting an old neighbor. They were standing in the old man's garden, and talking about children. The young man said，"How strict should parents be with their children?" The old man pointed to a string（绳子）between a big strong tree and a thin young one. "Please untie （解开）that string，" he said. The young man untied it, and the young tree bent （弯）over to one side. "Now tie it again, please，" said the old man，" but first pull the string tight so that the young tree is straight again. "
The young man did so. Then the old man said，" There, it is the same with children. You must be strict with them, but sometimes you must untie the string to know how they are getting on. If they are not yet able to stand alone, you must tie the string tight again. But when you find that they are ready to stand alone, you can take the string away. " The story is about __________.
| A．how to take care of young trees |
| B．how strict parents should be with their children |
| C．how the young father should get on with his old neighbor |
| D．ho to tie and untie the string |
The young man untied the string __________.
| A．in order to throw it away |
| B．so that both of the trees would grow straight |
| C．only to find that the thinner one bent over to one side |
| D．in order to let the old man teach him |
At last the old man told the young man __________.
| A．that he should be strict with his children if they could not yet stand alone |
| B．that he should always be strict with his children |
| C．that he should be hard on them |
| D．that he should tie his children until they are ready to stand alone |
In the story the relation （关系）of the big strong tree to the thin one is like that of __________.
| A．the young father to the old neighbor |
| B．parents to their children |
| C．the old neighbor to the children of the young father |
| D．grown ups to their parents |
The Healthy Habits Survey （调查）shows that only about one third of American seniors have correct habits. Here are some findings and expert advice.
1. How many times did you brush your teeth yesterday?
• Finding ： A full 33% of seniors brush their teeth only once a day.
• Step ： Remove the 300 types of bacteria in your mouth each morning with a battery-operated toothbrush. Brush gently for 2 minutes at least twice a day.
2. How many times did you wash your hands or bathe yesterday?
• Finding ： Seniors, on average, bathe fewer than 3 days a week. And nearly 30% wash their hands only 4 times a day-half of the number doctors recommend.
• Step ： We touch our faces around 3，000 times a day-of-ten inviting germs （病菌）to enter our mouth, nose, and eyes. Use toilet paper to avoid touching the door handle. And, most important, wash your hands often with hot run-ning water and soap for 20 seconds.
3. How often do you think about fighting germs?
• Finding ： Seniors are not fighting germs as well as they should.
• Step ： Be aware of germs. Do you know it is not your toilet but your kitchen sponge （海绵）that can carry more germs than anything else? To kill these germs, keep your sponge in the microwave for 10 seconds. What is found out about American seniors?
| A．Most of them have good habits. |
| B．Nearly 30% of them bathe three days a week. |
| C．All of them are fighting germs better than expected. |
| D．About one third of them brush their teeth only once a day. |
Doctors suggest that people should wash their hands __________.
| A．twice a day |
| B．three times a day |
| C．four times a day |
| D．eight times a day |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．We should keep from touching our faces. |
| B．There are less than 300 types of bacteria in the mouth. |
| C．A kitchen sponge can carry more germs than a toilet. |
| D．W should wash our hands before touching a door handle. |
The text probably comes from __________.
| A．a guide book |
| B．a popular magazine |
| C．a book review |
| D．an official document |