My House
My mother moved a lot when she was growing up on account of Grandpa being in the army. She hated having to adjust to new schools and make new friends. That’s why I thought she was joking when she put forward the idea of moving. But she was completely serious. “For just the two of us,” my mother said, “an apartment in the city will suit our needs much better.” Personally, I think she’s lost her mind. I guess I can understand why she would want to move, but what about me and what this house means to me?
I suppose if you looked at my house, you might think it was just another country house. But to me it is anything but standard. I moved into this house with my parents ten years ago. I can still remember that first day like it was yesterday. The first thing I noticed was the big front yard. To me it seemed like an ocean of grass—I couldn’t wait to dive in. The backyard was full of gnarled (扭曲的, 粗糙的) and scary trees that talk on windy nights. But I grew to like them and the shadows they cast in my room. My father and I even built a small tree house, where I often go to remember all the wonderful times we had before Father’s death.
This house is special—maybe only to me—but special nevertheless. It’s the little seemingly insignificant things that make this house so special to me: the ice-cold tile floors that make me tremble on midnight snack runs; the smell of my father’s pipe that still exists; the towering bookcases of my mother; the view outside my bedroom window.
This house holds too many memories, memories which would be lost if we gave it up. Why did the author’s mother decide to move?
| A.Because she hated the countryside. |
| B.Because Grandpa was on constant move. |
| C.Because Dad’s death made her lose her mind. |
| D.Because she thought a city flat more fit for them. |
What impressed the author when she first moved into the house?
| A.The tree house. | B.The big trees. | C.The cold floors. | D.The green grass. |
How did the author let us feel that the house was special to her?
| A.By arguing whether the house was standard. |
| B.By explaining why the house suited their needs. k.&s~5*u |
C.By describing the s mall things related to her house. |
| D.By comparing the differences between country and city life. |
My mother moved a lot when she was growing up because of ________.
| A.Grandpa being in the army. | B.their family’s liking moving |
| C.the life’s need | D.Mother’s work |
Douglas Grace talks about his ideal city of the future.
I see the city of the future in three zones——inner, middle and outer. In the inner zone there will be no private cars. Public transport will be free and there will only be ambulances, fire engines, taxis and police cars. This inner zone will be the residential(住宅的) and recreational(娱乐的) area of the city. People will live there and go out to enjoy themselves——to cinemas and restaurants. There will be parks and open spaces, trees and lakes, schools and universities. This way, when people are at home, they can go out easily and safely.
Just outside the inner zone there will be big car parks for all private cars.
The banks and most of the shops and hospitals will be in the middle zone. These are things that people don’t need every day.
All the factories and offices will be in the outer zone. People will travel
out of the center to work, and back to the center in the evenings. The inner zone will be cleaner and better to live in and there will be more space for industry on the outside.
This is my ideal city of the future—— a very beautiful place!But I don’t really think things will ever be like that!Where will people live and go out to enjoy themselves?
| A.In the middle zone. |
| B.In the inner zone. |
| C.In the outer zone. |
| D.In the inner and middle zone. |
Where will big car parks be?
| A.Just outside the middle zone. |
| B.Just inside the middle zone. |
| C.Just outside the inner zone. |
| D.Just inside the inner zone. |
What will be in the middle zone?
| A.The banks,hospitals and schools. |
| B.The banks,hospitals and police stations. |
| C.The banks,schools and car parks. |
| D.The banks,hospital and most of the shops. |
Where will the factories and offices be?
| A.In the outer zone. |
| B.In the middle zone. |
| C.In the inner zone. |
| D.In the middle and inner zone. |
Douglas Grace is probably .
| A.a painter |
| B.a builder |
| C.a town planner |
| D.a dentist |
Some British and American people like to invite friends for a meal at home. You should not be upset (不安的) if your English friends don't invite you home. It doesn't mean they don't like you!Dinner parties usually start between 7p.m.and 8p.m., and end at about 11p.m. Ask your host (主人) what time you should arrive. It's polite to bring flowers, chocolates or a bottle of wine as a gift.
Usually the evening starts with drinks and snacks (小吃). Do you want to be extra
(特别地) polite? Say how much you like the room,
or the pictures on the wall. But remember — it's not polite to ask how much things cost.
In many families, the husband sits at one end of the table and the wife sits at the other side. They eat with t
heir guests.
You'll probably start the meal with soup or something small, then you'll have meat or fish with vegetables, and then dessert (甜点心) followed by coffee. It's polite to finish e
verything on your plate and to take more if you want it.
Did you enjoy the evening? Call your hosts the next day, or write them a short “Thank you” letter. British and American people like to say “thank you” all the time!An English friend doesn't invite you to his or her dinner, which ____.
| A.means he or she doesn't like you | B.means he or she likes you |
| C.doesn't mean he or she likes you | D.doesn't mean he or she doesn't like you |
You are going to attend a dinner party and ____.
| A.you'd better bring a certain present with you |
| B.you must leave home for it at 7 p.m. |
| C.you should ask your host when you should leave |
| D.you must arrive before 8 p.m. |
It's impolite _____.
| A.to say that you like the host's room very much |
| B.for a guest to ask the host the price of the things in the room |
C.for a guest to have drinks and sn acks before the evening |
| D.for the host and the hostess (女主人) to sit and eat with their guests |
In which order will you eat or drink the following things at a meal?
| A.Snacks, vegetables, meat, coffee. |
| B.Coffee, drinks, soup, fish, vegetables, dessert. |
| C.Soup, meat with vegetables, dessert and coffee. |
| D.Drinks, soup, something small, fish and vegetables. |
What is the proper way to express your enjoyment of the evening?
| A.Before leaving for home, you should say, “Thank you for inviting me.” |
| B.When you shake hands with your host, you should say, “I did enjoy the evening.” |
| C.You can write a “Thank you” letter to your host after that. |
| D.You should finish everything on your plate and take more if you want it. |
Not many years ago, a wealthy and rather strange old man named Johnson lived alone in a village in the south of England. He had made a lot of money in trading with foreign countries. When he was seventy-five, he gave £ 12,000 to the village school to buy land and equipment for a children’s playground.
As a result of his kindness, many people came to visit him. Among them was a newspaperman. During their talk, Johnson remarked that he was seventy-five and expected to live to be a hundred. The newspaperman asked him
how he managed to be healthy at seventy—five.
Johnson had a sense of humor. He liked whisky and drank some each day. “I have an injection (注射) in my neck each evening.” he told the newspaperman, thinking of his evening glass of whisky.
The newspaperman did not understand what Johnson meant. In his newspaper he reported that Johnson was seventy-five and had a daily injection in his neck. Within a week Johnson received thousands of letters from all over Britain, asking him for the secret of his daily injection.Johnson became a rich man through _________.
| A.doing business. |
| B.making whisky. |
| C.cheating. |
| D.buying and selling land. |
The gift of money to the school suggests that Johnson __________.
| A.had no children. |
| B.was a strange man. |
| C.was very fond of children. |
| D.wanted people to know how rich he was. |
Many people wrote to Johnson to find out __________.
| A.what kind of whisky he had. |
| B.how to live longer. |
| C.how to become wealthy. |
| D.in which part of the neck to have an injection. |
The newspaperman ____________.
| A.should have reported what Johnson had told him. |
| B.shouldn’t have asked Johnson what injection he had. |
| C.was eager to live a long life. |
| D.should have found out what Johnson really meant. |
When Johnson said he had an injection in his neck each evening, he really meant that ______.
| A.he liked drinking a glass of whisky in the evening. |
| B.he needed an injection in the neck. |
| C.a daily injection in the evening would make him sleep well. |
| D.there was something wrong with his neck. |
Culture is one of the most challenging elements of the international marketplace. This system of learned behavior patterns characteristic of the members of a given society is constantly shaped by a set of dynamic variables(变量): language, religion, values and attitudes, manners and customs, aesthetics, technology, education, and social institutions. To deal with this system, an international manager needs both factual and interpretive knowledge of culture. To some extent, the factual knowledge can be learned; its interpretation comes only through experience.
The most complicated problems in dealing with the cultural environment lie in the fact that one cannot learn culture—one has to live it. Two schools of thought exist in the business world on how to deal with cultural differences. One is that business is business the world around, following the model of Pepsi and McDonald’s. In some cases, globalization is a fact of life; however, cultural differences are still far from disappearing.
The other school suggests that companies must adjust business approaches to individual cultures. Setting up policies and procedures in each country has been compared to an organ transplant; the critical question centers around acceptance or rejection. The major challenge to the international manager is to make sure that rejection is not a result of cultural myopia(近视) or even blindness.
Fortune examined the international performance of a dozen large companies that earn 20 percent or more of their revenue overseas. The internationally successful companies all share an important quality: patience. They have not rushed into situations but rather built their operations carefully by following the most basic business principles. These principles are to know your rivals, know your audience, and know your customer.According to the passage, which of the following is true?
| A.Business diversity is not necessary. |
| B.All international managers can learn culture. |
| C.Most people do not know foreign culture well. |
| D.Views differ on how to treat culture in business world. |
According to the author, the model of Pepsi.
| A.is different from the model of McDonald’s . |
| B.reflect the idea that business is business. |
| C.has converged cultural differences . |
| D.shows the reverse of globalization . |
The two schools of thought.
| A.both think dealing with cultural environment is the most complicated problem in business |
| B.both admit the existence of cultural diversity in business world. |
| C.both advocate that different policies be set up in different countries. |
| D.both propose that companies should tailor business approaches to individual cultures. |
This article is supposed to be most useful for those.
| A.who have connections to more than one type of culture |
| B.who are interested in researching the topic of cultural diversity |
| C.who want to run business in other countries |
| D.who want to travel abroad |
Sri Lanka is known as the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean”, and it is easy to see why. This little country never fails to please visitors.
Arrive
The national airline is Sri Lankan Airlines, which flies from Colombo to London and a couple of other European cities. The country’s main airport is Colombo Bandaranaike, located 29km north of the capital city.
Why now?
The best time to visit Sri Lanka’s southern beaches is from November to April. So by going early in the season, you’ll get the best weather. Also in November, Deepavali, known as “Diwali” or the “Festival of Lights”, is Sri Lanka’s main religious festival, celebrated throughout the country.
See
There is plenty to see
in Sri Lanka. The ancient capital cities of Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura are worth seeing, and so are many outstanding ruins. Other mustsees are the rock fortress (要塞) of Sigiriya, towering over the jungle as far as the eye can see, and Dambulla’s cave temple, the country’s largest and best preserved. Both are UNESCO World Heritage (遗产) Sites. Kandy is a picture-like town, which was the last stronghold of the Kandyan Kings. Today it is a cultural relic centre where age-old customs, arts, and crafts remain.
Do
Sri Lanka owns about 1,600km of beautiful palm-shaded beaches as well as warm, pure seas and colourful coral reefs. You can explore the underwater world, and surfing and diving are available too. Away from the shore, wildlife is a big draw for Sri Lanka, and Yala National Park is one of the best places in the world to see wild animals including leopards (豹) and elephants.
Taste
Sri Lanka is celebrated for its excellent food, with a particular emphasis on fresh fruit and vegetables on menus everywhere. Fish and seafood are a big part of the local diet.
Did you know?
Sri Lanka is known for its tea, but it is also the world’s largest producer and exporter of cinnamon(肉桂).Which of the following is a cultural relic centre of Sri Lanka?
| A.Anuradhapura. | B.Kandy. | C.Colombo. | D.Polonnaruwa. |
If you want to know something about “Diwali”, you’d better go there in.
| A.November. | B.May. | C.September. | D.October. |
We can learn from the passage that Sri Lanka.
| A.is in the Pacific Ocean | B.is famous for its excellent food |
| C.is the world’s largest producer of tea | D.has only flights to London |
The author wrote the article in order to.
| A.let readers know what is famous in Sri Lanka |
| B.introduce the picturesque landscape of Sri Lanka |
| C.let people get more travel information about Sri Lanka |
| D.make Sri Lanka well known throughout the world |