Did you ever think someone was scary (恐怖的)because they looked different or ate strange food? Well, they might think the same about you! One of the things we all need to do is to celebrate variety.We shouldn’t think badly of people from other cultures because they behave differently from us.
Sometimes we treat people from other countries unfairly, because one person from that culture did something bad.Well, has your class ever been punished just because a few kids were causing trouble? Has your whole family ever been blamed for something your little sister did? It doesn’t seem fair, does it? It’s just equally unfair to blame a whole culture for what two or three people have done.
So here are some things that you can do to help yourself understand other cultures:
①Find common ground!
Just remember that even though some people look different on the outside, that doesn’t change how they are on the inside.They still have the exact same feelings!
②________________
Because someone from another culture has been mean to you, you decide to avoid everyone from that culture.Well think about it.Why are you blaming them for something they didn’t have anything to do with? Put yourself in their shoes.How would you feel? Putting yourself inside someone else’s head can be a very powerful way to understand WHY they are acting the way they are.
③Try to make friends with people from other cultures!
You could ask them about their culture, or what it is like in their country, if they can remember, or if they have ever lived there.Try foods from their culture, or ask them about words in their language.You might be surprised at how interesting other cultures can be! You can join great discussion groups, participate in projects, and have lots of fun doing new things.
④Be aware that you’ve judged other people
If you know what you have done, it helps to make things better.Pay attention to what you think about other people.It helps.What is mainly discussed in this passage?
A.Why there are differences between people |
B.What to do to understand other cultures |
C.How people feel when they meet people from other cultures |
D.The differences between people from different cultures |
Which of the following can be put into the blank behind ②?
A.Avoid everyone from that culture! |
B.Put all responsibilities on others! |
C.Consider oneself first! |
D.Don’t blame all because of one! |
The underlined word “celebrate” most probably means “_______”.
A.feel proud of | B.express ideas of |
C.praise and enjoy | D.pay attention to |
The following can be the better way to treat foreigners except_______.
A.join their discussion groups | B.try foods from their culture |
C.avoid meeting them | D.find common ground |
Now, it’s time for some brief news items.
Teens Go Online
Some 13 million European children under 18 use the Internet for schoolwork, games and music according to research done by Nielsen’s “Net-rating”. The study covered Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Experts advised parents to limit the time their kids spend on line and keep them away from chat rooms.
Chat to the magic Mum
British author J. K. Rowling, mother of magic boy Harry Potter, will do an Internet interview about her new book “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” on June 26. Before the event, children are invited to send their questions about Harry to the website. The book will hit stores in the US and UK on June 21 and will arrive in China in August.
School Soldiers
Russian school students will have to do basic military training in their final year of school, the government has decided. The lesson will include learning to fire guns, marching drills and how to deal with a chemical, nuclear or biological attack. The activity is seen as part of a drive toward the education of their love for their country.
Is it hard for you to get up early and get ready for classes? Some students at Winter Park High School just roll out of bed in their pajamas (睡衣) and go to class in their own bedrooms, Of course, their teachers and classmates do not see them because all their class work is on the computer. The Florida High School, the state’s only online school, has 250 students who are taking classes at home by computer. Students in this first online program take classes in algebra (代数), American government, chemistry, computer, economics, and web-page design. They also have to go to regular school to attend other classes.In the first news item, which country is NOT covered in the research?
A.Britain. | B.France. | C.Sweden. | D.Spain. |
What is the second news item mainly about?
A.J. K. Rowling will have an Internet interview. |
B.Children will meet Harry Potter’s mother. |
C.The Harry Potter book will be available on the Internet. |
D.The Harry Potter book will arrive in China in early June. |
Why will Russian school students have basic military training?
A.To get ready for a military parade. |
B.To learn to protect themselves. |
C.To gain some military knowledge. |
D.To develop their love for the country. |
The news from Florida can be given a title “____________”.
A.Get up Late | B.Online School | C.Magical Computers | D.No Teachers |
“BANG!” the door caused a reverberation (回声).It was just standing there, with Father standing on one side, and I on the other side.
We were both in great anger.“Never set foot in this house again!” stormed Father.With tears welling up in my eyes, I rushed out of the flat and ran along the street.
The street lights were shining rather desolately(凄凉的).I wandered aimlessly.
A young father who held a child in his arms walked past me.I felt as if I saw my childhood from another space: happy and harmonious.
But now… I don’t know whether it is because I have grown up or because dad is getting old.We differ in our ways of thinking.He always imposes his opinions and codes of behavior on me.Whenever I do something wrong, he never admits it.We are just like two people coming from two different worlds.It feels like there is an iron door between us that can never be opened.
I wandered the streets, without a destination in mind.My heart was frozen on this hot summer night.As I walked on there were fewer and fewer people on the streets, until I had only the street lights to keep me company.When I finally reached the high-rise apartment block in which I lived, I saw that the light was still on.
In fact, it was nothing.Perhaps, dad was throwing away some of his old stamps.Perhaps he thought they were useless.I never had the courage to tell him that I liked collecting stamps.I can’t stand his outrageous(蛮横的) words: “ I can throw you away, let alone these old papers.”
All the lights were off except father’s.
Dad was always like this.Maybe he didn’t know how to express himself.After shouting at me, he never showed any mercy or any moments of regret.After an argument he has the habit of creeping up in my sleep and then tucking me underneath the covers.
This was how he always was.He has been a leader for so long that telling everyone else what to do has become his second nature.
The light was still on.“Am I wrong?” I whispered, maybe… With the key in hand, I was as nervous as I had ever been.At last, I decided to open the door.As soon as I opened the door, tears ran down my cheeks.I suddenly realized that the iron door that I had imagined between us did not exist at all.Love – is second to none.Decide which is the best order of the following according to what happened in the passage.
a.I opened the door and entered the house.
b.Sadly I ran out into the street.
c.I reached the place where I lived and saw my house still brightly lit.
d.I thought of my father’s kindness towards me.
e.I walked about in the street without any aim.
A.b, e, d, c, a | B.b, e, c, d, a | C.b, e, a, c, d | D.b, e, c, a, d |
What made the writer think of his childhood?
A.The sight of the desolate street lights. |
B.The sight of the empty street. |
C.The sight of a father with a child in his arms. |
D.The sight of light in his own house. |
Why do you think the father often shouts at his son?
A.Perhaps the father is getting older and older. |
B.Perhaps the son has already grown up. |
C.Perhaps they never agree with each other. |
D.Perhaps the father has got used to doing that. |
What conclusion can you draw after reading the passage?
A.The father is actually kind to his son. |
B.The father treats his son in an unfair way. |
C.The father is neither kind nor cruel to his son. |
D.The father is always finding fault with his son. |
The year is 2094. It has been announced that a comet is heading towards the Earth. Most of it will miss our planet, but two pieces will probably hit the southern half of the Earth.
On 17 July, a piece four kilometers wide enters the Earth’s atmosphere with a massive explosion. About half of the piece is destroyed, but the remaining part hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound. The sea boils and a huge hole is made in the sea bed. Huge waves are created and spread outwards from the hole. The wall of water, a kilometer high, rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometers an hour. Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people drowned.
Before the waves reach South America, the second piece of the comet lands in Argentina. Earthquakes and volcanoes are set off in the Andes Mountains. The shock waves move north into California and all around the Pacific Ocean. The cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Tokyo are completely destroyed by earthquakes. Millions of people in the southern half of the Earth are already dead, but the north won’t escape for long. Because of the explosions, the sun is hidden by clouds of dust, temperatures around the world fall to almost zero. Crops are ruined. The sun won’t be seen again for many years. Wars break out as countries fight for food. A year later, no more than 10 million people remain alive.
Could it really happen? In fact, it has already happened more than once in the history of the Earth. The dinosaurs were on the Earth for over 160 million years. Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared. Many scientists believe that the Earth was hit by a piece of object in space. The dinosaurs couldn’t live through the cold climate that followed and they died out. Will we meet the same end?What is mainly described in the passage?
A.A historic discovery. | B.An event of imagination. |
C.A research on space. | D.A scientific adventure. |
When the first piece hits the South Atlantic, it causes .
A.an earthquake | B.damages to cities |
C.an Earth explosion | D.huge waves |
Why can’t the northern half of the earth escape for long?
A.Because the land is covered with water. |
B.Because the light and heat from the sun can not reach the Earth. |
C.Because people there can not live at the temperature of zero. |
D.Because wars break out among countries. |
By giving the example of dinosaurs, the author tries to prove .
A.animals could not live in the cold climate |
B.what happened 65 million years ago was an invented story |
C.the human beings will die out in 2094 |
D.the Earth could be hit by other objects in space |
Researchers in London and Bristol have found that men are particularly likely to yield to depression if their partners are also depressed.
The finding highlights the importance of paying attention to the partners of depressed mothers, as young children themselves are vulnerable (容易受伤的) to social problems if both parents are depressed.
Researchers in London and at the University of Bristol launched their study to investigatewhether family structure affects the likelihood of depression in men around the time their child isborn. They looked at men from traditional families, men with children from a previous relationship, men whose partners had children by a former partner, and men who were not living with their partners.
All 7,108 participants filled out a questionnaire on depression, and answered questions about their age, education level and employment status. Details about the quality of their relationships with their partners, networks of friends and previous life events were also recorded.
About 3.5 percent of the men and 13 percent of their partners suffered depression around the time their child was born. While men in stepfamilies or who were not living with their partners were twice as likely to get depressed as those in traditional families, this could be explained by other factors that are more common in nontraditional families, such as poor education and relationship conflicts.
Even allowing for all these factors, however, the partners of women who were suffering from prenatal (围产期的) depression were significantly more likely to become depressed themselves, the researchers report in an American journal. Ten percent of women who were depressed had depressed partners. For the healthy women, the figure was only 2.6 percent.
Previous research suggests that families with two depressed parents may need special attention. A researcher in Atlanta has found that primary school children with two troubled parents have difficulty relating to their peers. “It’s extremely important to look at the whole family.” she says.What can we conclude from the first two paragraphs of this passage?
A.Men often beat their children. |
B.Depressed women often have depressed partners. |
C.All young children are vulnerable to social problems. |
D.Women with children often have depressed partners. |
Why did researchers in London and Bristol carry out such an investigation?
A.To see what kind of family environment is ideal for children to grow up in. |
B.To study whether family structure affects depression in men when their child is born. |
C.To investigate why so many men get depressed when a child is born. |
D.To see whether it is true that behind every depressed man there is a depressed woman. |
What kind of men is least likely to get depressed when their child was born?
A.Men in stepfamilies. |
B.Men who were not living with their partners. |
C.Men in traditional families. |
D.Men in nontraditional families. |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.Ten percent of women who were depressed had depressed partners. |
B.2.6 percent of healthy women were depressed. |
C.Special attention should be paid to families in which both the father and the mother were depressed. |
D.Primary school children whose parents were both depressed couldn’t get along well withtheir peers. |
(B)
HOW TO BOOK Booking opens for ![]() Booking opens for all other plays on 19 September ![]() For credit card bookings. Calls are answered. BOX OFFICE 01789 295623 9 a.m.— 8 p.m. (Mon—Sat) 0541 541051 (24 hours, 7 days, no booking charge). BY FAX For credit card bookings. Please allow at least 48 hours for reply, if required. BOX OFFICE 0178 26874 or 01862 387765 BY POST Please enclose a check or credit card details together with an SAE or add 50p to the total amount to cover postage. Please send to the Box Office, RST, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6BB. IN PERSON BOX OFFICE RST hall, 9:30 a.m.—8 p.m. (Mon—Sat) (6 p.m. when theaters are closed.) OVERSEAS BOOKING The easiest method of payment is by credit card. You can also pay by: Eurocheque (up to 500) with your card number written on the back. ![]() PAYING FOR YOUR TICKETS CREDIT CARDS We accept Visa, Master Card, American Express and Diners Club. Please give the card number, name and address of card-holder. CHEQUES Cheques and postal orders should be payable to: Royal Shakespeare Theatre. |
In which of the following ways of booking does one probably have to pay extra money?
A.In person. | B.By telephone. | C.By fax. | D.By post. |
“Becket Shorts” is most probably referred to the name of ________.
A.a film | B.a credit card | C.a play | D.an old building |
What is the useful number to call at 11 a.m. Sunday?
A.01789 295623 | B.0541 541051 |
C.01789 261174 | D.01862 387665 |
The advertisement is most probably made by _________.
A.a local post office | B.American Express |
C.Royal Shakespeare Theatre | D.Dinners Club |