Meeting people from another culture can be difficult．From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal （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 caf6s 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 （多元文化环境） will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other．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 |
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 |
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． |
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． |
Australia is famous for its beautiful beaches. And Australian people love swimming and going to the beach. But it wasn’t always that way.
Different Climate, Different Habits
When Europeans first invaded Australia, the only people here who were good at swimming were the Aboriginal people. The Europeans came from climates where it was too cold to swim. However the warm climate of Australia soon changed their attitude to swimming. At first, only men swam. They swam without any clothes on—there were no women to see them.
Cover up!
By the 1880 and 1890s visiting the beach was very fashionable. People wore everyd
ay street clothes—much more than people wear at the beach today.
In those days people believed they should cover their most body so it would not be seen by the opposite sex. Special bathing costumes were designed for women. This costumes used a lot of cloth and were very heavy when wet, making it difficult to swim.
Laws Made and Laws Changed
The government decided to stop men swimming naked. It passed a law which forbade bathing between 6 am and 7 am. But in 1903, the laws changed; people could swim in the daytime, but they had to wear neck-to-knee costumes.
The Shrinking Costume
As time passed, swimming costumes became smaller and more convenient.
At first men and women were covered from neck to knee. Then arms became bare. Then more of the legs were uncovered. Each new change was regarded by many as shocking and rude and people wrote letters to the newspapers complaining about the new costume. Nowadays some people go to special “nude beaches” to swim naked.
However, most people cover their bodies more than they did ten years ago—not because they think bare skin is shocking—but to protect their skin from the harmful rays of the sun.Which of the following statements about the climate of
Australia is TRUE?
| A．It made European settlers think differently about swimming. |
| B．It changed European settlers’ swimming costume. |
| C．It made European settlers feel much hotter. |
| D．It made European settlers have to swim naked. |
What should swimmers do during the late 19th century?
| A．They should hide when they meet a person of the opposite sex. |
| B．They should cover their body to avoid being seen by the opposite sex. |
| C．They should wear many heavy clothes on beaches. |
| D．They should wear special wet costumes designed for them. |
What does the underlined sentence mean?
| A．People were surprised by each new change and criticized it. |
| B．People were amazed by each new change and praise it. |
| C．Only newspapers were in favor of each new change. |
| D．Only newspapers thought poorly of each new change. |
What can we conclude from the last paragraph?
| A．People worry about getting skin cancer from too much sun. |
| B．People protected their swimming costumes from too much sun. |
| C．People are greatly shocked by the nude beaches. |
| D．People think it rude to swim with the smaller costumes. |
An ancient Egyptian mummy thought to be that of Pharaoh Ramses I(法老一世)has returned home after more than 140 years in North American museums. The body was carried off the plane in Cairo in a box covered in Egypt’s flag.
The Michael Carlos Museum gave it back after tests showed it was probably that of the man who ruled 3,000 years ago. The US museum acquired it three years ago from a Canadian museum, which in turn is thought to have bought it from Egyptian garve robbers in 1860. The mummy was welcomed back home with songs and military band music during a ceremony at the national museum in Cairo.
Zahi Hawass, head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities(文物最高委员会), traveled from the US with the body and said it would be moved next year to the Luxor Museum in southern Egypt. “We are not 100% sure that mummy is that of Ramses I,” said Mr. Hawass. “But we are 100% sure that it is of a king.”
Atlanta’s Michael Carlos Museum acquired the mummy in 1999, but offered to return it after hi-tech scanning equipment indicated it was likely to be that of Ramses I. The museum website said it had been acquired from the Niagara Falls Museum. It is thought a Canadian collector bought the mummy for the Niagara Falls Museum around 1860 from an Egyptian family which had came across a tomb filled with royal mummies at a site near Luxor.
Mr. Hawass praised the handover as “a great, civilized gesture”. And he appealed to other world museums to return Egypt’s antiquities, particularly the Rosetta Stone in the Britain Museum and the Bust of Nefertiti in the Berlin Museum. Where was Ramses mummy kept in just before the handover?
| A．the Luxor Museum |
| B．the Michael Carlos Museum |
| C．the Niagara Falls Museum |
| D．a Canadian Museum |
Which is the correct order of the following events according to the passage?
a. The mummy returned home.
b. The mummy was kept in the Niagara Falls Museum.
c. Egyptian grave robber sold he mummy.
d. A Canadian collector bought the mummy.
e. The mummy was kept in the Michael Carlos Museum.
| A．c-d-e-b-a |
| B．c-b-e-d-a |
| C．a-d-c-b-e |
| D．c-d-b-e-a |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．All the Egypt’s antiquities have returned home after the handover. |
| B．Niagara Falls Museum is an American museum. |
| C．Buying the mummy from the Egyptian family was a civilized gesture. |
| D．Ramses Mummy had been kept in Canada for more than a century. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．The history of Ramses mummy. |
| B．The handover ceremony of Ramses mummy from Canada. |
| C．The returning of Ramses mummy to its homeland Egypt. |
| D．The history of the royal family of Ramses. |
On a hot summer day, a soft drink can really take away your thirst. At home, at school, in the park or at the movies—you can find one almost anywhere.
Carbonated(碳酸的)
You can see bubbles in these! Of all soft drinks sold, about 75 percent are carbonated. But be careful, carbonated soft drinks have lots of sugar and caffeine. Caffeine is not very good for you in the summer, because it takes water out of your body. And the sugar can make you overweight if you drink too much.
Fruit juice
There are different kinds of juice. One kind is made only from fresh fruit. This kind of fruit juice may not ta
ste sweet enough for some people, but it is nutritious. Another kind of fruit juice tastes good but has lots of sugar in it. Many young people buy this kind because the advertisements are good. It is bad for your teeth and bones to drink lots of this.
Energy drinks
These kinds of drinks have caffeine and things that make people get excited in them. They are sometimes called “party drinks”. Doctors say that if you drink too much of this kind, you may have a heart attack.
Bottled water
We have lots of different kinds of bottled water, such as mineral water, purified water and distilled(蒸馏的) water. They are clean and easy to drink. But it is best not to drink very cold water. I
t may make your stomach feel bad.
Sports drinks
Most of these have funny names like “Scream” and “G-Vital”. They have lots of vitamins and minerals in them. After you play sports, you may want to drink one of these.
But if you just spend your summer holiday sitting around watching TV, you won’t need them at all!Which of the following is NOT suitable for you to take if you go climbing?
| A．Carbonated soft drinks. |
| B．Fruit juice. |
| C．Bottled water. |
| D．Sports drink. |
If you have to stay up late, what kind of water may help you?
| A．Fruit juice. |
| B．Energy drinks. |
| C．Bottled water. |
| D．Sports drink. |
What’s the probable reason for you to drink sports drinks after sport?
| A．They have funny names that sound very exciting. |
| B．They can recover the minerals lost in your sweat. |
| C．They can effectively get rid of your thirst. |
D．They can take away your vi tamins and minerals. |
What’s the main purpose of the author writing this article?
| A．To advise us to keep away from unhealthy soft drinks. |
| B．To teach us some useful ways of keeping healthy. |
| C．To make advertisements for the soft drink companies. |
| D．To tell us how to choose a suitable one from different drinks. |
China has recently been faced with serious issues of product safety. In Panama, it is said that medicine made with a poisonous chemical sickened some people. A Chinese company had identified it as diethylamide glycol （[化]乙二醇）, a low – cost substitute commonly used in automobile antifreeze（防冻剂）.
Some countries have banned Chinese-made toothpaste containing diethylamide glycol. China has now told companies to discontinue its use, even though it says the toothpaste is safe. Another industrial chemical, melamine, was found in wheat flour used to make pet food in North America. Thousands of dogs and cats became sick.
The United States has restricted some imports of Chinese seafood because they contained banned substance. And questions have been raised about other products, including children’s toys covered with lead paint.
Chinese officials promised to provide the European Union, the biggest trading partner, with detailed reports on enforcement efforts against unsafe goods.
Meglena Kuneva, commissioner (理事) for consumer protection of the European Union said China should have kept its promise.
China recently closed three companies linked to the Panama and the pet food scare. And it dismissed the former head of its food and drug administration. He was found guilty of corruption (腐败) for approving unsafe drugs. This week, a conference of the State Council approved a proposed special measure on the supervision of food safety. The Xinhua News Agency said it calls for stronger controls over producers, greater responsibilities for government and more serious punishment for illegal activities.
But Chinese officials have accused some foreign media of overstating problems with goods made in China. They say food imports from the United States also fail inspection sometimes. Next Week, American and Chinese food safety officials are planning to hold 5 days of meetings in Beijing to discuss cooperation.How many cases with safety problems are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Six | B．Five | C．Four | D．Three |
How was Panama case dealt with afterwards?
A．Three companies linked to it were closed down.
B．The former head of food and drug administration was removed from his position.
C．More serious punishment was conducted for leaders linked to it.
D．Both A and B. It can be implied but not clearly stated that ________.
| A．Chinese- made toothpaste is safe |
| B．the safety of “made in China” is doubted |
| C．there are safety problems with one more Chinese products |
| D．stronger control over Chinese products is in need |
The passage is mainly about ________.
| A．China is facing product safety problems |
| B．more controls are taken of Chinese goods |
| C．overstated problems with Chinese goods |
| D．China is losing its trade partners |
What does “it” refers to in the last but one paragraph?
| A．China | B．The European Union |
| C．Chinese officials | D．The Chinese company |
One reaction to all the concern about tropical deforestation（砍伐森林） is a blank（茫然的） stare that asks the question, "Since I don't live there, what does it have to do with me?"
The answer is that your way of life, wherever you live in the world, is tied to the tropics in many ways. If you live in a house, wash your hair, eat fruits and vegetables, drink soda, or drive a car, you can be certain that you are affected by the loss of tropical forests.
Biologically, we are losing the richest regions on earth when, each minute, a piece of tropical forest, the size of ten city blocks, disappears. As many as five million species of plants, animals, and insects (40 to 50 percent of all living things) live there, and are being lost faster than they can be found and described. Their loss is immeasurable.
Take rubber for example. For many uses, only natural rubber from trees will do. Synthetics are not good enough. Today over half the world's commercial rubber is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia, while the Amazon's rubber industry produces much of the world's four million tons. And rubber is an important material in making gloves, balloons, footwear and many sporting goods. Thousands of other tropical plants are valuable for their industrial use.
Many scientists strongly believe that deforestation contributes to the greenhouse effect -- or heating of the earth from increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As we destroy forests, we lose their ability to change carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Carbon dioxide levels could double within the next half-century, warming the earth by as much as 4.5 degrees. The result? A partial melt-down of polar ice caps, raising sea levels as much as 24 feet; even 15 feet could threaten anyone living within 35 miles of the coast. Unbelievable? Maybe. But scientists warn that by the time we realise the severe effects of tropical deforestation, it will be 20 years too late.
Can tropical deforestation affect our everyday lives? Now, you should have got the answer.The underlined word "synthetics" probably means .
| A．natural rubber | B．tropical materials |
| C．man-made material | D．commercial rubber |
In the last paragraph the author tries to .
| A．tell people how to avoid the tropical deforestation |
| B．persuade people to buy something synthetic |
| C．show us how important it is to protect the tropical forests |
| D．let people realise the effect of tropical deforestation |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The forests are losing their function in turning carbon dioxide into oxygen. |
| B．Many of our daily uses are related to the tropical forests. |
| C．Tropical plants can be used to make industrial products. |
| D．High carbon dioxide levels will make the earth warmer. |
The author's attitude towards the tropical deforestation is .
| A．puzzling | B．cold | C．supporting | D．opposed |
Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Tropical Forests | B．Saving the Tropical Forests |
| C．Tropical Forests and Our Life | D．The Greenhouse Effects |