Chinese politeness have always been formal to follow strict rules, although sometimes Chinese people seem to be impolite according to Western standards in public places. To well understand Chinese, some concepts should not be ignored.
Mianzi
The idea of shame, usually expressed as 'face' could be loosely defined as the 'status' or 'self-respect' in Chinese and by no means alien to foreigners. It is the worst thing for a Chinese to lose face. Never insult, embarrass, shame, yell at or otherwise demean a person. Since all these actions would risk putting a Chinese in a situation that he might lose face, neither try to prove someone wrong nor shout at him in public. In order to get a successful effect without letting a Chinese lose face, any criticism should be delivered privately, carefully, or else, just opposite to what you wish.
Guanxi
Throughout much of Chinese history, the fundamental glue that has held society together is the concept of guanxi, relationships between people. It is very important for the Chinese to have good relationships. They often regard good social relations as a symbol of personal ability and influence. Someone who has no connections would be disrespected and is only half-Chinese.
Keqi
Keqi not only means considerate, polite, and well mannered, but also represents respect and modesty. It is impolite to talk too proudly about oneself or one's inner circle. The expression is most often used in the negative, as in buyao keqi, meaning "you shouldn't be so kind and polite to me," or "you're welcome."
Besides, Chinese seldom express what they think directly and they prefer a roundabout way. Neither show their emotions and feelings in public. They rarely greet people with a handshake, though it is very popular among foreigners, and say nothing of embracing or kissing when greeting or saying good-bye. Consequently, it is better not to behave too carefree in public, even though you are well-intentioned. Also, it is advisable to be fairly cautious in political discussions. Do not particularly push yourself forward, or else you are unwelcome.
To sum up, do in Rome as Rome does, but you need not worry about these cultural barriers since most Chinese are hospitable and friendly and will not mind your no accomplishment. In most Chinese’s eyes, the fundamental glue holding society together is the idea of ____.
A.relationships between people | B.influences upon others |
C.dependence on others | D.kindness to others |
The underlined word “demean” in the first paragraph means make people _____.
A.respectful | B.happy | C.shameful | D.weak |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A.It is impolite to insult, embarrass, shame or shout at a person. |
B.It is polite that you should bring gifts to others when invited to dinner. |
C.It is necessary to show your character of being considerate, polite, and well mannered. |
D.It is important for the Chinese to have good relationships between people. |
Which of the following proverbs has the same meaning as the underlined sentence “Do in Rome as Rome does.”?
A.Caution is the parent of safety. | B.Many hands make light work. |
C.There’s no smoke without fire. | D.If you are elsewhere, live as they do there. |
With the crazy smog going on in China, businessmen are now ready to grope for your wallet. “Smog economy” is stimulating a shopping spree on certain products against the terrible weather. Now let’s see what we have on the list to help us through the crisis.
1. Masks
Well, I would say you had better stay indoors to save your lives. PM 2.5 just surged up to 750 in Beijing recently. 3M just sold 220,000 masks of a kind. No.1 best-selling products!
2. Air purifiers
This kind of products is rarely seen in Chinese households in the past. They have become a necessity now. I do like these little gadgets, but they are just too expensive.
3. Oxygen inhalers
I didn’t realize oxygen inhalers also get a cut in the smog economy. As a matter of fact, your oxygen uptake has nothing to with relieving (减轻) the impact of smog. It might even lead to oxygen poisoning when you inhale too much oxygen. So don’t get greedy.
4. Salt lamps
Compared to oxygen inhalers, salt lamps are even worse. Some stores are selling the products at several hundred yuan, saying that they can release negative ions(离子), reduce radiation levels and purify the air. The lamps mainly contain sodium chloride. The boiling point of sodium is about 800 degrees centigrade and that of candle is 500. So how on earth can negative ions be released at only 500 degrees?
5. Plants that absorb smog
Yeah, right. Plants Vs Smog. It is scientifically justified (证明) that some plants do absorb pollutants from the air. Money plants and calla lilies are among the best-sellers in the market. Even if they don’t work, it’s good to have some plants in the house anyway.According to the passage, smog _______.
A.give some economic chances to businessmen |
B.is very bad to economy |
C.makes some crisis come out |
D.have nothing to do with the economy |
What is the meaning of the underlined word?
A.Giving up shopping. | B.Feeling down in shopping. |
C.Having a lot to buy. | D.Buying something enthusiastically. |
Salt lamps are useless, because_______.
A.it may cause poisoning |
B.it actually can’t release the negative ions |
C.it reduces radiation level and makes the air dirty |
D.the prize is very high |
How many ways does the author think are useful?
A.2. | B.3. | C.4. | D.5. |
Jealousy (嫉妒) is a horrible feeling that weeds its way into your life and relationships before you know it. You might want something someone else has, or feel like they’re happier than you. It might seem like an uncontrollable emotion, but it’s truly not!
Remember your big accomplishments. If your coworker gets the promotion you wanted, it doesn’t mean you haven’t done great work. List out your accomplishments and think about how you got them and what you’ve done since then. You’ll quickly find that you’re just as worthy as the person you’re envying!
Appreciate your own good fortune. Think of where you are in your life and how you got there. Did you just buy your first car? Are you able to save one paycheck each month? Are you surrounded by loving family and amazing friends? You have a lot of good things,and you have a lot of good fortune coming your way. Stop letting jealousy eat you alive and realize that you can better spend that energy on furthering your own success and happiness.
Appreciate that others can do what you can’t. How boring would life be if everyone was the same? What if the entire population of your city was applying for your job, and they all had the same qualifications? Appreciate that everyone is different. Some people are better in powerful management positions, while maybe you’re better working with people. A friend might be an excellent artist—a quality you’re envious of, but don’t forget that you’re a great musician! Acknowledge that people need to be different, need to be better at various things.Jealousy is an emotion that ________.
A.you feel others do better than you |
B.can go into your soul without being noticed |
C.positive enough to make yourself do better |
D.makes you as worthy as the person you’re envying |
We should appreciate that others can do what you can’t, because _______.
A.you can further your own success and happiness |
B.things in the world are various |
C.the entire population of your city is applying for your job |
D.you’re worthless compared to anyone else |
When will you probably be Jealous of someone?
A.When your coworker gets the promotion you wanted. |
B.When you buy your first car. |
C.When you are surrounded by loving family and friends. |
D.When your friend become an artist. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
A.Jealousy is a bad feeling. |
B.Jealousy may influence your life and relationship. |
C.What should we do when Jealousy arises? |
D.Why we must keep away from Jealousy? |
(Reuters)—A MalaysiaAirlinesflight carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew was presumed to have crashed off the Vietnamese coast on Saturday, and European officials said two people on board were using false identities.
There were no reports of bad weather and no sign of why the Boeing 777-200ER would have vanished from radar screens about an hour after it took off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing.
“We are not ruling out any possibilities,” MalaysiaAirlinesCEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya told a news conference.
By the early hours of Sunday, there were no confirmed signs of the plane or any wreckage, well over 24 hours after it went missing. Operations will continue through the night, officials said.
There were no indications of sabotage (蓄意破坏) nor claims of an attack. But the passenger list issued by the airline included the names of two Europeans—Austrian Christian Kozel and Italian Luigi Maraldi—who, according to their foreign ministries, were not in fact on the plane.
A foreign ministry spokesman in Vienna said: “Our embassy got the information that there was an Austrian on board. That was the passenger list from Malaysia Airlines. Our system came back with a note that this is a stolen passport.”
Austrian police had found the man safe at home. The passport was stolen two years ago while he was travelling inThailand, the spokesman said.
The foreign ministry in Rome said no Italian was on the plane either, despite the inclusion of Maraldi’s name on the list. His mother, Renata Lucchi, told Reuters his passport was lost, presumed stolen, inThailandin 2013.
U.S. and European security officials said that there was no proof of any terrorist link and there could be other explanations for the use of stolen passports.What was Ahmad Jauhari Yahya’s attitude?
A.Uncertain. | B.Negative. | C.Positive. | D.Confident. |
According to the passage, the foreign ministry spokesman in Vienna had made sure ______.
A.two passports had been stolen by two Europeans |
B.Christian Kozel was the man who kidnapped the plane |
C.the Austrian on board was actually at home |
D.Christian Kozel lied to the police |
Which of the following is true about Maraldi?
A.He was from Austria. |
B.He was found safe at home. |
C.His mother was sad when she saw his name on the list. |
D.His passport was lost in Thailand. |
Who should be responsible for the missing of the plane according to the passage?
A.Terrorists. | B.Two people using false identities. |
C.We are not sure. | D.Christian Kozel and Luigi Maraldi. |
The Albinas married when Mr. Albina was 30, and they spent the early marriage in Argentina. Then they decided to move to Chile, which meant they had to cross the Andes Mountains. They and their 20s sons made the difficult two-week journey on horses. One night there was a terrible snow storm in the mountains, during which Mrs Albina gave birth to triplets (三胞胎), a boy and two girls.
Mrs Albina now has 30 more girls, including the twins who are 15 months old. The oldest Albina children are in their 30s and 40s. They are on their own now, but 18 of the kids still live with their parents in a two-room house. The house has electricity but no toilet or running water. Clearly, the Albinas don’t have enough money and food for the big family. Why, then, do they continue to have children?
The Albinas do not use birth control because it is against their religion. They can let other people take care of their kids, but Mrs Albina doesn’t allow it. “When we were babies,” she said, “our mother left us at an orphanage and never returned. Then a couple adopted my brothers, and I was left behind. I was heartbroken. I promised that when I became a mother I would never give my children away.”
So the Albina family continues to grow. They have so many kids that they run out of names and have to give some children the same name. There are three Susannas, three Miriams, two Estrellas, and two Soledades.
Will the family stop at 53 kids? Mr Albina is 77, and Mrs Albina is 59. “I am getting old,” she said with a smile, “and I would like God to think of me and consider my age. But if God sends more children to me, yes, there will be more.”What is said about the children in the Albinas in the passage?
A.Some children are raised by others. |
B.God sent the children to the Albinas. |
C.The children are all twins or triplets. |
D.Most of the children are independent now. |
It can be inferred from the passage that______.
A.Mrs Albina experienced a hard childhood |
B.the Albinas would like to use birth control |
C.ten kids in the family share the same name |
D.the Albina family has lived in three countries |
How old was Mrs Albina when the Albinas got married?
A.30. | B.25. | C.12. | D.18. |
What is the attitude of Mrs. Albina to continuing to have babies?
A.He is very positive. |
B.He doesn’t want to have more. |
C.He hopes God will give them more. |
D.He lets nature take its course. |
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 diethylene glycol, a low – cost substitute commonly used in automobile antifreeze.
Some countries have banned Chinese-made toothpaste containing diethylene 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 executed.
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 |