How to make friends with people from a different culture? T
he rules are as follows:
Appreciate the Person.
Most Americans like to be recognized as individuals as someone special with unique personalities. Therefore, never say, “You’re from America so I want to be your friend.” Also don’t imply that the reason why you approached them is that you wanted someone to practice your English with. That t
urns people off. Instead try saying,” You seem like a real nice and interesting person and I would like to get to know you better.” This way, they are much more inclined to be friendly because you see them as a three dim
ensional person and appreciate them for who they are in the inside. And by doing so, you not only learn about Americans and practice your English, but also gain a r
eal friend in the process.
Quit Calling Us Foreigners.
Please avoid calling a foreigner a foreigner especially in his face. The word makes people feel like an outsider, and even unwelcome, suggesting separation and insurmountable differences, widening an already existing gap in the situation. When Americans travel, they rarely say, “ I’m foreign to your place.” They tend to say, “ I’m new in town. I’m new here.” The reason is because new and unfamiliar things can become old and familiar. But can foreign things become native? Aha? You catch my drift.
Just Do It.
Some students like to be told about American culture but are less interested in spending the time and the effort to actually experience it. As Americans always say, “ Get your hands dirty.” You should have first hand and hands on experience, or you’ll never really know anything.
Find that Common Language.
Now I must stress the importance of finding a common language. By that I don’t mean Engli
sh, Chinese, German, French, etc. I mean finding something you have in common with another person on a spiritual and philosophical level: likes, dislikes, worldviews, ways of thinking , and attitudes toward life. And to start, you must first enhance your knowledge of the particular culture from which your potential new friend comes form.The underlined sentence “ Get your hands dirty” means .
| A．get involved | B．start with dirty work |
| C．talk about American culture | D．don’t wash your hands too often |
Americans prefer to make friends with those who .
| A．avoid talking about their homeland |
| B．recognize their personalities |
| C．obey rules of communicating with friends |
| D．needn’t practice English while playing together |
According to the passage, which of the following is friendly?
| A．I am longing to make friends with an American. |
| B．This is my friend Tom, who is a foreigner. |
| C．There must be a gap between us in many things. |
| D．You’ve got a great personality. |
It is love that makes the world go round. And it is also love that has such power to overcome all difficulties. So we say: “Love will find a way.” As smile is a facial expression showing pleasure, affection, and friendliness, it is the commonest way to show our good will perfectly without saying anything. A Chinese saying runs: “never hit a person who is smiling at you.” It is a time-proven fact that the smile is a language all its own— a universal language—understood by the people of every nation in the world. We may not speak the same tongue as our foreign neighbors, but we smile in the same tongue. We need no interpreter for thus expressing love, happiness, or good will.
One day while shopping in a small town in southern California, it was my misfortune to be approached by a clerk whose personality contradicted mine. He seemed most unfriendly and not at all concerned about my intended purchase. I bought nothing, and marched angrily out of the store. My anger toward that grew with each step. Outside, standing at the corner, was a dark-complexion young man in his early twenties. His expressive brown eyes met and held mine, and in the next instant a beautiful, dazzling smile covered his face. I gave in immediately. The magnetic power of that shining smile drove away all bitterness within me, and I found the muscles in my own face happily responding. “Beautiful day, isn’t it?” I remarked, in passing. Then, suddenly something inside me sent me turning back. “I really owe you a debt of gratitude,” I said softly. His smile deepened, but he made no attempt to answer. A Mexican woman and two men were standing nearby. The woman stepped forward and eyed me inquiringly. “Carlos, he no speak English,” she volunteered. “You want I should tell him something?” In that moment I felt transformed. Carlos’ smile had made a big person of me. My friendliness and good will toward all mankind stood ten feet tall. “Yes,” my reply was enthusiastic and sincere, “tell him I said ‘Thank you!’” “Thank you?” The woman seemed slightly puzzled. I gave her arm a friendly pat as I turned to leave. “Just tell him that,” I insisted. “He’ll understand. I am sure!” Oh, what a smile can do! Although I have never seen that young man again, I shall never forget the lesson he taught me that morning.
From that day on, I became smile – conscious, and I practice that diligently, anywhere and everywhere, with everybody. When I got excited in traffic, taking the right–of–way (公路用地) from the other car with my stupid mistake, I’d smile and shrug my shoulders apologetically. This action on my part would always draw a good–natured smile in return. If the other fellow was at fault – and if I could remember my resolution in time! – he’d get a broad smile of understanding. This took a bit of doing at first. I’ll admit it wasn’t always easy, but it was fun. The results were sometimes amazing. Many times, a broad, friendly smile would completely turn aside ill–feeling and tension. I’m wondering now how many tragic accidents could be avoided on our overcrowded highways, if every driver remembered to smile!The author got angry while shopping one day because .
| A．of the clerk’s unfriendliness and lack of concern |
| B．of her misfortune |
| C．she failed to purchase what she intended |
| D．a dark–complexion young man laughed at her |
From the conversation between the author and the Mexican woman, we can infer that the woman .
| A．was well–educated but unwilling to help others |
| B．was able to speak English |
| C．knew some English and was ready to help others |
| D．was familiar with the young man |
In the author’s opinion, if all people remembered to smile when driving, .
| A．many traffic accidents could be avoided |
| B．they would receive a good natural smile in return |
| C．they could get a broad smile of understanding |
| D．they wouldn’t feel any tension |
The best title for this passage could be .
| A．The Art of Smiling | B．The Universal Language |
| C．The Power of Love | D．The Magic Power of Friendship |
A Sydney Pass gives you unlimited and flexible travel on the Explorer Buses: the 'red' Sydney Explorer shows you around our exciting city sights while the 'blue' Bondi Explorer visits Sydney Harbor bays and famous beaches. Take to the water on one of three magnificent daily harbor cruises(游船). You can also travel free on regular Sydney Buses, Sydney Ferries or City Rail services (limited area), so you can go to every corner of this beautiful city.
Imagine browsing at Darling Harbor, sampling the famous seafood at Watsons Bay or enjoying the city lights on an evening ferry cruise. The possibilities and plans are endless with a Sydney Pass. Wherever you decide to go, remember that bookings are not required on any of our services so tickets are treated on a first in, first seated basis.
Sydney Passes are available for 3, 5 or 7 days for use over a 7 calendar day period. With a 3 or 5 day pass you choose on which days out of the 7 you want to use it. All Sydney Passes include a free Airport Express inward trip before starting your 3, 5 or 7 days, and the return trip is valid (有效的) for 2 months from the first day your ticket was used.
Sydney Pass Fares
*A child is defined as anyone from the ages of 4 years to under 16 years. Children under 4 years travel free.
**A family is defined as 2 adults and any number of children from 4 to under 16 years of age from the same family.
A Sydney Pass doesn’t offer unlimited rides on ______
| A．the Explorer Buses | B．the harbor cruises |
| C．regular Sydney Buses | D．City Rail services |
With a Sydney Pass, a traveler can ______.
| A．save fares from and to the airport |
| B．take the Sydney Explorer to beaches |
| C．enjoy the famous seafood for free |
| D．reserve seats easily in a restaurant |
If 5-day tickets were to be recommended to a mother who travelled with her colleague and her children, aged 3, 6 and 10, what would the lowest cost be?
| A．$225 | B．$300 |
| C．$360 | D．$420 |
Earlier this year，my oldest daughter got braces (牙箍) on her teeth，and let's just say she did not go quietly into that dentist's chair. Fear and hate pretty much describe the days leading up to her first appointment.
So when she finally walked out with shiny teeth，a sore mouth and a broken spirit, I told her I was proud of her and took her to Ben & Jerry's for an ice cream reward. Two weeks later, we returned to the scene of the crime.The dentist spent about 45 seconds checking her teeth before sending her on her merry way. Before I could start the car, she was placing her ice cream order. She was shocked when I told her that she wasn't going to get a reward every time we got her teeth checked.
Apparently，she's not alone. According to some parenting experts, kids are easily addicted(上瘾的)to a benefitproducing system of parental rewards and bribes(贿赂)—not all ice creams, candies and cool toys.Some parents are offering their children novel prizes just to let them sit down and behave in a restaurant—or sleep in their own beds—or score a goal in the next soccer game.
While the experts agree that occasional awards are okay，the danger lies in the system's overuse.Kids quickly gain a sense of entitlement(应得权益)，where they come to expect a big reward for every good thing that they do, no matter how small.To keep things in check，experts say parents should reduce the number of rewards they offer, make sure rewards match the behavior and explain the real benefits of behaving.The intended readers of the passage are________.
| A．children | B．parents |
| C．doctors | D．teachers |
Misguided by the parental reward system，children easily believe________.
| A．they should benefit from their every desired behavior |
| B．they can be successful as long as they work hard |
| C．their parents will give them more presents in the future |
| D．their parents will feel happy when they behave well |
In the experts' opinion，parents________.
| A．should provide their children with many luxurious things |
| B．shouldn't give their children too many rewards |
| C．should give their children more spiritual rewards |
| D．should tell their children the benefits of rewards |
What would be the BEST title for the passage?
| A．Do Parents Know How to Help Their Children Behave? |
| B．Is Your Child Afraid to Visit A Dentist? |
| C．Are Parents Rewarding Their Children Too Much? |
| D．Does Your Child Show Interest in Rewards? |
A close friend of mine lives with six hundred wild animals on the Greek Island of Kyklos.Ever since he left school (where I first knew him)，he has travelled all over the world collecting animals for his very own zoo.He hoped to collect at least two examples of every sort of animal on his island before the Great Flood. But the flood that my friend was afraid of was a flood not of water, but of people. I expect you have heard of my friend: he writes books about his travels，and about the wild and wonderful animals that he collects. The money from the books helps to pay for all the food that these animals eat.
My friend told me that when he was out looking for water last week，(there is not enough water on the island，though there is plenty all round it，)he found oil.He needs money for his travels，and for his zoo，and a little oil would buy enough water for a lifetime；but he knows that if he tells anybody else about it，it will be the end of his zoo, and his life's work.
So，if I know my friend，he will not tell anybody (but you and me)about what he found—because oil and water do not mix.My friend lives________.
| A．on an island in the middle of great flood |
| B．at the school that we used to go to on Kyklos |
| C．on a Greek island with six hundred animals |
| D．all over the world；he is always travelling |
Since he left school________.
| A．he has collected books about every sort of animal |
| B．he has lived in zoos all over the world |
| C．he has lived all the time on a Greek island |
| D．he has travelled all over the world collecting animals |
The flood，of which my friend was afraid, was ________.
| A．a flood of too many people |
| B．a great flood of water |
| C．a flood of too many animals on his island |
| D．a flood of oil |
On March 25, 2013, two pandas were shipped from China to Canada. The pandas received a warm welcome to the North America from Canada’s Prime Minister Step
hen Harper and Chinese ambassador(大使)Zhang Junsai.
The pandas will spend five years at the Toronto Zoo, and then spend another five years at the Calgary Zoo. This is the first time in 20 years that pandas have been sent to a Canadian zoo. “I want to offer my sincere thanks to the government of China for sharing these two pandas, symbolizing peace and friendship, with all Canadians, ”said Prime Minister Harper.
The pandas are named Er Shun and Da Mao. Er Shun, a five-year-old female, came from the Chongqing Zoo, in southwest China. Da Mao, a four-year-old male, traveled from Chengdu. The panda passengers were given plenty of snacks throughout the flight. Each panda received more than 200 pounds of bamboo and 100 pounds of apples.
The number of pandas is decreasing and now there are only 1, 600 pandas left in the wild. And this is partly due to the loss of their primary food source, bamboo. According to a recent study, warming temperatures are causing a shortage of bamboo in at least one region of China where pandas live.
The climate in Er Shun and Da Mao’s new home in Canada isn’t perfect for growing bamboo. Twice a week, the Memphis Zoo, in Tennessee, will ship about 700 pounds of the green plant up north to the Toronto Zoo. While the pandas are far from China, zookeepers plan to make Canada feel like their home. We can know from the second paragraph that.
| A．China often sends pandas to Canada |
| B．Canada is very thankful for China’s help |
| C．the two pandas will spend ten years in Canada |
| D．the two pandas will only live in one place. |
According to the passage, the two pandas.
| A．are both four years old |
| B．are from the same Chinese zoo |
| C．can eat as many as 100 pounds of apples in a day |
| D．were given over 400 pounds of bamboo on the flight |
What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?
| A．The reason for the decreasing number of pandas. |
| B．The primary food source of pandas. |
| C．The lifestyle of pandas in the wild. |
| D．The effects of warming temperatures on bamboo. |
It can be learned from the passage that.
| A．pandas eat nothing but bamboo and apples |
| B．the climate in Toronto is unfit for bamboo to grow |
| C．the animal that all Canadians like best is pandas |
| D．China lent the two pandas just in order to help Canada |