In the United States, friendships can be close, constant, intense, generous and real, yet fade away in a short time if situations change. Neither side feels hurt by this. Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while— then no more. If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship where it left off and are delighted.
In the States, you can feel free to visit people’s homes, share their holidays, or enjoy their lives without fear that you are taking on a lasting obligation(义务). Do not hesitate to accept hospitality(好客) because you can’t
give it in return. No one will expect you to do so for they know you are far from home. Americans will enjoy welcoming you and be pleased if you accept their hospitality easily.
Once you arrive there, the welcome will be full and warm and real. Most visitors find themselves readily invited into many homes there. In some countries it is considered inhospitable to entertain at home, offering what is felt as only home—cooked food, not “ doing something for your guest”. It is felt that restaurant entertaining, shows more respect and welcome. Or for other different reasons, such as crowded space, language difficulties, or family custom, outsiders are not invited into homes.
In the United States, both methods are used, but it is often considered more friendly to invite a person to one’s home than to go to a public place, except in purely business relationships. So, if your host or hostess brings you home, do not feel that you are being shown inferior treatment.
Don’t feel neglected if you do not find flowers awaiting you in your hotel room, either. Flowers are very expensive there; hotel delivery is uncertain; arrival times are delayed, changed, or canceled —— so flowers are not customarily sent as a welcoming touch. Please do not feel unwanted! Outward signs vary in different lands; the inward welcome is what matters, and this will be real.
In the United States, you will find friendships ______ if circumstances change.
A.die suddenly | B.pass away |
C.disappear gradually | D.last forever |
Americans _____ their foreign friends to make a return for their hospitality.
A.ask | B.don’t expect | C.never allow | D.wish |
In some other countries, giving a dinner party at home is considered ______ than in a restaurant.
A.less friendly | B.less hospitable | C.more natural | D.more popular |
According to the passage, which of the follow
ing is NOT true?
A.Flowers are signs of outward welcome. |
B.Flowers are expensive. |
C.Flowers are available at all time. |
D.Flowers are not necessarily sen![]() |
BBC Sports program Sunday.
We are currently planning our Volunteer Program, which will ensure volunteers are trained and ready to go for 2012.Up to 70,000 volunteers will be needed to help put on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Our program will aim to encourage a wide range of people to join in. We will provide the training to make sure our volunteers' skills are of the highest standard. London 2012 is an opportunity to inspire everyone to develop their interests and volunteer—in sport and also more widely within their community.
Applications will open in the late 2011.We'll recruit(招募) volunteers from across the UK—from a range of communities and backgrounds. Our recruitment process will be open and fair. Our goal is to select applicants who meet our standards and who will bring passion, enthusiasm and energy to the Games. Previous volunteering experience is not necessary. We'll give each successful applicant a specific role, allowing them to contribute meaningfully to the Games. There will be two kinds of Games volunteer—specialist and generalist.
Specialist volunteers will have specific existing skills or qualifications that are needed for them to complete the role, for example, sport or medical training.
Generalist volunteers will not need any special skills or qualifications and will receive full training. They might be given roles in areas such as event services, uniform distribution (分发) and village operations. All volunteers will be expected to attend training events that will give them the knowledge they need to carry out their role.
There are lots of charities and sporting organizations that are looking for volunteers to help them. While you are waiting for applications for the London 2012 volunteer program to open in the late 2011, why not consider getting involved locally? You can find opportunities to volunteer in a range of activities in your local area by following the links on the right hand side of this page or make local enquiries about the needs in your community.Where will you probably find this article?
A.In a newspaper. | B.On a webpage. |
C.In a magazine. | D.In a textbook |
Who can apply to become a volunteer in the 2012 Olympics?
A.People from some English-speaking countries. |
B.People with volunteering experience. |
C.People who meet the standards. |
D.People with a knowledge of the Olympic history. |
Which of the following statements is WRONG?
A.Two kinds of volunteers will be needed. |
B.Specialist volunteers do not have to attend training events. |
C.Applications will not be accepted until 20. |
D.Generalist volunteers will be fully trained. |
What can you do in July, 2011?
A.Do some volunteering work locally. |
B.Apply to become a volunteer in the 2012 Olympics. |
C.Get trained in the Volunteer Program. |
D.Join in the Olympic Games. 64-67 BCBA |
It's not about how much money you make, and it's not about who your daddy is. And no, it's definitely not about whether you look like Tom Cruise or his wife Katie Holmes ... What it is about is these simple things, things that maybe even a person like Tom Cruise does not have.
We're talking about being attractive in general, whether it's on a job interview or just gaining the respect of your colleagues.
Ask lots of questions
In other words, be humble. If you come across as a know-it-all (even if you really do know it all!), it really pushes people away. Rather, asking lots and lots of questions (even dumb ones) makes people feel like you care, you can be trusted, and you are... humble.
Stay busy
Do you really know the power of this? We're told to stay busy to prevent depression and feelings of anxiety. But did you know you should also stay busy to be really attractive? It's true. Always have something to do. Have you ever seen someone just sitting around, doing nothing? How unattractive. Always be busy with something, even if for some reason you have to make something up.
Show your pearly whites (or just smile)
Smile more, no matter how ugly your teeth are. I'm not kidding about this one. It's not all about the teeth. If you are smiling genuinely, you can draw everyone for 100 meters around to you.
Be interested in other men
Be interested in the other person. Again, ask them questions. Don't talk about yourself... remove attention from yourself. If you are truly interested in the person, it will come across. And if you want to talk about yourself, you'll find that putting the other person first actually opens him up to return the favor and ask you questions. See how fun this is?
So, yes it is possible to be the most attractive person in the world. If you've noticed the ring throughout the article, it has a lot to do with just being confident in who you are. Nobody needs to look like Tom Cruise or Will Smith or their wives, or anyone else for that matter. Every person, of every race, of every nationality, of every background, can be the most attractive person in the world.In the writer’s opinion, attractiveness is determined by a person’s ________.
A.good looks | B.white teeth | C.confidence | D.race |
The underlined sentence means that __________.
A.if you are a know-it-all, you are surely welcome |
B.being a know-it-all may keep people away from you |
C.a person should pretend to be a know-it-all when communicating with others |
D.people admire a person who know it all |
In order to be attractive, you should do followings EXCEPT ________.
A.Behave like Tom Cruise | B.ask questions | C.smile | D.keep busy |
The main idea of the article is to tell us _________.
A.How to make friends | B.How to build your confidence |
C.How to reduce depression | D.How to be attractive |
Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t love others until you love yourself. Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t expect someone else to love you until you love yourself. Either way, you’ve got to love yourself first and this can be tricky. Sure we all know that we’re the apple of our parents’ eyes, and that our Grandmas think we’re great talents and our Uncle Roberts think that we will go to the Olympics. But sometimes it’s a lot harder to think such nice thoughts about ourselves. If you find that believing in yourself is a challenge, it is time you build a positive self-image and learn to love yourself.
Self-image is your own mind’s picture of yourself. This image includes the way you look, the way you act, the way you talk and the way you think. Interestingly, our self-images are often quite different from the images others hold about us. Unfortunately, most of these images are more negative than they should be. Thus changing the way you think about yourself is the key to changing your self-image and your whole world.
The best way to defeat a passive self-image is to step back and decide to stress your success. That is, make a list if you need to, but write down all of the great things you do every day. Don’t allow doubts to occur in it.
It very well might be that you are experiencing a negative self-image because you can’t move past one flaw or weakness that you see about yourself. Well, roll up your sleeves and make a change of it as your primary task. If you think you’re silly because you aren’t good at math, find a tutor. If you think you’re weak because you can’t run a mile, get to the track and practice. If you think you’re dull because you don’t wear the latest trends, buy a few new clothes. But remember, just because you think it doesn’t mean it’s true.
The best way to get rid of a negative self-image is to realize that your image is far from objective, and to actively convince yourself of your positive qualities. Changing the way you think and working on those you need to improve will go a long way towards promoting a positive self-image. When you can pat yourself on the back, you’ll know you’re well on your way. Good luck!You need to build a positive self-image when you _________.
A.dare to challenge yourself |
B.feel it hard to change yourself |
C.are unconfident of yourself |
D.have a high opinion of yourself |
According to the passage, our self-images _________.
A.have positive effects |
B.are probably untrue |
C.are often changeable |
D.have different functions |
How should you change your self-image according to the passage?
A.To keep a different image of others. |
B.To make your life successful. |
C.To understand your own world. |
D.To change the way you think. |
Who are the intended readers of the passage?
A.Parents. | B.Adolescents. | C.Educators. | D.People in general. |
Almost every person uses the Web for something nowadays. This is a good idea since it is useful for so many different things. When you consider its speed and convenience, you will understand that there isn’t any reason to use any other means to complete everyday jobs.
Just consider the convenience factor (因素) when you need quick simple information. Looking for a movie can take just minutes by jumping online instead of going and getting a newspaper and then hoping it has the theater that interests you. It is also a great way to find a restaurant for the evening. From the online yellow pages to many kinds of websites of different eateries(餐馆), there are many different choices of spots to gather information. Find old friends from school by joining in one of the endless groups that have been created to put people together.
Information is just so easy to get when you are using the Web. Find out how to build a pond yourself in your own backyard or garden by a quick search. Then shop for materials and fish as well. Shopping on the Internet also saves time and we can select a better product without having to travel a long distance. Using the Internet, shoppers can go through the product’s prices from various stores while sitting in one place.
Studying for school of any kind is easier when you can use the Web to find information. Now you can search an online dictionary that anyone can use at no cost. Doing research is easy, since there are lots of sites devoted(致力于)to helping students of any type get their work completed.
There are also huge businesses on the Web. A company might only have a simple website to give directions and its location. There are many of us who now depend on the Web. If a business does not have some type of websites, then it will not be found by those who search the Web for local business.According to the passage, what does the underlined sentence mean?
A.If you want to do everyday jobs, you should consider speed and convenience |
B.The fastest and most convenient way to complete everyday jobs is by using the Web. |
C.You should complete everyday jobs by using the Web as it is enjoyable. |
D.Using the Web is the most popular means for people to complete everyday job. |
We can learn from the passage that _______.
A.buying materials and fish on the Web is cheaper than in a store |
B.sites devoted to helping students are difficult to find |
C.an online dictionary is expensive for students to use |
D.old friends can be found easily by joining in groups on the Web |
The following are mentioned in the passage showing that the Web brings convenience EXCEPT for ______.
A.looking for a movie | B.finding a restaurant |
C.doing the shopping | D.getting a newspaper |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A.A company’s website to give directions and its location has become a necessity. |
B.Every company has a website to give directions and its location. |
C.Businesses which have no huge existence on the Web won’t be found |
D.There are too many people who prefer to do business on the Web now. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
A.The Web is making our life convenient | B.The network speed is fast now. |
C.Most of us depend on the Web. | D.The Web is making our life colorful. |
Why play games? Because they are fun, and a lot more besides. Following the rules…planning your next move...acting as a team member…these are all “game” ideas that you will come across throughout your life.
Think about some of the games you played as a young child, such as rope-jumping and hide-and-seek. Such games are entertaining and fun. But perhaps more importantly, they translate life into exciting dramas that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives, such as taking turns and cooperating (合作) .
Many children’s games have a practical side. Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as grown-ups. For instance, some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones. Which sharpens the hand-eye coordination(协调)needed in hunting.
Many sports encourage national or local pride. The most famous games of all, the Olympic Games, bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition. People who watch the event wave flags, knowing that a gold medal is a win for an entire country, not just the athlete who earned it. For countries experiencing natural disasters or war, an Olympic win can mean so much.
Sports are also an event that unites people. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. People on all continents play it—some for fun and some for a living. Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian soccer player, has discovered a way to give people hope through soccer. He created a foundation(基金会) to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a promising future.
Next time you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it, what skills are needed, and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life.Through playing hide-and-seek, children are expected to learn to ________.
A.be a team leader |
B.obey the basic rules |
C.act as a grown-up |
D.predict possible danger |
The underlined part in Paragraph 2 most probably means that games can________.
A.describe life in an exciting way |
B.turn real-life experiences into a play |
C.make learning life skills more interesting |
D.change people’s views of sporting events |
According to the passage, why is winning Olympic medals so encouraging?
A.It makes people have a deep love for the country. |
B.It proves the exceptional skills of the winners. |
C.It helps the country out of natural disasters. |
D.It earns the winners fame and fortune. |
Iribarne’s goal of forming the foundation is to _______.
A.bring fun to poor kids |
B.provide soccer balls for children |
C.give poor kids a chance for a better life |
D.appeal to soccer players to help poor kids |
What can be learned from the passage?
A.Games benefit people all their lives. |
B.Sports can get all athletes together. |
C.People are advised to play games for fun. |
D.Sports increase a country’s competitiveness. |