Destiny and Personal Responsibility
One important variable affecting communication across cultures is destiny（命运）and personal responsibility. This refers to the degree to which we feel ourselves the masters of our lives, contrary to the degree to which we see ourselves as subject to things outside our control. Another way to look at this is to ask how much we see ourselves able to change and act, to choose the course of our lives and relationships. Some have drawn a parallel between the personal responsibility in North American settings and the view itself. The North American view is vast, with large spaces of unpopulated land. The frontier attitude of “King” of the wilderness, and the expansiveness of the land reaching huge distances, may relate to generally high levels of confidence in the ability to shape and choose our destinies.
In this expansive land, many children grow up with a heroic sense of life, where ideas are big, and hope springs forever. When they experience temporary failures, they encouraged to redouble their efforts, to “try, try again.” Action, efficiency（效率）, and achievement are valued and expected. Free will is respected in laws and enforced by courts.
Now consider places in the world with much smaller land, whose history re
flects wars and tough struggles: Northern Ireland, Mexico, Israel, Palestine. In these places, destiny’s role is more important in human life. In Mexico, there is a history of hard life, fighting over land, and loss of homes. Mexicans are more likely to see struggles as part of their life and unavoidable. Their passive attitude is expr4essed in their way of responding to failure or accident by saying “no mode” (“no way” or “tough lick”), meaning that the failure was destined.
This variable is important t
o understanding cultural conflict. If someone believing in free will crosses paths with someone more passive, miscommunication is likely. The first person may expect action and accountability. Failing to see it, he may conclude that the second is lazy, not cooperative, or dishonest. The second person will expect respect for the natural order of thins. Failing to see it, he may conclude that the first is forcible, rude, or big headed in his ideas of what can be accomplished or changed..
The author thinks that one’s character is partly determined by .
| A．physical senses | B．general attitude |
| C．financial background | D．geographic characteristics |
.
According to the passage, Mexicans would think that Americans are .
| A．impractical | B．dishonest | C．ambitious | D．hesitant |
.
The underlined word “subject” in Paragraph 1 probably means .
| A．a topic of a discussion | B．a branch of knowledge |
| C．a person being experimented on | D．a person under the power of others. |
.
The author would probably agree that .
| A．vast land may lead to a more controllable desire |
| B．heroic sense of life roots deeply in a small country |
| C．living in limited space contributes to an accepting attitude |
| D．fighting over land may help people gain high levels of confidence |
While all my classmates seen to be crazy about a one-way ticket to Mars(火星), I’d rather say Mars is totally unsuitable for human existence. People won’t have enough food supplies there, and the terrible environment would make it impossible for them to live a long life. Besides, the journey won’t be safe. Can anybody explain to me just why people would go to Mars, never to return?
Steve Minear, UK
Here are the things you can think of: the desire to explore a foreign and unique environment, the excitement of being the first humans to open up a new world, the expectation of fame and glory…For scientists there is another reason. Their observations and research will probably lead to great scientific achievements.
Donal Trollop, Canada
There are already too many people on the Earth. I think that sometime before the end of the century, there will be a human colony(殖民地)on Mars. It will happen when people finally realize that tow-way trips to the red planet Mars are unnecessary. Most of the danger of space Flight is in the launches(发射) and landings. Cutting the trip home would therefore reduce the danger of accidents, save a lot of money, and open the way to building an everlasting human settlement on another world.
Enough supplies can be sent on ahead. And every two years more supplies and more people will needs, and Mars is far more pleasant than the other planets in the outer space.
Paul Davies. USA
1. The main purpose of Steve Minear’s writing is .
A. to report his classmates’ discussion
B. to invite an answer to his question
C. to explain the natural state of Mars
D. to show his agreement on going to Mars
2. Which of the following best states Donal Trollop’s idea?
A. There is a plan to send humans to Mars.
B. There are many reasons for going to Mars.
C. Scientists become famous by doing research on Mars.
D. It is possible to build an Earth-like environment on Mars.
3. Paul Davies points out that .
A. humans need only a one-way ticket to Mars.
B. two-way trips to Mars will be made safe soon
C. it is easy to reduce the danger and cost of flights to Mars
D. it is cheap to build an everlasting human settlement on Mars
4. What does Paul Davies think of human existence on Mars?
A. Humans will have to bring all they need from the Earth.
B. Humans will find Mars totally unsuitable for living.
C. Humans can produce everything they need.
D. Humans can live longer in the colony on Mars.
Are you sometimes a little tired and sleepy in the early afternoon? Many people feel this way after lunch. They may think that eating lunch is the cause of the sleepiness. Or, in summer, they may think it is the heat. However, the real reason lies inside their bodies. At that time – about eight hours after you wake up – your body temperature goes down. This is what makes you slow down and feel sleepy. Scientists have tested sleep habits in experiments where there was no night or day. The people in these experiments almost always followed a similar sleeping pattern. They slept for one long period and then for one short period about eight hours later.
In many parts of the world, people take naps(小睡) in the middle of the day. This is especially true in warmer climates(气候), where the heat makes work difficult in the early afternoon. Researchers are now saying that naps are good for everyone in any climate. A daily nap gives one a more rested body and mind and therefore is good for health in general. In countries where naps are traditional (传统的), people often suffer less from problem such as heart disease.
Many working people, unfortunately, have no time to take naps. Though doctors may advise taking naps, employers do not allow it! If you do have the chance, however, here are a few tips about making the most of your nap. Remember that the best time to take a nap is about eight hours after you get up. A short sleep too late in the day may only make you feel more tired and sleepy afterward. This can slao happen if you sleep for too long. If you do not have enough time, try a short nap – even ten minutes of sleep can be helpful.
1. Why do people feel sleepy in the early afternoon according to the text?
A. They eat too much for lunch. B. They sleep too little at night.
C. Their body temperature becomes lower. D. The weather becomes a lot warmer.
2. If you get up at 6:30 am, what is the best time for you to take a nap?
A. About 12:30 pm. B. About 1:30 pm.
C. About 2:30 pm D. About 3:30 pm
3. What would be the best title for the text?
A. Just for a Rest B. All for a Nap
C. A Special Sleep Pattern. D. Taking Naps in Warmer Climate.
第三部分阅读理解（共20 小题：每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、 B、 C、 D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Do you want to live with a strong sense of peacefulness, happiness, goodness, and self- respect? The collection of happiness actions broadly categorized as "honor" help you create this life of good feelings.
Here's an example to show how honorable actions create happiness.
Say a store clerk fails to charge us for an item. If we keep silent, and profit from the clerk's mistake, we would drive home with a sense of sneaky excitement. Later we might tell our family or friends about our good fortune. On the other hand, if we tell the clerk about the uncharged item, the clerk would be grateful and thank us for our honesty. We would leave the store with a quiet sense of honor that we might never share with another soul.
Then, what is it to do with our sense of happiness?
In the first case, where we don't tell the clerk, a couple of things would happen. Deep down inside we would know ourselves as a type of thief. In the process, we would lose some peace of mind and self-respect. We would also demonstrate that we cannot lie trusted, since we advertise our dishonor by telling our family and friends. We damage our own reputations by telling others. In contrast, bringing the error to the clerk's attention causes different things to happen. Immediately the clerk knows us to be honorable. Upon leaving the store, we feel honorable and our self-respect is increased. Whenever we take honorable action we gain the deep internal rewards of goodness and a sense of nobility.
There is a beautiful positive cycle that is created by living a life of honorable actions. Honorable thoughts lead to honorable actions. Honorable actions lead us to a happier existence. And it's easy to think and act honorably again when we're happy. While the positive cycle can be difficult to start, once it's started, it's easy to continue. Keeping on doing good deeds brings us peace of mind, which is important for our happiness.
1. According to the passage, the positive action in the example contributes to our
A. self-respect B. financial rewards
C. advertising ability D. friendly relationship
2. The author thinks that keeping silent about the uncharged item is equal to___.
A. lying B. stealing C. cheating D. advertising
58. The phrase "bringing the error to the clerk's attention" (in para. 5) means___.
A. telling the truth to the clerk B. offering advice to the clerk
C. asking the clerk to be more attentive D. reminding the clerk of the charged item
4. How will we feel if we let the clerk know her mistake?
A. We'll be very excited. B. We'll feel unfortunate.
C. We'll have a sense of honor. D. We'll feel sorry for the clerk.
5. Which of the following can be the best title of this passage.*
A. How to Live Truthfully B. Importance of Peacefulness
C. Ways of Gaining Self-respect D. Happiness through Honorable Actions
I remember my math teacher Mr. Young very well. He stood out because the kids made fun of him.He was missing one of his fingers, and always pointed at students with his middle finger. w.wI was not very good at English and math. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not figure out why I did not understand what all the other kids found so easy to learn.
One day, I was told that if I got one more E on my report card, I would be taken to the “big prison for kids”.
I tried really hard for weeks. I just couldn’t understand how to make different parts of numbers into whole things.
The day before report cards were to come out, I knew that Mr Young would give me an E, just like he always did.
I went to Mr. Young and told him that the orphanage (孤儿院) was going to send me to the big prison if I got another E on my report card. He told me there was nothing he could do; it would be unfair to the other kids if he gave me a better grade than I had actually earned.I smiled at him and said, “Mr. Young, do you know how the kids make fun of you because you’re missing your finger?”
He looked at me, moved his mouth to one side and said nothing.
“They shouldn’t do that to you because you can’t help not having a finger, Mr Young. Just like I can’t help not being able to learn numbers and stuff like that,” I said.
The next day, when I got my report card, I tucked it into one of my books. While on the school bus, I opened it: Geography, B+; Mechanical Drawing, C-; English, D-; History, C-; Gym, B+; Art, C; Math, D-.
That math grade was the most favorite one I ever received. Because I knew that someone in the world finally understood what it was like for me to be missing a finger inside my head.
1. From the second paragraph we can infer that the boy is ______ in some subjects.
A. mind-blowing B. slow-witted C. fun-loving D. badly-behaved
2. Where may the boy live according to the passage?
A. In an
orphanage. B. In a big prison.
C. In the school dormitory. D. In his home.
3. What grade should the boy have got in the math test this time?
A. D-. B. C. C. B+. D. E.
4. The underlined word “tucked” in the passage most probably means “________”.
A. stuck B. listed C. hid D. copied
5. The reason why the boy remembers Mr Young is that _________.
A. he missed one of his fingers B. he treated his students very well
C. he understood the boy D. he taught his students in a special way
I remember my math teacher Mr. Young very well. He suggests Ways to Burn More Calories.
Run through water
Running in water is one of the toughest activities you can perform because the wet stuff is about 12 to 15 times as resistant (具有阻力的) as air. Try your hardest to run and you can burn about 17 calories per minute.
Start fast
Don’t be fooled — slow and steady won’t win the race. A recent study found that after a short warm-up, cyclists who rode hard during the first half of their workouts and then slowed for the second half burned about 10 percent more calories than those who started slow and finished fast.
Take to the sand
Here is some easy-to-remember advice on burning calories: the softer the surface, the more you burn. By walking or running on the beach, you can use up 20 to 50 percent more calories than you do going at the same pace on a hard trail.
Shut up and dance
Here’s the perfect excuse to sign up for that hip-hop dance class you’ve been eager to try. Surprising your body with new activities
— dance, a new sport, you name it — forces it to work harder because it’s doing unfamiliar movements and using muscle groups in different ways.
Use your arms
Getting both your upper and lower body involved can provide a big calorie-burning advantage. So if you’re short of time or want to get everything you can out of your usual 45-minute workout, try total-body activities, like rowing. You can swing your arms as hard as you can while you walk.
1. How can water help you burn more calories?
A. By pushing your body. B. By wetting your clothes and shoes.
C. By forcing you to run faster. D. By forcing your body to work harder.
2 What does “it” in Part 4 refer to?
A. dance B. movement C. body D. muscle
3. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. One can burn more calories when walking on the sand than on land.
B. One can burn more calories when walking on stones than on earth.
C. One can burn more calories when running in water than on the sand.
D. One can burn more calories when exercising using the upper body than using the lower body.