NewYear’sEveisatimetocelebrate-优题课

You’ve just come home, after living abroad for a few years.Since you’ve been away,has this country changed for the better—or for the worse?
If you’ve just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight’s holiday, small changes have probably surprised you—anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.
So how have things changed to people coming back to Britain after seven, ten or even 15 years living abroad? What changes in society can they see that the rest of us have hardly noticed—or now take for granted? To find out, we asked some people who recently returned.
Debi: When we left, Cheltenham, my home town, was a town of white, middle-class families—all very conservative（保守的）.The town is now home to many eastern Europeans and lots of Australians, who come here mainly to work in hotels and tourism. There are even several shops only for foreigners.
Having been an immigrant（移民）myself,I admire people who go overseas to find a job. Maybe if I lived in an inner city where unemployment was high, I’d think differently, but I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they’re more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.
Christine: As we flew home over Britain, both of us remarked how green everything looked. But the differences between the place we’d left behind and the one we returned to were brought sharply into focus as soon as we landed.
To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening—in Cyprus, they’re very relaxed—and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall. Everyone seemed to be on guard. Even the airport car-hire firm wanted a credit card rather than cash because they said their vehicles had been used by bank robbers.
But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they’ve got.
After a short overseas holiday, people tend to________.

A．notice small changes

B．expect small changes

C．welcome small changes

D．exaggerate small changes

How does Debi look at the foreign settlers?

A．Cautiously.

B．Positively.

C．Skeptically.

D．Critically.

When arriving at the airport in Britain, Christine was shocked by__________ .

A．the relaxed policemen

B．the messy arrivals hall

C．the tight security

D．the bank robbers

Which might be the best title for the passage?

A．Life in Britain.

B．Back in Britain.

C．Britain in Future

D．Britain in Memory.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is based on the simplicity and power of friendship. It is a program which provides friendship and fun by matching vulnerable young people (ages 7-17) with a volunteer adult who can be both a role model and a supportive friend.
Volunteer tutors come from all walks of life — married,single,with or without children. Big Brothers and Big Sisters are not replacement parents or social workers. They are tutors:someone to trust,to have fun with,to talk and go to when needed.
A Big Sister and Little Sister will generally spend between one and four hours together three or four times each month for at least twelve months. They enjoy simple activities such as a picnic at a park,cooking,playing sport or going to a football match. These activities improve the friendship and help the young person develop positive self-respect, confidence and life direction.
Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations exist throughout the world. It is the largest and most well-known provider of tutor services internationally and has been operating for 25 years.
Emily and Sarah have been matched since March 2008. Emily is a 10-year-old girl who has experienced some difficulties being accepted by her schoolmates at school.‘I was pretty sure there was something wrong with me.’
Emily’s mum came across Big Brothers Big Sisters and thought it would be of benefit to Emily by ‘providing different feedback（反馈） about herself other than just relying on schoolmates to measure her self-worth.’
Sarah wanted to get involved in a volunteer program.‘I googled it and found out how to be a part of it. I thought it would be fun for me to get involved in making time to do something because sometimes it’s all work and no play.’
Big Brothers Big Sisters has been of great benefit and enjoyment to both Emily and Sarah. They love and look forward to their time together and the partnership has certainly helped Emily be more comfortable in being the wonderful, happy and unique girl she is!
What is the aim of Big Brothers Big Sisters?

A．To offer students public services.

B．To help students improve their grades.

C．To organize sport activities for young people.

D．To provide partnership and fun for young people.

A volunteer is usually expected to work within a year for at least _________.

A．24 hours

B．36 hours

C．48 hours

D．72 hours

According to Emily’s mother, this program may provide Emily with___________ .

A．advice from her teachers

B．a new way to assess herself

C．a new way to judge her schoolmates

D．more comments from her schoolmates

Why did Sarah want to get involved in the program?

A．She used to be a volunteer.

B．She needed a part-time job.

C．She felt a bit bored with her life.

D．She wanted to get a challenging job.

You are given many opportunities in life to choose to be a victim or a creator.When you choose to be a victim, the world is a cold and difficult place.“They” did things to you which caused all of your pain and suffering.“They” are wrong and bad,and life is terrible as long as “they” are around. Or you may blame yourself for all your problems,thus internalizing（内化） your victimization. The truth is, your life is likely to stay that way as long as you feel a need to blame yourself or others.
Those who choose to be creators look at life quite differently. They know there are individuals who might like to control their lives,but they don’t let this get in the way. They know they have their weaknesses,yet they don’t blame themselves when they fail. Whatever happens,they have choice in the matter. They believe their dance with each sacred(神圣的) moment of life is a gift and that storms are a natural part of life which can bring the rain needed for emotional and spiritual growth.
Victims and creators live in the same physical world and deal with many of the same physical realities,yet their experience of life is worlds apart.Victims relish (沉溺) in anger,guilt,and other emotions that cause others—and even themselves—to feel like victims,too. Creators consciously choose love,inspiration,and other qualities which inspire not only themselves,but all around them. Both victims and creators always have choice to determine the direction of their lives.
In reality,all of us play the victim or the creator at various points in our lives. One person,on losing a job or a special relationship,may feel as if it is the end of the world and sink into terrible suffering for months,years,or even a lifetime. Another with the same experience may choose to first experience the grief,then accept the loss and soon move on to be a powerful creative force in his life.
In every moment and every circumstance,you can choose to have a fuller, richer life by setting a clear intention to transform the victim within, and by inviting into your life the powerful creator that you are.
What does the word “they” in Paragraph 1 probably refer to?

A．People and things around you.

B．Opportunities and problems.

C．Creators and their choices.

D．Victims and their sufferings.

According to Paragraph 2,creators________.

A．seem willing to experience failures in life

B．possess the ability to predict future life

C．handle ups and downs of life wisely

D．have potential to create something new

What can we learn from Paragraph 3?

A．Creators and victims face quite different things in life.

B．Creators and victims are masters of their lives.

C．Victims can influence more people than creators.

D．Compared with victims,creators are more emotional.

The examples mentioned in Paragraph 4 show that__________ .

A．strong attachment to sufferings in life pulls people into victims

B．people need family support to deal with challenges in life

C．it takes creators quite a long time to get rid of their pains

D．one’s experiences determine his attitude toward life

Successful people in international business understand the cultures of other countries and learn to change their practices in different cultures. They understand the importance of avoiding business decisions based on misconceptions—mistaken ideas.
One cause of misconceptions is ethnocentrism, the belief that one’s own culture’s way of doing things is better than the way of other cultures. It’s ethnocentrism that leads to failure in international business. To avoid ethnocentrism, it’s necessary to study the different elements（组成部分）of culture: language, values and attitudes, and customs and manners.
Language
A. knowledge of the local language can help international business people in four ways. First, people can communicate directly. Second, people are usually more open in their communication with someone who speaks their language. Third, an understanding of the language allows people to infer meanings that are not said directly. Finally, knowing the language helps people to understand the culture better.
Values are people’s basic beliefs about the difference between right and wrong, good and bad . An attitude is a way of thinking or acting. Values and attitudes influence international business. For example, many people in the United States believe that chocolate from Switzerland is better than chocolate from other countries, and they buy a lot of it.
Customs and manners
Customs are common social practices. Manners are ways of acting that the society believes are polite. For example, in the United States, it is the custom to have salad （色拉） before the main course at dinner, not after. It’s not acceptable to talk with food in mouth at table. Failure to understand the customs and manners of other countries will bring difficulty selling their products. Orange juice as a breakfast drink of an American company in France doesn’t sell well because the French don’t usually drink juice with breakfast.
A. knowledge of the local language allows international business people _________.
A. to be more open with their customers
B. to communicate without outside help
C. to express their thoughts indirectly
D. to have a better idea of their own culture
The act of many people buying chocolate of Switzerland shows the role of ________.

A．manners

B．values

C．attitudes

D．customs

What would be the best title for the text?

A．Misconceptions in Business

B．Basic Beliefs in Business

C．International Business Culture

D．Successful International Business

The author’s purpose of writing this article is to tell people ___________

A．how to take a right attitude in business

B．how to avoid misunderstandings in business

C．how to use a local language in business

D．how to act politely and properly in business

Brian arrived at the San Francisco airport two hours before the flight to Paris. He was wearing three shirts, a jacket, two pairs of socks, a pair of shorts, and two pairs of jeans. He was carrying one small backpack, which was very full, but he didn’t have any other luggage. Brian needed to meet a man named Tony before he checked in for his flight. He found Tony near the Air France counter. Tony gave him a round-trip ticket and a small package.
“Give this package to Jean-Paul at the airport in Paris. He will have a sign with your name on it. I think you can find him easily, “Tony said.” You don’t have any luggage, right?”
“Only this backpack,” Brian answered. “You said I could bring one carry-on bag.”
“That’s right, one carry-on bag is fine. Have a good trip.”
“Thanks.”
Is Brian a criminal（犯罪）? Not at all. He is an air courier. And he paid only $110 for the round-trip ticket to Paris. Air couriers get cheap airline tickets because they take important packages and papers to foreign countries. Businesses sometimes need to get packages and papers to people in foreign countries by the next day. Often, the only way they can do this is to use an air-courier company. It is not cheap for a business to send a package with an air courier, but it is quick.
Every year about 80, 000 people worldwide travel as air couriers. The number of tickets for courier travel is growing by about 10 percent a year. However, air-courier travel isn’t for everyone, But if you have very little money, can be flexible（灵活的）about your travel plans, and don’t mind wearing the same clothes for a week, it can be a great way to take a vacation!
Why was Brian wearing so many clothes for his travel?

A．Because they were the uniform for air couriers,

B．Because that made him easier to be recognized.

C．Because his backpack had no room for his clothes.

D．because he did not have any luggage with him.

An air courier is a person who

A．manages a business company in foreign countries

B．organizes international flights for tourists

C．travels around the world with cheap tickets

D．delivers papers and packages to foreign countries

Businesses choose the air-courier service because

A．it costs less

B．it is flexible

C．it saves time

D．it grows fast

One of the disadvantages of traveling as an air courier is that he .

A．cannot decide when and where to travel

B．cannot take any luggage with him

C．has to wear two pairs of jeans

D．saves little money from the travel

The author of the text mainly .

A．describes the activities of a law-breaker

B．suggests an ideal way to travel

C．argues against the air-courier travel

D．tells us about a developing business

A．Wander through the maze.	B．The champagne toast.
C．Its live music.	D．The Last Laugh of 2008.