It’s really true what people say about English politeness: it’s everywhere. When squeezing (挤过去) past someone in a narrow passage, people say “sorry”. When getting off a bus, English passengers say “thank you” rather than the driver. In Germany, people would never dream of doing these things. After all, squeezing past others is sometimes unavoidable, and the bus driver is only doing his job. I used to think the same way, without questioning it, until I started traveling to the British Isles, and here are some more polite ways of interacting (交往) with people in UK.
People thank each other everywhere in England, all the time. When people buy something in a shop, customer and shop assistant in most cases thank each other twice or more. In Germany, it would be exceptional to hear more than one thank you in such a conversation. British students thank their lecturers when leaving the room. English employers thank their employees for doing their jobs, as opposite to Germans, who would normally think that paying their workers money is already enough.
Another thing I observed during my stay was that English people rarely criticize (批评) others. Even when I was working and mistakes were pointed out to me, my employers emphasized several times but none of their explanations were intended as criticism. It has been my impression that by avoiding criticism, English people are making an effort to make others feel comfortable. This also is showed in other ways. British men still open doors for women, and British men are more likely to treat women to a meal than German men. However, I do need to point out here that this applies to English men a bit more than it would to Scottish men! Yes, the latter are a bit tightfisted.What is the author’s attitude towards English politeness?
| A．He thinks it is unnecessary. | B．He thinks little of it. |
| C．He appreciates it very much. | D．He thinks it goes too far. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．German men never treat a woman to dinner. |
| B．The author think it’s unnecessary to say “thank you” to the bus driver. |
| C．In Germany, employers often say “thank you” to employees for their job. |
| D．Germans think it is unnecessary to thank workers because payment is enough. |
We can learn from the last paragraph that Scottish men ______.
| A．like to fight with each other |
| B．treat women in a polite way |
| C．are as generous as English men |
| D．are unwilling to spend money for women |
The author develops the text through the method of ______.
| A．making comparisons | B．telling stories |
| C．giving reasons | D．giving examples |
My father was 44 and knew he wasn’t going to make it to 45. He wrote me a letter and hoped that something in it would help me for the rest of my life.
Since the day I was 12 and first read his letter, some of his words have lived in my heart. Only part always times out. “Right now, you are pretending to be a time-killer. But I know that one day, you will do something great that will set you among the very best.” Knowing that my dad believed in me gave me permission to believe in myself. “You will do something great.” He didn’t know what that would be, and neither did I, but at times in my life when I’ve felt proud of myself, I remember his words and wish he were here so I could ask. “Is this what you were talking about, Dad? Should I keep going?”
A long way from 12 now, I realize he would have been proud when I made any progress. Lately, though , I’ve come to believe he’d want me to move on to what comes next: to be proud of, and believe in, somebody else. It’s time to start writing my own letters to my children. Our children look to us with the same unanswered question we had. Our kids don’t hold back because they’re afraid to fail. They’re only afraid of failing us. They don’t worry about being disappointed. Their fear－as mine was until my father’s letter－is of being a disappointment.
Give your children permission to succeed. They’re writing for you to believe in them. I always knew my parents loved me. But trust me. That belief will be more complete, that love will be more real, and their belief in themselves will be greater if you write the words on their hearts; “Don’t worry; you’ll do something great.” Not having that blessing from their parents may be the only thing holding them back.We learn from the text that the author _________
| A．lost his father when he was young |
| B．Worked hard before he read his father's letter |
| C．Asked his father's permission to believe in himself |
| D．Knew exactly what great thing his father wanted him to do |
What does the author tell us in the 3rd paragraph?
| A．Children need their parents’ letters. |
| B．Children are afraid to be disappointed. |
| C．His children’s fear of failure held them back. |
| D．His father’s letter removed his fear of failing his parents. |
Which of the following is true of the author?
| A．He got no access to success. | B．He wrote back to his father at 12. |
| C．He was sure his parents loved him. | D．He once asked his father about the letter. |
The main purpose of the text is to _______.
| A．describe children’s thinking | B．answer some questions children have |
| C．stress the importance of communication | D．advise parents to encourage their children |
It is often necessary to release a fish, that is , set it free after catching, because it is too small, or you just don’t want to take it home to eat. In some cases, releasing fish is a good measure that will help keep fish variety and build their population size. The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) encourages fishermen who practice catch-and-release fishing to use a few simple skills when doing so. The advice provided below will help make sure that the fish you release will survive to bite again another day.
—When catching a fish, play it quickly and keep the fish in the water as much as possible.
Don’t’ use a net in landing the fish and release it quickly to prevent it from dying.
—Hold the fish gently. Do not put your fingers in its eyes. Don’t wipe the scales (鱼鳞) off the fish because it might cause it to develop a disease and reduce its chance of survival.
—Remove your hook (鱼钩) quickly. If the hook is too deep or hooked in the stomach, cut the line and leave the hook in. The hook left inside will cause no serious problem to the fish.
—Take good care of the fish by moving it gently in water . Release the fish when it begins to struggle and is able to swim.
—Do not hold fish in a bucket or some other containers and later decide to release it. If you are going to release a fish, do so right away.
With a little care and by following the suggestions given above, you can give the released fish a better chance of survival.People sometimes set a fish free after catching it because they _________
| A．don’t want it to die | B．hope it will grow quickly |
| C．don’t want to have it as food | D．want to practice their fishing skills |
Which of the following will probably make a fish ill?
| A．Taking the hook off it. | B．Removing its scales. |
| C．Touching its eves | D．Holding it in your hand. |
A proper way to release a fish is to _________.
| A．move it in water till it can swim | B．take the hook out of its stomach |
| C．keep it in a bucket for some time | D．let it struggle a little in your hand |
What is the purpose of the text?
| A．To show how to enjoy fishing. | B．To persuade people to fish less often. |
| C．To encourage people to set fish free. | D．To give advice on how to release fish. |
I was in a rush as always, but this time it was for an important date I just couldn’t be late for! I found myself at a checkout counter behind an elderly woman seemingly in no hurry as she paid for her groceries. A. PhD. student with not a lot of money, I had hurried into the store to pick up some flowers. I was in a huge rush, thinking of my upcoming evening. I did not want to be late for this date.
We were in Boston, a place not always known for small conversation between strangers. The woman stopped unloading her basket and looked up at me. She smiled. It was a nice smile----warm and reassuring—and I retuned her gift by smiling back.
“Must be a special lady,” whoever it is that will be getting those beautiful flowers,” she said.
“Yes, she’s special,” I said, and then to my embarrassment, the words kept coming out. “It’s only our second date, but somehow I am just having the feeling she’s ‘the one.’ ”Jokingly, I added, “The only problem is that I can’t figure out why she’d want to date a guy like me.”
“Well, I think she’s very lucky to have a boyfriend who brings her such lovely flowers and who is obviously in love with her,” the woman said. “My husband used to bring me flowers every week-even when times were tough and we didn’t have much money. Those were incredible days; be was very romantic and---of course---- I miss him since he’s passed away.”
I paid for my flowers as she was gathering up her groceries. There was no doubt in my mind as I walked up to her. I touched her on the shoulder and said “You were right, you know. These flowers are indeed for a very special lady.” I handed the flowers and thanked her for such a nice conversation.
It took her a moment to realize that I was giving her the flowers I had just purchased(bought). “You have a wonderful evening,” I said. I left with a big smile and my heart warmed as I saw her smelling the beautiful flowers.
I remember being slightly late for my date that night and telling my girlfriend the above story. A couple of years later, when I finally worked up the courage to ask her to marry me, she told me that this story had helped to seal it for her-that was the night that I won her heart . Why was the writer in a hurry that day ?
| A．He was to meet his girlfriend. | B．He had to go back to school soon. |
| C．He was delayed by an elderly lady. | D．He had to pick up some groceries. |
What does the underlined phrase “her gift” （Paragraph 2 ） refer to ?
| A．Her words. | B．Her smile. | C．Her flowers. | D．Her politeness. |
Why did the writer give his flowers to the elderly lady ?
| A．She told him a nice story. | B．She allowed him to pay first. |
| C．She gave him encouragement. | D．She liked flowers very much. |
What is the message conveyed in the story ?
| A．Flowers are important for a date. | B．Small talk is helpful. |
| C．Love and kindness are rewarding. | D．Elderly people deserve respecting. |
Unusual incidents are being reported across the Arctic. Inuit（因纽特人）families going off on snowmobiles to prepare their summer hunting camps have found themselves cut off from home by a sea of mud. There are also reports of sea ice breaking up earlier than usual, carrying seals beyond the reach of hunters. Climate change may still be a rather abstract（抽象的）idea to most of us, but in the Arctic it is already having great effect—if summertime ice continues to shrink at its present rate, the Arctic Ocean could soon become almost ice-free in summer. The knock-on effects（连锁反应）are likely to include more warming, cloudier skies and higher sea levels. Scientists are increasingly eager to find out what’s going on in the Arctic.
For the Inuit the problem is urgent. They live in unsteady balance with one of the toughest environments on earth. Climate change, whatever its causes, is a direct danger to their way of life. Nobody knows the Arctic as well as the locals, which is why they are not content simply to stand back and let outsider experts tell them what’s happening. In Canada, where the Inuit people are trying hard to guard their hard-won autonomy（自治权）in the country’s newest land, Nunavut, they believe their best hope of survival in this changing environment lies in combining their ancestral (祖先的) knowledge with the best of modern science. This is a challenge in itself.
The Canadian Arctic is a vast, treeless polar desert that’s covered with snow for most of the year. Adventure into this area and you get some idea of the hardships facing anyone who calls this home. Farming is out of the question and nature offers few pickings. Humans first settled in the Arctic a mere 4,500 years ago, surviving by taking advantage of sea first. The environment tested them to the limits: sometimes the settlers were successful; sometimes they failed and disappeared. But around a thousand years ago, one group appeared that was uniquely well adapted to deal with the Arctic environment. These Thule people moved in from Alaska, bringing dogs, iron tools and the like. They are the ancestors of today’s Inuit people. Which of the following is likely to be the effect of climate change?
| A．Shorter and shorter summertime. | B．Ice-free summer around the Arctic. |
| C．Lower sea levels. | D．More rainy skies. |
The Inuit people believe the solution to the climate change problem is ________.
| A．to change their way of life |
| B．to do as their ancestors |
| C．to try to protect the environment from now on |
| D．to use their ancestral knowledge and modern science |
It can be concluded from the last paragraph that ________.
| A．the first settlers in the Arctic survived there quite easily |
| B．it’s hard to farm in the Arctic due to climate change |
| C．the ancestors of Inuit people stood out among the settlers |
| D．the Thule people from Alaska invented iron tools |
Which of the following is the best title for this text?
| A．Climate Change and the Inuit |
| B．Climate Change around the Arctic |
| C．Global Warming around the World |
| D．The Inuit and Their Ancestors around the World |
An allergy (过敏反应) is a strong reaction to a substance. Many things can cause allergies. The most common cause is pollen (花粉), which is usually produced by trees in the spring, grasses in the summer and weeds in the fall, as part of their reproductive process.
Other causes include organisms, chemicals, plants and dead skin particles (微粒) from dogs and cats can also cause allergic reactions. So can insect stings and some food.
The most common kind of allergic reactions is itchy (痒的), watery eyes and a blocked or watery nose. Allergies can also cause red, itchy skin. Some reactions can be life-threatening, for example, when breathing passages become blocked.
It is not always easy to avoid allergies. Drugs may offer an effective treatment. Another treatment used in some cases is called immunotherapy (免疫疗法). A patient is injected with small amounts of the allergy-causing substance. The idea is that larger and larger amounts are given over time until the patient develops a resistance in his body.
In the United States, experts estimate that up to 8% of young children have food allergies. Every year these allergies cause about 30,000 cases with severe reactions that require immediate treatment. It can result in breathing trouble and in some cases death. It is said that about 100 to 200 people will die. It says most of the reactions are caused by peanuts and tree nuts like walnuts.
People can also be allergic to medicines. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology says about 10% of bad reactions to commonly used medicines are allergic. In other words, a person’s immune system overreacts and produces an allergic reaction. The most common reactions include skin rashes (皮疹), itching, breathing problems and swelling in areas such as the face. Allergies seldom occur in winter because ______.
| A．plants don’t flower in cold weather | B．people usually wear thick clothes |
| C．pollen is active below freezing point | D．the weather is not too cold for viruses |
What will happen if one’s breathing passages get blocked?
| A．It is nothing serious. | B．One’s life is at risk. |
| C．One has to be sent to hospital. | D．One is sure to breathe easily. |
According to immunotherapy, the patient is supposed to ______.
| A．take some medicines to produce antibodies |
| B．have immediate operations |
| C．be given the allergy-causing substance until he develops a resistance |
| D．be exposed to enough allergy-causing substances |
The best title would be “________”.
| A．The ABCs of Allergies | B．The Cause of Allergies |
| C．The Treatment of Allergies | D．The Prevention of Allergies |