When I worked as a waitress in Chicago, US, my coworkers and I would sigh whenever we heard someone with a foreign accent coming into our restaurant. We knew what it meant to serve a non-American: no tip. We would work just as hard as we always did, but we might not get paid.
Americans have an unspoken rule about tipping: they give tips to almost everyone who offers them a service of some kind. Americans tip their waiters, barbers and taxi drivers. An appropriate tip is between 15 and 20 percent of the amount charged for the service (But the charge for the tip doesn’t appear on the bill. The customer is expected to add it himself/herself.) Tipping less than this sends a message to your waiters that you think they’ve done a bad job serving you. And to leave no tip at all is simply unacceptable.
It’s not that American waiters are greedy. In many countries, waiters are paid a salary for their work. They’ll earn money even if no one comes into the restaurant. This system offers much more safety for waiters than the American version. In the US, waiters know that a night without customers means a night without pay.
Some countries include a tip for waiters – a “service charge” – on the bill itself. Since the tip is included with the other charges, waiters don’t need to worry about people forgetting to tip. But in the US, waiters do not receive a salary, and service charges only appear on bills when there are six or more customers at the table.
Since almost all American customers are familiar with the system, they know to add a tip without being told. But visitors to the US may expect waiters to be paid a salary, or think that the tip is included on the bill.
So much as we waiters loved hearing stories about other places from our foreign customers, we were always nervous when they got ready to leave the restaurant. We were never sure what to expect.If you order $200 worth of food, which of the following is a proper total payment?
| A．$200 | B．$215 | C．$220 | D．$230 |
Why don’t some foreigners tip a waiter according to the writer?.
| A．because they are unfamiliar with the American tip system . |
| B．because they are too mean to give tips to any waiter. |
| C．because they have difficulty communicating with waiters. |
| D．because they are not really easy to become satisfied. |
What can we learn from the passage?
A. The service charge never appear on the bill in the USA.
B. Customers are usually expected to tip waiters in the USA.
C. Dining out in other countries is much more expensive than in the USA.
D. Waiters in other countries earn much more money than those in the USA.What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To complain about the difficult life of American waiters. |
| B．To warn other waiters not to serve any foreign customer. |
| C．To call on foreign customers to leave tips for American waiters. |
| D．To tell us something about American waiters’ salary system. |
Alaska’s Arctic lakes now freeze later and melt earlier in the year than in 1950，leaving them easy to suffer water loss from evaporation(蒸发)and possibly adding to local warming，a new study finds．The winter ice season near Barrow，Alaska，is shorter than in 1950，researchers reported Jan.30 in the journal The Cryosphere.
Lake ice is also thinner each winter．The scientists surveyed 402 lakes on the North Slope，where permafrost (permanently frozen ground)and shallow lakes dominate the areA． In 2011，the lake ice was 38 percent thinner than in 1950，and 22 percent fewer lakes froze through to their bottoms．
“When we saw the actual numbers we were shocked at how dramatic the change has been，”lead study author Cristina Surdu，of the University of Waterloo in Canada，said in a statement．Surdu and her co-authors analyzed the changes in lake—ice thickness and ice cover with satellite images and climate model simulations(satellite images are only available from 1991)．
The climate models suggest the Arctic lakes froze almost six days later and broke up about 18 days earlier in the winter of 2011 compared with the winter of 1950．“The changes in ice and the shortened winter affect Northern communities that depend on ice roads to transport goods，”Surdu saiD． For example，every winter，oil companies build roads over frozen lakes to carry supplies to Prudhoe Bay．
“The dramatic changes in lake ice may also contribute to further warming of the entire region，because open water on lakes contributes to warmer air temperatures，”Surdu saiD． The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet，for reasons that may include its layered atmosphere，which traps heat，and the loss of sea ice and snow cover，which help reflect the sun’s energy when present．What does the text mainly tell us?
| A．Arctic 1akes now freeze earlier and melt 1ater． |
| B．Alaska’s local warming is decreasing sharply． |
| C．Arctic lakes are losing ice． |
| D．Arctic lakes hold more flesh water than before． |
According to the text，the great changes of Alaska’s Arctic lakes ________．
| A．are totally beyond Surdu’s expectations |
| B．are completely within Surdu’s expectations |
| C．come as no surprise to Surdu and her co-authors |
| D．come as a great excitement to Surdu |
How many days was the winter ice season of Arctic 1akes in 2011 shorter than that in 1950?
| A．6 days． |
| B．12 days． |
| C．18 days． |
| D．24 days． |
What is the last paragraph mainly about according to Surdu?
| A．What reflects the sun’s energy． |
| B．How its layered atmosphere traps heat． |
| C．Why our planet is warming． |
| D．Why the Arctic region is becoming warmer． |
The human body is designed to move. But modern lifestyles and office jobs rarely give us the chance to move around. As we know. we're while we're eating; we sit in the car and we sit while we watch TV. And many of us sit for many hours at work.
New research shows that sitting less than three hours a day might extend your life by two years. Peter Katzmarzyk，a scientist at the University of Louisiana in the southern United States，says that sitting is ubiquitous in our lives，meaning it is something we do all the time，everywhere.
However，Mr. Katzmarzyk says that does not mean you can sit for the rest of your waking hours. He also says you may exercise often，“We can't throw away physical activity. It's extremely important. We have 60 years of research showing us that. ”
Mr. Katzmarzyk and his coi leagues are part of a new generation of researchers studying how sitting all day affects length of life. “Studies that have assessed the relationship between sitting and mortality(死亡率)or television viewing and mortality are very rare. There's only been a few of them，actually five or six now，in the last four or five years. ”They found that cutting television time to less than two hours a day could add one-point four years to life.
Luckily，change is already coming to some offices，especially in the design of desks. A “standing desk”lets people stand while they work. Another new design is called the “treadmill desk. ” A treadmill is an exercise machine that lets you walk in one place. Even some U. S. schools are beginning to experiment with desks that are part bicycle to keep children moving. That's one of the strategies that many companies are using now.
Mr. Katzmarzyk also says studying this problem has inspired his team to make a few changes in their own lives.Which view agrees with the opinion of Mr. Katzmarzyk?
| A．Sitting too long may help increase one's life. |
| B．Exercise is important and don't sit too long. |
| C．Watching TV is bad，but can broaden one's horizons. |
| D．Stopping watching TV is a necessary but hard task. |
What does Mr. Katzmarzyk think of his study in Paragraph 4?
| A．It's a ly new area of study. |
| B．It's a hot subject studied by experts. |
| C．It's a study that begins too late. |
| D．It's not ignored by many experts. |
Why are the desks of all kinds designed for those who sit more?
| A．To give them more comfort. |
| B．To improve their work efficiency. |
| C．To offer them the chance to exercise. |
| D．To seek pleasure while working. |
Raised in a fatherless home，my father was extremely tightfisted towards us children. His attitude didn’t soften as I grew into adulthood and went to college. I had to ride the bus whenever I came home. Though the bus stopped about two miles from home，Dad never met me，even in severe weather. If I grumbled，he’d say in his loudest father-voice，“That’s what your legs are for!”
The walk didn’t bother me as much as the fear of walking alone along the highway and country roads. I also felt less than valued that my father didn’t seem concerned about my safety. But that feeling was canceled one spring evening.
It had been a particularly difficult week at college after long hours in labs. I longed for home. When the bus reached the stop，I stepped off and dragged my suitcase to begin the long journey home.
A row of hedge（树篱）edged the driveway that climbed the hill to our house. Once I had turned off the highway to start the last lap of my journey，I always had a sense of relief to see the hedge because it meant that I was almost home. On that particular evening，the hedge had just come into view when I saw something gray moving along the top of the hedge，moving toward the house. Upon closer observation，I realized it was the top of my father’s head. Then I knew，each time I’d come home，he had stood behind the hedge，watching，until he knew I had arrived safely. I swallowed hard against the tears. He did care，after all.
On later visits，that spot of gray became my watchtower. I could hardly wait until I was close enough to watch for its secret movement above the greenery. Upon reaching home，I would find my father sitting innocently in his chair. “So! My son，it’s you!” he’d say，his face lengthening into pretended surprise.
I replied，“Yes，Dad，it’s me. I’m home.”What does the underlined word “grumbled” in Paragraph 1 probably mean .
| A．Accepted happily. |
| B．Explained clearly. |
| C．Agreed willingly. |
| D．Spoke unhappily. |
What made the author feel upset was ______.
| A．the tiredness after long hours in labs |
| B．the fear of seeing something moving |
| C．the feeling of being less than valued |
| D．the loneliness of riding the bus home |
The author’s father watched behind the hedge because ______.
| A．he was concerned about his son’s safety |
| B．he wanted to help his son build up courage |
| C．he didn’t want to meet his son at the doorway |
| D．he didn’t think his son was old enough to walk alone |
Which of the following can be the best title for the text
| A．My Father’s Secret. |
| B．The Life of My father. |
| C．Terrible Journey Home. |
| D．Riding Bus Alone. |
The Enigma (谜）of Beauty
The search for beauty spans centuries and continents．Paintings of Egyptians dating back over 4，000 years show both men and women painting their nails and wearing makeup．In 18th-century France，wealthy noblemen wore large wigs (假发）of long，white hair to make themselves attractive．Today，people continue to devote a lot of time and money to their appearance.
There is at least one good reason for the desire to be attractive：beauty is power．Studies suggest that good-looking people make more money，get called on more often in class，and are regarded as friendlier.
But what exactly is beauty? It's difficult to describe it clearly，and yet we know it when we see it．And our awareness of it may start at a very early age．In one set of studies，six-month-old babies were shown a series of photographs．The faces on the pictures had been rated for attractiveness by a group of college students．In the studies，the babies spent more time looking at the attractive faces than the unattractive ones.
The idea that even babies can judge appearance makes perfect sense to many researchers．In studies by psychologists，men consistently showed a preference for women with larger eyes，fuller lips，and a smaller nose and chin while women prefer men with large shoulders and a narrow waist．According to scientists，the mind unconsciously tells men and women that these traits —the full lips，clear skin，strong shoulders —equal health and genetic well-being.
Not everyone thinks the same way，however．" Our hardwiredness can be changed by all sorts of expectations —mostly cultural，" says C． Loring Brace，an anthropologist at the University of Michigan．What is considered attractive in one culture might not be in another．Look at most Western fashion magazines：the women on the pages are thin．But is this "perfect" body type for women worldwide? Scientists' answer is no; what is considered beautiful is subjective and varies around the worlD． They found native peoples in southeast Peru preferred shapes regarded overweight in Western cultures.
For better or worse，beauty plays a role in our lives．But it is extremely difficult to describe exactly what makes one person attractive to another．Although there do seem to be certain physical traits considered universally appealing，it is also true that beauty does not always keep to a single，uniform standarD． Beauty really is，as the saying goes，in the eye of the beholder.People's ideas about beauty ________.
| A．have existed since ancient times |
| B．can be easily described |
| C．have little influence on a person's success |
| D．are based upon strict criteria |
In Paragraph 3，the babies in the study ________.
| A．were rated for their appearance |
| B．were entered in a beauty contest |
| C．were shown photos of a group of college students |
| D．were able to tell attractive faces from unattractive ones |
The underlined word “traits” in Paragraph 4 probably means ________.
| A．qualities |
| B．measurements |
| C．judgments |
| D．standards |
We can learn from the passage that ________.
| A．the ideas of beauty vary as people grow up |
| B．the search for beauty is rooted in lack of confidence |
| C．the standards for beauty are based on scientific researches |
| D．the understanding of beauty depends on cultural backgrounds |
In order to help customers find what they want quickly，it’s important to keep the thousands of titles in the Main Street Movies store organized properly．This section of the Employee Handbook will tell you how to organize videos.
Each Main street Movies store has three main sections:
1.New Releases Wall.
2.Film library.
3.Video Games.
New Releases Wall．Almost 70 percent of movie rentals are new releases，and that is the first place where most customers go when they enter the store．The center section of shelves on this wall holds Hottest Hits．When new titles come into the store，place them on this wall in alphabetical order．The shelves beside Hottest Hits are called Recent Releases．The New Releases Wall，including the Hottest Hits and Recent Releases shelves，holds about 350 titles.
Film Library．The thousands of titles in the Film Library are organized into categories．The films within each category are displayed alphabetically．Here are the categories and their two-letter computer codes：
Foreign Language titles include films that were originally made in a foreign language and films with foreign language subtitles．A sticker on the back of each box tells which type of film it is.
Video Game．All the video games in Main street Movies are arranged in alphabetical order．Although video games represent only a small percentage of our inventory(库存)，they are stolen more often than any other type of goods in our store．Therefore，video games are never displayed on the shelves．Shelves in the Video Game section hold cardboard with pictures and information about each game．When a customer wants to rent a particular game，you then find the game from the locked case behind the counter.Whom do you think this passage is most probably addressed to?
| A．The readers in the store. |
| B．The manager of the store. |
| C．The customers in the store. |
| D．The salespersons of the store. |
In which order are the new movies moved in the store?
| A．From Hottest Hits to Film Library to Recent Releases. |
| B．From Film Library to Hottest Hits to Recent Releases. |
| C．From Recent Releases to Film Library to Hottest Hits. |
| D．From Hottest Hits to Recent Releases to Film Library. |
Why can’t video games be seen on the shelves?
| A．Because they’ve been sold out. |
| B．Because they’re in the storehouse. |
| C．Because they’re in a locked case behind the counter. |
| D．Because they represent a small percentage of the inventory. |
How can a customer find a film with foreign language subtitles?
| A．Check the computer. |
| B．Look at the back of the box. |
| C．Check the center section. |
| D．Watch a few minutes of the film. |