Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal(信号). Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.
Different cultures emphasize(强调)the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in "small talk", usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job.In many European countries -- like the UK or France -- people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.
Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand.I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled.After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.
Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.
People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.In some countries, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to _______.
A.develop closer relations | B.share the same culture |
C.get to know each other | D.keep each other company |
The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that _______.
A.the English prefer to make long speeches |
B.too many words are of no use |
C.people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature |
D.even talk and silence can be culturally different |
According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?
A.By sharing different ways of life. |
B.By accepting different habits. |
C.By recognizing different values. |
D.By speaking each other' s languages. |
What would be the best title for the text?
A.Multicultural Environment. |
B.Cross-Cultural Differences. |
C.How to Understand Each Other. |
D.How to Build Up a Relationship. |
Before a new type of airplane goes into service, every part of it is tested again and again. But there are two tests that are more important than all the others.
The first is called the "tank test". A modem airplane must fly very high in the sky. Air must be pumped into the plane so that the passengers can breathe. The metal structure (结构)of the plane has to be very strong for this reason. When the plane is filled with air, the air presses against the skin of the plane inside. The pressure (压力) on a small window is like a huge foot that is trying to get out. If a small part of the plane were to fail, the plane would explode in the sky. To test the structure of the plane, the plane is lowered into a huge tank or container of water. Then it is filled with air. The pressure inside the plane is greater than it ever will be when it is high up in the air. Finally, there is an explosion. This does not cause so much damage inside the water tank as it would anywhere else. Engineers can discover which part of the plane has broken. Then that part is made stronger.
The most dangerous test happens when the new plane is going through test flights in the air. The test pilot must find out exactly what happens when the engines (发动机) are all shut off at once. The plane begins to fall like a stone. It is the pilot’s job to find out how he can get control of the plane again. These two tests are examples of how planes are made safe before they ever carry passengers.
68. By doing the "tank test", the engineers can find out _______.
A. the amount of air in the plane
B. the strength of the plane structure
C. the pressure inside and outside the plane
D. the power of the airplane engines
69. What will happen to the plane under the "tank test"?
A. It will be broken. B. It will be made stronger.
C. It will be filled with water. D. It will be tested by pilots,
70. According to the text, why are test flights most dangerous?
A. The plane may explode in the air.
B. The pilot may lose control of the plane.
C. The engines may be damaged.
D. Too much air may get into the plane.
71. What might be the most suitable title for the text?
A. Two Important Tests on Airplanes
B. The Importance of Flying Safely
C. The Danger of Testing Airplanes
D. How Airplanes Are Made and Tested
When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be extremely difficult to let go of your anger. But forgiveness is possible - and it can be surprisingly helpful to your physical and mental health. Indeed, research has shown that people who forgive report more energy, better appetite (胃口) and better sleep patterns. "People who forgive show less anger and more hopefulness," says Dr. Frederic Luskin, who wrote the book Forgive for Good. "So it can help save on the wear and tear on our system and allow people to feel more energetic."
So when someone has hurt you, calm yourself first. Take a couple of breaths and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, someone you love. Don’t wait for an apology. "Many times the person who hurt you may never think of apologizing," says Dr. Luskin. "They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don't see things the same way. So if you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting a very long time. "Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean accepting the action of the person who upset you. Mentally going over your hurt gives power to the person who brought you pain. Instead, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you. Finally, try to see things from the other person’s perspective 视角). You may realize that he or she-was acting out of ignorance (无知), fear – even love. To gain perspective, you may want to write a letter to yourself from that person’s point of view.
65. The text is mainly written to explain _______.
A. how to keep yourself from being hurt
B. how to stay mentally healthy
C. how and when to remain calm
D. why and how to pardon others
66. According to the writer, what is the right way to calm down after being hurt?
A. Try to figure out why you get hurt.
B. Write a letter to the person who hurt you.
C. Persuade yourself to accept what others have done to you.
D. Think about pleasant things and forget about the hurt.
67. Dr. Luskin advises us not to wait for an apology after being hurt because ______.
A. we are not patient enough
B. we’d feel worse accepting others’ apology
C. people seldom want to apologize
D. people don’t mean it when they apologize
In 1901, H.G. Wells, an English writer, wrote a book describing a trip to the moon. When the explorers(探险者) landed on the moon, they discovered that the moon was full of underground cities. They expressed their surprise to the "moon people" they met. In turn, the "moon people" expressed their surprise. "Why," they asked, "are you traveling to outer space when you don't even use your inner space?"
H.G. Wells could only imagine travel to the moon. In 1969, human beings really did land on the moon. People today know that there are no underground cities on the moon. However, the question that the "moon people" asked is still an interesting one. A growing number of scientists are seriously thinking about it.
Underground systems are already in place. Many cities have underground car parks. In some cities, such as Tokyo,Seoul and Montreal, there are large underground shopping areas. The "Chunnel", a tunnel(隧道)connecting England and France, is now complete.
But what about underground cities? Japan's Taisei Corporation is designing a network of underground systems, called "Alice Cities." The designers imagine using surface space for public parks and using underground space for flats, offices,shopping, and so on. A solar dome(太阳能穹顶)would cover the whole city.
Supporters of underground development say that building down rather than building up is a good way to use the earth's space. The surface, they say, can be used for farms, parks, gardens, and wilderness. H. G. Wells’ "moon people" would agree. Would you?
56. The explorers in H. G. Wells’ story were surprised to find that the "moon people"____.
A. knew so much about the earth
B. understood their language
C. lived in so many underground cities
D. were ahead of them in space technology
57. What does the underlined word "it"(Paragraph 2)refer to?
A. Discovering the moon's inner space.
B. Using the earth's inner space.
C. Meeting the "Moon people" again.
D. Traveling to outer space.
58. What sort of underground systems are already here with us?
A. Offices, shopping areas, power stations.
B. Tunnels, car parks, shopping areas.
C. Gardens, car parks, power stations.
D. Tunnels, gardens, offices.
59. What would be the best title for the text?
A. Alice Cities-cities of the future
B. Space travel with H. G. Wells
C. Enjoy living underground
D. Building down, not up
Pulling heavy suitcases all day in the summer is hard work, especially when you’re a thin 14-year-old. That was me in 1940 — the youngest and smallest baggage boy at New York City’s Pennsylvania Railway Station.
After just a few days on the job, I began noticing that the other fellows were overcharging passengers. I’d like to join them, thinking, “Everyone else is doing it.”
When I got home that night, I told my dad what I wanted to do. “You give an honest day’s work,” he said, looking at me straight in the eye. “They’re paying you. If they want to do that, you let them do that.”
I followed my dad's advice for the rest of that summer and have lived by his words ever since.
Of all the jobs I've had, it was my experience at Pennsylvania Railway Station that has stuck with me. Now I teach my players to have respect for other people and their possessions. Being a member of a team is a totally shared experience. If one person steals, it destroys trust and hurts everyone. I can put up with many things, but not with people who steal. If one of my players were caught stealing, he'd be gone.
Whether you’re on a sports team, in an office or a member of a family, if you can’t trust one another, there’s going to be trouble.
68. What can be inferred about the baggage boys?
A. They could earn much, but they had to work hard.
B. Many of them earned money in a dishonest way.
C. They were all from poor families.
D. They were all thin, young boys.
69. What does the father's advice imply?
A. It is wrong to give more pay to the passengers.
B. Don’t believe them if they are paying you more.
C. Don’t follow others to overcharge the passengers.
D. It is difficult to work hard and live as an honest boy.
70. The writer can't put up with stealing because he thinks that ______.
A. it is a totally shared experience
B. it is considered as the most dangerous
C. it does great harm to human relationship
D. it may lead to the loss of his sports team
71. It can be concluded from the text that ______.
A. his father's advice helped him to decide which job to take up
B. working in the sports team was his most important experience
C. he learnt much from his shared experience with his team members
D. his experience as a baggage boy had a great influence on his later life
Deserts are found where there is little rainfall or where rain for a whole year falls in only a few weeks’ time. Ten inches of rain may be enough for many plants to survive (存活)if the rain is spread throughout the year, If it falls, within one or two months and the rest of the year is dry, those plants may die and a desert may form.
Sand begins as tiny pieces of rock that get smaller and smaller as wind and weather wear them down. Sand dunes (沙丘) are formed as winds move the sand across the desert. Bit by bit, the dunes grow over the years, always moving with the winds and changing the shape. Most of them are only a few feet tall, but they can grow to be several hundred feet high.
There is, however, much more to a desert than sand. In the deserts of the southwestern UnitedStates, cliffs (悬崖) and deep valleys were formed from thick mud that once lay beneath a sea more than millions of years ago. Over the centuries, the water dried up. Wind, sand, rain, heat and cold all wore away at the remaining rocks. The faces of the desert mountains are always changing – very, very slowly – as these forces of nature continue to work on the rock.
Most deserts have a surprising variety of life. There are plants, animals and insects that have adapted to life in the desert. During the heat of the day, a visitor may see very few signs of living things, but as the air begins to cool in the evening, the desert comes to life. As the sun begins to rise again in the sky, the desert once again becomes quiet and lonely.
60. Many plants may survive in deserts when__________________.
A. the rain is spread out in a year B. the rain falls only in a few weeks
C. there is little rain in a year D. it is dry all the year round
61. Sand dunes are formed when___________________.
A. sand piles up gradually B. there is plenty of rain in a year
C. the sea has dried up over the years D. pieces of rock get smaller
62. The underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably means that in a desert there is____________.
A. too much sand B. more sand than before
C. nothing except sand D. something else besides sand
63 It can be learned from the text that in a desert ____________.
A. there is no rainfall throughout the year B. life exists in rough conditions
C. all sand dunes are a few feet high D. rocks are worn away only by wind and heat