I hated dinner parties. But I decided to give them another shot because I'm in London. And my friend Mallery invited me. And because dinner parties in London are very different from those back in New York. There, '“I’m having a dinner party' means: "I'm booking a table for 12 at a restaurant you can't afford and we'll be sharing the checque evenly, no matter what you eat." Worse, in Manhattan there is always someone who leaves before the bill arrives. They'll throw down cash, half of what they owe, and then people like me, who don’t drink, end up paying even more. But if I try to use the same trick, the hostess will shout: "Where are you going?" And it's not like I can say I have somewhere to go: everyone know I have nowhere to go.
But in London, dinner parties are in people's homes. Not only that, the guests are an interesting mix. The last time I went to one, the guests were from France, India. Denmark and Nigeria; it was like a gathering at the United Nations in New York. The mix is less striking. It's like a gathering at Bloomingdale's, a well-known department store.
For New Yorkers, talking about other parts of the world means Brooklyn and Queens in New York. But at Mallery's, when I said that I had been to Myanmar recently, people knew where it was. In New York people would think it was a usual new clubWhat does the word "shot" in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
| A．Choice. |
| B．Try |
| C．Style. |
| D．Goal |
What does the writer dislike most about dinner parties in New York?
A There is a strange mix of people.
B. The restaurants are expensive.
C. The bill is not fairly shared.
D. People have to pay cashWhat does the author think of the parties in London?
A. A bit unusual
B．Full of tricks.
C．Less costly.
D More interesting.What is the author's opinion of some New Yorkers from her experience？
| A．Easy-going. |
| B．Self-centred. |
| C．Generous. |
| D．Conservative. |
Chinese politeness have always been formal to follow strict rules, although sometimes Chinese people seem to be impolite according to Western standards in public places. To well understand Chinese, some concepts should not be ignored.
Mianzi
The idea of shame, usually expressed as 'face' could be loosely defined as the 'status' or 'self-respect' in Chinese and by no means alien to foreigners. It is the worst thing for a Chinese to lose face. Never insult, embarrass, shame, yell at or otherwise demean a person. Since all these actions would risk putting a Chinese in a situation that he might lose face, neither try to prove someone wrong nor shout at him in public. In order to get a successful effect without letting a Chinese lose face, any criticism should be delivered privately, carefully, or else, just opposite to what you wish.
Guanxi
Throughout much of Chinese history, the fundamental glue that has held society together is the concept of guanxi, relationships between people. It is very important for the Chinese to have good relationships. They often regard good social relations as a symbol of personal ability and influence. Someone who has no connections would be disrespected and is only half-Chinese.
Keqi
Keqi not only means considerate, polite, and well mannered, but also represents respect and modesty. It is impolite to talk too proudly about oneself or one's inner circle. The expression is most often used in the negative, as in buyao keqi, meaning "you shouldn't be so kind and polite to me," or "you're welcome."
Besides, Chinese seldom express what they think directly and they prefer a roundabout way. Neither show their emotions and feelings in public. They rarely greet people with a handshake, though it is very popular among foreigners, and say nothing of embracing or kissing when greeting or saying good-bye. Consequently, it is better not to behave too carefree in public, even though you are well-intentioned. Also, it is advisable to be fairly cautious in political discussions. Do not particularly push yourself forward, or else you are unwelcome.
To sum up, do in Rome as Rome does, but you need not worry about these cultural barriers since most Chinese are hospitable and friendly and will not mind your no accomplishment. In most Chinese’s eyes, the fundamental glue holding society together is the idea of ____.
| A．relationships between people | B．influences upon others |
| C．dependence on others | D．kindness to others |
The underlined word “demean” in the first paragraph means make people _____.
| A．respectful | B．happy | C．shameful | D．weak |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．It is impolite to insult, embarrass, shame or shout at a person. |
| B．It is polite that you should bring gifts to others when invited to dinner. |
| C．It is necessary to show your character of being considerate, polite, and well mannered. |
| D．It is important for the Chinese to have good relationships between people. |
Which of the following proverbs has the same meaning as the underlined sentence “Do in Rome as Rome does.”?
| A．Caution is the parent of safety. | B．Many hands make light work. |
| C．There’s no smoke without fire. | D．If you are elsewhere, live as they do there. |
From early times, man has been interested in art. People have often worked together to collect and save the world’s art treasures.
Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre (卢浮宫) in Paris, France. The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries.
The Louvre has not always been a museum. The first building was a fort (要塞)with high walls and a round tower. It had a moat (护城河) to keep out the enemies. Over the years, the number of buildings around the fort grew. By 1350,the fort was no longer needed and became a palace home for French kings and queens.
During times of peace, new treasures were brought in. During times of war, many treasures were stolen, and the buildings were damaged(毁损).
When Francis I became King of France in the year of 1515,he brought in artists from many countries, and one of them was Leonardo da Vinci from Italy, whose Mona Lisa is the best-known painting in the museum today.
In 1793, the Louvre became a public museum, just as it is now. It is a place where art treasures have been saved for everyone to enjoy.The above passage is about
| A．the world-famous painting Mona Lisa |
| B．a king of France by the name of Francis I |
| C．a grand art museum in the capital of France |
| D．an artist named Leonardo da Vinci |
It seems to be necessary for great art works to be kept in public museum because.
| A．only in this way will they not be stolen |
| B．it gives everyone a chance to enjoy them |
| C．it helps people to remember the life of French kings and queens |
| D．it tells people what meaningful work the French kings did in the past |
The Louver became an art museum
| A．in the year of 1350 |
| B．in 1515 when Francis I became King of France |
| C．in the seventeenth century |
| D．in the nineties of the eighteenth century |
Though the story does not say so, it makes you think
| A．lots of people pay visits to the Louvre |
| B．Leonardo da Vinci was once the keeper of the museum |
| C．the Louvre was only open to the artists from other countries |
| D．the Louvre became a public museum at the beginning of the last century |
Most Americans enjoy moving from one place to another. They are always in constant motion. For example, they often drive their cars 120 to 160 kilometres away just to have dinner with a friend or even fly to Europe just for watching a football match. In some states only one house in five has people living in it for more than five years. One may be born in one city, and go to school in another. He may finish his middle school education in two or three cities, and then attend a college far across the country. When he has entered business, he may possibly move from job to job. Moving from job to job, which is called “job-hopping”,is a very common practice in the United States.
Job-hopping does good to workers, be
cause every chance to change a job gives them a chance to move up to a higher position and to get better pay. And job-hopping also gives employers, bosses, managers the chance to benefit from the new ideas and skills that different people bring to their factories.The meaning of the underlined words is close to “_____”.
| A．looking for jobs everywhere | B．always feeling excited in movement |
| C．enjoying themselves while moving | D．keeping moving from place to place |
In some places in America,______ in one place for more than five years.
| A．most people stay | B．about one fifth of the people live |
| C．the owner of one house stays | D．the owners of five houses stay |
It seems that the writer thinks job-hopping________.
| A．is a practice worth trying | B．only does good to workers |
| C．may cause troubles | D．make many people lose their jobs |
Who might buy t
he house after reading the above advertisement?
| A．Some young students. | B．A couple with little money |
| C．A big rich family | D．A big poor family |
What room has several possible uses?
| A．The living room. | B．The bedroom. |
| C．The dining room. | D．The kitchen. |
What is emphasized(强调)in the description of each room?
| A．Floor. | B．Entrance. | C．Size. | D．Windows. |
If you are in a town in a western country, you'll often see people walking with their dogs. It is still true that a dog is the most useful animal in the world. But the reason why one keeps a dog has changed Once upon a time, a man met a dog and wanted it to help him in the fight against other animals, and he found that the dog listened to him and did what he told him to. Later people used dogs for the hunting other animals, and the dogs didn't eat what they got until their master agreed. So dogs were used for driving sheep and guarding chicks. But now the people in the towns and cities do not need dogs to fight other animals. Of course they keep them to frighten thieves, but the most important reason is that people feel lonely in the city. For a child, a dog is his best friend when he has no friends to play with. For a young wife, a dog is her child when she doesn’t have her own. For old people, a dog is also a child when their real children have grown up and left. Now people do not have to use a dog, but they keep it as a friend, just like a member of the family._______are more useful than a dog in the world.
| A．No other animals | B．Some animals | C．Many animals | D．A few animals |
In the past people kept dogs because dogs _________.
| A．could fight against other animals | B．met the people |
| C．did not eat other animals | D．helped and listened to people |
Now people keep dogs in the cities because dogs_____.
| A．fight other animals | B．are lonely |
| C．are like their friends | D．are afraid of the thieves |
A dog can be _____.
| A．a child's friend only | B．a young woman's son |
C．old people 's real child |
D．everybody's friend |
So a dog will __ in a family.
| A．always be used | B．not be useful |
| C．still fight | D．always be a good friend |