One day an American called Simon went to London to visit his friend, Rick. Rick told him that his flat was on the first floor. When he arrived, Simon went straight to the first floor of the building. But he was told that there was no Rick on that floor. Do you know why?
In fact, the British call the first floor of a building the ground floor. The floor above the ground floor is the first floor, which Americans would call the second floor.
The story shows that there are a few culture differences between Britain and America, though the British and Americans both speak English.
The British usually hide their feelings. They seldom start a conversation with strangers. For example, on the train the British often spend their time reading newspapers or books. But Americans are quite different. They’re more active and easier to talk with.
The British and Americans may use different terms for many things. The British usually use football, eraser and mail while Americans prefer to use soccer, rubber and post.Simon went to London to ______.
A.visit his friend | B.spend his holiday |
C.study English | D.have a meeting |
Which picture shows us where Rick’s flat was? ______.
According to the passage, the British usually spend their time ______ on the train.
A.playing cards | B.talking loudly |
C.doing some reading | D.singing and dancing |
What does the underlined word “terms” mean in Chinese in the passage? ______.
A.成果 | B.学期 | C.会议 | D.用语 |
根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项.选项中有两项为多余选项.
We are all called upon to make a speech at some point in life, but most of us don’t do a very good job.1
So, you have to give a speech and you are terrified. You get nervous, you forget what you want to say, you stumble over words, you talk too long, and you bore your audience. Later you think, “Thank Goodness, it’s over. I’m just not good at public speaking. I hope I never have to do that again.”
Cheer up! 2Here are some simple steps to take the pain out of speech making. Ask yourself the purpose of your speech. What is the occasion? Why are you speaking? Then, gather as many facts as you can on your subject. Spend plenty of your time doing your research. Then spend plenty of your time organizing your material so that your speech is clear and easy to follow. Use as many examples as possible, and use pictures, charts, and graphs if they help you make your points more clearly. 3Don’t talk over their heads, and don’t talk down to them. Treat your audience with respect. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Just remember: Be prepared. Know your subject, your audience, and the occasion. Be brief. 4And be yourself. Let your personality come through so that you make person-to-person contact with your audience.
If you follow these simple steps, you will see that you don’t have to be afraid of public speaking. In fact, you may find the experience so enjoyable that you volunteer to make more speeches! You’re not convinced yet? 5
A.It doesn’t to be that bad. |
B.Take several deep breaths before your speech. |
C.This article gives some advice on how to give good speech. |
D.Say what you have to say and then stop. |
E. Don’t say what you aren’t familiar with.
F. Never forget your audience.
G. Give it a try and see what happens.
Freda Bright says, "Only in opera do people die of love." It's true. You really can't love somebody to death. I've known people to die from no love, but I've never known anyone to be loved to death. We just can't love one another enough.
A heart-warming story tells of a woman who finally decided to ask her boss for a raise in salary. All day she felt nervous and late in the afternoon she summoned the courage to approach her employer. To her delight, the boss agreed to a raise.
The woman arrived home that evening to a beautiful table set with their best dishes. Candles were softly glowing. Her husband had come home early and prepared a festive meal. She wondered if someone from the office had tipped him off, or... did he just somehow know that she would not get turned down?
She found him in the kitchen and told him the good news. They embraced and kissed, then sat down to the wonderful meal. Next to her plate the woman found a beautifully lettered note. It read: "Congratulations, darling! I knew you'd get the raise! These things will tell you how much I love you."
Following the supper, her husband went into the kitchen to clean up. She noticed that a second card had fallen from his pocket. Picking it off the floor, she read: "Don't worry about not getting the raise! You deserve it anyway! These things will tell you how much I love you."
Someone has said that the measure of love is when you love without measure. What this man feels for his wife is total acceptance and love, whether she succeeds or fails. His love celebrates her victories and soothes her wounds. He stands with her, no matter what life throws in their direction.
Upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa said: "What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family." And love your friends. Love them without measure.The sentence in the first paragraph “Only in opera do people die of love.” means _______.
A.no love in the world is believable |
B.love is one thing, and life is another |
C.love in operas is truly touching |
D.love can survive forever, though people die at different ages |
That the husband prepared her a second letter about her raise suggests that______.
A.he loves her because he believes that she is sure to receive a raise |
B.he has a great way to promote his wife’s love towards him |
C.he had a false love for people even if the person is his wife |
D.he loves his family members truly, whether they are in good conditions or not |
From the text, we might say the author_____.
A.refuses any spiritual emotions as embraced and kissed |
B.criticize the attitude of suspicion (怀疑) of the love |
C.doesn’t believe there is true love in the world |
D.thinks the true love does not expect repayment |
Most of us fear getting up and speaking in public. Many people don’t like to go gathering where they don’t know anyone, but while most of us soldier on (迎难而上), those with social anxiety disorder are often stopped by the terror and worry.
Research shows that around fifteen million Americans suffer from social anxiety disorder. People in this condition feel that they are always being watched. Even though they know these fears are unreasonable, they cannot overcome their fears on their own.
Social anxiety disorder sufferers are often misdiagnosed with conditions such as schizophrenia (精神分裂症) and personality disorder. Many feel lonely, and are unsure whether anyone else can understand their thoughts and emotions. This can lead to withdrawal from most social situations, even to being unable to hold employment.
Those who suffer from social anxiety disorder are often dismissed(辞退)as being shy. This is simply not the case; shyness is not even a symptom of social anxiety disorder. The majority of sufferers find their symptoms linked to specific situations, rather than all types of social interactions.
An important step in overcoming social anxiety disorder is seeking out a therapist who specializes in training this type of disorder. Group treatment has been shown to be especially effective. Medication also help reduce the symptoms, but it should not be used as a replacement for psychotherapy (心理疗法).
On your own, you can help reduce the symptoms by taking deep breaths and practising medication or prayer. Alcohol and nicotine should be avoided, as both can cause panic attacks. Exercises can relieve the symptoms, because it burns up the chemicals in your body that cause stress.Patients with social anxiety disorder______.
A.are shy in all situations |
B.feel they don’t understand themselves |
C.are anxious and terrified while speaking in public |
D.feel it is unreasonable to be watched by others |
We know from the passage that_____.
A.most people will try to fight against social anxiety disorder |
B.shyness is the main symptom of social anxiety disorder |
C.people who feel lonely are often misdiagnosed with social anxiety disorder |
D.psychotherapy is very important in treating social anxiety disorder |
According to the passage, if Jack suffers from social anxiety disorder, he should_____.
A.burn up some unsafe chemicals |
B.ask for help from a doctor |
C.practise speaking in public |
D.resign from his present job |
We are most likely to find this passage in_______.
A.American Culture | B.Cross Country |
C.Family Doctor | D.English Nature |
My bookshelves are full of dust — and with good reason. When it comes to cleaning that part of my home, I suffer from the most serious case of avoidance (回避反应症).
The thing is this: when I do set out to clean and re-organize my books, which seldom happens, I place myself into a really bad situation. No sooner do I take a title from the shelf, blow off the dust, and wipe down the cover than I find myself sitting on the floor with legs crossed and my back against the wall. Pretty soon books get piled up on my legs as I am reunited with old friends.
It is as if these books have voices, and each wants to say its piece. “Remember me? I was given to you when you went into the Navy, so that you would never lack for companionship,” one whispers. Another says, “I was your first book of poems, given to you before you learned to love poetry.” And a third, “I was the book that made history so attractive to you.”
Perhaps the greatest pleasure of re-organizing my books are the surprises — or better said, reunions — that occur. During my latest book-cleaning adventure, I found one that had fallen behind the shelf: “Tales of Edgar Allan Poe.” Not an unusual title, but the words written on the first page made it very special: “With Love from Mom and Dad, Christmas 1965.” What’s this? A book on the physics of lasers(激光). It is filled with mathematical statements, and I had bought it at a library sale when I was 12, not long after the laser had been invented. I couldn’t understand a bit of it, but I did learn what “laser” meant.
What I end up with when I empty my bookshelves is a cross-section (横剖面) of my personal history. It’s like a road cut where one sees all the layers of rock going back through time to the beginning of the simplest life forms. The books I’ve read — and kept — are not just old friends. They are my résumé.What could be said about the author?
A.He is too busy to tidy up his bookshelves. |
B.He considers his books treasured possessions. |
C.He has made a lot of notes in his books. |
D.He is a lover of science books. |
By saying that his books have voices, the author means ________ .
A.they bring back happy memories |
B.they are recorded in human voice |
C.they say a lot about human history |
D.they offer good topics for discussion |
What does the author enjoy most from re-organizing his books?
A.Finding some missing books. |
B.Putting books in good order. |
C.Learning something new from the books. |
D.Rediscovering interesting stories behind some books. |
The underlined word “résumé” in the last paragraph probably means ______.
A.personal history | B.precious notes | C.good companion | D.simple life forms |
New Zealand
What can you see? Mountains, volcanoes, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, forests, beaches. Both islands are mountainous. In fact, only 30% of New Zealand is flat.
The Maoris
When the Maoris first arrived in New Zealand, they lived in villages and were excellent fishermen, hunters and farmers. About 50 years ago many Maoris started to live and work in the large cities and took jobs in government, industries, medicine and education. They are proud of their culture and are determined to keep many of the customs which are part of their way of life.
Who can you meet? Most people live on North Island. Eighty-five percent of New Zealanders are “pakeha” (“white men”), which means their “great grandfathers” came from Europe. Ten percent are Maoris. The Maoris came to New Zealand from the Polynesian islands probably around the tenth century. The “pakeha” started to arrive in New Zealand from Europe about 200 years ago as farmers and traders.
Fact box: New Zealand
Position: South of the Equator ; Nearest neighbor: Australia, 1600 km away.
Size: Two main islands — North Island and South Island: together they are 268.680 sq. km.
Population: 4 million
Capital: Wellington
Languages: English and MaoriWhich of the following is a fact about New Zealand?
A.20% of the population being Maoris. |
B.Four million white people. |
C.About 1600 km south of the Equator. |
D.Nearly 1/3 of the country being plains. |
The country’s population is mainly made up of _________.
A.the white people and the Polynesians |
B.the white people and the “pakeha” |
C.the Maoris and the white people |
D.the Maoris and the Polynesians |
When did the white people begin to live in New Zealand?
A.1000 years ago. | B.200 years ago. |
C.85 years ago. | D.50 years ago. |
What do the Maoris value most in life?
A.Living in small villages. | B.Developing farming skills. |
C.Keeping their own culture. | D.Taking up government jobs. |