It can be hard to meet people from another culture. 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(多元文化环境)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.keep each other company | B.share the same Culture |
C.get to know each other | D.develop closer relations |
The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that _________.
A.even talk and silence can be culturally different |
B.too many words are of no use |
C.people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature |
D.the English prefer to make long speeches |
According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?
A.By sharing different ways of life. |
B.By recognizing different values. |
C.By accepting different habits. |
D.By speaking each other’s languages. |
What would be the best title for the text?
A.Multicultural Environment. |
B.How to Understand Each Other. |
C.Cross-Cultural Differences. |
D.How to Build Up a Relationship. |
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Washington D. C. is the capital of the United States. It’s the center of national government. It’s a busy, working city with a large population. But what is more, Washington is also a city of history and culture.
Washington was created in 1790 when Congress ( the highest law-making body of the U. S. A. ) decided to place the nation’s new capital in the east of the country. It was build halfway between the northern and southern states of America. And of course it was named after George Washington, the first President of the United States.
There are many tourist sights in Washington. Perhaps the most important tourist sight is the Capital Building. This house is the Congress.
Another world-famous building in Washington is the White House. This is the home and office of the President of the United States. Most visitors are, however, surprised by how small the White House actually is.
Washington is also a great culture city. The Library of Congress contains one of the largest library collections in the world. The Smithsonian Museum holds the nation’s largest collection of cultural materials. And the John F. Centre is a famous centre of art and culture. It has many great musical and theatre performances throughout the year.
64. The writer mainly talks about ______.
A. Washington B. the history of Washington
C. buildings and sights in Washington D. the history and culture of Washington
65. From the passage we know that Washington is situated in ________.
A. the east of the U. S. A.B. the centre of the U. S. A.
C. the center of the middle point from north to south, of the country
D. the east and halfway from the north
66. . The white House impresses the people most for ______.
A. its white colour B. its size
C. it as the home and office of the president D. its history
67. . The writer introduces Washington in the order of _____.
A. population, history and culture
B. hostory and culture
C. general introduction, history, sights and culture
D. generall introduction, history, sights, buildings and culture
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Having friends may well keep you healthier and help you deal with stress better. Some studies show that people with close friends have a greater ability to fight disease than people who are alone.
Make friendship a priority(优先). Find the time to be with friends even if it means letting the lawn go unmowed(未割草) or the dishes unwashed for a while. When you can’ t get together, use the phone to keep in touch.
Open up to close friends. Maintaining a deep friendship requires a level of heartfelt intimacy(亲密). Don’t be afraid to express your inner fears and disappointments. Listen to your friends when they have problem, but offer advice only when it’s wanted. Help raise friends’ self-esteem when they are shaken by a job loss, or other such events.
Have different friends for different activities, such as going to the movies, singing in a choir(合唱), and joining in a bowling league.
Don’t wait for a friend to ask a favor. When a friend has the flu, offer to go to the store or drive his or her children to their after-school activities.
Never take a friendship for granted. Like a good marriage, friendship needs care and patience. Become a joiner. Find a group that matches your interests.
Talk to strangers. Conversations started in museums, laundry rooms, or bookstores can lead to firm friendship.
Enroll in an adult-education course. A classroom is an ideal place to meet others with similar interests.
60. People with close friends have a ____ ability to fight disease than people who are alone.
A. less B. greater C. poorer D. little
61. What we should do to have friends according to the author?
A. Make friendship a priority. B. Open up to close friends.
C. Never take a friendship for granted D. All the above.
62. Which of the statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. You should have different friends for the same activities.
B. You should wait for a friend to ask a favor.
C. You should avoid talking with stranger in museums, laundry rooms of bookstores.
D. You should never take a friendship for granted.
63. . The underlined word “ enroll” in the last paragraph means _____.
A. give B. join C. get D. catch
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第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题,每小题2分,满分40分)
My family couldn’t afford to send me to school when I was 16. When my mother took me out of school, I really lost heart about my life and didn’t know what I was going to do.
I worked to help my mother sell newspapers and that was all I could do at the time. When I was 18 years old, my mother started telling me that I would have to live on my own. I felt very frightened of the future. One night while I was watching television, a piece of news about joining the army caught my eyes. I had admired soldiers since I was very young. Now the chance came and I felt pleased. The next day I called the number on the news and set up an appointment to meet the recruiter(征兵人员), an elderly officer. When he heard that I didn’t graduate from high school, he told me that I had a slim(微小的) chance. I explained to him that I would study to improve myself and work hard. At last, he agreed to try to help me.
About a month later he asked me to go to his office and explained to me that he would get me in the service(服役) but I had to promise him that I would make the best of this chance he was trying to create for me and I did. He was able to help me join the army and I kept my promise by doing eight years and receiving an Honorable Discharge (光荣退伍证) from the service. After that, I have worked as a guard with good pay.
56. Why did the author drop out of high school?
A. Because he wanted to help his mother.
B. Because his mother wanted him to work.
C. Because he lost interest in study.
D. Because his family was too poor.
57. When the author got out of school, he felt _______.
A. relaxed B. hopeless C. bored D. frightened
58. How did the author succeed in joining the army?
A. Through his mother’s encouragement and his luck.
B. Through his great performance before the recruiter.
C. Through his sincere(真诚的) request and an officer’s help.
D. Through his optimistic attitude and serious promise.
59. We can infer from the text that _________.
A. people can achieve success if they don’t give up
B. a person’s achievements depend mainly on other’s help
C. failure in one field doesn’t mean failure in another
D. people should be confident in the face of difficulties
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His first fight was for the equal rights of black people in South Africa.Then, as the first black president he fought to unite the country and organize the government. Now Nelson Mandela has set his sights on a new enemy, AIDS.
On March 19 the 82-year-old, former president, hosted his second AIDS-awareness concert. He warned that 25 million people in Africa were already infected with the fatal disease.
Mandela was born in a small village in South Africa in 1918.He was adopted by the chief of his tribe (部族) and could have been a chief himself and lived a happy country life. But he refused to be a chief when his people lived under racial discrimination (种族歧视). He decided to fight for equal rights for all the people in South Africa.Before 1990, under the country's Racial Segregation Law , coloured and white people lived separately. Black people were treated unfairly even when taking a bus. Blacks had to stand at the back of the bus to make room for white people even when there were only a few of them on board.
For his opposition (反对) to the system Mandela was arrested and spent 27 years in prison. He was freed in 1990 and became the president of the country after the first elections were held in which everyone could vote.
Mandela was not only a political fighter who attacked with speeches. He was also a trained boxer (拳击手) and fought in the ring when he was young.
"Although I did not enjoy the violence of boxing, I was interested in how one moved one's body to protect oneself, how one used a strategy both to attack and retreat (撤退)," he wrote in his autobiography.
As a skilful fighter, he chose music as his weapon against AIDS. He hopes to win another victory against AIDS.
57.Nelson Mandela succeeded in doing the following EXCEPT _____.
A.winning the equal rights for the black people in South Africa
B.uniting South Africa
C.organizing a government in South Africa
D.controlling the spread of AIDS
58.If Nelson Mandela hadn’t fought against racial discrimination, he _____.
A.could easily have been the president of South Africa
B.could still have lived a happy life
C.could have been in a difficult situation
D.would have been an excellent boxer
59.It can be inferred that Nelson Mandela _____.
A.continues to help the black people with the political struggle
B.is taking a position in a music group
C.is taking on the world’s greatest fight against AIDS
D.is preparing for the next election of president
60.Which statement can best describe the life of Nelson Mandela?
A.Struggle is his life. B.Sports make his fame.
C.Fight for equal rights. D.Great fighter against government.
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LEEDS, England-A Leeds University psychology professor is teaching a course to help dozens of people forgive their enemies.
“The hatred (憎恨) we hold within us is a cancer,”Professor Ken Hart said, adding that holding in anger can lead to problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
More than 70 people have become members in Hart’s first 20-week workshop in London—a course he says is the first of its kind in the world.
These are people who are sick and tired of living with a memory. They realize their bitterness is a poison they think they can pour out, but they end up drinking it themselves, said Canadian-born Hart.
The students meet in groups of eight to ten for a two-hour workshop with an adviser every two weeks
The course, ending in July, is expected to get rid of the cancer of hatred in these people.“People have lots of negative attitudes towards forgiveness,” he said.“People confuse(把……混同)forgiveness with forgetting. Forgiveness means changing from a negative attitude to a positive one”.
Hart and his team have made instructions to provide the training needed.
“The main idea is to give you guidelines on how to look at various kinds of angers and how they affect you, and how to change your attitudes toward the person you are angry with,”said Norman Claringbull, a senior expert on the forgiveness project, Hart said he believes forgiveness is a skill that can be taught, as these people“want to get free of the past”.
53.From this passage we know that_________.
A. high blood pressure and heart disease are caused by hatred
B. high blood pressure can only be cured by psychology professors
C. without hatred, people will have less trouble connected with blood and heart
D. people who suffer from blood pressure and heart disease must have many enemies
54.If you are angry with somebody, you should_________.
A. try your best to defeat him or her
B. never meet him or her again
C. persuade him or her to have a talk with you
D. relax yourself by not thinking of him or her any more
55.In Hart’s first 20-week workshop, people there can_________
A. meet their enemies B. change their minds
C. enjoy the professor’s speech D. learn how to quarrel with others
56. If you are a member in Hart’s workshop, you’ll_________.
A. pay much money to Hart B. go to the workshop every night
C. attend a gathering twice a month D. pour out everything stored in your mind