Culture and Cuisine
The United States is known for jazz and blue jeans.But travel to Paris and ask your average French citizen about American cuisine (烹饪) and he’s likely to answer,“ McDonalds.” Ask the same thing of any American citizen on any American street and I’m afraid you’d get the same answer,or something close to it.
Hamburgers and hotdogs and fries are all fine,but with American malls and other outlets standardizing everything from clothing to food,the sad truth is that American cuisine is becoming more homogeneous―all the same―no matter where you live.True,many Americans are eating more varied foods these days,but these are largely the cuisines of immigrant groups,and they are quite likely to be affected by homogenization of American cuisine.
So what exactly is American cuisine? Well,to some extent it is a reflection of our melting pot culture,meaning that Europeans made huge contributions in the form of wheat,dairy products,pork,beef and poultry.But American cuisine also includes products that once were known only to the New World,including potatoes,corn,pumpkin,sweet potatoes,and peanuts.
The one region of the country where you still find all these things in daily use is the Deep South.The South lost the Civil War,but children of the southerners are winning the battle to preserve and advance their cooking traditions—and in this case one of the few cuisines can truly be called American,which is why we’re pleased to have Low Country cuisine in this issue of food creation.That’s right,grits and gravy are back in a big way in cities like Charleston and Savannah.Truth is,they never really left,but up until a decade ago Low Country cuisine was more common at home than in restaurants.
In fact,a large number of tourists now go to the lower Atlantic region in order to experience this extraordinary cuisine for themselves.Time will tell whether Low Country cuisine becomes popular in other regions of the country in the way that,say,Italian cuisine has,but it’s amazing and heartening to see one of our true cultural treasures enjoying renewed popularity in these increasingly homogeneous times.According to the passage,American cuisine impresses people as being _______.
A.dull and changeless |
B.rich and various |
C.popular and delicious |
D.disagreeable and unpleasant |
It can be seen that the writer feels regretful that _______.
A.cuisines of other countries play a more important role in America |
B.American cuisine has become increasingly lacking in variety |
C.American cuisine tends to vary because of immigration |
D.American cuisine is being changed by foreign cuisines |
From the passage,we know that grits and gravy _______.
A.were cooked with new materials after the Civil War |
B.are gaining popularity in the south of America |
C.were more popular over ten years ago |
D.are seldom served in restaurants |
What’s the writer’s attitude towards the renewal of Low Country cuisine in America?
A.Concerned and cautious. |
B.Hopeless and doubtful. |
C.Positive and supportive. |
D.Critical and disapproving. |
Ladji Doucoure of France beat Olympic champion Liu Xiang of China in the final meters to claim the title of the men’s 110 meters hurdles at the 10th world championships in Helsinki on Friday.
Doucoure, who led the world this season with 12.97 seconds, over took the Chinese to win the race in 13.07 seconds. Liu was second in 13.08. Four-time world champion Allen Johnson of the United States took the third in 13.10.
The 22-year-old Doucoure said after the race, “ I can not tell you just how long I have been dreaming of this. This victory is the result of a lot of hard work, and also a lot of support from people who have believed in me. I had a bad start, touched a few hurdles, but after the 4th hurdle I picked up my race and went straight to the finish line.”
Liu, who won the Olympic gold with a world record-tying time of 12.91 seconds, said, “I’m very satisfied with the second place. The result could have been worse. I felt quite well and did my best. I’ m not tired, I had some clearance problems at the start, so I should practice that some mor. Finally, I didn’t lose by much, only by a little bit, but I did think I could win it.”
Liu’s coach, Sun Haiping said on Friday he was content with Liu’s performance.
“ Liu Xiang was quite good during his reaction period, but he was a little bit slow in the middle and he finally caught up during the last two hurdles,” Sun told Xinhua.
Although satisfied with the silver medal and the clocking of 13.08 seconds, Sun said Liu might have added the world title to the Olympic championship if Liu had run the track neighboring his major rivals(对手) of Doucoure Ladji or Allen Johnson.
“ If he had run next to Ladji Doucoure or Allen Johnson, Liu could have kept pace with them and then sprinted(疾跑) at the last stage. In this case, he could grab the gold,” said Sun, who had become a household name for coaching China’s first men’s Olympic champion in the track.This passage probably appears_________.
A.in a story book | B.in a text book |
C.in a newspaper | D.in a fashion magazine |
The following statements about Doucoure are true EXCEPT_______.
A.He won the gold medal in the men’s 110m hurdles in Helsinki. |
B.He led the world in the men’s 110m hurdles with 12.97 seconds this season. |
C.He did a lot of hard practice before the race in Helsinki. |
D.He won the world champion title four times. |
Which of the following can be used to replace the underlined phrase“picked up my race”in Paragraph 3?
A.gathered speed | B.stood up |
C.make up my mind | D.became better in health |
According to Sun Haiping, Liu Xiang might have won the gold if ______.
A.he had done better during his reaction period |
B.he had run the track next to Ladji Doucoure of Allen Johnson |
C.he had practiced clearance more before that race |
D.he hadn’t touched a few hurdles in the race |
Use your American Express Card to enjoy one-day privileges at four of America’s greatest museums. Note the participating museums, and their exciting special exhibitions that you will not want to miss, listed below.
Boston
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Chairs
February 11—May 8, 2005
Italian furniture expert Fausto Calderai and Indian photographer Dayanita Singh present an exhibition of chairs from the museum’s collection and “ chair photographs ”from around the world presented in a Venetian-style hall housing world-famous masterpieces.
For more information: www. gardnermuseum.org
New York
The Noguchi Museum
Noguchi and Graham
December 1, 2004---May 1,2005
Noguchi’s long-term collaboration with dancer Martha Graham is regarded by many as high point in the history of both modern dance and art. The exhibition highlights nine of the sets created through this collaboration.
For more information: www. noguchi.org
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
In Full View : American painting ( 1720---2005)
January 11--- April 10, 2005
Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy has been home to America’s artists for 200 years. The Academy collects and exhibits the works of famous American artists, and is well-known for training fine artists. 2005 at the Academy begins with the largest exhibition of the Academy’s distinguished American collection in the institution’s history.
For more information: www.pafa.org
Seattle
Seattle Museum of Glass
Murano: Glass from the Olnick Spanu Collection
Through November 7, 2004
This exhibition includes over 200 pieces of beautiful glass from Murano, the island of glassblowers near Venice, Italy. Watch live glass-blowing shows in the Hot Shop and see other modern glass exhibitions.
For more information: www. museumofglass.orgWhich of the following websites offers information about the furniture show?
A.www. pafa.org |
B.www. noguchi.org |
C.www. museumofglass.org |
D.www. Gardner museum .org |
We learn from the text that Martha Graham is _______.
A.a dancer | B.a painter | C.a glassblower | D.a photographer |
If you want to know the history of American painting, you may visit _____.
A.The Noguchi Museum |
B.Seattle Museum of Glass |
C.Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum |
D.Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts |
Plants are very important living things. Life could not go on if there were no plants. This is because plants can make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals and man cannot make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals get their food by eating plants and other animals. Therefore animals and man need plants in order to live. This is why we find that there are so many plants around us.
If you look carefully at the plants around you, you will find that there are two kinds of plants: flowering plants and non-flowering plants. Flowering plants can make seed. The seeds are protected by the fruits. Some fruits have one seed, some have two, three or four, and some have many seeds. But a few fruits have no seeds at all. An example of a fruit without seeds is the banana fruit. Most non-flowering plants do not grow from seeds. They grow from spores (胚芽). Spores are very small. Some spores are so small and light that they can float in the air. We may say that spores are quite the same as seeds. When these spores are all on wet and shady places, they usually grow into new plants.The main idea of the first paragraph is that ______.
A.plants are important for life |
B.plants cannot grow without air |
C.there are many plants in the world |
D.we can’t live without water |
plants can make food from _______.
A.flower, water and air | B.water, sunlight and air |
C.air, water and soil | D.air, sun and light |
What can we infer from the passage?
A.Of all living things animals are most important. |
B.Spores are seeds. |
C.All fruits of flowering plants have seeds. |
D.Without plants, man will die out |
This passage may be taken from ______.
A.a medicine book | B.a novel |
C.a science magazine | D.an experiment report |
Mrs. Blake teaches English in a large school in the inner area of a big city on the west coast. Even since she was a young girl, she has wanted to become a teacher. She has taught eight years now and hasn’t changed her mind. After she graduated from high school, she went on to college. Four years later, she received her bachelor’s degree (BA) in English and her teaching certificate(证书). Then she went to teach in the secondary schools of her state. In the summers, Mrs. Blake takes more classes; she hopes to get a master’s degree ( MA ). With an MA, she will receive a higher salary and if possible, she hopes to get a doctor’s degree as well. The school day at Mrs. Blake’s high school, like that in many high schools in the United States, is divided into one hour each. Mrs. Blake must teach five of these periods. During her free period, which for her is from 2 to 3 P.M, Mrs. Blake must meet with parents, make our examinations, check assignments at all, Mrs. Blake works continuously from the time she arrives at school in the morning till the time she leaves for home late in the afternoon.How long is it since Mrs. Blake graduated from middle school?
A.four years | B.eight years | C.twelve years | D.twenty years |
According to the article, which is the right order of the degrees a person can receive after going to university?
A.a doctor’s degree – a bachelor’s degree – a master’s degree |
B.a bachelor’s degree – a master’s degree – a doctor’s degree |
C.a master’s degree – a bachelor’s degree – a doctor’s degree |
D.a bachelor’s degree – a doctor’s degree – a master’s degree |
How many degrees has Mrs. Blake achieved so far?
A.one | B.two | C.three | D.four |
Which of the following sentences is not true?
A.Mrs. Blake teaches in the inner area of big city on the east of the United States. |
B.Mrs. Blake has turned her wish of becoming a teacher into reality. |
C.Mrs. Blake is still studying in her holidays in order to get higher degree. |
D.The working hours in the school where Mrs. Blake works are similar to those of may other high schools in the states. |
Two friends have an argument that breaks up their friendship forever, even though neither one can remember how the whole thing got started. Such sad events happen over and over in high schools across the country. In fact, according to an official report on youth violence, “In our country today, the greatest threat to the lives of children and adolescents is not disease or starvation or abandonment, but the terrible reality of violence”. Given that this is the case, why aren’t students taught to manage conflict the way they are taught to solve math problems, drive cars, or stay physically fit?
First of all, students need to realize that conflict is unavoidable. A report on violence among middle school and high school students indicates that most violent incidents between students begin with a relatively minor insult. For example, a fight could start over the fact that one student eats a peanut butter sandwich each lunchtime. Laughter over the sandwich can lead to insults, which in turn can lead to violence. The problem isn’t in the sandwich, but in the way students deal with the conflict.
Once students recognize that conflict is unavoidable, they can practice the golden rule of conflict resolution: stay calm. Once the student feels calmer, he or slid should choose words that will calm the other person down as well. Rude words, name-calling, and accusation only add fuel to the emotional fire. On the other hand, soft words spoken at a normal sound level can put out the fire before it explodes out of control.
After both sides have calmed down, they can use another key strategy for conflict resolution: listening. Listening allows the two sides to understand each other. One person should describe his or her side, and the other person should listen without interrupting. Afterward, the listener can ask non-threatening questions to clarify the speaker’s position. Then the two people should change roles.
Finally, students need to consider what they are hearing. This doesn’t mean trying to figure out what’s wrong with the other person. It means understanding what the real issue is and what both sides are trying to accomplish. For example, a shouting match over a peanut butter sandwich might happen because one person thinks the other person is unwilling to try new things. Students need to ask themselves questions such as these: How did this start? What do I really want? What am I afraid of? As the issue becomes clearer, the conflict often simply becomes smaller. Even if it doesn’t, careful thought helps both sides figure out a mutual solution.
There will always be conflict in schools, but that doesn’t mean there needs to be violence. After students in Atlanta started a conflict resolution program, according to Educators for Social Responsibility, “64% of the teachers reported less physical violence in the classroom; 75% of the teachers reported an increase in student cooperation; and 92% of the students felt better about themselves”. Learning to resolve conflicts can help students deal with friends, teachers, parents, bosses, and coworkers. In that way, conflict resolution is a basic life skill that should be taught in schools across the country.This article is mainly about .
A.the lives of school children | B.the cause of arguments in schools |
C.how to analyze youth violence | D.how to deal with school conflicts |
From Paragraph 2 we can learn that .
A.violence is more likely to occur at lunchtime |
B.a small conflict can lead to violence |
C.students tend to lose their temper easily |
D.the eating habit of a student is often the cause of a fight |
Why do students need to ask themselves the questions stated in Paragraph 5?
A.To make clear what the real issue is. |
B.To get ready to try new things. |
C.To find out who is to blame. |
D.To figure out how to stop the shouting match. |
After the conflict resolution program was started in Atlanta, it was found that .
A.more teachers felt better about themselves in schools |
B.there was less student cooperation in the classroom |
C.there was a decrease in classroom violence |
D.the teacher-student relationship greatly improved |
The writer’s purpose for writing this article is to .
A.complain about problems in school education |
B.teach students different strategies for school life |
C.inform teachers of the latest studies on school violence |
D.advocate teaching conflict management in schools |