Steve and Yaser first met in their chemistry class at an American university. Yaser was an international student from Jordan. He wanted to learn more about American culture and hoped that he and Steve would become good friends. At first, Steve seemed very friendly. He always greeted Yaser warmly before class. Sometimes he offered to study with Yaser. He even invited Yaser to have lunch with him. But after the term was over, Steve seemed distant. The two former classmates didn’t see each other very often at school. One day Yaser decided to call Steve. Steve didn’t seem very interested in talking to him. Yaser was hurt by Steve’s change of attitude. “Steve said we were friends,” Yaser complained, “and I thought friends were friends forever.” Yaser was a little confused.
As a foreigner, he doesn’t understand the way Americans view friendship. Americans use the word “friend” in a very general way. They may call both casual acquaintances(相识的人；熟人) and close companions(伙伴) “friends”. These friendships are based on common interests. When the shared activity ends, the friendship may fade(逐渐消失). Now as Steve and Yaser are no longer classmates, their “friendship” has changed. In some cultures friendship means a strong lifelong bond between two people. In these cultures friendships develop slowly, since they are built to last. American society is one of rapid change. Studies show that one out five American families moves every year. American friendships develop quickly, and they may change just quickly as well. People from the United States may at first seem friendly. Americans often chat easily with strangers. But American friendliness is not always an offer of true friendship. After an experience like Yaser’s , people who’ve been in this country for only a few months may consider Americans to be fickle(易变的). Learning how Americans view friendship can help non-Americans avoid misunderstandings. It can also help them make friends in the American way.According to the passage, ________made Yaser a little confused.
| A．Steve’s inviting him to dinner |
| B．Steve’s cold attitude |
| C．Steve’s studying with him |
| D．Steve’s misunderstanding him |
We can learn from the passage that_____.
| A．Americans use the word “friend” in a very special way and like to develop a close friendship |
| B．American friendliness is always an offer of true friendship and is of great value |
| C．Americans think the friendship will last for ever, even though the shared activity ends |
| D．Americans always base their friendships with others on common interests |
In Paragraph 2, the underlined word “they” refers to “_______”.
| A．American friendships |
| B．American families |
| C．People from the United States |
| D．misunderstandings |
This passage mainly tells us_____.
| A．that people should not make friends with Americans. |
| B．that everyone needs friends. |
| C．the importance of keeping friendships |
| D．how Americans view friendship |
In 1901, H. G. Wells, an English writer, wrote a book describing a trip to the moon. When the explorers landed on the moon, they discovered that the moon was full of underground cities.
They showed their surprise to the “moon people” they met. In turn, the “moon people” showed 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 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 “Channel”, a tunnel connecting England and France, is now completed.
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 would cover the whole city.
Supporters(支持者) of underground development say that building down rather than building up is a good way to use the earth’s space. The space, they say, can be used for farms, parks, gardens and wilderness. H. G. Well’s “moon people” would agree. Would you?The explorers in H. G. Well’s 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 |
What does the underlined word (paragraph 3) “it” 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. |
What kind of underground system 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. |
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. |
Singapore’s public transport system is one of the best in the world, so you should have no problem finding your way around like a local. There are three main forms of public transport that you would find in any other major city—trains, buses and taxis.
TRAINS
Trains run from 6:00 am to midnight. Single trip tickets start at 80 cents. If you buy an EZ-Link cars for $15, you can ride the trains and buses as you like.
If you need more information, just call Transit Link on 1800 767 4333.
BUSES
There are several bus services in Singapore and fares(费用) start at 80 cents. Be sure always to ask the driver the cost of your ticket as he can not give change.
If you need help, just call Transit Link on 1800 767 4333.
TAXIS
There are three main taxi companies—City Cab (6552 2222), Comfor (6552 1111) and Tibs (6552 8888). Booking can also be easily by calling the numbers listed above.
RENABLE CARS
Driving in Singapore is a pleasure and if you like to travel at your own pace, renting a car is a good choice. Renting takes away the hassle of getting to places around Singapore. Just sit back and enjoy the city. It also means you’ll get to see a lot more that a train or a bus won’t let you see.
For car rental, call Avis on + 65 6737 1668.By an EZ-Link care, you can take ______.
| A．both buses and trains | B．only trains |
| C．both buses and taxis | D．only rental cars |
When you take a bus there, always remember to ______.
| A．take your own license(执照) with you |
| B．ask the driver how much your ticket is |
| C．buy the bus map of Singapore |
| D．book your ticket ahead of time |
What does the underlined word “hassle” mean in the text?
| A．trouble | B．fun | C．interest | D．cost |
What do you know about travelling in Singapore from the passage?
| A．A local has great trouble finding his way around. |
| B．It’s much cheaper to go around by bus than by train. |
| C．You can see a lot more in Singapore by taking a bus than by renting a car. |
| D．It’s very convenient(方便的) for visitors to travel in Singapore. |
A driver stopped his car on a street side to have a rest. As he lay down in the seat and closed his eyes, a person came up and knocked at the window to ask him the time. The driver opened his eyes and looked at his watch. “It’s 8:05,” he said. Then he went to sleep again. But soon he was waken up again because a second person was knocking at the window. “Sir, do you know the time?” he asked. The driver looked at his watch, and told him it was half past eight.
In this way, the driver thought he could not have a good rest, so he wrote a short note and stuck it on the window for all to see. It said, “I don’t know the time.”
Again, he lay down in the seat for his sleep. A few minutes later, a third person came and began to knock at the window, “Hey, sir,” he said. “It is a quarter to nine.”Where did the driver sleep?
| A．At the window. | B．In the street road. |
| C．In his car | D．In his room. |
How long had the driver been there when the third person called him?
| A．40 minutes. | B．25 minutes. | C．50 minutes. | D．70 minutes. |
Why did the driver write a note and stick it on the window?
| A．Because he didn’t know the time. |
| B．Because he didn’t want anybody to trouble him. |
| C．Because he needed somebody to wake him up. |
| D．Because he wanted somebody to tell him the time. |
The third person knocked at the window to ______.
| A．ask him the time |
| B．ask him not to sleep |
| C．see if the driver was sleeping |
| D．tell him what time it was |
阅读下列应用文及相关信息，并按照要求匹配信息。
A. Beijing Highlights
Luxury : 4 Days $269 Up
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Beijing boasting a history of over a thousand years is rich in cultural relics. Our four-day itinerary will take you to the most popular sites around the city. You will see the magnificent Great Wall; sacred Tiananmmen Square; majestic Forbidden City as well as the verdant gardens of the Summer Palace.
B. Beijing Hutong Tour
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Super Deluxe : 5 Days $669 Up
Budget : 6 Days $239 Up
Beijing, one of the six ancient capital cities of China still has a rich history, and a diverse and colorful culture. Take a special rickshaw ride through an old Hutong neighborhood to experience the different life styles of Beijing residents. A visit to the Lama Temple will expose you to the local people’s religious beliefs.
C. Short Beijing Travel
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Are you annoyed by your tight time schedule but interested in visiting Beijing? Here we provide an elaborately（精心地） designed 3-day Beijing tour itinerary taking you to explore the highlights of Beijing. Hence, you can make full use of your time to visit the most aspects of Beijing.
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Explore the highlights of Beijing on a tight budget, why not join our Beijing group tour with only 6-18 people to each group, you will not only make new friends from different countries but also experience all of the comfort and flexibility at a lower price.
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To guide you to catch all the highlight sites of Beijing in short time schedule, we carefully design these two 2-day refined Beijing tours. Take the tour and make full use of your precious time to see as much as possible of Beijing.
F. Beijing One-Day Tours - 17 options here for you!
Luxury : 1 Day $29 Up
Beijing is such a large city with numerous places of interest to visit.
One-day package tours offered here are all made up of the essence of Beijing. You can choose any of your preferred according to your interest.Dick is a newcomer to Beijing where he is going to stay for 5 days. Since he has to attend a very important conference on the third day, he has very limited time to spare. But he wishes to spend two days visiting a few of the scenic spots in Beijing so that he could have some basic idea of what Beijing is like.
Coming from Los Angeles, as an exchange student, John is eager to know about Beijing which he believes is a great city with a lot of things to explore. So he plans to go around on Sundays. Since he is not familiar with the city, he decides to join one of the local tour agencies. But he prefers things to be different every week.
Mary is a mother with a 9-year-old daughter. She wants to travel around Beijing this summer holiday with her daughter. She would like her daughter to make some friends while opening her eyes during the trip.
Li Xue has a very long holiday this year. She wants to go on a guided tour round the most popular sites of Beijing. She does not believe in those so called “cheap and good” offer, so she does not care much about money. So long as the tour is comfortable and enjoyable, she will not hesitate to join in.
Professor Zhou is interested more in culture and the way of life of the local people than simply taking a city sightseeing tour. Instead of going to museums and popular sites, he likes to explore how the local people lived in the old times.
MY Chinese friend is going to the US and he is nervous about what to talk about. “Talk about the weather,” is my advice.
“How are you?” is often followed by comments about the weather. “Nice day today.” “Cold/hot enough for you?” “Will it ever stop raining?” “Some winter we’re having.” “Can’t remember a winter/summer so cold/hot.” “Whew, it’s hot out there.”
These introductory statements are often followed by a long conversation entirely about weather conditions. Past, present and – with global warming – speculation (推测) about the future.
Our fascination with weather might seem silly, but the real purpose behind those endless discussions is small talk. Weather’s a safe topic of conversation. As a group, we Americans seem to enjoy chatting with those around us. Whenever we stand in line at the grocery store, we tend to engage in this sort of conversation with other people standing in line with us. If I were seated next to another American on any form of public transport, I’d expect both of us to make some harmless comment about the weather as a way of acknowledging (承认) each other’s presence (存在). At parties, the weather is a common topic, especially with those you are meeting for the first time.
In contrast we are taught to avoid certain topics like religion and politics. Weather is neutral (中性的); you don’t have to have an opinion about it, just make a statement of a fact. What is truly interesting is the fact that we can go on and on about it.
My Chinese friend has a hard time understanding why we put so much effort into this topic – and why I warn him about bringing up much more “interesting” subjects like salaries or how much something costs.
Sometimes it is tricky (复杂的) to wend (行走) one’s way through winding cultural roads, especially those that are never taught in books.What does the writer suggest her Chinese friend should talk about with people in the US? (No more than two words)
Why do Americans enjoy talking to people around them about the weather, in writer’s opinion? (No more than ten words)
List four topics that people should avoid talking about in the US. ( No more than 5 words)