When my family moved to America in 2010 from a small village in Guangdong, China, we brought not only our luggage, but also our village rules, customs and culture. One of the rules is that young people should always respect elders. Unluckily, this rule led to my very first embarrassment in the United States.
I had a part-time job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. One time, when I was serving food to a middle-aged couple, the wife asked me how the food could be served so quickly. I told her that I had made sure they got their food quickly because I always respect the elderly. As soon as I said that, her face showed great displeasure. My manager, who happened to hear what I said, took me aside and gave me a long lecture about how sensitive Americans are and how they dislike the description “old”. I then walked back to the table and apologized to the wife. After the couple heard my reason, they understood that the problem was caused by cultural differences, so they laughed and were no longer angry.
In my village in China, people are proud of being old. Not so many people live to be seventy or eighty, and people who reach such an age have the most knowledge and experience. Young people always respect older people because they know they can learn from their rich experience.
However, in the United States, people think “growing old” is a problem since “old” shows that a person is going to retire or that the body is not working well. Here many people try to keep themselves away from growing old by doing exercises or jogging, and women put on makeup, hoping to look young. When I told the couple in the restaurant that I respect the elderly, they got angry because this caused them to feel they had failed to stay young. I had told them something they didn’t want to hear.
After that, I changed the way I had been with older people. It is not that I don’t respect them any more; I still respect them, but now I don’t show my feelings through words.
1. The author brought the couple their food very fast because _______.| A．the manager asked him to do so | B．the couple wanted him to do so |
| C．he respected the elderly | D．he wanted more pay |
| A．nervous | B．unhappy |
| C．satisfied | D．excited |
| A．changed his way with older people | B．made friends with the couple |
| C．no longer respected the elderly | D．lost his job in the restaurant |
| A．The more the author explained, the angrier the couple got. |
| B． The author wanted to show his feelings through words after his experience. |
| C．From this experience, the author learned more about American culture. |
| D．The manager went back to the table and apologized to the couple. |
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【推荐1】It was the first time I had noticed him properly. Before this, Jack had just been a friendly young man provided by the hotel to accompany me on trips to the wildlife park nearby. But then he caught my attention by asking me to shut up.
“It’s just a garden spider. Don’t cry!” he said, looking at the creature with more love than I could gather for most humans. I had indeed cried-I was in the front seat of a jeep and the spider was on my leg.
“I don’t care what it is. Make it go away!” I said. I wanted him to pick the thing up and throw it out of the jeep right at that moment. He did something quite else.
He pushed his leg towards mine and held out the cloth of his trousers to gently let the spider go onto his own leg. He then drove on, as if nothing had happened. The spider climbed a little bit and then just stopped on his knee. I sat there staring at the spider for any sudden movement.
I was frightened that the man was completely at ease with a spider dangerously quiet on his knee. About 15 minutes later, he pushed his knee forward to the dashboard and the spider immediately climbed off his knee and on to the jeep. “The poor thing had been trying to get off me,” he said. “I only noticed now that it was trying to reach the dashboard, so I helped it along.”
I wondered then about this man, who thought about the spider with such kindness... Where and when did I lose my empathy towards the unfamiliar? Now, when faced with a row of ants on the staircase, my first reaction is no longer to attack them. The ants were already wise, but thanks to Jack, I learnt to live with the not so beautiful bits of nature.
1. We can infer that the writer at first .| A．invited Jack to go to the wildlife park | B．was excited to keep Jack company |
| C．fell in love with Jack at the first sight | D．didn’t take seriously of Jack |
| A．To let it alone. | B．To remove it off her leg. |
| C．To get it off the jeep. | D．To observe it with love. |
| A．Put it on his knee for a look. | B．Made it move onto his leg. |
| C．Threw it out of the jeep. | D．Stared at it in case of a sudden attack. |
| A．To avoid an attack from a wild creature. | B．To be friendly with people in need. |
| C．To challenge dangerous creatures bravely. | D．To love those living creatures anywhere. |
【推荐2】Delia was a young pianist. Her husband, Joe, was a young artist.
Each of them was taking lessons: Joe with a famous art teacher, and Delia with a great pianist from Germany. Their teachers were the very best, so lessons were expensive, more than they could really afford, but…when you love your art, nothing is too much.
But soon the money began to run out, and they couldn’t afford the lessons anymore.
Then one day Delia came back home and told Joe that she had met a man whose daughter, Sally, wanted to learn the piano, and he was going to pay her $ 50 an hour.
“Delia,” Joe said, “I’ll be much happier if you keep up your lessons,” Delia said it didn’t matter. “When I’ve had some money, I’ll continue.” But Joe also decided to stop his lessons, to draw pictures and sell them.
A few days later, Joe came home and proudly took $ 200 from his pocket. “I met a man from Vermont,” he said, “who bought one of my pictures. And he wants to buy more!”
________. They didn’t have to worry any more about money.
Then, one day, Joe came home and saw that Delia’s hand was wrapped in a bandage(绷带). He asked her what had happened. “Oh,” said Delia. “My student, Sally, asked me to make some coffee for her. I dropped the coffee and burned my hand. Sally went straight to the drugstore and got this bandage for me. ”
“Delia, what have you been doing the last two weeks?” Joe asked. She tried not to tell him, but the tears came. “Oh Joe, I couldn’t get any students, so I worked as a waitress in a restaurant. Today, I burned my hand with hot water. So I can’t work anymore. But we’ll still have money from the man in Vermont, won’t we?”
Joe looked at her. “There’s no man in Vermont,” he said. “I’ve been working in a drugstore, and today someone came in to buy bandages for a woman who’s burned her hand. So when I saw you, well, I guessed.”
They both laughed.
[A story by O. Henry — adapted(改编)]
1. Who was Delia’s teacher?| A．An artist. |
| B．A German. |
| C．A man whose daughter was named Sally. |
| A．Joe | B．Delia | C．O．Henry |
| A．So the two of them were very happy |
| B．Since then Joe became very famous |
| C．Delia stopped her lessons and stayed home |
| A．they would go on with their lessons soon |
| B．they had both told lies to make the other happy |
| C．they didn’t have to worry about money any more |
| A．The voice of the city | B．A pleasant gift | C．A service of love |
【推荐3】One Chicago kindergartner wanted to feed the homeless instead of holding a birthday party.
Armani Crews, who turned 6 earlier this month, had been begging her parents for “a few months ”to feed homeless people in her community, but her parents thought “she was joking”. Her mother, Artesha Crews, told ABC News.
“I said, ‘OK, we’ll make some sandwiches,’ to which Armani said, ‘No. I want the same thing we’d have at my birthday party,’ ” her mother recalled.
Even when her father, Antoine, informed her that if she wanted to go through with this, she wouldn’t get a birthday gift, the girl, whose birthday was on March 5, persisted.
So the Chicago family spent about $300 buying food to deliver to homeless people in the city’s East Garfield Park neighborhood. They purchased chicken, fish, spaghetti, corn, green Deans, mashed potatoes, rolls, cake, cookies, fruit and water.
After Armani mentioned her plan at the family’s local church, congregation members donated other items to create care packages for the homeless. Each care package included a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a snack, such as a granola bar and so on.
Armani’s birthday party was a success, with the family feeding more than 125 people who gathered.
In a statement, the kindergarten student told ABC News, “It was nice to be nice.” Her mother added, “She was excited. She was happy. Everybody was being fed.....One of the gentlemen said he hadn’t had a hot meal in a long time.”
Now the 6-year-old wants to host another community meal for the homeless. Her mother said the family plans to return to the park “within the next couple of weeks”. They hope more and more people will give a hand to the massive homeless people in Chicago.
1. What do we know about Armani Crews?| A．She was a six-year-old girl disliking birthday gifts. |
| B．She begged her parents to feed the homeless regularly. |
| C．She gave up her birthday party to feed the homeless. |
| D．She was willing to protect the pride of the homeless. |
| A．Armani and her family. | B．East Garfield Park. |
| C．Congregation members. | D．ABC News reporters. |
| A．Armani Crews held a birthday party for them. |
| B．The Chicago family spent more to feed them. |
| C．The girl felt disappointed with the party for them. |
| D．Homeless people are a great concern in Chicago. |
| A．Lifestyle. | B．Sports &Games. |
| C．Health&Fitness. | D．Entertainment. |
【推荐1】You can tell a lot about a country by what's on its television sets. Britain's TV screens are completely steeped in class, and have long been so.
From laughing at poor people in reality shows to laughing at posh people in Downton Abbey, this is how Britain likes to unwind in the evening: by laughing at other classes, and laughing at people for laughing about class.
Like it or loathe it, many see the class system as a quite essential element of British life, together with our obsession for tea and cake and talking about the weather.
Whether you are a lord, a lady, or just the king of your own middle class kingdom, everyone in the UK fits into the class system. How the class system works is a hard question even for a British person to answer.
There are four main groups in the British class system: lower, working, middle and upper class. Although recently the BBC has tried to confuse everyone even more by adding three more categories.
The British are very aware of class; it is often said that we have an in-built 'class radar'; we pick up on subtle social clues which indicate which class a person comes from. Class is not just about your job, where you live and how much you earn. It's about who you are.
1. According to the passage ,what Britain are not likely to talk about?| A．Weather | B．Class |
| C．Jokes | D．Tea and cake |
| A．Five | B．Three |
| C．Seven | D．Four |
| A．Because many see the class system as a typical part of British life. |
| B．Because class is about who you are. |
| C．Because how the class system works is a hard question even for a British person to answer. |
| D．Because there are different groups in the British class system. |
Chinese weddings, and the customs before the wedding, are steeped in ancient traditions. Here is an overview of the most common and traditional Chinese marriage ceremonies.
●Chinese Marriage Superstitions — The Color Red
The color red plays an important part in a Chinese wedding. Red is the symbol of joy — and what is more joyous than a wedding? Red is the main color for Chinese weddings, from clothing to candles on the tables to red firecrackers.
●Chinese Marriage Traditions — Letters
The Chinese groom’s family formally asks in the form of a letter for the hand of the bride.
Both families have to agree that the couple is a good match for each other. Importance is placed on the horoscopes of both the groom and bride. Also, the actual date of the wedding is discussed as to avoid unlucky days.
If negotiations were successful, a gift letter is send to the bride’s family, and the groom will bring the bride’s family a variety of food and other traditional items. The couple is now engaged.
The bride prepares a dowry. A dowry includes clothes and other daily necessities. At the day of the wedding, the dowry is brought to the family of the groom.
The groom’s family sends a wedding letter, officially acknowledging the bride into the family.
●Chinese Marriage Traditions — The Wedding Ceremony
During the actual ceremony, which equals the exchange of vows in the west, the couple will pay respect by kneeling three times.
They kneel to the heaven and earth, the ancestral tablets and their parents, and then to each other. A tea ceremony follows, in which the bride serves tea to the groom’s family. The bride will receive jewelry or money wrapped in red envelopes.
●Chinese Marriage Traditions — The Wedding Banquet
The couple will invite all relatives and friends to their wedding banquet. The banquet is considered even more important than the ceremony itself. A great deal of attention is placed on the food offered during the banquet.
You’ll be hard pressed to find a wedding banquet without fish, which is a symbol for abundance.
Naturally, modern Chinese couples might not follow all traditions or rituals. Also, while it was tradition that the newlywed couple moved in with the groom’s family, many modern couples would prefer to live alone.
But even during a modern Chinese wedding, elements of ancient customs can be found.
While my colleague didn’t wear a red Qipao — the traditional brides’ dress — she followed tradition in having a traditional Chinese wedding banquet.
If you are ever invited to a Chinese wedding banquet, don’t miss out! A Chinese wedding banquet is a joyous celebration and the highlight of every Chinese wedding, no matter whether traditional or modern.
●Chinese Marriage Superstitions
Most Chinese superstitions involve numbers and colors. Also, the way a word sounds is very important. A Chinese bride shouldn’t wear black, blue or gray, because that would result in bad luck to the marriage. Preferred colors for the bride to wear are white, but red is the all time favorite.
1. What does the colour red stand for in China?2. What does a dowry include in China?
3. Who does the bride and groom kneel three times to?
4. What is considered even more important than the ceremony itself?
5. Why shouldn’t a Chinese bride wear black, blue or gray?
【推荐3】What do you think of your Chinese? If you think your Chinese is good enough, you can take part in the competition named Chinese Characters Dictation Competition (中国汉字听写大会).
Today teenagers are using more and more smart phones. They spend too much time in shopping, chatting, playing games and so on. Many of them cannot stop using smart phones to help with their study. Overuse of smart phones will make students too lazy to think and write. Some of them even forget how to write Chinese characters by hand. Teachers and parents are very worried about it.
In order to draw people’s attention to the problems above, in 2013 CCTV held the first Chinese Characters Dictation Competition. About 200 students from 32 teams took part in it. They stood on the stage to write down Chinese characters by dictation. Lu Jialei, a 14-year-old girl from Zhejiang, got first place.
Since then, the competition has been popular among teenagers. Many people are interested in this kind of competition, too. They like to write down the characters while the competitors(参赛者) are writing them.
Can you be the next winner?
1. The underlined word “overuse” in Paragraph 2 probably means ________.| A．eating too much | B．walking too much |
| C．using too much | D．singing too much |
| A．About 400. | B．About 300. | C．About 200. | D．About100. |
| A．Lu Jialei, a girl from Zhejiang. | B．Lu Jialei, a girl from Guangxi. |
| C．Liao Yilin, a girl from Zhejiang. | D．Liao Yilin, a girl from Guangxi. |
| A．Chinese Dancing Competition |
| B．Chinese Children Reading Competition |
| C．Chinese Teachers Writing Competition |
| D．Chinese Characters Dictation Competition |
【推荐1】Tom Turcich of New Jersey became the 10th person to walk around the world. Over seven years, he walked 48,000 kilometers across six continents and 38 countries—most of it with his dog Savannah.
After a friend died in an accident at age 17, Turcich started to look at life differently, and decided to go on a journey around the world. It took over eight years of saving before Turcich finally left his home on April 2, 2015. About four months into the journey. Turcich got Savannah from an animal shelter in Texas. She joined him for the rest of the trip, becoming the first dog to walk around the world.
The pair walked around 30-40 kilometers a day, spending most nights camping. Some parts could not be done on foot, however—such as when Turcich and Savannah took a boat from Uruguay to Antarctica. In late 2017, Turcich also had to return home to recover from an illness he got while traveling through Ireland and the UK.
He and Savannah started walking again in May 2018, going through Europe, North Africa and Turkey before getting stuck in Azerbaijan for six months because of the COVID-19.
Now that he’s back home. Turcich says he wants to stay in one place for a while—and share his experience in a book.
1. What did Turcich do before his journey?| A．Camp with friends. | B．Save some money. |
| C．Join a tour group. | D．Keep a pet dog. |
| A．He became sick. | B．He felt a bit tired. |
| C．He needed more money. | D．He got stuck by COVID-19. |
| A．Go through Europe. | B．Start a company. |
| C．Feed more dogs. | D．Write a book. |
【推荐2】I remember my grandma sitting at the kitchen table with cucumber pieces stuck on her face. My sisters and I had them on our faces, too. We would just sit laughing at each other and seeing who could stick the most on at once. We looked silly, but it was a good way of cooling down when the apartment got too hot.
From our days as newborns, my grandma raised all three of us while my parents worked. As I got older, my family left the apartment and moved into a new house. I called my grandparents every day. I can't remember all that we talked about, but I remember how much we laughed. Mostly, though, our phone calls centered on my school homework.
Grandma was a Greek who came to America without speaking a word of English. I remember when one of my tasks was to learn the Greek national anthem, she took it upon herself to teach my sisters and me every word. As she sang, her voice was always filled with pride. She didn't Americanize herself to fit in, but brought her roots and planted them firmly.
Now, I visit my grandma once a week in her nursing home. She can no longer walk, eat hard food, or carry out a conversation. She can say a few words at a time on a good day, but the nurses don't understand her, as she's returned to speak Greek.
One afternoon, I was feeding my grandma and a nurse walked up to us and said, “Are you her grandson? Because she knows you — I can tell. She doesn't look at anyone else like that.” I looked over and my grandma's eyes were fixed on me, with the same kind of smile I've known all my life. I got close to her and she kissed me. Of course, she hasn't forgotten.
1. Why did the kids put cucumber pieces on their faces?| A．To play a joke on Grandma. | B．To get a sense of being cool. |
| C．To make their face skin more smooth. | D．To do what Grandma asked them to do. |
| A．She was proud of her Greek roots. | B．She was a music teacher in Greece. |
| C．She learned English through songs. | D．She wasn't used to living in America. |
| A．Grandma's late life. | B．Grandma's serious disease. |
| C．Grandma's memories of the author. | D．Grandma's deep love for the author. |
【推荐3】A couple of years ago I graduated from art school. After graduation I was unsure of what to do with my degree. I had majored in illustration (插画专业) and loved it, but didn’t really feel interested in doing illustrations for any companies. This left me with few options other than freelance (自由职业的) jobs and taking care of kids for others.
I spent two years working as a baby-sitter, doing freelance illustrations on the side. It just wasn’t quite enough to pay rent, but I loved it, so I worked well over 50 hours a week, trying to keep up with both.
Just under a year ago I went to a friend’s wedding. I couldn’t think of a gift for them and really didn’t have a lot of money to spare, so I used my talents to create a portrait (肖像) for them. It wasn’t much, but I hoped it would be a good gift. When I handed the portrait to them and they unwrapped it, the looks on their faces were something I did not expect. There were joyful tears in their eyes as they cried, “That’s us! This is so beautiful!”
It’s funny because when I was in art school portraits were always my least favourite assignment. I hated drawing people and was always so much more interested in drawing little furry creatures. Once I saw the looks on my friends’ faces after giving them their portrait, it was all over. I suddenly loved portraits and wanted to do more.
I now take portraits to every wedding I go to and have given them as gifts to the families I baby-sit for. Every time the reaction makes all of the hard work and time I put into them so worth it. I’ve just started offering couple, family and pet portraits as an item on my Etsy shop.
1. What did the author choose to do after graduation?
| A．She worked for a long-term employer. |
| B．She married and looked after her baby. |
| C．She pursued further studies in her major. |
| D．She worked as an illustrator as a side job. |
| A．She was eager to show off her talent. |
| B．She couldn’t afford an expensive gift. |
| C．Her friends didn’t take wedding photos. |
| D．She wanted to satisfy her friends’ request. |
| A．Embarrassed. | B．Motivated. | C．Overjoyed. | D．Depressed. |
| A．She earned more money to support her talent. |
| B．She has begun to create her career as an illustrator. |
| C．She turned to illustrations for pets other than humans. |
| D．She no longer needs to go to the families she baby-sat for. |
【推荐1】I’m an English teacher working in Russia, and for some reason I really don’t like that classroom topic—Talk About Your Family. Perhaps it’s because everyone studied English from the same book at school. So all the students say, “My family consists of five members: me, my mother, my father, my brother and my dog...”and so on, as if all families are exactly the same.
Let’s get rid of the phrase“my family consists of ...”and look at some more interesting ways to talk about families. English is rich in idioms (习语) to talk about family life. Let’s ignore the black sheep of the family—that’s someone who doesn’t fit in, or causes a family scandal (丑闻). If you’re loyal (忠诚) to your family, you can say blood is thicker than water or keep it in the family. If you share a talent with another family member, you can say it runs in the family. You might have your father’s eyes or your mother’s nose. If you’re like one of your parents, you can say like father, like son or you can be a chip off the old block.
Then there are idioms that have left the family (flown the nest) and gone on to have a life of their own. For example, a Londoner is telling someone how to get a new passport. “Get four pictures taken, pick up a form in the post office, hand it in with your old passport and... Bob’s your uncle.”It means“the problem is solved”. But I’d love to know who the original Bob was, and why he was such a useful uncle to have.
1. Why does the writer dislike the classroom topic—Talk About Your Family?| A．Because he works in Russia. | B．Because all families are the same. |
| C．Because all answers are similar. | D．Because he has no family there. |
| A．who causes a family scandal | B．who is loyal to the family |
| C．who has the father’s eyes | D．who has a useful uncle |
| A．Blood is thicker than water. | B．It runs in the family. |
| C．You are the chip off the old block. | D．Bob is your uncle. |
| A．Sad. | B．Bored. | C．Stressed. | D．Satisfied |
【推荐2】STAGES
Barbara and the Camp Dogs
The confident lead singer of a pub rock band, Barbara sets out on a road trip with her cousin Rene to reconnect with their family and see her sick mum. It’s written by Alana Valentine, and Leticia Caceres directs a cast including Yovich.
Malthouse Theatre. Today, 6:30pm.
Tickets: $30-$55.
Bookings: (03) 9685 5111 or online.
Peter Pan Goes Wrong
The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society presents the Olivier award-nominated play Peter Pan Goes Wrong. JM Barrie’s classic fairytale Peter Pan has been reimagined with comedic disasters, including technical problems and cast conflict.
Sydney Lyric Theatre. Tonight, 7pm.
Tickets: $69.90- $119.90.
Bookings: 1300 795 267 or online.
Kwongkan
Combining contemporary and traditional dance, the Ochre Contemporary Dance Company and the Daksha Sheth Dance Company perform Kwongkan to live music. Created and directed by Mark Howett, this piece explores ancient, present and future cultures where humans struggle to save the planet and themselves.
Fremantle Arts Centre. Tonight and Tomorrow, 7:30pm.
Tickets: $28.60-$51.
Inquiries: (08) 9432 9555 or online.
The Rosie Result
Author Graeme Simsion discusses his new novel, The Rosie Result, which explores the love life of middle-aged autistic (患自闭症的) character Don. Simsion presents the talk alongside clinical psychologist Tony Attwood. The event will be moderated (主持) by autism advocate Barb Cook.
Brisbane Powerhouse. Tonight, 7pm.
Tickets: $30-$57.
Bookings: (07) 3358 8600 or online.
1. Who is the author of Peter Pan?
| A．JM Barrie. | B．Alana Valentine. | C．Yovich. | D．Mark Howett. |
| A．It is directed by a singer. | B．It has comedic disasters. |
| C．It includes traditional dance. | D．It is a talk about a novel. |
| A．Barbara and the Camp Dogs. | B．Peter Pan Goes Wrong. |
| C．Kwongkan. | D．The Rosie Result. |
The document was discovered buried in the university archives (档案) by part-time history student Lis Smith, who is completing her PhD at St Andrews Institute of Scottish Historical Research. She said: “We knew that Sophia Jex-Blake and her supporters, in their effort to open up university medical education for women, had written to the Senatus Academicus (校评议委员会) at St Andrews in an attempt to gain permission to attend classes there, but we didn’t know documentary evidence existed. While searching the archives for information about the university’s higher certificate for women, I was astonished to come across what must be the very letter Jex-Blake wrote.”
In the letter, Sophia and her supporters offered to hire teachers or build suitable buildings for a medical school and to arrange for lectures to be delivered in the subjects not already covered at St Andrews. Although her letter was not successful, it eventually led to the establishment of the Ladies Literate in Arts at St Andrews, a distance-learning degree for women. The qualification, which ran from 1877 until the 1930s, gave women access to university education in the days before they were admitted as students. It was so popular that it survived long after women were admitted as full students to St Andrews in 1892.
Ms Jex-Blake went on to help establish the London School of Medicine for Women in 1874. She was accepted by the University of Berne, where she was awarded a medical degree in January 1877. Eventually, she moved back to Edinburgh and opened her own practice.
1. Sophia wrote a letter to St Andrews University because she wanted _______.
| A．to carry out a research project there |
| B．to set up a medical institute there |
| C．to study medicine there |
| D．to deliver lectures there |
| A．by pure chance |
| B．in the school office |
| C．with her supporters’ help |
| D．while reading history books |
| A．the London School of Medicine for Women |
| B．a degree programme for women |
| C．a system of medical education |
| D．the University of Berne |
| A．In 1873. | B．In 1874. | C．In 1877. | D．In 1892. |
