【推荐1】The concept of good manners varies a lot when we compare different cultures, values and ways of living. However, when we talk about the western part of the world, the differences are not so big. In my opinion, going to a restaurant in Brazil will rarely be an embarrassing situation. But there are some basic and necessary rules of etiquette (礼节) that Brazilians usually respect every day. They are：

●Being on time is polite, but it is not a strict rule in Brazil. Being late for up to 15 minutes probably will not make a Brazilian angry.

●When you go to a restaurant, be careful to greet the people who work at the place, and don't forget to greet the people who are already waiting for you at the table. It's not necessary to hug or kiss everybody if they are already seated.

●You can ask somebody about how the food is prepared and also about prices or tips if you are not sure about them.

●You should never talk to another person while you still have some food in your mouth.

●Making noise while eating is also considered really rude. Avoid doing it.

●Be careful not to put your elbows on the table while eating. It is not terrible, but it can be considered a little bit rude by some people.

●Don't worry about the time. Usually people in Brazil stay seated for a long time, especially when they have interesting things to talk about.

●It's not necessary to talk in a really low voice because people there usually talk in a little loud voice.

●Finally, saying “thank you” and “bye” are always common in Brazil.

1. According to the writer, the concept(理念) of good manners in western countries is ________.

A．quite different from each other	B．not easy to tell
C．not quite different	D．exactly the same

2. According to the passage, which of the behaviour is impolite in Brazil?

A．Talk with your mouth full.	B．Talk in a bit loud voice.
C．Ignore（忽视） time while chatting.	D．Ask the prices of food.

3. It can be inferred that in Brazil ________.

A．being late usually annoys the hosts

B．guests usually hug or kiss the hosts when going to a restaurant

C．it is bad manners to talk over meals

D．you'd better not ask your host how the food is prepared

【推荐2】Each Indian（印第安人）was supposed to keep his birth name until he was old enough to earn one for himself．But his playmates（游戏伙伴）would always give him a name of their own．No matter what his parents called him, his childhood friends would use the name they had chosen．Often it was not pleasing, such as Bow Legs or Bad Boy．But sometimes a name fit so well that the youngster found it difficult to shake it off．If he could not earn a better one from a war later, he could be stuck with a name like Bow Legs for the rest of his life.
The Indian earned his real name when he was old enough for his first fight against the enemy．His life name depended on how he acted during this first battle．When he returned from the war, the whole tribe would gather and observe the ceremony in which he would be given his name by the chief．If he had done well, he would get a good name．Otherwise he might be called Crazy Wolf or Man-Afraid-Of-a-Horse．So an Indian’s name told his record or described the kind of man he was.
A man was given many chances to improve his name, however．If in a later battle he was brave in fighting against the enemy, he was given a better name．Some of our great fighters had as many as twelve names—all good and each better than the last.
An Indian’s names belonged to him for the rest of his life．No one else could use them．Even he himself could not give them away because names were assigned by the tribe, not the family．So no man could pass on his name unless the chief and the tribe asked him to do so.
Sometimes an Indian would be asked to give his name to a son who had performed a noticeable deed．I know of only three of four times when this happened．It is the rarest honor for a person—the honor of assuming（承担） his father’s name.
1. An Indian could be given the second name by__________.

A．his father	B．the enemy
C．the chief of the tribe	D．his childhood friends

2. The greatest honor an Indian could earn was____________.

A．a victory in his first battle against the enemy

B．a name given by the chief

C．a ceremony to get his real name

D．the right to use his father’s name

3. If an Indian had more than ten names, it meant that____________.

A．many people in the tribe liked him	B．he was a great fighter
C．he had a lot of friends	D．he had fought in fewer than ten battles

4. Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage?

A．The names given by the playmates of an Indian were usually not pleasant

B．The life name of an Indian was earned in battle

C．An Indian could throw away his birth name when he was old enough to earn one for himself.

D．The Indians themselves were not allowed to give their names away.

【推荐3】Apart from decoration purposes, the paint symbols   were mainly used during wars to express secret messages to the other members of the tribe. Native Indians believed that the designs that they painted had certain magical power that would protect them. The symbols were a reflection of the happenings and events during a war.Given below are the different symbols with   their meanings.

Eye of a Medicine Man Symbol It was a very powerful symbol thatrepresented the medicine man or shaman.The outer（外部的）lines indicated the four directions. The inner lines showed the spirit world and the dot in the center meant the eye of the medicine man and his spiritual vision.

Lightning Symbol It was a common symbol that wasseen painted on the face or across the forehead of almost all the soldiers. It was believed that itbrought power and speed to the wearer. A lightning symbol also symbolized the thunderbird , which brought lightni ng.

Four Ages of Man Symbol It indicated four stages of a man's life. They were childhood, youth and adolescence , maturity   in middle age, and wisdom in old age.

Indian Camp Symbol It indicated an Indian village that consisted of tent-like houses made of wood and animal skins. It was easy to build and dismantle（拆卸）quickly.

Homecoming Symbol It indicated the return of soldiers and ceremonies were held to welcome the brave soldiers.

So, these were a few war paint symbols along with their meanings. These were some of the widespread symbols. Each and every tribe had different symbols and colors , which indicated different things. They were not only used during wars, but also for hunting and decorations.

1. The native Indians may disagree that the paint symbols can be used to __________ .

A．share secret messages among tribe members

B．protect tribe members with magical power

C．reflect the events happening during wars

D．prevent tribe members from being attacked by insects

2. A soldier may use a lightning symbol to __________ .

A．gain strength and speed

B．show his courage and bravery

C．celebrate his narrow escape

D．show off his victory over enemies

3. Which symbol represents different periods of human beings?

A．Homecoming Symbol.

B．Lightning Symbol.

C．Four Ages of Man Symbol.

D．Indian Camp Symbol.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Native Indian war paint symbols and their meanings.

B．Meanings and symbolism of different war paint colors.

C．Widespread symbols are of great use during wars.

D．Different colors and symbols indicate different

【推荐1】Ai-Petri Bridges, Crimea

The views of the Crimean coast from the top of 1,234-metre high Ai-Petri Mount are amazing. The hanging bridges built in recent years can reach the top of the mount. If just walking across the bridges is not dangerous enough, it also happens to be one of the windiest places in the world. It is said that the bridges blow from side to side as wind speeds reach 170 kilometres per hour for 125 days of the year. It’s also very foggy, so you may not be able to see clearly!

U Bein Bridge, Myanmar

This five-metre-high, 1.2-kilometre wooden footbridge does not look as dangerous as the others, but do not be fooled. It was built in the 1850s and it’s certainly feeling its age! Some of the old wood is not as strong as it used to be. It is easy to lose your footing. Although there is no handrail (栏杆), large numbers of tourists cross it every day. When the tourists arrive in the evening to watch the beautiful sunset, this bridge could become the most dangerous of them all!

The Trift Bridge, Switzerland

At 100 metres high and 170 metres long, this is one of the highest bridges in the world. Built in 2004, the bridge is hidden among the high Swiss Alps. You wouldn’t have wanted to walk across the bridge before its repair in 2009. But if you have the courage to cross this bridge, you’d better do it quickly!

The Hussaini Hanging Bridge, Pakistan

In the mountainous area of Northern Pakistan, the Hussaini Hanging Bridge helps travelers cross the Borit Lake. However, you will not feel too confident when you get close to this bridge. It’s one of the oldest bridges in Pakistan and many locals use it every day to travel to work and school — imagine losing your homework over the side of this bridge! It’s made from rope, with a few pieces of wood that have large gaps (空隙) between them. Step carefully!

1. What can we learn about U Bein Bridge?

A．It’s very popular at sunset.

B．It’s safest for people to cross.

C．It’s the oldest bridge in the world.

D．It’s made from rope without handrails.

2. One may not enjoy the views clearly on ________.

A．U Bein Bridge	B．Ai-Petri Bridges
C．The Trift Bridge	D．The Hussaini Hanging Bridge

3. What do the bridges mentioned in the text have in common?

A．All require serious repair.

B．All top highest in their country.

C．All have a history of one century.

D．All require plenty of courage to cross.

【推荐2】The traditional tent cities at festivals such as Glastonbury may never be the same again. In a victory of green business that is certain to appeal to environmentally-aware music-lovers, a design student is to receive financial support to produce eco-friendly tents made of cardboard that can be recycled after the bands and the crowds have gone home.

Major festivals such as Glastonbury throw away some 10,000 abandoned tents at the end of events each year. For his final year project at the University of the West of England, James Dun-lop came up with a material that can be recycled. And to cope with the British summer, the cardboard has been made waterproof.

Taking inspiration from a Japanese architect who has used cardboard to make big buildings, including churches, Mr. Dun-lop used cardboard material for his tents which he called Myhabs.

The design won an award at the annual New Designers Exhibition after Mr. Dun-lop graduated from his product design degree and he decided to try to turn it into a business.

To raise money for the idea, he toured the city’s private companies which fund new business and found a supporter in the finance group Mint. He introduced his idea to four of Mint’s directors and won their support. Mint has committed around £500,000 to Myhabs and taken a share of 30 percent in Mr. Dun-lop’s business. The first Myhabs should be tested at festivals this summer before being marketed fully next year.

Mr. Dun-lop said that the design, which accommodates two people could have other uses such as for disaster relief and housing for the London Olympics.

For music events, the cardboard houses will be ordered online and put up at the sites by the Myhabs team before the festival-goers arrive and removed by the company afterwards. They can be personalized and the company will offer reductions on the expense if people agree to sell exterior (外部的) advertising space.

The biggest festivals attract tens of thousands of participants with Glastonbury having some 150,000 each year. Altogether there are around 100 annual music festivals where people camp in the UK. The events are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious.

1. The highlighted phrase “eco-friendly tents” in Paragraph 1 refer to tents _______.

A．economically desirable	B．favorable to the environment
C．for holding music performances	D．designed for disaster relief

2. Mr. Dun-lop established his business _________.

A．independently with an interest free loan from Mint

B．with the approval of the City’s administration

C．with the help of a Japanese architect

D．in partnership with a finance group

3. It is implied in the passage that _________.

A．the weather in the UK is changeable in summer

B．most performances at British festivals are given in the open air

C．the cardboard tents produced by Mr. Dun-lop can be user-tailored

D．cardboard tents can be easily put up and removed by users

4. The tents _________ according to the passage.

A．have good commercial value

B．can’t resist water

C．are only for open air festivals

D．are promoted strongly by the UK government

【推荐3】Different countries have different eating habits. There is a saying “Eat good things for breakfast, eat a big meal for lunch, but eat less at dinner” in China. Many Americans agree that one should start the day with a good breakfast, but their ideas about lunch and dinner are different.

Most Americans only give themselves a short time for lunch because they have not so much long time to have a rest at noon. So they eat a small lunch. After work they will have more time to eat a big dinner. Also a quiet dinner at home with all the family talking about their day is a way to take a good rest after a long, hard day of work.

Eating at restaurants is also different. In China, people like to talk and laugh while eating. Very often you can hear people talking and laughing loudly, and they just having a good time. In America it is not like this. They want a quiet place where they can eat a good meal far away from the noises of the outside world. If some people are talking too loudly, the manager of the restaurant may come out and ask them to be quiet.

1. Chinese and Americans have the same idea on ________.

A．breakfast

B．lunch

C．dinner

D．tea

2. Why don’t Americans eat a big lunch at noon?

A．Because that is Americans’ tradition.	B．Because Americans’ lunch is small.
C．Because they have not enough time.	D．Because Americans don’t have lunch.

3. If some people are talking loudly in a Chinese restaurant, what will happen?

A．The manager of the restaurant will look at them angrily.

B．They will have a good time.

C．The manager of the restaurant may ask them to be quiet.

D．They will quarrel with each other.

4. From the passage we know that ________.

A．Chinese like eating breakfast	B．Americans don’t like eating lunch
C．American restaurants are often quiet	D．Chinese restaurant are often quiet