【推荐1】In a foreign country, a man visited a local restaurant. He didn’t speak their language. He ordered something indecipherable (无法解释的，难以辨认的) off the menu. When the waiter brought him a plate of delicious looking fried noodles, he smiled and made an OK sign at the waiter with his thumb (大拇指) and forefinger (食指) linked in a circle. Looking angry, the waiter then picked up the dish and threw it to his lap (大腿). What he did wrong, he wondered. Well, nothing is quite as it seems when it comes to using hand gesture in another country.

Gestures have been used to replace words in many countries, and they are often specific to a given culture. Gesture may mean something complimentary in one culture, but is highly impolite in another.

The gesture “thumbup” (竖起大拇指) is commonly misinterpreted (误解). In English, it is popularly known as “thumbsup”, despite the fact that the action is commonly performed with only one hand. English speaking Caucasians (白种人) use it to signal “OK”, which is the same meaning as OK ring gesture. The two can in fact be used almost interchangeably.

Avoid using this gesture in northern Greece unless you want to invite a fight. While American, British and Australian would use the thumbup to signal hitchhiking (搭便车) to the drivers, this message will not encourage a Greek driver or motorist to stop to give them a ride.

There are no right or wrong signals, but only cultural differences. Lack of cultural understanding will lead to disharmony among people from different cultures. When we know what to look for, such encounters with other cultures are actually very interesting, fascinating and fun. It is certainly a great topic to discuss over a cup of coffee and cakes.

1. What did the man in the first paragraph do wrong?

A．He misunderstood the waiter.	B．He didn’t realize cultural differences.
C．He ordered something off the menu.	D．He made the signal in a rude way.

2. What does the underlined word “complimentary” in the second paragraph mean?

A．to be praised.	B．to be disliked.
C．to be hated.	D．to be fighted.

3. What will happen if you make a thumb up toward a man in northern Greece?

A．He will stop to give you a lift.	B．He will get annoyed and fight against you.
C．He will ask you to give him a lift.	D．He will make the same signal toward you.

4. What’s the purpose of the passage?

A．To explain the meanings of different gestures.

B．To tell stories about different cultures.

C．To advise us to have an understanding of cultural differences.

D．To persuade people from different countries to live in harmony.

【推荐2】There is more of a connection between food and culture than you may think. On an individual level, we grow up eating the food of our culture. It becomes a part of who we are. Many associate food from our childhood with warm feelings and good memories and it ties us to our families, holding a special and personal value for us. Food from our family often becomes the comfort food we seek as adults in times of frustration and stress.

On a large scale, traditional food is an important part of culture. It also operates as an expression of culture identity. Immigrants bring it wherever they go, and it is a symbol of pride in their culture and means of coping with homesickness.

Many immigrants open their own restaurants and serve traditional dishes. However, the food does not remain exactly the same. Some materials needed to make traditional dishes may not be readily available, so the taste and flavor can be different from what they would prepare in their home countries. Additionally, immigrants do not only sell dishes to people from the same countries as them, but to people from different countries. Therefore, they have to make small changes in the original dishes to cater to a wider range of customers. Those changes can create new flavors that still keep the cultural significance of the dishes.

We should embrace our heritage through our traditional food but also become more informed about other cultures by trying their food. It is important to remember that each dish has a special place in the culture to which it belongs, and is special to those who prepare it. Food is a window into culture, and it should be treated as such.

1. What’s the function of food mentioned in the article?

A．To show national identity.	B．To help motivate homesickness.
C．To reflect a country’s history.	D．To show a community’s superiority.

2. What does the underlined “it” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．The national culture.	B．The specific traditional food.
C．A traditional expression of food.	D．The old-fashioned taste.

3. Why do some immigrants have to change the original dishes in their restaurant?

A．To attach cultural importance to their dishes.

B．To announce the beginning of their life on foreign soil.

C．To present their own food culture in a new way.

D．To make the dishes popular among customers.

4. What's the author’s attitude towards different food cultures?

A．Negative.

B．unfair.

C．Positive.

D．Opposed.

【推荐3】This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers from all over the world will spend about ten months in American homes. They will attend American schools, meet American teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world.

Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George’s family. In turn, George’s son Mike spent a year in Fred’s home in America.

Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months’ study, the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected—much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.

Family life, too, was different. The father’s word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual. Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.

“Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it.”

At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. “I suppose I should criticize American schools”, he says. “It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany, we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two.”

1. The whole exchange programme is mainly to________.

A．help teenagers in other countries know the real America

B．send students in America to travel in Germany

C．let students learn something about other countries

D．have teenagers learn new languages

2. Fred and Mike agreed that________.

A．American food tasted better than German food

B．German schools were harder than American schools

C．Americans and Germans were both friendly

D．there were more cars on the streets in America

3. What is particular in American schools is that________.

A．there is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings

B．there are a lot of after-school activities

C．students usually take fourteen subjects in all

D．students go outside to enjoy themselves in a car

4. After experiencing the American school life, Mike thought________.

A．a better education should include something good from both America and Germany

B．German schools trained students to be better citizens

C．American schools were not as good as German schools

D．the easy life in the American school was more helpful to students