You may have already forgotten the days when you had to learn how to use chopsticks. Every Chinese kid struggles with them for some time. But chopsticks are not just simple tools to pick up food. They come with their own special rules and traditions.
Generally, people should not make noise with chopsticks. Playing with chopsticks is seen as bad manners, just as playing with forks and knives in a Western country would be rude.
There are also some superstitions（迷信）related to chopsticks. For example, some people believe that chopsticks should not be left standing upright in a bowl. It looks like the incense（香）that Chinese use to honor（祭奠）the dead. Doing it at the dinner table is believed to bring bad luck.
You should not tap chopsticks on the edge of the bowl either, as beggars do this to ask for food. Parents might get angry if children do this as they don’t want their children to be as poor as beggars in the future.
Apart from（除了）being tableware（餐具）, chopsticks can also be a great gift. In Chinese, “chopsticks” are known as “kuaizi”, which means to have babies soon. Newlyweds（新婚夫妇）sometimes receive chopsticks as a wedding gift. Skilled craftsmen（手艺人）paint beautiful images on chopsticks to make them look like fine artwork.
根据短文内容，回答下列问题。
1. What might people think if you play with your chopsticks?
2. Why shouldn’t we leave chopsticks standing upright in a bowl?
3. Why shouldn’t you tap your chopsticks on the edge of your bowl?
4. What else are chopsticks used for, according to the last paragraph?
5. What is the story mainly about?
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The meaning of silence is different among different cultures.
Many people in some Asian cultures think silence is a basic part of communication. When a traditional Chinese or Thai is speaking and suddenly stops, he probably wants the listener to consider what he has said before he continues. Many people may think silence is a sign of respect, especially to an elder or a person with power.
Western cultures may use silence in other ways. In America, if you keep silent in a conversation, the speaker may think you’re impolite or not listening to them carefully. Russian, French, and Spanish persons may use silence to show they agree with the discussion of the topic. However, Mexicans may keep silent when instructions are given by a person with a lot of power, even though they don’t agree with the instructions.
In our daily life, if we know the exact meaning of one’s silence, it’s quite helpful, too. A man was ill in hospital. One morning, when the nurse said “Hello!” to him, he said “Hello!” back. “How are you feeling now?” the nurse continued. But the man lay in bed and looked at the nurse, saying nothing. “Not well, right? Then I will check it for you, OK?” the patient was still silent. Then the nurse passed him a cup of warm water. He drank it quickly. After that, the nurse checked up his health. “Mr. Smith, your blood pressure is a little high. But don’t worry, you’ll soon be well again after taking some medicine.” The man smiled and said, “You’re the best nurse I’ve ever met.” You see, this is how silence works.
根据短文内容回答下列问题。
1. Did the nurse know the meaning of the sick man’s silence?
2. When a traditional Thai is speaking and suddenly stops, what does he probably mean?
3. In America, what may the speaker think if you keep silent in a conversation?
4. If you disagree with what your parents say, will you keep silent? Why or why not?
【推荐2】Every year, wildfire（野火）destroys much forest land. Homes are broken down, and thousands of people die. Smokejumpers are helping to stop this.
Smokejumpers are a special kind of firefighters. They jump from planes into areas that are difficult to reach by car or on foot. They try to put out the fire as fast as they can.
At a fire site（场所）, smokejumpers first examine（检查）the land and decide how to put out the fire. Their main goal is to stop the fire from spreading, using basic tools, such as shovels and axes. Smokejumpers clear land of burnable materials like plastics and other dry materials. They carry water with them too, but not much.
Although most smokejumpers are men, more women are joining. The most important things are your weight and height. Take smokejumpers in the USA for example—they must be 54 to 91 kilograms, so they won’t get hurt when they land, or get blown over by the strong winds.
Smokejumpers must be able to live in the wilderness. In Russia, many smokejumpers know how to find food in the forest and even make simple furniture out of trees.
Their work is dangerous, and the working hours are long. But for these firefighters, it isn’t just a job. They love being able to jump out of planes, fight fires, and live in the forest. As a 28-year-old Russian smokejumper, Alexi Tishin says, “This is the best job for the strong and brave.”
根据短文内容，回答下列问题。
1. What are smokejumpers?
2. Where do they jump from?
3. What’s their main goal?
4. Why should smokejumpers have proper weight?
5. What’s needed to be a smokejumper?
【推荐3】Pakistani girl Malala Yousafzai is the youngest ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She has become the voice of girls throughout the world.
Born in Swat Valley in Pakistan in 1997, Malala lived a quiet life until 2009, when the Taliban（塔利班）, an Islamic organization of violence（暴力）took control of her village.
She has spoken at the United Nations, met world leaders and written a book, I Am Malala.
On Oct 10, 2013, the EU awarded Malala their top human rights prize. They said, “She is an icon（符号）of courage for all teenagers who dare to follow their aspirations（愿望).”
| A. However, her actions also put her in danger. B. They stopped girls from getting an education. C. Now she is still calling for education rights for girls. D. And she started to write a blog against the Taliban. |
| A. Dreams of peace | B. A gun shot in Pakistan |
| C. Voice of courage | D. Education rights for girls |
Many books have been written about the art of giving. But what about the art of receiving? Sometimes receiving a gift can be difficult, especially when someone buys you a gift you don’t want.
“I remember when I was about twelve years old, my parents bought me a purple wallet,” laughs Guo Xiaojing. “It really made me feel embarrassed, because to be honest, I thought the wallet was really ugly! Still, I pretended that I liked it because I knew it would make my parents happy.”
Han Ling agrees. “That sounds like my grandparents. A few years ago, my grandparents gave me an orange sweater for my birthday. I used to wear it every time I visited their house, but when I left their house, I took it off! Of course, this made me feel guilty（内疚的）. It was a very nice thought, but my grandparents and I have different tastes! I think it’s hard to buy clothes or other personal things for people.”
To make things easier, some people would rather just give money. In some cultures, however, receiving money can make people uncomfortable. “When someone gives me money, it just makes me think they are being lazy”, says John Wilson.“In England, we have a saying: It’s the thought that counts. When someone gives me money, I feel they didn’t think at all. I prefer to receive a gift that has some thought behind it. I don’t mind if it’s something I don’t need. If someone has thought about a gift for me, it always makes me happy.”
Different people have very different thoughts on this subject!
So maybe the art of receiving is even more difficult than the art of giving. What do you think?
1. How did Guo Xiaojing feel when she received a purple wallet?2. When did Han Ling wear the orange sweater?
3. Why do some people like to give money?
4. What gift does John Wilson like?
5. If you receive a gift from your parents, but you don’t like it, what will you do?
Table manners are how to behave when you eat a meal. They include how to handle knives, forks and spoons and how to eat in a polite manner. To behave well abroad, you are to know some table manners.
EATING MANNERS
Japan: It is “perfectly” okay to slurp (发出啧啧声) when you eat noodles. Unlike making big noises, slurping slightly is not rude. Japanese also say it tastes better if you slurp.
Russia: Your wrists should be placed on the edge of the table while eating, fork in left hand, and knife in the right. It is not good manners to rest them on your lap. Keep your elbows off the table. Leave some food on your plate to show that the host has given you enough to eat.
France: Never discuss money or religion over dinner. What is different from the manners in Russia is that finishing everything on your plate is considered good manners.
Mexico: Whenever you catch the eye of someone who’s eating, even a stranger, it’s good manners to say “provecho”, which means enjoy. In Mexico, dining is more than a meal. It’s a social occasion — lunches are seldom quick and suppers can last for hours. Where you sit matters in the country. You must say “enjoy your meal” before you leave the table.
DRINKING MANNERS
America: If you empty a bottle into someone’s glass, it obliges that person to buy the next bottle. It’s polite to put the last drops into your own glass.
Australia: In a pub it’s usual to buy a round of drinks for everyone in your group. When it’s your turn, say “It’s my round”. When it’s their round, they will buy it for you. Don’t leave before you’ve bought a round.
Japan: Don’t fill your own glass of alcohol. Instead, you should pour for others and wait for them to do it for you.
1. What do table manners include?2. How many countries are mentioned in the article?
3. Which country is mentioned in both eating manners and drinking manners?
4. Why does the writer tell us the table manners in many countries?
5. What is the best title for this passage?
In China, the 12th month of the lunar calendar (阴历) is called Layue. The month is full of interesting festivals and customs.
Laba Festival, which is on the 8th day of Layue, is the first festival in this month. From this day on, people begin to get ready for the Chinese New Year.
On Laba Festival, people eat hot Laba porridge (粥). There are usually eight things in the porridge: rice, red beans, peas, dried lotus seeds, dates, and three different kinds of fruits and nuts. The porridge is not just good for your health, but a blessing for the coming of Chinese New Year.
Laba porridge is not the only tasty food in Layue. Laba garlic (腊八蒜) is popular in the north. People begin to soak (浸泡) garlic in vinegar (醋) from that day on, and eat it with dumplings during the Chinese New Year. While in the south, people like making sausages.
Another major celebration before Spring Festival is Xiaonian. It is usually on the 23rd or 24th day of the last lunar month. Traditionally it is an important day when people offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God who looks after the family.
Don’t forget to clean your home. This is also an important thing to do to prepare for the Chinese New Year. It means sweeping away the dust of the old year and welcoming a fresh start. Now, the last thing for you to do is to wait for the coming Spring Festival.
1. When is Laba festival?2. List things in Laba porridge. (At least 4)
3. What do people do on Xiaonian?
4. Translate the underlined sentence into Chinese.
5. Give the passage a proper title.
