【推荐1】Living in a foreign culture can be exciting, but it can also be confusing(令人疑惑的). A group of Americans who taught English in other countries recently discussed their experiences. They decided that miscommunications were always impossible, even over something as simple as “yes” and “no”.
On her first day in Micronesia, an island in the Pacific, Lisa thought people weren’t paying any attention to her. The day was hot. She went into a store and asked, “Do you have cold drinks?” The woman there didn’t say anything. Lisa repeated the question. Still the woman said nothing. She later learned that the woman had answered her: She had raised her eyebrows（眉毛）, which in Micronesia means “yes”.
Jan remembered an experience she had in Bulgaria, a country in Europe. She went to a restaurant that was known for its cabbage. She asked the waiter, “Do you have cabbage today?” He nodded his head. Jan waited, but the cabbage never came. In that country, a nod means “no”.
Tom had a similar problem when he arrived in India. After explaining something in class, he asked his students if they understood. They answered with different nods and shakes of the head. He thought some people had not understood, so he explained again. When he asked again, they did the same thing. He soon found out that his students did understand. In India, people nod and shake their heads in different ways depending on where they come from. You have to know where a person is from to understand whether they mean “yes” or “no”.
1. These Americans teaching English in other countries found that they            .

A．should go abroad for vacations

B．needed to learn foreign languages

C．should often discuss their experiences

D．had problems with communications

2. People in Micronesia show “yes” by            .

A．nodding heads	B．raising eyebrows
C．shaking heads	D．saying “no”

3. Tom misunderstood his class at first because            .

A．he did not know much about India culture

B．he didn’t explain everything clearly enough

C．some students didn’t understand his questions

D．he didn’t know where the students came from

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?

A．In Bulgaria, nodding heads means “no”.

B．Jan taught English on a Pacific island.

C．Lisa was trying to buy some cabbage.

D．In India, only shaking heads means “yes”.

5. The passage is mainly about            .

A．body language in foreign restaurants

B．class discussion in India schools

C．miscommunication in different cultures

D．English teaching in other countries

【推荐2】Meeting someone for the first time can be embarrassing (令人尴尬的) if you get it wrong. Suppose you are going to meet a person from the UK. Do you know what you should say and do?

A hand shake is the most common way to greet someone, especially if you are in a formal (正式的) situation. However, the kind of handshake is important. Your handshake should be confident, but that doesn’t mean you need to crush (挤压) anybody’s fingers. On the other hand, don’t be too weak. It’s always a good idea to smile and make eye contact (直视) with the person you are shaking hands with. Lastly, remember that two shakes are enough. Take hold of the hand and shake it up and down twice. Don’t hold on for too long-you are not asking someone to dance!

Hugging and kissing are more informal greetings in the UK. They are usually for friends, family and small children. When meeting someone for the first time, you may not want to use these kinds of greetings.

In the past, Britons would usually greet strangers with a “How do you do?” Today, this phrase is seen as out-of-date. It’s seldom used now. Phrases such as “How are you doing?” and “How are you?” have become more popular. These phrases, however, can cause some confusion (困惑). When a Briton says “How are you?” to you, he or she probably doesn’t expect you to answer the question. You may just reply with “How are you?” to him or her.

Greeting phrases may be different from one place to another. You might hear a “Now then?” or “Ey up?” when you meet someone from the north of the U.K. How should you reply then? Just smile and say, “Hi!”, or “How are you”?

1. How do people usually greet in a formal situation?

A．By hugging.

B．By shaking hands.

C．By kissing.

2. What do people do while they are shaking hands?
① Be confident.        ② Crush other’s fingers.        ③ Be too weak.
④ Smile and keep eye contact.        ⑤ Shake hands twice.        ⑥ Hold on for a long time.

A．①④⑤

B．①②④

C．②③⑥

3. What does the word “out-of-date” underlined in paragraph 4 mean?

A．时尚的

B．典型的

C．过时的

4. According to the passage, how could you reply when a Briton says “How are you?” to you?

A．I’m fine.

B．How are you?

C．Not too bad.

5. What’s the structure of this passage?

A．

B．

C．

【推荐3】English is spoken as a first language by most people in the USA, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. However, English is also spoken all over the world. It is the main language in over60 countries, including India, Singapore and many of the Carribean and Pacific islands. In these places English is often a second language.

English is also an international language in many other countries, like China and Japan. People in these countries use it for business, and travelers to these countries use English when they get there. Other people may learn English because they enjoy reading books in English, listening to British or American music or watching American films.

English has changed a lot over the years and still goes on changing. It is no longer right to talk about British English or American English because they are much the same. People in Japan and Korea, for example, may use the American spelling but may not sound like Americans.

English will probably be the most widely used language in the world by the end of the 21^st century. This language no longer belongs to British, American or Australian. It belongs to anyone in the world. So, as middle school students, you should think about how you can use this language well because as you leave school, you will almost certainly need it.

1. What is so SPECIAL about English?

A．It is one of the subjects in school.	B．It is used both as first and second language.
C．It is spoken all over the world.	D．It is spoken mostly in business.

2. Which of the following best describes the use of English?

A．In many occasion.	B．Only in foreign countries.
C．When reading English books.	D．When enjoying English songs.

3. For many years, English ______.

A．hasn’t changed at all

B．is keeping changing

C．has changed into British English and American English

D．is used only by people from Britain and America

4. How will English be used in the future?

A．It will be used as the only language in the world.

B．It will be used by everyone in the world.

C．It will no longer be used by people.

D．It will be used even more widely.

5. Which of the following may be the best title for this passage?

A．The First Language of the Whole World	B．The Language of the Times
C．The Best Language in the world	D．English Around the World