1 . After spending a term in Spain, I have been trying to work out which common impressions on Spain have some truth in them and which don't.
Spain is always warm and sunny. This is not true. The city I stayed in, which is in central Spain, often becomes colder than London in winter. However, the city receives little rain all year round and gets very hot in summer.
The Spanish love to have fun.
Spain is a fascinating country, in which you are sure to have lots of fun. I find that a lot of the common impressions on Spain hold some truth.
A.Spain is famous for its Flamenco. |
B.Here’s what I have discovered so far. |
C.But the country is not limited to them. |
D.I have seen a lot of evidence that this is true. |
E.The following are correct impressions on Spain. |
F.Southern Spain tends to be warmer than northern Spain. |
G.Northern Spain is colder in summer and also colder in winter. |
2 . When you go on a trip to America, you will see the word Motel on signs and notice boards. It is made up of “motor” and “hotel” and it is really a hotel for people who arrive by car (however, you don’t need a car to stay at one). You have to pay when you arrive for your room, which usually has a bath. Meals are not provided but there will certainly be a cafeteria. Americans eat a lot of salads and sandwiches. Along the main roads there are a lot of motels. Each tries to offer more than the others. Some provide television in every bedroom; others have swimming pools and so on. Motels are especially useful when you are in the country, far from a town or city. You will also find them in big national parks.
In these great national parks, you may meet guests you don't expect to see. An American friend told me a short story. In the middle of a moonless night,she heard strange noises outside her motel window in the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Thinking it might be a thief, she jumped out of bed, opened the door and crept towards a dark shadow. As she got close, she saw the thief. She was dreadfully frightened: it wasn’t a human thief-it was a big black bear. The bear was turning over some empty tins with its paws, looking for tasty bits of food. My friend decided to leave that particular thief alone!
There are also, of course, places called “rooming houses”, where they provide lodges(客房).You will see such signs as Tourists or Rooms Rent, and you could try one of these. A word of warning-looking for a room in New York during the tourist season is like looking for gold on the moon!
1. Motels provide all the following EXCEPT .A.bath | B.TV | C.meals | D.swimming pools |
A.moved slowly | B.rushed out | C.threw away | D.ran fast |
A.tourists can find gold there |
B.it is difficult to find a room there |
C.tourists can have a sweet dream there |
D.there is a warning for tourists to New York |
3 . The British Sense of Humour
The British are known for their sense of humor. However, it is often difficult for foreigners to make sense of their jokes. The main thing to remember is that the British like to make fun of themselves as well as others.
Understatement means saying less than you think or feel. For example, if someone is very impolite and shouts at another person, someone else might say, 'She isn’t exactly friendly.' Understatement is often used in unpleasant situations or to make another person look silly.
The British like to make fun of many other things. They often laugh about the silly and terrible things that happen to us every day, like when someone accidentally falls over in the street. They also like to make jokes about people from different classes of society.
A.British humor brings people laughter and content. |
B.Understatement plays an important part in British humor. |
C.Then, he sat in the chair and used a broom to drive the car! |
D.They also like to make jokes about situations that are quite serious. |
E.Throughout the film, the audience were amused by his convincing acting. |
F.Mr. Bean is the character created by British actor Rowan Atkinson in 1990. |
G.Such jokes are normally about their accents, the way they dress and the way they behave. |
4 . Whether it is for a special festival, to express thanks or to just let someone know that you care about them, giving gifts is a common custom. The purpose of giving gifts may be similar, but the tradition varies from country to country. A gift of respect in one place may be considered rude in another. Take a look at three unique gift-giving traditions.
India
If you’re invited to someone’s home in India, you should bring a small gift, whether it’s a box of chocolates or some flowers. Gifts shouldn’t be wrapped (包裹) in black or white colors. because they are considered unlucky. Instead, use bright colors such as green, red or yellow. When giving money for any occasion, it should have an odd number (奇数) value. That’s believed to bring good luck. Instead of receiving a gift with both hands, Indians generally only use their right hand because left hands are considered unclean.
Japan
For most Japanese, the ritual (礼节) of giving presents is more important than the gifts themselves. The correct way is to present or receive gifts with both hands. Every gift should be wrapped. That’s because uncovered gifts are considered disrespectful. To show politeness and thanks, those who are receiving the gift may turn it down once or twice before finally accepting it. Gifts should be given in pairs, but four should be avoided just like in China. Lucky numbers also include eight. Eight is said to bring prosperity.
Native America
While it may be common for guests to prepare gifts for hosts, this is different in Native American communities. From weddings to birthday celebrations, guests are the ones who receive gifts. Gifts are usually homemade arts and crafts that are made by hand to show love, respect and appreciation.
1. What kind of gift would you bring to an Indian home?A.Some chocolates in a green box. | B.Flowers wrapped in black paper. |
C.Sixty dollars in a yellow envelope. | D.Seventy-five rupees wrapped in white paper. |
A.To get another better gift. | B.To be more polite and thankful. |
C.To refuse one’s kindness. | D.To be more outgoing and active. |
A.To list some attractive festivals. | B.To compare some countries. |
C.To recommend some formal gifts. | D.To introduce some gift-giving traditions. |
As we all know, we can learn a lot about others' feelings and thoughts by watching
Grand Canyon National Park has more than six million visitors every year. Tourism brings much-needed money to American Indians in the Grand Canyon area.
To the east of the national park
The Mayan civilization was from a group of people
The Mayan civilization was the most important between the years of 250 AD and 900 AD.
The Maya people traded with other people in the Americas. They made changes to their buildings to make them much
The Mayan civilization started getting smaller after 900 AD. The Spanish arrived in
There is a gigantic study that’s been done in 38 cultures.
Take a cartoon
Dear Mike,
How are you?I am so glad to tell you anything about the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is a traditional festival with a long history in China. It is of very popular and is also celebrated in much other Asian countries. The festival fell on the 15th day of August in the lunar calendar or is celebrated in different ways. It is a time to get together with family and friends. People usually have a get-together, enjoy a large meal. In the evening, people talk and eat moon cakes under the beautiful moon. Children prefer to listen to fairy tales while adults appreciate bright full moon in the open air. The moon is a symbol of reunion, lucky and wealth. It is also a custom to express best wish to people they love at this particularly time.
Welcome to China to enjoy this festival with us one day.
Yours,
Zhang Feng
10 . The world is a colorful landscape of different languages, skin colors, and different cultures. It's important to have a good understanding of different cultures in order to become a well-rounded person
One way is to read books written by authors from a particular culture. Reading works by authors who have a close relationship with a particular culture allows people to gain an authentic glimpse into the food, music, language, religion, and way of a life of a particular group of people.
Another way to learn about different cultures is to try to learn a foreign language.
Communicating with people from other countries through email or snail mail is another useful way to become familiar with different cultures.
A.Trying authentic food from a specific cultural group is also a great idea. |
B.The Internet has made it possible to communicate with others from different countries. |
C.Making contact with native speakers of the language allows one to gain firsthand knowledge. |
D.There are several ways to become knowledgeable about different cultures. |
E.Stories based on a local culture expose one to a different culture. |
F.One way to develop this appreciation is to try to team about other cultures around the world. |
G.A variety of language-learning books, software, and audio programs is available. |