1 . Here is some must-know information from a handbook on how people behave in doing business in some countries.

In Brazil

Brazilians are warm and friendly. They often stand close when talking and it is common for them to touch the person on the shoulder. People often greet each other (particularly women) with light cheek kisses. Schedules tend to be flexible, with business meetings sometimes starting later than planned. But to be safe, be on time. Meals can stretch for hours — there’s no such thing as rushing a meal in Brazil. Lunches also can start in the mid to late afternoon. Brazilians are social, preferring face-to-face communication over mails or phone calls.

In Singapore

Singaporeans shake hands when they meet and often also greet each other with a small, polite bow. Business cards should be offered and received with two hands. Arriving late is considered disrespectful. So be on time. Efficiency(效率) is the goal, so meetings and dealings often are fast-paced. Singaporeans are direct in their discussions, even when the subject is about money. Rank is important and authority is respected. This determines both people interact in meetings. For example, people avoid disagreeing outright with someone with a higher rank.

In the United Arab Emirates

In the UAE, status is important, so the most senior or oldest should be greeted first with their titles. The handshake seems to be longer than elsewhere. So, do not pull away the handshake. Women should cover themselves when it comes to dress. Men also tend to be covered from neck to elbows(肘部) and down to the knees. People do not avoid entertaining in their homes, but they also hold business meals at restaurants. Touching or passing food or eating with your left hand is to be avoided. When meetings are one-to-one, if your host offers you coffee, you should refuse. It might seem odd, but it is a cultural tradition. Coffee should only be accepted if it is always set out or presented.

In Switzerland

The Swiss tend to be formal and address each other by last name. They also are respectful of private lives. You should be careful not to ask about personal topics. Punctuality (守时) is vital, something that comes from a deep respect for others’ time. Arrive at any meeting or event a few minutes early to be safe. They also have clear structure in their companies. Higher-ups make the final decisions, even if others might disagree. Neat, clean dress is expected. The Swiss follow formal table manners. They also keep their hands visible at the table and their elbows off the table. It is polite to finish the food on your plate.

1. The passage is mainly about _____________.

A．communication types

B．the workplace atmosphere

C．customs and social manners

D．living conditions and standards

2. Why do Singaporeans avoid arguing with their boss?

A．They put efficiency in the first place.

B．They dislike face-to-face communication.

C．They want to finish meetings as quickly as possible.

D．They are supposed to obey the person of a higher rank.

3. In the UAE, when should you refuse the coffee if it is offered?

A．When greeting seniors.

B．When meeting the host alone.

C．When attending a presentation.

D．When dining with business partners.

4. In which country do people care about where to put their hands at the dinner table?

A．In Brazil.	B．In Singapore.
C．In the United Arab Emirate.	D．In Switzerland.

2 . Should we allow modern buildings to be built next to older buildings in a historic area of a city? In order to answer this question, we must first examine whether people really want to preserve the historic feel of an area. Not all historical buildings are attractive. However, there may be other reasons—for example, economic (经济的) reasons—why they should be preserved. So, let us assume that historical buildings are both attractive and important to the majority of people. What should we do then if a new building is needed?

In my view, new architectural styles can exist perfectly well alongside an older style. Indeed, there are many examples in my own home town of Tours where modern designs have been placed very successfully next to old buildings. As long as the building in question is pleasing and does not dominate (影响) its surroundings too much, it often improves the attractiveness of the area.

It is true that there are examples of new buildings which have spoilt (破坏) the area they are in, but the same can be said of some old buildings too. Yet people still speak against new buildings in historic areas. I think this is simply because people are naturally conservative(保守的)and do not like change.

Although we have to respect people’s feelings as fellow users of the buildings, I believe that it is the duty of the architect and planner to move things forward . If we always reproduced what was there before, we would all still be living in caves. Thus, I would argue against copying previous architectural styles and choose something fresh and different , even though that might be the more risky choice.

1. What does the author say about historical buildings in the first paragraph?

A．Some of them are not attractive.

B．Most of them ate too expensive to preserve.

C．They are more pleasing than modern buildings.

D．They have nothing to do with the historic feel of an area.

2. Which of the following is true according to the author ?

A．We should reproduce the same old buildings.

B．Buildings should not dominate their surroundings.

C．Some old buildings have spoilt the area they are in.

D．No one understands why people speak against new buildings.

3. By “move things forward ” in the last paragraph , the author probably means“      ”

A．destroy old buildings

B．put things in a different place

C．respect people’s feelings for historical buildings

D．choose new architectural styles

4. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To explain why people dislike change.

B．To argue that modern buildings can be built in historic areas.

C．To warn that we could end up living in caves.

D．To admit how new buildings have ruined their surroundings.

3 . The speed and convenience of modern travel means that destinations that used to take a long time to travel to can now be reached quickly and easily. Even though” faraway” countries may now seem closer thanks to air travel, they may still be different from your home country.    1    Following are some fundamental rules   that will make communication easier, and your trip more enjoyable.

    2    If you do not know the word for something in local language, or can not make yourself understood verbally, try drawing a picture, or pointing to an object.

Avoid topics of conversation that you think may be sensitive.    3    .Feel free to show interest in the history and customs of the place you are visiting, but don’t ask too many questions about why things are done a certain way; you may offend the local people.

    4    Kissing on the street or in public places is unacceptable behavior and should be avoided. If you are unsure of how to behave, watch the local people and copy them---if they don’t behave in a certain way, you probably shouldn’t either.

Finally, if you are traveling on business, or plan to stay with a host to family, and you wish to take a gift, do some research.     5    . One of the easiest ways to offend somebody is to give the wrong gift.

Wherever you go in the world, always be tolerant of the local customs. Avoid being critical; try instead to show respect for the values of the country you are in, even if you do not necessarily agree with them.

A．Keep in mind that in many cultures, display affection in public is considered taboo.

B．Consider the main lifestyle of the country you plan to visit.

C．Never raise your voice in order to make yourself understood.

D．If a topic is sensitive in your own culture, it will more than likely be the same in other cultures.

E．The idea of the perfect gift varies greatly from country to country.

F．The opening of gifts is also treated very differently around the world.

G．Therefore, it is important to adapt your behavior not to offend the local people.

4 . Visitors to Britain may find the best place to sample local culture is in a traditional pub. But these friendly pubs can be dangerous places of potential gaffes (失礼) for the newcomers. A team of researchers have discovered some of the unknown customs of British pubs-starting with the difficulty of getting a drink. Most pubs have no waiters-you have to go to the bar to buy drinks. A group of Italian youths waiting 45 minutes before they realized they would have to fetch their own. This may sound inconvenient, but there is a hidden purpose.

Pub culture is designed to promote sociability (社交) in a society known for its reserve. Standing at the bar for service allows you to chat with others waiting to be served. The bar counter is possibly the only site in the British Isles in which friendly conversation with strangers is considered entirely suitable and really quite normal behavior. “If you haven't been to a pub, you haven't been to Britain.” This tip can be found in a booklet, Passport to the Pub: The Tourists' Guide to Pub Etiquette, a customers' rule of conduct for those wanting to sample “a central part of British life and culture”.

The trouble is that if you do not follow the local rules, the experience may fall flat. For example, if you are in a big group, it is best if only one or two people go to buy the drinks. Nothing annoys the regular customers and bar staff more than a group of strangers blocking all access to the bar while they chat and hesitate about what to order.

1. The underlined word “sample” in the first paragraph probably means “________”.

A．taste

B．experience

C．test

D．record

2. The culture of pub in Britain is so developed to ______.

A．encourage people to communicate with each other

B．encourage more people to consume drinks

C．attract more tourists to the pubs

D．form its own character of culture

3. If you don't follow the local rules in a pub, ________.

A．you won't buy good local drinks

B．you may annoy the regular customers and bar staff

C．you may fail to feel the local culture

D．you might get into a dangerous place

4. What may be the best title for the passage?

A．Self-service Pubs in Britain	B．British Local Pubs: Special Chat Places
C．Local Pub Culture in Britain	D．Manners in British Local Pubs

5 . Tea drinking was common in China for nearly one thousand years before anyone in Europe had ever heard about tea．People in Britain were much slower in finding out what tea was like, mainly because tea was very expensive. It could not be bought in shops and even those people who could afford to have it sent from Holland did so only because it was a fashionable curiosity. Some of them were not sure how to use it. They thought it was a vegetable and tried cooking the leaves. Then they served them mixed with butter and salt. They soon discovered their mistake but many people used to spread the used tea leaves on bread and give them to their children as sandwiches.
Tea remained scarce and very expensive in England until the ships of the East India Company began to bring it direct from China early in the seventeenth century. During the next few years so much tea came into the country that the price fell and many people could afford to buy it.
At the same time people on the Continent were becoming more and more fond of tea．Until then tea had been drunk without milk in it, but one day a famous French lady named Madame de Sevigne decided to see what tea tasted like when milk was added．She found it so pleasant that she would never again drink it without milk. Because she was such a great lady her friends thought they must copy everything she did, so they also drank their tea with milk in it. Slowly this habit spread until it reached England and today only very few Britons drink tea without milk.
At first, tea was usually drunk after dinner in the evening. No one ever thought of drinking tea in the afternoon until a duchess (公爵夫人) found that a cup of tea and a piece of cake at three or four o'clock stopped her getting “a sinking feeling” as she called it. She invited her friends to have this new meal with her and so, tea-time was born.
1. Which of the following is true of the introduction of tea into Britain?

A．The Britons got expensive tea from India.

B．Tea reached Britain from Holland.

C．The Britons were the first people in Europe who drank tea.

D．It was not until the 17th century that the Britons had tea.

2. This passage mainly discusses ________.

A．the history of tea drinking in Britain

B．how tea became a popular drink in Britain

C．how the Britons got the habit of drinking tea

D．how tea-time was born

3. Tea became a popular drink in Britain ________.

A．in eighteenth century	B．in sixteenth century
C．in seventeenth century	D．in the late seventeenth century

4. People in Europe began to drink tea with milk because ________.

A．it tasted like milk

B．it tasted more pleasant

C．it became a popular drink

D．Madame de Sevigne was such a lady with great social influence that people tried to copy the way she drank tea

5. We may infer from the passage that the habit of drinking tea in Britain was mostly
due to the influence of ________.

A．a famous French lady	B．the ancient Chinese
C．the upper social class	D．people in Holland

6 . An American woman Anna Jarvis was the first person to decide the mothers should have a holiday in their honor each year. Miss Jarvis started her campaign in 1906 in her home city Philadelphia. She wrote thousands of letters to congressmen (国会议员), city officials, teachers and newspaper publishers, proposing an official holiday for mothers. She traveled all over America, trying to get support for the idea. Her battle went on for years.

In 1914, the Congress declared the second Sunday in May each year as Mother's Day. Anna Jarvis wanted Mother's Day to be a simple event. She thought children could honor their mothers by spending some time with them as an act of love and respect. However, the holiday turned out to be a major event for department stores, flower shops and greeting­card industry, which Miss Jarvis didn't like.

Americans spend millions of dollars on gifts for their mothers on this day. Younger children often try to prepare and serve breakfast for their mothers. Fathers may offer to take care of children so that mothers can enjoy themselves. The holiday becomes an important time for family gathering.

1. What can be inferred from the text is that ________.

A．the Congress didn't accept Anna's suggestion until the whole country supported her

B．the battle lasted 8 years

C．Jarvis didn't enjoy the usual way Americans spend Mother's Day

D．Mother's Day is an important day for Americans

2. Miss Jarvis proposed Mother's Day in order that people could show their love and respect to their mothers ________.

A．by spending some time with them

B．by offering them precious gifts

C．by eating in restaurants together

D．by taking children for them

3. On Mother's Day ________.

A．all women, young and old, receive gifts

B．families gather together

C．all people stay at home

D．no one goes to work

4. Miss Jarvis proposed Mother's Day, but she didn't like ________.

A．flower shops selling flowers

B．department stores earning money from greeting­cards

C．greeting­card industry

D．the way people spend Mother's Day

7 . February has long been a month of romance（浪漫）. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest（牧师） in the third century Rome. When the emperor (皇帝) decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage. But Valentine continued to perform（主持） marriage ceremonies（典礼） for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison（监狱）, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed （签名）“From your Valentine”, an expression that is still   in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped（心形的） cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.
1. Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?

A．Because there were few women in his country at that time.

B．Because he wanted to control the birth rate.

C．Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people.

D．Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers.

2. Valentine was put into prison because ______.

A．he killed one of the soldiers

B．he didn’t obey the emperor’s order

C．he stole a lot of food

D．he didn’t want to be a soldier

3. The last paragraph mainly tells us ______.

A．students in China send cards to their teachers

B．Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now

C．it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China

D．it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China

4. The best title for this passage should be ______.

A．Valentine’s Day in China	B．A Brave Priest
C．Valentine’s Day	D．A Romantic Man