1 . A characteristic of American culture that has become almost a tradition is to respect the self-made man—the man who has risen to the top through his own efforts, usually beginning by working with his hands. While the leader in business or industry or the college professor occupies a higher social position and wins greater respect in the community than the common laborer or even the skilled factory worker, he may take pains to point out that his father started life in America as a farmer or laborer of some kind.
This attitude toward manual (体力的) labor is now still seen in many aspects of American life. One is invited to dinner at a home that is not only comfortably but even expensively furnished and in which there is every evidence of the fact that the family has been able to afford foreign travel, expensive hobbies, and college education for the children; yet the hostess probably will cook the dinner herself, will serve it herself and will wash dishes afterward; furthermore, the dinner will not consist just of something quickly and easily mixed from contents of various cans and a cake or a pie bought at the nearby bakery. Instead, the hostess usually takes pride in careful preparation of special dishes. A professional man may talk about washing the car, digging in his flowerbeds, painting the house. His wife may even help with these things, just as he often helps her with the dishwashing. The son who is away at college may wait on table and wash dishes for his living, or during the summer he may work with a group of workers on the highway in order to pay for his education.
1. From Paragraph 1, we know that in America ________.

A．people feel painful to mention their fathers as laborers

B．people tend to have a high opinion of the self-made man

C．people can always rise to the top through their own efforts

D．college professors win great respect from common workers

2. According to the passage, the hostess cooks dinner herself mainly because ________.

A．she can hardly afford servants

B．servants in America are hard to get

C．she takes pride in what she can do herself

D．it is easy to prepare a meal with canned food

3. The expression “wait on table” in the second paragraph means “________”.

A．wait to place the table

B．keep accounts for a bar

C．work in a furniture shop

D．serve customers in a restaurant

4. Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage?

A．A Respectable Self-made Family.

B．The Development of Manual Labor.

C．Characteristics of American Culture.

D．American Attitude Toward Manual Labor.

2 . You get on an almost-empty bus, but the next passenger decides to ignore all the empty seats to sit right next to you. While you are waiting in line at the supermarket, the next
customer stands just behind you shouting into his phone.
These are attacks of the personal space invaders(侵略者). Though preferences for personal space differ from culture to culture, we Britons do love our independence and personal space.
As the British customs website Debrett has said, as a British person, somebody standing too close may make you “focus less on what somebody is saying than on how close they are to you”. Simple acts like putting an arm around someone you don’t know that well may seem friendly in China, but they can make us very uncomfortable. The ediplomat.com website explains: “The British are not back slappers (拍打者) or touchers and generally do not show affection (喜欢) in public.”
Being a British person around people from other countries can therefore be full of problems. People from many European countries such as France and Spain kiss each other on the cheek when they meet, yet to us this seems too friendly and “touchy-feely”.
Simple matters like how close others stand can be problems to Britons who want to keep their own personal space. Giving advice on how to behave around a British person, Debrett’s says that “if you can feel the warmth of their worried breath upon your face, then you’re standing too close”.
So, are British people unfriendly? No. The ediplomat.com website explains that we are not as “indifferent” as we may seem, but “very friendly and helpful to foreigners”. However, we do have different ideas about our own space to many people from other countries. Just let us know if you’re going to come any closer than arm’s length, and you’ll be fine!
1. What is the article mainly about?

A．How to make friends with British people.

B．Some tips on British table manners.

C．Ways in which British people show affection.

D．British people’s preference for personal space.

2. If you were meeting a British person for the first time, it would be polite of you to ______, according to the article.

A．kiss him/her on the cheek

B．put an arm around him/her

C．keep an arm’s length away from him/her

D．slap his/her back or shake his/her hands

3. The underlined word “indifferent” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to “_____”.

A．cold	B．modest
C．gentlemanlike	D．independent

4. What can we conclude from the article?

A．British people like to sit next to others on empty buses.

B．British people are helpful, although they may not appear to be.

C．British people do not like staying with other Europeans.

D．British people are happy to show affection in public.

3 . Square dancing is a form of entertainment and physical exercise, which is a good thing. However, a group of senior Chinese ladies dancing in New York’s Sunset Park were recently faced with noise complaints from nearby residents. The local court even served a summons (传票) related to a certain Ms. Wang.
The news soon caused heated discussion across China, with many believing the incident to involve a cultural conflict between the East and West,while others view it as a form of discrimination against Chinese in the United States.
The United States is a diverse society, and in many cases, Chinese dancers are tolerated and even appreciated. Meanwhile, the United States is a society based on the rule of law, and due to cultural differences, local regulations seem to be very different from those in China. As a result, some old Chinese ladies dancing in New York’s Sunset Park found themselves caught in an embarrassing situation. Locals and immigrants from other nations view such noise as a violation of their right to enjoy tranquility. Calling the police is regarded as the most efficient way to solve such a problem.
Before, these ladies probably did not understand local customs and rules. However, since the incident took place, they should perhaps know a little better next time and keep the noise to a minimum. People from different nations are often supposed to reach compromises, respecting and tolerating each other.
Whatever your choice of entertainment, it is important not to affect other people’s lives. Square dancing is only one of many activities during which people should mind their behavior.
As for U.S. police practice, there might still be some room for improvement. Some were said to be rather rude, leading to the so-called “racial discrimination,” which is a sensitive topic in U.S. society.
If the involved parties could be more tolerant, and solve such problems without involving the court, perhaps immigrants would mix more.
1. The writer mentions the incident in Paragraph 1 to __________.

A．show his opinion	B．make complaints
C．bring up the topic	D．criticize the local police

2. The underlined word “tranquility” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by ________.

A．entertainment	B．quietness
C．freedom	D．quality

3. What will the senior Chinese ladies most probably do after the incident?

A．Go back to China.

B．Fight for their right.

C．Ask America to change its law.

D．Keep the noise lower.

4. What’s the writer’s attitude towards senior Chinese ladies dancing in New York’s Sunset Park?

A．He thinks all parties involved should be more tolerant.

B．He strongly supports the action of the local police.

C．He considers it a shame for senior Chinese ladies to do so.

D．He suggests such kind of problem should be solved in the court.

4 . Cultural differences occur wherever you go. When visiting another country, you should be aware of those differences and ____1___ them. Here are some ___2____ on how to fit in.
Every traveler to a foreign country feels __2_____ at some point. What you do can make locals laugh. Your best defense is a sense of ____4___. If you can laugh off eating with the wrong hand in India, locals will warm to you as “that crazy foreigner.”
Wearing proper cloths is important too, ____5___ locals will judge by what you wear. In some Middle Eastern countries, exposing your flesh is ___6____, especially if you are a woman. So leave your torn jeans at home.
Also be cautious about expressing ___7____. Getting angry in Southeast Asia just makes you look silly. In some countries it is ____8___ to kiss in public.1.

A．reject

B．recite

C．respect

D．remove

2.

A．plans

B．tips

C．arguments

D．choices

3.

A．unsafe

B．excited

C．satisfied

D．awkward

4.

A．relief

B．belonging

C．humor

D．direction

5.

A．but

B．for

C．so

D．or

6.

A．forbidden

B．allowed

C．expected

D．tolerated

7.

A．emotions

B．concern

C．interest

D．views

8.

A．natural

B．advisable

C．unwise

D．unnecessary

5 . Singles’ Day, also called Double Eleven, began as a day for unmarried or uncoupled people to celebrate their lives on November 11, 1993. In China, however, Singles’ Day has become the biggest online shopping day in the world, which was created in 2009 by Alibaba’s CEO Daniel Zhang to increase online sales. Since then, it has grown into a cultural phenomenon.
China Singles’ Day, as a shopping day, takes place on November 11 each year. There are sharp discounts and other promotions (促销) designed by Alibaba to attract online customers. In 2015, E-commerce giant Alibaba broke records with sales of $14.3 billion on China Singles’ Day, with online sales increasing 60 percent from last year, according to Alibaba. “Most people shop on mobile phones or ipads and online shopping has become a comfortable channel for most consumers”, said Kitty Fok, China manager for market research. “China is a big market with close to one billion smart, connected device users. It is good news for both Alibaba and their competitors,” she said.
The company is focusing on international e-commerce for future Singles’ Days, reported Reuters. “Within the next five years, we expect China will become the world's largest e-commerce market for imported products,” President Michael Evans told reporters on Wednesday. Alibaba Chief Executive Daniel Zhang said in a statement that Singles’ Day would mean that “the whole world will see the power of Chinese consumption.” Over 130 million users visited Alibaba’s marketplace app, Taobao, reported the BBC.
1. What does Alibaba expect to do on Singles’ Day?

A．Celebrate single lives	B．Defeat competitors
C．Develop firm cultures	D．Increase online sales

2. What is the meaning of the underlined word discount in the second paragraph?

A．Smart products	B．Crazy buying
C．Low prices	D．More advertisements

3. What will make Singles' Days more popular according to Kitty Fok?

A．The popularity of smart, connected device users.

B．The potential power of Chinese consumption.

C．The cooperation with the international e-commerce.

D．The promotions on Alibaba's marketplace app, Taobao.

4. What attitude does President Michael Evans hold toward the future of China Singles’ Day?

A．doubtful	B．optimistic
C．negative	D．uncertain

6 . Look to many of history’s cultural symbols, and there you’ll find an ancestor of Frosty, the snowman in the movie Frozen. It appeared on some of the first postcards, starred in some of the earliest silent movies, and was the subject of a couple of the earliest photos, dating all the way back to the 1800s. I discovered even more about one of humanity’s earliest forms of life art during several years of research around the world.
For example, snowmen were a phenomenon in the Middle Ages, built with great skill and thought. At a time of limited means of expression, snow was like free art supplies dropped from the sky. It was a popular activity for couples to leisurely walk through town to view the temporary works of chilly art. Some were created by famous artists, including a 19-year-old Michelangelo, who in 1494 was appointed by the ruler of Florence, Italy, to build a snowman in his mansion’s courtyard.
The Miracle of 1511 took place during six freezing works called the Winter of Death. The city of Brussels was covered in snowmen—an impressive scene that told stories on every street corner. Some were political in nature, criticizing the church and government. Some were a reflection of people’s imagination. For the people of Brussels, this was a defining moment of defining freedom. At least until spring arrived, by which time they were dealing with damaging floods.
If you fear the heyday of the snowman has passed, don’t worry: I’ve learned that some explosive snowman history is still being made today. Every year since 1818, the people of Zurich, Switzerland, celebrate the beginning of spring by blowing up a snowman. On the third Monday of April, the holiday Sechselauten is kicked off when a cotton snowman called the Boogg is stuffed with explosive and paraded through town by bakers and other tradesmen who throw bread to the crowds. The parade ends with the Boogg being placed on a 40-foot pile of firewood. After the bells of the Church of St. Peter have rung six times, representing the passing of winter, the pile is lit. When the snowman explodes, winter is considered officially over—the quicker it is burnt down, the longer summer is said to be.
1. According to the passage, why did snowmen become a phenomenon in the Middle Ages?

A．People thought of snow as holy art supplies.

B．People longed to see masterpieces of snow.

C．Building snowmen was a way for people to express themselves.

D．Building snowmen helped people develop their skill and thought.

2. “The heyday of the snowman” （paragraph 4） means the time when___________.

A．snowmen were made mainly by artists

B．snowmen enjoyed great popularity

C．snowmen were politically criticized

D．snowmen caused damaging floods

3. In Zurich, the blowing up of the Boogg symbolizes__________________.

A．the start of the parade

B．the coming of a longer summer

C．the passing of the winter

D．the success of tradesmen

4. What can be concluded about snowmen from the passage?

A．They were appreciated in history

B．They have lost their value

C．They were related to movies

D．They vary in shape and size

7 . Did anyone find the names of “Great Britain”, “the United Kingdom”, “England” and “the British commonwealth” which have the same meaning? Strictly speaking, these names all refer to something different. None of them are exactly the same as any of the others.
The British isles refer to the main islands and several thousand small ones as well, which you can see on the map. Great Britain, or Britain, refers to the larger of the two main islands. But the word “Britain” is often used as a short form for the United Kingdom or you call it the UK .
Now as for England, it refers simply to the largest of the three countries on the island of Great Britain. The United Kingdom is the name of the state and the official name of the country, which many people popularly refer to England.
Finally, the Britain commonwealth is the usual name for what is left of the British Empire. This change shows the weakening of British Empire and the rising of the national liberation movements throughout the world today.
1. According to the passage, we know that ____ .

A．Great Britain has the same meaning as Britain

B．the United Kingdom has the same meaning as Britain or England

C．all the names in the first paragraph have the same meaning

D．all the names refer to England

2. It is clear that the British isles refer to ____ .

A．Britain, England and the UK.

B．the two main islands and thousands of small ones

C．three countries and several islands

D．Great Britain or the United Kingdom

3. Which of the following shows the right relationship (关系) between the British isles (BI), Britain (B) and England (E)?

A．B>BI>E

B．BI>E>B

C．E>B>BI

D．BI>B>E

4. If you want to write to someone in Edinburgh that lies in Scotland, you should write the address as ____.

A．Edinburgh, England

B．Edinburgh, Great Britain

C．Scotland, Edinburgh, England

D．Great Britain, Scotland, Edinburgh

8 . In Mexico, girls mark their fifteenth birthday with a celebration called Quinceanera. In the morning, the birthday girl goes to the church with her family and her best friends. She wears a beautiful dress. Later in the day, there is a huge party, with a big cake that matches the girl’s dress, and a night filled with music and dancing.
Becoming an adult is a very important life change, and Japan has a special holiday to celebrate this. The second Sunday in January is Coming-of-Age Day. On that day, everyone who had their twentieth birthday in the last year goes to their Town Hall for a special activity. Everyone dresses up, and many women wear beautiful dresses. The mayor makes a speech and gives presents to all the new adults.
Some kids are afraid to start school, but six-year-olds in Germany can’t wait. For them, Schulanfang is a big holiday. To celebrate a child’s first day of school, parents or friends give the child a Zuckertuete, a big color box filled with candy and little presents. People take pictures of the kids holding their Zuckertuete, and there is a school party later for the parents with cake and coffee.
1. What happens at Quinceanera?

A．The birthday girl buys many gifts.

B．The birthday girl goes to the church.

C．Parents give a Zuckertuete to the child.

D．Parents make speeches in the church.

2. When is Coming-of-Age Day celebrated?

A．On one’s first day of school.

B．On one’s twentieth birthday.

C．On a girl’s fifteenth birthday.

D．On the second Sunday in January.

3. Schulanfang is celebrated when German children ______.

A．start school	B．reach the age of 15
C．grow into adults	D．are born

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Celebrating birthdays.

B．Celebrating school holidays.

C．Celebrating life changes.

D．Celebrating national holidays.

9 . 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.

10 . Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.

Different cultures emphasize the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in “small talk”, usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countries, like the UK or France, people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafe rather than at the office.

Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion, instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.

Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values, however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.

People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.

1. What’s the probable meaning of the underlined word “emphasize”?

A．To draw special attention to.	B．To ignore.
C．To laugh at.	D．To get close to.

2. The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that _____.

A．the English prefer to make long speeches

B．too many words are of no use

C．people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature

D．even talk and silence can be culturally different

3. According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?

A．By sharing different ways of life.	B．By accepting different habits.
C．By recognizing different values.	D．By speaking each other’s languages.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Multicultural Environment.	B．Cross-Cultural Differences.
C．How to Understand Each Other.	D．How to Build Up a Relationship.