Mothers and fathers all over the world teach their children manners. Other children may have manners that are not like yours. There are all kinds of manners.
Many years ago, children who had good manners were seen and not heard. They kept quite quiet if grown-ups were talking. Today, well-mannered children have more freedom.
Sometimes good manners in one place are bad manners in other places.
Suppose you are a visitor in the land of Mongolia. Some friends ask you to eat with them. What kind of manners do they want you to have? They want you to give a loud “burp” after you finish eating. Burping would show that you liked your food.
In some countries, if you give a loud burp, you are told to say “Excuse me, please.” In many places, people like to eat together But in some parts of Polynesia, it is bad manners to be seen eating at all. People show good manners by turning their backs on others while they eat.
What are manners like in an East African town? The people try not to see you. They are being polite. You may see a friend. He may not see you at all. If you are polite, you will sit down beside him. You will wait until he finishes what he is doing. Then he will talk to you.
Suppose you visit a friend in Arabia. You should walk behind the other tents until you come to his tent. If you pass in front of the other tents, you’ll be asked into each one. The people will ask you to eat with them. And it is bad manners if you say no.
Manners are different all over the world. But it is good to know that all manners begin in the same way. People needed ways to show that they wanted to be friends.
1. What is the best title of the passage? (no more than 10 words)2. How do you understand the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2? (no more than 10 words)
3. In Mongolia, what action is thought to be a good manner according to the passage? (no more than 6 words)
4. What are well-mannered people expected to act in some parts of Polynesia during eating? (no more than 10 words)
5. Traditionally, what is a good manner during eating in China? (no more than 20 words)
2 . Each country has its own secret to happiness, If "pyt", which closely means “don't worry about it and stuff happens", explains a relaxed attitude of Danish people, "niksen" will reveal how Dutch people combat （对抗）stress and burnout in a fast-paced lifestyle.
The term "niksen" origins from the Dutch word "niks", which refers to "nothing'', Mindfulness, another welcome subject to help people have a peaceful mind. But unlike mindfulness, niksen is not about concentrating on the present moment. It's about letting yourself do nothing, and allowing your mind to run free without expectation.
In practice, this means "hanging around, looking at your surroundings, or listening to music as long as it's without purpose” according to Time Magazine.
Niksen sounds contrary to the advice we were all given as kids. Nowadays, we're constantly told to stay busy and work harder than everyone else. But niksen opposes that mentality( 心态). It offers the chance to "deliciously do nothing", as Carolien Hamming, a coach at CSR Centrum, an organization devoted to fighting stress and burnout in the Netherlands, told Time.
She thinks that niksen is essential to staying healthy, since it’s a form of mental relaxation and healing. Just as a wild animal lies in wait for their prey, niksen seems to be a natural state of being.
For some people, niksen can mean more than just stress reduction. It's also a means to imagine new ideas or plans. As an early adopter（尝试者）of niksen, Jenny Holden, a communications expert in the UK, adds it to her daily lunch breaks. “Within 10 minutes of doing nothing - just staring and listening to myself - my head began to clear and sort out my work and home to-do lists,” she told the MetroUK.
Above all, niksen is a suggestion for balancing work and rest. As Dutch-bom writer Ogla Mecking wrote in US-based Whoolly Magazine, niksen is the "thorough enjoyment of life’s pauses".
Everyone is encouraged to embrace your niksen moments. They revitalize （使恢复元气） you and give you the strength needed to face everyday challenges.
1. What does niksen means?| A．Living in the moment. |
| B．Leading a healthy lifestyle. |
| C．Being free and doing nothing. |
| D．Using your wildest imagination. |
| A．how niksen improves one's mental health |
| B．niksen is closely related to stress reduction |
| C．niksen can shorten the distance between people |
| D．niksen helps people come up with new thoughts |
| A．long | B．full |
| C．unexpected | D．quiet |
| A．The introduction to a special Dutch lifestyle. |
| B．Suggestions on how to balance work and rest. |
| C．The importance of allowing time to pause life. |
| D．An explanation of some Danish words about life attitudes. |
| A．people can restrengthen themselves to face challenges by niksen |
| B．a wild animal usually lies in wait for their prey just as niksen advices |
| C．Danish people are stressful and tired because of their special lifestyle |
| D．Carolien Hamming thinks niksen is the most important way to keep fit |
Some years ago, I was hired by an American bank. I received a letter from the head of the Personnel Department that started, “Dear John, I am quite pleased that you have decided to join us.” That “quite” saddened me. I thought he was saying “we’re kind of pleased you decided to join us although I wish we had hired someone else.” Then I discovered that in American English “quite” sometimes means “very”, while in British English it means “fairly”.
So the first lesson about working in other countries is to learn the language and by that I don’t just mean the words people speak. It is the body language, dress, manners, ideas and so on. The way people do things highlights many of the differences we see between cultures.
Some of these differences may be only on the surface — dress, food and hours of work — while others may be deeper and take longer to deal with. Mostly, it is just a question of getting used to the differences and accepting them, like the climate, while getting on with business.
Some of the differences may be an improvement. People are more polite; the service is better; you ask for something to be done and it happens without having to ask again. However, other differences can be troubling, like punctuality. If you invite people to a party at 7 o'clock your guests will consider it polite to turn up exactly on time in Germany, five minutes early in the American Midwest, an hour early in Japan, 15 minutes afterwards in the UK, up to an hour afterwards in Italy and some time in the evening in Greece. I prefer not to use the word “late” because there is nothing wrong with the times people arrive. It is simply the accepted thing to do in their own country.
1. Why did the author feel sad about what the head of the Personal Department said?(no more than 10 words)2. What does the phrase “on the surface” in Paragraph 3 mean? (no more than 10 words)
3. According to the author, what should we do with most cultural differences?(no more than 10 words)
4. In the example mentioned in Paragraph 4, why do people from different countries arrived at different times?(no more than 15 words)
5. Suppose an exchange student from USA lived with your family, how would you help him to get used to the cultural difference? Give your reason. (no more than 20 words)
4 . Geraniums of Love
As the fifth of seven children, I went to the same public school as my three elder sisters and brother. Every year, my mother went to the same ceremony and had parent-child interviews（亲子交流会）with the same teachers. The only thing different was the child. And every child
Geraniums school tradition—the annual plant sale（拍卖会）held in early May, just in time for
Third grade was the first time that I was allowed to take part in the plant sale. I wanted to surprise my mother.
When Mother's Day arrived, I was bursting with pride when I gave her that geranium. I remember how bright her eyes were, and how delighted she was with my
The year I was fifteen, my younger sister reached third grade. In early May, she came to me full of wonder and secrecy and told me that there was going to be a plant sale at school and she wanted to
I helped my little
| A．passed down | B．participated in | C．broke with | D．carried on |
| A．Women’s | B．Father’s | C．Children’s | D．Mother's |
| A．Besides | B．Moreover | C．However | D．Therefore |
| A．shared | B．discovered | C．guarded | D．unlocked |
| A．plan | B．preparation | C．present | D．selection |
| A．watering | B．growing | C．inspecting | D．protecting |
| A．showed | B．potted | C．packaged | D．hid |
| A．indeed | B．instead | C．properly | D．anyhow |
| A．performance | B．grades | C．gift | D．presence |
| A．inspire | B．surprise | C．satisfy | D．relax |
| A．youngest | B．eldest | C．cleverest | D．bravest |
| A．nervous | B．youthful | C．increasing | D．false |
| A．on | B．beside | C．behind | D．under |
| A．shortest | B．rarest | C．best | D．strongest |
| A．sister | B．brother | C．cousin | D．friend |
| A．confusion | B．anxiety | C．delight | D．astonishment |
| A．listening | B．watching | C．smelling | D．tasting |
| A．waved | B．smiled | C．signed | D．called |
| A．pretend | B．continue | C．appear | D．try |
| A．impressed | B．satisfied | C．associated | D．presented |
With self-service facilities – supermarkets, to name one – beginning to appear all the time, we’re now relying on integrity more than ever.
Integrity – the quality of doing the right thing no matter if anyone is watching or not – has been highly valued in China since ancient times. And the phrase“立木取信”probably best explains how integrity works in the relationship between people and the ruling of a nation.
This phrase comes from the Warring States period (475-221 BC), during which China wasn’t yet a unified country and was constantly at war. States carried out reforms to make themselves stronger, with the most thorough and influential one being the reform of the State of Qin, introduced by statesman Shang Yang (395-338 BC).
Shang’s reform focused on farming and giving rewards to soldiers who fought hard during wars. But at first, people had little trust and confidence in Shang.
So he decided to prove himself by putting a wooden pole at the south gate of the capital of Qin, offering those who took the pole to the north gate a reward of 10 gold pieces, before long raising it to 50. When a man did as he said, Shang paid him 50 gold pieces as promised. Word soon spread, and people began to realize that Shang was a man of his word. The reforms were finally pushed forward.
Today, integrity still plays an important role in Chinese society, which is why it’s included as one of the 12 core socialist values in China.
China is also planning to build a social credit system by the year 2020, which will keep citizens’ misbehaviors –- even minor traffic violations – on record, so that trust can be established among people.
“Without a system, a conman can commit a crime in one place and then do the same thing again in another place. But a credit system puts people’s past history on the record. It’ll build a better and fairer society,”explained Wen Quan, a blogger who writes about technology and finance, to BBC News.
1. How long has integrity been valued in China? (within 5 words)2. Please use one sentence to explain the phrase “立木取信”(within 15 words)
3. What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase“a man of his word”? (within 10 words)
4. What is China planning to do to achieve integrity? (within 15 words)
5. Why is integrity so important? (within 20 words)
1. What will the children often do if neighbors give them nothing on Halloween?
| A．Go to visit other neighbor’s home. |
| B．Play a trick on them. |
| C．Steal their pumpkin lanterns. |
| A．To light up their houses. | B．To decorate their houses. | C．To keep evil spirits away. |
| A．By mouth. | B．By hand. | C．By foot. |
提示:1. 见面时的问候方式；
2. 对赞美的回答方式；
3. 接受礼物时的回应方式；
4. 晚宴礼节。
注意:词数100左右，可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Jane,
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
1. What is the relationship between the speakers?
| A．Father and daughter. | B．Husband and wife. | C．Classmates. |
| A．On June 13th. | B．On June 16th. | C．On June 18th. |
| A．Have a painting course in Paris. |
| B．Go camping with the man. |
| C．Start her summer job. |
One factor that contributes to this laidback lifestyle is the culture of close family ties in Bali．In the Balinese culture, support is always available．Balinese extended families are so tightly knit that all members usually reside in the same complex．
Balinese culture is based on a form of this religion, which is called "Hindu Darma"．This religion reached the island during the eleventh century．Most of the family customs and
traditions as well as community lifestyles of the Balinese people are influenced by this．The religious influence even expands widely into the arts, which makes Bali distinct from the rest of Indonesia．
In spite of the fact that tourists flood to the island every year, Balinese people have managed to conserve their culture．Almost every native of Bali is an artist in some form or another．Parents and villagers have passed on their skills to their children, who all seem to have inclinations （爱好） either to music, dance, painting, and decor．
Another remarkable mark of the Balinese culture is the series of ceremonies and rituals known as the Manusa Yadnya．This marks the different stages of Balinese life．Cremation （火葬） is very popular on this island—and unlike in the West, death is a joyous and colorful event for the Balinese．
1. What do we know about Balinese according to the first two paragraphs?
| A．They lead a very relaxing but unwealthy life． |
| B．They live in large families and are close to each other． |
| C．Their family members are distributed in different places． |
| D．Their extended families live too close together to get along well． |
| A．people's tight family relationship |
| B．the family customs and traditions |
| C．people's great affection for religion |
| D．the influence of Hinduism on their culture |
| A．preserve | B．spread | C．form | D．expand |
| A．express deep sorrow at his death |
| B．celebrate the death like a great event |
| C．sing and dance joyfully in his honor |
| D．remember what he did in his lifetime |
| A．Balinese religion． | B．The lifestyle of Balinese． |
| C．Balinese culture． | D．The tourism in Bali． |
