1 .     1     They are church weddings with a great deal of music, weddings on mountaintops with guests who are without shoes and so on. But many weddings, no matter where or how they are performed include certain traditional customs.

Before a couple is married, they become engaged. And then invitations are sent to those who live near by, their close friends and their relatives who live faraway.     2     The wedding itself usually lasts between 20 and 40 minutes. The wedding ceremony enters the church while the wedding march is played. The bride carrying a bouquet enters last with her father who will give her away. The groom enters the church from a side door. When the wedding party is gathered by the altar the bride and groom exchange vows. It is traditional to use the words:

“To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”     3     Wearing the wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand is an old custom.

After the ceremony there is often a party, called a “reception” which gives the wedding guests an opportunity to congratulate the newlyweds.

The car in which the couple leaves the church is decorated with balloons streamers and shaving cream. The words “Just Married” are painted on the trunk or back window.     4     When the couple drives away from the church, friends often chase them in cars honking and drawing attention to them. And then the couple go on their honey moon.

A．All the Americans hold their weddings in the church.

B．Following the promises, the couple exchange rings.

C．There are so many kinds of weddings in the United States.

D．The bride and groom run to the car under a shower of rice thrown by the wedding guests.

E．American people always play tricks on the “just married” couples.

F．When everything is ready, then comes the most exciting moment.

4 . Directions: Read the following passage.Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box.Each sentence can be used only once.Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

Charity — Humanity’s most kind and generous desire — is a timeless and borderless virtue, dating at least to the dawn of religious teaching. Philanthropy (慈善行为) as we understand it today, however, is a distinctly American phenomenon, inseparable from the nation that shaped it. From colonial leaders to modern billionaires like Buffett, Gates and Zuckerberg, the tradition of giving is woven into the national DNA.

    1     Benjamin Franklin, an icon of individual industry and frugality (节检) even in his own day, understood that with the privilege of doing well came the price of doing good. When he died in 1790，Franklin thought to future generations, leaving in trust two gifts of 1,000 lb. of sterling silver — one to the city of Boston, the other to Philadelphia. According to his instruction, a portion of the money could not be used for 200 years.

While Franklin's gifts lay in wait, the tradition he established evolved alongside the young nation.     2     Often far less famed men and women have played a critical role in philanthropy's evolution. One of my personal heroes is Julius Rosenwald, who helped construct more than 5,300 schools across the segregated (种族隔离) South and opened classroom doors to a generation of African-American students.

    3     The answer is not just to benefit others.Tax reduction, for one, encourages the rich people to give. And philanthropy has long helped improve the public image of everyone from immoral capitalists to the new tech elite. More troubling, however, are the foundational problems that make philanthropy so necessary. Just before his death, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, “Philanthropy is praise-worthy, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.”

Franklin’s gifts represent a broader principle. We are guardians of a public trust, even if our capital came from private enterprise, and our most important obligation is ensuring that the system works more equally and more justly for more people.     4     America's greatest strength is not the fact of perfection, but rather the act of perfecting.

A．What accounts for this culture of generosity?

B．This belief is central to the national character.

C．How can a sense of generosity be cultivated?

D．Americans’ generosity is rooted in selfless behavior.

E．America’s philanthropic nature is not restricted to the rich.

F．The formal practice of philanthropy traces its origin to a Founding Father.

5 . Informal conversation is an important part of any business relationship. Before you start a discussion, however, make sure you understand: Which topics are suitable and which are considered taboo in a particular culture. Latin Americans enjoy sharing information about their local history, art, and customs. Expect questions about your family, and be sure to show pictures of your children. You may feel free to ask similar questions of your Latin American friends. The French think of conversation as an art form, and they enjoy the value of lively discussion as well as disagreements. For them, arguments can be interesting and they can cover pretty much or any topic—as long as they occur in a respectful and intelligent manner.

In the United Sates, business people like to discuss a wide range of topics, including opinions about work, family, hobbies, and politics. In Japan, China, and Korea, however, people are much more private. They do not share much about their thoughts, feelings, or emotions because they feel that doing so might take away from the harmonious business relationship they’re trying to build. Middle Easterners are also private about their personal lives and family matters. It is considered rude, for example, to ask a businessman from Saudi Arabia about his wife or children.

As a general rule, it’s best not to talk about politics or religion with your business friends. This can get you into trouble, even in the United States, where people hold different views. In addition, discussing one’s salary is usually considered unsuitable. Sports is typically a friendly subject in most parts of the world, and also be careful not to criticize a national sport. Instead, be friendly and praise your host’s team.

1. The author considers politics and religion________.

A．cheerful topics	B．a ban in cultural or religious custom
C．rude topics	D．topics that can never be talked about

2. Which is typically a friendly topic in most places according to the author?

A．Sports

B．Children

C．Personal feelings

D．Families

3. Why are people from Asia more private in their conversation with others?

A．They don’t want to talk with others much.	B．They want to protect their relationship.
C．They are afraid to argue with their colleagues.	D．They want to keep their feelings to themselves.

4. What shouldn’t you do when talking about sports with colleagues from another country?

A．Praising your own country’s sports.	B．Criticizing your own country’s sports.
C．Praising the sports of your colleagues’ country.	D．Criticizing the sports of your colleagues’ country.

6 . That easterners and westerners think in different ways is not mere prejudice. Many psychological studies conducted over the past two decades suggest Westerners have a more individualistic, analytic and abstract mental life than do East Asians. Several hypotheses (假设) have been put forward to explain this.

One, that modernization promotes individualism, falls at the first hurdle: Japan, an ultra-modem country whose people have retained a collective outlook. A second, that a higher rate of infectious disease in a place makes contact with strangers more dangerous, and causes groups to turn inward, is hardly better. Europe has had its share of plagues; probably more than either Japan or Korea.

That led Thomas Talheim of the University of Virginia and his colleagues to look into a third suggestion: that the crucial difference is agricultural. The basic West crop is wheat; the East's rice. Before the mechanization of agriculture a farmer who grew rice had to spend twice as many hours doing so as one who grew wheat. To organize labour efficiently, especially at times of planting and harvesting, rice-growing societies as far apart as India, Malaysia and Japan all develop co-operative labour exchanges which let neighbors stagger their farms' schedules in order to assist each other during these crucial periods. Since, until recently almost everyone alive was a farmer, it is a reasonable hypothesis that such a collective outlook would dominate a society's culture and behaviour, and might prove so deep-rooted that even now, when most people earn their living in other ways, it helps to define their lives.

Mr. Talheim realized that this idea is testable. Large areas of Asia, particularly in the north, depend not on rice, but on wheat. That, as he explains in a paper in Science, let him and his team put some flesh on this theory's bones. The team gathered almost 1,200 volunteers from all over Asia and asked them questions to assess their individualism or collectivism. The answers bore little relation to the wealth of a volunteer's place of origin. There was a striking correlation, though, with whether it was a rice-growing or a wheat-growing area. This difference was marked even between people from neighbouring counties with different agricultural traditions.

Undoubtedly, Talheim's hypothesis has pointed to a direction worth further exploration. Viewing the message from modernized countries such as Japan, Korea and Singapore, which still hold on to collectivism, perhaps we can say: Asian values-with their principles of mutual support and collective action-are only "Asian" because back in ancient times, farmers in many parts of that continent found rice a more suitable crop to grow than wheat.

1. According to the second paragraph, which statement does the author most probably agree with?

A．The first hypothesis fails to justify Japan's ever-keeping collectivism as well as the second.

B．The exposure to plague outbreaks increases the probability of the Europeans to turn back to individualism.

C．Modernized Japan stays close to collectivism as firmly as Europe maintains individualism in the times of plague.

D．Neither modernization, as with Europe, nor the once prevailing plague, as with Japan, gives any evidence that promotes individualism.

2. What does the underlined word “stagger” probably mean?

A．arrange events so that they do not happen at the same time

B．help something to develop more strongly because it's about to collapse

C．plan or organize something in advance to make it neat or attractive

D．offer something to somebody and receive something in return

3. Mr. Talheim studied the Asian volunteers growing wheat in order to find out                    .

A．whether growing wheat results in more sharing behavior.

B．whether growing wheat leads to more prosperous community.

C．whether the local crop affects the local economy positively.

D．whether the local crop is related to local people's mental life.

4. Which of the following can serve as the best title for this passage?

A．A good beginning makes a good ending.

B．The grass is greener on the other side.

C．As you sow, so you will reap.

D．You are what you eat.

7 . Culture can affect not just language and customs, but also how people experience the world on surprisingly basic levels.

Researchers, with the help of brain scans, have uncovered shocking differences in perception(感知) between Westerners and Asians, what they see when they look at a city street, for example, or even how they perceive a simple line in a square, according to findings published in a leading science journal

In western countries, culture makes people think of themselves as highly independent entities(实体) .When looking at scenes, Westerners tend to focus more on central objects than on their surroundings. East Asian cultures, however emphasize inter-dependence. When Easterners look at a scene, they tend to focus on surroundings as well as the object.

Using an experiment involving two tasks, Dr Hedden asked subjects to look at a line simply to estimate its length, a task that is played to American strengths. In another, they estimated the line's length relative to the size of a square, an easier task for the Asians.

The level of brain activity, by tracking blood flow, was then measured by Brain Scanners. The experiment found that although there was no difference in performance, and the tasks were very easy, the levels of activity in the subjects’ brains were different. For the Americans, areas linked to attention lit up more, when they worked on the task they tended to find more difficult--estimating the line's size relative to the square. For the Asians, the attention areas lit up more during the harder task also--estimating the line's length without comparing it to the square. The findings are a reflection of more than ten years of previous experimental research into east-west differences

In one study, for instance, researchers offered people a choice among five pens, four red and one green. Easterners were more likely to choose a red pen while Westerners were more likely to choose the green one.

Culture is not affecting how you see the world, but how you choose to understand and internalize(使内化) it. But such habits can be changed. Some psychological studies suggest that when an Easterner goes to the West or vice versa, habits of thought and perception also begin to change. Such research gives us clues on how our brain works and is hopeful for us to develop programs to improve our memory, memory techniques and enhance and accelerate our learning skills.

1. According to the passage, Chinese people are most likely to_________.

A．emphasize independent thinking more

B．always focus more on their surroundings

C．focus on the context as well as object

D．think of Westerners as highly independent entities

2. We know from the passage that people's brains will be more active when_________.

A．the task is much easier

B．the blood flow is tracked

C．people begin to choose colors

D．the task is more difficult

3. What do the findings of the experiments mentioned in the passage indicate?

A．They indicate that culture has a great impact on the way people talk and behave.

B．They show that Easterners and Westerners have great differences in perceiving the world

C．They suggest that people's habits of thought and perception can be changed in different cultures.

D．They make it clear that Easterners and Westerners lay emphasis on different things

4. It can be inferred from the passage that_________.

A．Easterners prefer collectivism to individualism

B．East Asian cultures lay more emphasis on independence

C．It took over ten years to find out how to improve our brainpower

D．Americans will change their habits of perception when they're in Britain

8 . Body language, especially gestures, varies among cultures. For example, a nod of the head means “yes” to most of us.     1     Likewise, a sign for OK, forming a circle with our forefinger and thumb, means zero in France and money in Japan.     2    

Folded arms signal pride in Finland, but disrespect in Fiji. The number of bows that the Japanese exchange on greeting each other, as well as the length and the depth of the bows, signals the social status each party feels towards each other.

Italians might think you’re bored unless you use a lot of gestures during discussions. Many Americanmen sit with their legs crossed with one ankle resting over the opposite knee.     3    

Likewise, Americans consider eye contact very important, often not trusting someone who is afraid to look at you in the eye. But in Japan and many Latin American countries, keeping the eyes lowered is a sign of respect.     4    

A．To look a partner full in the eye is considered a sign of ill-breeding and is felt to be annoying.

B．As is known to all, eyes are the window the soul.

C．However, this would be considered an insult in Muslim countries, where one will never show the sole of the foot to a guest.

D．But in Bulgaria and Greece a nod means “no” and a shake of the head means “yes”.

E．Waving or pointing to an Arab business person would be considered rude because that is how Arabs call their dogs over.

F．However, whatever cultures you are exposed to, bear in mind that when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

9 . Dining in France: Culture Shock

On my first weekend abroad, I attended a dinner party with my host family to celebrate the New Year. It was everything I had imagined a French dinner party would be --- multiple courses, a variety of cheeses, bottles of champagne, and slices of fresh bread. Then, at the end of the meal, the host called out. “Okay, everyone, get under the table!”

What? An earthquake broke out? I watched as the children came running into the dining room and hid under the table. As it turns out, in the days after the New Year, the French celebrate with the galette des rois, or the “king cake”, a special cake with its own set of traditions. There is a small toy hidden inside the cake, and whoever finds it in their serving is the winner. Before it is sliced, all the children hide under the table so that they cannot see who will get the slice with the toy.

I’ve learned that many French traditions focus on food, and often they’ve taken me by surprise! From time to time, I’ve experienced a sense of culture shock, the feeling of confusion in a new country when you’re adjusting to things that maybe unfamiliar to you. Thankfully, I haven’t run into anything too difficult to manage. Before leaving for France, I learned strategies from the International Programs Office, a facility which helps prepare students to deal with these kinds of ups and downs.

They explained the phenomenon with a line graph to illustrate the highs and lows of the experience. You may experience a “honeymoon” phase, where you find everything new and exciting or even better than your home country. You may also experience low points, where all these little differences may seem frustrating and overwhelming.

I encountered a new fun, food-related culture differences while in France. For example, the French eat with both wrists resting on the table, while many Americans tend to keep their left hands in their laps. I hadn’t even noticed the difference until my five-year-old host brother pointed it out! Moreover, on formal occasions, people tend to straighten their back. And it is also common to use bread as a utensil, holding it in your hand like a knife, or using it to clean up the plate at the end of the meal. Finally, I love hearing “Bon Appétit!” (Good appetite!”) before eating, whether I am seated at the table with my host family, or just grabbing a coffee at a nearby café!

1. The reason why the host asked children to get under the table was that she wanted to ______ .

A．hide something in the cake

B．protect children from the earthquake

C．give the author, the guest, a big surprise

D．prevent children from slicing the cake

2. Why does the author mention the word “honeymoon” in the fourth paragraph?

A．He wants to help students get prepared to deal with emotional changes.

B．He wants to tell readers how thrilling it is when we encounter novel things.

C．He uses it to help with the explanation of ups and downs in face of a new culture.

D．He uses it to prove that we may come across something disappointing abroad.

3. Which of the following picture shows the American way of dining?

A．	B．
C．	D．

10 . Last - Minute Father’s Day gift ideas

Okay, it’s officially last minute for deciding and choosing Father’s Day gifts. Here are some last-minute ideas.

The gift of music. If you’ve got the cash, and think Dad might like his own MP3 player to enjoy, go with an Apple iPod nano ($ 60), which would allow him to listen to and wirelessly buy all kinds of music via a Yahoo! Music subscription. If he’s strictly a CD man, burn one for him with some new tunes you think he’d like.

Digital camera. The most expensive thing on this last-minute list, the Canon PowerShot SD600 IS Digital Elph ($ 102) is a can’t - miss choice for excellent photos with simple - to - use features. It slips into a pocket and makes taking great pictures of the kids nearly effortless.

Do something for him. Sometimes the best gift is noticing what Dad does around the house to keep things running smoothly, and then offering to do it in his stead. Mow the lawn. Take out the garbage and recycling for a month. If you don’t live near your Dad, you can promise to do a few   things to help out around the house on the next visit. Remember it is free of charge!

Something simple. Kids can make a unique, personal T-shirt ($5) for Dad quickly and easily with EasyImage.

Sunday will be here before we know it. Don’t put it off another day!

1. If Tom’s father is crazy about music, how much will it cost Tom to buy the gift for him?

A．$102

B．$60

C．$10

D．$5

2. Who might be most interested in the camera?

A．A senior high school student with little pocket money .

B．A father who likes traveling and taking photos for his kids

C．A professional photographer

D．A grandpa who is too sick to walk about

3. The author doesn’t suggest that we should help the father ________.

A．mow the lawn	B．wash the car
C．take out the garbage	D．make a unique, personal T-shirt