1 . The rules about how to talk, eat and sit, which are highly limited, are observed in most Western restaurants and homes.    1    Many Westerners have no idea how to act at the Chinese dinner table. No forks or knives for them to use! The Chinese host makes great, sweeping arm movements that go over large sections of the table, passing over both food and friends alike.    2    However, it leaves many foreigners at a loss for what to do.In my childhood home, dinner was enjoyed with low voices, and the topics that we could discuss were very limited.    3    If I had to leave the table to use the toilet, I had to excuse myself without mentioning what it was that I was going to do. “May I be excused, please? I need to wash my hands.” I would say. My mother would say, “Sure.” My father would often play a joke on me by saying, “    4    ”As for eating, we did it quietly. No eating noises were allowed. Everything must be done as quietly as possible. If any sound was created by eating food or drinking, it would be considered as bad manners!    5    He is to sit up straight with the recessive hand (usually the left) in one’s lap holding a napkin while the dominant hand (usually the right) holds the fork or spoon. The only time one is allowed to have both hands on the table is when he is using a knife to cut something.

A．How one sits at the table is also prescribed.

B．We were not allowed to talk about anything that made listeners uncomfortable.

C．Can’t you think up a better excuse than that?

D．They’re completely different from what we find here in China.

E．Your hands don’t look dirty!

F．The scene is fantastic.

G．In general they were all strictly forbidden topics.

2 . 阅读理解
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项
There is a large percentage of Asian people in the US. They’re hard working, respectful but strange sometimes. If you don’t understand the culture, you will get some problems with them. Asian people are different from any other cultures if you think you know them, you might want to think again.
How are they different? When it comes to most Asian culture, respect is everything. You can do anything you want but don't disrespect an Asian man. You will get some real consequences afterward and especially if he is your boss. It’s something called face saving in the Asian culture. It’s ridiculous sometimes but it’s their culture. Sometimes their culture can come in between their relationship at work. Asian people might expect a lot of respect from their co-workers when their co-workers just see them as an equal.
Americans are very different from Asian people. If you’re Asian, you might want to understand the American culture and even adapt to their culture if you work with them. It will be easier for you since you’re in their countries. Imagine an American working in China, expecting Chinese co-workers to get along with him when he criticizes them straight out on every single matter in front of everyone. I think they will take him outside and take care of him. It just doesn’t work that way with Asian people.
If you’re an American boss giving your Asian employee a review, you will see that they will have a problem with your negative remarks. They will think that you don’t like them, disrespectful, and want to get rid of them; when in fact, you’re just doing your job. You just encourage them to do their work better. Of course, it’s not fair for you as an American boss but just expect that it can be something that is on your Asian employee’s mind.
1. The Americans can’t get along well with the Asians probably because______.

A．their cultures are different

B．they don’t like each other

C．both of them are too proud

D．they have different political views

2. The underlined phrase “face saving” in Paragraph 2 probably means_____.

A．saving some money for later use

B．making faces to please your boss

C．showing some respect to somebody

D．helping somebody out of trouble

3. From the third paragraph we can know that it is difficult_________.

A．for the Asians to accept the culture in America

B．for the Americans to adapt to the culture in China

C．for people to learn the culture in a foreign country

D．for people to follow the culture in their own country

4. The negative remarks an American boss gives on your work probably mean he/she _____

A．doesn’t like you any longer

B．thinks you are not worth respecting

C．doesn’t think you are suitable for the job

D．wants you to improve your work

3 . A good joke can be the hardest thing to understand when people are studying a foreign language. As a recent article in The Guardian noted, “There’s more to understanding a joke in a foreign language than understanding vocabulary and grammar.”

Being able to understand local jokes is often seen as an unbelievable icebreaker for a language learner eager to form friendships with native speakers. “I always felt that humor was a ceiling that I could never break through,” Hannah Ashley, a public relations account manager in London, who once studied Spanish in Madrid, told The Guardian. “I could never speak to people on the same level as I would speak to a native English speaker. I almost came across as quite a boring person because all I could talk about was facts.”

In fact, most of the time, jokes are only funny for people who share a cultural background or understand humor in the same way. Chinese-American comedian Joe Wong found this out first-hand. He had achieved huge success in the US, but when he returned to China in 2008 for his first live show in Beijing, he discovered that people didn't think his Chinese jokes were as funny as his English ones.

In Australia, meanwhile many foreigners find understanding jokes about sports to be the biggest headache. “The hardest jokes are related to rugby because I know nothing about rugby,” said Melody Cao, who was once a student in Australia. “When I heard jokes I didn’t get, I just laughed along.”

In the other two major English-speaking countries, the sense of humor is also different. British comedian Simon Pegg believes that while British people use irony(反话)——basically, saying something they don’t mean to make a joke—every day, people in the US don't see the point of using it so often. “British jokes tend to be more subtle and dark, while American jokes are more obvious with their meanings, a bit like Americans themselves,” he wrote in The Guardian.

1. It is implied in the noted sentence in Paragraph 1 that __________.

A．making jokes is a possible way for one to learn a foreign language better

B．humor is always conveyed to foreigners through vocabulary and grammar

C．vocabulary and grammar help you understand jokes in a foreign language

D．there tends to be something behind the words of a joke in a foreign language

2. What can we learn about Hannah Ashley?

A．She thought that Spanish people generally did not have much of a sense of humor.

B．She believed that one had better rely on facts when speaking a foreign language.

C．She found that humor was a barrier to her to get along well with Spanish people.

D．She had a better command of Spanish language than English language.

3. Joe Wong is used as an example to ___________.

A．suggest that there are cultural differences in humor

B．show that it’s hard to put jokes into another language

C．prove that local people have different taste in humor

D．show that expressing ability affects the sense of humor

4. From the text we can learn that ___________.

A．jokes about sports are difficult for all foreigners to understand

B．Americans are generally more humorous than British people

C．not all English speakers can understand English jokes easily

D．British people’s dark jokes often make people uncomfortable

4 . Celebrate!

Piñatas

In Mexico, children often get piñatas on their birthday. Their parents put chocolates and other sweets inside the piñata and hang it on a tree. Then the children hit the piñata with a stick.     1    

Noodles

In China, people often celebrate birthdays by eating with family or friends, and the last dish of the meal is always noodles. The noodles are long and thin.     2     You can’t cut them. In Chinese culture, long noodles mean you will have a long life.

Business birthdays

A business birthday shows that a company is successful. Many businesses in the USA celebrate important birthdays, like 10, 50 or 150 years.     3    

Sometimes they make TV advertisements. It is a good chance to advertise the business.

Name days

As well as a birthday, many people in Southern Europe also celebrate their name day.     4    

People have big parties and open their houses to anybody who wants to come. People bring small gifts, often flowers or a box of sweets.

Islamic New Year

In Muslim countries across the world, people celebrate Eid. Eid means festival or celebration. During Eid, people visit family and friends, as well as people who are sick or in hospital.     5     Children receive toys, too. Children often wear special traditional clothes during the Eid celebrations.

A．You have to eat them in one piece.

B．They go out for a meal to celebrate.

C．Companies hold parties and send cards.

D．They give presents, such as sweets and food.

E．It breaks and the sweets fall out on to the ground.

F．This is one of the two important festivals in this country.

G．In Greece, name days are more important than birthdays.

5 . If Confucius(孔子) were alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He’d need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It’s nothing personal. Most Americans don’t even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But that doesn’t mean that Americans don’t care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually include Chinese art, history and philosophy(哲学). Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up the drawbacks of Western philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker’s ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.
1. The purpose or the first paragraph is mainly to ________.

A．attract the readers’ interest in the subject

B．provide some key facts about Confucius

C．show great respect for the ancient thinker

D．prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations

2. We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students ________.

A．take an active part in Chinese competitions

B．try to get high scores in Chinese exams

C．fight for a chance to learn Chinese

D．show great interest in studying Chinese nowadays

3. What is the best title for this passage?

A．Forgotten Wisdom in America

B．Huge Fans of the Chinese Language

C．Old Thinker with a Big Future

D．Chinese Culture for Westerners

6 . Transportation and communication networks bring people together. Yet sometimes people themselves create barriers(障碍) to transportation and communication. In some countries, laws stop people from moving freely from place to place. Over the centuries, many groups of people have been denied the freedom to travel because of their race, religion, or nationality. In the Middle Ages, for example, Jews were often forbidden to move about freely within certain cities. South Africa's government used to require black Africans to carry passes when they travel within the country. Some governments require all citizens to carry identification papers and to report to government officials whenever they move.
Countries set up customs posts at their borders. Foreign travellers must go through a customs inspection before they are allowed to travel in the country. Usually travellers have to carry special papers such as passports and visas(签证). Some countries even limit the number of visitors to their country each year.   Others allow tourists to visit only certain areas of the country, or they may require that travellers be with an official guide at all times during their stay.
Many of those barriers to travel also act as barriers to communication.
When two governments disagree with each other on important matters, they usually do not want their citizens to exchange news or ideas freely. Countries often try to keep military or industrial information secret.
Today, people have the ability to travel, to communicate, and to transport goods more quickly and easily than ever before. Natural barriers that were difficult or dangerous to cross a hundred years ago can now be crossed easily. The barriers that people themselves make are not so easy to overcome. But in spite of all the different kinds of barriers, people continue to enjoy travel and the exchange of goods and ideas.
1. The examples in paragraph 1 are used to tell the readers that _______

A．people have been allowed to travel freely within the country

B．people have not been permitted to travel freely for various reasons

C．travellers have to carry special papers such as passports and visas

D．customs posts are necessary at the borders of the countries

2. Some governments limit the freedom of communication because___

A．they intend to keep their national secrets unknown to others

B．they think such freedom will lead to wars

C．they often disagree with each other on important matters

D．they want to show their authority over communication

3. We may learn from the passage that _______

A．people do not care about the removal of barriers between countries

B．people can not remove the obstacles made by themselves

C．man-made barriers are sometimes harder to overcome than natural ones

D．barriers should be taken for granted as they always exist

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

A．Barriers Made by People

B．Functions of Communication

C．Restrictions on Transportation

D．Progress of Human Society

7 . 阅读理解。
Heritage is our legacy (遗产) from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable (无可取代的) sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Great Wall of China make up our world's heritage.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world   considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.
How does a place become a World Heritage Site? It takes a lot of people to decide.
1) If a country wants one of its places to be on the World Heritage List, it has to ask UNESCO. The place must be important and special. UNESCO put the Great Wall on the list in 1987 because, it said, it was a great part of Chinese culture and beautifully made to go with the land. When a country asks, it must also make a plan for taking care of the place.
2) The World Heritage Committee of UNESCO talks about different places and decides whether to put them on the list. The committee meets every June. Many experts help the committee to decide.
3) After a new place goes on the list, UNESCO gives money to help keep it looking good. If a place is in serious danger, it may be put on the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger. UNESCO gives special care and help to those places.
4) Countries have to give UNESCO regular reports about places on the list. If UNESCO thinks a country isn't taking good enough care of a place, the site will be taken off the list.
1. What is the main purpose of Paragraph 1?

A．To tell us what is heritage.

B．To stress the importance of heritages.

C．To explain the aims of protecting heritages.

D．To introduce some places of interest in the world.

2. About cultural and natural heritage around the world, UNESCO encourages all the following EXCEPT________.

A．identification	B．application
C．protection	D．conservation

3. If a place successfully becomes a World Heritage Site, the country________.

A．can ask UNESCO for more money and help

B．should continue to take special care of it

C．won’t take trouble of caring for it

D．will try to put it on the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger

4. The purpose of putting a place on the World Heritage List is________.

A．to attract more tourists from other countries

B．to get more money and help from other countries

C．to have it taken better care of

D．to make it known to other countries

8 . American culture is unique because it is formed and developed under certain conditions. The major factors contributing to the making of this new nation and the forming of a new culture are the hard environment, ethnic diversity (多样性；差异) and plural religion, which is quite different from other nations in the world. What is more, these elements are still influencing the American culture.
The early immigrants（移民）who were English Puritans settled down in northeast part of America from 1607 to 1892. Frontiers were pushed further west. The frontiersmen looked for a land of rich resources and a land of promise, opportunity and freedom. Actually they looked for a better life. So individualism(个人主义), self-reliance, and equality of opportunity have perhaps been the values most closely associated with the frontier heritage（遗产）of America.
In history, people from different countries in the world rushed to America three times. They brought their own culture to America and later on, different cultures were mixed together. Thus the unique American culture was formed, a common cultural life with commonly shared values.
The fundamental American belief in individual freedom and the fight of individuals to practice their own religion is at the center of religious experience in the United States. The great diversity of ethnic backgrounds has produced religious pluralism(多元化); almost all of the religions of the world are now practiced in the United States.
Nowadays, we can see the continual influence of the three elements in the current American society. American family is typically parents and their unmarried children. Middle-aged and elderly people generally do not live with their married children. The people in America have a very strong desire to start a new life in a new place. Quite a number of people change residences every year. The average American moves fourteen times in his lifetime.
1. We can learn from this article that ________.

A．the population of the United States includes a large variety of ethnic groups

B．the early immigrants brought about the unique American culture

C．people in the world once rushed to America because of its unique culture

D．the American family members don't get along well with each other

2. What's the author's attitude towards American culture?

A．He is critical of it.

B．He admires it very much.

C．He just states the facts.

D．He looks down upon it.

3. The last paragraph is about________.

A．the family structure in American society

B．the influence of the three elements in the current American society

C．the new life style of American family

D．the reason why American people like to change residences

4. What might be the most suitable title of this article?

A．The Immigrants in America

B．Why American Culture Is Unique

C．The Influence of American Culture

D．Plural Religion and American Culture

9 . The Carnival of Brazil is an annual festival held 46 days before Easter, especially famous for the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Carnival celebrations are believed to have roots in the festival of Saturnalia, which, adapted to Christianity, became a farewell to bad things in a season of religious discipline to regret and prepare for Christ’s death and coming back to life.            Modern Brazilian Carnival dates back to Rio de Janeiro in 1641. It originally copied the European form of the festival, later taking in elements of Native American and African cultures.       In the late 19th century, the strings (弦乐器) were introduced in Rio de Janeiro. These were pageant (游行) groups that paraded through city avenues performing on instruments and dancing. Today they are known as blocks, consisting of a group of people who dress in costumes or special T-shirts with themes or logos. Blocks are generally connected with particular neighborhoods; they include both a music group and a lot of revelers(狂欢者).        Block parades have become an expressive feature of Rio’s Carnival. Today, they number more than 100 and the groups increase each year. Blocks can be formed by small or large groups of revelers with a clear title. Before the show, they gather in a square, then parade in sections of the city, often near the beach. Carnival time in Rio is very interesting, but is also the most expensive time to visit Rio. Hotel rooms and other lodgings (住宿) can be up to four times more expensive than the regular rates. There are big crowds at some locations and life is far from ordinary in many parts of town.
1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?

A．The Carnival of Brazil is often held after Easter.

B．The Carnival of Brazil comes from Easter and Saturnalia.

C．The Carnival of Brazil is mainly to celebrate the birth of Christ.

D．The Carnival of Brazil is a festival to regret and begin a new life.

2. How long is the history of the people’s celebrating modern Brazilian Carnival?

A．About 100 years.	B．Less than two centuries.
C．Over five centuries.	D．About 370 years.

3. We can infer from the fourth paragraph that_______

A．block parades become bigger and bigger.

B．block parades can only be formed by big groups of revelers.

C．the theme of blocks must be serious.

D．blocks always parade only on the beach

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The famous carnivals in the world.

B．How the carnival was introduced in Brazil.

C．The happy life of the people in Rio de Janeiro.

D．The carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

10 . Conflict is on the menu tonight at the café La Chope. This evening, as on every Thursday night, psychologist Maud Lehanne is leading two of France’s favorite pastimes, coffee drinking and the “talking cure”. Here they are learning to get in touch with their true feelings. It isn’t always easy. They customers—some thirty Parisians who pay just under $2 (plus drinks) per session-care quick to intellectualize (高谈阔论), slow to open up and connect. “You are forbidden to say ‘one feels,’ or ‘people think’,” Lehane told them. “Say ‘I think,’ ‘Think me’.”
A café society where no intellectualizing is allowed? It couldn’t seem more un-French. But Lehanne’s psychology café is about more than knowing oneself: It’s trying to help the city’s troubled neighborhood cafes. Over the years, Parisian cafes have fallen victim to changes in the French lifestyle-longer working hours, a fast food boom and a younger generation’s desire to spend more time at home. Dozens of new theme cafes appear to change the situation. Cafes focused around psychology, history, and engineering are catching on, filling tables well into the evening.
The city’s psychology cafes, which offer great comfort, are among the most popular places. Middle-aged homemakers, retirees, and the unemployed come to such cafes to talk about lover, anger, and dreams with a psychologist. And they come to Lehance’s group just to learn to say what they feel. There’s a strong need in Paris for communication, says Maurice Frisch, a cafe La Chope regular who works as religious instructor in a nearby church. “People have few real friends. And they need to open up” Lehanne says she’d like to see psychology cafes all over France. “If people had normal lives, these cafes wouldn’t exist”, she says, “If life weren’t a battle, people wouln’t need a special place just to speak.” But then, it wouldn’t be France.
1. What are people encouraged to do at the cafe La Chope?

A．Learn a new subject

B．Keep in touch with friends.

C．Show off their knowledge.

D．Express their true feelings.

2. How are cafes affected by French lifestyle changes?

A．They are less frequently visited.

B．They stay open for longer hours.

C．They have bigger night crowds.

D．They start to serve fast food.

3. What are theme cafes expected to do?

A．Create more jobs.

B．Supply better drinks.

C．Save the cafe business.

D．Serve the neighborhood.

4. Why are psychology cafes becoming popular in Paris?

A．They bring people true friendship.

B．They give people spiritual support.

C．They help people realize their dreams.

D．They offer a platform for business links.