1 . In Armenia, when a baby’s first tooth arrives, often in four to seven months, a celebration takes place known as the “agra hadig” or “atam hatik”. As part of the celebration, objects（物品）related to different professions(职业) are placed in front of a child. Whichever object a baby chooses first is thought to be a sign of where the child’s professional talent lies.
With the appearance of teeth, a child can begin to eat solid food. It is believed to be a proper time to predict what the future holds.
“Parents may ‘arrange’ the future life of their children by offering only those objects that stand for respectable professions,” said Professor Antonyan from Yerevan State University. “A book for a writer; a pencil for an artist or a designer; a coin for a businessman.” Parents can also game the selection by putting objects nearer to or father from their kids’ reach. At one recent celebration, “the father of the baby asked to place a ladle(长柄勺) a bit far from his daughter to save her from a future of a housewife,” Antonyan said.
In the earliest written records of the event, from the 19th century, just two objects were put before the teething child. But the prediction then was not about an adult profession. In the event, holding a knife meant a brother was on the way, a comb or a mirror a sister.
“The prediction for the future profession was developed in the modernized environment of Soviet Armenia when the future career would determine the baby’s life,” Antonyan said. Today, teeth-shaped cakes, toys and balloons are popular party favors at these celebrations.
1. After the American children have the first tooth, a celebration is held to ________.| A．predict their future jobs |
| B．honor their skills of eating |
| C．know if they are healthy |
| D．understand what they like to eat |
| A．Parents can change children’s future by changing the objects. |
| B．A girl picking up a ladle is often considered to become a cook. |
| C．A book is often put farther than a ladle for a baby to choose. |
| D．Parents can influence their children’s choices in the celebration |
| A．Supportive | B．Objective |
| C．Disappointed | D．Unconcerned |
| A．A traditional celebration in Armenia. |
| B．How Americans celebrate birthdays. |
| C．Armenian children’s health problems. |
| D．How childhood influences one’s future |
2 . The Thanksgiving Day has been alive for hundreds of years. The customs we see in our homes today remind us of ancient celebrations of harvest, thankfulness for peace, and the hard work of native Americans. It is made up of stories of those who believe that thanks for blessings is what people must own
Custom of Praying
For centuries, “Thanksgiving Day” is associated with prayers in church and in homes.
Everyone follows the custom of family dinner and reunion every year. Distances don’t really matter as relatives can drive down to be with their family. Feasts are usually held at home. It is a time to enjoy their favorite Turkey the family.
Custom of Decoration
Custom of sending messages
Thanksgiving is a day when people send loving messages and warm wishes to their relatives, colleagues at work place, superiors and subordinates, near and dear ones.
| A．People present gifts to friends. |
| B．Custom of Family Dinner |
| C．People like to get together and have turkey. |
| D．People offer various meal time prayers during the day. |
| E．Like Christmas, millions of cards are sent every year. |
| F．Thanksgiving is a time to decorate homes with wreaths, fresh and dried flowers. |
| G．It is a day of expressing their feelings through Thanksgiving cards. |
3 . The British----and especially the English----are bad at complaining. Because of British politeness rules, according to which conflict should be avoided, people either just do not complain, or sometimes bottle it up and then outpour it in another way in other umimportant situations. In fact, there is a TV programme which show the British in typical situations where they would be perfectly reasonable in complaining, but they don’t. In one scene, a woman reads a newspaper over people’s shoulders and the people say nothing or look embarrassed.
The British are also well-known for putting up with bad service everywhere from restaurants to airports and railway stations because the standard rules of behaviour say that it is bad to draw attention to yourself. This is why, when you travel on the tube in London and there is yet another delay, the passengers will look at each other, sigh, smile wearily and raise their eyes to heaven. They might even say, “Huh! Typical!” in a resigned(顺从的)tone of voice that says that there’s nothing that can be done about it. When complaints are made, they are made in an apologetic or a humorous tone of voice. In France ,on the other hand, angry passengers might riot(闹事)and burn down the subway station if they had to put up with the poor service that the London underground provides.
Americans and other Europeans, who are much more direct and in-your-face than the British, often wonder why British people always say “sorry” or “excuse me” when they complain. “It’s like they’re apologizing for something that isn’t their fault, they say. They are missing the point. British people are not really sorry ---it is because the word ‘sorry’ actually works as a distancing skill. This is important in terms of negative politeness and not drawing attention to yourself. If you do not say ‘sorry’ or use other distancing words like ‘could’, ‘would’, ‘might’, ‘possibly’ and so on, you will be seen as rude.”
1. What does the underlined part “bottle it up” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Put something into bottles | B．Not do anything dangerous |
| C．Cause problems by hesitating | D．Not allow emotions to be seen |
| A．tolerate bad service | B．enjoy taking the subway |
| C．make a complaint humorously | D．express their dissatisfaction directly |
| A．try not to be rude | B．apologize sincerely |
| C．show their feelings directly | D．draw attention to themselves |
| A．How to complain | B．Complaining politely |
| C．Poor service in Britain | D．Politeness rules across the world |
4 . The Winter Olympics is also called the White Olympics. At this time, many colorful stamps are published to mark the great Games. The first stamps marking the opening came out on January 25th, 1932 in the United States for the 3rd White Olympics. From then on, publishing stamps during the White Olympic Games became a rule.
During the 4th Winter Olympics Games a group of stamps were published in German in November 1936.The five Olympics rings were drawn on the front of the sportswear. It was the first time that the rings appeared on the stamps of the White Olympics.
In the 1950s, the stamps of this kind became more colorful. When the White Olympics came, the host countries as well as the non-host countries published stamps to mark those Games. China also published four stamps in February 1980 when the Chinese sportsmen began to take part in the White Olympics.
Different kinds of sports were drawn on these small stamps. People can enjoy the beauty of the wonderful movements of some sportsmen.
1. The White Olympics and the Winter Olympics__________.| A．are the same thing | B．are different games |
| C．are not held in winter | D．are held in summer |
| A．after the year 1936 |
| B．after the 3rd White Olympics |
| C．before the 3rd White Olympics |
| D．before the year 1932 |
| A．Only the host countries can publish stamps to mark those Games. |
| B．Only the non-host countries can publish stamps to mark those Games. |
| C．All the countries can publish stamps to mark those Games |
| D．Japan can’t publish stamps to mark those Games |
| A．Basketball | B．Table tennis |
| C．Football | D．Skating |
5 . National Potato Day was back on Friday 23rd August 2013. Along with BordBia (Irish Food Board) and many other potato growers in Ireland, Keogh’s Farm brought you a day that was all about potatoes and showing love for our national vegetable.
Keogh’s invited the public to Spud Fest, which took place on Dublin’s South King Street from 12 pm to 4 pm. This festival brought the farm to the city with potato performers, face painters, balloon modeling, music, tastings and plenty of other festival fun to celebrate the most delicious day of the year. There were lots of potatoes, of course.
Keogh’s along with the support of BordBia called on everyone to enjoy at least one potato on National Potato Day. Potatoes are naturally low in fat, a great source of vitamins and minerals and are a great way to support local Irish homegrown produce and businesses.
Tom Keogh, General Manager of Keogh’s Farm said, “We can’t believe we were getting ready for our third year of National Potato Day. When we dreamt the idea up in 2011, we had no idea it would attract so many people. Since the first National Potato Day we have received nothing but interest in potatoes at home and all over the world.
“Ireland is now recognized as one of the finest producers of top quality vegetables, with the potato leading the field. We are happy that BordBia have joined us this year to bring all our fellow potato producers together and join forces to promote (提升) the enjoyment of the potato. We are hoping National Potato Day is a day to encourage everyone to love potatoes!”
1. According to the text, Spud Fest _____.| A．was open to everyone |
| B．lasted about five hours |
| C．sold different vegetables |
| D．was held in the countryside |
| A．It was world-famous. |
| B．It was rather terrible. |
| C．It was very worthless. |
| D．It was quite successful. |
| A．a popular vegetable |
| B．a well-known capital |
| C．an interesting festival |
| D．a famous potato grower |
The first stage is usually referred to as the honeymoon stage. Upon arriving in a new environment, you’ll be interested in the new culture. Everything will seem exciting, and everyone will seem friendly and helpful.
The second stage is called the withdrawal stage. The excitement that you felt before changes to frustration (沮丧) as you find it difficult to deal with new problems. The language is hard to learn; friends are hard to make; simple things like shopping and going to the bank are challenges. It is at this stage that you are likely to feel anxious and homesick.
If you are one of those who manage to stick it out (坚持下来), you will enter the third stage---- the recovery stage. At this point, you’ll feel more confident in the new culture. You’ll start to understand and accept the way things are done and the way people behave in your new environment.
The last stage is the stability stage---- this is the point when people start to feel at home in the new culture. At this stage, you will behave well in the new culture, and prefer some aspects (方面) of the new culture to your own culture.
There is, in a sense, a fifth stage to this process. If you decide to return home after a long period in a new culture, you may experience what is called “reverse culture shock”. This means that you may find aspects of your own culture “foreign”, because you’re so used to the new culture. Reverse culture shock is usually pretty mild (温和的) and doesn’t last for very long.
1. At the honeymoon stage, people will__________.
| A．find the new culture is hard to accept |
| B．miss their family and friends very much |
| C．begin to understand what culture shock is |
| D．have a good impression of the new culture |
| A．The honeymoon stage. | B．The withdrawal stage. |
| C．The recovery stage. | D．The stability stage. |
| A．lucky | B．relaxed |
| C．nervous | D．disappointed |
| A．It’s important to know that culture shock is natural. |
| B．People will suffer less from culture shock in future. |
| C．Reverse culture shock usually happens in the foreign countries. |
| D．Reverse culture shock is as difficult to deal with as culture shock. |
7 . 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
| 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. |
One day an American called Simon went to London to visit his friend, Rick. Rick told him that his flat was on the first floor. When he arrived, Simon went straight to the first floor of the building. But he was told that there was no Rick on that floor. Do you know why?
In fact, the British call the first floor of a building the ground floor. The floor above the ground floor is the first floor, which Americans would call the second floor.
The story shows that there are a few culture differences between Britain and America, though the British and Americans both speak English.
The British usually hide their feelings. They seldom start a conversation with strangers. For example, on the train the British often spend their time reading newspapers or books. But Americans are quite different. They’re more active and easier to talk with.
The British and Americans may use different terms for many things. The British usually use football, eraser and mail while Americans prefer to use soccer, rubber and post.
1. Simon went to London to ______.| A．visit his friend | B．spend his holiday |
| C．study English | D．have a meeting |
| A．A | B．B | C．C | D．D |
| A．playing cards | B．talking loudly |
| C．doing some reading | D．singing and dancing |
| A．成果 | B．学期 | C．会议 | D．用语 |
9 . Facial expressions carry meaning that is determined by situations and relationships. For example, in American culture (文化) the smile is in general an expression of pleasure. Yet it also has other uses. A woman’s smile at a police officer does not carry the same meaning as the smile she gives to a young child. A smile may show love or politeness. It can also hide true feelings. It often causes confusion (困惑) across cultures. For example, many people in Russia consider smiling at strangers in public to be unusual and even improper. Yet many Americans smile freely at strangers in public places (although this is less common in big cities).Some Russians believe that Americans smile in the wrong places; some Americans believe that Russians don’t smile enough. In Southeast Asian cultures, a smile is frequently used to cover painful feelings. Vietnamese people may tell a sad story but end the story with a smile.
Our faces show emotions (情感), but we should not attempt to "read" people from another culture as we would "read" someone from our own culture. The fact that members of one culture do not express their emotions as openly as do members of another does not mean that they do not experience emotions.
Rather, there are cultural differences in the amount of facial expressions permitted. For example, in public and in formal situations many Japanese do not show their emotions as freely as Americans do. When with friends, Japanese and Americans seem to show their emotions similarly.
It is difficult to generalize about Americans and facial expressiveness because of personal and cultural differences in the United States. People from certain cultural backgrounds in the United States seem to be more facially expressive than others. The key is to try not to judge people whose ways of showing emotion are different. If we judge according to our own cultural habits, we may make the mistake of "reading" the other person incorrectly.
1. What does the smile usually mean in America?| A．Love. | B．Politeness. |
| C．Joy. | D．Thankfulness. |
| A．show friendliness to strangers |
| B．be used to hide true feelings |
| C．be used in the wrong places |
| D．show personal habits |
| A．Learn about their relations with others. |
| B．Understand their cultural backgrounds. |
| C．Find out about their past experience. |
| D．Figure out what they will do next. |
| A．Cultural Differences |
| B．Smiles and Relationship |
| C．Facial Expressiveness |
| D．Habits and Emotions |
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery(墓地).On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries, telephone companies, and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.
1. Which of the following is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?
| A．Parents bring up children. |
| B．Parents give love and care to children. |
| C．Parents educate children to be good persons. |
| D．Parents pass away before children grow up. |
| A．It has only two kinds of colors. |
| B．It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. |
| C．It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes. |
| D．People can wear carnations only on the second Sunday in May. |
| A．Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are both in May. |
| B．Fewer women worked outside the home in the past. |
| C．Not all the children respect their parents |
| D．Fathers are not as important as mothers at home. |
| A．people usually have family parties |
| B．everyone goes to visit the cemetery |
| C．children always go to parents’ home |
| D．hand-made cards are the most valuable gifts |
