1 .        “When an American asks me this question, it’s like a wall of ice crashing down between us.” my Moscow-born friend Galina said. The question is “How are you?”.
       The answer Americans give, of course is, “Fine.” But when Russians hear this they think one of two things: you are experiencing a rare moment of fineness or you are lying.
       Ask a Russian, “How are you?” and you will hear, for better or worse, the truth. I have experienced many painful minutes of silence after my grandmother made her stock response: “Terrible,” to which she might add, “Why? Because being old is terrible and I am very old.”
       “‘Fine’ makes Russians think that Americans have no soul,” I explained recently to an American-born friend. “That they just want to go home, eat a frozen dinner in front of the TV, and wait out the hours before going to work to make money again.” He laughed, “You know, there’s something to that.”
       The thing most Russians don’t realize is that, in English, “How are you?” isn’t a question at all, but a form of “hi”, like the Russian “privyet!”
       Psychologists at the University of Michigan have shown that, while Russians are, indeed, easier to be depressed than Americans, their open acceptance of bad experiences might be healthier.
       Recently, when I looked through a few American guides on traveling to Russia, I was disappointed to find that they all suggested that tourists adopt the American approach to “How are you”.
1. When you ask a Russian “how are you” the Russian will ________.

A．answer “fine”	B．tell you the truth
C．make no answer	D．get angry and walk away

2. If an American answers “fine” to the question “how are you”, the Russian will think ______.

A．he is not honest	B．he will go home
C．he likes watching TV	D．he is living a bad life

3. We can infer Russians’ answer to “how are you” can make Americans feel ________.

A．happy	B．angry
C．puzzled	D．touched

2 . Here is some must-know information from a handbook on how people behave in doing business in some countries.

In Brazil

Brazilians are warm and friendly. They often stand close when talking and it is common for them to touch the person on the shoulder. People often greet each other (particularly women) with light cheek kisses. Schedules tend to be flexible, with business meetings sometimes starting later than planned. But to be safe, be on time. Meals can stretch for hours — there’s no such thing as rushing a meal in Brazil. Lunches also can start in the mid to late afternoon. Brazilians are social, preferring face-to-face communication over mails or phone calls.

In Singapore

Singaporeans shake hands when they meet and often also greet each other with a small, polite bow. Business cards should be offered and received with two hands. Arriving late is considered disrespectful. So be on time. Efficiency(效率) is the goal, so meetings and dealings often are fast-paced. Singaporeans are direct in their discussions, even when the subject is about money. Rank is important and authority is respected. This determines both people interact in meetings. For example, people avoid disagreeing outright with someone with a higher rank.

In the United Arab Emirates

In the UAE, status is important, so the most senior or oldest should be greeted first with their titles. The handshake seems to be longer than elsewhere. So, do not pull away the handshake. Women should cover themselves when it comes to dress. Men also tend to be covered from neck to elbows(肘部) and down to the knees. People do not avoid entertaining in their homes, but they also hold business meals at restaurants. Touching or passing food or eating with your left hand is to be avoided. When meetings are one-to-one, if your host offers you coffee, you should refuse. It might seem odd, but it is a cultural tradition. Coffee should only be accepted if it is always set out or presented.

In Switzerland

The Swiss tend to be formal and address each other by last name. They also are respectful of private lives. You should be careful not to ask about personal topics. Punctuality (守时) is vital, something that comes from a deep respect for others’ time. Arrive at any meeting or event a few minutes early to be safe. They also have clear structure in their companies. Higher-ups make the final decisions, even if others might disagree. Neat, clean dress is expected. The Swiss follow formal table manners. They also keep their hands visible at the table and their elbows off the table. It is polite to finish the food on your plate.

1. The passage is mainly about _____________.

A．communication types

B．the workplace atmosphere

C．customs and social manners

D．living conditions and standards

2. Why do Singaporeans avoid arguing with their boss?

A．They put efficiency in the first place.

B．They dislike face-to-face communication.

C．They want to finish meetings as quickly as possible.

D．They are supposed to obey the person of a higher rank.

3. In the UAE, when should you refuse the coffee if it is offered?

A．When greeting seniors.

B．When meeting the host alone.

C．When attending a presentation.

D．When dining with business partners.

4. In which country do people care about where to put their hands at the dinner table?

A．In Brazil.	B．In Singapore.
C．In the United Arab Emirate.	D．In Switzerland.

3 . Pacing and Pausing
Sara tried to befriend her old friend Steve's new wife, but Betty never seemed to have anything to say. While Sara felt Betty didn't hold up her end of the conversation, Betty complained to Steve that Sara never gave her a chance to talk. The problem had to do with expectations about pacing and pausing.
Conversation is a turn-taking game. When our habits are similar, there's no problem. But if our habits are different, you may start to talk before I'm finished or fail to take your turn when I'm finished. That's what was happening with Betty and Sara.
It may not be coincidental that Betty, who expected relatively longer pauses between turns, is British, and Sara, who expected relatively shorter pauses, is American. Betty often felt interrupted by Sara. But Betty herself became an interrupter and found herself doing most of the talking when she met a visitor from Finland. And Sara had a hard time cutting in on some speakers from Latin America or Israel.
The general phenomenon, then, is that the small conversation techniques, like pacing and pausing, lead people to draw conclusions not about conversational style but about personality and abilities. These habitual differences are often the basis for dangerous stereotyping (思维定式). And these social phenomena can have very personal consequences. For example, a woman from the southwestern part of the US went to live in an eastern city to take up a job in personnel. When the Personnel Department got together for meetings, she kept searching for the right time to break in --- and never found it. Although back home she was considered outgoing and confident, in Washington she was viewed as shy and retiring. When she was evaluated at the end of the year, she was told to take a training course because of her inability to speak up.
That's why slight differences in conversational style --- tiny little things like microseconds of pause --- can have a great effect on one's life. The result in this case was a judgment of psychological problems --- even in the mind of the woman herself, who really wondered what was wrong with her and registered for assertiveness training.
1. What did Sara think of Betty when talking with her?

A．Betty was talkative.

B．Betty was an interrupter.

C．Betty did not take her turn.

D．Betty paid no attention to Sara.

2. According to the passage, who are likely to expect the shortest pauses between turns?

A．Americans.

B．Israelis.

C．The British.

D．The Finns.

3. We can learn from the passage that ______.

A．communication breakdown results from short pauses and fast pacing

B．women are unfavorably stereotyped in eastern cities of the US

C．one's inability to speak up is culturally determined sometimes

D．one should receive training to build up one's confidence

4 . 请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。注意：请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。每个空格只填1个单词。

Are you tired of the same old schedule on Mother’s Day? Well, here are some new ideas to help you enjoy that special day with your mother.

     While it seems almost a tradition to take your mother out for dinner on Mother’s Day, perhaps this year you could try something else. You could invite her to a restaurant before or after the actual day. This way you don’t have to fight the crowds, and the prices will be lower.
     Take your mother out for a picnic lunch if the weather is nice. You and she can enjoy the cool breeze under the shade of a tree while having a nice meal that you have made for her. Be sure to pack some of her favorite foods.

Another idea would be to invite your mother to go bowling(打保龄球). Even if she has never bowled in her life, trying something new is always interesting.

     You could treat her to a movie she is dying to see, and make sure you buy her all the popcorn and candies she can eat. If you are a male, the chances are you won’t like the movie she wants to see, so instead you could go to the mall and get your picture taken with your mother, which she can proudly display in her house.

Take her to a spa on Mother’s Day. She has been working so hard and needs a way to release her stress.

If she doesn’t want to go to a spa, buy her special soaps and oils so she can relax herself in her own tub. There are various types of soaps and oils with delicious flavors available. You could also buy her some scented (芬芳的) candles that she could light by her tub to make the atmosphere peaceful.

     No matter what you choose, make sure you do something special for the woman who took care of you for so long.

Title: Special ideas for Mother’s Day

Problem	Be tired of the same old schedule on Mother’s Day.
1	Go out for dinner before or after Mother’s Day	Avoid the       2     Have lower prices
	Go out for a     3     lunch	Enjoy the cool breeze under the shade of a tree Enjoy a nice meal that you have made for her
	Invite her to go bowling	Something new is always       4
	See a       5     or take a photo with her	She can proudly display the     6     in her house.
	Take her to a       7	She needs a way to release her stress.
	Buy her special     8     and oils and scented candles	She can relax in her tub and enjoy the       9     atmosphere.
Conclusion	Make sure you do something     10     for your mother.

5 . Societies all over the world name places in similar ways. Quite often there is no official naming ceremony but places tend to be called names as points of reference by people. Then an organized body steps in and gives the place a name. Frequently it happens that a place has two names: One is named by the people and the other by the government. As in many areas, old habits _____ and the place continues to be called by its unofficial name long after the meaning is lost.
Many roads and places in Singapore are named in order that the pioneers will be remembered by future generations. Thus we have names such as Stamford Road and Raffles Place. This is in keeping with traditions in many countries —in both the West and the East.
Another way of naming places is naming them after other places. Perhaps they were named to promote friendships between the two places or it could be that the people who used to live there were originally from the places that the roads were named after. The mystery is clearer when we see some of the roads named in former British bases. If you step into Selector Airbase you will see Piccadilly Circus —obviously named by some homesick Royal Air Force personnel.
Some places were named after the activities that used to go on at those places. Bras Basah Road is an interesting example, “Base Basah” means “wet rice” in Malay（马来语）. Now why would anyone want to name a road “Wet Rice Road”? The reason is simple. During the pioneering days, wet rice was laid out to dry along this road.
A few roads in Singapore are named by their shapes. There is “Circular Road” for one. Other roads may have part of their names to describe their shapes, like “Paya Lebar Crescent”. This road is called a crescent（月牙） because it begins on the main road, makes a crescent and comes back to join the main road again.
1. What does the underlined phrase “die hard” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Change suddenly.

B．Change significantly.

C．Disappear mysteriously.

D．Disappear very slowly.

2. Which of the following places is named after a person?

A．Raffles Place.	B．Selector Airbase.
C．Piccadilly Circus.	D．Paya Lebar Crescent.

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Some place names in Singapore are the same as in Britain.

B．Some places in Singapore are named for military purposes.

C．The way Singaporeans name their places is unique.

D．Young Singaporeans have forgotten the pioneers.

6 . America is a mobile society.Friendships between Americans can be close and real，yet disappear soon if situations change.Neither side feels hurt by this.Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two，perhaps a few letters for a while-then no more.If the same two people meet again by chance，even years later，they pick up the friendship.This can be quite difficult for us Chinese to understand，because friendships between us flower more slowly but then may become lifelong feelings，extending（延伸）sometimes deeply into both families.

Americans are ready to receive us foreigners at their homes，share their holidays，and their home life.They will enjoy welcoming us and be pleased if we accept their hospitality（好客）easily.

Another difficult point for us Chinese to understand Americans is that although they include us warmly in their personal everyday lives，they don't show their politeness to us if it requires a great deal of time.This is usually the opposite of the practice in our country where we may be generous with our time.Sometimes，we，as hosts，will appear at airports even in the middle of the night to meet a friend.We may take days off to act as guides to our foreign friends.The Americans，however，express their welcome usually at homes，but truly can not manage the time to do a great deal with a visitor outside their daily routine.They will probably expect us to get ourselves from the airport to our own hotel by bus.And they expect that we will phone them from there.Once we arrive at their homes，the welcome will be full，warm and real.We will find ourselves treated hospitably.

For the Americans，it is often considered more friendly to invite a friend to their homes thanto go to restaurants，except for purely business matters.So accept their hospitality at，home！.

1. The writer of this passage must be______.

A．an American	B．a Chinese
C．a professor	D．a student

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Friendships between Americans usually extend deeply into their families.

B．Friendships between Americans usually last for all their lives.

C．Americans always show their warmth even if they are very busy.

D．Americans will continue their friendships again even after a long break.

3. From the last two paragraphs we can learn that when we arrive in America to visit an American friend, we will probably be_______.

A．warmly welcomed at the airport	B．offered a ride to his home
C．treated hospitably at his home	D．treated to dinner in a restaurant

4. The underlined words"generous with our time"in Paragraph 3 probably mean_____.

A．strict with time	B．serious with time
C．careful with time	D．willing to spend time

5. A suitable title for this passage would probably be"_____".

A．Friendships between Chinese

B．Friendships between Americans

C．Americans' hospitality

D．Americans' and Chinese's views of friendships

7 . I’m a pig, and my son is a rabbit. I have snakes for daughters, and my wife, believe it or not, is a dragon! Do I live in a zoo? No, of course not! I am talking about Chinese zodiac signs. Depending on the year of your birth, each person has an animal for a sign. That’s why I am a pig and my wife is a dragon. If you, like me, were born in the year of the pig, then you are brave, thoughtful and loyal. The year of the pig is filled with good fortune.

Now let’s take a closer look at this interesting animal.

Pigs were first raised by man about 9,000 years ago, and are still a very common farm animal in many parts of the world. We don’t just use pigs for their meat — almost every part of the animal is used. The hair is used for artists’ brushes. The fat is used to make floor wax, rubber and plastics.

Pigs have also been important in the world of entertainment. In 1995 the film ‘Babe’ starred a loveable talking pig as its main character. The film won an Oscar and was nominated for 6 more. In England you can even go to watch pig racing. A farmer, Rob Shepherd, has been raising money for charity by holding pig races on his farm. The events have been very successful. People don’t just want to eat pigs, it seems!

Pigs also play an important role in the English language. For example, if someone says that he will travel to the sun one day, you can say “pigs might fly!” to him. Hungry? Well then, you can “pig out” and eat lots of food. And what if someone rescues you? Well, you can say that they “saved your bacon”.

1. The writer wrote the first paragraph in a ______ tone.

A．sad	B．confused
C．serious	D．humorous

2. We may know from the passage that ______.

A．people in England like pigs more than other animals

B．pigs are more useful than ordinary people imagine

C．pigs are the first animals raised by man

D．more people don’t want to eat pigs now

3. The underlined sentence “pigs might fly!” in the fifth paragraph means “______”.

A．What you have just said is impossible

B．Pigs are great animals

C．I don’t understand your words

D．I can’t agree with you more

4. Whichagram shows the structure of the passage?

A．

B．

C．

D．