1 . 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 body language, dress, manners, ideas and so on. The way people do things highlights many of the differences we see between cultures.
Some of the 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 quests 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. The author was unhappy as mentioned in paragraph 1 because he thought ________| A．The American bank didn’t think much of him. |
| B．The American bank might hire another person. |
| C．It’s difficult to get used to American culture. |
| D．It’s easy to understand Americans. |
| A．encourages | B．helps to narrow |
| C．increase | D．stress |
| A．Ask the native people for help. | B．Understand and accept them. |
| C．Do things in our own ways. | D．Do in-depth research. |
| A．Italians | B．Germans |
| C．Greeks | D．the British |
2 . The latest additions to its World Heritage list. The following are some of the recent additions.
Churches of the Pskov School of Architecture (Russia)
The structures, many of which are churches, were all designed by the Pskov School of Architecture. It was a leading school of building design in the country, especially in the 15th and 16th centuries. Some elements common to Pskov architecture date back to the 11th century.
Babylon (Iraq）
The ancient city of Babylon is gaining World Heritage Site status. The city was once a main tourist site before Iraq suffered several wars. The 4, 300-year-old city is where dynasties have risen and fallen since the earliest days of settled human civilization. UNESCO Says the site "offers a look into one of the most influential empires of the ancient world".
Writing-on-stone（Canada）
Canada’s Writing-on-stone monument has a large number of protected rock paintings and rock carvings. Some of them are 2, 000 years old. The markings were left by Blackfoot Native Americans, who lived in parts of Western Canada and the far northern United States. The land that makes up Writing-on-Stone is filled with rock posts that have been formed into "spectacular shapes" by erosion （侵蚀）.
Party and Ilha Grande（Brazil）
The historic coastal town of Party and the island Ilha Grande are already popular places for visitors to Brazils Rio de Janeiro state. Party was the final stop along the Gold Route, along which gold was shipped to Europe in the 1600s. The area is also home to a huge number of animals, some of which are in danger now.
1. What do we know about the buildings in Pskov?| A．Their designs came from the same school. |
| B．They are merely churches. |
| C．They are a group of ancient schools. |
| D．Their paintings are about 2,000 years old. |
| A．It is the best-preserved monument in Canada. |
| B．It enjoys great popularity with visitors. |
| C．It reflects the culture of the natives. |
| D．It was formed by nature. |
| A．Shipping activities. |
| B．Coastal scenery. |
| C．Gold mining equipment. |
| D．All kinds of animals. |
3 . Halloween is a great time in the lives of both children and adults. However，even the best Halloween can be ruined by trees filled with toilet paper and egg residues(残渣) that won’t wash off. How can you keep your home safe on Halloween？There are some measures you can take.
Make it known that you’re at home. Pranksters are less likely to play a trick if they know someone is at home. You may want to close the glass on your screen door and open your front door so that you can see everyone moving around outside. This also allows pranksters to see that you’re at home.
Turn on the lights inside your home and outside. Having all the lights on lets pranksters know that you’re not only at home，but you’re awake. If a prankster knows you’re awake，he’ll be more likely to skip your house and head for another one. Even if you need to get in bed early，keep all the lights on except in your bedroom. Pranksters aren’t going to know which room is your bedroom.
Ask the police to patrol the area. It’s a policeman’s job to keep citizens safe，especially on Halloween. In some cities the crime rate can increase fast on October 31.A polite call to your local police station should get you the service you need. Above all，no pranksters are going to throw eggs at your house when the policemen are patrolling the area.
Set up a neighborhood watch. One of the best ways to keep your home safe on Halloween is to get the neighbors involved. No one wants his trees covered with toilet paper. Ask your neighbors to keep their eyes open and to follow the same steps you’ve taken to help keep your home safe. If the entire neighborhood is lit up，pranksters are less likely to stop by
1. The underlined word “Pranksters” in Paragraph 2 probably means those who.| A．like Halloween very much | B．play practical jokes on people |
| C．often commit a crime at night | D．enter one’s house by force |
| A．By moving around outside your house. | B．By closing your front door. |
| C．By turning on inside and outside lights. | D．By staying up and being awake. |
| A．a policeman’s main task is to patrol the area |
| B．the crime rate increases fast in some cities |
| C．you have to pay for a policeman to patrol your area |
| D．the policemen can help a lot with your home safety on Halloween |
| A．neighborhood teamwork | B．keeping homes safe |
| C．being on one’s guard | D．informing everyone of the danger |
4 . Americans wear black for mourning (哀悼) while Chinese wear white. Westerners think of dragons as monsters. Chinese honor them as symbols of God. Chinese civilization has often shown such polarities (对立)with the West, as though each stands at extreme ends of a global string. Now in the University of California, Berkeley, a psychologist, has discovered deeper polarities between Chinese and American cultures—polarities that go to the heart of how we reason and discover truth.
His findings go far toward explaining why American cultures seem to be aggressive and Chinese cultures so passive, when compared to each other. More importantly, the research opens the way for the peoples of the East and the West to learn from each other in basic ways. The Chinese could learn much from Western methods for determining scientific truth, said Kaiping Peng, a former Beijing Scholar, who is now a UC Berkley assistant professor of psychology. And Americans could profit enormously from the Chinese tolerance for accepting contradictions in social and personal life, he said.
“Americans have a terrible need to find out who is right in an argument,” said Peng. “The problem is that at the interpersonal level you really don’t need to find the truth, or maybe there isn’t any.” Chinese people, said Peng, are far more content to think that both sides have advantages and disadvantages, because they have a whole awareness that life is full of contradictions. They do far less blaming of the individual than do Americans, he added.
In studies of interpersonal (人际的) argument, for example, when subjects were asked to deal with contradictory information resulting from conflict between a mother and a daughter or a student and a school, Peng found that Americans were “non-compromising (折中), blaming one side—usually the mother—for the causes of the problems, demanding changes from one side to attain a solution and offering no compromise” in dealing with the conflict. Compared to this angry, blaming American method, the Chinese were paragons (模范) of compromise, finding fault on both sides and looking for solutions that moved both sides to the middle.
1. In Paragraph 1, the author sets examples in order to ____.| A．expose the contradiction between Chinese and Americans |
| B．show the differences between Chinese culture and American culture |
| C．find the reason for the differences |
| D．generalize the main idea of the passage |
| A．likely to find the truth in life |
| B．unwilling to admit their own failure |
| C．unwilling to have a general idea of things |
| D．likely to know advantages and disadvantages of things |
| A．an American treats his or her mother badly |
| B．different ideas of treating the aged |
| C．different personality of Chinese and Americans |
| D．different hobbies of Americans and Chinese |
| A．polarities between American and Chinese cultures |
| B．extreme ends of the string |
| C．different attitudes towards the aged |
| D．different manners in social occasions |
5 . There was a time in the 1960’s and 1970’s when some people believed that coffee would replace tea as Britain’s favourite drink, but that did not happen, and today, tea remains Britain’s favourite drink.
To say that the British are fond of tea is something of an understatement(轻描淡写). From the Royal(皇室的) Family down to the homeless and the out-of-work, tea is more than just a pleasure. It is an important part of life!
The popularity of tea in the United Kingdom has a long history. It was in 1657 that Thomas Garway, the owner of a coffee house, sold the first tea in London. The drink soon became popular as another choice besides coffee.
In those days, however, tea was not something for anyone. For a century and a half, it remained an expensive drink. Many bosses served a cup of it to their workers in the middle of the morning, thus inventing a lasting British institution, the “tea break”. But as a social drink outside the workplace, tea was served for the nobility(贵族) and for the growing middle classes. Among those who had the money for tea, it became very popular as a drink to be enjoyed in cafés and “tea gardens”.
It was the 7th Duchess of Bedford who, in around 1800, started the popular “afternoon tea”, which took place at about four o'clock. At about the same time, the Earl of Sandwich popularised a new way of eating bread with something (e. g. jam) between them, and before long, a small meal at the end of the afternoon with tea and sandwiches had become part of a way of life.
As tea became much cheaper during the nineteenth century, its popularity spread right through British society. In working-class households, it was served with the main meal of the day, eaten when workers returned home after a day’s labour. This meal has become known as “high tea”.
Today, tea can be drunk at any time of day. Most people in Britain drink tea for breakfast. The mid-morning “tea break” is an institution in British offices and factories. Later in the day, “afternoon tea” is still a way of life in the south of England and among the middle classes, while “high tea” has remained a tradition in the north of Britain.
1. Who played an important part in the beginning of tea time in England?| A．Thomas Garway. | B．The Royal Family. |
| C．The Earl of Sandwich. | D．The Duchess of Bedford. |
| A．drink | B．workplace |
| C．tradition | D．order |
| A．The “tea break” kept the workers from being sleepy after lunch. |
| B．Workers could enjoy a cup of tea in “tea gardens” at their workplace. |
| C．“High tea” was usually served with the main meal for the middle classes. |
| D．The “afternoon tea” together with sandwiches became popular in around 1800. |
| A．The Popularity of Tea | B．Tea and the British |
| C．Tea and the Middle Class | D．The History of Tea |
6 . The Peony Culture Festival of Luoyang
Spring is time for people to go out and see blossoming flowers. Luoyang in Henan, China is famous for peonies, the city’s official flower. The city’s annual Peony Culture Festival begins in early April and lasts till early May. Peonies are in full bloom during the event, which was first held in 1983.
You can go to the Luoyang National Peony Garden. The peonies there are known for their rich colors and long florescence. Don’t miss the 1,600-year-old “Peony King”!
Chinese Language Day
Chinese is one of the six official working languages of the United Nations. The LIN has set different days for these languages to promote their uses. It holds exhibitions, shows and other activities. In 2010, the first Chinese Language Day was held on Nov. 12. But since 2011, it has been held on April 20. The date is close to Grain Rain, one of the 24 solar terms. It means “rain of millet”. People celebrate Grain Rain to remember Cangjie, a mythical character. Many people believe that Cangjie was the first person to write Chinese characters. When he did this, it rained millet and saved people from hunger.
China Astronautics Day
On April 24, 1970, China’s first man-made Earth satellite — Dongfanghong I — went into space. It was a big step for China’s space program. In 2016, the government set April 24 as China Astronautics Day. Many events are held across the country to celebrate this special day. For example, astronauts and scientists will give talks to students. Some cities will hold exhibitions about space development.
Last year, China had big plans for its space program. On December 8, it launched its second lunar rover（月球车）as part of the Chang’e 4 space mission, which landed on the far side of the moon.
1. When was the first Chinese Language Day held by the United Nations?| A．In 1970. | B．In 1983. |
| C．In 2010. | D．In 2011. |
| A．China sent the first man-made earth satellite. |
| B．China has progressed greatly in astronautics. |
| C．Chang’e 4 consists of two lunar rovers. |
| D．Chang’e 4 is another space station built by China. |
| A．They all take place in April at present. |
| B．They are celebrated nationwide. |
| C．All the participants are Chinese people. |
| D．Their dates were once changed for some reason. |
7 . Thanksgiving Day is special holiday in the United States and Canada. Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing.
Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival. This is why it is celebrated in late fall, after the crops are in. But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest. On December 4, 1619, the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City, Virginia. They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic.
The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest. The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel. Many of the Pilgrims died. But the next year, they had a good harvest. So Governor Bradford declared a three-day feast(盛宴). The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast. Everyone brought food.
In time, other colonies(殖民地) began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. He proclaimed(宣布) the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving. Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbours. But the Canadian thanks-giving Day falls on the second Monday in October.
1. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated .| A．in spring | B．summer |
| C．in autumn | D．in winter |
| A．some people from England | B．the American Indians |
| C．Sarah Josepha Hale | D．Governor Bradford |
| A．in the U. S. A. | B．in Great Britain |
| C．in Canada | D．on some island off the Atlantic |
| A．Thanksgiving Day used to be a holiday to celebrate a good harvest. |
| B．Abraham Lincoln was not the first to decide on thanksgiving celebrations. |
| C．Thanksgiving Day is celebrated to express the American and Indian people’s thanks to God. |
| D．There’s little difference between the American way and the Canadian way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. |
| A．how Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the U. S. A. |
| B．how Thanksgiving Day came into being and the different ways it is celebrated |
| C．that Thanksgiving Day is in fact a harvest holiday |
| D．how the way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day changed with the time and places |
The summer holidays are upon us again. Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!
Peterborough Museum
The Age of the Dinosaurs’ is the museum’s main attraction this summer．Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands—on exhibits! Watch out for monsters lurking (潜伏) around every ember! The museum is open from 10：00am to 5：00pm Monday to Saturday，and from 12:00pm to 4:00 pm on Sundays in August．
Call 01733 864663 for details
Saxon Youth Club
School holiday fun：Young people aged 13－19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in spots activities, or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club, Saxon Community Centre, Norman Road, Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00pm. PLUS an aero ball tournament will take place on Thursday 12th August between 3:30pm and 6:30pm.
Call 01353 720274 for details
Houghton Mill
Alice through the Looking Class—a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th. August. Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play. Gates open 5 : 30 pro performance 6:30pm—8:30pm. Tea room will be open until end of the interval. Adult ￡10. Child￡7. Family ￡20.
Booking advisable on 0845 4505157.
Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
Farmland Gaines：From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches，come and join the Farmland Team．Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette (玫瑰形饰物) that is fit for a winner！No need to book, just turn up between 12: 00pm and 4:00pm on Thursday 19th August Suitable for children aged four and above，each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price Tickets Cost￡7 per child.
For further information, call 01223 810080.
1. If you are interested in cooking, you can go to____.
| A．Peterborough Museum | B．Houghton Mill |
| C．Saxon Youth Club | D．Farmland Museum |
| A．￡21 | B．￡17 |
| C．￡27 | D．￡20 |
| A．Playing farmland games. | B．Watching a new play. |
| C．Competing in spots activities. | D．Visiting the dinosaur exhibition. |
| A．one activity | B．two activities |
| C．three activities | D．four activities |
