1 . Should we allow modern buildings to be built next to older buildings in a historic area of a city? In order to answer this question, we must first examine whether people really want to preserve the historic feel of an area. Not all historical buildings are attractive. However, there may be other reasons—for example, economic (经济的) reasons—why they should be preserved. So, let us assume that historical buildings are both attractive and important to the majority of people. What should we do then if a new building is needed?
In my view, new architectural styles can exist perfectly well alongside an older style. Indeed, there are many examples in my own home town of Tours where modern designs have been placed very successfully next to old buildings. As long as the building in question is pleasing and does not dominate (影响) its surroundings too much, it often improves the attractiveness of the area.
It is true that there are examples of new buildings which have spoilt (破坏) the area they are in, but the same can be said of some old buildings too. Yet people still speak against new buildings in historic areas. I think this is simply because people are naturally conservative(保守的)and do not like change.
Although we have to respect people’s feelings as fellow users of the buildings, I believe that it is the duty of the architect and planner to move things forward . If we always reproduced what was there before, we would all still be living in caves. Thus, I would argue against copying previous architectural styles and choose something fresh and different , even though that might be the more risky choice.
1. What does the author say about historical buildings in the first paragraph?A.Some of them are not attractive. |
B.Most of them ate too expensive to preserve. |
C.They are more pleasing than modern buildings. |
D.They have nothing to do with the historic feel of an area. |
A.We should reproduce the same old buildings. |
B.Buildings should not dominate their surroundings. |
C.Some old buildings have spoilt the area they are in. |
D.No one understands why people speak against new buildings. |
A.destroy old buildings |
B.put things in a different place |
C.respect people’s feelings for historical buildings |
D.choose new architectural styles |
A.To explain why people dislike change. |
B.To argue that modern buildings can be built in historic areas. |
C.To warn that we could end up living in caves. |
D.To admit how new buildings have ruined their surroundings. |
2 . 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 |
3 . For five days, Edmonton's Downtown Park is transformed into one huge stage where artists are able to share their talents, and where people are able to celebrate and enjoy themselves. Since its beginning in 1980, the Edmonton Folk Music Festival has been commemorating (纪念) the true feeling of what folk music is all about and that's the traditional togetherness (友爱) that is felt when people gather to share stories and feelings through song.
This year will be the sixth year when volunteer Riedel will be offering up her time to the festival. “People coming off a busy spring and summer have a moment of relaxation,” Riedel said. “It's really easy to relax, and it's great seeing family and friends have fun together.” These families and friends come from all different kinds of musical tastes. People who take pleasure in Blues are there, so are people who love Bluegrass. This festival does its best to develop everyone's musical interests.
With so many years of experience, the festival has become a welloiled machine, and does whatever it can to make attendees feel as comfortable as possible. There are free water stations throughout the venue (举办地) for people to fill up their travel cups. When people buy food, reusable dishes are given a $2 plate fee, but that is returned when the plate is brought back.
The festival has completely sold out of tickets, and in record time. But with big names such as Van Morrison and Jakob Dylan, it's easy to see how that was going to happen. There is no parking area during the festival, so using the Park & Ride system or Edmonton Transit is highly recommended. A bike lockup area is provided and will be available Thursday until Sunday one hour before the gates open until 45 minutes after the gates close.
The Edmonton Folk Music Festival begins on Wednesday, Aug. 4 with Van Morrison playing the special donation fund (基金) concert,and will finish up on Sunday, Aug. 8.
1. The Edmonton Folk Music Festival is held mainly to ________.A.gather people with different musical tastes |
B.remind people of the real sense of folk music |
C.exhibit the good voices of great talents in folk music |
D.collect old stories of folk music |
A.Riedel has volunteered for the festival for at least 5 years. |
B.It's hard for people to appreciate Blues. |
C.It costs people a little to fill up their cups from water stations. |
D.People have to pay $2 for a plate of food. |
A.people can get tickets easily for the festival |
B.the Edmonton Folk Music Festival is well organized |
C.driving one's own car to the festival is highly recommended |
D.bikes are available at the festival from Wednesday to Sunday |
A.Folk Music of Blues |
B.One Festival for All |
C.Festival for Family Gathering |
D.Edmonton's Downtown Park |
Tea remained scarce and very expensive in England until the ships of the East India Company began to bring it direct from China early in the seventeenth century. During the next few years so much tea came into the country that the price fell and many people could afford to buy it.
At the same time people on the Continent were becoming more and more fond of tea.Until then tea had been drunk without milk in it, but one day a famous French lady named Madame de Sevigne decided to see what tea tasted like when milk was added.She found it so pleasant that she would never again drink it without milk. Because she was such a great lady her friends thought they must copy everything she did, so they also drank their tea with milk in it. Slowly this habit spread until it reached England and today only very few Britons drink tea without milk.
At first, tea was usually drunk after dinner in the evening. No one ever thought of drinking tea in the afternoon until a duchess (公爵夫人) found that a cup of tea and a piece of cake at three or four o'clock stopped her getting “a sinking feeling” as she called it. She invited her friends to have this new meal with her and so, tea-time was born.
1. Which of the following is true of the introduction of tea into Britain?
A.The Britons got expensive tea from India. |
B.Tea reached Britain from Holland. |
C.The Britons were the first people in Europe who drank tea. |
D.It was not until the 17th century that the Britons had tea. |
A.the history of tea drinking in Britain |
B.how tea became a popular drink in Britain |
C.how the Britons got the habit of drinking tea |
D.how tea-time was born |
A.in eighteenth century | B.in sixteenth century |
C.in seventeenth century | D.in the late seventeenth century |
A.it tasted like milk |
B.it tasted more pleasant |
C.it became a popular drink |
D.Madame de Sevigne was such a lady with great social influence that people tried to copy the way she drank tea |
due to the influence of ________.
A.a famous French lady | B.the ancient Chinese |
C.the upper social class | D.people in Holland |
Foreign tourists are often confused(困惑的)in Japan because most streets there don’t have names. In Japan, people use landmarks(地标)in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “ Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat. In many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, “ Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map. They measure distance in time, not miles. “ How far away is the post office?” you ask. “ Oh,” they answer, “ it’s about five minutes from here.” You say, “ Yes, but how many miles is it?” They don’t know.
It’s true that a person doesn't know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, “ Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “ I don't know”. People in Yucatan believe that “I don't know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan!
1. When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place, they usually _______ .
A.describe the place carefully |
B.show him a map of the place |
C.tell him the names of the streets |
D.refer to recognizable buildings and places |
A.New York. | B.Los Angles. |
C.Kansas C. Iowa |
A.in order to save time | B.as a test |
C.so as to be polite | D.for fun |
A.It’s important for travelers to understand cultural differences. |
B.It’s useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly. |
C.People have similar understanding of politeness. |
D.New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors. |
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest(牧师) in the third century Rome. When the emperor (皇帝) decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage. But Valentine continued to perform(主持) marriage ceremonies(典礼) for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison(监狱), it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed (签名)“From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped(心形的) cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.
1. Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?
A.Because there were few women in his country at that time. |
B.Because he wanted to control the birth rate. |
C.Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people. |
D.Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers. |
A.he killed one of the soldiers |
B.he didn’t obey the emperor’s order |
C.he stole a lot of food |
D.he didn’t want to be a soldier |
A.students in China send cards to their teachers |
B.Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now |
C.it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China |
D.it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China |
A.Valentine’s Day in China | B.A Brave Priest |
C.Valentine’s Day | D.A Romantic Man |