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 |
要点：
1.文化遗产地的重要性(见证历史和文化，帮助人们了解过去)；
2.呼吁人们保护文化遗产地。
注意：
1.要涵盖所给要点，词数80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Editor,
I am Li Hua, a senior student from Hongxing High School.
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Yours,
Li Hua
Waking up at 7 in the morning, 25-year-old Fan Yupei cleans up,
Life in her hometown, Shenhou town, in Yuzhou City, is much
Shenhou town is home
4 . Every life in Britain
The weather is the most common topic in Britain.
Men always shake hands when they meet.
British people are very superstitious(迷信). They believe in all sorts of signs they see. For them black cats are luck
| A．Shopping is another common topic in Britain |
| B．Another common thing in Britain is queue |
| C．Hundreds of years ago, soldiers began this custom. |
| D．In autumn if you catch falling leaves you are lucky |
| E．Why do the Britain talk about the weather so often |
| F．They also pay attention to tiny details like your birthday |
| G．Never walk under a ladder, and don't walk pass somebody on the stairs |
5 . Fans, with different materials and shapes, are not only a means to cool down in the hot days but also a part of the culture for the Chinese. Here are some of the interesting cultural meanings for the fans in China.
Feather fans
It is the earliest form of fans. Its most famous user is Zhuge Liang of the Three Kingdoms period, who was the best adviser to a king. He always carried a white feather fan around. Since then the feather fans have become a symbol of wisdom in the Chinese classic literature, traditional paintings. They even appear in today's TV series and films now and then.
Round fans
If feather fans were loved mostly by men, round fans were Chinese women's best friends. The round fans, originated in the West Han Dynasty, were usually made of bamboo frames of round or oval shapes, and white fine silk. Therefore, they could only be afforded by wealthy families back in those days. In Chinese culture, the round fans are closely linked with elegance (优雅) and beauty of women, as well as their happiness and sorrow.
Folding(折叠) fans
The folding fans are quite familiar to us. In fact, the folding fans originated in Japan, and were introduced to China in the Northern Song Dynasty. The popularity of the folding fans owed greatly to the Chinese scholars(文人), who loved to paint and write on the folding fans and turned them into art pieces.
Big leaf fans
The big leaf fans are a link to the traditional lifestyle. Many elderly Chinese can still remember those summer days, when neighbors sat together, waving their big leaf fans, drinking tea while telling the stories of their daily lives.
1. What will feather fans usually remind the Chinese of?| A．TV series and films. | B．Men with wisdom. |
| C．Traditional lifestyles. | D．Artistic decorations. |
| A．Big leaf fans. | B．Folding fans. |
| C．Round fans. | D．Feather fans. |
| A．They had a foreign origin. | B．They were once very expensive. |
| C．They reflected an urban lifestyle. | D．They were used by ordinary people. |
1. What did Chinese people prefer to do to their beloved in the past?
| A．Speak out love. | B．Send something. | C．Sing in front. |
| A．Embarrassed. | B．Surprised. | C．Disappointed. |
| A．Confucian(孔子) thoughts. | B．Eastern thoughts. | C．Western thoughts. |
If you live in northeastern China, you expect long, cold winters. People
The festival includes several thousand ice sculptures. Some of these works are the recreations of castles, historic landmarks and famous people, lit up at night in bright colors. There
The city started
8 . There are no right or wrong signals, only cultural differences. Lack of cultural understanding will lead to disagreement among people from different cultures. Meeting with other cultures is actually very interesting and fun. It is certainly a great topic to discuss over a cup of coffee and cakes.
The gesture “thumbs-up” is commonly misunderstood. In English, it is known as “thumbs up”, though the action is commonly performed with only one hand. English-speaking Caucasians use it to signal “OK”, which is the same meaning as OK ring gesture. The two can in fact be used instead of each other.
To most Europeans, it signals the number 1, since they count from 1 to 5 beginning with the thumb for 1 and ending with the little finger for 5. Other nationalities, like Americans, usually start counting on the index finger for 1, and end with the thumb.
Avoid using this gesture in Southern Sardinia or Northern Greece unless you want to invite a fight. While Americans, the British and Australians would use the thumbs-up sign to signal for hitch-hiking, this message will not encourage a Northern Greek driver or motorist to stop to give them a ride.
What does the “OK” sign mean to you? If you are an English-speaking Caucasian, it means “OK” or “good”. The French understand it as “zero” or “worthless”. The Japanese would read it as “money”.
Don’t show this gesture to a Greek. Ancient Greek vases have been found showing this gesture as an insult. So, if you use this sign in Greece to tell a person that he is “OK”, he will feel insulted. Other regions where this sign can be insulting are Turkey, Malta, Sardinia, Tunisia, Russia, the Middle East, Paraguay, and Brazil.
1. What does the “thumbs-up” gesture show among English-speaking Caucasians?| A．Agreement. | B．Respect. | C．Calmness. | D．Disappointment. |
| A．1. | B．2. | C．4. | D．5. |
| A．Asking for a lift. | B．Giving the “OK” sign. |
| C．Trying to speak English. | D．Showing the gesture “thumbs-up”. |
| A．The function of body language. | B．How to communicate with foreigners. |
| C．The different meanings of two gestures. | D．The importance of learning about other cultures. |
9 . Many western cultures measure their days with the solar calendar. Therefore, they
Most world cultures have been celebrating the New Year for centuries. The earliest New Year celebrations took place during spring or
Some cultures have
London hosts an annual New Year’s Day parade that
| A．observe | B．notice | C．expect | D．decide |
| A．happen | B．develop | C．vary | D．hold |
| A．burden | B．reunion | C．deal | D．success |
| A．winter | B．harvest | C．labor | D．leisure |
| A．colder | B．changeable | C．extreme | D．better |
| A．eventually | B．naturally | C．occasionally | D．exactly |
| A．unique | B．challenging | C．interesting | D．universal |
| A．unusual | B．shocking | C．silly | D．typical |
| A．coming | B．departure | C．failure | D．dying |
| A．animals | B．misfortune | C．enemies | D．poverty |
| A．reaches | B．rings | C．strikes | D．shows |
| A．kisses | B．love | C．fortune | D．gifts |
| A．as well as | B．so as to | C．other than | D．rather than |
| A．draws | B．requires | C．amuses | D．provides |
| A．watch | B．exceed | C．tower | D．contain |
内容要点：
1．休息(由于平时学习紧张，缺少锻炼和休息)；
2．看望乡下的祖父母(帮助他们做点家务，并跟他们谈谈身边的新鲜事)。
注意：1．词数100个左右，可适当增加细节；
2．开头已给出，不计入总词数；
3．参考词汇：国庆假期 National Day Holiday
Dear Jason，
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Yours，
Li Hua
