1 . Culture shock or thinking differences can depress even the most experienced traveller. Remember that unlucky accidents with service providers may take place because of cultural or linguistic(语言的)misunderstandings, and that getting angry will make communication more difficult and cause bad feelings. A taste of humour can make hard situations more meaningful and enjoyable to you, your fellow travellers and the local friends you’ve made.
Keep a journal or carry a small tape recorder and make regular entries or recordings. Taking a step back and telling an experience after some time will open the door to humour. Write a letter or an email to a friend when you find your humour reducing. Challenge yourself to tell at least one good story in this message and you’ll be surprised how funny things can look when told to someone outside the situation.
Keep a list of funny things that you observe during your first few days in a new culture, and an explanation of what you think these things are all about. Look back on these lists later in the trip; what seemed strange before is probably familiar now, and your explanations may be funnier than the things themselves! Imagine writing an entry in a guidebook about a frustrating experience. How would you describe your experience to the later travellers? What travel advice would you offer?
Try to see yourself through the eyes of the locals. What might they find strange, funny about what you are doing at this moment? When you find it difficult to overcome cultural differences, taking a new look at yourself can be very funny. Be careful not to sacrifice respect for the local culture in order to lighten things up for yourself and fellow travellers.
1. According to the article, the travellers will often get depressed because of ___________.| A．being short of money | B．the different attitudes to the same thing |
| C．not having enough clothes | D．the unlucky fellow travellers’ trouble |
| A．take a step to find the entry | B．keep a list of things that should be taken with |
| C．experience the same things later | D．begin to have a chance of telling the humour |
| A．tell anything that you find entertaining | B．learn to respect the local culture |
| C．know how to overcome cultural differences | D．try to tell something particularly funny |
| A．the funny things will be always interesting and never change |
| B．the funny things will always make people happy |
| C．if the people didn’t experience the things, they would find them funny |
| D．the things seem strange before they are surely becoming the familiar things |
2 . Whoever you are, learning how to communicate internationally is the best way to reach out to more people with different cultures.
Learn how people deal with things in their countries. The best way to handle cultural differences is to research how different countries handle business meetings or any other type of communication.
Be aware of language barriers (障碍). You may sound smart with humorous English jargon (行话) among those who have been speaking the language for most of their lives.
Go over any form of written communication before you send it out. It is easy to cause misunderstandings when you deal with people from different parts of the world.
Always stay updated with the social developments.
| A．This may happen without your knowing. |
| B．Pay more attention to cultural differences. |
| C．Employers need to understand that culture shock is real. |
| D．However, people from other countries may not understand it. |
| E．Different cultures like to receive information in different ways. |
| F．It’s known that technology has improved rapidly over the years. |
| G．For example, the Japanese prefer you get straight to the point instead of making small talk. |
3 . There is more of a connection between food and culture than you may think. On an individual level, we grow up eating the food of our culture. It becomes a part of who we are. Many associate food from our childhood with warm feelings and good memories and it ties us to our families, holding a special and personal value for us. Food from our families often becomes the comfort food we seek as adults in times of frustration and stress.
On a large scale, traditional food is an important part of culture. It also operates as an expression of cultural identity. Immigrants bring it wherever they go, and it is a symbol of pride in their culture and means of coping with homesickness.
Many immigrants open their own restaurants and serve traditional dishes. However, the food does not remain exactly the same. Some materials needed to make traditional dishes may not be readily available, so the taste and flavour can be different from what they would prepare in their home countries. Additionally, immigrants do not only sell dishes to people from the same countries as them, but to people from different countries. Therefore, they have to make small changes in the original dishes to cater to a wider range of customers. Those changes can create new flavours that still keep the cultural significance of the dishes.
We should not only embrace our heritage (传统) through our culture’s food, but also become more informed about other cultures by trying their food. It is important to remember that each dish has a special place in the culture to which it belongs, and is special to those who prepare it. Food is a window on culture, and it should be treated as such.
1. What’s the function of food mentioned in the text?| A．To help motivate homesickness. |
| B．To show cultural identity. |
| C．To reflect a country’s history. |
| D．To show a community’s superiority. |
| A．The specific traditional food. |
| B．The national culture. |
| C．A traditional expression of food. |
| D．The old-fashioned taste. |
| A．To attach cultural importance to their dishes. |
| B．To announce the beginning of their life on foreign soil. |
| C．To make the dishes popular among customers. |
| D．To present their own food culture in a new way. |
| A．Negative. |
| B．Balanced. |
| C．Unfair. |
| D．Unchangeable. |
4 . Last weekend I was lucky enough to attend one of Spain’s most famous carnivals in the city of Cádiz. You can only understand what it is like after seeing it for yourself. Everybody was fancily-dressed from top to toe.
Almost instantly after stepping off the train, we were filled with joy.
Then there were the groups dotted around the city.
As the night progressed, the streets got more packed with people. When we passed a convenience store, we danced along to the music coming through the owner’s speakers.
| A．Everyone was dancing. |
| B．People got more and more excited. |
| C．We saw everyone was in high spirits. |
| D．It made me feel like I was in a fairy-tale world. |
| E．Afterwards, we went to the main party at El Puerto. |
| F．They were mostly old men singing some traditional songs. |
| G．These mini street shows were a true taste of Spanish culture. |
Six months ago, 19-year-old Xie Lei said goodbye to her family and friends and boarded a plane for London. It was the first time that she had left China.
Xie Lei is studying for a business qualification at a university in China and has come to our university on a year-long exchange programme. “I chose the exchange programme because I wanted to learn about global business and improve my English. My ambition is to set up a business in China after graduation,” she explained.
At first, Xie Lei had to adapt to life in a different country. “You have to get used to a whole new life,” she said. “I had to learn how to use public transport and how to ask for things I didn’t know the English names for. When I got lost, I had to ask passers-by for help, but people here speak fast and use words I’m not familiar with. I ask them to repeat themselves a lot!”
Although some foreign students live in campus accommodation, Xie Lei chose to live with a host family who can help with her adaptation to the new culture. “When I miss home, I feel comforted to have a second family,” Xie Lei said. “When there’s something I don’t know or understand, I ask them. They are also keen to learn about China. Laura, the daughter of my host family, wants to study in China in the future. We take turns to cook each evening. They really love my stir-fried tomatoes and eggs! Laura says she always feels hungry when she smells it, so I taught her how to cook it, too!”
Another challenge for Xie Lie is the academic requirements. The first time that she had to write an essay, her tutor explained that she must acknowledge what other people had said if she cited their ideas, but that he mainly wanted to know what she thought! Xie Lei was confused because she thought she knew less than other people. Her tutor advised her to read a lot of information in order to form a wise opinion of her own.
Xie Lei also found many courses included students’ participation in class as part of the final result. Students need to generate ideas, offer examples, apply concepts, and raise questions, as well as give presentations. At first, Xie Lei had no idea what she should say but what surprised her was that she found herself speaking up in class after just a few weeks. “My presentation on traditional Chinese art was a great success, which boosted my confidence,” she said, “I’ll use these skills back home for presentation. They’ll help me build a strong business in the future”.
Now halfway through her exchange year, Xie Lei feels much more at home in the UK. What seemed strange before now appears quite normal to her.” Engaging in British culture has helped,” she said. “As well as studying hard, I’ve been involved in social activities. British people are fascinated by our culture and eager to learn more about it, so I’m keen to share my culture with them. While I’m learning about business, I’m also acting as a cultural messenger building a bridge between us.”
We will follow Xie Lei’s progress in later editions, but for now, we wish her all the best.
1. Why did Xie Lei choose the exchange programme?| A．Because her tutor was moving to Britain for a new job. |
| B．Because she planed to set up a business in Britain after graduation. |
| C．Because she wished to experience a new life in a different country. |
| D．Because she wanted to learn about global business and develop her English. |
| A．She has learnt to use taxi as main transport. |
| B．She has carried a business guidebook for reference. |
| C．She has always been with the daughter of her host family. |
| D．She has asked for help from passers-by when she got lost. |
| A．Speaking a lot in class may give her a favor. |
| B．She can take part in lots of academic activities. |
| C．She can get help from her tutor and read a lot to prepare. |
| D．Raising questions and giving presentation can help for writing. |
| A．By giving a presentation on traditional Chinese art. |
| B．By teaching people how to taste Chinese food. |
| C．By involving herself in academic essays. |
| D．By sharing western culture with people. |
6 . Differences do set us apart, but we often forget that we are all human, and our culture is much more representative (有代表性的) of our differing environment than truly different people. Here are some tips on how to understand and admire cultural differences.
Invite other cultures into your home.
Read as much about the local culture as you can before arriving. It is irresponsible to arrive in a new place without knowing how things usually run. You may get immediately shocked upon landing, which can make it harder to accept the culture later on.
Share parts of your own culture and life to encourage others to share theirs. One of the best things to bring while traveling is a set of photos from home, allowing you to bring people into your own life and culture from anywhere.
| A．You can accept travelers or exchange students. |
| B．Therefore, be ready for some shocks or changes in the real world. |
| C．Seek out experiences, foods, and people who seem foreign to you. |
| D．Get out to see new places, pushing your comfort zone as much as possible. |
| E．Giving a little bit of yourself is the best way to learn a little bit about others. |
| F．You'll be surprised how much most people want to meet and talk to foreigners. |
| G．The best way to understand and admire cultural differences is over food and friendship. |
7 . Group-Centered Societies Have Just as Much Creativity
What does culture have to do with creativity? The answer could be “a lot”. For decades, psychologists trying to understand the roots of creative imaginations have looked at the ways in which two different types of cultures can come to have an effect over its artistic and
Individualism has long been thought to have a creative
The new work comes from comparing communities in different parts of China. Though it scores high, as a nation, on measures of cultural
In the new creativity study, researchers investigated innovation with these two groups in mind. The team used a drawing test that had been created by psychologists. They gave kids a sheet of paper with just a few basic elements printed on it: some dots here, squiggles (弯曲的线条) there, and a rectangle that suggested a drawing frame. The children got 15 minutes to use the elements already on the page to draw whatever they wanted. They could get “adaptive creativity” points for doodling in ways that connected the squiggles and lines into an original and
The researchers gave the test to 683 middle school students from north and south of the Yangtze River. When the scientists got the scores back, they discovered that there were no differences in the children’s overall creativity. When they broke down the results into components, they found that students from collectivistic regions scored
The findings are also a warning against cultural chauvinism (极端民族主义). Western countries have tended to lead the way in innovation — at least as defined by the metrics (指标) we Westerners have created. Perhaps we have been
| A．theoretical | B．inventive | C．productive | D．regular |
| A．prioritize | B．deprive | C．tolerate | D．abandon |
| A．satisfy | B．stimulate | C．cherish | D．sacrifice |
| A．shelter | B．edge | C．border | D．alternative |
| A．embrace | B．propose | C．resist | D．create |
| A．However | B．Therefore | C．Meanwhile | D．Moreover |
| A．broadly | B．objectively | C．seriously | D．narrowly |
| A．individualism | B．identity | C．collectivism | D．flexibility |
| A．selfish | B．collective | C．individualistic | D．realistic |
| A．fall apart | B．fit in | C．give in | D．show off |
| A．separate | B．ugly | C．unified | D．tiny |
| A．catch | B．miss | C．target | D．misuse |
| A．higher | B．averagely | C．lower | D．vaguely |
| A．capturing | B．approaching | C．imitating | D．overlooking |
| A．improvements | B．drawbacks | C．insights | D．attempts |
They don’t mean it
Our family moved here from China two years ago, and we thought we were pretty well adjusted to American ways. This year my parents decided to give a party on Chinese New Year and invite some of our American friends.
The party went pretty well. Our guests were amazed at the flavor of all the special foods. After the dinner, they thanked us for showing them what a real Chinese New Year dinner was like.
“I loved the dishes. You and the girls must have spent hours doing all the work!” Mrs. O’Meara said to my mother.
“The girls helped with the cutting and I’m sorry they did such a terrible job.” said Mother.
I heard a little gasp(倒吸气) from my friend Kim O’Meara, who stared wide-eyes at Mother. When I asked what the matter was, she told me she just didn’t understand why my mother said so.
I had to laugh. “She doesn’t mean it! It’s just the way she talks.”
Seeing her still confused look, I went on explaining, “In China, parents consider it good manners to deny praises about their children. Otherwise, it would be the same as bragging(自夸).” Kim seemed a little hesitant, but she nodded anyway.
That Easter, the O’Mearas invited our family for dinner. Mrs. O’Meara cooked a huge ham which we enjoyed a lot. As Mrs. O’Meara started cutting up the cake for dessert, Mother said, “I’m not sure if I can eat one more bite. That was the best ham I’ve ever tasted!”
“Aw, that ham was terrible,” said Kim. “I bet you could do a lot better, Mrs. Yang.”
注意:1. 续写短文词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
There was a stunned (震惊的) silence around the table.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
I finally knew how Kim had misunderstood what I had said.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________| A．Politeness to strangers. |
| B．Friendliness to foreigners. |
| C．Service in restaurants. |
1. What does the book focus on?
| A．Food recipes. | B．Food supplies. | C．Food cultures. |
| A．China. | B．Canada. | C．South Korea. |
| A．They prefer a fork and knife. |
| B．They use wood or bamboo chopsticks. |
| C．They push food inside with right hands. |
