1 . Different countries have different greeting customs. Read this article to know more about the greeting customs in different cultures, and make sure you greet people in the right way next time you visit one of these countries.
France
French people greet each other with a handshake, but close friends kiss each other on both cheeks when they meet. They do this gesture when meeting and before leaving.
Korea
In Korea, it is a sign of respect(尊敬) for people to bow when greeting each other. In Korea, a bow is followed by a handshake. However, Korean women do not shake hands with western men, instead, they bow slightly.
Brazil
Kissing women on the cheek is a common way of greeting. In a formal situation, a handshake is often done to show respect. Men should shake hands before and after meeting, and once they have become familiar(熟悉的) with each other, a light hug is often given to each other.
Ghana
In a social situation, it’s polite to greet everyone in the room. A handshake is used in greeting, and one palm (手掌) must directly touch the other palm. It’s considered disrespectful to touch the back of the hand.
1. Two close French friends will kiss each other on the when they meet.| A．hand |
| B．cheek |
| C．neck |
| D．arm |
| A．Touch the palm |
| B．kiss on the cheek |
| C．bow on each other |
| D．give a light hug |
| A．Greeting Customs in Different Cultures |
| B．How to Behave Politely |
| C．All Bad Ways to Greet People |
| D．Friends Should Greet Each Other |
My roommate’s family wants me to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with them in their home. I accepted the invitation, and I’m excited about going, but I’m a little nervous about it, too. The social customs in my country are different from those here, so I’m a little worried about making mistakes.
Should I bring a gift, such as candy or flowers? Should I arrive on time or a little late? At the dinner table, how can I know which fork or knife to use? How can I let the family know that I’m thankful for their kindness?
Yours,
Knowing Nothing
Dear Knowing Nothing,
It’s a good idea to bring a gift when you go to a dinner party. Flowers are always welcome, or you can bring a bottle of wine if you know the family drink it.
You should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late. Don’t get there early. If you are going to be more than fifteen minutes late, you should call and tell them.
Try to relax at the dinner table. If you don’t know how to use the right fork, knife or spoon, just watch the other guests, and follow them. If you still have no idea of what to do, don’t be shy about asking the person next to you; it’s better to ask them than to be silently uncomfortable and nervous.
If you like the food, say so. Of course, you’ll thank the host and hostess for the meal and for their kindness. It’s also a good idea to send a card to thank them the day after.
Yours,
Betty
1. Knowing Nothing wrote a letter to Betty to _____.
| A．ask for some advice | B．tell Betty some good news |
| C．answer some questions | D．invite her to dinner |
| A．can only bring some flowers |
| B．can’t bring wine |
| C．should arrive twenty minutes late |
| D．should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late |
| A．relax at the dinner table | B．keep silent at table |
| C．ask the person beside him | D．watch the other guests |
No matter how unfair the situation is, it’s best to express your complaint politely. In English, you’ll sound more polite if you use indirect language. Here are some examples:
“I’m sorry to bother you...” Starting a complaint like this puts the listener who may have heard many complaints that day at ease. Use this phrase if the situation isn’t that serious. For example, “I’m sorry to bother you, but I wanted a baked potato, not fried.”
“Can you help me with this?” Everyone would rather be asked to do something than told! So try expressing your complaint as a request for help: “Can you help me with this? My shirt came back from the laundry without buttons.”
“I’m afraid there may be a misunderstanding.” This is a polite way of saying, “Your information is wrong. Please fix it now.” You’ll most likely use this phrase if you made reservations(预定) for a flight, hotel or restaurant, and when you arrive, it’s not what you expected. For example, “I’m afraid there may be a misunderstanding. I requested a non-smoking room.”
“I understand it’s not your fault...” Often when you make a complaint, you deal with a person who was not directly responsible for the problem. But the problem isn’t your fault, either! This phrase is helpful when you need swift action. Tell the person you’re dealing with that you understand they’re not at fault and then directly state the problem: “I understand it’s not your fault, but the airline promised they would deliver my baggage yesterday.”
“Excuse me, but I understood that...” Using this phrase lets the person know you’re well-informed and doubt they might be trying to take advantage of you. Don’t say, “Hey! You’re trying to cheat me!” Instead, start indirectly by stating what you know to be true: “I understood that the taxi ride to the airport was only 25 dollars.” Then give them a chance to do the right thing.
1. What’s the purpose of this passage?
| A．To give an introduction of life abroad. |
| B．To offer advice on giving complaints in English. |
| C．To give suggestions on how to learn English. |
| D．To offer guides to those who travel around the world. |
| A．use direct language to make others understand |
| B．go for the police immediately |
| C．state our complaints politely |
| D．fight against the one who is responsible |
| A．Because the situation is never serious. |
| B．Because the listener may not speak English. |
| C．Because we should be always in good manners abroad. |
| D．Because it can help solve the problem more easily. |
| A．“Can you help me with this?” |
| B．“I understand it's not your fault.” |
| C．“I’m afraid there may be a misunderstanding.” |
| D．“Hey! You’re trying to cheat me!” |
He had a perfect resume and gave good responses to her questions, but the fact that he never looked her in the eye said “untrustworthy,” so she decided to offer the job to her second choice. “It wasn’t until I attended a diversity workshop that I realized the person we passed over was the perfect person.” Tiffany admits. What she hadn’t known at the time of the interview was that the candidate’s “different” behavior was simply a cultural misunderstanding. He was an Asian-American raised in a family where respect for those in authority was shown by turning away your eyes. “I was just thrown off by the lack of eye contact, not realizing it was cultural,” Tiffany says. “I missed out, but will not miss that opportunity again.”
Many of us have had similar experiences with behaviors we describe as different. As the world becomes smaller and our workplaces more diverse, it is becoming essential to expand our understanding of others and to reexamine some of our false assumptions (假设) .
Hire Advantage
At a time when hiring qualified people is becoming more difficult, employers who can have no personal biases (偏见) from the process have an obvious advantage. My company, Mindsets LLC, helps organizations and individuals see their own blind spots. A real estate (房产) agent we worked with illustrates the positive difference such training can make .
“During my Mindsets coaching period, I was taught how to own a diversified workforce. I employed people from different cultures and skill sets. The agents were able to make use of their full potential and experiences to build up the company. When the real estate market began to change, it was because we had a diverse agent pool that we were able to stay in the real estate market much longer than others in the same profession.”
Blinded by Gender
Dale is an account executive who attended one of my workshops in charge of a diverse workforce. “Through some of the lessons, I discovered my personal bias.” he recalls. “I learned I had not been looking at a person as a whole person, and being open to differences.” In his case, the blindness was not about culture but rather gender.
“I had a management position open in my department; and the two finalists were a man and a woman. Had I not attended this workshop, I would have automatically assumed the man was the best candidate because the position required quite a bit of extensive travel. My assumption would have been that even though both candidates were great and could have been successful in the position, I assumed the woman would have wanted to be home with her children and not travel.” Dale’s assumptions are another example of the well-intentioned but incorrect thinking that limits an organization’s ability to promote the full potential of a diverse workforce. “I learned from the class that instead of forcing my gender biases into the situation, I needed to present the full range of duties, responsibilities and expectations to all candidates and allow them to make an informed decision.” Dale sings high praise for the workshop, “because it helped me make decisions based on fairness.”
A better Bottom Line
An open mind about diversity not only improves organizations from inside, it is profitable as well. These comments from a customer service representative show how an inclusive attitude can improve sales.” Most of my customers speak English as a second language. One of the best things my company has done is to contract with a language service that offers translations over the phone. It wasn’t until my boss received Mindsets’ training that she was able to understand how important inclusiveness was to customer service. As a result, our customer base has increased.”
Once we start to see people as individuals, we can move positively toward inclusiveness for everyone. Diversity is about coming together and taking advantage of our differences and similarities and about building better communities and organizations. When we begin to question our assumptions and challenge what we think we have learned from our past , from the media, peers, family, friends, etc, we begin to realize that some of our conclusions are imperfect or contrary to our fundamental values. We need to train ourselves to think differently, shift our mindsets and realize that diversity opens doors for all of us, creating opportunities in organizations and communities that benefit everyone.
1. In Tiffany’s view, the first candidate was passed over because he ________.| A．was an Asian-American |
| B．didn’t perform as perfectly as the second one |
| C．was untrustworthy |
| D．showed no respect for authority |
| A．racial discrimination |
| B．cultural differences |
| C．gender discrimination |
| D．emphasis on physical appearance |
| A．A real estate agency. |
| B．A hi-tech company. |
| C．A company dealing with financial affairs. |
| D．A company training workforce. |
| A．It helped him make fair decisions. |
| B．It helped him discover his personal bias about gender. |
| C．It helped him look at a person as a whole one. |
| D．It helped him find successful candidates. |
| A．viewing people as individuals |
| B．challenging our past |
| C．training ourselves in Mindsets’ workshops |
| D．building better communications |
Some people think we should establish a standard with our kids and give them something for meeting this standard as a reward. Punishment is given out in much the same way, but it’s used when certain standards of performance, behavior, etc. have not been met. Kids will often become more dutiful when threatened with punishment, and work harder when promised a valuable reward. The problem is what happens when you aren’t around.
To develop responsible, self-disciplined kids, parents need to promote certain ideas. One of these ideas is that everyone pitches in and helps in your family. Another idea is that there can be enjoyment in doing any task if we choose to make it so. When a task is for a worthy cause ( our family can enjoy the house more because I helped clean it), this message can have a big impact.
This is how we help our kids develop a sense of responsibility. When our children develop this responsibility, they’ll be more disciplined, and they’ll control their emotions better. When we give rewards to our kids, we reduce the sense of responsibility. We also create children who may temporarily perform to a certain standard, but who aren’t likely to continue the performance without the carrot hanging in front of them.
“Rewards and punishment can change behavior for a while, but they cannot change the person who engages in the behavior,” said Alfie Kohn, author of Punished by Rewards. “Good values have to be grown from the inside out.” Parents can help give their children a sense of shared responsibility and discipline which can last a life time. The real rewards that your children receive will be their readiness for the complex and demanding world that waits for them—a world that rewards those who have learned the secrets of discipline responsibility. So keep those shiny rewarding to yourself, and let your kids find their own rewards.
1. According to the passage, when children are threatened with punishment, ______ .
| A．they may lose interest in their work |
| B．they may appear to be well-behaved |
| C．they may change to another person |
| D．the results will be worse than usual |
| A．Parents should promote certain ideas to help children develop. |
| B．Children should be responsible for their discipline. |
| C．Children should help build a good family atmosphere. |
| D．No children will adapt to society without their parents’ help |
| A．rewards | B．aims |
| C．apologies | D．doubts |
| A．never pay attention to the way their children do things |
| B．show their children how to behave by example |
| C．never punish their children |
| D．help their children establish good values |
| A．Do you often reward your children? |
| B．Should parents reward their children? |
| C．When should parents reward their children? |
| D．What can parents reward their children with? |
A conflict at work is common. If you can avoid conflict, it means you will win what you want regardless of what the other person wants. Since the potential issue has not been removed, it will simply reappear later. Let’s see what you can do.
★Be aware of the fact that some conflicts are unavoidable at work. On numerous occasions, conflict and disagreement are likely to happen. But when a conflict happens it's not the end of the world. On the contrary, it can be the beginning of an interesting learning process. Conflicts mean that people care enough to disagree strongly. The trick is not to allow the conflict to go on forever.
★ Deal with conflicts sooner rather than later. Solve a conflict when it starts, as it only gets worse with time going by. Conflicts at work arise not from something that was said, but from something that wasn't said! Everyone's waiting for the other to admit he's wrong and gets more unpleasant after the conflict has lasted a while. It's essential to interrupt the "waiting game" before it gets to that point.
★ Ask nicely. If somebody has done something that made you angry, or if you don't understand their viewpoint or actions, simply asking nicely about it can make a world of difference. Never assume that people do what they do to annoy or hurt you. Sometimes there's a good reason why that person does what he or she does, and a potential conflict disappear right there. Do remember to make an inquiry, not an accusation of any sort.
★ Appreciate. Praise the other part in the conflict. Tell them why it's worth it to you to solve the conflict. This can be difficult as few people find it easy to praise and appreciate a person they disagree strongly with, but it's a great way to move forward.
| Topic | How to |
| Reason | Conflicts won't |
handling conflicts | ● Don't be afraid of conflicts which are usually ● Interrupt the "waiting game", try to admit your ● Don’t imagine people do something to make you Remember not to about what they do, which may make a difference. ● Try to appreciate the other part in the conflict although it is |
| If you learn to do with conflicts, you'll work in joy. |
Sometimes，family members may be more likely to give you advice or tell you what you don’t want to hear. It may not be as good as a friend who will listen to you and guide you，but support your decisions anyway. The most important elements about friendship are those who suffer support and do not judge your decisions based on society.
One reason for the link between social support and good health practice seems to be that people who feel cared for by others are less stress-out and are protected against the symptoms（症状）of depression and loneliness.
Generally，women benefit most because of how they deal with stress. Women are more social in how they deal with stress than men, while men are more likely to have a“fight or flight”reaction.
Women also tend to have larger，denser social network，in which more people know each other and help each other, while men typically have smaller groups of friends and will rely on their wives or other important people for more support. While all these affect people psychologically（心理上），friendship brings comfort that reduces the ill effects of stress, and the sex difference also contributes to the difference in the length of one’s life time.
1. In the author’s opinion，a real friend should _____.
| A．tell you what to do even if you refuse to hear it |
| B．try to persuade you to change your mind quickly |
| C．judge your decision according to his／her experience |
| D．give you advice but respect your own decision |
| A．women are always cared for by more people than men |
| B．women are usually less stress—out when staying with others |
| C．women are more likely to solve problems with friends’ help |
| D．women can always keep more long-life friendship than men |
| A．it’s good for women to tell men what they should do or not |
| B．friends are always more important than family members |
| C．men don’t want to share their problems with many people |
| D．the trend that women can live longer makes them more relaxed |
| A．why people should develop friendship |
| B．when friendship affects people’s health |
| C．people’s different attitudes towards friendship |
| D．the friendship which can make people live longer |
When cartoon book characters like the Incredible Hulk get angry, they change colours and often
gain special power. In the real world, anger is less obvious and may be more dangerous. That’s why Professor Fred Luskin, founder of the Stanford Forgiveness Project and author of Forgive for Good, says
The studies find that people who are able to forgive feel less stress, less back pain, and less depression. They also have fewer headaches, lower blood pressure, and fewer problems on sleeping.
So it doesn’t matter if your anger is caused by the traffic or other things. Learning to let it go is important. Techniques such as deep breath or thought can help. Or just ask yourself if it’s worth hurting yourself by staying angry with someone else.
Forgiveness does not mean that you simply accept what happened and say it’s OK. Instead, it’s a way of making peace with yourself about what happened in the past.
1. The author of the passage tries to make his viewpoint clear _______.
| A．by raising his own examples |
| B．based on his own experience |
| C．by mentioning some studies w.w.^w.k.&s.5*u.c.#om |
| D．by mentioning some typical patients |
| A．support the viewpoint that anger and hatred harm physical and mental health. |
| B．introduce a famous expert. |
| C．let the reader know the different colours of cartoon faces. |
| D．show how to control one’s temper. |
| A．removing | B．keeping up | C．getting rid of | D．learning about |
| A．Forgiveness | B．Forgiveness Is Good for Health |
| C．A Secret to Keeping Health | D．Anger Is Bad for Health |
9 . D
Sure, it’s good to get along with your teacher because it makes the time you spend in the classroom more pleasant.
And yes, it’s good to get along with your teacher because, in general, it’s smart to learn how to relate to the different types of people you’ll meet throughout your life.
But really, there’s one super-important reason why you should get along with your teacher. When you do, “learning bursts right open,” says Evelyn Vuko, a longtime teacher who writes an education column called “Teacher Says” for the Washington Post newspaper.
In fact, kids who get along with their teachers not only learn more, but they’re more comfortable asking questions and getting extra help. This makes it easier to understand new material and do your best on tests. When you have this kind of relationship with a teacher, he or she can be someone to turn to with problems, such as problems with learning or school issues, such as bullying(欺负人).
As a kid in a primary or middle school, you’re at a wonderful stage in your life. You’re like a sponge(海绵), able to soak up lots of new and exciting information. On top of that, you’re able to think about all this information in new ways. Your teacher knows that, and in most cases, is very excited to be the person who’s giving you all that material and helping you put it together. Remember, teachers are people, too, and they feel great if you’re open to what they’re teaching you. That’s why they wanted to be teachers in the first place --- to teach!
Some kids may be able to learn in any situation, whether they like the teacher or not. But most kids are sensitive to the way they get along with the teacher, and if things aren’t going well, they won’t learn as well and won’t enjoy being in class.
1. In the passage, the author mainly talks about _____.| A．how to get along well with teachers |
| B．the importance of a good relation with teachers |
| C．how much the students are expected of to get along with teachers |
| D．how to make the time in the classroom more pleasant |
| A．learning becomes easier for you at once |
| B．you find an opening to learning |
| C．there’ll be more problems with learning |
| D．there’ll be no problems with learning. |
| A．You are getting on well with your teachers, so you have more questions than others. |
| B．You find it comfortable to ask questions, so you can build a good relationship with teachers. |
| C．You have a good relationship with teacher, so you can turn to him/ her when in trouble. |
| D．You are in trouble, so you can build a good relationship with teachers. |
| A．Teachers are exited even if you wouldn’t like to accept their teaching. |
| B．Teachers sometimes have the same feelings as students do. |
| C．Though few there are still some students who can learn even if they don’t like the teacher. |
| D．Having a bad relationship with your teachers does more or less harm to your studies. |
10 . In the United States, friends can be close, constant, intense, generous, and real, yet fade away m a short time if circumstances 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 where it left out and are delighted.
In the States,you can feel free to visit people' s homes , share their holidays， enjoy their lives without fear that you are taking on alasting obligation (负担）. Do not hesitate to accept hospitality (热情款待) because you can't give it in return. No one will expect you to do so for they know you are, far from home. Americans will enjoy welcoming you and be pleased if you accept their hospitality easily.
Once you arrive there, the welcome will be full, warm and real. Most visitors find themselves readily invited into many homes there. In some countries it is considered inhospitable to entertain (招待) at home, offering what is felt as only home-cooked food, not “doing something for your guest". It is felt that restaurant entertaining shows more respect and welcome. Or for other different reasons, such as crowded space, language difficulties, or family custom, outsiders are not invited into homes.
In the United States, both methods are used, but it is often considered more friendly to invite a person to one's home than to go to a public place, except in purely business relationships. So, if your host or hostess_________, do not feel that you are being shown inferior ( 差的，低级的) treatment.
Don' t feel neglected ( 被轻视的 ) if you do not find flowers awaiting you in your hotel room, either. Flowers are very expensive there, hotel delivery is uncertain, arrival times are delayed, changed, or canceled ( 取消 ) —so flowers are not customarily sent as a welcoming touch. Please do not feel unwanted! Outward signs vary in different lands, the inward welcome is what matters, and this will be real.
1. What' s the best title of the text? ( Please answer within 5 words. )2. Which sentence in the text is similar in meaning to the following one?
Americans gladly continue their friendships after a chance encounter even if several years have passed.
3. Fill in the blank in the fourth paragraph with proper words. ( Please answer within 6 words. )
4. For what purpose does the writer mention flowers in the last paragraph? ( Please answer within 15 words. )
5. Translate the underlined part in the second paragraph into Chinese.
