Dear George,

Thank you for your card. I'm glad you were having　　  　　   　　　　　　  1.——

a good time. I know Provence is wonderful this　　　　　　　　　　    2.——

time of a year. We're going on holiday the next　　　　  　　　　　　  3.——

month. I like to spending my summer holidays late;　　   　　  　　　　  4.——

then winter doesn't seem such long. We're going　　　　　　 　　   　　　　  5.——

to St. Ives, Corwall, where I have an aunt there, and　　　　  　　　　　　 　　  6.——

we can stay with her. We're not driving the car.　　　　　　　　  　　  　　  7.——

We'll go by train. The roads are too busy that it　　   　　　　　　　　  8.——

doesn't feel nice to go by car. At the same while,　　 　　　　　　  　　　　　　  9.——

we want to do some walking. I'm taking their fishing　　  　　  　　　　  10.——

pole and Belinda is going to do some drawing.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    Love，

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    Chris and Belinda

 

The way we do things round here

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（文化）．

Some of these 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（气候），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（准时）．If you invite people to a party at 7 o’ clock

your guests 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 misunderstand Americans

2.The word “highlights” in Paragraph 2 probably means_____.

    A. encourages                  B. helps to narrow

    C. increases                    D. draws attention to

3.According to the author, what should we do with most cultural differences?

    A. Ask the native people for help.

    B. Understand and accept them.

    C. Do things in our own way.

    D. Do in-depth research.

4.When invited to a party the people who are usually punctual are______.

    A. Italians 　　　B. Germans　　　 C. Greeks 　　　D. the British

 

—Why didn’t you come to my birthday party last night?

   —I planned to, but my parents simply 　　　   not let me out so late at night.

  A. could　　            B. might　　        C. would　　         D. should

 

Last year, my mom found out that she had stomach cancer. I thought she’d be fine after she got 　36 as she was diagnosed(诊断)early. She had an operation to 37 a third of her stomach to stop the cancer from spreading. And for two months she went back and forth to the 　38 . But I never visited her because I was 　39 with school abroad and didn’t fully know what was 　40 . After her treatment, she 　41 working because of her poor health and ate a(n) 　42 diet. I visited her in the summer holiday. She seemed better, so I forgot that there was a possibility of cancer 　43 .

　When school 　44 , I said goodbye to my family. My mom called me from home every day. 　45 in early November, my dad called instead. He sounded 46 .

　 “What’s wrong? How come Mom’s not calling me today?” I asked. After a few seconds, he said my mom’s cancer had returned and spread throughout her 　47 . Her survival rate was less than 30%.

　 After I put down the phone, I 　48 . Tears kept coming out. I didn’t want to 　49 it. I couldn’t accept the 　50 that my mom might not have much time left. I cried and cried and at last, I stopped crying. I thought I should stop acting like a 　51 and pull myself together.

　 Looking back to when my mom first got cancer, I 　52 how stupid I was for not appreciating her. I feel bad that I didn’t visit her in the hospital. I should have cared. She’s my mom. 　53 , it’s not too late. She recovered. I’ll try to spend more time with my mom 　54 . I hope you will do the same for your mom. Spend some time with your loved ones 　55 it is too late.

36. A. medicine　　　　　　 B. attention　　　　　 C. care　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. treatment

37. A. remove　　　　　　　 B. rescue　　　　　　　 C. check　　　　　　　 D. protect

38. A. school　　　　　　　 B. house　　　　　　　 C. hospital　　　　　　　　　 D. office

39. A. content　　　　　　　 B. careful　　　　　　　　　　 C. popular　　　　　　　　　 D. busy

40. A. going up　　　　　　 B. going on　　　　　 C. taking on　　　　　 D. showing up

41. A. continued　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. hated

C. considered　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. stopped

42. A. special　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. delicious

C. normal　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. interesting

43. A. changing　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. returning

C. destroying　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. appearing

44. A. ended　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. required

C. responded　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. started

45. A. Since　　　　　　　　 B. Although　　　　　 C. But　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. So

46. A. bored　　　　　　　　 B. sad　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. excited　　　　　　　　　　 D. angry

47. A. back　　　　　　　　　 B. skin　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. body　　　　　　　　 D. head

48. A. went through　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. looked down

C. broke up　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. broke down

49. A. say　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. answer　　　　　　　　　　 C. believe　　　　　　　　　　 D. remember

50. A. report　　　　　　　　 B. fact　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. message　　　　　 D. lie

51. A. stranger　　　　　　　　　　 B. doctor　　　　　　　 C. man　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. child

52. A. realize　　　　　　　　 B. pretend　　　　　　　　　　 C. imagine　　　　　　　　　 D. ask

53. A. Luckily　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Unfortunately

C. Surprisingly　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Strangely

54. A. in the past　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. from now on

C. at times　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. in the future

55. A. if　　　　　　　　　　　 B. as　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. before　　　　　　　 D. when

On a hot summer day in late August, I sought shade and a cool drink at a waterfront cafe on a Greek island. Over hundred degrees in   21   air. Crowded. Tempers（脾气）of both the tourists and waiters had   22   to meet the situation, making it a rather quarrelsome environment（环境）.

At the table next to mine sat an attractive,   23  couple, waiting for   24  . They held hands, whispered, kissed, and laughed. Suddenly they stood, picked up their   25   and stepped together   26   the edge of where they were sitting to place the table in the sea water. The man stepped   27   for the two chairs. He politely   28   his lady in the knee-deep water and then sat down himself. All people around laughed and cheered.

  29   appeared. He paused for just a second, walked into the water to   30   the table and take their   31  , and then walked back to the   32   cheers of the rest of his   33  . Minutes later he returned carrying a bottle of wine and two glasses. Without pausing, he went

  34   into the water to   35   the wine. The couple toasted（祝酒）each other, the waiter and the crowd. And the crowd   36   by cheering and throwing flowers to them. Three other tables   37    to have lunch in the water. The place was now filled with laughter.

One doesn’t step into water in one’s best summer clothes. Why not?

    Customers are not served   38  . Why not?

    Sometimes one should consider   39   the line of convention（常规）and enjoy   40   to the fullest.

21. A. fresh                  B. cool                       C. still                  D. thin 

22. A. managed            B. expected            C. attempted         D. risen 

23. A. lonely                B. curious　　       C. well-dressed      D. bad-tempered　　　

24. A. cheers                B. service                     C. attention           D. flowers

25. A. metal table         B. empty bottle　　C. chairs              D. bags

26. A. on                     B. off                   C. around             D. along

27. A. outside               B. forward　　      C. down                      D. back　　

28. A. led                    B. seated               C. watched            D. received

29. A. The manager      B. A friend　         C. A waiter           D. The servant　

30. A. set                     B. wash                C. remove             D. check

31. A. menu                 B. bill                  C. food                 D. order

32. A. loud                  B. anxious             C. familiar            D. final

33. A. tourists              B. customers         C. fellows             D. assistants

34. A. at last                B. in time            C. once more               D. as well

35. A. change                      B. drink　             C. sell                  D. serve　

36. A. replied　            B. insisted　          C. agreed　           D. understood　

37. A. prepared            B. joined in           C. settled up          D. continued　

38. A. with pleasure       B. in the café               C. in the sea          D. with wine

39. A. following           B. keeping            C. limiting            D. crossing　

40. A. life                    B. wine                C. lunch                      D. time