Although American informality is well known, many new visitors think that it indicates a lack of respect. This is especially true in the business world. Americans often use first names upon meeting a stranger and do not always shake hands. They often just smile and say “Hi” or “Hello” rather than using more formal hand shake. It is good to remember that to an American such an informal greeting really means the same thing as a more formal hand shake some place else.

Similarly, Americans do not usually give special farewell or hand shake to each person who they leave a party or business meeting. They will often just wave goodbye to the whole group or perhaps say, “Well, so long everybody, I will see you tomorrow.” They then will leave. No hand shakes.

Americans seem either totally hurried and hard-working or totally informal and at ease. Often you will see men working at office desks without their suit coats and ties. They may lean far back in their chairs and even put their feet up on the desk while they talk on the telephone. This is not meant to be rude. Once Americans leave the busy streets, they are easy and informal.

1. According to the author, Americans are __________.

A. impolite　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. too informal

C. rude to others　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. none of the above

2. On meeting a stranger in the business world, Americans __________. 

A. often use a more formal hand shake

B. often give a smile and say “Hi”

C. do not use the stranger’s first name

D. shake hands with the strangers

3. Which of the statements is Not True?

A. Americans usually say “Good-bye” at the end of a party.

B. Americans do not seem to use “Good- bye” when they leave a business meeting.

C. As they are used to informality, Americans leave a party by waving to the whole group.

D. To Americans, “well, so long” is the same as “good-bye”.

4. In the third paragraph, the author gives some examples to suggest that__________.

A. Americans are hurried and hard-working, but they are easy and informal

B. Americans are not hard-working

C. Americans are too hurried to be polite

D. Americans are at ease either in the busy streets or in their office

5. The best title for the passage may be__________.

A. Be Polite

B. Manners in Different Countries

C. How to Greet People

D. American Informality

 

Although American informality is well known, many new visitors think that it indicates a lack of respect. This is especially true in the business world. Americans often use first names upon meeting a stranger and do not always shake hands. They often just smile and say “Hi” or “Hello” rather than using more formal hand shake. It is good to remember that to an American such an informal greeting really means the same thing as a more formal hand shake some place else.

Similarly, Americans do not usually give special farewell or hand shake to each person who they leave a party or business meeting. They will often just wave goodbye to the whole group or perhaps say, “Well, so long everybody, I will see you tomorrow.” They then will leave. No hand shakes.

Americans seem either totally hurried and hard-working or totally informal and at ease. Often you will see men working at office desks without their suit coats and ties. They may lean far back in their chairs and even put their feet up on the desk while they talk on the telephone. This is not meant to be rude. Once Americans leave the busy streets, they are easy and informal.

1. According to the author, Americans are __________.

A. impolite　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. too informal

C. rude to others　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. none of the above

2. On meeting a stranger in the business world, Americans __________. 

A. often use a more formal hand shake

B. often give a smile and say “Hi”

C. do not use the stranger’s first name

D. shake hands with the strangers

3. Which of the statements is Not True?

A. Americans usually say “Good-bye” at the end of a party.

B. Americans do not seem to use “Good- bye” when they leave a business meeting.

C. As they are used to informality, Americans leave a party by waving to the whole group.

D. To Americans, “well, so long” is the same as “good-bye”.

4. In the third paragraph, the author gives some examples to suggest that__________.

A. Americans are hurried and hard-working, but they are easy and informal

B. Americans are not hard-working

C. Americans are too hurried to be polite

D. Americans are at ease either in the busy streets or in their office

5. The best title for the passage may be__________.

A. Be Polite

B. Manners in Different Countries

C. How to Greet People

D. American Informality

 

 

Introduction:

Speaking English is not only about using proper grammar. To use English effectively, you

need to understand the culture in which it is spoken. Here are a number of important tips to

remember when speaking English in the United States.

General Points to Remember

Most Americans only speak English.

While it is true that more and more Americans

speak Spanish, most Americans only speak

English. Don't expect them to understand

your native language.

Americans have difficulty understanding

foreign accents. Many Americans are not used

to foreign accents. This requires patience from

both of you!                               Conversation Tips

Speak about location.

Talk about work. Americans commonly

ask "What do you do?" It's not considered

impolite（as in some countries）and is a

popular topic of discussion between strangers.

Talk about sports.

Be careful when expressing ideas about

race, religion or other sensitive topics.

Addressing People

Use last names with people you do not

know.

Always use “Ms.” when addressing

women.

Many Americans prefer first names.

Americans prefer informal greetings and

using first names or nicknames when speaking

with colleagues and acquaintances.              Public Behavior

Always shake hands.

Look your partner in the eye.

Don't hold hands: Same sex friends do

not usually hold hands or put their arms

around each other in public in the United

States.

1."When speaking to a stranger, ask them where they are from and then make a connection with that place”can be used as a supporting sentence to _____.

A．talk about sports                        B．address people

C．talk about work                         D．speak about location

2.If you are introduced to a woman called Pearl S. Buck, how should you address her usually?

A．What are you doing, Madam Buck?

B．How do you do, Ms. Buck?

C．How are you doing, Mrs. Pearl?

D．How are you, Miss Pearl S.?

3.The underlined word “acquaintance” in the table may probably mean______.

A．things that are precious

B．foreigners that you can talk to

C．persons who you are familiar with

D．languages that you can speak

4.We can infer from the text that ______.

A．smoking is allowed in public in the modern United States

B．different sex friends should hold hands during the first meeting

C．when you speak to others, it's polite not to look into their eyes

D．Americans shake hands when greeting the same sex friends

 

MUNICH— Albert Einstein and Leonardo Da Vinci were in the club; Bill Clinton and Bill Gates are also among its most famous members.

Left-handed people, however, are considered less intelligent or unskillful with their hands.

Schools in many countries may allow children to write with their left hands, but in the meantime “the idea that children should be re-educated to write with right hands has not yet been removed from the heads of many parents and grandparents,” says Elizabeth Werthmueller of the Left-handers’ Initiative in Fulda in central Germany.

International Left-handed Day was held on August 13, 1976 ---it was a public holiday-- in the USA.

Nowadays interest is steadily growing and there are several advice centers to provide advice and actively campaign against the opinion that left-handers are unskillful.

Psychologist and psychotherapist（精神病医生）Johanna Barbara Sattler, who founded the first advice center for left-handers in Munich in 1985,can only shake her head over some of the conclusions she’s heard. “Left-handed people die nine years earlier than the right-handers” is one rumor.（谣言）

Sattler says that the process of changing writing hands means a sudden attack on the brain. Memory and speech defects（缺点）are the results, she says, because left or right-handedness, which scientists say is in any case inherited（遗传）, is controlled by the hemispheres（大脑半球）of the brain. These are connected to the opposite body-half by crossed nerves.

In left-handers, the right hemisphere is functionally dominant（支配）. It is primarily responsible for determining space preferences and thought. This explains why left-handed people are often described as particularly creative.

But in the workplace, they often have problems in using technical devices. However, it is always better to choose another job than to be forced to use the right hand, says Expert Sattler.

In contrast to 30 years ago, left-handers are no longer forced to switch to their right hand in German schools, yet many teachers still have no idea how they can help left-handers with practical advice. Instead, these children often have to hear that they have to get along with “the problem” themselves.

1．The first paragraph tells us that ___________.

A．scientists in the world are all left-handers

B．artists in the world are all left-handers

C．famous people all over the world are members of this special club

D．some famous people may be left-handers

2．From the third paragraph, we learn that ___________.

A．students in many schools must write with their left hand

B．students in many schools sometimes write with their left hand

C．many parents insist that students write with their right hand

D．many parents insist that students write with both hands

2,4,6

3. It shows in this passage that left-handers are ____________.

A．unskillful in the workshop                     B．often full of imagination in their work

C．always trying to defeat right-handers     D．often simple-minded and foolish

4．From the last two paragraph we find that ________.

A．people’s opinion about left-handers has changed

B．German students seldom get help from their teachers

C．left-handers at German schools feel disappointed

D．left-handers at German schools find no trouble using anything

 阅读下面短文并回答问题，然后将答案写到答题卡相应的位置上（请注意问题后的词数要求）。

[1] Having good manners is seen by many people as a sign of cultural understanding and good taste．Knowing about the good manners of different countries is interesting and very useful． Good  manners are not only about the way we talk, but also about all other things we do when we communicate with other people．

[2] When meeting people, Westerners usually shake hands． American and northwestern Europeans  expect a strong handshake, and some shake hands for several seconds, while people in East Europe and  some Arab countries embrace and kiss each other．

[3] When Spanish people talk to you, they like standing very close to you, but British people stand   quite          while talking, as they don't like people to come too close

[4] When visiting the house of Americans or Europeans, it is polite to look． at their books, paintings and small things in the living room． It is also thought to be a sign of good taste to say something nice about those things． However, in the Middle East, you should never do that．Saying that you like a painting or other things in their house will give your Arab host the feeling that they must give it to you．

[5] With Indians you should never use your left hand for greeting, eating, drinking or smoking．In Thailand, when people meet, they put their hands together before their nose and lower their head and eyes．

66．What's the text mainly about? （No more than 8 words）

67．What should you do if you meet an American? （No more than 6 words）

68．Fill in the blank in Paragraph 3． （No more than four words）

69．What does the underlined word "that" （Line 3, Paragraph 4） refer to? （No more than 12 words）

70．In which country must people use their right hand to eat?