Fluency(流利) in another language is one of the most important aims of a newcomer to another country. In addition, understanding the culture and learning to communicate comfortably with people of that culture are as important as learning the rules of the language. Language learning and culture learning go together and may take a long time.
Sometimes people feel that they understand a culture after a few weeks or months. People do learn a lot when they first begin living in another culture, but this is only the first stage of learning. It usually involves(含包) things like learning everyday activities and some basic customs.
To really understand another culture, people have to go beyond the first stage, this is challenge(挑战) because it is often difficult to know what to learn. Much of what we call “culture” is hard to see.
Culture is like an iceberg(冰川). Picture in your mind a huge iceberg in the ocean. The only part of the iceberg that you see is the tip. You don’t see the rest of the iceberg because it is hidden from sight in the water. It is easy to forget that it is there. Most of the iceberg is deep within the ocean, just as much of a culture is deep within its people.
When you meet someone from another culture, certain culture differences are obvious: You hear another language or you hear your own language spoken with an accent. You see different foods, clothes and sometimes physical characteristics of people. You observe new customs or habits, such as the use of chopsticks, and, bowing or kissing on both cheeks as a greeting. These differences are interesting and important, but they are usually not too difficult to understand. They are visible so they are seen easily and quickly.
The part of culture that is like the underwater part of the iceberg consists of assumptions(设想), communication styles, values, and beliefs about what is right and wrong. The hidden part of culture affects much of a person’s way of thinking and communicating. It is the meaning behind his or her verbal (言语的) and nonverbal language. Learning to communicate well with people from another culture involves becoming aware of the hidden part of culture.What’s the subject of this passage?
| A．Learning about culture. | B．Language learning. |
| C．The hidden part of the iceberg. | D．Fluency in another language. |
What is learning about culture?
| A．Learning the hidden part of the iceberg, which is underwater. |
| B．Learning everyday activities and some basic customs. |
| C．Learning the culture of an iceberg. |
| D．Learning the visible as well as the hidden differences of culture. |
The underlined phrase “consists of” can be replaced by “______”.
| A．lies in | B．is made up of | C．agrees with | D．is different from |
What conclusion can we draw after reading this passage?
| A．Values and beliefs are like the tip of the iceberg. |
| B．People often become aware of the hidden part of culture. |
| C．The tip of the iceberg is larger than the hidden part. |
| D．The hidden part of culture has a great effect on people’s communication styles. |
The morning had been a disaster. My tooth was aching, and I’d been in an argument with a friend. Her words still hurt: “The trouble with you is that you won’t put yourself in my place. Can’t you see things from my point of view?” I shook my head stubbornly—and felt the ache in my tooth. I’d thought I could hold out till my dentist came back from holiday, but the pain was really unbearable. I started calling the dentists in the phone book, but no one could see me immediately. Finally, at about lunchtime, I got lucky.
“If you come by right now, ”the receptionist said, “the dentist will fit you in. ”
I took my purse and keys and rushed to my car. But suddenly I began to doubt about the dentist. What kind of dentist would be so eager to treat someone at such short notice? Why wasn’t he as busy as the others?
In the dentist’s office, I sat down and looked around. I saw nothing but the bare walls and I became even more worried. The assistant noticed my nervousness and placed her warm hand over my ice-cold one.
When I told her my fears, she laughed and said, “Don’t worry. The dentist is very good. ”
“How long do I have to wait for him?” I asked impatiently.
“Come on, he is coming. Just lie down and relax. And enjoy the artwork,”the assistant said.
“The artwork?” I was puzzled.
The chair went back. Suddenly I smiled. There was a beautiful picture, right where I could enjoy it: on the ceiling. How considerate the dentist was! At that moment, I began to understand what my friend meant by her words.
What a relief! Which of the following best describes the author’s feeling that morning?
| A．Cheerful. |
| B．Nervous. |
| C．Satisfied. |
| D．Upset. |
What made the author begin to doubt about the dentist?
| A．The dentist’s agreeing to treat her at very short notice. |
| B．The dentist’s being as busy as the other dentists. |
| C．The surroundings of the dentist’s office. |
| D．The laughing assistant of the dentist. |
Why did the author suddenly smile?
| A．Because the dentist came at last. |
| B．Because she saw a picture on the ceiling. |
| C．Because she could relax in the chair. |
| D．Because the assistant kept comforting her. |
What did the author learn from her experience most probably?
| A．Strike while the iron is hot. |
| B．Have a good word for one’s friend. |
| C．Put oneself in other’s shoes. |
| D．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
The Healthy Habits Survey（调查）shows that only about one third of American seniors have correct habits. Here are some findings and expert advice.
1.How many times did you brush your teeth yesterday?
·Finding：A full 33% of seniors brush their teeth only once a day.
·Step：Remove the 300 types of bacteria in your mouth each morning with a battery-operated toothbrush. Brush gently for 2 minutes, at least twice a day.
2.How many times did you wash your hands or bathe yesterday?
·Finding：Seniors, on average, bathe fewer than 3 days a week. And nearly 30%wash their hands only 4 times a day-half of the number doctors recommend.
·Step：We touch our faces around 3,000 times a day-often inviting germs（病菌）to enter our mouth, nose, and eyes. Use toilet paper to avoid touching the door handle. And, most important, wash your hands often with hot running water and soap for 20 seconds.
3. How often do you think about fighting germs?
·Finding：Seniors are not fighting germs as well as they should.
·Step：Be aware of germs. Do you know it is not your toilet but your kitchen sponge（海绵）that can carry more germs than anything else? To kill these germs, keep your sponge in the microwave for 10 seconds. What is found out American seniors?
| A．Most of them have good habits. |
| B．Nearly 30%of then bathe three days a week. |
| C．All of them are fighting germs better than expected . |
| D．About one third of them brush their teeth only once a day |
Doctors suggest that people should wash their hands .
| A．twice a day |
| B．three times a day |
| C．four times a day |
| D．eight times a day |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．We should keep from touching our faces. |
| B．There are less than 300 types of bacteria in the mouth. |
| C．A kitchen sponge can carry more germs than a toilet. |
| D．We should wash our hands before touching a door handle. |
The text probably comes from .
| A．a guide book |
| B．a popular magazine |
| C．a book review |
| D．an official document |
Using too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clear ways that humans can
Put our water supply in danger, but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways.
You may wonder how paving(铺砌) a road can lead to less useable fresh water . A major
Part of the water we use every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers. It comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave, the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater.
Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages(短缺). Driver climates are of course more likely to have droughts(干旱) than areas with more rainfall ,but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs .
Thinking about the way we use water every day can make a big difference, too. In the United States, a family of four can use 1.5tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live ,but there’s a lot we can do to lower the number .
You can take steps to save water in your home .To start with ,use the same glass for your drinking water all day .Wash it only once a day .Run your dishwasher (洗碗机)only when it is full。Help your parents fix any leaks in your home . You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away. Which of the following is most likely to lead to less groundwater ?
| A．Using river water . |
| B．Throwing batteries away . |
| C．paving parking lots . |
| D．Throwing rubbish into lakes . |
What can be inferred from the text ?
| A．All water shortages are due to human behavior . |
| B．It takes a lot of effort to meet our water needs . |
| C．There is much we can do to reduce family size . |
| D．The average family in America makes proper use of water . |
The last paragraph is intended to .
| A．show us how to fix leaks at home |
| B．tell us how to run a dishwasher |
| C．prove what drinking glass is best for us |
| D．suggest what we do to save water at home |
The text is mainly about .
| A．Why paving roads reduces our water |
| B．how much we depend on water to live |
| C．why droughts occur more in dry climates |
| D．how human activity affects our water supply |
Easter(复活节 ) is still a great day for worship, randy in baskets and running around the yard finding eggs, but every year it gets quite a bit worse for bunnies.
And no, not because the kids like to pull their ears. The culprit is climate change, and some researchers found that rising temperatures arc having harmful effects on at least five species of rabbit in the US.
Take the Lower Keys March rabbit, for instance. An endangered species that lives in the Lower Florida Keys, this species of cottontail is a great swimmer — it lives on the islands! — but it is already severely affected by development and now by rising levels. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, an ocean level rise of only 0. 6 meters will send these guys jumping to higher ground and a 0.9-meter rise would wipe out their habitat (栖息地) completely.
The snowshoe hare, on the other hand, has a color issue. Most of these rabbits change their fur color from white in the wintertime to brown in the summer, each designed to give them better cover from predators（捕食者）. As the number of days with snow decreases all across the country, however, more and more bunnies arc being left in white fur during brown dirt days of both fall and spring, making them an easier mark for predators. Researchers know that the color change is controlled by the number of hours of sunlight, but whether the rabbit will be able to adapt quick enough to survive is a big question. The National Wildlife Federation has reported that hunters have noticed their numbers are already markedly down.
American pikas or rock rabbits, a relative of rabbits and hares, might be the firs' of these species to go extinct due to climate change. About 7-8 inches long, pikas live high in the cool, damp mountains west of the Rocky Mountains. As global temperatures rise, they would naturally migrate (迁徙) to higher ground — but they already occupy the mountaintops. They can't go any higher. The National Wildlife Federation reports that they might not be able to stand the new temperatures as their habitat beats up.
The volcano rabbit has the same problem. These rabbits live on the slopes of volcanoes in Mexico, and recent studies have shown that the lower range of their habitat has already shifted upward about 700 meters, but there are not suitable plants for them to move higher, so they are stuck in the middle. Scientists are concerned about their populations.
Native to the US, pygmy rabbits weigh less than 1 pound and live in the American West. They are believed to be the smallest rabbits in the world. Their habitats have been destroyed by development. Several populations, such as the Columbia Basin pygmy, almost went extinct and were saved by zoo breeding programs. Pygmy rabbits also rely on winter cover by digging tunnels through the snow to escape predators, but lesser snowfall is leaving them exposed.
All of this gives new meaning to dressing up in a giant bunny costume this Easter. The word "culprit" ( Paragraph 2) is closest in meaning to______.
| A．criminal |
| B．judge |
| C．victim |
| D．producer |
According to the passage, some rabbits can now be easily Uncovered by predators because they_______
| A．are exposed lo more skillful hunters |
| B．have moved to habitats with fewer plants |
| C．haven't adapted themselves to climate change |
| D．can't change their fur color into white in the fall and the spring |
The problem faced by volcano rabbets and rock rabbits is that________.
A. both are affected by 1ess snow
B. both are affected by rising sea levels
C neither can find enough food
D. neither can migrate to higher places
Since 1984, Philadelphia has been cleaning up its act. One by one, graffiti-covered walls are being changed into outdoor art. So far, more than 1,800 murals（壁画）have been painted. Philadelphia now has more murals than any other American city.
The walls that were once ugly with graffiti（涂鸦）are now covered with beautiful pictures of historical heroes and modern art, thanks to the Mural Arts Program (MAP). Its work makes schools and public places attractive, and its citizens very proud. The program began as part of Philadelphia‟s Anti-Graffiti Network. Jane Golden is the MAP‟s artistic director. “When people ask me what our program is about,” she says, “I answer them with one word: hope.” Each year, the MAP offers youth art programs and workshops. Some one-time graffiti writers even help paint MAP murals.
The MAP‟s work, says Golden, is all about developing a sense of community（社区）．When a neighborhood requests a mural, the MAP works with the people there to develop a message. Some messages have been “Safe Streets,” “Love and Care,” and “Peace Walk.”
The MAP receives up to 50 requests for murals each week. Last year, the workers painted 140 murals.
“The making of a mural enters people‟s collective memory as an extraordinary, pleasant moment in neighborhood history,” says Golden, who began as a muralist in Los Angeles. What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Love, from Graffiti Writers to Muralists |
| B．MAP, a New Company in Philadelphia |
| C．Jane, an Excellent Mural Artist |
| D．Hope, One Wall at a Time |
What is the Mural Arts Program in Philadelphia aimed at?
| A．Helping the young find jobs. |
| B．Protecting the neighborhood. |
| C．Fighting against graffiti. |
| D．Attracting more visitors. |
How does the MAP decide on the message for a mural?
By having discussions with people in the community.
B. By seeking advice from the city government.
C. By learning from the young graffiti writers.
D. By studying the history of the city. Which of the following words best describes the work of the MAP?
| A．Difficult. |
| B．Dangerous. |
| C．Experimental. |
| D．Successful. |
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