A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by, and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace, and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the money box without stopping, and continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3-year-old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally, the mother pushed hard, and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most talented musicians in the world. He had just played one of the most beautiful pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell’s playing in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment.
The outlines were: in a common environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we enjoy beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected situation?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?”Few people stopped to listen to Joshua Bell playing because______.
| A．people were in a hurry |
| B．they were not interested in music |
| C．it was too cold in the subway |
| D．the performance was not good enough |
When children stopped to look at the violinist, their parents ______.
| A．would give him some money |
| B．would stop to enjoy the music |
| C．would applaud for the performance |
| D．would urge them to continue walking |
Joshua Bell played in the metro station in order to ______.
| A．make more money |
| B．practice his skills in playing music |
| C．made an advertisement for his concert |
| D．find out people’s reaction under such a circumstance |
The purpose of the passage is to _____.
| A．set us to think about our life |
| B．show us how to play music |
| C．tell us the importance of music |
| D．report a subway performance |
Specialists say that it is not easy to get used to life in a new culture. “Culture shock” is the term these specialists use when talking about the feelings that people have in a new environment. There are three stages of culture shock, say the specialists. In the first stage, the newcomers like their new environment. Then, when the fresh experience dies, they begin to hate the city, the country, the people, and everything else. In the last stage, the newcomers begin to adjust to their surroundings and, as a result, enjoy their life more.
There are some obvious factors in culture shock. The weather may be unpleasant. The customs may be different. The public service systems—the telephone, post office, or transportation—may be difficult to work out. The most simple things seem to be big problems. The language may be difficult.
Who feels culture shock? Everyone does in this way or that. But culture shock surprises most people. Very often the people having the worst culture shock are those who never had any difficulties in their home countries and were successful in their community. Coming to a new country, these people find they do not have the same established positions. They find themselves without a role, almost without an identity. They have to build a new self-image.
Culture shock gives rise to a feeling of disorientation (迷惘). This feeling may be homesickness. When homesick, people feel like staying inside all the time. They want to protect themselves for the strange environment, and create an escape inside their room for a sense of security. This escape does solve the problem of culture shock for the short term, but it does nothing to make the person familiar with the culture. Getting to know the new environment and gaining experience—these are the long-term solutions to the problem of culture shock.
When people move to a new country, they _______.
will get used to their new surrounding with difficulty
have well prepared for the new surroundings
will get used to the culture of the country quickly
will never be familiar with culture of the country
According to the passage, factors that give rise to culture shock include all of the following except _____.
| A．language communication | B．weather conditions and customs |
| C．public service systems | D．homesickness |
According to the passage, the more successful you are at home, __________.
the fewer difficulties you may have abroad
the more difficulties you may have abroad
the more money you will earn abroad
the less homesick you will feel abroad
What is the main idea of the last passage?
| A．Escape unfamiliar environment |
| B．The feeling of homesickness. |
| C．Homesickness can solve the problem of culture shock. |
| D．The best way to overcome culture shock: get familiar with the new culture. |
It is quite reasonable to blame traffic jams, the cost of gas and the great speed of modern life, but manners on the road are becoming horrible. Everybody knows that the nicest men would become fierce tigers behind the wheel. It is all right to have a tiger in a cage, but to have one in the driver’s seat is another matter altogether.
Road politeness is not only good manners, but good sense too. It takes the most cool-headed drivers great patience to give up the desire to beat back when forced to face rude driving. On the other hand, a little politeness goes a long way towards reducing the possibility of quarrelling and fighting. A friendly nod or a wave of thanks in answer to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of good will and calm so necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such behaviors of politeness are by no means enough. Many drivers nowadays don’t even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it.
However, misplaced politeness can also be dangerous. Typical examples are the driver who waves a child crossing the street at a wrong place into the path of oncoming cars that may be not able to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they want to. It always amazes me that the highways are not covered with the dead bodies of these grannies.
An experienced driver, whose manners are faultless, told me it would help if drivers learnt to correctly join in traffic stream without causing total blockages that give rise to unpleasant feelings. Unfortunately, modern drivers can’t even learn to drive, let alone master the roadmanship. Years ago, experts warned us that the fast increase of the car ownership would demand more give-and-take from all road users. It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart. According to the passage, troubles on the road are often caused by _______.
| A．road conditions | B．the speed of modern life |
| C．the behavior of the drivers | D．the large number of cars |
In the writer’s opinion, ________.
| A．drivers should avoid traffic jams |
| B．strict traffic rules are badly needed |
| C．unskillful drivers should be punished |
| D．drivers should show road politeness properly |
The underlined word “give-and-take” in the last paragraph means “______”.
| A．politeness and impoliteness |
| B．good manners and bad manners |
| C．offering help to others as much as possible |
| D．willingness of each person to give in to each other’s wishes |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Road politeness | B．Traffic problems |
| C．Bad manners on the road | D．Good divers and bad drivers |
In the U.S., people prefer waiting for a table to sitting with people they don’t know. This means a hostess may not seat a small group until a small table is available, even if a large one is. If you are sitting at a table with people you don’t know, it is impolite to light up a cigarette without first asking if it will disturb them.
At American restaurants and coffee shops you are usually served tap water before you order. You may find the bread and butter is free, and if you order coffee, you may get a free refill.
Most cities and towns have no rules about opening and closing time for stores or restaurants, though they usually do make rules for bars. Especially in large cities, stores may be open 24 hours a day.
Serving in restaurants is often large; too large for many people. If you can’t finish your meal but would like to enjoy the food later, ask your waitress or waiter for a “doggie bag”. It may have a picture of a dog on it, but everybody knows you’re taking the food for yourself.
Supper and dinner are both words for the evening meal. Some people have “Sunday dinner”. This is an especially big noon meal.
Tips are not usually added to the check. They are not included in the price of the meal, either. A tip of about 15% is expected and you should leave it on the table when you leave. In some restaurants, a check is brought on a plate and you put your money there. Then the waiter or waitress brings you your change.
Which statement is true?
| A．American people like sitting with people they don’t know. |
| B．Tips shouldn’t be given to the waiter or waitress. |
| C．Orange juice is served before you order |
| D．American people would not light a cigarette if the people who sit at the same table mind their smoking. |
What does the underlined word “doggie bag” mean in the article? It means ______.
| A．a bag with a picture of a dog on it |
| B．a bag used to carry dogs |
| C．a small bag for taking the food left over home to enjoy it later |
| D．a small bag for taking the food left over home for dogs |
Sunday dinner is _______.
| A．a dinner in the evening | B．a big noon meal |
| C．a big lunch Sunday | D．a supper on Sunday |
If a person pays 200 yuan in a restaurant, how many tips are given to the waiter?
| A．30 yuan. | B．60 yuan. | C．80 yuan. | D．90 yuan. |
Every day we meet people in a number of business and social situations. And the way we meet and greet them creates an impression. It’s important to do so in a proper way, no matter whether you are introducing yourself to someone, or introducing two people. To keep you aware of this, we have gathered tips on how to make a proper introduction.
◎Always stand when making an introduction.
When you are seated and someone comes up to greet you, make the effort to stand up. By doing this, you show respect for yourself and for the other person.
◎Always keep eye contact while making an introduction.
Many people are not aware of the value of this simple action. When you make eye contact, you are giving a confident image.
◎Always introduce a person of lesser authority to one of greater authority. The most important thing to remember is to say the most important person’s name first.
For example, when introducing your supervisor to a job candidate (求职应征者), you would give your supervisor’s name first. “Bob Jones, may I introduce Susan Lee, who has just graduated from ABC University?”
◎In a situation where rank is unimportant, an introduction is based on sex and age. A man is presented to a woman and a younger woman to an older woman.
What if you find yourself in a situation where you have forgotten the other person’s name? Start with a handshake and reintroduce (再介绍) yourself. When doing this, you will usually cause the other person to do the same.
However, if the other person does not take your suggestion, it is OK simply to apologize and let the person know that you cannot remember her or his name. This is not the ideal situation, of course, but it does happen to all of us. The other person should be forgiving. The article gives you advice on ________.
how to make a self-introduction
how to make a proper introduction
how to leave a good impression on people
how to greet people in social situations According to the passage, people will think you are ________ if you don’t make eye contact with them.
| A．not honest | B．not confident | C．shy | D．unfriendly |
What should you do when you introduce a new worker to your boss?
| A．You should not give your boss’ name. |
| B．You should give the new worker’s name first. |
| C．You needn’t give your boss’ name |
| D．You should give your boss’ name first |
If you forget the other person’s name, you’d better _______.
| A．ask him/her directly |
| B．apologize first and then ask him/her |
| C．shake hands with the person and reintroduce yourself |
| D．consider his age first |
She is widely seen as proof that good looks can last for ever. But, at nearly 500 years of age, time is catching up with the Mona Lisa.
The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1505, is getting worse by the year, according to the Louver Museum(卢浮宫) where it is housed.
“The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since experts checked it two years ago,” the museum said. Visitors have noticed changes but repairing the world’s most famous painting is not easy. Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their current chemical state.
Nearly 6 million people go to see the Mona Lisa every year, many attracted by the mystery of her smile. “It is very interesting that when you’re not looking at her, she seems to be smiling, and then you look at her and she stops,” said Professor Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University. “It’s because direct vision(视觉) is excellent at picking up detail, but less suited to looking at shadows. Da Vinci painted the smile in shadows.”
However, the actual history of the Mona Lisa is just as mysterious as the smile. Da Vinci himself loved it so much that he always carried it with him, until it was eventually sold to France’s King Francis I in 1519.
In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louvre by a former employee, who took it out of the museum, hidden under his coat. He said he planned to return it to Italy. The painting was sent back to France two years later. During World War II, French hid the painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces.
We can infer from the text that .
| A．the Mona Lisa is proved to be able to last another 500 years. |
| B．Mona Lisa’s beauty is fading gradually with 500 years passing by |
| C．the Mona Lisa has been catching people’s wide attention in the past 500 years |
| D．Mona Lisa does not look out of date though painted 500 years ago |
Which of the following is true about the Mona Lisa?
| A．It was once taken away and hidden up by German forces. |
| B．Its painter himself loved it greatly and always kept it in a shade. |
| C．Mona Lisa stops smiling when you look at her wanting to see her smiles |
| D．King Francis I bought it and then returned it to Italy. |
Choose the right order about the happenings onto Mona Lisa.
a. It was stolen from the Louvre.
b. Its painter sold it to King Francis I.
c. Its state of health was checked.
d. It was returned to France and housed in the Louver Museum.
e. It was hidden and protected against Germans.
| A．b-a-d-e-c | B．d-e-c-b-a | C．d-a-e-c-b | D．b-c-a-d-e |
It may add to the difficulty in repairing the painting that .
| A．experts haven’t noticed changes in its shape as visitors do |
| B．it is likely to be stolen again when it’s under repair |
| C．it is uncertain which country, Italy or France, should take charge |
| D．experts aren’t sure about the materials and the chemical state of its oil paint |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号