Traveling to a new country isn't as simple as just buying a ticket and boarding a plane. In fact, it can be easy for an awkward situation to occur. Different customs can often cause misunderstandings and even trouble. So an article in the Daily Mai highlighted taboos in certain countries. Let’s take a look.
| France When visiting France ,you’d better not be caught cutting your lettuce（生菜）with a knife and fork. It’s rude to the chief cook and suggests that the salad hasn’t been prepared correctly. The correct way to eat lettuce in France is to fold it with your fork to make it fit in your mouth. |
Italy 02 It’s actually best to be a little less friendly than usual when you visit Italy. It’s considered strange to make small talk with strangers, as the locals are reserved. Too much familiarity from a stranger can be seen as threatening, so keep greetings short. |
| In Mexico , bringing an expensive gift to someone’s home is a no-no ,as ye could be seen as something for you .Something simple like flowers and chocolates would be accepted. But you can’t take along marigolds （金盏花）or red flowers , because in Mexican culture, they symbolize death and can be associated with the use of magic. Mexico |
You have to be careful with gifts of flowers in Germany too. Fox example, carnation (康乃馨) are used for a religious ceremony for burying a dead person .So if you want to give your host flowers, ask them what their favorite flowers, And if your bring your host eight flowers . he or she won't be happy, for an even numbers considered unlucky. Germany 04 |
The underlined word“ taboo” in the first paragraph refers to a social custom that mean a particular activity must be .
| A．Held | B．Avoided | C．undertaken | D．protected |
According to the passage，as a tourist, you can .
| A．send red flowers or chocolates to your friend in Mexico |
| B．never talk with strangers happily for a short time in Italy |
| C．visit your friend with eleven marigolds he or she likes best in Germany |
| D．never fold your lettuce with your fork to make it fit in your mouth in France |
The purpose of the passage is to help in a new country.
| A．acquire the latest information |
| B．deal with an awkward situation |
| C．learn how to get on with strangers |
| D．prevent an emharrassing mistake |
Dieters are often advised to stop drinking alcohol to avoid the extra calories lurking in a glass of wine or a favorite cocktail. But new research suggests that women who regularly consume moderate(适度的) amounts of alcohol are less likely to gain weight than nondrinkers and are at lower risk for obesity (fatness).
The findings, reported this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, are based on a study of 19,220 United States women aged 30 to 40 who fall into the “normal weight” based on their body mass index. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston tracked the women’s drinking habits over 13 years. About 60 percent of the women were light or regular drinkers, while about 40 percent reported drinking no alcohol.
Over the course of the study, 41 percent of the women became overweight. Although alcohol is packed with calories, the nondrinkers in the study actually gained more weight over time: nine pounds, on average, compared with an average gain of about three pounds among regular moderate drinkers. The risk of becoming overweight was almost 30 percent lower for women who consumed one or two alcohol drinks a day, compared with nondrinkers.
Th
e findings are certain to be confusing for women who continue to receive conflicting messages about the health benefits and risks of alcohol. Although moderate drinking is associated with better heart health, regular drinking also increases breast cancer risk.
The trend toward less weight gain among drinkers doesn’t appear to hold true for men. A 2003 study of British men showed that regular drinkers gained more weight than nondrinkers. Studies suggest that drinking alcohol has different effects on eating habits among men and women. Men typically add alcohol to their daily caloric intake, whereas women are more likely to su
bstitute（替代）alcohol for food. In addition, there may be differences in how men and women metabolize（代谢）alcohol. Metabolic studies show that after men drink alcohol, the
y experience little if any metabolic change. But alcohol appears to slightly speed up a woman’s metabolism.
The findings don’t mean women should rush to drink alcohol to lose weight. Other research shows that once a person is already overweight, her alcohol metabolism is more efficient, and so an overweight woman may gain more weight from alcohol than a lean(瘦的) woman. The data do, however, suggest that for many women facing weight problems, the extra calories are probably not coming from alcoholic drinks.According to the study, which of the following regular drinker is less likely to gain weight than nondrinkers?
A B C DThat men regular drinkers gained more weight than women regular drinkers is due to the following except ______.
| A．women are more likely to substitute alcohol for food. |
| B．men drink alcohol much faster than women. |
| C．men and women metabolize alcohol differently. |
| D．men have different effects on eating habits with women. |
The underlined word “whereas” may probably mean _______.
| A．so | B．in order that | C．but | D．and then |
What can a dieter probably do before reading this passage?
| A．Rush to drink alcohol to lose weight |
| B．Add alcohol to his or her daily caloric intake. |
| C．Face the weight problems alone. |
| D．Try to stop drinking any alcohol or wine. |
The Writers' Strike：Making the Best of the Worst
By now you are probably feeling the effects of the TV writers’ strike---the decision of television writers to stop working. With few new TV shows, I present to you a list of shows available on DVD worth your viewing time to keep you going during this painful period.
Arrested Development is one of the funniest and most clever shows ever to have appeared on network TV. With a most perfect cast(全体演员), the show sets out to cover the daily happenings of the Bluth family, a group of selfish staff who manage to still put family first.
For more comedy goodness, I recommend one of the sharpest comedies to have ever broadcast, 30 Rock. Starring Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, two stars with impressive comic timing, the show gives you a glimpse into the making of a sketch show (幽默短剧),similar to Saturday Nigth Live, from the funny writers to the self-centered cast all the way up to
the boss.
If you are looking for something more serious, or perhaps Friday Night lights might be more to your liking. If you are a fan of football, this show is probably for you. If you are a fan of great drama, both soapy and serious, this show is probably for you, If you are a fan of good-looking people, this show is definitely for you .
If those shows were not enough for you, might I recommend a show with a more heart-pounding excitement? The Amazing Race, after twelve seasons, still remains one of the most exciting shows on TV. Teams of two travel the globe with little to no money and experience far-out adventures in an attempt to remain the last team standing. If you are fond of soapy TV shows, you will probably choose to watch .
| A．Friday Night Lights | B．30 Rock |
| C．the Amazing Race | D．Saturday Night Live |
From the DVD shows listed above, we can learn that .
| A．two teams won the amazing race |
| B．football fans enjoy the Amazing Race |
| C．the Bluths care about their family though selfish |
| D．30 Rock and Saturday Night Live have nothing in common |
The author writes the passage to tell us that .
| A．the effects of the TV writers’ strike are great |
| B．the strike puts TV shows in the worst situation |
| C．watching DVD is a good choice during the strike |
| D．we should choose DVD shows according to our tastes |
The passage is most probably taken from .
| A．a book review | B．a newspaper | C．a film poster | D．a DVD menu |
Dior was born in Normandy in 1905, and his family’s original plans for him included a career in the diplomatic service, but by the ti
me he was twenty-three, with his parents’money, he opened a small art gallery in Paris. By 1931, the money had been used up. Dior’s friends in the art gallery, asked him to draw and he took his first step at designing and drawing. His first job was with Lucien Lelong from whom Dior learned his craft（手艺）.
In February,1947, Dior started the New Look in his first major Paris collection. He was backed by a famous textile producer, Boussac, who looked after the dollars, while Dior looked after the fashions. Dior knew nothing about cutting and sewing, but he was good at fash
ion design.
The New Look started an entirely different look to costume, with a tiny waist, a rounded shoulder and a shapely bust（胸围）, usually with a low-cut neckline and a long full skirt. To women who had lived through the war years, the femaleness of the New look was a great success, for people were tired of tile ext
remely plain, wartime restrictive fashions.
It is said that dresses by Dior were “constructed like buildings”, but young people were attracted to his design, and all over the western world, manufacturers plunged(投入) into the production of his new style. Dior’s revolutionary designs lighted up a whole cycle of fashion, rounded, gentle, feminine, a delight in elegance. A New Look House of Dior opened in 1948, followed by one in London. Considered as King of Couture（women’s clothing）for years, the Dior empire grew until it covered every country in the western world, and included furs, hosiery, jewelry, perfumes, men’s wear and on and on. More than 1,000 people worked at the Paris headquarters then.
His sudden death in 1957 when he was 53 years old did not stop the growth of the House of Dior. Even now, so many years after his death, his name is closely connected with fashion throughout the world, and indeed is one of the most recognized names in the world, His first, great New Look, with its long skirts was an expression of freedom in the late 1940s. Which of the following designs is close to Dior’s?
| A． | B． | C． | D． |
According to the passage. in Dior’s life, he did NOT___________.
| A．make creative fashion designs | B．work in a diplomatic service |
| C．1earn craft as his first job | D．open a New Look House |
We can infer from the passage that _________.
A．Dior and h is supporter had different interests in business |
B．Dior’s New Look had  little influence on people then |
| C．Dior is only a brand of women’s fashion |
| D．Dior’s fashion was not accepted at first |
What is probably the best title for the passage? .
| A．The History of the New Look | B．The Growth of the Dior Empire |
| C．An Expression of Freedom—Dior | D．The Founder of the New Look—Dior |
Most people know that a wedding ring is symbolic of the bond(连结物) of love and commitment（承诺） between two people. But not everyone knows about the history behind this small yet powerful symbol. The history of the wedding ring goes back not just hundreds but thousands of years. No other currently practiced wedding tradition has been around as long.
The Egyptians were the first recorded civilization to use the wedding ring. In Egyptian hieroglyphics（象形文字） a circle represented eternity. Once a woman accepted the ring she became the “property” of the person who gave it to her and she was in a sense “his.” The first wedding ring could have been made of braided grass or hay （which would have been changed often）, ivory, bone, or leather. Eventually, metal was used, but the first wedding bands were crude（未加工的） and rough. However, the sentiment（情感） remained the same-eternal commitment and love.
The Egyptians wore the wedding ring on the left hand because it was believed that a vein（静脉） in the left hand went straight to the heart. This tradition is still commonly practiced today in most parts of the world largely for practical purposes （most people are right handed.）It is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. But there are some countries and groups which do not follow this tradition. In the Jewish faith, the wedding ring is put on the index finger. Roman Catholics traditionally wore their wedding band on the right hand, and in many countries and regions in Europe some people still follow this tradition.
It is interesting to note that in the long history of the wedding ring that it is only in the last century that men have begun to wear them. However, now both men and women show their love and commitment by exchanging rings on their wedding day.
Once you begin shopping for rings you may be amazed by the choices that await you. There are several different types of metals: traditional gold, white gold, platinum, and titanium. You can have an inscription（刻字） put on the inside of the band（镶边） if you like. Some people are even choosing a tattoo（刺花） band. The styles vary from a simple, yet elegant（优雅的） band to an elaborate（精致的） ring covered with jewels. If you do not buy the wedding and engagement rings as a set you will want to be sure the styles are compatible（一致的）. Choose carefully because this choice will need to stand the test of eternity. What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．History of rings | B．Interesting facts about rings |
| C．Different beliefs about rings | D．The meaning of the rings. |
What may the word “eternity” in paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．Elegance | B．Marriage | C．Wedding | D．Foreverness |
Which is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The meaning of the rings remained unchanged. |
| B．One should be careful of choosing a ring in a shop from different kinds. |
| C．Jewish are so faithful to their beliefs to wear rings on the fourth finger. |
| D．Now most people in the world still follow Roman Catholics traditionally. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Men were looked upon by women for thousands years. |
| B．Only women have the right to make themselves beautiful. |
| C．women wore rings thousands of years earlier than men. |
| D．You can have an inscription put on the inside the band. |
A young man went to a town and worked there. He did not have a wife and a servant did the work in his house.
The young man liked laughing a lot. He nailed the servant’s shoes to the floor on Monday, and then laughed, because he put his feet in them and fell down. The servant was not angry, but smiled.
Then the young man put brushes in his bed on Tuesday. The servant got into bed and hit the brushes with his feet. He was afraid. The young man laughed loudly again. Again the servant was not angry, but smiled.
Then on Wednesday the young man said to his servant, “You’re a nice, kind man. I am not going to be unkind to you again.”
The servant smiled and said, “And I’m not going to put any more mud from the street in your coffee.”He played a joke on the servant because .
| A．he hated him |
| B．he was not satisfied with the food the servant prepared for him |
| C．he wanted to get pleasure |
| D．he liked to show off himself |
When the young man played a joke on him, the servant was not angry but smiled because _____.
| A．he liked the young man’s action | B．making the young man laugh is his job |
| C．he was afraid to be fired | D．he thought he shouldn’t be angry with a child |
What did the servant do in return to the young man?
| A．He stole something from the house. | B．He gave a smile to the young man. |
| C．He had a fight with him. | D．He put mud into the young man’s coffee. |
Why did the young man stop playing jokes on the servant? Because ___.
| A．the servant showed kind and nice behaviour to him |
| B．the servant told him the truth |
| C．he wanted to be a good man |
| D．his father told him to do so |
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