While growing up in Jersey in the 1960s, I always seemed to be building things. One summer I build a model car with my father. It was a simple affair, and as a capable 12-year-old, I could have easily done it alone. But my father spent the time together with me, and before I knew it, we were both out in the garage, working away.
I wish I had thought about this when I was raising my first son. We never built anything together. Oh, we had a lot of fun, for sure. But we never undertook a common work of our hands.
A few years ago, when Anton, my second son, asked if we could build a treehouse in the big silver maple behind our house, his suggestion immediately reminded me of the memory. Yes, I thought. Of course. My second chance. And so, one day while Anton was in school and I had some free time, I bought some wood. But one thing led to another and we got only as far as the ladder and a simple platform. His vision for the treehouse was not fulfilled that summer, and the three following summers saw me involved with other things. In the middle of our quiet supper last night, I looked at Anton, a high school student now and asked, “Anton, are you still interested in finishing the treehouse?” “Sure, Dad,” he said, and within that “sure” was contained, perhaps, his own self-awareness of a childhood to which he was still attached.
We continued where we had left off. I was surprised at how good a worker Anton had become. Where four years ago all he could really do with confidence was hammer nails, now he was measuring and cutting. In one moment that took my breath away, he attempted to center a support beam(支撑梁)while looking to me for direction. “Is it centered, Dad?” I waved him a little to the right. Then a little more. Then I said. “Perfect.”
And it was perfect. As was this second chance, I finally realized that my father hadn't had to help me build that model car in 1966. He wanted to. And that made all the difference.Not having built anything together with his first son, the author felt _____.
| A．disappointed | B．satisfied |
| C．regretful | D．relieved |
Why didn't they finish building the treehouse at first?
| A．It was too hot those summers. |
| B．Anton wasn't confident enough. |
| C．They gradually lost interest in it. |
| D．They were both occupied with other things. |
From the fourth paragraph, we can see that the father _____.
| A．was proud of his son |
| B．missed the last chance |
| C．felt content with the treehouse |
| D．hoped to finish the work perfectly |
It can be inferred that the author realized _____.
| A．the quiet passing of childhood |
| B．the difficulty in raising children |
| C．the children's dependence on their father |
| D．the significance of undertaking a common work with children |
Meeting people from another culture can be difficult.From the beginning,people may send the wrong signal(信号).Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.
Different cultures emphasize(强调)the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree.For example,business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust.Even with people at work,it is necessary to spend a lot of time in "small talk",usually over a glass of tea,before they do any job.In many European countries-like the UK or France-people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafés rather than at the office.
Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures.I once made a speech in Thailand.I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion;instead there was an uncomfortable silence.The people present just stared at me and smiled.After getting to know their ways better,I realized that they thought I was talking too much.In my own culture,we express meaning mainly through words,but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.
Even within Northern Europe,cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values;however,Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly.We think that they are rude.In fact,this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.
People from different parts of the world have different values,and sometimes these values are quite against each other.However,if we can understand them better,a multicultural environment(多元文化环境)will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.
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In some countries,eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to.
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| 2． |
The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that.
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| 3． |
According to the text,how can people from different cultures understand each other better?
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| 4． |
What would be the best title for the text?
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The summer I was ten,my mother decided to bring us to the world of art.My brother and I were not very excited when we realized what my mother meant.What she meant was not that we could take drawing classes or painting classes but that we would have to spend one afternoon a week with her at the Fine Arts Museum.Before each visit to the museum,she made us read about artists and painting styles(风格).It was almost as bad as being in school.Who wants to spend the summer thinking about artists when you could be with your friends at the swimming pool?
First we had to read about ancient Egyptians(古埃及人)and their strange way of painting faces and then go to look at them at the museum.My 12-year-old brother thought this was so funny,but I was not interested.Later we had to learn about artists in the Middle Ages who painted people wearing strange long clothing.We had to look at pictures of fat babies with wings and curly(卷曲的)hair and with no clothes on flying around the edges of paintings.I certainly couldn’t see what was so great about art.
On our last visit to the museum,something happened when I saw a painting by a woman called Mary.In it,a woman was reading to a child.The colors were soft and gentle,and you could tell by the mother’s expression how happy she was just to be with the child.I couldn’t stop looking at this painting!I wanted to see every painting Mary had ever made!It was really worth looking at so many paintings to find a painter who could interest me so much.The aim of the mother’s plan was to ________.
| A．take them to visit the museum |
| B．introduce them to the world of art |
| C．ask them to read about artists |
| D．show them different painting styles |
What was the writer’s experience in the museum before the last visit?
| A．She came to feel her mother’s love. |
| B．She liked many paintings. |
| C．She hardly enjoyed herself. |
| D．She could understand the pictures of fat babies. |
What made the writer go through a change that summer?
| A．One of Mary’s paintings. |
| B．A strange way of painting. |
| C．Artists in the Middle Ages. |
| D．Her mother’s instruction. |
From the text,we can see________.
| A．the importance of curiosity |
| B．the effect of art |
| C．the value of learning |
| D．the power of family education |
As societies develop,their members start to see things not so much according to what they need,but according to what they want.When people have enough money,these wants become demands.
Now,it's important for the managers in a company to understand what their customers want if they are going to develop effective marketing strategies(策略).There are various ways of doing this.One way at supermarkets(超市),for example,is to interview(采访)customers while they're doing their shopping.They can be asked what they prefer to buy and then the results of the research can be studied.This provides information on which to base future marketing strategies.It's also quite normal for top managers from department stores to spend a day or two each month visiting stores and mixing freely with the public,as if they were ordinary customers,to get an idea of how customers act.
Another way to get information from customers is to give them something.For example,some fast food restaurants give away tickets in magazines or on the street that permit customers to get part of their meal for nothing.As well as being a good way of attracting customers into the restaurants to spend their money,it also allows the managers to get a feel for where to attract customers and which age-groups to attract.
Another strategy used at some well-known parks such as Disneyland is for top managers to spend at least one day in their work,touring the park dressed as Mickey Mouse or something like that.This provides them with a perfect chance to examine the scene and watch the customers without being noticed.
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The text is designed for.
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Which of the following can help managers get useful information?
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| 3． |
What does the word"this"underlined in the last sentence refer to?
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| 4． |
The main idea of the text is.
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King's College Summer School
King's College Summer School is an annual(每年的)training program for high school students at all levels who want to improve their English.Courses are given by the teachers of King's College and other colleges in New York.Trips to museums and culture centers are also organized.This year's summer school will be from July 25 to August 15.More information is as follows:
| Application(申请)date ●Students in New York should send their applications before July 18,2007. ●Students of other cities should send their applications before July 16,2007. ●Foreign students should send their applications before July 10,2007. |
Courses ●English LanguageSpoken English:22 hoursReading and Writing:10 hours ●American History:16 hours ●American Culture:16 hours |
| Steps ●A letter of self-introduction ●A letter of recommendation(推荐) *The letters should be written in English with all the necessary information. |
Cost ●Daily lessons:$200 ●Sports and activities:$100 ●Travels:$200 ●Hotel service:$400 *You may choose to live with your friends or relatives in the same city. |
| Please write to: Thompson,Sanders1026 King's StreetNew York,NY 10016,USAE-mail: KC-Summer-School@yahoo.com |
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You can most probably read the text in.
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Which of the following is true about King's College Summer School?
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If you are to live with your relatives in New York,you will have to pay the school.
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What information can you get from the text?
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Many facts suggest that children are overweight and the situation is getting worse,according to the doctors.I feel there are a number of reasons for this.
Some people blame the fact that we are surrounded(包围)by shops selling unhealthy,fatty foods,such as fried chicken and ice cream,at low prices.This has turned out a whole generation of grown-ups who seldom cook a meal for themselves.If there were fewer of these restaurants,then probably children would buy less take-away food.
There is another argument that blames parents for allowing their children to become overweight.I agree with this,because good eating habits begin early in life,long before children start to visit fast food shops.If children are given fried chicken and chocolate rather than healthy food,or are always allowed to choose what they eat,they will go for sweet and salty foods every time,and this will carry on throughout their lives.
There is a third reason for this situation.Children these days take very little exercise.They do not walk to school.When they get home,they sit in front of the television or their computers and play computer games.Not only is this an unhealthy pastime(消遣)，it also gives them time to eat more unhealthy food.What they need is to go outside and play active games or sports.
The above are the main reasons for this problem,and therefore we have to encourage young people to be more active,as well as steering them away from fast food shops and bad eating habits.According to the text,what kind of children may eat more unhealthy food?
| A．Those who often take exercise. |
| B．Those who often watch television. |
| C．Those who often have meals at home. |
| D．Those who often walk to school. |
The author thinks that children are becoming overweight because ________.
| A．their parents often cook meals for them |
| B．they are too busy to go out and play |
| C．they can’t choose what to eat |
| D．there are too many fast food shops around |
The word“steering”underlined in the last sentence most probably means ________.
| A．forcing | B．guiding |
| C．driving | D．moving |
The main purpose of the text is to ________.
| A．tell a story | B．provide facts |
| C．give advice | D．compare opinions |
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