Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal （信號）. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.
Different cultures emphasize （強調(diào)） 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 cafes 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 （多元文化環(huán)境） will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.
小題1:In some countries, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to _____.

A．develop closer relations	B．share the same culture
C．get to know each other	D．keep each other company

小題2:The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that _________.

A．the English prefer to make long speeches

B．too many words are of no use

C．people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature

D．even talk and silence can be culturally different

小題3:According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?

A．By sharing different ways of life.	B．By accepting different habits.
C．By recognizing different values.	D．By speaking each other’ s languages.

小題4:What would be the best title for the text?

A．Multicultural Environment.	B．Cross-Cultural Differences.
C．How to Understand Each Other.	D．How to Build Up a Relationship.

In the past, American families tended to be quite large. Parents raising five or more children were common. Over the years, the size of the family has decreased. One reason for this is an increase in the cost of living. On the average, children attend schools for more years than they used to, making them financially dependent on their families longer. Moreover, children nowadays are better dressed and have more money to spend on entertainment. The parents usually take the responsibility for all the expenses. Meanwhile, families are less close than they used to be. More and more American mothers work away from home. The break up of the family occurs when the parents divorce. A lot of children in the U. S. live part of their young lives with only one parent. Broken families usually result in problems for children and parents alike. Children blame themselves when their parents separate. They grow up feeling unsettled as they are moved back and forth between parents. Usually one parent is responsible for raising the children. These single parents must care for the children’s emotional and psychological needs while also supporting them financially. This is very demanding and leaves very little time for the parent’s own personal interests. Single parents often marry other single parents. In this type of family, unrelated children are forced to develop brother or sister relationship. The situations of many American families today are not good. However, recent signs indicate that things are getting better. The divorce rate is declining. The rate of childbirth is rising. Perhaps Americans have learned how important families are.
小題1:In the past, American families tended to be ____.

A．quite small

B．medium sized

C．quite large

D．small

小題2:To parents who take the responsibility for children’s expenses, the cost of living increases because ____.

A．children attend school for more years	B．children are better dressed
C．children spend more money on entertainment	D．a(chǎn)ll of the above

小題3:According to the author, the situations of American families in the future may ____.

A．become worse	B．remain the same
C．get better	D．keep unchanged

小題4:The title of the article might be ____.

A．American Children	B．American Families
C．American Mother	D．American Parents

The year is 2094．It has been announced that a comet (彗星) is heading towards the Earth．Most of it will miss our planet , but two pieces will probably hit the southern half of the Earth．
On 17 July , a piece four kilometers wide enters the Earth’s atmosphere (大氣層) with a massive explosion．About half of the piece is destroyed , but the remaining part hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound．The sea boils and a huge hole is made in the sea bed．Huge waves are created and spread outwards from the hole．The wall of water , a kilometer high , rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometers an hour．Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people re drowned．
Before the waves reach South America , the second piece of the comet lands in Argentina．Earthquakes and volcanoes are set off in the Andes Mountains．The shock waves move north into California and all around the Pacific Ocean．The cities of Los Angeles , San Francisco and Tokyo are completely destroyed by earthquakes．Millions of people in the southern half of the earth are already dead, but the north won’t escape for long．Because of the explosions , the sun is hidden by clouds of dust , temperatures around the world fall to almost zero．Crops are ruined．The sun won’t be seen again for many years．Wars break out as countries fight for food．A year later , no more than 10 million people remain alive．
Could it really happen ? In fact , it has already happened more than once in the history of the Earth．The dinosaurs were on the Earth for over 160 million years．Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared．Many scientists believe that the Earth was hit by a piece of object in space．The dinosaurs couldn’t live through the cold climate that followed and they died out．Will we meet the same and ?
小題1:What is mainly described in the passage ?

A．A historic discovery．	B．An event of imagination
C．A research on space．	D．A scientific adventure．

小題2:When the first piece hits the South Atlantic , it causes          ．

A．a(chǎn)n earthquake	B．damages to cities
C．a(chǎn)n Earth explosion	D．huge waves

小題3:Why can’t the northern half of the earth escape for long ?

A．Because the land is covered with water

B．Because the light and heat from the sun can not reach the earth．

C．Because people there can not live at the temperature of zero．

D．Because wars break out among countries．

小題4:By giving the example of dinosaurs , the author tries to prove        ．

A．a(chǎn)nimals could not live in the cold climate

B．what happened 65 million years ago was an invented story

C．the human beings will die out in 2094

D．the Earth could be hit by other objects in space

As a palace, the Tower of London．was a great place to live．As a prison, it, wasn’t so nice ——especially since so many prisoners lost their heads．Today tourists can explore 5the Tower in the
United Kingdom．Here are some reasons why the Tower was and still is a cool place．
Ravens（渡鴉） are like superheroes．
Well, sort of．Legend says if the ravens that live on the Tower grounds ever leave, the Tower will fall apart．No one knows when the ravens first showed up, but Charles II took the legend so seriously that in the 1670s he gave an official order that six ravens be kept there all the time．Today
there are still always six．
You might have lived at a zoo．
In 1204, King John kept a collection of animals, including lions and elephants．About 50 years later, King Henry III received a polar bear．the bear was kept on a piece of rope so it could fish from the Thames River that flows by the Tower．
If you lived at the Tower today, your mom or dad might be in charge．
The 35 Yeoman Warders（倫敦塔衛(wèi)士）and their families are among the few still allowed to live at the Tower．Established in 1509 a;? bodyguards! for the king, today they give tours and  manage the day-to-day details of the Tower．They’re called "beefeaters," possibly because their job once allowed them to eat beef from the king’s; table．
You need a secret password at night．
Called the "Word," the password changes every 24 hours and is a must-have to enter the Tower
after hours．It’s written on a piece of paper and delivered to the Yeoman on duty for, the night．
You could find buried gold．
In 1662, a goldsmith（金匠） named John Barfcstead supposedly hid more than $40,000 worth of stolen gold somewhere on．the Tower grounds．Many have searched for the gold, but it has never
been found．
小題1:Charles II decided to keep six ravens in the Tower probably because ____,．         ;

A．he loved animals a lot

B．he believed ravens helped protect the Tower

C．he wanted to train the ravens to watch the prisoners

D．he thought the Tower was a cool place for the ravens to live

小題2:According to the passage, the Yeoman Warders ______． 

A．have to part from their families to work at the Tower

B．a(chǎn)re currently working as bodyguards for the king

C．sometimes serve as tour guides

D．a(chǎn)re fond of eating beef

小題3:Which of the following is TRUE about the Tower of London?   

A．King Henry III kept lions and elephants in it．

B．It stands on the bank of the Thames River．

C．Nobody is allowed to enter it at night．

D．It is also used as a prison nowadays．

Our planet is in trouble．Polluting industries and corporations are destroying our planet, resulting in increasing global temperatures, melting ice caps, and economic turmoil（混亂）．All across the country, folks are waking up to the reality that if they do not ad now to solve the environmental problems of today, the consequences are unthinkable．If we don’t i ct now, who will? Fortunately, an amazing team of young leaders are taking action．They a e getting involved with the Greenpeace Student Network!
The Student Network has student leaders who deal with the most pressing environmental issues．We have organized and won inspiring campaigns．Convincing corporations to change their ways and politicians to do the right thing．All thanks to our team of leaders, known as Campus Coordinators．
Campus Coordinators are located all across the United States, and even Canada! They work on Greenpeace Student Network campaigns at their schools and in their communities．They organize events like film screenings and days of action．They hold meetings with elected officials, work with the media, recruit（招募） volunteers, and mobilize（動員） their campus to take action! They do all of this with excellent training and expert support from our team of Student: Network staff．Campus Coordinators develop their leadership skins and become an unstoppable force for green solutions on pus and in their community．
Currently, the Greenpeace Student Network is campaigning to solve the largest environmental threat to humankind: global warming．With only months until a new international treaty（協(xié)議）on global warming is decided this December, the time to stand up and take the lead has never been
more important,
If you are concerned with environmental issues, want to mobilize your scho4l and community, nd are ready to become a skilled organizer and strong leader, then the Campus Coordinator position is for you! We are now accepting applications for the Fall 2009-Spring 2010 academic year．
Are you ready to be a leader on your campus?
Apply to be a Campus Coordinator today!        
小題1:Why does the author write the passage?                        

A．To describe the serious environmental problems．

B．To call on students to apply to be Campus Coordinators,

C．To explain the advantage of the Greenpeace Student Network．．

D．To stress the importance of solving environmental problems．

小題2:We can learn from the passage that the Greenpeace Student Network _____．

A．is a place where school leaders are framed

B．is a worldwide organization helping student leaders

C．helps solve corporations’ economic problems

D．helps deal with global warming at present

小題3:If you are a Campus Coordinator, you may probably _____．

A．have．the chance to play a role in a film

B．find a job at a TV station

C．develop your leadership skills

D．build up your strength．

小題4:Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．The duty of Campus Coordinators．

B．The distribution of Campus Coordinators．

C．The aim of the Greenpeace Student Network．

D．The history of the Greenpeace Student Network．

Greece is one of the most beautiful countries of the world．Millions of tourist visit this place every year．In Greece the bus is the most convenient and preferred means of traveling．There are intercity buses operated by KTEL that interconnect various cities of Greece,!! and there are international buses operated by OSE that connect Greece to other European cities.
Every tourist must visit Greece at least once in life．This country is really a vacation heaven．It is the perfect blend（融合） of history and art with adventure and romance．You car| dive into deep[
blue waters, climb up the mountains or enjoy ancient architecture and history． 
Buses in Greece are cheap and very comfortable．All bus stations display schedules of buses on every route．Conductors and drivers are very polite and helpful．Travelers never face any  rouble locating and boarding buses to their destinations．Tourists can always ask the conductor to inform them about their stop, so that they can get down at the right stop．Everyone here is more than happy to help tourists．
Athens, me capital of Greece, has three bus terminals(終點站）．Buses to different parts of Greece leave from different terminals．Air-conditioned express buses also operate between major cities．They are faster and more comfortable than other buses．Tourists can choose guided Greece bus ^our．These tours are the perfect way of exploring this great country．          |
Buses in Greece are also a great way of saving bucks on the journey．The long-distance bus system is very cheap．Buses save a lot of money to cover long distances, cheaper than taxis or cars． They are also the best means of interacting with local people．You can sit next to a native of Greece and get some information about the place．                
小題1:The company KTEL offers bus services _____．                    

A．to different cities in Greece	B．from Greece to other countries
C．to tourist attractions in Greece	D．from Greece to its bordering countries

小題2:It can be inferred from Para．3 that the Greeks are _____．         

A．generous	B．hard-working
C．economical	D．warm-hearted

小題3:If you are a tourist to Greece from overseas, you’d better choose _____．

A．taxis	B．cars
C．guided Greece bus tours	D．a(chǎn)ir-conditioned express buses ;

小題4:The underlined word "bucks" in the last paragraph probably refers to _____．         ;
A．money         B, energy               C．time            D．trouble
小題5:While taking long-distance buses, you can _____．

A．know more about the bus schedules

B．make friends with the conductors

C．learn more about bus systems in Greece

D．learn something about the place you’re visiting

Hello! The University of Hawaii is located just outside of downtown Honolulu in green Manoa valley. We invite you to visit and want to let you know about our learning programs, the richness of our culture, the beauty of our environment, the spirit of our students and teachers, advanced equipment and modern buildings. We look forward to seeing you come. The following information is given so that your visit will be as easy as possible. 
You should get in touch with us ahead of time. You may directly contact the office of the College to schedule appointment service at 1-877-447-3233. To arrange a campus tour please hand in a request through our Online Campus Visit Request Form.
Tours are on weekdays:
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
9:00a.m. — 9:30a.m.: Meet with a University Representative（代表）
9:30a.m. — 11:30a.m.: General Campus Tour with a UHM （The University of Hawaii at Manoa） student
Tuesday & Thursday
1:00p.m. — 1:30p.m.: Meet with a University Representative
1:30p.m. — 3:30p.m.: General Campus Tour with a UHM student
You also can get in touch with us by:
Phone Number: 1 (877) 447-3233, or 1 (808) 956-6524
E-mail: visituhm@hawaii.edu
How do you get to UHM?
It is in Honolulu less than 3 miles away from Waikiki and about 9 miles from Honolulu International Airport.
By car: From Waikiki and from Honolulu International Airport
Taxi: Taxi fare to UHM is about $25.00, except baggage charges and a tip of 10 to 15 percent.
Public bus: Luggage is allowed on city buses. Bus stops are on the second floor of the airport. A one-way fare is $2.00 (in exact change).
小題1:The University of Hawaii lies _______.

A．outside green Manoa valley	B．in the business area of Honolulu
C．outside the center of Honolulu	D．outside the city of Honolulu

小題2:You will meet with a University Representative if you go there _________.

A．a(chǎn)t 9:00 in the morning on Mondays	B．a(chǎn)t 10:00 in the morning on Tuesdays
C．a(chǎn)t 2:00 in the afternoon on Wednesday	D．a(chǎn)t 3:00 in the afternoon on Thursday

小題3:According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．A one-way public bus fare is 2 pounds.	B．Taxi fare to UHM is less than $ 25.00.
C．Bus stops are on the first floor of the airport.
D．UHM is about 9 miles from Honolulu International Airport.

小題4:The author writes the passage so that readers can ____.

A．know about the beauty of the campus	B．know about the learning programs
C．know more about the university	D．visit the campus as easily as possible

Popeye the Sailor first became a popular cartoon in the 1930s.The sailor in that cartoon ate lots of spinach to make him strong. People watched him, and they began to buy and eat a lot more spinach. Popeye helped sell 33 percent more spinach than before! Spinach became a necessary part of many people’s diets. Even some children who hated the taste began to eat the vegetable.
Many people thought that the iron in spinach made Popeye strong, but this is not true. Spinach does not have any more iron than any other green vegetable.
People only thought spinach had a lot of iron because the people who studied the food made a mistake. In the 1890s, a group of people studied what was inside vegetables. This group said that spinach had ten times more iron than it did. The group wrote the number wrong, and everyone accepted it.
Today, we know that the little iron there is in spinach cannot make a difference in how strong a person is. However, spinach does have something else which the body needs—folic acid.
It is interesting to point out that folic acid can help make a person strong. Maybe it was really the folic acid that made Popeye strong all along.   
小題1: Why did many people eat spinach after they saw Popeye the Sailor?

A．They thought spinach made them strong.	B．They thought Popeye was funny.
C．Spinach had a lot of iron.	D．People liked folic acid.

小題2: A research group told people that spinach____.

A．made Popeye strong

B．was a green vegetable

C．had less iron than other green vegetables

D．had more iron than other green vegetables

小題3:The reading passage says that perhaps Popeye got his strength from____.

A．iron

B．folic acid

C．spinach

D．exercise

小題4:Folic acid is ____.

A．something in food

B．a(chǎn) vegetable

C．dangerous

D．a(chǎn) certain kind of spinach

Britain’s symbolic red phone boxes have become out of date in the age of the mobile, but villages across the country are stepping in to save them, with creative intelligence. Whether as a place to exhibit art, poetry, or even as a tiny library, hundreds of phone boxes have been given a new life by local communities determined to preserve a typical part of British life. In Waterperry, a small village near Oxford, the 120 residents have filled the phone box next to the old house with a pot of flowers, piles of gardening and cooking magazines, and stuck poems on the walls.
They took control of the phone box when telecoms operator BT said it was going to pull it down, an announcement that caused such dissatisfaction that one local woman threatened to chain herself to the box to save it. “I’d have done it, “ insisted Kendall Turner. “It would have been heartbreaking for the village. “ Local councilor Tricia Hallam, who came up with the idea for the phone box’s change, said quite a few people would have joined her, adding, “ We couldn’t let it go because it’s a British symbol.”
Only three feet by three feet wide, and standing 2.51-meter tall, the phone boxes were designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1936 for the 25^th anniversary of the reign of King George V. Painted in “Post Office red” to match the post boxes, they were once a typical image of England and the backdrop(背景) to millions of tourist photographs.
Eight years ago there were about 17,000 across Britain, but today, in a country where almost everybody has a mobile phone, 58 percent are no longer profitable and ten percent are only used once a month. “On average, maintaining them costs ￡800 a year per phone box-about ￡44 million annually,” said John Lumb, general manager for BT Payphones.
小題1:Some red phone boxes in Britain have been used for ____.
a. selling flowers    b. cooking   c. reading  d. exhibiting art or poetry

A．a(chǎn), b

B．c, d

C．a(chǎn),b,c

D．b,c,d

小題2:Why do the villagers want to keep the red phone boxes?

A．Because millions of people visit Britain to see the red phone boxes.

B．Because the local people could earn a lot of money from the red phone boxes.

C．Because the red phone boxes have already become a symbol of Britain.

D．Because the red phone boxes may be useful for some people in emergency.

小題3:What is the color of the British post boxes according to the passage?

A．Green

B．Red

C．Black

D．Yellow

小題4:What is John Lumb’s attitude towards pulling down the red phone boxes?

A．supportive

B．Opposed

C．Neutral

D．Indifferent.

America, has always had people of many different nationalities and languages. The 1990 census (人口普查) indicates that almost 14% of Americans speak a non-English language at home. Yet only 3% reported that they spoke English “not well” or “not at all ”. That means that slightly more than one out of 10 Americans could be considered bilingual. Besides that, many high school and college students---and even some elementary school students---are required to take a foreign language. Actually, a growing number of Americans are coming to appreciate the benefits of using different languages.
Ethnic enclaves (少數(shù)民族聚居地) have preserved the language and culture of American immigrants. Some local residents can function quite well in their native language, without having to bother learning English. Regions such as southern Florida and the Southwest have numerous Spanish-speaking neighborhoods. In fact, Spanish speakers---numbering over 17 million---form the largest non-English linguistic group in America. But Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, Polish and many other ethnic group add to the linguistic flavor of America. Foreign languages are so commonly used in some ethnic neighborhoods that visitors might think they are in another country!
Although some Americans welcome this linguistic and cultural diversity, others have begun to fear that the English language is being threatened. Since the 1980s, the “English Only ” movement has sought to promote legislation (立法) which would establish English as the “official language” and restrict the use of non-English language. However, some groups, including TESOL, the organization for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other language, object to such “l(fā)anguage restrictionism”. But so far, 19 states have passed “English Only” legislation, and the topic is the focus of an ongoing debate.
Whether or not English is the official language of the United States, it remains the “l(fā)anguage of wider communication”. Nearly everyone recognizes the need to develop the ability in using English in order to do well in America. American also recognize that English is the international language, and people with good English skills can get by in many international settings. On the other hand, in a world growing increasingly smaller, second language skills can be a great favor. They can build cross-cultural bridges and give people an edge in a variety of career field. Indeed, lack of foreign language skill can limit one’s chances for advancement and keep one in a cultural dead-end street. 
小題1: Ethnic groups have preserved their native languages because ______.

A．their native languages are commonly used in their neighborhoods

B．ethnic groups are not allowed to speak English

C．ethnic groups can do very well in their native languages

D．ethnic groups don’t allow their natives to learn English

小題2:The underlined word “bilingual” in paragraph 1 probably means ______.

A．being able to speak two languages	B．being able to speak one language
C．being able to speak different languages	D．being able to speak many foreign languages

小題3:Which of the following is TRUE about “English Only” movement?

A．Its purpose was to establish a legislation of restricting the use of English.

B．TESOL was in favor of “English Only ” by objecting to “English plus”.

C．It was launched because English was being threatened.

D．A large majority of American states support the movement.

小題4:What can be the best title of this passage?

A．The English Only Movement	B．Learn to speak English
C．English---an International Language	D．Being Bilingual