Americans don't like to lose wars. Of course, a lot depends on how you define just what a

()“Promises” like Why don't we get together one of these days？ , though frequently made by Americans, are no commitment.()

at they are poor. And even if a person is poor he doesn't feel really poor when he has a car.

Henry Ford was the man who first started making cars in large【22】He probably didn't know how much the car was going to【23】American culture. The car made the United States a nation on wheels. And it helped make the United States what it is today.

There are three main reasons the car【24】so popular in the United States. First of all, the country is a huge one and Americans like to move around in it. The car provides【25】comfortable and cheapest form. of all the means of transportation. With a car people can go to any place without spending a lot of money.

The second reason cars are popular is the fact that the United States has never really【26】an efficient and inexpensive form. of public transportation. Long-distance trains have never been as common in the United States as they are in other parts of the world. Nowadays there is a good system of air service【27】by planes. But it is too expensive to be used frequently.

The third reason is the most important one, though. The American spirit of independence is【28】really made cars popular. Americans don't like to wait for a bus, or a train or even a plane. They don't like to have to【29】an exact schedule. A car gives them the freedom to schedule their own time. And this is【30】that Americans want most to have.

(61)

A．the

B．an

C．a

D．not

o Americans. The language barrier is an obvious problem. However, there are other problems. Many Chinese are hesitant to speak with people that they do not know well or types of people who are outside their previous experiences. Besides, Chinese people often do not know what to talk to Americans about or how to keep the conversation moving.

If you want to get to know Americans, one important piece of advice is this: make the first move yourself. In the United States, it is common and acceptable to start conversations, even with strangers or casual acquaintances. Don' t wait around for an American to talk to you. Start a conversation yourself. Ask questions. Show that you are interested in getting to know them. Of course, not every conversation will result in a friendship, but if you don't start conversations, you will have much less chance of making friends.

If someone seems friendly but you have only exchanged greet/rigs, try starting a conversation. There are a number of possible subjects for casual conversation. Americans talk about their work if they are employed, their classes and majors if they are students, their families, their hobbies and leisure time activities, sports, cur- rent events, and the weather, among other topics. If you are talking to a stranger, you can ask, "What kind of work do you do？" or "Where do you work？" If you know that the other person is a student, you can ask, "What classes are you taking？" and "What is your major？" You should also be prepared to answer questions like these in a conversation. Also, many Americans are interested in China, so you should be able to talk about China and Chinese culture in English.

When you ask questions in a conversation, don't skip around from one topic to another. Follow up one question with a related one. You might ask an American, "Do you have any children？" If the American says, "Yes," don't follow up with a question about work. Ask another question about the children, such as how many children there are or how old they are.

Which of the following is the reason why Chinese people feel awkward talking to Americans？

A．They don't like to talk to strangers.

B．They don't know enough about some topics.

C．They often speak English with a strong accent.

D．They don't talk to them in an appropriate manner.

hat they are poor.And 37 if a person is poor he doesn’t feel really poor when he has a car.There are three main reasons the car became so 38 in the United States.First of all the country is a huge one and Americans like to move 39 in it.The car provides the most comfortable and cheapest form. of transportation.40 a car people can go any place without spending a lot of money.The second reason cars are popular is the fact that the United States never developed 41 and inexpensive form. of public transportation.Long-distance trains have never been 42 common in the United States as they are in other parts of the world.Nowadays there is a good system of air-service provided by planes.But it is 43 expensive to be used frequently.The third reason is the most important one, though.The American spirit of independence is what really made cars popular.Americans don’t like to wait 44 a bus, or a train or even a plane.They don’t like to have to follow an exact schedule.A car gives them the freedom to schedule 45 time.And this is the freedom that Americans want most to have.

36.A.role B.part C.effect D.basis

37.A.ever B.still C.evenD.quite

38.A.qualified B.increasing C.developing D.popular

39.A.around B.on C.along D.forth

40.A.Through B.Since C.WithD.As

41.A.an interested B.an affected C.an efficient D.a satisfied

42.A.quite B.very C.tooD.as

43.A.very B.so C.tooD.as

44.A.forB.on C.beside D.about

45.A.their own B.theirs own C.their D.theirs

(完型填空)Cars are an important 36 of life in the United States.Without a car most people feel that they are poor.And 37 if a person is poor he doesn’t feel really poor when he has a car.There are three main reasons the car became so 38 in the United States.First of all the country is a huge one and Americans like to move 39 in it.The car provides the most comfortable and cheapest form. of transportation.40 a car people can go any place without spending a lot of money.The second reason cars are popular is the fact that the United States never developed 41 and inexpensive form. of public transportation.Long-distance trains have never been 42 common in the United States as they are in other parts of the worl

D.Nowadays there is a good system of air-service provided by planes.But it is 43 expensive to be used frequently.The third reason is the most important one, though.The American spirit of independence is what really made cars popular.Americans don’t like to wait 44 a bus, or a train or even a plane.They don’t like to have to follow an exact schedule.A car gives them the freedom to schedule 45 time.And this is the freedom that Americans want most to have.

36.A.role

B.part

C.effect

D.basis

37.A.ever

B.still

C.even

D.quite

38.A.qualified

B.increasing

C.developing

D.popular

39.A.around

B.on

C.along

D.forth

40.A.Through

B.Since

C.With

D.As

41.A.an interested

B.an affected

C.an efficient

D.a satisfied

42.A.quite

B.very

C.too

D.as

43.A.very

B.so

C.too

D.as

44.A.for

B.on

C.beside

D.about

45.A.their own

B.theirs own

C.their

D.theirs

language of every country, or we may be misunderstood.

In the United States, people greet each other with a handshake in a formal introduction. The handshake must be firm. If the handshake is weak, it is a sign of weakness or unfriendliness. Friends may place a hand on the other’s arm or shoulder. Some people, usually women, greet a friend with a hug.

Space is important to Americans. When two people talk to each other, they usually stand about two and a half feet away and at an angle, so they are not facing each other directly. Americans get uncomfortable when a person stands too close. They will move back to have their space. If Americans touch another person by accident, they say “Pardon me” or “Excuse me”.

Americans like to look the other person in the eye when they are talking. If you don’t do so, it means you are bored, hiding something, or are not interested. But when you stare at someone, it is not polite.

Learning a culture’s body language is sometimes confusing. If you don’t know what to do, the safest thing to do is to smile.25、Suppose you are meeting a new customer from the United States, how will you greet him？（）

A． Greet him with a hug

B． Place a hand on his arm

C． Shake his hand firmly

26、Suppose you are meeting a good friend from the United States, how will you greet her？（）

A． Greet her with a hug

B． Place a hand on her arm

C． Shake her hand firmly

27、If you stand too close to Americans, they will ______.

A． face you directly

B． move back

C． stare at you

28、Which of the following statements is true according to the text？（）

A． Americans stand side by side when taking with friends

B． Americans show their respect by shaking hands weakly

C． Americans like to look the other person in the eye when talking

29、If you know nothing about a culture’s body language, you can ___.

A． hide your opinions

B． smile

C． stare at others

阅读理解：阅读下面的短文，根据文章内容从A、B、C三个选项中选出一个最佳选项。

Cars are an important part of life in the United States. Without a car most people feel that they are poor. And even if a person is poor he doesn't feel really poor when he had a car.

Henry Ford was the man who first started making cars in large numbers. He probably didn't know how much the car was going to affect American culture. The car made the United Stated a nation on wheels. And it helped make the United States what it is today.

There are three main reasons why the car becomes so popular in the United States. First of all, the country is a huge one and Americans like to move around in it. The car provides the most comfortable and cheapest form. of transportation. With a car people can go anyplace without spending a lot of money.

The second reason cars are popular is the fact that the United States never really developed an efficient and inexpensive form. of public transportation. Long-distance trains have never been as common in the country as they are in other parts of the world. Nowadays there is a good system of air-service provided by planes. But it is too expensive to be used frequently.

The third reason is the most important one, though. The American spirit of independence is what really made cars popular. Americans don't like to wait for a bus, or a train or even a plane. They don' t like to have to follow an exact schedule. A car gives them the freedom to schedule their own time. And this is the freedom that Americans want most to have.

The gas shortage has caused a big problem for Americans. But the answer will not be a bigger system of public transportation. The real solution will have to be a new kind of car, one that does not use so much gas.

1. We can learn from this passage that Americans

A.spend a lot of money traveling by car

B.travel a lot in their cars

C.seldom travel by plane

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE？

A.In the United States even the poor own cars.

B.In the United States all the poor have no cars.

C.An American will feel poor unless he has a car.

3. In the writer's opinion, cars are popular in the United States mainly because

A.Americans like to plan their own time

B.The United States does not have enough public transportation

C.Americans will not feel poor when they travel in their cars

4. “A nation on wheels” in the second paragraph means that

A.everyone in the United States owns a car

B.the United States produces most of the cars in the world

C.cars play an important part in American'life

5. The real solution to the gas shortage problem is

A. to make less cars

B. to develop a public transportation system

C. to make gas-saving cars

mine what aspects define a certain sense of humor. A nation’s wit is linked to the historical development of the country. How funny somebody finds a certain incident depends on many factors including age, personal experience, level of education and geographical location. Therefore humor is something which is not always transferable in another country.

[2] What somebody from one area may find hilarious may not be amusing at all to somebody from another location. Whether or not someone gets a joke is determined by their interpretation, filtered by the cultural context.

[3] What about when both countries speak the same mother tongue？ Does that mean that they will then share the same sense of humor, or can differences still occur？ Let’s take the example of Britain and America. Not only do Americans and Brits spell the word “humor” differently, most claim that American humor and British humor are quite different in nature. Time and time again, people say that Brits and Americans don’t “get” each other’s sense of humor. To what extent is this true, if at all？

[4] There’s a received wisdom in the U.K. that Americans don’t get irony. It is often believed to be one of the most common differences between the British and American sense of humor. This is of course not true. One of the major differences seems to be how often both countries use irony. Brits use irony on a daily basis. We use it as liberally as prepositions in every day speech. We tease our friends. We use sarcasm as a shield and a weapon. We avoid sincerity until it’s absolutely necessary. We mercilessly take the piss out of people we like or dislike basically. And ourselves. This is very important. Our brashness and swagger is laden with equal portions of self-deprecation. This is our license to hand it out.

[5] But it is not the foundation of American humor. I think Americans understand British irony (most of the time anyway!); what they don’t understand is the need to use it so frequently. When Americans use irony they tend to state that they were “only kidding”. They feel the need to make a joke more obvious than Brits do, maybe this stems from a fear of offending people.

[6] The American sense of humor is generally more slapstick than that in Britain. I think this arises from a cultural difference between the two. Their jokes are more obvious and forward, a bit like Americans themselves. British jokes, on the other hand, tend to be more subtle but with a dark or sarcastic undertone. There is usually a hidden meaning. This may stem from the fact that British culture is more reserved than American culture.

[7] Americans say, “Have a nice day” whether they mean it or not. Brits are terrified to say this. We tell ourselves it’s because we don’t want to sound insincere, but I think it might be for the opposite reason. We don’t want to celebrate anything too soon. Failure and disappointment lurk around every corner. This is due to our upbringing. Americans are brought up to believe they can be the next president of the United States. Brits are told, “It won’t happen for you.”

[8] Yet certain American comedies have gained huge success in Britain and vice versa. Therefore, although there are differences between both comic styles, there is still an appreciation and understanding of the other sense of humor. Both the British and American versions of the comedy The Office are hugely successfully on both sides of the Atlantic. Both shows have their own cultural differences, yet they portray a lifestyle. which both Americans and Brits alike can relate to. Although both nations have subtle differences in their wit, they can appreciate the other’s sense of humor.

46、According to this passage, all of the following factors influence how funny a person finds a certain incident except __________.

A.age

B.gender

C.personal experience

D.level of education

47、What is the main idea of the third paragraph？()

A.In this paragraph, the question whether Brits and Americans share the same sense of humor or not is put forward.

B.In this paragraph, the author emphasizes that Brits and Americans don’t understand each other’s sense of humor.

C.In this paragraph, the author emphasizes that American humor and British humor are quite different in nature.

D.In this paragraph, the question that to what extent American humor is different from British humor is put forward.

48、What is the topic sentence of the fourth paragraph？()

A.The first sentence.

B.The fourth sentence.

C.The fifth sentence.

D.The second sentence.

49、According to the fourth paragraph, the difference between American humor and British humor lies in the use of ___________.

A.joke

B.sarcasm

C.irony

D.metaphor

50、Why are British jokes more subtle than American jokes？()

A.Because Brits are more straightforward.

B.Because Brits are more slapstick.

C.Because Brits are more open.

D.Because British culture is more reserved than American culture.

municate with them politely.

How close do you stand when you talk to a friend？ You can stand close to people in the Middle East but don’t stand too close to North Americans! Give them more personal space.

Do you know How to touch people correctly？ Chinese girls often walk arm in arm with their friends. South Americans sometimes hold your arm when they talk to you, so you can’t move away! But in Britain many people don’t like other people to touch them at all.

Do you look at people when you talk？ In some places, it isn’t polite to look at people when you talk, but in other countries it isn’t polite to look somewhere else. In Britain and the US, people usually look at each other when they talk.

And how do you say goodbye？ That’s easy, wave(挥手) to say goodbye. But be careful! In Greece, it’s not at all polite! In fact, it’s very rude!

(1) From the passage, we should give more personal space.()

A、people in the Middle East

B、people in North America

C、people in the South America

D、people in North China

(2) The underlined word “touch” means in Chinese.()

A、触碰

B、打击

C、感动

D、震撼

(3) We can’t wave to say goodbye in .()

A、America

B、Japan

C、Britain

D、Greece

(4) How many ways are given to communicate with foreign students？()

A、Two

B、Three

C、Four

D、Five

(5) What’s the best title of this passage？()

A、Saying goodbye

B、Touching people

C、Looking at people

D、communicating politely

正确答案：1. B 2. A 3. D 4. C 5. D

44、Our new foreign students are going to arrive very soon, and here are some ways to communicate with them politely.

How close do you stand when you talk to a friend？ You can stand close to people in the Middle East but don’t stand too close to North Americans! Give them more personal space.

Do you know How to touch people correctly？ Chinese girls often walk arm in arm with their friends. South Americans sometimes hold your arm when they talk to you, so you can’t move away! But in Britain many people don’t like other people to touch them at all.

Do you look at people when you talk？ In some places, it isn’t polite to look at people when you talk, but in other countries it isn’t polite to look somewhere else. In Britain and the US, people usually look at each other when they talk.

And how do you say goodbye？ That’s easy, wave(挥手) to say goodbye. But be careful! In Greece, it’s not at all polite! In fact, it’s very rude!

(1) From the passage, we should give more personal space.()

A、people in the Middle East

B、people in North America

C、people in the South America

D、people in North China

(2) The underlined word “touch” means in Chinese.()

A、触碰

B、打击

C、感动

D、震撼

(3) We can’t wave to say goodbye in .()

A、America

B、Japan

C、Britain

D、Greece

(4) How many ways are given to communicate with foreign students？()

A、Two

B、Three

C、Four

D、Five

(5) What’s the best title of this passage？()

A、Saying goodbye

B、Touching people

C、Looking at people

D、communicating politely