Social customs differ from country to country.Does a man walk on the leftor the right of a woman in your country?Or doesn't it matter?What about table manners?Should you use both hands when you are eating?Should you leave one in your lap,or on the table?The Americans and the British not only speak the same language but also share a large number of social customs.For example,in both America and England people shake hands when they meet each other for the first time.Also,most Englishmen will opena door for a woman or offer their seat to a woman,and so will most Americans.Promptness(迅速) is important both in England and in America.That is,if a dinner invitationis for 7 clock,the dinner guest either arrives close to that time or calls up to explain his delay.The important thing to remember about social customs is not to do anything that might make other people feel uncomfortable- especially if they are your guests.There is an old story about a man who gave a formal dinner party.Whenthe food was served,one of the guests started to eat his peas with a knife.The other guests were amusedorshocked,but the host calmly picked up his knife and began eating in the same way.It would have been bad manners to make his guest feel foolish or uncomfortable.1.If one is to be late for the dinner,heshould telephone to explain his being late.2.wouldhavefbeenbadmanmerstomakehisguesfeel folsho uncomfortable" "Bad manners means'beindimpolite3.According to the text,the best host makes his guests feel at home.4.Theauthorof this articlemay agree withthe hostwho picked up his knife and began eating in the same5.Thispassagemainyteisussomethingaboutsocalcustomsand behavior.

A.vary

B.very

C.modify

D.revise

"Culture consists of all shared products of human society" (Robertson, 1981 ). This means not only such material things as cities, organizations and schools, but also non-material things such as ideas, customs, family patterns, languages. Putting it simply, culture refers to the entire way of life of a society, "the ways of a people".

Language is a part of culture and plays a very important role in it. Some social scientists consider it the keystone of culture. Without language, the maintaining of culture would not be possible. On the other hand, language is influenced and shaped by culture, it reflects culture. In the broadest sense, language is the symbolic representation of a people, and it comprises their historical and cultural backgrounds, as well as their approach to life and their ways of living and thinking.

We should not go further into the relationship between language and culture. What needs to be stressed here is that the two interact, and that understanding of one requires understanding of the other.

Social scientists tell us that cultures differ from one another, that each culture is unique. As cultures are diverse, so languages are diverse. It is only natural then that with differences in cultures and differences in languages, difficulties often arise in communicating between cultures and across cultures. Understanding is not always easy.

Learning a foreign language well means more than merely mastering the pronunciation, gram mar, words and idioms. It means learning also to see the world . as native speakers of that language see it, learning the ways in which their language reflects the ideas, customs, and behaviors of their society, learning to understand their "language of the mind". Learning a language, in fact, is inseparable from learning its culture.

According to the first paragraph, the term "culture" refers to ______.

A．things like cities, organizations and schools

B．ideas, customs, family patterns, and languages

C．all things produced by human race

D．the total that constitute a society

o is now acceptable. Just a few years ago, it was thought to be impolite behavior. for a man to smoke in the street. No man who thought of himself as being a gentleman (2) a fool of himself by smoking when a woman was in the room.

Customs (3) from country to country, but the important thing (4) is not to do anything that might make other people feel (5), especially if they are your guests. You are expected to find a way to keep them from feeling foolish.

(1)A. uncomfortable

B. would make

C. to remember

D. what

E. vary

(2)A. uncomfortable

B. would make

C. to remember

D. what

E. vary

(3)A. uncomfortable

B. would make

C. to remember

D. what

E. vary

(4)A. uncomfortable

B. would make

C. to remember

D. what

E. vary

(5)A. uncomfortable

B. would make

C. to remember

D. what

E. vary

A.customs

B.accustom

C.custom

D.accustoms

A) is a sign of their customs

B) is an indication of their level of knowledge

C) symbolizes their social system

D) varies from culture to culture

Gifts are a fundamental element of culture and our

lives as social creature. They are also an important part of S1.______

our business relationships. There are occasions that giving S2.______

a gift surpasses spoken communication, since the message

it offers can cut through barriers of language and cultural

diversity. Presenting a simple gift to your host in a foreign S3.______

country and the chances are he or she will understand you

perfectly, even you may not understand a single word of S4.______

each other's languages. It can convey a wealth of meaning

about your appreciation of their hospitality and the importance

you place upon the relationship. Combine the act of

giving with some knowledge of and sensitivity in the culture S5.______

of the recipient and you have an unvaluable chance to earn S6.______

respect and lay the foundations of a durable and mutually

beneficial business relationship. For all countries, take account

of climate, especially in regard to clothing. Some

gifts can be mined by extremely hot or humid climates,

possibly causing its receiver considerable anguish. Consider S7.______

the kinds of products that are abundant in the country concerning S8.______

and try for something that is uncommon there.

Think about the level of language skills: a book with

hundreds of pages of English text may be at best useful, at S9.______

worst embarrassing, to a person with limited English. Inform

yourself as much as possible with local customs, rules S10.______

and etiquette.

【S1】

when the traveling conditions are good. Good traveling conditions (11) a comfortable mode of transportation，knowledge of the country's language，familiarity (12) the customs and habits of the people in the country，and pleasant traveling companions. All of US have had nice trips (13) this.

Most of us have also had trips that we would (14) to forget. Many conditions Can produce a bad traveling experience. For example，if the four conditions listed above do not exist，we will probably have a bad experience， (15) at best a difficult (16) . Students who travel to a foreign country to study often have a difficult trip. They usually travel alone. They don't know the language of the new country (17) . They often arrive in the new country (18) a huge international airport. From the airport，they need to find their way to their school. Maybe they need to change airplanes，to take a bus，a train，or a taxi. They need to do all this in a country (19) everything is unfamiliar. Later，after the experiences are over，they Can laugh. But at the (20) ，they feel terrible.

A. include

B. conclude

C. hold

D. contain

ardship, and where most female names are still formed using a word for child, a woman's independence has always come at a steep price.

Notions of women's liberation have never taken root among Japanese women. But with scant open conflict, the push for separate burials is quietly becoming one of the country's fastest growing social trends. In a recent survey by the TBS television network, 20 percent of the women who responded said they hoped to be buried separately from their husbands.

The funerary revolt comes as women here annoy at Japan's slow pace in providing greater equality between the sexes. The law, for example, still makes it almost impossible for a woman to use her maiden name after marriage. Divorce rates are low by Western standards, meanwhile, because achieving financial independence, or even obtaining a credit card in one's own name, are insurmountable hurdles for many divorced women. Until recently, society enforced restrictions on women even in death. Under Japan's complex burial customs, divorced or unmarried women were traditionally unwelcome in most graveyards, where plots are still passed down through the husband's family and descendants must provide maintenance for burial sites or lose them.

"The woman who wanted to be buried alone couldn't find a graveyard until about 10 years ago," said Haruyo Inoue, a sociologist of death and burial at Japan University. She said that graveyards that did not require descendants, in order to accommodate women, began appearing around 1990. Today, she said, that there are close to 400 of these cemeteries in Japan. That is just one sign of stirring among Japanese women, who are also pressing for the first time to change the law to be able to use their maiden names after marriage.

Although credit goes beyond any individual, many women cite Junko Mastubara, a popular writer on women's issues, with igniting the trend to separate sex burials. Starting three years ago, Ms. Matsubara has built an association of nearly 600 women--some divorced, some unhappily married, and some determinedly single who plan to share a common plot curbed out of an ordinary cemetery in the western suburb of Chofu.

From the fact that divorce can mean a life of hardship for Japanese women, we can infer that ______.

A．many Japanese women have a bad relationship with their husbands

B．many Japanese women live together with their husband in perfect harmony

C．many Japanese women have a low social status

D．it's an out-dated custom for Japanese women to be housewives

The Basics of Import and Export

Importing and exporting is transferring goods from one country to another while paying attention to the laws and requirements of bringing goods out or into that country. If you want to import in large quantities for commercial purposes, you’ll need to have the consent of the local customs department and the right paperwork. Import and export are the basics of international trade. If you are looking forward to starting your own business in the field of importing and exporting business then here are some tips for starters.

Foreign embassies provide nice programs and a great deal of information about their goods to promote exporting. You can find out exactly what it is you are looking to buy. If you are exporting, you can approach your local department of trade and see what plans they have on offer to promote exports. Besides, you should consult the tax department to find out if there is a particular process to setting up an importing and exporting company and what documentation you will require. It is also necessary that you find out about any licensing requirements for importing and exporting of goods. Some countries do not allow their goods to go to a certain country and vice versa, this is known as an embargo. In this way, you can make sure that there are no embargoes with the country you are looking to trade with.

1. International trade refers to both import and export.

2. Only after the local customs department agrees, could you start your own business in the field of import and export.

3. Foreign embassies do nothing to help promote exporting.

4. If you are exporting, you can turn to no one for help.

5. Some countries do not allow their goods to go to a certain country.

Time Pattern in America

A．Susan Anthony has an eight-to-five job with two 15-minute coffee breaks， a one-hour lunch break， scheduled appointments and weekly deadlines. Every time she enters and leaves her office building she "punches" the clock. Although she is not aware of it， her workday is strongly influenced by her culture"s attitudes toward time.

B．When travellers lack an awareness of how time is regulated in a foreign country， they can expect to feel somewhat confused. Since most people take time for granted， the effects of values， customs， and social manners on the use of time are seldom examined. A culture that values achievement and progress will discourage people from "wasting" time. Highly efficient business people from these cultures may feel frustrated in a country where work proceeds at a low pace. In religious societies， customs specify times of the day， week， or year for prayer and religious celebrations. If an individual tries to make an appointment during a sacred holiday， he or she could unknowingly offend a religious person. Social manners determine appropriate times for visits， meetings， and even phone calls. Arriving two hours late for an appointment may be acceptable in one culture， whereas in another， keeping someone waiting fifteen minutes may be considered rude.

C．Promptness is important in American business， academic and social settings. The importance of punctuality is taught to young children in school. Slow slips and the use of bells signal to the child that punctuality and time itself are to be respected. An amusing report of a schoolchild"s experience with time appeared in a recent newspaper article: As a child， my mother used to tell me how crucial it was to be at school when the first bell rang. Preparation for my "on-time" appearance began the night before. I was directed to go to bed early so I could wake up wide-eyed at 7 a.m. with enough time to get ready. Although I usually managed to watch my share of TV cartoons， I knew that in one hour I had to get dressed， eat breakfast， brush my teeth， comb my hair， and be on my way to school or I would be violating an important rule of Mum"s， the school"s， or of the world"s. It was hard to tell which.

D．People who keep appointments are considered dependable. If people are late tojob interviews， appointments， or classes， they are often viewed as unreliable and irresponsible. In the business world， "time is money" and companies may fine their executives for slowness to business meetings. Of course， it is not always possible to be punctual. Social and business etiquette also provides rules for late arrivals. Calling on the telephone if one is going to be more than a few minutes late for scheduled appointments is considered polite and is often expected. Keeping a date or a friend waiting beyond ten to twenty minutes is considered rude. On the other hand， arriving thirty minutes late to some parties is acceptable.

E. Respecting deadlines is also important in academic and professional circles. It is expected that deadlines for class assignments or business reports will be met. Students who hand in assignments late may be surprised to find that the professor will lower their grades or even refuse to grade their work. Whether it is a question of arriving on time or of meeting a deadline， people are culturally conditioned to regulate time.

F. Time is "tangible （有行资产）": one can "gain time"， "spend time"， "waste time"， "save time"， or even "kill time"! Common questions in American English reveal this concrete quality as though time were a possession. "Do you have time？Can you make some time for this？" "How much free time do you have？" The treatment of time as a possession influences the way time is carefully divided.

G. Generally， Americans are taught to do one thing at a time and may be uncomfortable when an activity is interrupted. In businesses the careful scheduling of time and the separation of activities are common practices. Appointment calendars are printed with 15-，30-， and 60-minute time slots. A 2:30-3:00 interview may end in time for a brief break before 3:15-4:00 meeting. The idea that "there is a time and place for everything" extends to American social life. Visitors who "drop by" without prior notice may interrupt their host"s persona! time. Thus， calling friends on the telephone before visitingthem is generally preferred to visitors" "dropping by". To accommodate other people"s schedules， Americans make business plans and social engagements several days or weeks in advance.

H. Cultures tend to favour either a past， present， or future orientation with regard to time. A future orientation， including a preference for change， is characteristic of American culture. The society encourages people to look to the future rather than to the past.

Technological， social and artistic trends change rapidly and affect people"s lifestyles and the relationships. Given this inclination toward change， it is not surprising that tradition plays a limited role in the American culture. Those who try to support traditional patterns of living or thought may be seen as rigid or "old-fashioned". In a society where change is so rapid， it is not uncommon for every generation to experience a "generation gap". Sometimes parents struggle to understand the values of their children. Even religious institutions have had to adapt to contemporary needs of their followers. Folk singers in church services， women religious leaders， slang versions of the Bible， all reflect attempts made by traditional institutions to "keep up with the times".

I. High rates of change， particularly in urban areas， have contributed to a focus on the future rather than the past or present. Some Americans believe that the benefits of the future orientation are achievement and progress which enable them to have a high standard of living. Others believe that high blood pressure and stomach ulcers are the results of such a lifestyle. As individuals in a culture， we all have an intuitive （直觉的） understanding about how time is regulated. Usually we do not think about the concept of time until we interact with others who have a different time orientation. Although individuals from any two cultures may view time similarly， we often sense that in another culture， life seems to proceed either at a slower or faster pace. Knowing how time is regulated， divided and perceived can provide valuable insights into individuals and their cultures.

Tradition plays a limited role in the American culture because Americans prefer rapidchanges.

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