A book on etiquette （礼节） explained the proper...

A book on etiquette （礼节） explained the proper behavior Americans should follow in many different social situations． But in modern society， it is not enough to simply know the proper rules for behavior in your own country． International travel for work and pleasure is becoming increasingly popular， which makes it necessary for people to understand the rules of etiquette in other cultures as well．

Take， for example， the etiquette required in giving and receiving gifts． Cultural differences may appear even in such simple processes． In Western cultures， a gift can be handed over to the receiver with relatively little ceremony． When a gift is offered，the receiver typically takes the gift while expressing his or her thanks． However， in some Asian cultures，the act of giving is an important aspect of gift-giving，and this process may appear confusing or frustrating to Westerners． In Chinese culture， a receiver will typically refuse to accept the gift at first， with the understanding between the giver and receiver that after being turned down several times， the gift will finally be accepted． In addition， to show respect for the receiver， it is customary in several Asian cultures to use two hands when offering a gift to another person．

After receiving a gift， tradition may demand that the person open the gift right away or， alternatively， wait before opening the gift． In many Western cultures， etiquette requires the receiver to open the gift immediately and show appreciation for the thoughtfulness of the giver． In Asian cultures， on the other hand， the gift may be accepted with appreciation and then set aside to be opened later． The gift will then be opened in private in order not to show their greed or impatience．

Another tip for cross-cultural gift-giving relates to wrapping presents， especially in choosing the color of paper used to wrap a gift． In Japan， for example， white or very bright colors are traditionally not good choices for wrapping a gift． In Japanese culture， white is the color associated with mourning and bright colors may be considered by some people to be vulgar （庸俗的）．Plain white and black are also to be avoided when wrapping presents in China， because of the relation of these colors to funerals （葬礼）． Joyful colors such as red， yellow， and pink are preferred in Chinese culture． In contrast， Europeans seem to prefer softer colors for wrapping presents． A good rule of thumb for wrapping gifts， especially for business travelers， is to travel with unwrapped gifts， and then wrap the gift with paper bought in the country where the gift will be given．

Finally， when choosing the appropriate gift to give， a good rule to bear in minds is the following： "Never give vodka to Russians， chocolate to Belgians， or beer to Germans．" It is better to travel with quality gifts from one's own region or culture． These increase the chances of being appreciated in other cultures because of their unique nature．

Culturally Appropriate Gift-Giving

高二英语任务型阅读中等难度题查看答案及解析

When traveling, it's important to learn about the customs and etiquette （礼节）of the global village, What we consider polite behavior at home isn't always accepted outside our borders．Don't be regarded rude or disrespectful on your travels．

Gift giving should be a happy, positive experience．When selecting a present for someone in the Netherlands, don't purchase fancy kitchen knives or scissors．Giving sharp, pointy objects as gifts is considered unlucky．Be careful when presenting flowers to a friend or business partner in Russia．Yellow blooms suggest cheat or a relationship break-up． Traditionally, red carnations are placed on the tombs of the dead．Writing cards or notes while visiting South Korea, be mindful of your pen's ink color．Writing a person's name in red ink traditionally suggests that the person has passed away－an important point to remember when giving a birthday card．

Being early or on time is viewed as being rude, too eager or even greedy in Venezuela．If you are invited over to someone's home for a meal, it's recommended that you arrive 10 to 15 minutes later than the requested time．When having a meal in Egypt, don't use the saltshaker（调味瓶）． It's insulting to your host to spread salt on your food, which means that you find the meal terrible．Japan is a very polite nation, and their fondness for etiquette extends to the mealtime use of chopsticks．According to Japanese custom, it's considered ill-mannered to point, play with, or stab（戳） food with chopsticks．If you’re in the middle of eating, use the opposite end of your chopsticks to secure food from a shared plate．Using the end that touches your mouth is extremely offensive （冒犯的）, not to mention unhygienic（不卫生的）．

1.When sending a gift to your friend in Netherlands, you should avoid　　　　　 ．

A．sharp knives　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．red carnations

C．yellow flowers　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．long chopsticks

2.In South Korea, writing a person's name in red is not accepted because　　　　　　 ．

A．red often stands for violence

B．it shows that you're not friendly

C．it means that the person is dead

D．red is not a favorite color there

3.What does the underlined word "insulting" in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Admirable．　　　　　　　　 　 B．Challenging．

C．Rude．　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．Respectful．

4.Where does this passage probably come from?

A．a news report．　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．a tourist guide．

C．a museum guide．　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．a science book．

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Ideas about polite behavior are different from one culture to another. Some societies, such as America and Australia, for example, are mobile and very open. People here change jobs and move houses quite often. As a result, they have a lot of relationships that often last only a short time, and they need to get to know people quickly. So it’s normal to have friendly conversations with people that they have just met, and you can talk about things that other cultures would regard as personal.

On the other hand, there are more crowded and less mobile societies where long-term relationships are more important. A Malaysian or Mexican business person, for example, will want to get to know you very well before he or she feels happy to start business. But when you do get to know each other, the relationship becomes much deeper than it would in a mobile society.

To Americans both Europeans and Asians seem cool and formal at first. On the other hand, as a passenger from a less mobile society puts it, it’s no fun spending several hours next to a stranger who wants to tell you all about his or her life and asks you all sorts of questions that you don’t want to answer.

Cross-cultural differences aren’t just a problem for travelers, but also for the flights that carry them. All flights want to provide the best service, but ideas about good service are different from place to place. This can be seen most clearly in the way that problems are dealt with.

Some societies have ‘universalist’ cultures. These societies strongly respect rules, and they treat every person and situation in basically the same way.

‘Particularist’ societies, on the other hand, also have rules, but they are less important than the society’s unwritten ideas about what is right or wrong for a particular situation or a particular person. So the normal rules are changed to fit the needs of the situation or the importance of the person.

This difference can cause problems. A traveler from a particularist society, India, is checking in for a flight in Germany, a country which has a universalist culture. The Indian traveler has too much luggage, but he explains that he has been away from home for a long time and the suitcases are full of presents for his family. He expects that the check-in official will understand his problem and will change the rules for him. The check-in official explains that if he was allowed to have too much luggage, it wouldn’t be fair to the other passengers. But the traveler thinks this is unfair, because the other passengers don’t have his problem.

1.Often moving from one place to another makes people like Americans and Australians ______.

A. like traveling better

B. easy to communicate with

C. difficult to make real friends

D. have a long-term relationship with their neighbors

2.People like Malaysians prefer to associate with those_______.

A. who will tell them everything of their own

B. who want to do business with them

C. they know quite well

D. who are good at talking

3.A person from a less mobile society will feel it _______ when a stranger keeps talking to him or her, and asking him or her questions.

A. boring　　 B. friendly

C. normal　　 D. rough

4.Which of the following is true about “particularist societies”?

A. There is no rule for people to obey.

B. People obey the society’s rules completely.

C. No one obeys the society’s rules though they have.

D. The society’s rules can be changed with different persons or situations.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Some people maintain that watching violence on TV is one of the major causes of _____ behavior and crime in society.

A．artificial           B．automatic         C．aggressive         D．allergic

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

In a new look at the impact of long-time sitting behavior on health， a new study links time watching television to an increased risk of death.　 One of the most surprising findings is that it isn't just couch potatoes who were affected.　 Even for people who exercised regularly， the risk of death went up the longer they were in front of the TV.　 The problem was the long periods of time spent sitting still.

Australian researchers who tracked 8，800 people for an average of six years found that those who said they watched TV for more than four hours a day were 46% more likely to die of any cause and 80% more likely to die of cardiovascular（心血管的）disease than people who reported spending less than two hours a day in front of TV.

Time spent in front of TVs and computers and video games has come under fire in studies in recent years for contributing to a spread of obesity in the US and around the world.　 But typically the resulting public-health message urges children and adults to put down the Xbox controller and remote and get on a treadmill（跑步机）or a soccer field.

The Australian study offers a different view.　 "It's not the sweaty type of exercise we're losingsays David Dunstan， a researcher at Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute？ Melbourne？ who led the study.　 "It's the incidental moving around？ standing up and using muscles.　 That doesn't happen when we are planted on a couch in front of a television.

Indeed？ participants in the study reported getting between 30 and 45 minutes of exercise a day？ on average.

The results are supported by a new field of research that shows how long periods of inactivity can affect the body's processing of fats and other substances that contribute to heart risk.　 And they suggest that people can help decrease such risk simply by avoiding extended periods of sitting.

Keeping such processes working more effectively doesn't require constant intense exercise， but consciously adding more routine movement to your life might help？ doctors say.　 "Just standing is better than sitting，" says Gerard Fletcher， a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic， Jacksonville， Fla.　 ， who works standing up at his computer.　 "When you stand up， you wander around a little bit and use muscles not required when you are sitting or lying down. "

Simple strategies for increasing activity include combining household chores such as folding laundry with TV-watching time or getting up to change a TV channel rather than using a remote control.

The report， published Tuesday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation focuses on TV watching partly because it is the main leisure-time activity in many countries？ researchers said， especially in the US.

1.One misunderstanding people might have is that___.

A.couch potatoes were affected by long-time sitting.

B.watching TV is related with increased death risk.

C.watching TV very long is a good way to kill time.

D.regular exercise can minimize the side effect of watching TV

2.What is new about the discovery of the Australian study？___

A.Remote control shouldn't be used when people watch TV.

B.People who watch TV too long should take more physical exercise.

C.Sitting too long in front of TV will lead to high risk of heart attack.

D.Long-time sitting is bad for all people including those who exercise regularly.

3.According to the study？ how can people reduce the risk of death when watching TV？___

A.By increasing simple movement.

B.By totally avoiding watching TV.

C.By taking some medicine.

D.By doing sweaty type of exercise.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

______ I explained on the phone, your request will be considered at the next meeting.

高二英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析

_______ I explained on the phone, your request will be considered at the next meeting.

A．When            B．After             C．As               D．Since

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Culture in general is concerned with beliefs and values on the basis of which people explain experiences and behaviors, individually or in groups. Generally speaking, culture refers to a group or community with which you share common experiences that shape the way you understand the world.

The same person, thus, can belong to several different cultures depending on his or her birthplace, nationality, ethnicity, family status, gender, age, language, education, physical condition, religion, profession, place of work and so on.

Culture is often at the root of communication challenges. Exploring historical experiences and the ways in which various cultural groups have related to each other is important in opening channels for cross-cultural communication. Becoming more aware of cultural differences, as well as exploring cultural similarities, can help you communicate with others more effectively. Next time you find yourself in a confusing situation, ask yourself how culture may be shaping your own reactions, and try to see the world from the others’ point of view.

写作内容:

1. 用约30个单词写出上文概要;

2. 用约120个单词发表你的观点,内容包括:

1) 你如何看待文化多样性(cultural diversity) ?

2) 我们应该如何解决文化差异方面的问题 ?

写作要求：

1.在作文中可以使用亲身经历或虚构的故事，也可以参阅材料的内容，但不能直接引用文中原句。

2.不必写标题。

3.不能出现真实姓名和班级。

高二英语书面表达中等难度题查看答案及解析

The girl acted properly and confidently during the job interview, which made a deep________on the employer.

A．impression        B．expression         C．permission        D．admission

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

The girl acted properly and confidently during the job interview, which made a deep________on the employer.

A．impression        B．expression         C．permission        D．admission

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析