You may know the English letters A, B and C. But do you know there are people called ABC? You may like eating bananas. But did you know there is such a thing as a “banana person”? How strange! Are these people from “another earth” ? No. They are just Chinese people like you and me.
ABC means American-born-Chinese. An ABC is a Chinese, but was born in the United States. Sometimes, people call an ABC a “banana person”. A banana is yellow outside and white inside. So, when a person is a banana, he or she is white inside---hinting like a Westerner(西方人) and yellow outside --- looking like a Chinese.
Do you know why? Usually, ABCs know little about China or the Chinese language. Some of them don’t speak Chinese. Also, they are not interested in Chinese politics(政治),But if ABCs can’t speak Chinese, can we still call them Chinese people? Yes, of course. They are Chinese. They are overseas(海外的) Chinese. These people may be citizens(公民) of another country like the US, Canada or Singapore. But they have Chinese blood. Their parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents were from China. They all have black eyes and black hair. But they are not Chinese citizens. They are not people of the People’s Republic of China. For example, we all know the famous scientist C.N. Yang(杨振宁). He got the Nobel Prize Physics in 1957. Chinese people love him. But he is an American citizen. www.xkb1.com
【小题1】“ABC” in this passage stands for “_______”.
A. a kind of banana       B. three English letters     C. Chinese born in American
【小题2】Chinese in Westerner countries are called “banana persons” because __________
A. their bodies are white inside but yellow outside.
B. they think like Westerners but look like Chinese
C. they were born in China but go to study in America
【小题3】The underlined word “blood” may probably mean _________
A. 血统           B. 洪水             C. 身份
【小题4】C. N. Yang is mentioned here to show that _________
A. American Chinese are great    
B. Chinese people can win Nobel Prize.
C. American Chinese are not Chinese citizen.
【小题5】This passage mainly talks about________
A. overseas Chinese        B. the Nobel Prize       C. the life story of C.N. Yang

It's not just women who wear skirts. Men can wear them, too. In Scotland, men wear a kind of skirt called a kilt. The kilt is their national dress and an important part of their tradition (传统).
A kilt is a colored skirt reaching down to the knees(膝盖). It has checks (格子) on it with different colors, like red or blue. Each family in Scotland has its own colors.
How did the Scots start to wear kilts? There are many stories about it. One story is that the kilt was invented (发明) in the 1720s by an English factory owner, Thomas Rawlinson. Rawlinson had a lot of Scottish workers in his factory and he thought their clothing got in the way of their work. So he cut their long clothes into a shorter skirt.
Today, most Scotsmen see kilts as formal(正式)dresses. They usually only wear them at weddings or big dinners. There are only a few men who still wear a kilt every day. Scots also wear kilts in parades when they play their traditional musical instrument(乐器): bagpipes (风笛). The army still has kilts as the dress uniform (制服), but they no longer wear them to fight (打仗).
【小题1】 A kilt is ____.

A.

B.

C.

D.

It can be hard to meet people from another culture. 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 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（多元文化）environment will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.
【小题1】In some countries, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to ______.

阅读短文，根据其内容回答问题。
The British are known for their sense of humour. However, it is often difficult for foreigners to understand their jokes. The main point to remember is that the British often use understatement.  
Understatement means saying less than you think or feel. For example, if someone gets very wet in a shower of rain, he might say, ‘It’s a little damp (潮湿的) outside.’ Or, if someone is very impolite and shouts at another person, someone else might say, ‘She isn’t exactly friendly.’ Understatement is often used in unpleasant situation or to make another person look silly. Understatement plays an important part in British humour.
Another key to understanding British humour is that the British like to make fun of themselves as well as others. They often laugh about the silly and unpleasant things that happen to our everyday life when someone accidently falls over in the street. They also like to make jokes about people from different classes of society. They like to make jokes about their accents, the way they dress and the way they behave. What’s more, the British love to watch comedies (喜剧) about people who do not know how to behave in society. The comedies series Mr Bean is a good example of this kind of humor.
Mr Bean is the character created by British actor Rowan Atkinson in 1990. Mr Bean doesn’t talk often, and instead he uses his body movement and facial expressions to make people laugh. Perhaps what makes Mr Bean so funny is that he does things that adults in the real world cannot do. Mr Bean is popular in many countries round the world because you do not have to speak English to understand the humour. Because of this, many people have become familiar with the British sense of humour.
【小题1】Is it difficult for foreigners to understand British jokes?
【小题2】What does ‘understatement’ mean?
【小题3】What do the British love to watch comedies about?
【小题4】How does Mr Bean make people laugh?
【小题5】What are the key points for people to understand British humour?

Living in a foreign culture can be exciting, but it can also be confusing(令人迷惑的). Some Americans who taught English in other countries recently talked about their experiences.
On her first day in Micronesia(密克罗尼西亚), an island in the Pacific, Lisa thought people weren’t paying any attention to her. It was hot. She went into a store and asked, “Do you have cold drinks? ” The woman there said nothing. Lisa repeated the question. Still the woman said nothing. She later learned that the woman had answered her: She had raised her eyebrows(眉毛), which in Micronesia means “yes”.
Jane remembered an experience she had in Bulgaria(保加利亚), a country in Europe. She went to a restaurant. She asked the waiter, “Do you have cabbage today?” He nodded his head. Jane waited, but the cabbage never came. In that country, a nod means “no”.
Tom had a similar problem when he arrived in India. After explaining something in class, he asked his students if they understood. Some nod and others shake. He thought some students had not understood, so he explained again. When he asked again, they did the same thing. He soon knew that his students did understand. In India, people nod and shake their heads in different ways depending on where they come from. You have to know where a person is from to understand whether they mean “yes” or “no”.
【小题1】These Americans in the passage found that they__________ .

American schools begin in September after a long summer holiday. There're two terms in a school year. The first term is from September to January, and the second term is from February to June. Most American children begin to go to school when they're five years old. Most students are seventeen or eighteen years old when they finish high school.
High school students take only five or six subjects each term. They usually go to the same classes every day, and they have homework for every class. After class, they do a lot of interesting things.
After high school, many students go to college(大学). They usually have to pay a lot of money. So, many college students work after class to get money for their studies.
【小题1】In America, schools begin in_________ after summer holiday.

Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated (附属) islands, which consist of(由…组成)Diaoyu Dao, Huangwei Yu, Chiwei Yu, Nanxiao Dao, Beixiao Dao, Nan Yu, Bei Yu, Fei Yu and other islands, are in the northeast of China’s Taiwan Island, in the waters between 123°20’-124°40’E (东经) and 25°40’-26°00’N (北纬). They belong to the Taiwan Island. The total area of these islands is about 5.69 square kilometers.
Diaoyu Dao, in the western tip of the area, covers an area of about 3.91 square kilometers and is the largest island in the area. The highest part on the island stands 362 meters above the sea level. Huangwei Yu, which is about 27 kilometers to the northeast of Diaoyu Dao, is the second largest island in the area, with a total area of about 0.91 square kilometers and a highest height of 117 meters. Chiwei Yu, about 110 kilometers to the northeast of Diaoyu Dao, is the easternmost island in the area. It covers an area of about 0.065 square kilometers and stands 75 meters above the sea level.
Ancient ancestors (远古祖先) in China first discovered and named Diaoyu Dao through their  fishing activities on the sea. In China’s historical books, Diaoyu Dao is also called Diaoyu Yu or Diaoyu Tai. The earliest historical record of the names of Diaoyu Dao, Chiwei Yu and other places can be found in the book Voyage with a Tail Wind published in 1403. It shows that China had already discovered and named Diaoyu Dao by the 14th and 15th centuries.
These historical reports clearly show that Diaoyu Dao and Chiwei Yu belong to China. The sea waters around Diaoyu Dao is traditionally（传统）Chinese fishing ground. Chinese fishermen have been involved in fishing activities in these waters for generations(世代).
【小题1】Where is Diaoyu Dao?

CN Tower Hours
Due to(由于) construction around the CN Tower, the only access(通道) for visitors who may require help with strollers(婴儿车) or wheelchairs（轮椅）, is Bremner Blvd.
The CN Tower is open 364 days a year (closed on Christmas Day). Hours of Operation are adjusted(调整) from time to time.
Please call (416) 86-TOWER to confirm the hours for the date of your visit.
Tower Hours
Information Desk   opens at 8:30
Observation Levels
Sunday through Thursday  Friday & Saturday
LookOut  9:00am - 10:00pm   9:00am - 10:30pm
Glass Floor 9:00am - 10:00     9:00am - 10:30pm
SkyPod   9:00am - 10:00pm   9:00am - 10:30pm
Attractions
Himalamazon motion theatre ride     10:00am - 9:00pm
Film    10:00am - 9:00pm (last show 9pm)
360 Restaurant
Lunch   11:00am - 2:00pm
Sunday Lunch    10:30am - 2:00pm
Dinner (Sunday -Thursday)          4:30pm - 10:00pm
Dinner (Friday & Saturday)         4:30pm - 11:00pm
Marketplace Retail Store
Marketplace Gift Shop   Sunday through Thursday  Friday & Saturday
8:30am - 10:00pm           8:30am – 10:30pm
【小题1】What does “Bremner Blvd” refer to on this website?

The Christmas Eve meal is very important in most European countries. While other Christian families around the world celebrate this great meal with different kinds of meat, it is a tradition for Italians to eat seven different kinds of fish. Such a meal is called the “Feast of the Seven Fishes”. It’s also considered traditional that there may be nine, eleven, or even thirteen fishes for the meal. This kind of celebration is held to remember the birth of the baby Jesus.
The Feast of the Seven Fishes was held just by southern Italians as a custom at first, but today Italians all over the world hold it. Although the Feast of the Seven Fishes has been regarded as an Italian custom, no one definitely knows the meaning of it. There are lots of explanations for it. Some people believe that seven fishes are served because it took God seven days to create the world. Other explanations mention the Seven Hills of Rome.
For the Feast of the Seven Fishes, it’s not certain that which kinds of fish should be served. At the Feast of the Seven Fishes, the meal usually begins with antipasto (开胃食物) and ends with delicious desserts.
The Feast of the Seven Fishes has been a tradition since ancient times, and it will continue or even change as life changes. However, for Italians all over the world, the cultural meaning of the tradition is more important than anything else.
【小题1】 Italian families celebrate the Christmas Eve meal with different kinds of ______.