It can’t be true that when in Rome do as the Romans do. So here’s some necessary information for you on what you can talk with the local people in France, Australia and Switzerland, and different customs of these countries.

In France

You’ll find that conversations often turn into heated debates. Give opinions on subjects that you are knowledgeable about. There is rarely a moment of silence, except when the topic under discussion has been exhausting, and nothing new has been introduced.

Food, art ,music and current events or history are welcome topics. The French believe in freedom. You can criticize anyone, but not Napoleon, who is a symbol of French spirit, and never use the standard U.S. opening remark “ What do you do?”

 In Australia

Australians tend to be enthusiastic debaters. A wide range of topics may be open to discussion, including religion and politics. The best policy, however, is to wait for Australian companions to bring up subjects: be prepared to hear their arguments.

Sport is a common topic of conversation in Australian and Australians tend to use sporting comparison. Australian like to criticize themselves, but they can’t stand criticism from others.

Don’t talk big. Australians prefer to judge your competence and abilities through your actions. People who show off their education in conversation may be subject to tease.

In Switzerland

The Swiss may seem cold. Once you get close to them, however , you’ll find that they are honest and responsible people, who will be loyal to your interests.

They are good listeners and will remember practically everything you say to them. Sometimes they will even go so far as to take notes while you speak. The Swiss are very private people, so you should avoid asking personal questions. They can be rather serious, so it is advisable to avoid making jokes on them.

1.According to the passage, when talking you are advised_______.

A. to discuss the heated issue with the French

B. not to use sporting comparison with Australians

C. to have the Australians start a subject

D. not to ask people of the three countries personal questions

2.We can learn from the passage that___________.

A. Australians may not show off their education before others

B. Australians like to criticize other people

C. you can express your ideas for everything you know little about to the French

D. you can criticize anyone in France because you have freedom

3.What is the theme of the passage?

A. How to adapt to the life abroad.   

B. What to argue about with foreigners.

C. How to find better topics.     

D. What to talk about with foreigners.

4.Following the passage, the author would most probably tell us_____

A. effective communication with foreigners

B. customs of the three countries

C. his or her own experiences 

D. how to be a good listener

 

Beat the Burglar

Don’t invite crime---take basic, sensible precautions. Your house and possession are valuable and must be properly protected. When you buy a lock, you buy time. The best prevention is delay and noise which could mean discovery. 

When you leave it---lock it!

First of all, fit security locks to all doors and windows and a safety chain on the front door. Secondly, use them!

If you have any ladders or tools, don’t leave them lying about in the garden, lock them away.

“Safe” or “secret” places for keys and valuables are not reliable --- nine times out of ten, they are the first place a thief will look.                                         When you move house…

When you move into a new home even if it is fitted with security locks, change them. You don’t know who else may have keys.

Never let strangers into your house. An official-looking cap is not enough, ask for proof of identity and look at it carefully --- if you are still not satisfied, don’t let the person in.

Valuables need special protection

Valuables should really be given special protection --- preferably by leaving them with your bank. A small security safe works too, but not to the most determined burglar. It is also important to keep an up-to-date list of valuables and their descriptions. In the case of fine art, paintings, or jewelry, color photographs can sometimes be of assistance to the police if you are unfortunate enough to have them stolen. Enter the details on the back of the pictures. But don’t keep such documents in your house, keep them at the bank or with your insurance company.                                 Going on holiday?

Don’t talk about your holidays and future plans loudly in public. Do remember to cancel the milk and newspapers and also to draw curtains back.

Operate a “Good Neighbor” program to ensure that mail is taken in, the house is checked regularly and that lights are put on.

Call at your local police station and tell them you are going away. Make sure that they know how to contact you in case of trouble.

Don’t leave cash or valuables in the house --- take them with you or put them in the bank.

1.When moving into a new house, you are supposed to __________.

A．buy a safe                             B．change the locks

C．visit your neighbors                      D．stay away from strangers

2.Which is the safest way to protect your valuables?

A．Taking pictures of your valuables.

B．Putting your valuables in your safe.

C．Keeping your valuables at the bank.

D．Giving a list of your valuables to the police.

3.When you are away for holidays, you __________.

A．should cancel your mail

B．shouldn’t leave your keys to your neighbors

C．shouldn’t make it known that your home is empty

D．should ask the police to check your house regularly

4.What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To inform people of safety standards.

B．To introduce the advantages of banks.

C．To prove the importance of security locks.

D．To educate people on prevention of burglars.

 

  

    I was bleeding now. My ears were red, my nose was broken, and the pain of failure was beginning. I had lost. It was over. The match was stopped. The world seemed to stand still for a moment as I looked at who had beaten me. “I’ve lost,” I said in m mind. “The last chance to win and I had lost.” It was the final round of wrestling. It was my last year at camp and I wanted to have an undefeated season. But now, I had lost in the tournament（锦标赛）.

    My coach came over to help me up. He saw that my nose was broken and realized that the match had to be stopped. He helped me up and I got small applause from my teammates. People on the other team just stared. Coach walked me over to the locker room to work on my nose.

    “I’ll stop the bleeding,” Coach Matt said. His voice was cold and empty. He had expected me to win—he knew I could have won—but now he saw it was over. I had lost.

    “Hey, Steve. You did good, man, He, well, he just…” my friend Paul couldn’t find what to say.

    “Forget it, man.” I said, my nose still bleeding.

    “Don’t talk or it won’t stop bleeding. Just relax and breath through your mouth.” Coach Matt’s voice was still cold, but warming slowly. He was like a father to me. He had been there through all my years of wrestling, all my wins and losess , all my hopes and dreams—and now he was there, fixing my smashed nose.

    “This must have happened during that last throw. You fell too much on your face. You should’ve turned and tried to escape. You gotta think more.” Coach Matt began, his voice now warm like an old friend trying to give good advice.

    “I wanted this so badly.” I said.

    “Maybe we can get another contest because of the nose. You can still go undefeated! You can still do it…” Paul continued.

    No, I lost. Nothing was left for me to do this year. This was supposed to be the year—no loses.” I said, cutting him off before he finished.

    “Steve, you did your best. Come on. Let’s go and get your medal,” Coach said. He looked at me right in the eyes. “You gave it your all. You deserved that trophy(战利品), not the silver medal. You deserve it, but he is getting it. You really won and the whole team is proud.”

    I walked up to get my medal, my head held high. I shook the hands of the judges and my opponent, took m medal and saw that, in the eyes of everyone, I had really won. No matter what trophy or medal my opponent took home, no matter what. He may have had my trophy, but he could never have my will.

    1. The word “applause” in the second paragraph means _____.

    A. cheers and hand—clapping                                   B. shouts and crying

    C. screaming and laughing                                      D. noises and whistling

    2. “You gave it your all.” means that _____.

    A. you tried to win but you failed                    B. you have done your best to do it

    C. you never gave up doing it                         D. you succeeded in everything

    3. The hero lost his match. Both his coach and friends thought that _____.

    A. he really showed his strength in it

    B. he shouldn’t be encouraged and thought highly of

    C. he could not match his opponent

    D. he had lost heart at the end of the competition

4. According to the hero, at the end of the passage, we can suppose that____.

    A. he had made up his mind to win all the matches the next season

    B. he looked down upon his opponent and though nothing of it

    C. he had strong will to become the best wrestler in the world

    D. he wanted to end his career as a professional wrestler

What makes a house a home? A home is a place of companionship with people in it who love each other, who are harmonious (和谐的) and closer with one another than with those in the workplace or with classmates at school. A home is a place that’s so magnetic that it’s difficult to leave. In a home there is love, sharing and appreciation, and the members help one another.

I have seen families on the street. But if they live, sleep, talk, and eat together, they are a family, even if they are poorly off. You don’t need a roof to make a home. The truly homeless are some of the rich people who build multi-million-dollar houses and are too busy to really live in them. The truly homeless are those who have turned their home into a hotel lobby. The parents work and the children misbehave. They don’t talk and eat together every day. They rarely see each other. The truly homeless people are those with babysitters, caretakers, gardeners and maids. However, people are unaware of this, as they are too busy making money outside the home that they don’t live in. This is another way of looking at the rich and the homeless. Who is to be pitied?

Control of the computer and the Internet is also important to make a house into a home. If the computer is on all the time, the house turns into an office, even if everyone is at home. Many homes these days are just offices. Human communication has stopped. The computer eats up all the time that one should be giving to others within the home. Using the computer moderately gives us time for play and communication, not with a screen, but with other people.

Which of the following may serve as the best title for this passage?

       A. How to make a house a home? B. What makes a house a home?

       C. Who are truly homeless?   D. What is a home for?

The purpose of the first paragraph is to tell us ____ .

       A. that where there is home there is love  B. how to have a happy home

       C. what people think a home is     D. the author’s concept of home

The underlined word “those” refers to ____ .

       A. people who build multi-million-dollar houses

       B. people who don’t spend time with the family

       C. people who have lost their family members

       D. homeless families living on the street in America

Which of the following is FALSE according to the passage?

       A. Computers and the Internet are important for a happy home.

       B. A home is a place where you are willing to stay.

       C. Sometimes it’s the rich that should be pitied.

       D. Even the poorest people can have a happy home.

According to the passage, which is NOT mentioned as an element (要素) of a home?

       A. Communication.      B. Appreciation.     C. Kindness.    D. Companionship.

Questionnaire(调查表，问卷)
　Read the questions and answer YES or NO, then you will find out how good you are.
1. When you don 't understand something, you ask questions.                □
2. You like listening to older people talk about the past.                         □
3. You think that you can learn something interesting from everyone around you. □
4. You are brave enough when you have to talk to people you don't know.        □
5. You enjoy reading books about famous people.                            □
6. You always see and talk to different people.                                □
7. You are interested in learning new ways of doing things.                    □
8. You enjoy sharing experiences with friends and learning from people of all ages. □
9.You talk a lot about yourself.                                               □
10. Even if you are often wrong, you make your own decisions.                  □
11.You hate teaching what you are good at: sports, technology, whatever.           □
12.Your parents don't understand you, so you don't talk to them much.          □
　SCORE(打分数) NOW!
Score 2 points if you answer YES to each of the first 8 questions, and 0 if you choose NO.
Score 2 points if you answer NO to each of the last 4 questions, and 0 if you choose YES.
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18—24 You are friendly and open-minded. You make people feel important by listening to what they have to say. You'll probably succeed in learning al1 kinds of interesting things. Good for you!
10--16 Remember that every single person you know can teach you something. You will greatly make your life rich and colorful.
0- 8  About 400 years ago, a famous writer wrote, "No man is an island. "This is still useful today. Try to be more open and interested in people around you.
【小题1】If you say "YES" to all these questions , you'll get ____ points.

A．12

B．16

C．20

D．24

【小题2】When you score 22 points, you are _____.

A．shy and nervous	B．silent and serious
C．open and friendly	D．brave and strong

【小题3】"No man is an island." in the text probably means that _____.

A．the famous writer was very clever

B．everything is the same as 400 years ago

C．you will feel happy if on an island

D．you can not live alone in the world