It can be hard to meet people from another culture. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal (信號(hào)). Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.
Different cultures emphasize（強(qiáng)調(diào)）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 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 just looked at me all the time 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 not needed.

Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share almost the same 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.
【小題1】 In some countries, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to     .

A．develop closer relationship B．share the same culture
C．get to know each other D．make a successful speech
【小題2】The writer mentions his journey in Thailand to show that     .
A．too many words are of no use
B．the English prefer to make long speeches
C．even talk and silence can be culturally different
D．people from Thailand are quiet and shy
【小題3】What would be the best title for the passage?
A．Multicultural Environment B．Cross-Cultural Differences
C．How to Understand Each Other D．How to Build Up a Relationship

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科目：初中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

We were doing the best to control the fire of the burning garage. Outside, I heard the sounds of cats crying. I couldn’t stop- I would have to look for the cats after the fire was put out.
It took a long time to finally bring the big fire under control. No one inside was hurt. At that point I was free to find out where the cat noises were from. There was still a lot of smoke and heat coming from the building. I followed the meowing to the sidewalk in front of the garage. There, crying and huddled together, were five frightened kittens . They must have been inside the building, as their fur was badly hurt.
I wanted to find the mother cat. It was obviously that she had gone into the burning garage and carried out all her babies, one by one----unbelievable.
We finally found her. Her paws and face were blackened, and her fur was burned all over. You could even see her reddened skin under the burned fur. She could hardly move. I picked her up, and she relaxed in my arms as much as her pain would allow. I was determined to save this brave little cat and her family.
The veterinarian told me they would watch the kittens and their mother for the night, but they weren’t confident about the about the mother’s chances.
About a week later, I found out she was going to live. We named her Scarlet because of her reddened skin.
I was happy to see Scarlet get together with the kittens again. She touched each of them, nose to nose. She had risked her life five times-and it had paid off. All of her babies had survived.
As a firefighter, I see heroic acts every day. But what Scarlet showed me that day was the kind of bravery that can only come from a mother’s love.
【小題1】Which f the following is TRUE according to the story?

A．The writer went to look for the cats as soon as he heard them crying
B．The firefighters put out the fire quickly and no one was hurt.
C．The writer didn’t find the cats until the smoke and heat were gone.
D．The mother cat moved all her babes out of the fire to a safe place.
【小題2】Why was the writer determined to save the cats?
A．Because he was amazed at the mother cat’s courage.
B．Because the cats attracted many people’s attention.
C．Because he didn’t want to see any living things die .
D．Because it had taken him much time and effort to save them.
【小題3】The writer talks about the cat’s story to show that____.
A．a(chǎn)nimals should be taken good care of.
B．mother’s love can be great and brave.
C．it is meaningful to help others .
D．a(chǎn) cat always has nine lives.

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科目：初中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

People live in different kinds of houses in the world. Usually, each house has its own living rooms, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. Different houses have different names. What are they? Now, let’s take a look.
A flat is usually in a building. There are usually many families living in the same flat building. People in a flat building share the same stairs and lift to go up and down.
A townhouse has two floors. In a townhouse, the kitchen, the living room and dining room are usually on the ground floor, and the bedrooms are usually on the first floor.
A farmhouse is a house on a farm. There are many farmers living there. There is a large yard in front of it. There are also some “houses” for cows and hens near the farmhouse. The field is not far from the farmhouse, so farmers always go to the field on foot.
A dormitory is a large bedroom in a school, and every 4—8 students share one dormitory. They share the same bathroom, but each student has his or her own bed. Students can learn how to get along well with each other in a dormitory.
【小題1】 How does a person get into his or her flat on the second floor?

A．He or she climbs a ladder to get into it.
B．He or she uses a lift to get into it.
C．He or she climbs a rope (繩) to get into it.
D．He or she uses a plane to get into it.
【小題2】What do people call a two-floor house?
A．A flat. B．A townhouse.
C．A farmhouse. D．A dormitory.
【小題3】Farmers living in farmhouses usually go to the field______.
A．by bike B．by bus
C．by car D．on foot
【小題4】Paul and Stephen live in a dormitory, so it’s good for them to learn ______ there.
A．how to make money B．how to speak English
C．how to get along with others D．how to sing a song
【小題5】 The writer tells us ______ kinds of houses.
A．four B．five
C．six D．seven

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科目：初中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

One Sunday afternoon, I went shopping at Wal-Mart . But I never thought I would have a life ­changing experience at WalMart.
Although my thoughts were only on speed, the checkout line I was standing in wasn’t moving as quickly as I wanted, and I looked towards the cashier.
There stood a man in his seventies, wearing glasses and a nice smile. I thought, well, he’s an old guy!
For the next few minutes I watched him. He greeted every customer before scanning the items. Sure, his words were the usual, “How’s it going？” But he did something different—he listened to people carefully and then he would reply to what they had said
I thought it was strange. I has grown used to people asking me how I was doing simply out of conversational habit. I could say, “I just found out I have six months to live，” and someone would reply, “Have a great day！”
But that wasn't the end.
He gave them the change, walked around the counter (柜臺(tái)), and hugged them with his right hand in an act of friendship. He looked at the customers in the eyes. “I want to thank you for shopping here today,” he told them. “You have a great day. Bye-bye.”
The smiling looks on the faces of the customers were priceless. All had been touched by his simple gesture—and in a place they never expected. They would gather their things and walk out, smiling.
Of course, he did the same to me and I got to know his name—Marty.
Who was that guy? It was as if Sam Walton (沃爾瑪?shù)膭?chuàng)始人)had come back from the dead and invaded this old guy’s body.
I had never walked away from that shop feeling like that.

【小題1】The underlined word “customer” mean________ in Chinese.

A．營(yíng)業(yè)員 B．顧客 C．經(jīng)理 D．供貨商
【小題2】The checkout line the writer was standing in moved slower than expected because _______．
A．there were some big purchases
B．the writer was not patient enough
C．the cashier couldn't work as fast as others
D．the cashier did more than scanning the items
【小題3】According to the writer, when common people ask you “How’s it going？” ________．
A．they don’t really care what you may answer
B．they are just practicing their conversation ability
C．they are asking for your personal information
D．they don’t expect to hear any answers
【小題4】What do you think of the cashier-Marty?
A．clever and imaginative B．strange andstubborn
C．kind and sincere D．practical and creative
【小題5】What does the writer want to express through the text?
A．Our everyday life is always full of surprises.
B．Most customers enjoy being treated this way.
C．Being different is a good way of doing business
D．A little positive (積極的)action can make a big difference.

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科目：初中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

In the 1920s and 30s the airlines were just beginning. It was unusual for people to travel by air because it was expensive and dangerous. In those days, there were no flight attendants to look after the passengers. Young men, or "stewards" helped the passengers onto the airplane and carried the passengers' luggage (行李) but they did not provide food and drinks. But then in 1930, a woman called Ellen Church invented the "stewardess".
Ellen Church was born in 1904 on a farm in Iowa. She was a different child. She didn't want to work on a farm or marry a farmer—she wanted a more adventurous (冒險(xiǎn)的) life. Ellen studied to be a nurse at the University of Minnesota and then got a job in a hospital. For the next few years she stayed at the hospital but also took flying lessons and got her pilot's license.
Ellen was twenty-five years old when she first got in touch with Boeing Air Transport. She loved flying but she understood that airlines were a man's world. Although women like Emelia Earheart were becoming famous, she realized it was impossible for a woman to have a career as a pilot. But she had another idea. Most people were frightened of flying because flying was still an unreliable (不可靠的) way to travel. There were often delays (延誤), many crashes and the bad weathers made many passengers sick. Ellen thought nurses could take care of passengers during flights and B.A.T. Agreed.
The young woman from Iowa and seven other nurses became the first air stewardesses.
At first pilots were unhappy because they did not want stewardesses on airplanes, but passengers loved the stewardesses. In 1940 there were around 1000 of them working for different airlines. The early "stewardesses" had to be under twenty-five-year old, single and slim. When a woman joined an airline, she had to promise not to get married or have children. It was hard job and not well paid. They worked long hours and earned $1 an hour.
In the 1970s, stewardesses were unhappy in their job and airlines had to make some changes. Since the 1970s, "stewardesses" have been called flight attendants. They are well paid and work fewer hours than in the past.
【小題1】The last sentence of the first paragraph suggests that _________.

A．the word "stewardess" was made up by Ellen Church
B．Ellen Church was the first woman who flew a plane
C．Ellen Church was the first woman who worked on a plane
D．Ellen Church was the first woman passenger on a plane
【小題2】From the second paragraph, we learn that ________.
A．Ellen did not behave in the same way as most as other girls
B．Ellen's family was not rich enough to support her education
C．Ellen was fond of working as a nurse in the hospital
D．Ellen has an unhappy childhood that changed her completely
【小題3】The main reason for Boeing Air Transport offering Ellen the job was ________.
A．her flying experience B．her university education
C．her nursing experience D．her life attitudes
【小題4】According to the passage, in the 1940s a woman had to ________ if she wanted to be a stewardess.
A．be a nurse B．be married
C．be a mother D．be young
【小題5】The passage mainly talks about _______.
A．the background of early flying pilots
B．the experience of flying passengers
C．the history of early flight attendants
D．the development of airplanes

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科目：初中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解





【小題1】Sally Smith sent the postcard from ___________.

A．Barcelona, SpainB．Boston, USA
C．Mexico City, MexicoD．Bangkok, Thailand
【小題2】Bill will probably be back in____________.
A．a(chǎn) dayB．a(chǎn) week
C．two weeksD．a(chǎn) month
【小題3】Which of the following is mentioned in the three postcards?
A．Barcelona is a big city.B．Mexico city is very hot.
C．Bangkok is a very old city.D．Mexico City is small but beautiful.

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科目：初中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

From the world’s heaviest apple, the oldest lady to the world’s smallest dog, these are all parts of a group of the world’s strangest people and things. And they are all in the Guinness Book of Records(《吉尼斯記錄》).
The book is going to celebrate its birthday this August. It began exactly half a century ago. And it’s always one of the best selling books in the world.
People now can break over 1000 records every week! Why do so many people want to break the records? Do they want their names in the book or meet more people around the world? “It gives people a chance to show they’re the best in the world.” said one of the record keepers Stewart Newport.
The book was started by Hugh Beaver from Britain. In 1951, he went shooting birds and talked with his friends about the fastest bird in Europe. Three years later, they were still talking about it. So Beaver believed that people must have different ideas. So, he decided to start a book to record the world’s truly greatest people and things in it!
The newest book came out last Tuesday. This book has a lot of interesting records. Here are two:
☆ A British dog, Whitney, is the world’s smallest dog. It’s only 76mm tall.
☆ An American woman Lee Redmond has the longest fingernails(指甲).They grew as long as 600 mm! She made the record in 1971.
【小題1】We can see everything in the Guinness Book of Records except         .

A．the heaviest fruits and vegetables B．the smallest people and animals
C．the strangest people and things D．very ordinary people and things
【小題2】The Guinness Book of Records has been one of the best selling books for           .
A．50 years B．76 years C．600 years D．1000 years
【小題3】Newport thought many people tried to break Guinness records because       .
A．their names be kept in the world records.
B．their names could be seen by the whole world.
C．they could meet more people all over the world.
D．they could be known as the greatest by the world.
【小題4】 Which of the following is right according to the passage?
A．Newport started the Guinness Book of Records in Britain.
B．More than four thousand records are broken each month.
C．The Guinness Book of Records started in the year 1954.
D．The newest book of Guinness comes out every Tuesday.
【小題5】 The writer of this passage wants to         .
A．tell us the strangest records in the world
B．show us the beginning of the Guinness Book of Records
C．give us an introduction to the Guinness Book of Records
D．let us know the most interesting things in the world

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科目：初中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

Beijing Opera is also called Peking Opera. It came into being after 1790 when the famous four Anhui opera troupes(戲班) came to Beijing. Its music and singing(唱腔) come from Xipi and Erhuang in Anhui and Hubei. Its costumes are all fascinating and artistic. It is the highest expression of the Chinese culture. It’s full of famous stories, beautiful facial paintings, and wonderful gestures and fighting. This kind of opera is very popular with Chinese people.
There are four main roles in Beijing Opera: Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou. Sheng is the leading male(男性) actor. For example, a Wusheng is a soldier or fighter. A Xiaosheng is a young man. A Laosheng is an old man. Dan is the female(女性) role. Jing, mostly male, is the face-painted role and Chou is the comedy actor or clown.
Stories in Beijing Opera are very interesting. Some of them are from the history book, but most of them are from the literature, especially famous novels. The people in the story usually have some disagreements. They become angry and unhappy. They are sad and lonely. Sometimes they are nervous and worried. Then they find a way to make peace. The stories usually end with happiness and laughter and people are all happy in the end.
【小題1】Beijing Opera’s singing is from ____________.

A．Anhui and Hubei B．Beijing and Anhui
C．the history bookD．the literature and novels
【小題2】The second paragraph of the reading is about the _________ of Beijing Opera.
A．storiesB．rolesC．gestures D．paintings
【小題3】From the reading, we know the role Chou most probably has a (n) _________ feature.
A．honestB．funny C．dullD．serious
【小題4】Which of the following is the role Sheng?
A．B．C．D．
【小題5】Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A．Peking Opera is full of different gestures.
B．There are only four roles in Beijing Opera.
C．Beijing Opera is the most popular in the world.
D．The people in the story usually are in agreement.

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科目：初中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

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(楊振寧). He got the Nobel Prize Physics in 1957. Chinese people love him. But he is an American citizen. www.xkb1.com
【小題1】“ABC” in this passage stands for “_______”.
A. a kind of banana       B. three English letters     C. Chinese born in American
【小題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
【小題3】The underlined word “blood” may probably mean _________
A. 血統(tǒng)           B. 洪水             C. 身份
【小題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.
【小題5】This passage mainly talks about________
A. overseas Chinese        B. the Nobel Prize       C. the life story of C.N. Yang

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