As we know, there are differences between western culture and Chinese culture. We can see differences when we pay attention to the way words are used. Let’s look at the words about animals and plants. Most expressions in Chinese about the dog, for example, “a homeless dog”, “a mad dog”, “a running dog” and “a dog catching a mouse”, have negative(消极的)meanings. But in western countries, dogs are thought to be honest and good friends of people. In English, people use the dog to describe positive(积极的)actions. For example, “you are a lucky dog” means you are a lucky person. And “every dog has its day” means each person has good 1uck one day. To describe a person’s serious illness, they say “sick as a dog”. The word “dog-tired” means very tired. However, Chinese love cats very much. But in western culture, “cat” is often used to describe a woman who is cruel(冷酷的). There are many other examples of how “cat” is used differently as well.
The rose(玫瑰)is thought of as a symbol of love in both China and some western countries. People think the rose stands for(代表)love, peace, courage and friendship. And the rose is the national flower of England, America and many other countries.
The words about plants and animals are used in positive or negative ways in different cultures. We can learn about many differences in cultures by comparing(比较)how some words are used.
【小题1】The word “dog” in Chinese usually_________.

A.shows peaceB.stands for friendship
C.has a negative meaningD.has a positive meaning
【小题2】“Every dog has its day” means “_________”.
A.each person lives his own way of life
B.if one works hard, he is sure to succeed
C.everybody in the world is lucky
D.everybody has a time in 1ife to be lucky
【小题3】Western people usually use “cat” to refer to(指代) “_________.”
A.a tired personB.a brave man
C.a homeless personD.an unkind woman
【小题4】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Words show differences in different cultures.
B.Chinese people like dogs better than cats.
C.Western people think of cats to be good friends.
D.Rose is the national flower of all western countries.
【小题5】What’s the best title for the passage?
A.Negative or Positive.
B.Different Countries Have Different Cultures.
C.Rose Means the Same in Chinese and English.
D.What Dog and Cat Mean in English.

American people like to say “Thank you” when others help them or say something kind to them. People of many countries do so, too. It is a very good habit. You should say “Thank you” when someone passes you the salt on the table, when someone walking ahead of you keeps the door open for you, when someone says you have done your work well, or you have bought a nice thing, or your city is very beautiful. “Thank you” is used not only between friends, but also between parents and children, brothers and sisters. “Excuse me” is another short sentence they use. When you hear someone say so behind you, you know that somebody wants to walk past you without touching you. It’s not polite to break others when they are talking. If you want to speak to one of them, say “Excuse me” first, and then begin talking. You should also do so when you begin to cough or make any noise before others. Let’s learn to say “Thank you” and “Excuse me”.
【小题1】You should say “Thank you” when ______________.

A.you say something kind to others
B.you help others
C.someone helps you
D.you need others to help you
【小题2】From the passage we know “Thank you” is _________.
A.widely used in the world
B.used more often than “Excuse me”
C.used only by American
D.used only between friends
【小题3】You should say “Excuse me” if you want to __________.
A.coughB.make some noise
C.go firstD.all of the above
【小题4】When you are going to ask someone to tell you the way, you should say “_________”
A.Thank youB.That’s very kind of you
C.Excuse meD.I’m sorry
【小题5】This passage mainly tells us the way _________.
A.to be happyB.to be polite
C.to help othersD.to learn from Americans

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