Mr. and Mrs. Black opened a small restaurant. In order to attract customers, they put a notice in front of the restaurant that said “Meals on the House for Three Days.”

A foreign student who didn’t know much English happened to pass by the restaurant on the second day. It was lunchtime and he felt very hungry. “Well, here is a restaurant. I am going to have something to eat.”

He walked towards the restaurant when he saw the notice. “American people are really strange. They even eat dinners on their houses! But how can I get up to the top of the house?” he said to himself.

He looked around and found a ladder against a tree nearby. He started climbing up. But as he reached the top, he heard someone shouting at him.

“Hey, what are you doing up there?” Mr. Black shouted at him. Next to him was a policeman. “Doesn’t your notice say ‘Meals on the House for Three Days’? Is it just a joke?” the foreign student answered.

On hearing this, both Mr. Black and the policeman laughed. “Do you know what ON THE HOUSE means? Look it up in the dictionary,” the policeman said.

1.How did Mr. and Mrs. Black attract customers?

A.They played jokes on them.

B.They offered them meals 24 hours a day.

C.They let them enjoy meals on the top of their house.

D.They put up a notice in front of their restaurant.

2.How much English did the foreign student know?

A.A lot. B.A little. C.None. D.An average amount.

3.The foreign student decided to have _____ at Mr. Black’s restaurant.

A.breakfast B.lunch C.dinner D.nothing

4.Mr. Black and the policeman laughed at the young man because _____.

A.he climbed up trees

B.he was very hungry

C.he misunderstood the notice

D.he was a foreign student

5.The phrase “on the house” probably means “_____”.

A.免费的 B.屋上的 C.家常的 D.美味的

Fluency in another language is a dream of a newcomer to another country. Besides, understanding the culture and learning to communicate comfortably with people of that culture are as important as learning the rules of the language. Language learning and culture learning go together and may take a long time.

Sometimes people feel that they understand a culture after a few weeks or months. People do learn a lot when they first begin living in another culture, but this is only the first step of learning. It usually involves things like learning everyday activities and some basic customs.

To really understand another culture, people have to go beyond the first step. This is a challenge because it is often difficult to know what to learn. Much of what we call"culture" is hard to see.

Culture is like an iceberg. Imagine in your mind a huge iceberg in the ocean. The only part of the iceberg that you see is the top. You don't see the rest of the iceberg because it is hidden from sight in the water. It is easy to forget that it is there. Most of the iceberg is deep in the ocean, just as much of a culture is deep in the ocean, just as much of a culture is deep within its people.

When you meet someone from another culture, certain culture differences are obvious: You hear another language or you hear your own language spoken with an accent. You see different foods, clothes and sometimes physical characteristics of people. You watch new customs or habits, such as the use of chopsticks, and, bowing or kissing on both cheeks as a greeting. These differences are interesting and important, but they are usually not too difficult to understand. They can be seen easily and quickly.

The part of culture that is like the underwater part of the iceberg consists of assumptions (设想), communication styles, values, and beliefs about what is right and wrong. The hidden part of culture influences much of a person’s way of thinking and communicating. It is the meaning behind his or her verbal and nonverbal language. Learning to communicate well with people from another culture involves understanding the hidden part of culture.

1.To really understand another culture, people should .

A.learn the rules of language B.learn the hidden culture

C.visit some local people D.live with some local people

2.Which of the following does the writer agree?

A.Communication styles can be easily seen and learned

B.Language learning is more important than culture learning

C.Learning about culture is not easy and may take a long time

D.People usually learn a culture after a few weeks or months.

3.The passage is mainly about .

A.learning about culture. B.learning about people

C.the hidden part of the iceberg D.fluency in another language

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