Here is some must-know information from a hand?book on houu people behave in doing business in some countries.

In Brazil (巴西)

Brazilians are warm and friendly. They often stand close when talking and it is common for them to touch the person on the shoulder. People often greet each oth?er (particularly women) with light cheek kisses. Sched?ules tend to be flexible, with business meetings some?times starting later than planned. But to be safe, be on time. Meals can stretch for hours―here's no such thing as rushing a meal inBrazil. Lunches also can start in the mid to late afternoon. Brazilians are social, preferring face-to-face communication over e-mails or phone calls.

InSingapore

Singaporeans shake hands when they meet and of?ten also greet each other with a small, polite bow. Busi?ness cards should be offered and received with two hands. Arriving late is considered disrespectful. So be on time. Efficiency (效率)is the goal, so meetings and dealings are often fast-paced. Singaporeans are direct in their discussions, even when the subject is about mon?ey. Rank is important and authority is respected. This determines how people interact in meetings. For exam?ple, people avoid disagreeing outright with someone of a higher rank.

In theUnited Arab Emirates

In the UAE, status (地位)is important, so the most senior or oldest should be greeted first with their titles. The handshake seems to be longer than else?where. So do not pull away from the handshake. Women should cover themselves when it comes to dress. Men also tend to be covered from neck to elbows (射部)and down to the knees. People do not avoid en?tertaining in their homes, but they also hold business meals at restaurants. Touching or passing food or eating with your left hand is to be avoided. When meetings are one-to-one, if your host offers you coffee? you should refuse. It might seem odd, but it is a cultural tradition. Coffee should only be accepted if it is already set out or presented.

InSwitzerland

The Swiss tend to be formal and address each other by last name. They are also respectful of private lives. You should be careful not to ask about personal topics. Punctuality (守时)is vital, something that comes from a deep respect for others' time. Arrive at any meeting or event a few minutes earlier to be safe. They also have clear structure in their companies. Higher-ups make the final decisions, even if others might disagree. Neat, clean dress is expected. The Swiss follow formal table manners. They also keep their hands visible at the table arid their elbows off the table. It is polite to finish the food on your plate.

5.The passage is mainly about .

A.communication types

B.the workplace atmosphere

C.customs and social manners

D.living conditions and standards

6.Why do Singaporeans avoid arguing with their boss?

A.They put efficiency in the first place.

B.They dislike face-to-face communication.

C.They want to finish meetings as quickly as possi?ble.

D.They are supposed to obey the person of a higher rank.

7.In the UAE, when should you refuse the coffee if it is offered?

A.When greeting seniors.

B.When meeting the host alone.

C.When attending a presentation.

D.When dining with business partners.

8.In which country do people care about where to put their hands at the dinner table?

A.InBrazil.

B.InSingapore.

C.In theUnited Arab Emirates.

D.InSwitzerland.

How could we possibly think that keeping animals in cages in unnatural environments—mostly for entertainment purposes―is fair and respectful?

Zoo officials say they are concerned about animals. However, most zoos remain "collections" of interesting "things" rather than protective habitats. Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to keep animals bored, lone?ly, and far from their natural homes.

Zoos claim to educate people and save endangered species, but visitors leave zoos without having learned any?thing meaningful about the animals' natural behaviour, in?telligence, or beauty. Zoos keep animals in small spaces or cages, and most signs only mention the species' name, diet, and the natural range (分布区).The animals' normal behaviour is seldom noticed because zoos don't usually take care of the animals' natural needs.

The animals are kept together in small spaces, with no privacy and little opportunity for mental and physical exercise. This results in unusual and self-destructive be?haviour called zoochosis. A worldwide study of zoos found that zoochosis is common among animals kept in small spaces or cages. Another study showed that ele?phants spend 22 per cent of their time making repeated head movements or biting cage bars, and bears spend 30 per cent of their time walking back and forth, a sign of unhappiness and pain.

Furthermore, most animals in zoos are not endan?gered. Captive breeding (圈养繁殖)of endangered big cats, Asian elephants, and other species has not resul?ted in their being sent back to the wild. Zoos talk a lot about their captive breeding programmes because they do not want people to worry about a species dying out. In fact, baby animals also attract a lot of paying custom?ers. Haven't we seen enough competitions to name baby animals?

Actually, we will save endangered species only if we save their habitats and put an end to the reasons why-people kill them. Instead of supporting zoos, we should support groups that work to protect animals' natural habitats.

1. In the state of zoochosis, animals  . 

A.remain in cages

B.behave strangely

C.attack other animals

D.enjoy moving around

2.What does the author try to argue in the passage?

A.Zoos are not worth the public support.

B.Zoos fail in their attempt to save animals.

C.Zoos should treat animals as human beings.

D.Zoos use animals as a means of entertainment.

3.The author tries to persuade readers to accept his ar?gument mainly by .

A.pointing out the faults in what zoos do

B.using evidence he has collected at zoos

C.questioning the way animals are protected

D.discussing the advantages of natural habitats

4.Although he argues against zoos, the author would still agree that . 

A.zoos have to keep animals in small cages

B.most animals in zoos are endangered species

C.some endangered animals are reproduced in zoos

D.it's acceptable to keep animals away from their habitats

The preventive measures for forest fires include some pre-emptive(抢先的)methods that can help re?duce the risks of fires and control their severity and spread,and thus, maintain ecological balance and pro?tect resources. Close monitoring of forest fires caused by natural factors can help prevent their spread to a large extent. To contain forest fires, fire departments usually use water and chemical fire retardants(抑制剂)that can be dropped from planes and helicopters. To control the spread of wildfire, firefighters usually create a control line by removing all fuel from an area so that the fire cannot travel across it.

Controlled burns are often employed by government authorities to reduce fuel build-up,and clean up the fall?en leaves,and thus,prevent the spread of forest fires to a vast area. Regular controlled burns can also help main?tain biodiversity(生物多样性),as the smoke and heat produced in the process can facilitate (促进)the growth of seeds of certain plant species. Apart from these, re?sponsible human behaviour can help reduce the number of forest fires to a great extent. In fact, we can reduce the number of wildfire dramatically by not leaving be?hind any source of fire in the forest.

Forest fires can affect climate and weather to a great extent, besides causing severe damage to valuable trees. Wildfire can increase the level of greenhouse gases (water vapour, carbon dioxide, etc. ) , and therefore in?crease pollution and global warming. However, they are also an important part of the ecosystem,and many plants depend on the heat and smoke generated by wildfire for their growth and reproduction. But large wildfire can cause extensive damage to the ecosystem, which again highlights the importance of effective control and pre?vention of forest fires.

1. Firefighters get rid of all fuel in an area in order to A.  keep close monitoring of forest fires

B.    prevent the forest fire from occurring

C.    protect the animals there

D.    stop the wildfire from spreading

2.    The government arranges some controlled burns to

A.    burn the rubbish and keep the forest clean

B.    help keep ecological balance of nature

C.    reduce fuel build-up and limit forest fires to spread

D.    provide reasonable conditions for some plants' growth

3.    The last paragraph tells us that      .

A.    the greenhouse gases are caused mainly by wild?fire

B.    wildfire has both positive and negative effects

C.    people should be aware of the necessity of wildfire

D.    all the valuable trees disappear owing to wildfire

4.    What may be the best title for this passage?

A.    Control and prevention of forest fires

B.    How to keep ecological balance

C.    Effects of forest fires

D.    Methods of fire spread control

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