America is a mobile society.Friendships between Americans can be close and real, yet disappear soon if situations change.Neither side feels hurt by this.Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while-then no more.If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship.This can be quite difficult for us Chinese to understand, because friendships between us flower more slowly but then may become lifelong feelings, extending(延伸)sometimes deeply into both families.
Americans are ready to receive us foreigners at their homes, share their holidays, and their home life.They will enjoy welcoming us and be pleased if we accept their hospitality(好客)easily.
Another difficult point for us Chinese to understand Americans is that although they include us warmly in their personal everyday lives, they don’t show their politeness to us if it requires a great deal of time.This is usually the opposite of the practice in our country where we may be generous with our time.Sometimes, we, as hosts, will appear at airports even in the middle of the night to meet a friend.We may take days off to act as guides to our foreign friends.The Americans, however, express their welcome usually at homes, but truly can not manage the time to do a great deal with a visitor outside their daily routine.They will probably expect us to get ourselves from the airport to our own hotel by bus.And they expect that we will phone them from there.Once we arrive at their homes, the welcome will be full, warm and real.We will find ourselves treated hospitably.
For the Americans, it is often considered more friendly to invite a friend to their homes than to go to restaurants, except for purely business matters.So accept their hospitality at home!
(1)
The writer of this passage must be ________.
[ ]
A.
an American
B.
a Chinese
C.
a professor
D.
a student
(2)
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
[ ]
A.
Friendships between Americans usually extend deeply into their families.
B.
Friendships between Americans usually last for all their lives.
C.
Americans always show their warmth even if they are very busy.
D.
Americans will continue their friendships again even after a long break.
(3)
From the last two paragraphs we can learn that when we arrive in America to visit an American friend, we will probably be ________.
[ ]
A.
warmly welcomed at the airport
B.
offered a ride to his home
C.
treated hospitably at his home
D.
treated to dinner in a restaurant
(4)
The underlined words “generous with our time” in Paragraph 3 probably mean ________.
[ ]
A.
strict with time
B.
serious with time
C.
careful with time
D.
willing to spend time
(5)
A suitable title for this passage would probably be “________”.
Below is a page adapted from an English dictionary.
stick
verb(stuck, stuck)
push sth in
[+adv./prep.] to push sth, usually a sharp object, into sth; to be pushed into sth:[VN] The nurse stuck the needle into my arm.◆ Don't stick your fingers through the bars of the cage.◆ [V] I found a nail sticking in the tyre.
attach
[+adv./prep.] to fix sth to sth else, usually with a sticky substance; to become fixed to sth in this way:[VN] He stuck a stamp on the envelope.◆ We used glue to stick the broken pieces together.◆ I stuck the photos into an album.◆ [V] Her wet clothes were sticking to her body.◆ The glue's useless-the pieces just won't stick.
put
[VN +adv./prep.](informal)to put sth in a place, especially quickly or carelessly:Stick your bags down there.◆ He stuck his hands in his pockets and strolled off.◆ Can you stick this on the noticeboard? ◆ Peter stuck his head around the door and said, 'Coffee, anyone?' ◆(spoken)Stick 'em up!(=put your hands above your head-I have a gun)
become fixed
[V]~(in sth)to become fixed in one position and impossible to move:The key has stuck in the lock.◆ This drawer keeps sticking.
difficult situation
(BrE, informal)(usually used in negative sentences and questions)to accept a difficult or unpleasant situation or person:[VN] I don't know how you stick that job.◆ They're always arguing-I can't stick it any longer.◆ The problem is, my mother can't stick my boyfriend.◆ [V -ing] John can't stick living with his parents.
become accepted
[V] to become accepted:The police couldn't make the charges stick(=show them to be true).◆ His friends called him Bart and the name has stuck(=has become the name that everyone calls him).
[V] to not take any more cards
Idioms:stick in your mind(of a memory, an image, etc.)to be remembered for a long time:One of his paintings in particular sticks in my mind.
stick in your throat/craw(informal)
(of words)to be difficult or impossible to say:She wanted to say how sorry she was but the words seemed to stick in her throat.
(of a situation)to be difficult or impossible to accept; to make you angry
stick your neck out(informal)to do or say sth when there is a risk that you may be wrong:I'll stick my neck out and say that Bill is definitely the best candidate for the job.
stick to your guns(informal)to refuse to change your mind about sth even when other people are trying to persuade you that you are wrong
Phrasal Verbs:stick around(informal)to stay in a place, waiting for sth to happen or for sb to arrive:Stick around; we'll need you to help us later.
stick at sth to work in a serious and determined way to achieve sth:If you want to play an instrument well, you've got to stick at it.
stick by sb [no passive] to be loyal to a person and support them, especially in a difficult situation:Her husband was charged with fraud but she stuck by him.
stick by sth [no passive] to do what you promised or planned to do:They stuck by their decision.
stick sth<->down(informal)to write sth somewhere:I think I'll stick my name down on the list.
stick out to be noticeable or easily seen:They wrote the notice in big red letters so that it would stick out.
stick sth<->out(of sth)to be further out than sth else or come through a hole; to push sth further out than sth else or through a hole:His ears stick out.◆ She stuck her tongue out at me.◆ Don't stick your arm out of the car window.
stick to sth
to continue doing sth in spite of difficulties:She finds it impossible to stick to a diet.
to continue doing or using sth and not want to change it:He promised to help us and he stuck to his word(=he did as he had promised).◆ 'Shall we meet on Friday this week?' 'No, let's stick to Saturday.' ◆ She stuck to her story.
stick together(informal)(of people)to stay together and support each other:We were the only British people in the town so we tended to stick together.
stick up to point upwards or be above a surface:The branch was sticking up out of the water.
stick with sb/sth [no passive](informal)
to stay close to sb so that they can help you:Stick with me and I'll make you a millionaire!
to continue with sth or continue doing sth:They decided to stick with their original plan.
noun
from tree
[C] a thin piece of wood that has fallen or been broken from a tree:We collected dry sticks to start a fire.◆ The boys were throwing sticks and stones at the dog.◆ Her arms and legs were like sticks(=very thin).
for walking
[C](especially BrE)=WALKING STICK:The old lady leant on her stick as she talked.
in sport
[C] a long thin object that is used in some sports to hit or control the ball:a hockey stick
long thin piece
[C](often in compounds)a long thin piece of sth:a stick of dynamite ◆ carrot sticks ◆(AmE)a stick of butter
[C](often in compounds)a thin piece of wood or plastic that you use for a particular purpose:pieces of pineapple on sticks ◆ The men were carrying spades and measuring sticks.
in plane/vehicle
[C](informal, especially AmE)the control stick of a plane
[C](informal, especially AmE)a handle used to change the GEARS of a vehicle
for orchestra
[C] a BATON, used by the person who CONDUCTS an orchestra
criticism
[U](BrE, informal)criticism or harsh words:The referee got a lot of stick from the home fans.
country areas
(the sticks)[pl.](informal)country areas, a long way from cities:We live out in the sticks.
person
[C](old-fashioned, BrE, informal)a person:He's not such a bad old stick.
(1)
When Jimmy says:“Every morning, I have to take the crowded bus to school, which I really can't stick.”, he may feel _________.
[ ]
A.
worried
B.
curious
C.
annoyed
D.
discouraged
(2)
Due to her fashionable dress, the woman stuck out when she was walking in the street.“stuck out” in this sentence means “_________”.
[ ]
A.
be noticeable
B.
be followed
C.
be admired
D.
be envied
(3)
When I was in trouble, Paul was the only one who _________ to help me.
[ ]
A.
stuck in his throat
B.
stuck together
C.
stuck up
D.
stuck his neck out
(4)
Sally said to me:“Try a peaceful life out in the sticks, and you will experience something totally different.” She means _________.
[ ]
A.
I should go to the woods to enjoy a new life.
B.
I should ignore the criticism and enjoy myself.
C.
I should go to the remote areas to have a change.
D.
I should go out by plane instead of by train to change my feelings.