BUILDING up a close bond (关系) with friends is important in all cultures. But different cultures have different ways of socializing.

The Chinese love going to restaurants. Family, friends and colleagues all go out to eat as a way of relaxing. So Chinese restaurants are much louder and noisier places compared with those in the Western world.

Although British people do socialize by going out for dinner, most people meet in pubs. They go there in the evening and sometimes during the day. Most people order wine or beer.

Going for a drink with colleagues after work is a particularly important British tradition. A recent survey of office workers found three-quarters of people regard the after-work drink as the key to building positive relationships with colleagues.

But for the French, the preferred place to socialize is in cafés. They are a central part of daily life in France and its culture. People will go to cafes at all times during the day.

In the morning, people may go there to buy a newspaper and a cup of coffee. At lunch they may go there for something to eat. Then when it's evening they may return to enjoy a glass of wine.

While the meeting place is different from culture to culture, "Essentially (本质上) they serve the same purpose, which is that humans need a place to come together to meet," said Aidan Saunders, a professor of social history at the University College London. "We are sociable animals."

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 environment will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.

1.What is the passage mainly about?      

A. Different cultures and different people.

B. Different places where different people love to go.

C. Different ways of building up relationships with friends

D. Different relationships in different countries.

2.Which of the following is true according to the passage?   

A. The Chinese love to dine out.

B. The Chinese always talk loudly in restaurants.

C. Making friends is an important thing in all countries

D. French people spend all their time in cafes.

3.What does Aidan Saunders mean by "We are sociable animals."?   

A. Human beings need society to survive in.

B. Human beings need to communicate with each other.

C. Human beings are the same as the other animals.

D. Human beings are also animals belonging to the society.

4. The following are all mentioned as ways of socializing except         .   

A. dining out with friends

B. drinking in pubs with colleagues after work

C. going to the cafes to have a cup of coffee

D. going to the cinema to see a film

5.Who are the intended readers of the passage ?        

A. People in general.            B. Adolescents.

C. Business people.             D. Educators.

—How about going for a picnic this weekend?
— Why not? _________.

请根据A至F各课程的介绍和个各人的情况说明，选出符合各人要求的最佳选项。

We can see how the product life cycle works by looking at the introduction of instant coffee. When it was introduced，most people did not like it as well as “regular” coffee and it took several years to gain general acceptance (introduction stage)．At one point，though，instant coffee grew rapidly in popularity and many brands were introduced (stage of rapid growth)．After a while people became attached to one brand, sales leveled off (stage of maturity)．Sales went into a slight decline (衰退) when freeze-dried coffees were introduced (stage of decline)．

The importance of the product life cycle to marketers is this：Different stages in the product life cycle call for different strategies. The goal is to extend product life so that sales and profits do not decline. One strategy is called market modification. It means that marketing managers look for new users and market sections. Did you know，for example，that the backpacks that so many students carry today were originally designed for the military?

Market modification also means searching for increased usage among present customers or going for a different market，such as senior citizens. A marketer may re-position the product to appeal to new market sections.

Another product extension strategy is called product modification. It involves changing product quality，features，or styles to attract new users or more usage from present users. American auto manufacturers are using quality improvement as one way to recapture (夺回)world markets. Note，also，how auto manufacturers once changed styles dramatically from year to year to keep demand from falling.

56. According to the passage，when people grow fond of one particular brand of a product，its sales will_______ .

A. decrease gradually                                 B．become unstable

C. improve enormously                       D．remain at the same level

57. The first paragraph tells us that a new product is_______ .

A．usually introduced to satisfy different tastes

B．often more expensive than old ones

C．often inferior to old ones at first

D．not easily accepted by the public

58. Marketers need to know which of the four stages a product is in so as to______.

A．work out marketing policies

B．promote its production

C．increase its popularity

D．speed up its life cycle

59. The author mentions the example of “backpacks” to show the importance of_______ .

A．increasing usage among students

B．pleasing the young as well as the old

C．exploring new market sections

D．serving both military and civil needs

60. In order to recover their share of the world market，US auto makers are_______ .

A．improving product quality

B．re-positioning their product in the market

C．modernizing product styles

D．increasing product features

---We're going for a picnic next Sunday, and I'd like you to join us.
---____________！I have to see my grandmother. She has been ill for two weeks.