Successful people in international business understand the cultures of other countries and learn to change their practices in different cultures. They understand the importance of avoiding business decisions based on misconceptions—mistaken ideas. 
One cause of misconceptions is ethnocentrism, the belief that one’s own culture’s way of doing things is better than the way of other cultures. It’s ethnocentrism that leads to failure in international business. To avoid ethnocentrism, it’s necessary to study the different elements（组成部分）of culture: language, values and attitudes, and customs and manners. 
Language
A. knowledge of the local language can help international business people in four ways. First, people can communicate directly. Second, people are usually more open in their communication with someone who speaks their language. Third, an understanding of the language allows people to infer meanings that are not said directly. Finally, knowing the language helps people to understand the culture better.  
Values are people’s basic beliefs about the difference between right and wrong, good and bad . An attitude is a way of thinking or acting. Values and attitudes influence international business. For example, many people in the United States believe that chocolate from Switzerland is better than chocolate from other countries, and they buy a lot of it. 
Customs and manners
Customs are common social practices. Manners are ways of acting that the society believes are polite. For example, in the United States,  it is the custom to have salad （色拉） before the main course at dinner, not after. It’s not acceptable to talk with food in mouth at table. Failure to understand the customs and manners of other countries will bring difficulty selling their products. Orange juice as a breakfast drink of an American company in France doesn’t sell well because the French don’t usually drink juice with breakfast. 
【小题1】A. knowledge of the local language allows international business people _________. 
A. to be more open with their customers
B. to communicate without outside help
C. to express their thoughts indirectly
D. to have a better idea of their own culture
【小题2】The act of many people buying chocolate of Switzerland shows the role of ________. 

The best way to improve your reading ability is, of course, to read. The student must make a real effort to improve his speed, and if necessary his comprehension, with each exercise. Too many students read passages passively（被动的） and without judgment: they simply start at the first word and read through to the end. You should read a passage actively, selectively（选择地） and purposely. You must believe that you indeed have the ability to read faster and understand, and that you will.
Reading, like everything else in life, is best done when you’re relaxed. The key to improve it is concentration. You must be willing to break some old habits and form new ones. Extra body movement, such as turning the head from side to side, pointing at the line with a finger or pencil, or moving the lips, should be stopped immediately. Reading is mostly a mental process(大脑活动过程) and body movement helps neither speed nor comprehension. Then you should see words as part of a whole sentence or paragraph, not just in isolation(孤立), This is why a slow, word-by-word student often understands far less, or misses much of the joy and excitement of reading.
The student must learn to improve reading skills on their own, and not just when a teacher is looking over his shoulder. Reading improvement takes discipline（纪律） and effort. Don’t give up.
1. According to the author, how should we not read a passage?
A. actively        B passively.   C. purposely        D. selectively
2. You may conclude that whether you can improve your reading depends on________.
A. your attitude                      B. your good habits of reading
C. discipline                         D. all of the above
3. Which of the following is true according to the passage?        
A. When reading, you’d better point at the line with a pencil. 　　
B. When reading, you should turn your head from side to side.
C. When reading, you should pay attention to basic unit of meaning, that is a phrase or sentence that contains an idea.    
D. Body movement will help you to improve reading.
4. The best title for this passage is___________.
A. Reading Faster                         B. Understanding Better
C. How to Improve Your Reading             D. Don’t Give Up

D.
Friends and Buddies(伙伴)
This program is planned for teenagers who have special needs with the goal of meeting within a community with other peers(同龄人). The purpose of the program is that it will lead to a better understanding of friendships. Gym, Swim, Surprise Guest, and Pizza are included. Ages 12-18, numbers of members are limited. Contact: Gloria Bass. This program is held 2 Fridays per month. Fees: $65/$85
Club Saturday Swim
This program is available to anyone aged 5-14 who is challenged by mental, physical, or emotional trouble. The program will be held each Saturday afternoon, 12:00-12:30 pm or 12:30-1:00 pm. Fees: $136/$260
Sibshops (Ages 10-13)
Sibshops is a program for siblings(兄弟姊妹) of children with challenges. It includes group activities and talk treatment ways with the focus on improving sibling relationships and whole family happiness. Location: Hope Church, Wilton CT. Wednesday: 4:00-5:00 pm. Fees: $50/$65
Banana Splits
Banana Splits is an educational support group for children in family trouble. Children aged 9-13 will have the opportunity to meet other children whose parents have separated or divorced, learn to recognize feelings, think of healthy coping skills and have a place to share their struggles through verbal(语言的), physical, and artistic experiences. Location: Hope Church, Wilton CT. Tuesday:4:30-5:30 pm. Fees: $50/$65
67. If you have free time only on Saturday, you can go to ______.
A. Friends and Buddies  B. Club Saturday Swim
C. Sibshops (Ages 10-13)      D. Banana Splits
68. Activities on how to lead to a better understanding of friendships are held ______.
A. 2 Fridays per month
B.12:00-12:30 or 12:30-1:00, Saturday afternoon
C.4:00-5:00 pm, Wednesday  D.4:30-5:30 pm, Tuesday
69. If you go to Sibshops (Ages 10-13) , you can ______.
A. meet with other peers                   B. solve your mental problem
C. improve sibling relationships        D. think of healthy coping skills
70. Which of the following is TRUE according to the four passages?
A. They are all in the same place.         B. They are all free of charge.
C. They all hold activities each week.       D. They are all intended for children.
71. The purpose of this passage is to ______.
A. help children deal with their trouble
B. encourage children to be happy and brave
C. list some problems children meet with
D. advertise some programs for children

Cats are very smart. They are one of the smartest animals. The brain of a cat is large.  It is highly developed. This may be why cats have good memories. Cats remember kindness and cruelty. It is a good idea to treat a cat well. Cats can “speak” too. They meow for attention. Often they stand by a door. Then they meow. Then they look over their shoulders. They want to see if their owners are coming. Cats make other noises also. They purr(猫发出的咕噜声)when they are happy. They hiss when they are angry.
Cats have a lot of pride. They don’t usually do silly tricks. Almost all cats want to have their own way. They are mostly true to only one person. They don’t switch loyalty easily. Cats were free in the wild. They want to stay that way. They like to be their own masters. When a cat is left alone, it can go back to caring for itself. It can live in the wild again. This is different from dogs. Dogs will switch their loyalty. At one time dogs were loyal to the leaders of their packs. Now, they will transfer allegiance(忠诚)to their owner. They do not like to be alone.
With kindness, a cat can be trained. Cats can learn to do many things. Some cats can learn to open doors. Some can ring doorbells. Some can even turn on water tap. Then they take a drink. Cats are very smart. Before drinking, they put a paw in the water. They test whether the water is hot or cold.
【小题1】What is the best title for this passage?

People who speak or perform before the public sometimes may suffer from “Stage Fright. ” Stage fright makes a person nervous. In the worst case(情况) it can make one's mind go back and forget what one ought to say,  or to act. Actors, musicians, dancers, lawyers, even radio show hosts(节目主持人) have suffered from stage fright at one time or another.
Diana Nichols is an expert in helping people free from stage fright at a medical centre in New York City. She helps actors learn to control themselves. Miss Nichols says some people have always been afraid to perform before the audience. Others, she says, develop stage fright after a fearful experience.
She offers them ways to control the fear. One way is to smile before going onto the stage. Taking two deep breaths also helps. Deep breathing helps you get control of your body.
Miss Nichols persuades her patients to tell themselves that their speech or performance does not have to the perfect. It's all right to make a mistake. She tells them they should not be too cautions(谨慎的) while they are performing. It is important that they should continue to perform while she is helping them. After each performance, they discuss what happened and find out what advice helped and what did not. As they perform more and more, they will fear less and less as much as 50%. Miss Nichols says the aim is only to reduce stage fright, not to eliminate it completely. This is because a little stage fright makes a person more cautious, and improves the performance.
1 One who is suffering stage fright may        .
A. forget one's part before the audience
B. smile all the time on the stage
C. make a speech fast than ever
D. be cautious to improve his performance
2 The underlined word “eliminate” in the last paragraph means        .
A. keep          B. reduce           C. change          D. get rid of
3 The wrong way to overcome stage fright is        .
A. to smile before going to the stage.
B. to take two deep breaths to calm oneself
C. to pay less attention to one's mistakes in performance
D. to perform less and to watch more
4 Which of the following statements is right?
A. We can get rid of stage fright completely.
B. A little stage fright can make actors perform better.
C. We can reduce stage fright as much as one third.
D. A little stage fright leads to complete failure.