About ten years ago when I was an undergraduate in college in New York, I was working as a practice student at my University’s Museum of Natural History. One day while I was working at the cash register in the gift shop, I saw an elderly couple come in with a little girl in a wheelchair.

As I looked closer at this girl, I saw that she was seated on her chair. I then realized she had no arms or legs, just a head, neck and the trunk of the human body. She was wearing a little white dress with the patterns of red roses and yellow dots.

As the couple wheeled her up to me, I was looking down at the register. I turned my head towards the girl and gave her a wink(眨眼示意). As I took the money from her grandparents, I looked back at the girl, who was giving me the most beautiful and largest smile I have ever seen.

All of a sudden, her handicap was gone and all that I saw was this beautiful girl, whose smile just melted me and almost instantly gave me a completely new sense of what life was all about. I immediately felt full of hope and confidence. She took me, a poor, unhappy, college student, into her world—a world of smiles, love and warmth.

That was ten years ago, but I still remember it clearly as if it happened just yesterday. I’m a successful business person now and whenever I get down and think about the troubles of the world, I think about that little girl and the remarkable lesson about life that she taught me.

1.The writer was ten years ago.

A. a clerk working in a museum

B. a teacher teaching in a college

C. a worker working in a university

D. a university student who had not taken a degree yet

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

A. The girl was poor and sad.

B. The girl faced the life bravely.

C. The writer knew the girl very well.

D. The writer made friends with the girl at last.

3.What does the underlined word “handicap” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A. Life difficulty. B. Physical disability.

C. Failure in work. D. A troublesome problem.

4.Which of the following would be the best title?

A. Full of Hope B. Full of Confidence

C. A Disabled Girl D. A Disabled Girl’s Smile

We are always using body language in our daily life. When we have a conversation with someone, we may be using more body language than words. However, the same body language may mean different things in different countries. That’s why people sometimes do not understand each other correctly. Pointing to one part of the body can mean differently in different cultures. For example, in the USA people point to their heads when they think someone is clever. However, in Europe it means ‘He or she is stupid or something is wrong with his or her head’. In our Chinese culture, nodding(点头) our head up and down means ‘yes’ and shaking our head from side to side means ‘no’. However, in parts of India, Greece and Turkey, it means just the opposite. In England or the USA, when you raise your hand and make a circle with the thumb(大拇指)and the second finger, it means ‘You’re all right or Everything is OK’. However, if we do this in France or Belgium, it means ‘You’re worth zero’. In Greece or Turkey, we should not make this gesture(手势). Or we are thought to be very rude.

The meaning of gestures can also change over time. In the 1960s, the V sign meant ‘peace’. However, during World War II, it meant ‘victory’. In Greece, it is a very insulting(污辱性)sign.

Though the meaning of body language is different, there are some expressions having the same meaning throughout the world, such as smiling and crying.

1.In England, if people point to their heads it means they think someone is ______.

A. clever B. stupid C. headache D. angry

2.In India, if one nods his head up and down, it means he _______.

A. doesn’t agree B. agree C. is happy D. is sad

3.In France, if you raise your hand and make a circle with the thumb and the second finger, it means _______.

A. you are clever B. everything is OK

C. it is true D. you are worth nothing

4.Which country’s body language is most different from our usual thinking?

A. France B. England C. Greece D. India

5.V sign meant __________ about forty years ago.

A. victory B. killing C. festival D. peace

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