The 1980s was called the “Me Decade” because for many this time was marked by a fascination with the self. The idea that each person has a self may seem natural to us, but this concept is actually quite new. The idea that each human life is unique developed between the 11th and 15th centuries in Europe. Before that time, individuals were considered in relation to a group, and even today, many eastern cultures place more emphasis on the importance of a collective self than on a unique and independent self.

  Both eastern and western cultures see the self as divided into an inner, private self and an outer, public self. But where they differ is in terms of which part is seen as the “real you.” Western culture tends to promote the idea of individuality—a self that is separated from other selves. In contrast, many eastern cultures focus on an inter-independent self that gets its diversity in large part from inter-relationship with others.

  For example, a Confucian(孔子) idea stresses the importance of “face”—other people’s views of the self and keeping up one’s desired status in their eyes. In the past, some Asian cultures developed clear rules about the specific clothes and even colors that people in certain social classes and occupations were allowed to display, and these live on today in Japanese style manuals. This style of dress is at odds with such western practices as “casual Fridays,” which encourage employees to dress informally and express their unique selves.

According to the passage , what does the author believe about the self?

 A. Many eastern cultures see the self connected with others.

 B. Those born in the 1980s are generally most self-centered than others.

   C. The concept that each person has a self may seem strange to eastern cultures

 D. Western cultures regard the self as an outer, public self while eastern cultures don’t.

What does the 2nd paragraph mainly talk about?

   A. How eastern and western cultures see the self.

   B. Eastern cultures contrast sharply with western cultures

   C. Both eastern and western cultures appreciate the importance of self

   D. Eastern cultures are as important as western cultures

A Japanese dress code is mentioned in the last paragraph to _________.

   A. explain the importance of “face”   B. say how traditional the Japanese are

   C. emphasize the importance of eastern cultures

 D. show how eastern cultures see the self in relation to others

The underlined phrase “at odds with” most probably means_______.

 A. in agreement with               B. in disagreement with

   C. in comparison with                D. in need of

When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother’s Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously , did not give her good service , pretended not to understand her , or even acted as if they did not hear her . W_w w.k*s*5 u.c@o m

My mother has realized the limitations of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was she . I was forced to ask for information or even to yell at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker (股票经纪人).I said in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing, “This is Mrs. Tan..”

   And my mother was standing beside me, whispering loudly, “Why he don’t send me cheek already two week lone.”

And then, in perfect English I said : “I’m getting rather concerned .You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived.”

Then she talked more loudly. “What he want? I come to New York tell him front of his boss.” And so I turned to the stockbroker again, “I can’t tolerate any more excuse. If I don’t receive the check immediately , I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week.”

The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English. W_w w.k*s*5 u.c@o m

    When I was a teenager, my mother’s broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made sense of the world.

From Paragorph 2, we know that the author was          .

       A. good at pretending                                       B. rude to the stockbroker

       C. unwilling to phone for her mother              D. ready to help her mother

After the author made the phone call,             .

A. they forgave the stockbroker                     B. they went to New York immediately

       C .they failed to get the check                      D. they spoke to their boss at once

What does the author think of her mother’s English now? W_w w.k*s*5 u.c@o m

       A. It confuses her.                               B. It embarrasses her.

       C .It helps her tolerate rude people.                 D. It helps her understand the world.

We can inter from the passage that Chinese English         . w_w w. k#s5_u.c o*m

      

A. is clear and natural to non-native speakers     

B. is vivid and direct to non-native speakers

       C. may bring inconvenience in America W_w w.k*s*5 u.c@o m

       D. has a very bad reputation in America

Time magazine named Russian President Vladimir Putin its  "Person of the Year" for 2007 on Wednesday, saying he had returned his country from chaos(混乱)to "the table of world power" though at a cost of democratic principles.

He doesn't care about civil liberties; he doesn't care about free speech; he cares about stability. But Putin, 55, is enormously popular in Russia, presiding over a resurgent economy based on income from oil and natural gas. On the other hand, stability is what Russia needed and that's why Russians adore(爱戴)him.

Time magazine said on its Web site that Putin, the son of a factory worker had led Russia with persistence, a sharp vision and a sense that he showed the spirit of "Mother Russia".

The selection came days after Putin announced a plan to hold onto power after his term ends next year. Putin said on Monday that if his close ally(盟友),Dmitry Medvedev, won the presidency, he would serve as Medvedev’s prime minister. "Putin has put his country back on the map.  And he intends to redraw it himself,"Time said. "He will continue to lead his country as its prime minister and attempt to transform it into a new kind of nation, beholden to neither East nor West."

Time said the person of the year distinction, which it has awarded since 1927, is not an endorsement(支持)or a popularity prize but a recognition of the individuals and forces that shape the world. "At significant cost of, the principles and ideas that free nations prize, (Putin) has performed an extraordinary feat of leadership in placing stability on a nation that has rarely known it and brought Russia back to the table of world power. For that reason, Vladimir Putin is Time's 2007 Person of the Year," the magazine said.

Time had earlier selected four other Kremlin leaders for the distinction:  Stalin, who was chosen twice, Nikita Khrushchev, Yuri Andropov and Mikhail Gorbachev.

What does the underlined word "feat" in Para 5 probably mean?

A. Style.           B. Level.          C. Standard.           D. Achievement.

What's the major reason why Putin becomes popular in Russia?

A. His successful economy policy

B. His outstanding ability of politics

C. His great contributions to Russian economy and social stability.

D. His wisdom of changing the world.

What may be the best title of the passage?

A. Putin-Time magazine’s person of the year 2007

B. Putin-a world power leader

C. Putin-a beloved Russian president

D. Putin-an honorable Russian president

What can we inter from the passage?

A. Russia, including the former Soviet Union, has been one of the major countries named person of the Year so far.

B. Only an individual can be named Person of the Year nowadays.

C. Putin played an important role in Russian social and economic troubles.

D. Medvedev will certainly be elected Russian President on March 3.

With eco-tourism on the rise, eco-hotels are fast becoming the darling of the travel industry. These days, however, staying at an eco-hotel doesn’t necessarily mean vacationing in a tree house in the Costa Rican jungle, although that is certainly a choice.
The majority of eco-hotels fall into several categories: hotels and resorts that conserve ecologically important habitats; “green” hotels that reduce, recycle, minimize waste, and protect water; sustainable hotels that harvest food from gardens on the hotel property or get part or all of their power from renewable energy; hotels that encourage community involvement such as guests taking part in trail clearing; and hotels that offer some form of environmental education to their guests.
As such, eco-hotels are a various group. Stylish urban hotels like the Willard Inter-Continental Washington focus on energy conservation whereas the Rosario Resort & Spa on Orcas Island in Washington State offers a wildly popular “green” vacation package where guests can “take a hike, clear a trail”.
No matter what you call them, eco-hotel, eco-lodge, eco-resort, or green hotel, they’re all part of the “greening” of the tourism industry.
Part of what drives this greening of the hotel industry is no doubt competition. Going green is another way to distinguish a hotel from the mass of other excellent hotels that consumers have to choose from. But for many hotels, it’s also part of their philosophy. With the concept of “going green” firmly rooted in consumers’ minds, eco-hotels have taken it to the next level, and whether or not money is the driving factor behind the greening of the hotel industry doesn’t matter so much as it’s good for the planet.
【小题1】According to the passage, which of the following can match the idea of eco-hotel?

A.It is comfortable and fashionable.B.It uses renewable energy.
C.It has walls of glass.D.It is home to endangered species.
【小题2】From the passage, we know the Rosario Resort & Spa is a kind of hotel that _______.
A.encourages its guests to participate in its greening activities
B.harvests food from its own garden
C.has courses on the environment for its guests
D.protects important habitats
【小题3】From the last paragraph, we can infer that _______.
A.money is the driving force behind eco-hotels
B.the hotel industry cares more about money than the environment
C.eco-hotels teach their guests the philosophy of eco-hotels
D.eco-hotels have no advantages in competing for guests

Washington: A research conducted at the University of Maryland looks at the numerous complex reasons as to why young children decide to include or exclude (排斥) other kids from their group of friends.

     It suggests that the kids' decision-making process is much more complex than previously believed.

     "They take into account group information, ranging from cliques (小圈子) and networks, when deciding what makes a group work well. Sometimes kids are excluded because they lack social skills, but a lot of time it has nothing to do with that. Instead it has to do with what we refer to as 'group membership' such as gender, race, nation, and culture," says Professor Melanie Killen, the Associate Director of the Centre for Children Relationships and Culture at Maryland, who led the 4-year project.

     Reporting their findings in the journal, the researcher said whatever was the reason, individuals who experienced long-term exclusion (排斥) from the group of friends suffered from depression, anxiety and loneliness.

     The study looked at two models to define how children make decisions regarding acceptance of other kids in their group -- the individual social deficit model and the inter-group social cognition (认同) model. While the former says that children's rejection occurs due to social deficits like shyness, wariness or fearfulness, the latter says that it happens because of group dynamics, prejudice and exclusion.

     It was also found that the age of children was also a factor that influenced their decisions regarding other kids' acceptance as friends.

     "With age, kids become more aware of group dynamics, conventions, customs, and rituals. With this comes a greater concern about group functioning, which can lead to exclusion which can be negative from a social justice viewpoint," says Killen.

     The researcher believes that her study may have many benefits, as it could provide insights into how to help when children are rejected by their peers.

1.While making friends, kids think more about the following EXCEPT ______.

    A. social skills B. culture C. race D. gender

2.The underlined word "deficit" in Paragraph 5 may mean “_______”.

    A. skill B. relationship C. weakness D. experience

3.One of the major purposes of the research is to _______.

    A. tell the reader how to tell inclusion from exclusion

   B. remind children to be careful while making friends

    C. seek ways to help kids excluded by their peers

    D. stop the children belonging to the inter-group social cognition model

4.While making friends, children exclude those of social deficit model to _______.

   A. keep their groups purer

    B. make their groups more socially powerful

    C. refuse other customs and cultures

   D. prove their groups to be strict

 

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