A poet is in his words
     The writings of William Shakespeare are today little read by young people in Britain. His young readership
is limited to those who choose to study literature at university.
     Still, in British schools, _____ to study the poet, and when something is made compulsory, usually the
result is boredom, resentment or both. Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen-for many of the young,
reading them can seem like being forced to eat medicine, especially when people are at an age when they are
beginning to discover themselves and wanting to claim their independence.
     This was my experience of the classics at school. But when I reached my late teenage years, I had a change
of heart. Like every other young person since the dawn of time, the world confused me. I wanted answers,
so I turned to books to find them.
     I went on to take a PhD in literature and have taught the subject in universities in Britain and China. I have
never regretted it. There is something in literature that people want, even if they don't read books.
     You see this in the popularity of TV and movie adaptations of great works, the recent film version of Jane
Austen's Pride and Prejudice being a case in point. These popular adaptations may help increase people's interest
in the classic.
     Reading a simplified Romeo and Juliet may perhaps lead to a reading of Shakespeare's actual play. If that is
the case then I welcome the trend. But do not make the mistake of thinking that it is the same thing. Shakespeare
is a poet and his greatness is in his language. Reading someone else's rewriting of his work is like peeling (剥皮)
a banana, throwing away the fruit, and eating the skin. Take on the original. It really is worth the effort.

1. Find a sentence from the text which can explain the title.
    _______________________________________________________________________________
2. Fill in the blank in Paragraph 2 with proper words to complete the sentence. (within 5 words) 
    _______________________________________________________________________________
3. Why are the adaptations of great works popular? 
    _______________________________________________________________________________
4. Do you think it necessary to read the original? Why? (within 30 words) 
    _______________________________________________________________________________
5. Translate the underlined sentence in the last paragraph into Chinese. 
    _______________________________________________________________________________

     The English, as a race, are very different in many ways from all other nationalities, including their closest
neighbors, the French, the Belgians and the Dutch. It is claimed that living on an island separated from the rest
of Europe has much to do with it. Whatever the reasons are, it may be fairly stated that the Englishman has
developed many attitudes and habits which distinguish him from other nationalities.
     Broadly speaking, the Englishman is a quiet, shy, reserved person who is fully relaxed only among people
he knows well. In the presence of strangers or foreigners he often seems restrained, even embarrassed. You
have only to witness a city train any morning or evening to see the truth of this. Serious-looking businessmen
and women sit reading their newspapers or having a light sleep in a corner, and no one speaks. In fact, to do
so would seem most unusual. An Englishman, pretending to be giving advice to overseas visitors, once
suggested, "On entering a railway carriage, shake hands with all the passengers." Needless to say, he was not
being serious. There is an unwritten but clearly understood code of behavior which, if broken, makes the
person immediately suspected.
     In many parts of the world it is quite normal to show openly extremes of enthusiasm, emotion, excitement,
etc., often accompanied by appropriate gesture. The Englishman is somewhat different. Of course, an
Englishman feels no less deeply than anyone of a different nationality, but he tends to display his feelings far
less. This is reflected in his use of language. Imagine a man commenting on the great beauty of a young girl.
A more emotional man might de- scribe her state "Oh, she is a goddess", whereas an Englishman might just
say "Oh, she's all right." An Englishman who has seen a highly successful and enjoyable film recommends it
to a friend by commenting, "It's not bad you know", or on seeing some very unusual scenery he might convey
(表达) his pleasure by saying," Nice, yes, very nice." The overseas visitor must not be disappointed by this
apparent lack of interest and involvement. Instead, he must realize that "all right," "not bad," and "nice," very
often have the sense of "first-class," "excellent," "beautiful". This unique style of language use is particularly
common in England, and is known as restrained statement.

1. According to the passage, the English are different from other nationalities in _____.

A. habits
B. attitudes
C. character
D. all of the above

2. The underlined word "restrained" in the second paragraph probably means "_____".

A. calm and controlled
B. polite and friendly
C. nervous and quiet
D. silent and kind

3. In Britain, if you don't want other people to think you are strange, you'd better _____.

A. talk with others as much as possible
B. behave just like the English do
C. say nothing about yourself
D. shake hands with everyone you meet

4. If an Englishman says "all right", it may mean "_____".

A. not bad
B. correct
C. quite right
D. wonderful

5. From the passage, we can infer that an Englishman _____.

A. doesn't like to show his feelings so much
B. has less emotion than people of other nationalities
C. finds it easy to express his emotion
D. likes to have a joke with strangers

     Today there are policemen everywhere, but in 1700, London had no policemen at all. A few old men used
to protect the city streets at night and they were not paid.
     In 1750, Henry Fielding started to pay a group of people to stop thieves. They were like policemen and
were called "Bow Street Runners" because they worked near Bow Street.
     Fifty years later, there were 120 "Bow Street Runners", but London had become very big and needed more
policemen. So in 1829, London Police Force was started with 3 000 officers. Until 1920 all the police in London
were men.

1. Who protected London in 1700?（回答词数不超过4个）
     _____________________________________________________________________
2. When was London Police Force started?（回答词数不超过2个） 
     _____________________________________________________________________
3. What do you think of Henry Fielding?（回答词数不超过10个） 
     _____________________________________________________________________

                                                            Eating in Argentina
     Most Argentines (阿根廷人) are primarily of European descent (血统), which separates them from other
Latin American countries where European and Indian cultures are more mixed. Argentines often seem more
European than other Latin Americans in culture and emotion.
     If you are invited to an Argentine home, you should keep the following things in your mind. 
     The first one is to dress well. Men should wear a jacket and tie. Women should wear a dress or a skirt and
blouse. Next is to arrive 30 to 45 minutes later than the invited time for a dinner party. Arriving on time is not
the standard. Finally, telephone your hosts the following day to thank them.
     As for table manners, you have to pay attention to the following things:
     Wait for the host or hostess to tell you where to sit. There may be a seating plan.
     Table manners are Continental (欧式的)-hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right While eating. 
     Do not begin eating until the hostess invites you to do so.
     Always keep your hands in sight when eating, but do not rest your elbows on the table.
     Wait for a toast to be made before taking a drink.
     It is considered polite to leave a small amount of food on your plate when you have finished eating.

1. If Tom is invited to his friend's home in Argentina, he should wear a jacket without a tie.

A. 正确
B. 错误 

2. You must arrive half an hour ahead of time if an Argentine invites you to a dinner party.

A. 正确
B. 错误

3. You had better not take a seat before the host or hostess tells you where to sit.

A. 正确
B. 错误 

4. According to the passage, you should hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right while eating.

A. 正确
B. 错误

5. It is not polite to eat up the food on your plate when you have finished eating.

A. 正确
B. 错误

                                                  Destiny and Personal Responsibility
     One important variable affecting communication across cultures is destiny (命运) and personal responsibility.
This refers to the degree to which we feel ourselves the masters of our lives, contrary to the degree to which
we see ourselves as subject to things outside our control. Another way to look at this is to ask how much we
see ourselves able to change and act, to choose the course of our lives and relationships. Some have drawn a
parallel between the personal responsibility in North American settings and the view itself. The North American
view is vast, with large spaces of unpopulated land. The frontier attitude of "King" of the wilderness, and the
expansiveness of the land reaching huge distances, may relate to generally high levels of confidence in the ability
to shape and choose our destinies.
     In this expansive land, many children grow up with a heroic sense of life, where ideas are big, and hope
springs forever. When they experience temporary failures, they are encouraged to redouble their efforts, to "try,
try again". Action, efficiency (效率), and achievement are valued and expected. Free will is respected in laws
and enforced by courts.
     Now consider places in the world with much smaller land, whose history reflects wars and tough struggles..
Northern Ireland, Mexico, Israel, Palestine. In these places, destiny's role is more important in human life. In
Mexico, there is a history of hard life, fighting over land, and loss of homes. Mexicans are more likely to see
struggles as part of their life and unavoidable. Their passive attitude is expressed in their way of responding to
failure or accident by saying "ni modo" ("no way" or "tough luck"), meaning that the failure was destined.
     This variable is important to understanding cultural conflict. If someone believing in free will crosses paths
with someone more passive, miscommunication is likely. The first person may expect action and accountability.
Failing to see it, he may conclude that the second is lazy, not cooperative, or dishonest. The second person will
expect respect for the natural order of things. Failing to see it, he may conclude that the first is forcible, rude,
or big headed in his ideas of what can be accomplished or changed.

1. The author thinks that one's character is partly determined by _____. 

A. physical senses
B. general attitude
C. financial background
D. geographic characteristics

2. According to the passage, Mexicans would think that Americans are _____.

A. impractical
B. dishonest
C. ambitious
D. hesitant

3. The underlined word "subject" in Paragraph l probably means _____.

A. a topic of a discussion
B. a branch of knowledge
C. a person being experimented on
D. a person under the power of others

4. The author would probably agree that _____.

A. vast land may lead to a more controllable desire
B. heroic sense of life roots deeply in a small country
C. living in limited space contributes to an accepting attitude
D. fighting over land may help people gain high levels of confidence

                                                                     The First Americans
     There was a time long ago when a land bridge connected Asia and North America. The first settlers in
North America crossed this land bridge from what is now Siberia to Alaska. The people who made this initial
crossing were probably following the animals they used for food.
     Eventually, the oceans rose and the land bridge between the continents disappeared. The settlers, who I
shall call the "First Americans", could not return to their homeland 1_____
     For the next few thousand years, the First Americans migrated south and east throughout North and South
America. They made the journey all the way from Alaska to the southern tip of South America, a distance of
more than 10 000 miles 2_____ In the far north, above the Arctic Circle, the First Americans became hunters
of the ocean 3_____
     In the brief summer, they gathered berries and other plants. In the winter, they stayed in lodges much of
the time preparing for the next summer. It was a hard life, but they learned to survive in these harsh conditions.
     Farther south, in what is now Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, the First Americans became
cliff dwellers (悬崖居民). They began by living in caves that already existed in the cliffs. 4_____ The dwellings
they constructed in many ways resembled today's apartment buildings. 
     5_____ They built a system of dams and canals so they could store and use water almost.any time of the
year. They were so successful that they could raise fruits and vegetables that were not found naturally in the
desert.
     In Mexico and South America, the First Americans founded civilizations that were among the greatest in
the world. They built huge pyramids, lived in fabulous cities, and made great advances in science and
mathematics long before the Europeans arrived.

A. They also discovered foods like corn and potatoes.
B. Along the way, they established many different civilizations.
C. The First Americans of the Southwest learned to irrigate the desert.
D. They would have to survive in the New World they had discovered.
E. They built boats of animal skins and hunted or fished for their food.
F. People living near each other tended to share similar environments and customs.
G. They discovered how to add to the caves by building structures of wood and stone