To save yourself from embarrassment (尴尬)， it’s good to read a few books or research online about the culture and customs of the country you plan to visit.
Clothing: Wearing shorts in public is generally not acceptable in most parts of the world, including some European countries.
Greetings: Handshake is a usually accepted form of greeting, although in some countries, like Japan, a traditional bow(鞠躬) is preferred. Be careful how you talk with someone; don’t use first names unless you are invited to do something.
Language/Gestures: learn some polite expressions (hello-goodbye-thank you) and relax. English is pretty common worldwide, especially in tourist areas and you can always use body language to get your message across. However, some Americans gestures have different meanings in other countries. For example, in Bulgaria, shaking your head usually means  “yes”; shaking it “vertically” means “ no”.
Food/Drink: you may find yourself looking down at a local delicious snake soup in china, sheep’s eyes in Saudi Arabia… and wonder what to do; especially you are guests in someone’s home. Be brave, take small bites, and pretend it tastes like something you like. Remember that some Buddhists don’t eat beef, and Muslims don’t eat pork. If you are eating with Muslims, never touch food with left hand (the left hand is for bathroom use).
Conversations: if you know the history and culture of the country, you will be confident. The French are angry at the classic American question: “What do you do for a living?” and so on.
【小题1】You should learn about _______ of the country if you want to go to another country.

根据所给中文意思，完成下面各句。

1.他需要一个安静的房间休息。

He needs a                   to have a rest.

2.我们不仅要学习现代科技，还要关注传统文化。

We should not only learn the modern technology but also pay attention to         culture.

3.有些城市禁止在公共汽车上吃食物。

In some cities, it is not allowed to eat                        .

4.在你生气的时候请不要做任何决定。

Please don’t             when you are angry.

5.她在英语方面比她弟弟好得多。

She is much            at English than her brother.

Long long ago, a king had a big rock placed in the middle of a very busy road. Then he hid nearby to see if anyone would move the rock out of the way to make it convenient for others. Some of the king’s wealthiest supporters came past and simply walked around it. Many others complained about the rock and some blamed the king for the problem. To the king’s surprise, no one did anything about moving it out of the way.

Finally, a poor farmer came along, carrying a load of old vegetables. When he saw the rock, he put down his load, and tried to move the heavy rock to the side of the road. No one stopped to help him. Many laughed at him and made jokes as they walked past. Finally, after much pushing and straining, and with no help , the farmer managed(设法) to get the rock to the side of the road. As he bent down to pick up his vegetables, he noticed a small bag lying in the road, exactly where the rock had been. There was a lot of money and a note in the bag. The note was from the king saying that the money was for the person who moved the rock out of the way.

Taking responsibility(责任) is about solving hard problems. The farmer takes responsibility when no one else is prepared to. It does not always mean that you will get an instant reward, but it is a value that builds up a community, and makes life better for all of us.

1.The word “convenient” in Paragraph1 means        in Chinese.

A．重要的           B．方便的           C．必要的           D．有用的

2.Why did the king put a big rock in the middle of the road?

A．To see if anyone would move the rock away.

B．To see who was the most powerful.

C．To find out who was the most poorest.

D．To see how people walked around it.

3.Who moved the rock away？

A．The king                              B．The king’s supporters.

C．The wealthy                           D．A poor farmer

4.The story mainly tells us that           .

A．everyone should learn to take responsibility

B．nobody likes to solve hard problems

C．taking responsibility always means getting a reward

D．the poor always take more responsibility than the rich

Guo Liqin, 24, works as a primary school teacher in a distant area in Yunnan Province. The Internet offers him the latest news and entertainment from the outside world. And many people like him also depends on the online libraries for the free literature(文学) reading.
A survey in China last year found the online literature is the biggest growth area of Internet entertainment.
Reading for free is also popular in other countries. See what solutions other countries are taking.
Public Libraries
In countries such as Germany, Canada, and the UK, governments pay the authors to have their books in public libraries.
The pay is different from country to country. Some pay according to how many times a book has been borrowed; others pay according to whether the library has bought the book or not.
Google Books
Google Books allow users to see some free parts before buying them.
The author can choose to make from 20% to 100% of the book’s content(内容) for free reading . But you can see a full view of books that are out of copyright(版权).
E-magazines
E-magazines are usually about pop culture, and make money through advertisements. The writers are usually paid by the numbers of words they write.
Digital Library
There are many free online libraries of books which are no longer in copyright.
American and European websites offer classic(古典的) literature and non-fiction texts like dictionaries for download in different languages.
【小题1】Guo Liqin depends on          for free reading.