Areport consistently brought back by visitors to the U.S. is how friendly, court-组卷网

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A report consistently brought back by visitors to the U.S. is how friendly, courteous and helpful most Americans were to them. To be fair, this observation is also frequently made of Canada and Canadians, and should best be considered North American. There are, of course exceptions. Small-minded officials, rude waiters and ill-mannered taxi drivers are hardly unknown in the U.S. Yet it is an observation made so frequently that it deserves comment.

For a long period of time and in many parts of the country, a traveler was a welcome break in an otherwise dull existence. Dullness and loneliness were common problems of families who generally lived distant from one another. Strangers and travelers were welcome sources of diversion, and brought news of the outside world.

The harsh realities of the frontier also shaped this tradition of hospitality. Someone traveling alone, if hungry, injured or ill, often had nowhere to turn except to the nearest cabin or settlement. It was not a matter of choice for the traveler or merely a charitable impulse on the part of the settlers. It reflected the harshness of daily life: If you didn’t take in the stranger and take care of him, there was no one else who would. And someday, remember, you might be in the same situation.

Today, there are many charitable organizations which specialize in helping the weary travelers. Yet, the old tradition of hospitality to strangers is still very strong in the U.S., especially in the smaller cities and towns away from the busy tourist trails. “I was just traveling through, got talking with this American, and pretty soon, he invited me home for dinner — amazing.” Such observations reported by visitors to the U.S. are not uncommon, but are not always understood properly. The casual friendliness of many Americans should be interpreted neither as superficial nor as artificial, but as the result of a historically developed cultural tradition.

As is true of any developed society, in America, a complex set of cultural signals, assumptions and conventions underlies all social interrelationships. And, of course, speaking a language does not necessarily mean that someone understands social and cultural patterns. Visitors who fail to “translate” cultural meanings properly often draw wrong conclusions. For example, when an American uses the word “friend,” the cultural implications of the word may be quite different from those it has in the visitor’s language and culture. It takes more than a brief encounter on a bus to distinguish between courteous convention and individual interest. Yet, being friendly is a virtue that many Americans value highly and expect from both neighbors and strangers.

【小题1】In the eyes of visitors from the outside world, __________.

A．rude taxi drivers are rarely seen in the U.S.

B．small-minded officials deserve a serious comment

C．Canadians are not as friendly as their neighbors

D．most Americans are ready to offer help

【小题2】It could be inferred from the passage that __________.

A．social patterns and historical traditions are inseparable

B．people in remote and difficult areas used to be more friendly

C．various virtues exposed to strangers or neighbors are superficial

D．being friendly to strangers is particularly important to Americans

【小题3】The tradition of American hospitality to strangers __________.

A．tends to be superficial and artificial

B．is generally well kept up in the United States

C．is always understood properly

D．has something to do with the busy tourist trails

【小题4】Which of the following can be learned from the last paragraph?

A．American culture is confusing to most travelers.

B．Americans usually don’t mean what they say.

C．Words don’t always translate American culture properly.

D．Learning English is the first thing to known American culture.

23-24高二上·上海·期末

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Some people take their holiday decoration very seriously. And some take it to the next level. The Griffith family in Kenova, West Virginia, is in this camp. They put on a display that shows they’re just filled with Halloween spirit.

Each year, this family displays 3,000 pumpkins (南瓜) in front of their home for the Halloween season. Yes, you read that right. Ric Griffith puts out one jack-o’ -lantern (南瓜灯) for every person who lives in Kenova.

Of course, he doesn’t do it all on his own. He has a lot of help from his family, and also from members of the community who are super-proud of what has become quite the tourist attraction over the years. More than 30,000 people stop by to see the amazing display, which includes jack‑o’ ‑lanterns cut to look like the faces of famous people, animals, cartoon characters, and other creative designs. It’s certainly a must-see as part of the area’s Ceredo-Kenova Autumnfest.

To fit in all 3,000 pumpkins, Griffith and his helpers spread them across the home’s garden and front porch (门廊), as well as on the roof!

Griffith began the tradition back in 1978 with just five pumpkins and, many years later, it’s much bigger and better. People can’t help but come to the area, walking along the sidewalk outside the house to get that perfect Halloween experience.

“Locals take great pride in it, and then there are people from around the country who plan fall trips and include it in their trips so they can see it,” said Tyson Compton, president of the Cabell‑Huntington Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s really something.”

“It’s become a tradition for many people in our area, and it feels good to keep that going,” Griffith said.

【小题1】What does the underlined word “that” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．The Griffiths selling 3,000 pumpkins a day.

B．Ric Griffith giving 3,000 jack-o’ ‑lanterns to tourists.

C．Ric Griffith teaching 3,000 people how to display jack-o’ ‑lanterns.

D．The Griffiths decorating their house with 3,000 pumpkins.

【小题2】What can we learn from Paragraph 3?

A．Ric Griffith’s idea has received support from his community.

B．There are only two kinds of jack-o’ ‑lanterns.

C．Ric Griffith dislikes asking for help from others.

D．There are 30,000 people in Kenova.

【小题3】What do we know about the tradition?

A．It began with 1,978 pumpkins.

B．It has lasted more than 40 years.

C．It includes five pumpkin competitions.

D．It encourages people to do more exercise.

【小题4】What’s Tyson Compton’s attitude towards the tradition?

A．Worried.	B．Uncaring.
C．Favorable.	D．Uncertain.

Most people buy a lot of gifts just before Christmas. But some people think we buy too much. They have started a special day called Buy Nothing Day. They don’t want anyone to go shopping on that day.

Buy Nothing Day is November 29. It’s 25 days before Christmas. It’s after Thanksgiving Day and often the first day of Christmas shopping. At this time, we see ads in Newspapers and on TV telling us to “buy, buy, buy!”

The idea for Buy Nothing Day started in Vancouver, British Columbia. Now people all over the world celebrate Buy Nothing Day. In California, parents and children get together to read stories, sing songs, and paint pictures. The children talk about why they don’t need a lot of toys. This year, in Manchester, England, people dressed up in costumes (统一服装) to tell people that we buy too much.

In Albuquerque, New Mexico, high school students wanted to tell other students about Buy Nothing Day. They organized a spaghetti dinner to give people information about Buy Nothing Day. They asked restaurants in the neighborhood to donate (捐赠) the food. They made posters and talked to other students about it. The dinner was a big success, and many students agreed not to buy anything on November 29. The students at high schools liked the idea of this new tradition. Next year, they want to have another dinner to tell more people about Buy Nothing Day!

【小题1】Which of the following is NOT the day for people to celebrate Buy Nothing Day?