In many countries, tattoos are in fashion （时尚）. On TV you can often see a famous actor or musician with a tattoo on his arm or foot. Many sports players have them, too. In the US, tattoos are very popular. Forty percent of Americans aged between 26 and 40 have a tattoo, and 60 percent of customers in US tattoo parlors are women. These people are often professional people like doctor, teachers and lawyers.
However, tattoos are not modern. In fact, they are very old in human history. For example, archaeologists* found a human in ice from 5,000 years ago. He had 57 tattoos on his back, ankles, legs, knees and feet. Tattoos were used for many different reasons. In ancient Egypt, people got tattoos because they were “beautiful”. But in ancient Rome, tattoos were negative and put on criminals* and prisoners. In India, tattoos were religious *.
In the 16th and 17th century, European sailors arrived on the islands of Polynesia. They saw tattoos for the first time. The people on the islands had tattoos on their shoulders, chests, backs and legs. Often the tattoos were of animals or natural features like a river or a mountain. The European sailors liked them and made their own tattoos, so the idea traveled to Europe. Tattoos in Polynesia are still important today. They show information about a person’s history, their island or their job.
So is there a connection between traditional tattoos and fashionable tattoos? And can you call tattoos a fashion? Chris Rainier is an expert in tattoos and his book Ancient Marks has photos of tattoos from all over the world. He thinks people in modern societies often have tattoos because they are a connection to the traditional world. But tattoos aren’t a fashion like clothes or a haircut because you can’t put them on and take them off again like a jacket or a hat. They are permanent* and for life.
【小题1】When were tattoos brought to Europe?| A．5,000 years ago. | B．60 years ago. |
| C．Until recently. | D．In the 16th and 17th century. |
| A．school. | B．stores. | C．factories. | D．theaters. |
| A．Tattoos are religious in modern societies. | B．Tattoos connect tradition with fashion. |
| C．Tattoos are a fashion among famous people. | D．Tattoos show information about a person’s hobby. |
| A．Tattoos’ History. | B．Tattoos in Polynesia. |
| C．Tattoos on a Human in Ice. | D．Tattoos in Fashion and for Life. |
| Holland | Special year birthdays such as 5, 10, 15, 20, 21 are called “crown” years. The birthday child receives an especially large gift on a crown year birthday. The family also decorates(装饰) the birthday child’s chair at the dining room table with flowers, paper streamers and balloons. |
| Brazil | The birthday child receives a pull on the ear for each year he/she has been alive. The birthday person also gives the first piece of cake to his/her most special friend or relative(亲戚), usually mom or dad. |
| Korea | There is a big family party on the first birthday. The table is set with food, and four items: a pencil, a ruler, thread(线), and money. The item that the baby chooses(选择) is said to tell his/her future: excellent student, good with hands, long life or riches. |
| South Africa | On the twenty-first birthday, a key made of anything from paper to silver to gold is presented by the parents as a sign that the child is ready to unlock(打开) the door to their future(未来). |
【小题1】The family decorates the birthday child’s ________ beautifully in Holland.
| A．cup | B．plate | C．chair | D．table |
| A．teacher | B．most special friend | C．dad | D．mom |
| A．be an excellent student | B．be good with hands |
| C．have a long life | D．have much money |
| A．1st | B．21st | C．10th | D．20th |
| A．The child is the father of the man. |
| B．How to make birthday parties meaningful. |
| C．Birthday parties are the same all over the world. |
| D．Special year birthdays in difference countries. |
Many expressions that we use in American English come from novels. Today we will look at some of them from Lewis Carroll's famous novel "Alice in Wonderland" in detail.
The story is about a young girl falling down a rabbit hole. When she finally lands, she finds herself in a strange world and meets some strange characters.
The first character Alice meets is the White Rabbit, who runs past her and says some strange words. Alice chases（追赶）him, and that is where her adventures begin.
In English, chasing a white rabbit means chasing an impossible clue and finding yourself in a misleading situation.
Then, as she runs after the rabbit, she falls down the rabbit hole into Wonderland.
To fall down the rabbit hole can mean to enter a confusing（令人困惑的）situation. However, usually we use this expression to mean we get interested in something to the point of distraction（分神）.It often happens by accident and is about something not that meaningful.
Later in the story, Alice meets the March Hare and the Hatter at a crazy tea party. Hares（野兔）have long been thought to behave excitedly in March, which is their mating（交配）season. Scientifically, this may not be true. But to be mad as a March Hare means that someone is completely mad, or crazy. The expression mad as a Hatter also means to be completely crazy. Of the two, mad as a Hatter is more common. But don't tell the March Hare. Who knows how he will react（反应）！
Near the end of the story, Alice meets the Queen of Hearts. A woman who is called a Queen of Hearts likes controlling others and always tries to control everything and everyone around her.
【小题1】Which of the following situations best fits the expressions to fall down a rabbit hole?
| A．When Tom was taking a walk in the forest, he suddenly fell over onto the ground. |
| B．When Mary turned on the TV, she chose to watch the talk show programme as usual. |
| C．When Jim was looking for a sport book online, he lost himself in many report on surperstars. |
| D．When Lily was thinking about how to solve a math problem, she came up with a good idea. |
| A．describes how hares behave in March |
| B．shows hares' characteristics in a scientific way |
| C．is used more often than the expression mad as a Hatter. |
| D．has the same meaning as the expression mad as a Hatter |
| A．Alice | B．The March Hare |
| C．The Hatter | D．The Queen of Hearts. |
| A．introduce a famous novel and its language style |
| B．introduce a famous writer Lewis Carroll and his novels |
| C．explore some English expressions from a famous novel |
| D．explain why many expressions in English come from novels |
At table, the British people pay special attention to table manners. For example, they shouldn’t talk at table or beat tableware (餐具). They have a strict requirement on how to use knives and forks, while Americans seldom do so. They like fast and convenient food. American’s favorite food are hamburgers, fried chicken and pizza. These diets keep the American obesity rate high. But from the diet habits, it is not difficult for us to find that the American do everything vigorously (活泼地) and resolutely and do not spend too much on the trifles (琐事).
There are also lots of different manners between Americans and Chinese, and some are totally even opposite. For Americans, when friends gather together, they do not like to talk about their salary (工资), age and marriage. They think they are their privacy (隐私) and they are more likely to keep their privacy. But in China, people like talking about them. In America, when people meet strangers, they prefer people to call their shortnames, because it would show how close they are. But in China, it is impolite to do that. In America, you will be hated if you say someone is old and do something special for them, because they think old people are useless in the world. For Chinese, old people are glad to hear that and you will be praised for doing things freely for old people. They like the sense of being respected.
There are different manners in different countries. And we should follow them when we travel to other countries.
【小题1】According to the first paragraph, British people _____.| A．often talk with each other at table | B．always beat tableware at table |
| C．have high obesity rate | D．are strict on how to use knives and forks |
| A．犹豫地 | B．果断地 | C．粗心地 | D．懒散地 |
| A．food | B．marriage | C．weather | D．short names |
| A．hated | B．respected | C．praised | D．laughed |
| A．British people like fast and convenient food. |
| B．It is polite to call people’s short names in China. |
| C．People are encouraged to do things freely for old people in America. |
| D．Calling people’s short names shows how close they are in America. |
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