Eat, drink and be merry. That’s what the Spring Festival is all about. But there are millions of people, too, who love to let happiness go up in smoke.

       Offering cigarettes to guests is a traditional Chinese way of showing respect to them. A cup of tea and cigarettes are perhaps the most common way of welcoming a guest in China, especially during festive occasions such as the Lunar New Year.

       No wonder, 40 percent of the people surveyed recently said they would smoke at least twice the usual number of cigarettes during the Spring Festival holiday because of all those gatherings  and parties. Only 20 percent of the respondents said they would refuse a cigarette when offered one. Why can't the others do the same? Because they could be seen as being rude, said more than half of the respondents. Fifteen percent feared they could be taken as "someone who cannot get along well with others".

       The Think-tank Research Center for Health Development and Sohu.com survey shows 61 percent Chinese think offering a cigarette is useful for socializing, and 52 percent have offered cigarettes to others. The study polled 3,800 people, 64 percent of them men.

       One-third of those polled were smokers, out of which 57 percent said they couldn't give up smoking because of the offering-and-accepting culture. "People have accepted offering cigarettes as an effective way of making friends." research center director Wu Yiqun says.

       China has more than 350 million smokers, catering to the tobacco market that is worth 500 billion yuan. "The survey shows we still have a lot of work to do," she says. "Since Beijing is trying to make the Olympic Games smoke-free, it is time to let people know that offering a cigarette is a bad habit and it should be given up immediately."

1．The passage is written with the purpose of        .

       A．telling us a custom about the Chinese Spring Festival

       B．introducing a way to make friends with Chinese

       C．stopping smoking during the Beijing Olympics

       D．telling us that offering cigarettes is a bad habit

2．The third paragraph mainly tells us             .

       A．the fact that smokers are greatly increasing during the festival

       B．the reason why refusing cigarettes is acceptable

       C．the fact that  many people have to smoke more cigarettes during the festival

       D．it is rude to attend parties without smoking cigarettes

3．Which of the following may not be the reason that  makes many people fail to refuse the offered cigarette?

       A．It’s impolite to refuse.     B．Smoking is harmful to non-smokers.

       C．They want to be friendly. D．It’s a kind of social habit.

4．The writer mentions the 500 billion yuan tobacco market because            .

       A．the tobacco market is  not developing smoothly

       B．the writer thinks that smoking wasters a lot of money.

       C．smoking is helpful to the tobacco market

       D．the tobacco market attracts too many smokers

5．We can infer from the passage that             .

       A．people will be free to smoke during the Beijing Olympic Games.

       B．only a few smokers still have the habit of offering cigarettes

       C．offering cigarettes is the most effective way for socializing

       D．some non-smokers will even accept the offered cigarettes

Eat，drink can be merry．That’s what the spring Festival is a11 about．But there are millions of people，too,who love to 1et happiness go up in smoke．　

　 Offering cigarettes to guests is a traditional Chinese way of showing respect to them．A cup of tea and cigarettes are perhaps the most common way of welcoming a guest in China，especially during festive occasions.

　 No wonder，40 percent of the people surveyed recently said they would smoke at least twice the usual number of cigarettes during the spring Festival because of all those gatherings and parties. Only 20 percent of the respondents said they would refuse a cigarette when offered one．Why can't the others do the same? Because they could be seen as being rude，said more than half of the respondent. Fifteen percent feared they could be taken as“ someone who cannot get along well with others”．The Think-tank Research Center for Health Development and sohu.com.survey．shows 6l

percent Chinese think offering a cigarette is useful for socializing，and 52 percent have offered cigarettes to others. the study surveyed 3,800 people，64 percent of were men．　 ．　 ，

One-third of those surveyed were smokers，out of which 57 percent said they couldn’t give up smoking because of the offering-and accepting culture．“People have accepted offering cigarettes as an effective way of making friends,” research center director Wu Yiqun said．

China has more than 350 million smokers，catering to the tobacco market that is worth 500 billion yuan.“The survey shows we sti11 have a 1ot of work to do” Wu said．It is time to let people know that offering a cigarette is a bad habit and it should be given up immediately．”

1．The passage is written with the purpose of______>

A．telling us a custom about the Chinese Spring Festival

B．Introducing a way to make friends with Chinese

C．Stopping smoking

D．telling us that offering cigarettes is a bad habit

2．The third paragraph mainly tells us_______．

A. the fact that smokers are greatly increasing during the festival

B. the reason why refusing cigarettes is acceptable

C．the fact that many people have to smoke more cigarettes during the festival

D. it is rude to attend parties without smoking cigarettes

3．Which of the following may NOT be the reason that makes many people fail to refuse the offered cigarette?

A. It’s impolite to refuse．　　　 B Smoking is harmful to non-smokers。

C．They want to be friendly．　　　 D．It’s a kind of social habit．

4．The writer mentions the 500 billion yuan tobacco market because____>

A．the tobacco market is not developing smoothly

B. the writer thinks that smoking wastes a lot of money

C．smoking is helpful to the tobacco market

D. the tobacco market attracts too many smokers

5．We can infer from the passage that_______.

A. people will be free to smoke

B. only a few smokers still have the habit of offering cigarettes

C．offering cigarettes is the most effective way for socializing

D．some non—smokers wi1l even accept the offered cigarettes

 

Why do we need friends? Well, having friends may well keep you healthier and help you deal with stress better. Some studies show that people with close friends have a greater ability to fight disease than people who are lonely. But never take a friendship for granted. Like a good marriage, friendship needs care and patience（耐心）.Here is something to remember to maintain（維持）a friendship:

    Make friendship the most important thing. Find the time to be with your friends even if it means letting the grass go unmoved or the dishes unwashed for a while. When you can’t get together, use the phone to keep in touch.

    Open up to close friends. Don’t be afraid to express your inner fears and disappointments. Listen to your friends when they have problems, but offer advice only when it’s wanted.

    Have different friends for different activities, such as going to the movies, singing in a choir, or taking part in a bowling league.

    Don’t wait for a friend to ask a favor. When a friend has the flu, offer to go to the store to buy some pills or drive his / her children to their after-school activities.

    How to make new friends?

    You can start a group, such as a discussion group on gardening or books. Place an ad in a community newspaper to find people.

    Talk to strangers to find new friends. You should be cautious（謹慎的）and use your common sense, of course. Conversations started in museums, laundry rooms, or bookstores can lead to firm friendships.

    Enroll in an adult-education course. A classroom is a good place to meet others with similar interests.

48. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A. How to make new friends.                B. Why do we need friends.

C. How to keep a friendship.                 D. How to gain friends’ trust.

49. We can learn from the passage that             .

A. We should not give advice to our friends anytime we want to

B. We should offer to help our friends even if they don’t need help at all

C. It’s impolite to have different activities with different groups of friends

D. People with friends can live longer than those who don’t have friends

50. According to the author, _______ are good places to find people sharing your interests.

A. libraries                        B. markets

C. laundry rooms        D. classrooms

 

Why do we need friends? Well, having friends may well keep you healthier and help you deal with stress better. Some studies show that people with close friends have a greater ability to fight disease than people who are lonely. But never take a friendship for granted. Like a good marriage, friendship needs care and patience（耐心）.Here is something to remember to maintain（維持）a friendship:

    Make friendship the most important thing. Find the time to be with your friends even if it means letting the grass go unmoved or the dishes unwashed for a while. When you can’t get together, use the phone to keep in touch.

    Open up to close friends. Don’t be afraid to express your inner fears and disappointments. Listen to your friends when they have problems, but offer advice only when it’s wanted.

    Have different friends for different activities, such as going to the movies, singing in a choir, or taking part in a bowling league.

    Don’t wait for a friend to ask a favor. When a friend has the flu, offer to go to the store to buy some pills or drive his / her children to their after-school activities.

    How to make new friends?

    You can start a group, such as a discussion group on gardening or books. Place an ad in a community newspaper to find people.

    Talk to strangers to find new friends. You should be cautious（謹慎的）and use your common sense, of course. Conversations started in museums, laundry rooms, or bookstores can lead to firm friendships.

    Enroll in an adult-education course. A classroom is a good place to meet others with similar interests.

48. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A. How to make new friends.                B. Why do we need friends.

C. How to keep a friendship.                 D. How to gain friends’ trust.

49. We can learn from the passage that             .

A. We should not give advice to our friends anytime we want to

B. We should offer to help our friends even if they don’t need help at all

C. It’s impolite to have different activities with different groups of friends

D. People with friends can live longer than those who don’t have friends

50. According to the author, _______ are good places to find people sharing your interests.

A. libraries                   B. markets

C. laundry rooms       D. classrooms

Bright red post boxes, the Queen and queuing－What do they all have in common? They are all part of British life. Or so I thought.

However, the ability to queue for long periods of time, once believed to be a traditional character of the British, is no longer tolerated by people in the UK, according to a survey done for British bank Barclays.

Once upon a time, queuing was seen as normal. During the Second World War, everyone had to queue up to receive their daily ration（配給）of foods. In fact, if you didn’t stand up and wait in line with all the others, it was seen as impolite.

The famous English double－deck buses, with only one entrance, might also help explain why queuing was seen as a part of life. Almost always, there is queue to get on. But perhaps the British are tired of being pushed past by the Spanish, the Italians or the French as they queue up to get a table at a restaurant. The people of these other European countries have more than one entrance to their buses, which could explain their more relaxed attitude to the queue.

Two minutes is now the longest time most British are prepared to stand and wait. But could it be that the Internet, which allows us to carry out tasks quickly, is the main reason why British people are no longer prepared to queue?

“Used to buying without delay, customers are even abandoning purchases rather than wait their turn,” says Stuart Neat of Barclaycard. “Shoppers are also less likely to queue for long if the item they are buying is of low value.”

Perhaps I will have to replace “queuing” with “impatience” in my list of things I associate with the British.

60. What can we learn about the tradition of queuing in Britain from the article?

A. It was considered as a symbol of polite behavior among the British.

B. It is what makes British different from other European countries.

C. It was a product of the slow pace of life in old times.

D. It is a long time tradition as old as the queen.

61. According to the passage, the British gradually stopped queuing because _______.

 A. they prefer shopping online to going to the shops

B. they follow the example of foreigners in Britain

C. the use of the Internet has changed their way of life

D. British buses now have more than one entrance

62. The purpose of the passage is to _______.

 A. list some things that are associated with the British

B. introduce the change in the British way of life

C. express writer’s approval of changes in the British way of life

D. complain about the British losing patience

63. Which is the best title of the passage?

A. Queuing Is a Part of Life Now.                            B. The British Queue up at a Restaurant.

C. UK Won’t Wait Now.                                          D. The British Have No Patience Now.