(A)
Before you go to another country it is a great help if you know the language and some of the customs(风俗)of the country.
When people meet each other for the first time in Britain, they say “How do you do?” and shake hands(握手). Usually they do not shake hands when they just meet or say goodbye. But they shake hands when they haven’t met for a long time or when they will be away form each other for a long time.
Last year a group of German students went to England for a holiday. Their teacher told them that the English people hardly ever shake hands. So when they met their English friends at the station, they kept their hands behind their backs. The English students had learned that the Germans shake hands as often as possible, so they put their hands in front and got ready to shake hands with them. It made both of them laugh.
1. It is _____ if you know the language and some of the customs of a country before you pay a visit to that country.
A. not useful B. not helpful C. very helpful D. very bad
2. English people usually shake hands when they ______.
A. meet every time B. meet for the first time
C. say goodbye to each other D. say hello to each other
3. Usually, English people don’t shake hands _____.
A. when they will be away for a long time B. when they say “How do you do?”
C. when they just meet or say goodbye D. when they haven’t met for a long time
4. Which is right?
A. German people shake hands as often as possible.
B. English people like shaking hands very much
C. German people hardly ever shake hands.
D. Both English people and Germans don’t like shaking hands.
5. This story is about _____.
A. shaking hands B. languages
C. customs D. languages and customs
(B)
Why does the Leading Tower of Piza(比萨斜塔) in Italy lean(倾斜)? It leans because of a mistake. It has leaned almost since the day the tower was built.
In 1174, the people of Piza, Italy wanted to build a bell tower. They wanted the tower to be the most beautiful bell tower in all of Italy. The city also needed a bell tower because the church did not have one.
As soon as the first floor of the building was finished, the tower started to lean. Builders tried to make the building straight again as they added more floors, but the Leaning Tower only got worse as the tower grew.
It took almost 180 years to finish the tower. It is 54.5 metres tall, and it leans almost 4 metres to one side. The tower is also sinking into the ground on which it was built. Every year, the tower leans another 1.5 centimetres.
Like all old buildings, it is also falling apart. If someone cannot figure out(想出) a way to save the tower, the Leaning Tower of Piza will fall down after 175 more years.
1. The Leaning Tower of Piza is in _____.
A. America B. Canada C. England D. Italy
2. People built the Leaning Tower of Piza in ______.
A. 1175 B. 1165 C. 1174 D. 1800
3. The Leaning Tower of Piza is ____ metres tall, and it leans almost ____ metres to one side.
A. 180; 54.5 B. 175; 4 C. 54.5; 4 D. 180; 4
4. People finished the Leaning Tower of Piza nearly in ______.
A. 1174 B. 1245 C. 1340 D. 1354
5. Which of the following is not true?
A. The Leaning Tower of Piza leans less than 0.5 centimetres every year.
B. The Leaning Tower of Piza is a bell tower.
C. It took almost 180 years to finish the Leaning Tower of Piza.
D. The Leaning Tower of Piza maybe falls down after 175 more years.