The English have the reputation of being very different from all other nationalities.It is claimed that living on an island separated from the rest of Europe has much to do with it.Whatever the reasons, it may be fairly stated that the Englishman has developed some attitudes and habits distinguishing him from other nationalities.
Broadly speaking, the Englishman is a quiet, shy, and reserved person among people he knows well.Before strangers he often seems inhibited, even embarrassed.You have only to witness a railway compartment any morning or evening to see the truth.Serious-looking businessmen and women sit reading their newspapers or dozing(打盹)in a corner, and no one speaks.An English wit once suggested to overseas visitors, "On entering a railway compartment shake hands with all the passengers." Needless to say, he was not being serious.There is an unwritten but clearly understood code of behavior, which, if broken, makes the person immediately the object of suspicion.
It is well known that the English seldom show openly extremes of enthusiasm, emotion etc.Of course, an Englishman feels no less than any other nationality.Imagine a man commenting on the great beauty of a young girl.A man of more emotional temperament might describe her as "a marvelous jewel", while the Englishman will flatly state "Um, she's all right." An Englishman may recommend a highly successful and enjoyable film to friends by commenting, "It's not bad." The overseas visitors must not be disappointed by this apparent lack of interest.They must realize that "all right", "not bad" are very often used with the sense of "first class", "excellent".This special use of language is particularly common in English.
1.One explanation for the different character of English people is that ________.
A.they are geographically isolated from the European continent
B.they have nothing to do with the other Europeans
C.they like to keep quiet among their acquaintances
D.they tend to be reserved by nature
2.Examda.CoM
讨厌
.The word "inhibited" (Line 2, Para.2) in this passage probably means ________ .
A.unable to have good manners
B.unable to express and relax freely
C.able to act properly
D.able to talk freely
3.According to the passage, on entering a railway compartment, an overseas visitor is expected to ________ .
A.inquire about the code of behavior in the train
B.shake hands with all the passengers
C.shake hands with the person he knows
D.behave like an Englishman
4.The English way of commenting on something or somebody suggests that ________.
A.the English are modest in most circumstances
B.the English feel no less than any other nationality
C.the English tend to display less emotion than they feel
D.the English don't take a strong interest in making comment
ABDC
A. Profits enlarging B. Technology developing C. Education investing D. Benefits transferring E. Dominance disappearing F. A nation rising |
The following is an imaginary diary entry written by US president. This diary is part of Global Trends 2025, which was written by the US National Intelligence Council
80
The
81
The
82
Global wealth and economic power will shift from West to East.
83
84
The transition from old fuels to new will be slow, as will the development of new technologies that present feasible alternatives to fossil fuels or help eliminate food and water problems. All current technologies are inadequate, and new ones will probably not be commercially possible by 2025