The United States has always been a country of many cultures. Before Europeans came to North America, many groups of Native Americans lived here. Different Native American groups had different cultures. The first Europeans in the United States were from England and Holland, but immigrants came from all European countries. Many people also immigrated from Asia and Africa. Sadly, many Africans were brought to the United States as slaves. Many immigrants come from Latin America too. Today, the United States has people from more cultures than ever.
In the 19th century, people spoke of the United States as a “melting pot.” People thought that all immigrates should forget their native cultures and languages and become English-speaking Americans. They felt that people should assimilate-join American culture. However, not everyone wanted to assimilate completely. Many people tried to keep parts of their cultures, such as foods, customs, and languages. However, their children often forgot their parents’ or grandparents’ language. But most Americans, even those whose families have been here a long time, can tell the countries their relatives came from. And of course, new immigrants take great pride in their curare and language.
For all of these reasons, melting pot is no longer a good way to describe the United States. Instead, people now call the United States a “salad bowl.” They say salad bowl because in a salad, you can still see all of the individual parts (lettuce, tomato, and so on), but all the different parts mixed together and begin to take on the flavor of one another.
【小题1】Who are not mentioned as immigrants to America?

A．Europeans	B．Asians
C．Australians	D．Latin Americans

【小题2】The underlined word “assimilate” in paragraph 2 means .

A．delight	B．accept
C．challenge	D．reject

【小题3】Why is a “salad bowl” a better way to call the United States instead of a “melting pot”?

A．Immigrants love to eat salads instead of hot pot

B．Immigrants take pride in their culture and language

C．Immigrants join American culture only partially

D．Immigrants remain independent completely

【小题4】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．America and Immigrants

B．Different Groups, Different Cultures

C．America – A Salad Bowl

D．America – A Great Country

   It is awkward（令人尴尬的）when everyone around you bursts out laughing at a joke that you do not find funny, especially if it's a joke told in a foreign language.

While Chinese students find it easy to adapt to a foreign lifestyle, socializing with locals is much harder, according to a recent study. Researchers looked at how well Chinese students made themselves a part of communities across the world. Of all the activities they struggled with, understanding jokes was considered the toughest.

Most of the time, jokes are funny only for people who share a common cultural background or are aware of humor in the same way.

Being able to understand local jokes can help students feel a sense of belonging. But even without the ability to understand jokes, students should not feel any less confident about themselves.

"It's OK if you don't get the jokes. Don't doubt yourself because in most time, it is not a problem of language ability but a matter of the known and unknown, "said Christine Han, who was once an overseas student and is now an Australian permanent resident.

Australia is ready-made for jokes, thanks to its history as a colony for prisoners, its unusual accent, the inner bush country and its strange food. However, to most Chinese overseas students, understanding jokes about sports is the biggest headache. Sport is an important part of Australian national identity.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 16percent（3. 3 million）of the population aged 15 years and over watched Australian football in 2010. About 9 percent（1. 9 million）attended a rugby league game.

British actor and comedian Simon Pegg discussed the differences between British and American sense of humor in a column of The Guardian. He believes that while Brits use irony（反语）on a daily basis, the Americans do not see the point of using it so frequently . He wrote, "British jokes, on the other hand, tend to be more subtle with a dark or sarcastic（讽刺的）undertone while the American jokes are more obvious and forward, a bit like Americans themselves. "

【小题1】As a whole, many Chinese students ________.

A．tend to understand a small part of the local jokes

B．are difficult to get along with the local people

C．tend to feel the local jokes dull

D．work hard to adapt to the life in foreign countries

【小题2】Why is humor involved in sports in Australia?

A．The Australians have a lot to do with sports in life.

B．Humor comes from their sports.

C．Humor and sports are part of the Australians' life.

D．Sports include much humor.

【小题3】By comparing the jokes in the UK and in the US, we can know the characters of British people and Americans are ________.

A．the same and humorous

B．different but friendly

C．different but humorous

D．outgoing and friendly

   The Parthenon（帕特农神庙）in Athens is a building with a long and complex history. Built nearly 2，500 years ago as a temple celebrating the Greek goddess Athena，it was for thousands of years the church of the Virgin Mary of the Athenians，then a mosque（清真寺），and finally a ruin. The building was changed and the sculptures were much damaged over the centuries. By 1800 only about half of the original sculptural decorations remained.

Between 1801 and 1805，Lord Elgin，the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire（奥斯曼帝国），who controlled Athens，acting with the full knowledge and permission of the Ottoman authorities，removed about half of the remaining sculptures from the fallen ruins and from the building itself. Lord Elgin loved Greek history and carried the sculptures back to Britain. The arrival of the sculptures in London had a huge effect on the European public，greatly increasing interest in ancient Greek culture and influencing the present artistic tendency. These sculptures were gained from Lord Elgin by the British Museum in 1816 and since then they have all been on show to the public，free of charge.

Since the early 1980s，however，the Greek government has argued for the return of all the Parthenon sculptures in the British Museum. They have also challenged the Board of Trustees of the British Museum's legal（合法的）title to the sculptures.

The British Museum，however，insists that it exists to tell the story of cultural achievement throughout the world，from the dawn of human history over two million years ago to the present day. The museum considers itself an important resource for the world: the breadth and depth of its collection allow the world public to reexamine cultural identities（身份）and explore the complex network of interconnected world cultures.

It also says that，within the context of this unparalleled collection，the Parthenon sculptures are an important representation of ancient Athenian civilization. Each year millions of visitors admire the artistry of the sculptures and gain insights on how ancient Greece influenced — and was influenced by — the other civilizations that it came across.

【小题1】What can we infer from the passage？

A．The sculptures introduced ancient Greek culture to the west.

B．Ancient Greek culture has greatly influenced world culture.

C．The British Museum has made much money from the Parthenon sculptures.

D．The British Museum is the most suitable place to protect these sculptures.

【小题2】What can we learn about Lord Elgin from the passage?

A．He is greatly admired in Greece.

B．He worked for the Ottoman Empire.

C．He saved the Parthenon sculptures from being destroyed.

D．He had a deep interest in Greek culture.

【小题3】What's the author's main purpose in writing this passage?

A．To tell the history of the Parthenon and its sculptures.

B．To tell what people can see in the British Museum.

C．To tell why the British Museum refuses to return the sculptures.

D．To tell the influence of Greece on British culture.

语法填空

There are many 【小题1】（think）on the origins（起因）of civilization. One of the major factors involved 【小题2】（be）the increase in population. The development of techniques，mainly irrigation and flood control resulted in agriculture in special areas，【小题3】（make） it possible to feed the growing population. Once populations reached 【小题4】 certain number，the old pattern of social organizations broke down and new ones developed.

【小题5】（early）civilization developed in the Middle East. This was the Bronze Age of the Old World，during 【小题6】 people first developed the art of metallurgy（冶金术）.Civilization also developed 【小题7】（independent）in the New World，such as Mexico，Peru and their 【小题8】（surround）areas.

The Bronze Age 【小题9】（follow）by the Iron Age，which saw the rise and fall of great empires and the shift of power from the Middle East to Greece and Rome and then to Western Europe. 【小题10】 the 1770s the Industrial Age developed，which led directly to modern civilization.

语法填空

China had its first important UFO sighting on the night of July 24, 1981. 【小题1】 large number of people in about 14 provinces reported 【小题2】 (they) sightings. Modern research suggests, 【小题3】, that UFOs are not a new phenomenon (现象) in China. According to historical records, strange objects in space 【小题4】 (find) during the Tang, Yuan, and Ming 【小题5】 (dynasty). A few reports were published (发表) in 1982, one of 【小题6】 titles was “UFOs have already been seen in ancient China”.

The Chinese study of UFOs 【小题7】 (restart) in the late 1970s. In November 1978, the People’s Daily gave UFO reporting the official green light. Other reporters began 【小题8】 (report) UFO news, and in 1980, a group of students from Wuhan University formed the China UFO Research Organization and got support 【小题9】 the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The Chinese people became more interested in topics about aliens, UFOs and other 【小题10】 (explain) things.