Food serves as a form of communication in two fundamental ways. Sharing bread or other foods is a common human tradition that can promote unity and trust. Food can also have a specific meaning, and play a significant role in a family or culture's celebrations or traditions. The foods we eat—and when and how we eat them—are often unique to a particular culture or may even differ between rural (农村的) and urban areas within one country.
Sharing bread, whether during a special occasion (时刻) or at the family dinner table, is a common symbol of togetherness. Many cultures also celebrate birthdays and marriages with cakes that are cut and shared among the guests. Early forms of cake were simply a kind of bread, so this tradition hits its roots in the custom of sharing bread.
Food also plays an important role in many New Year celebrations. In the southern United States, pieces of corn bread represent blocks of gold for prosperity (兴旺) in the New Year. In Greece, people share a special cake called vasilopita. A coin is put into the cake, which signifies (预示) success in the New Year for the person who receives it.
Many cultures have ceremonies to celebrate the birth of a child, and food can play a significant role. In China, when a baby is one month old, families name and welcome their child in a celebration that includes giving red-colored eggs to guests. In many cultures, round foods such as grapes, bread, and moon cakes are eaten at welcome celebrations to represent family unity.
Nutrition is necessary for life, so it is not surprising that food is such an important part of different cultures around the world.
【小题1】According to the passage, sharing bread______.

A．indicates a lack of food

B．can help to develop unity

C．is a custom unique to rural areas

D．has its roots in birthday celebrations

【小题2】What does the coin in vasilopita signify for its receiver in the New Year?

A．Trust.	B．Success.
C．Health.	D．Togetherness.

【小题3】The author explains the role of food in celebrations by______.

A．using examples	B．making comparisons
C．analyzing causes	D．describing processes

【小题4】What is the passage mainly about?

A．The custom of sharing food.

B．The specific meaning of food.

C．The role of food in ceremonies.

D．The importance of food in culture.

   Whether you’re eating at a fancy restaurant or dining in someone’s home, proper table manners are likely to help you make a good impression. According to a US expert, Emily Post, “All rules of table manners are made to avoid ugliness.”

While Henry Hitchings of the Los Angeles Times admits that good manners can reduce social conflict, he points out that mostly their purpose is protective — they turn our natural warrior^_ like selves into more elegant ones.

So where did table manners come from?

In medieval England, a writer named Petrus Alfonsi took the lead to urge people not to speak with their mouths full. And King David I of Scotland also proposed that any of his people who learned to eat more neatly be given a tax deduction (减除).

Disappointingly, that idea never caught on. It was during the Renaissance, when there were real technical developments, opinions of correct behavior changed for good. “None of these was more significant than the introduction of the table fork,” wrote Hitchings. “Gradually, as forks became popular, they brought the new way of eating, making it possible, for instance, to consume berries without making one’s fingers dirty.”

Forks were introduced to Britain in 1608 and 25 years later, the first table fork reached America. Yet while most of the essentials (基本要素) are the same on both sides of the Atlantic, there are a few clear differences between what’s normal in the US and what holds true in the UK. For example, in the US, when food needs cutting with a knife, people generally cut a bite, then lay aside the knife and switch the fork to their right hand. Then they pick up one bite at a time. By contrast, Britons keep the fork in the left hand and don’t lay the knife down.

Though globalization has developed a new, simpler international standard of table manners, some people still stick with the American cut-and-switch method. The Los Angeles Times noted, “They are hanging on to a form of behavior that favors manners above efficiency.”

【小题1】What does the story mainly talk about?

A．The importance of proper table manners.

B．The development of table manners in Western countries.

C．Some unwritten rules of table manners in the US and UK.

D．Differences between American and British table manners.

【小题2】The underlined phrase “caught on” in the passage probably means ________.

A．worked in practice

B．became popular

C．drew attention

D．had a positive effect

【小题3】Which of the following events influenced people’s table manners most according to the article?

A．The introduction of forks.

B．The tax deduction policy.

C．The rise of the Renaissance.

D．Petrus Alfonsi’s efforts in promoting table manners.

【小题4】What can we conclude from the article?

A．British and American table manners are completely different from each other.

B．American people pay more attention to their table manners than British people do.

C．With globalization, the American cut-and-switch method has been abandoned in the US.

D．British people’s way of using a knife and fork may be more efficient than American people’s.

   Why do Americans struggle with watching their weight, while the French, who consume（消耗） rich food, continue to stay thin? Now a research by Cornell University suggests how life style and decisions about eating may affect weight. Researchers concluded that the French tend to（往往，倾向于） stop eating when they feel full. However, Americans tend to stop when their plate is empty or their favorite TV show is over.

    According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, a health expert, the French see eating as an important part of their life style. They enjoy food and therefore spend a fairly long time at the table, while Americans see eating as something to be squeezed（挤出） between the other daily activities. Mercola believes Americans lose the ability to sense when they are actually full. So they keep eating long after the French would have stopped. In addition, he points out that Americans drive to huge supermarkets to buy canned and frozen foods for the week. The French, instead, tend to shop daily, walking to small shops and farmers’ markets where they have a choice of fresh fruits, vegetables, and eggs as well as high-quality meats for each meal.

   After a visit to the United States, Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don’t Get Fat, decided to write about the importance of knowing when to stop rather than suggesting how to avoid food. Today she continues to stay slim and rarely goes to the gym.

   In spite of（尽管） all these differences, evidence shows that recent life style changes may be affecting French eating habits. Today the rate of obesity — or  extreme overweight — among adults is only 6%. However, as American fast food gains acceptance and the young reject（拒绝） older traditions, the obesity rate among French children has reached 17% — and is growing.

【小题1】In what way are the French different from Americans according to Dr. Joseph Mercola?

A．They go shopping at supermarkets more frequently.

B．They squeeze eating between the other daily activities.

C．They regard eating as a key part of their lifestyles.

D．They usually eat too much canned and frozen food.

【小题2】This text is mainly the relationship between _________.

A．Americans and the French

B．life style and obesity

C．children and adults

D．fast food and overweight

【小题3】The text is mainly developed __________.

A．by contrast （对比）

B．by  space

C．by process（变化过程）

D．by classification（分类）

【小题4】Where does this text probably come from?

A．A TV interview	B．A food advertisement
C．A health report	D．A book review（书评）

短文改错

I'm glad to know that you had an interest in Chinese food. Here I'd like tell you something about it. Chinese food is famous as its wide variety. The food in one area can be easy told from that in one another. For example，Shanghai food，a little bit sweet，differ from Sichuan food，which is rather hot. However，every kind of Chinese food is worth trying，because each has the delicious taste and is good for health. Since the restaurant in China usually serves special dishes of different area，you can enjoy various Chinese food whenever you are. I'm looking forward to meet you here so that I can tell you more about Chinese food.