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.

短文改错
Dear Tom，

I heard that you've just moved here. As one of our traditional festival and the one that receives great popularity，today was the Dragon Boat Festival. Fall on the 5th day of the lunar month of May every year，it is set in praise on an ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan. Her poems are supposed inspire people's love of their country. Zongzi，boiling rice wrapped by bamboo leaves，is the famously food that you can't miss during the festival. Since you are busy with your work all the day long，I have specially cooked some for you. Unless it is convenient，I'll give it to you tonight. I'll be very happy if you like it.

Yours，

Li Hua

I travel a lot, and I find out different “styles”（风格）of directions every time I ask “ How can I get to the post office?”
Foreign tourists are often confused（困惑的）in Japan because most streets there don’t have names. In Japan, people use landmarks（地标）in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “ Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat. In many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, “ Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map. They measure distance in time, not miles. “ How far away is the post office?” you ask. “ Oh,” they answer, “ it’s about five minutes from here.” You say, “ Yes, but how many miles is it?” They don’t know.
It’s true that a person doesn’t know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, “ Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “ I don’t know”. People in Yucatan believe that “I don’t know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan!
【小题1】When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place, they usually _______ .

A．describe the place carefully

B．show him a map of the place

C．tell him the names of the streets

D．refer to recognizable buildings and places

【小题2】What is the place where people measure distance in time?

A．New York.

B．Los Angles.

C. Kansas C. Iowa
【小题3】People inYucatan may give a tourist a wrong answer ________ .

A．in order to save time	B．as a test
C．so as to be polite	D．for fun

【小题4】What can we infer from the text?

A．It’s important for travelers to understand cultural differences.

B．It’s useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly.

C．People have similar understanding of politeness.

D．New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors.

   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

语法填空

The warm weather outside may look perfect for outdoor exercise. But for those 【小题1】 are not that sporty， what would be 【小题2】（nice） than having relaxing afternoon tea with a few good friends and taking 【小题3】 break?

But are you familiar with the culture of afternoon tea its origins， what 【小题4】（include）， and the proper etiquette（礼仪）? We sum up a few things you need to know about this traditional English custom so that you can enjoy it more.

While the tradition of 【小题5】（drink） tea dates back to about 3000 BC in China， it was not until the mid-17th century that the concept of “afternoon tea”first 【小题6】（appear） in the UK.

In 1840， Anna Maria Russell， the seventh Duchess of Bedford， started to ask for a tea tray with butter， bread and cakes at 4 pm every day，【小题7】 she found she was hungry at that time every day and the evening meal in her house was served late at 8 pm. She found this new habit difficult 【小题8】（break） and soon invited other ladies to join her.

This pause for tea quickly became a fashionable social event. 【小题9】 the 1880s， the upper class would put on gowns，【小题10】（glove） and hats for their afternoon tea.