高考英语真题【阅读理解】分类拔高练习07社会文化类1.（2014·浙江）阅读理解Here is some must-know information from a handbook on how people behave in doing business in some countries.In BrazilBrazilians are warm and friendly. They often stand close when talking and it is common for them to touch the person on the shoulder. People often greet each other (particularly women) with light cheek kisses. Schedules tend to be flexible, with business meetings sometimes starting later than planned. But to be safe, be on time. Meals can stretch for hours—there's no such thing as rushing a meal in Brazil. Lunches also can start in the mid to late afternoon. Brazilians are social, preferring face-to-face communication over mails or phone calls.In SingaporeSingaporeans shake hands when they meet and often also greet each other with a small, polite bow. Business cards should be offered and received with two hands. Arriving late is considered disrespectful. So be on time. Efficiency(效率) is the goal, so meetings and dealings often are fast-paced. Singaporeans are direct in their discussions, even when the subject is about money. Rank is important and authority is respected. This determines both people interact in meetings. For example, people avoid disagreeing outright with someone with a higher rank.In the United Arab EmiratesIn the UAE, status is important, so the most senior or oldest should be greeted first with their titles. The handshake seems to be longer than elsewhere. So, do not pull away the handshake. Women should cover themselves when it comes to dress. Men also tend to be covered from neck to elbows(肘部) and down to the knees. People do not avoid entertaining in their homes, but they also hold business meals at restaurants. Touching or passing food or eating with your left hand is to be avoided. When meetings are one-to-one, if your host offers you coffee, you should refuse. It might seem odd, but it is a cultural tradition. Coffee should only be accepted if it is always set out or presented.In SwitzerlandThe Swiss tend to be formal and address each other by last name. They also are respectful of private lives. You should be careful not to ask about personal topics. Punctuality (守时) is vital, something that comes from a deep respect for others' time. Arrive at any meeting or event a few minutes early to be safe. They also have clear structure in their companies. Higher-ups make the final decisions, even if others might disagree. Neat, clean dress is expected. The Swiss follow formal table manners. They also keep their hands visible at the table and their elbows off the table. It is polite to finish the food on your plate.（1）The passage is mainly about ________.munication typesB.the workplace atmosphereC.customs and social mannersD.living conditions and standards（2）Why do Singaporeans avoid arguing with their boss?A.They put efficiency in the first place.B.They dislike face-to-face communication.C.They want to finish meetings as quickly as possible.D.They are supposed to obey the person of a higher rank.（3）In the UAE, when should you refuse the coffee if it is offered?A.When greeting seniors.B.When meeting the host alone.C.When attending a presentation.D.When dining with business partners.（4）In which country do people care about where to put their hands at the dinner table?A.In Brazil.B.In Singapore.C.In the United Arab Emirate.D.In Switzerland.2.（2014·安徽）阅读理解Should we allow modern buildings to be built next to older buildings in a historic area of a city? In order to answer this question, we must first examine whether people really want to preserve the historic feel of an area. Not all historical buildings are attractive. However, there may be other reasons—for example, economic (经济的) reasons—why they should be preserved. So, let us assume that historical buildings are both attractive and important to the majority of people. What should we do then if a new building is needed?In my view, new architectural styles can exist perfectly well alongside an older style. Indeed, there are many examples in my own home town of Tours where modern designs have been placed very successfully next to old buildings. As long as the building in question is pleasing and does not dominate (影响) its surroundings too much, it often improves the attractiveness of the area.It is true that there are examples of new buildings which have spoilt (破坏) the area they are in, but the same can be said of some old buildings too. Yet people still speak against new buildings in historic areas. I think this is simply because people are naturally conservative(保守的)and do not like change.Although we have to respect people’s feelings as fellow users of the buildings, I believe that it is the duty of the architect and planner to move things forward . If we always reproduced what was there before, we would all still be living in caves. Thus, I would argue against copying previous architectural styles and choose something fresh and different , even though that might be the more risky choice.（1）What does the author say about historical buildings in the first paragraph?A.Some of them are not attractive.B.Most of them ate too expensive to preserve.C.They are more pleasing than modern buildings.D.They have nothing to do with the historic feel of an area.（2）Which of the following is true according to the author ?A.We should reproduce the same old buildings.B.Buildings should not dominate their surroundings.C.Some old buildings have spoilt the area they are in.D.No one understands why people speak against new buildings.（3）By “move things forward ” in the last paragraph , the author probably means“”A.destroy old buildingsB.put things in a different placeC.respect people’s feelings fo r historical buildingsD.choose new architectural styles（4）What is the main purpose of the passage?A.To explain why people dislike change.B.To argue that modern buildings can be built in historic areas.C.To warn that we could end up living in caves.D.To admit how new buildings have ruined their surroundings.3.（2013·安徽）阅读理解When 19-year-old Sophia Giorgi said she was thinking of volunteering to help the Make-A-Wish Foundation (基金会)，nobody understood what she was talking about. But Sophia knew just how important Make – A –Wish could be because this special organization had helped to make a dream come true for one her best friends. We were interested in finding out more, so we went along to meet Sophia listen to what she had to say.Sophia told us that Make – A –Wish is a worldwide organization that started in the United States in 1980. ” It's a charity(慈善机构)that helps children who have got very serious illnesses. Make – A –Wish help children feel happy even though they are sick, by ma king their wishes and dreams come true, ” Sophia explained.We asked Sophia how Make – A –Wish had first started. She said it had all begun with a very sick young boy called Chris, who had been dreaming for a long time of becoming a policeman. Sophia said lots of people had wanted to find a way to make Chris's dream come true ----so, with everybody's help, Chris, only seven years old at the time, had been a “policeman” for a day. ” when people saw how delighted Chris was when his dream came true, they decided to try and help other sick children too , and that was the beginning of Make – A –Wish, ” explained Sophia.Sophia also told us the Foundation tries to give children and their families a special, happy time. A Make-A-Wish volunteer visits the families and asks the children what they would wish for if they could have anything in the world. Sophia said the volunteers were important because they were the ones who helped to make the wishes come true. They do this either by providing things that are necessary, or by raising money or helping out in whatever way they can.（1）Sophia found out about Make-A-Wish because her best friend had .A.benefited from itB.volunteered to help itC.dreamed about itD.told the author about it（2）According to Sophia, Make-A-Wish .A.is an international charityB.was understood by nobody at firstC.raises money for very poor familiesD.started by drawing the interest of the public（3）What is said about Chris in Paragraph3?A.He has been a policeman since he was seven.B.He gave people the idea of starting Make-A-WishC.He wanted people to help make his dream come true.D.He was the first child Make-A-Wish helped after it had been set up.（4）Which of the following is true about Make-A-Wish volunteers?A.They are important for making wishes come true.B.They try to help children get over their illnesses.C.They visit sick children to make them feel special.D.They provide what is necessary to make Make-A-Wish popular.4.（2013·重庆）阅读理解It is widely known that any English conversation begins with The Weather. Such a fixation with the weather finds expression in Dr. Johnson's famous comment that “When two English meet, their first talk is of weather.” Though Johnson'sobservation is as accurate now as it was over two hundred years ago, most commentators fail to come up with a convincing explanation for this English weather-speak.Bill Bryson, for example, concludes that, as the English weather is not at all exciting, the obsession with it can hardly be understood. He argues that “To an outsider, the most striking thing about the English weather is that there is not very much of it.” Simply, the reason is that the unusual and unpredictable weather is almost unknown in the British Isles.Jeremy Paxman, however, disagrees with Bryson, arguing that the English weather is by nature attractive. Bryson is wrong, he says, because the English preference for the weather has nothing to do with the natural phenomena. “The intere st is less in the phenomena themselves, but in uncertainty.” According to him, the weather in England is very changeable and uncertain and it attracts the English as well as the outsider.Bryson and Paxman stand for common misconceptions about the weather-speak among the English. Both commentators, somehow, are missing the point. The English weather conversation is not really about the weather at all. English weather-speak is a system of signs, which is developed to help the speakers overcome the natural reserve and actually talk to each other. Everyone knows conversations starting with weather-speak are not requests for weather data. Rather, they are routine greetings, conversation starters or the blank “fillers”. In other words, English weather-speak is a means of social bonding.（1）The author mentions Dr. Johnson's comment to show that______.A.most commentators agree with Dr. JohnsonB.Dr. Johnson is famous for his weather observationC.the comment was accurate two hundred years agoD.English conversations usually start with the weather（2）What does the underlined word “obsession” most probably refer to?A.A social trend.B.An emotional state.C.A historical concept.D.An unknown phenomenon.（3）According to the passage, Jeremy Paxman believes that______.A.Bill Bryson has little knowledge of the weatherB.there is nothing special about the English weatherC.the English weather attracts people to the British IslesD.English people talk about the weather for its uncertainty（4）What is the author's purpose of writing the passage?A.To explain what English weather-speak is about.B.To analyse misconceptions about the English weather.C.To find fault with both Bill Bryson and Jeremy Paxman.D.To convince people that the English weather is changeable.。