出自:西安医学院--大学英语
Passage Two
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.
In the United States, it is important to be on time, or punctual, for an appointment, a class, a meeting, etc. However, this may not be true in all countries .An American professor discovered this difference while teaching a class in a Brazilian(巴西的)university. The two-hour class was scheduled to begin at 10 A.M. and end at 12.On the first day, when the professor arrived on time, no one was in the classroom. Many students came after 10 A.M.S several arrived after 10∶30 A.M. Two students came after 11 A.M. Although all the students greeted the professor as they arrived, few apologized(道歉)for their lateness. Were these students being rude? He decided to study the students’ behavior.
The professor talked to American and Brazilian students about lateness in both an informal and a formal situation: at a lunch with a friend and in a university calls, respectively. He gave them an example and asked them how they would react. If they had a lunch appointment with a friend, the average American student defined lateness as 19 minutes after the agreed time. On the other hand, the average Brazilian student felt the friend was late after 33 minutes.
In an American university, students are expected to arrive at the appointed hour. In contrast, in Brazil, neither the teacher nor the students always arrive at the appointed hour. Classes not only begin at the scheduled time in the United States, but also end at the scheduled time. In the Brazilian class, only a few students left the class at 12∶00; many remained past 12∶30 to discuss the class and ask more questions. While arriving late may not be very important in Brazil, neither is staying late.
26.The word ‘punctual’ most probably means ___.
A.leaving soon after class
B.coming early
C.arriving a few minutes late
D.being on time
27.Why did the professor study the Brazilian students’behavior?
A.He felt puzzled at the students. being late.
B.He felt angry at the students. rudeness.
C.He wanted to make the students come on time later.
D.He wanted to collect data for one of his studies.
28.It can be inferred from the professor’s study of lateness in the informal situation that ____,
A.American students will become impatient if their friend is five minutes late
B.neither Brazilian nor American students like being late in social gatherings
C.being late in one culture may not be considered so in another culture
D.Brazilian students will not come thirty-three minutes after the agreed time
29.From the last paragraph we know that in Brazil ____.
A.it is important to arrive at the appointed time
B.it is rude to keep the professor staying after calls
C.it is normal for students to leave during lectures
D.it is acceptable for professors to be late for class.
30.What is the main idea of this passage?
A.It is important to be on time for class in the United States.
B.The importance of being on time differs among cultures.
C.People learn the importance of time from the culture they are in.
D.Students being late for class should explain the reason to their teacher.
Passage Three
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.
Conflict, like stress, is a natural phenomenon when people interact. Conflict in some form is always present; however, It is not always negative. Conflict can be positive, for example, when you and your colleagues try to select the best possible alternative to a problem. However, much more attention is given to the negative aspects of conflict.
Conflict occurs when we fear the unknown. This can be very simple: someone says something in a tone of voice different from our expectations, which raises questions in our mind as to what the real meaning might be. Of course conflict can, and does, occur in much more serious circumstances.
Your ability to detect and understand conflict will place you in a better position to control the situation. Conflict is often categorized in three stages. Stage one is the day-to-day irritations(恼人的事)that require minimal coping strategies. Stage one conflict is real but low in intensity. The intensity can increase if irritations increase and no solution is found.
Stage two is reached when the parties become competitive. Each person protects his self-interest and fears loss of face. The win-lose attitude becomes integrated with the problem.
Stage three is reached when the objective changes from wanting to win toward wanting to hurt the other party. This stage can be explosive because other people are drawn into the conflict and sides are chosen. Problem solving is no longer a realistic method of resolution.
By understanding the three stages of conflict, it will be easier for you to handle the day-to-day situations to which you are exposed. You will also be able to detect potential conflict between others in which you do not want to get involved.
31.Conflict is ____.
A.paid attention to because it is negative
B.only positive when occurring between colleagues
C. universally present in human interactions
D.similar to stress in every aspect
32.Stage two conflict is different from stage one conflict in that ___.
A.it is caused by daily disputes
B.it is low in intensity
C.it takes a form of competition
D.it always leads to loss of face
33.The third stage can be explosive because _____.
A.quarreling becomes inevitable
B.it is not longer a conflict between two individuals
C.people begin to hate each other
D.no solution is possible
34.The ability to identify conflict ___.
A.can help you make good use of conflict
B.enables you to win every competition
C.can prevent conflict from occurring
D.can help you deal with the situation better
35.The conflict between a student and his roommate caused by different living habits is an instance of ____.
A.stage one conflict B.stage two conflict
C.stgae three conflict D.none of the above