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安徽马鞍山市第二中学2015高考英语阅读理解、完形填空训练（4）
及答案
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Many Americans are turning to Japan, they think, a country of high academic achievement and economic success, for possible answers. However, the answers provided by Japanese preschools are not the ones Americans expected to find. In most Japanese preschools, surprisingly little emphasis is put on academic instruction. In one survey, 300 Japanese and 210 American preschool teachers, child development specialists, and parents were asked about various aspects of early childhood education. Only 2 percent of the Japanese respondents (答问卷者)listed “to give children a good start academically” as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools. In contrast, over half the American respondents chose this as one of their top three choices. To prepare children for successful careers in the first grade and beyond, Japanese preschools do not teach reading, writing, and mathematics, but rather skills such as determination, concentration, and the ability to work as a member of a group. The huge majority of young Japanese children are taught to read at home by their parents.
Like in America, there is diversity (多样性)in Japanese early childhood education. Some Japanese kindergartens have specific aims, such as early musical training or potential development. In large cities, some kindergartens are attached to universities that have elementary and secondary schools. Some Japanese parents believe that if their young children attend a university-based program, it will increase the children’s chances of eventually being admitted to top-rated (一流的)schools and universities. Several more progressive programs have introduced free play as a way out for the heavy intellectualizing (智能化)in some Japanese kindergartens.
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1. We learn from the first paragraph that many Americans believe______.
A. Japanese parents are more involved in preschool education than American parents
B. Japan’s economic success is a result of its scientific achievements
C. Japanese preschool education emphasizes academic instruction
D. Japan’s higher education is superior to theirs
2. In Japan’s preschool education, the focus is on______.
A. preparing children academically
B. developing children’s artistic interests
C. developing children’s potential
D. shaping children’s character
3. Why do some Japanese parents send their children to university-based kindergartens?
A. They can do better in their future studies.
B. They can make more group experience grow there.
C. They can be self-centered when they grow up.
D. They can have better chances of getting a top-rated education.
4. Free play has been introduced in some Japanese kindergartens in order to______.
A. broaden children’s knowledge B. train children’s creativity
C. lighten children’s study load D. enrich children’s experience
【参考答案】1—4、CDDC
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【2014中原名校联盟一模】B
It can be hard to meet people from another culture. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal（信号）. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.
Different cultures emphasize （强调）the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in “small talk”, usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countries--like the UK or France—people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.
Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.
Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.
People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment（多元文化环境）will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.
60. In some countries, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to ________.
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