12. Why was John was furious after he finished his first assignment?
13. What’s Sue’s attitude to difficult tasks?
14. How does the story end?
Passage Two
American visitors to Eastern Asia are often surprised and puzzled by how Asian cultures and customs differ from those in the United States. What’s considered typical or proper social conduct in one country may be regard as odd, improper or even rude in the other. For example, people from some Eastern Asian countries may begin a conversation with a stranger by asking personal questions about family, home or work. Such questions are thought to be friendly, whereas they might be considered offensive in the United States. On the other hand, people in most Asian cultures are far more guarded about expressing their feelings publicly than most Americans are. Openly displaying annoyance or anger, yelling, arguing loudly and so forth is considered ill-mannered in countries such as Japan. Many Eastern Asians prefer to hold their emotions in check and instead express themselves with GREat politeness. They try not to be blunt and avoid making direct criticisms. In fact, they often keep their differences of opinion to themselves and merely smile and remain silent rather than engage in a confrontation. By comparison, Americans are often frank about displaying both positive and negative emotions on the street and in other public places. Americans visiting Asia should keep in mind that such behavior may cause offense. A major difference between Americans culture and most Asian cultures is that in Asia, the community is more important than the individual. Most Americans are considered a success when they make a name for themselves.
15. How would some Asians start their conversation when they meet for the first time?
16. What would a Japanese do when he feels annoyed?
17. What is encouraged in American culture according to the passage?
Passage Three
In order for a chemical to be considered a drug, it must have the capacity to affect how the body works. No substance that has the power to do this is completely safe. Drugs are only approved after tests have demonstrated that they are relatively safe when used as directed and when their benefits outweigh their risks. Thus some very dangerous drugs are approved because they are necessary to treat serious illnesses. Many people suffer ill effects from drugs called side effects, even though they take the drug exactly as directed. The human population contains a GREat variety of genetic variation, but drugs are tested on just a few thousand people. When a particular drug is taken by millions, some people may not respond in a predictable way, even though the drug has been tested. A patient may also acquire a tolerance for a certain drug, which means the patient has to take ever larger doses to produce the desired effect. Tolerance may lead to habituation, in which the person becomes so dependent on the drug that he or she becomes addicted to it. Addition causes severe psychological and physical disturbances when the drug is taken away. Finally, drugs often have unwanted side effects. This usually causes only minor discomfort, such as a skin rash, headache or sleepiness. Certain drugs, however, can produce serious adverse reactions.
18. Under what circumstances are drugs approved?
19. Why do many people suffer side effects from a drug even though they take it as directed?
20. What will happen when patients acquire a tolerance for a certain drug?
