My name is Jack. When my family moved to America from a small village in Guangdong, China, we
brought not only our luggage, but also our village rules, customs and culture. One of the rules is that young
people should always respect the elders. Unluckily, this rule led to my very first embarrassment in the United
States.
     I had a part-time job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. One time, when I was serving food to a middle-aged couple, the wife asked me how the food could be served so quickly. I told her that I had made sure they got
their food quickly because I always respect the elderly. As soon as I said that, her face showed great
displeasure. My manager, who happened to hear what I said, took me aside and gave me a long lecture about
how sensitive(敏感) Americans are and how they dislike the description"old". I then walked back to the table
and apologized to the wife. After the couple heard my reason, they understood that the problem was caused by
cultural differences, so they laughed and were' no longer angry.
     In my village in China, people are proud of being old. Not so many people live to be seventy or eighty, and
people who reach such an age have the most knowledge and experience. Young people always respect older
people because they know they can learn from their rich experience.
     However, in the United States, people think"growing old" is a problem since "old" shows that a person is
going to retire or that the body is not working well. Here many people try to keep themselves away from
growing old by doing exercises or jogging, and women put on make-up, hoping to look younger. When I told
the couple in the restaurant that I respect the elderly, they got angry because this caused them to feel they had
failed to stay  young. I had told them something they didn't want to hear.
     After that, I changed the way I had been with older people. It is not that I don't respect them any more; I
still respect them, but now I don't show my feelings through words.

1. Jack brought the couple their food very fast because _____.

A. the manager asked him to do so
B. he respected the elderly
C. the couple wanted him to do so
D. he wanted more pay

2. In Jack's hometown, _____.

A. people dislike being called "old"
B. people are proud of being old
C. many people reach the age of seventy or eighty
D. the elderly are the first to get food in restaurants

3. After this experience, Jack _____.

A. lost his job in the restaurant
B. made friends with the couple
C. no longer respected the elderly
D. changed his way with older people

4. Which of the following is TRUE?

A. The more Jack explained, the angrier the couple got.
B. Jack wanted to show his feelings through words after his experience.
C. The manager went back to the table and apologized to the couple.
D. From this experience, Jack learned more about American culture.

5. Which is the best title for this passage?

A. Different countries, different customs.
B. Old people, old customs.
C. Different restaurants, different services.
D. Differences between old and young.

      My name is Peter. I'm fourteen. There are four people in my family. They are my father, my mother, my
brother and I. My mother and father are doctors. My brother and I are at school.
      We have a big house. There is a tall tree in front of the house. My father and mother often sit under the tree
and read books. We sometimes play there.
      My brother and I are in the same school. We like our school very much.

1. How many people are there in Peter's family?

A. Two.
B. Three.
C. Four.
D. Five.

2. Is there a tree behind their house?

A. Yes, there is.
B. No, there isn't.
C. Sorry, I don't know.
D. All right.

3. Peter and his brother are _______.

A. in the school
B. the same age
C. not in the same school
D. teachers

4. What's Peter's parents' (父母的) job?

A. They are teachers.
B. They are doctors.
C. They are workers.
D. They are students.

5. Peter's parents often _______ under the tree.

A. walk
B. work
C. read
D. clean