Passage 1
Americans believe no one stands still.If you are not moving ahead，you are falling behind.This attitude results in a nation of people committed to researching，experimenting and exploring.Time is the element that Americans save carefully.
“We are slaves to nothing but the clock，”it has been said.Time is treated as if it were something almost tangible.It is a precious commodity.Many people have a rather acute sense of the shortness of each lifetime.Once the sands have run out of a person’s hourglass，they cannot be replaced.We want every minute to count.
A foreigner’s first impression of the U.S.is likely to be that everyone is in a rush—often under pressure.City people appear always to be hurrying to get where they are going，elbowing others as they try to complete their errands.Racing through daytime meals is part of the pace of life in this country.People in public eating-places are waiting for you to finish so they too can be served and get back to work within the time allowed.
Many newcomers to the States will miss the opening courtesies of a business call，for example.They will miss the ritual socializing that goes with a welcoming cup of tea or coffee that may be traditional in their own country.Normally，Americans do not assess their visitors in such relaxed surroundings over prolonged small talk；much less do they take them out for dinner，or around on the golf course while they develop a sense of trust and rapport.Rapport to most of us is less important than performance.We seek out evidence of past performance rather than evaluate a business colleague through social courtesies.Since we generally assess and probe professionally rather than socially，we start talking business very quickly.
Some new arrivals will come from cultures where it is considered impolite to work too quickly.Unless a certain amount of time is allowed to elapse，it seems in their eyes as if the task being considered were insignificant，not worthy of proper respect.Assignments are thus felt to be added weight by the passage of time.In the U.S.，however，it is taken as a sign of competence to solve a problem，or fulfill a job successfully，with rapidity.Usually，the more important a task is，the more capital，energy，and attention will be poured into it in order to“get it moving”.
1.By saying that“Once the sands have run out of a person’s hourglass，they cannot be replaced”（Line 3，Para.2），the writer means that____.
A.the sands that cannot be replaced will disappear
B.the past time cannot come back forever
C.the hourglass cannot save time for people
D.people should not wear an hourglass with sands
2.A foreigner’s first impression of the U.S.is that____.
A.fast-food industry in America is prosperous
B.Americans are not polite in public eating-places
C.Americans do not invite them to dinners to develop friendship
D.Americans are often in a hurry to do things
3.Which of the following best defines the word“rapport”（Line 5，Para.4）？
A.Rapidity.B.Exploration.
C.Belief.D.Performance.
4.From the text，we can conclude that Americans____.
A.assess their business partners through chatting during the dinner
B.prejudice against the newcomers from other cultures
C.emphasize the rapidity to fulfill the task successfully
D.pour more money to solve a problem to gain respect
5.What is the attitude of the newcomers from different cultures towards the work finished fast？
A.Unimportant. B.Respectful.
C.Successful. D.Serious.Words&Expressions
be committed to 专心致志于
tangible adj. 切实的；真实的
count v. 发挥作用，有价值(https://www.daowen.com)
errand n. 差事，任务
courtesy n. 谦恭，礼貌
passage n. （一）段（时间）
文章大意
美国人认为没有人是停滞不前的。如果你不前进的话，就会被落下。这种不进则退的观念使得整个民族都觉得有责任去进行研究、实验和探索。时间是美国人努力节省的东西。
“我们只受时钟的支配。”这是人们的口头禅。人们对待时间简直就像它是看得见、摸得着的东西一样。时间就是一种宝贵的商品。许多人深感人的一生之短促。一旦岁月的沙粒从人的沙漏里流光，那是无法弥补的。我们想让每一分钟都发挥作用。
外国人对美国的最初印象往往是：人人都是匆匆忙忙的，也就是说他们经常有压力。城里人总是匆匆忙忙地赶往要去的地方，设法完成自己的差使时用胳膊肘推挤别人。在这个国家，匆匆忙忙吃完早午饭是生活节奏的一部分。在公共就餐场所等待吃饭的人会在旁边盼你早点儿吃完，这样他们也可以早点吃上，以便在规定的时间内回到工作岗位上。
初到美国的人，不会看到公务拜访开始时的那些客套。他们不会看到在自己国家的那种传统的社交礼节性的表示——如端上一杯茶或者是一杯咖啡以示欢迎。一般情况下，美国人不会在这种轻松的环境下通过长时间的闲聊来评价他们的（生意上的）来访者，他们更不会把来人带到外面吃饭，或是带他们去高尔夫球场转转，以此建立信任和融洽关系。对于大多数美国人来说，业绩比融洽更重要。由于我们总的来说是从专业角度而不是从社交的角度来评价我们的合作伙伴，来探索生意的可能性，我们很快就会谈正事。
有些人认为问题解决得太快就是不礼貌的表现。要是不花上一定的时间，他们就觉得好像当前考虑的事情不够重要，不足以引起重视。因此，某些事花的时间越多，人们就越觉得它们重要。然而，在美国很快解决问题或者很快地胜利完成任务，是一个人有能力的表现。但一般说来，项目越重要，为了让工程“启动起来”，投入的资金、精力以及对它的关注也就越多。
答案、考点及解析
1.【答案】B
【考点】理解文章引申义
【解析】原文此处运用了比喻的写法，要解答此题，考生需要理解上下文的意思。此句
话的前文说道：时间是一种宝贵的商品，许多人深感人的一生之短促。此句直
译的意思是“沙粒一旦从人生的沙漏间溜走，就不能再被填充上了”，也就是
“时间溜走，一去不复返”的意思，进一步解释了时间为什么短促，这正是B
项的意思。A、C、D三项都是出题人根据字面意思自行编写的答案，考生切不
可被迷惑。
2.【答案】D
【考点】局部理解
【解析】根据题干中的关键词first impression，可以在第三段第一句话中寻找本题的答案。原文指出：外国人到美国的第一印象就是everyone is in a rush—often under pressure（人人都是匆匆忙忙的，也就是说他们经常有压力），然后举例证明美国人是如何忙碌地工作、生活的，这正是D项的内容。A项的内容文章并未提及；B项错在作者并没有将美国人的习惯定性成不礼貌；C项的内容出现在第四段，根据文章内容可知，这不是外国人对美国的第一印象。选择C项的考生需加强练习寻找解题信息的能力。
3.【答案】C
【考点】根据上下文猜测词义
【解析】考生可利用结构法解题。这个单词出现在第四段的这句话中：they develop a sense of trust and rapport。就像我们汉语常用的并列类的构词方法（即把意思相近的字结合在一起构词）一样，英语当中经常用and连接两个语义相近或相关的词。因此，本题中rapport就是trust的近义词。观察四个答案，只有C项是trust的近义词，所以为正确答案。
4.【答案】C
【考点】多项题
【解析】本题考查了文章中的多个细节，考生宜采取排除法解题。根据A项中的关键词assess，可以在原文第四段第三句话中找到相应信息。文章指出：Americans do not assess their visitors in such relaxed surroundings
much less do they take them out for dinner（美国人不会在这种轻松的环境下通过长时间的闲聊来评价他们的来访者，他们更不会把来人带到外面吃饭），可见A项的论述与原文正好相反。由B项中的prejudice可以判断出此项的内容在文中并未提及，所以B项也是错误答案。根据C项中的关键词rapidity和fulfill the task successfully，可以在第五段中部找到相应的信息：it is taken as a sign of
fulfill a job successfully，with rapidity.（快速成功地完成任务是有能力的表现），与C项的论述一致，因此C项为正确答案。D项错在to gain respect，原文的目的状语是get it moving，而不是“获得尊敬”。
5.【答案】A
【考点】人物的观点态度
【解析】根据题干中的关键词different cultures和work finished fast，可以在第五段的第一句话和第二句话中找到解答本题的相关信息。原文指出：Unless a certain amount of time is allowed to elapse，it seems if the task were insignificant.（要是不花上一定的时间，他们就觉得好像当前考虑的事情不够重要），这正符合A项的意思，所以A为正确答案。