Can you refuse such food without being rude Most experienced business travelers say no, at least not before taking at least a few bites. It helps, though, to slice any item very thin. This way, you minimize the texture—gristly（软骨的）,slimy（粘滑的）and so on---and the reminder of where it came from. Or, “Swallow it quickly.” as one traveler recommends, “I still can’t tell you what sheep’s eyeballs taste like.” As for dealing with taste, the old line that “it tastes just like chicken” is often thankfully true. Even when “it” is really rat or snake.

　　Another useful piece of advice is not knowing what you are eating. What’s for dinner Don’t ask. Avoid glancing into the kitchen or looking at English-language menus. Your host will be pleased that you are eating the food he offers, and who knows Maybe it really is the chicken in that soup.

　　1.Who is the passage most probably written for

　　A.Those who are going to have trip abroad.

　　B.Those who want to cook food from another country

　　C.Those who are going to teach people from different countries

　　D.Those who want to take part in an international cooking contest

　　2.The phrase “a cast-iron stomach” probably refers to a stomach____ .

　　A.equipped with iron devicesB.never failing you

　　C.sensitive to various tastesD.not allergic to iron

　　3.Which of the following is NOT suggested by the passage when you are offered some food you don’t like

　　A.Cutting it into small piecesB.Swallowing it without hesitation

　　C.Avoid figuring out what it isD.Pleasing the host while eating

　　4.Which of the following can be served as a conclusion for the passage

　　A.Chicken is a delicacy for everyone.B.“It tastes like chicken” may help.

　　C.When in Rome, do as the Romans do.D.Eating various things can keep you fit.

　　 Think the world loves your selfies as much as you do Not exactly.

　　It’s become something of a ritual for many of us. When you’ve binge-watched everything on Netflix and you are tired of online shopping, you head to the bathroom to put on your very best makeup. Your goal is clear; to get the perfect selfie for Facebook, I, Snapchat…or, more likely, all of the above. After perfecting your eyeliner and curling your lashes, you’re ready. You hold up your phone, pout those lips real tight, and in an instant, snap.

　　But wait, have you ever wondered what’s behind your burning desire to self-document Most people would say that this is a form of expression or perhaps even a way of boosting their self-esteem. Whatever your reasons may be, the moment you upload that picture, it’s no longer yours to judge. Indeed, you pass over that immense power to the online world.

　　While you may think that your ever-growing collection of selfies endears people to you, quite the opposite may be true. That is, at least, according to a recent study, conducted by Sarah Diefenbach, a professor at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich and published in Frontiers in Psychology. Diefenbach surveyed a total of 238 people in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland to find out how many people regularly take and upload selfies and what they thought when others did the same thing.

　　Rather unsurprisingly, a massive 77 percent of the people surveyed admitted to being obsessed with regularly taking selfies. What was more interesting, though, was the fact that an astonishing 82 percent of people said that they would rather see other selfies on social media.Diefenbach calls this the “selfies paradox”: the idea that we like taking selfies but seriously dislike looking at other people’s selfies online.

　　The research didn’t just inquire into whether we want to see selfies, but also looked at how we view our own selfies as opposed to those of others. According to the results, people tend to see the selfies they like as “ self-ironic” and “authentic”, whereas they think that other people’s selfies as “less authentic” and more “self-presentational”.

　　In short, this research suggests that there is a massive gulf of difference between how we see our own selfies and how we judge other people’s pictures. It suggests that we are comfortable with the selfies we post since we believe they are obviously not serious or vain, but we think everyone else is a total egotist for doing the very same thing.

　　“This may explain how everybody can take selfies without feeling narcissistic. If most people think like this, then it is no wonder that the world is full of selfies,” explains Diefenbach. So, as illogical as it sounds, this could be why weunashamedly post selfies and then judge other people for doing so. Somehow, we are able to separate our own selfies from the sea of them online and naively think that ours are the only authentic ones.

　　So, the next time you idly reach for your phone and flick through the filters, consider this: The people around you may not need another carefully planned snap of your face. Instead, you might be better off, giving it a break and calling off the selfie photo shoot today. While you’re at it, make sure you never post these pictures on social media either.

　　1.Which of the following may not be the reason for people uploading their selfies on the Internet

　　A.To show others what kind of persons they are.

　　B.To be more confident about themselves.

　　C.To encourage others to make comments on them.

　　D.To make others like them more.

　　2.What does the word “paradox”(line 4, paragraph 5) mean

　　A.complicated statementsB.contradictory statements

　　C.constructive statementsD.complimentary statements

　　3.According to the passage, what are people’s attitudes towards selfies

　　A.They tend to like their own selfies more compared with others’ selfies.

　　B.They believe that other people’s selfies are much better than their own.

　　C.They think that other people’s selfies are as genuine as theirs.

　　D.They sometimes feel ashamed of posting selfies on social media.

　　 What was the best gift I ever received Well, I’m a music lover, so I’d have to say it was either a Spotify subscription or my top-of-the-range Sony MDR-7506 headphones. Together they’ve provided me with countless hours of high-quality audio accompaniment. Growing up in a loving, well-off family in one of the richest countries in the world, what more could I want

　　Giving gifts to loved ones is great: it’s a rewarding way to spread joy and strengthen friendships and family ties. But at this time of year I’m always reminded of how many people not only get no presents but also lack the basics to allow them to live healthy lives. For me, luxury headphones were the perfect gift; for the world’s poorest, it would be nutritious food, clean water and health care.