My transportation was unexpectedly smooth and I arrived at the meeting half an hour earlier. I kept my eyes on the restaurant door. Several customers entered, but not my friend. At 6:00 pm, she sent me a text message: "Urgent work to finish. Will be 20 minutes late." I had left my book in the office, so I spent the time thinking of my experiences of being late in China. On my first visit in 1985, punctuality was deeply rooted in the Chinese hearts. There were no traffic jams then. As a teacher in Canada, I always insisted on punctuality. I would open the classroom door to a late student for the first time and the second, but not the third. During the six years I worked for CCTV, I had a Chinese friend whom I often saw at lunch time, or after work. We used to meet at the subway station nearby. He was always late by 10-20 minutes. To my question, "You were busy?" he would surprisingly answer, " No." Once I asked him to check the clock in his office, he smiled. In March 2015, I got permanent residence in China. The ceremony was scheduled for 9:00 am at the Public Security Bureau on the Second Ring Road. I told my driver I had to get there by 8:40 am. "No problem," he replied. But he thought he had time to drop someone off at the airport before picking me up. I desperately waited for him. Then, to rub salt into my wound, he had to stop at the exit of a gas station. Finally, I entered the room at 9:07 am -- the last guest to arrive! Why didn't the author arrive at the ceremony on time? A) Because the gas was running out. B) Because his driver met a guest at the airport. C) Because there was a big traffic jam on the road. D) Because the driver estimated the time wrongly.
D
You've just come home, after living abroad for a few years. Since you've been away, has this country changed for the better or for the worse? If you've just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight's holiday, small changes have probably surprised you--anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house. So how have things changed to people coming back to Britain after seven, ten or even 15 years living abroad? What changes in society can they see that the rest of us have hardly noticed--or now take for granted? To find out, we asked some people who recently returned. Debi: When we left, Cheltenham, my home town, was a town of white, middle-class families--all very conservative .The town is now home to many eastern Europeans and lots of Australians, who come here mainly to work in hotels and tourism. There are even several shops only for foreigners. Having been an immigrant myself, I admire people who go overseas to find a job. Maybe if I lived in an inner city where unemployment was high, I'd think differently, but I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they're more open-minded and often work harder than the natives. Christine: As we flew home over Britain, both of us remarked how green everything looked. But the differences between the place we'd left behind and the one we returned to were brought sharply into focus as soon as we landed. To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening -- in Cyprus, they're very relaxed -- and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall. Everyone seemed to be on guard. Even the airport car-hire firm wanted a credit card rather than cash because they said their vehicles had been used by bank robbers. But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they've got. How does Debi look at the foreign settlers? A) Cautiously. B) Skeptically. C) Positively. D) Critically.
C
Q: Send us your joke,anecdote or story,and if we publish it in the magazine,we'll pay as follows: My Story $500 Personal stories beyond the call of daily life.They must be unpublished,original and less than 1,000 words.Click here to read more stories. Kindness of Strangers Up to $500 True accounts of good luck,inspiring acts of unexpected kindness and generosity,or just something someone did that made your day--or changed your life.100~500 words.Click here to read more stories. Anecdotes and Jokes $50~$250 Funny things can happen at work and at home--especially when kids are around to pass comment.We may run your writing in Life's Like That,All in a Day's Work or As Kids See It,or as a short filler.Got a new joke? Send it in for Laughter,the Best Medicine.Click here to read more stories. Smart Animals Up to $150 Has your cat worked out how to use a can-opener? Is your rabbit planting carrot crops? Tell us about clever pets or wildlife in up to 300 words.Click here to read more stories. Send Us Your Punchline So you think of yourself as a bit of a jokester? See if you can come up with a punchline to this month's joke... You Said It If you'd like to comment on something you saw in Reader's Digestmagazine or on this website,this is the place to do it! Is It Just Me Can you be humorous about the trials and mysteries of modem life? Get it off your chest in 500 words.Click here to read more stories. Reading this passage,one may _ . A) find that writing is not difficult B) realize that joy is everywhere in our life C) feel encouraged to write something D) get some wonderful stories
A: C
Q: Everyone has got two personalities-the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real. You don't show your secret personality when you're awake because you can control your behavior, but when you're asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you. In a normal night, of course, people frequently change their positions. The important position is the one that you go to sleep in. If you go to sleep on your back, you're a very open person. You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas. You don't like to displease people. So you never express your real feelings. You're quite shy and you aren't quite sure of yourself. If you sleep on your stomach, you are a rather secretive person. You worry a lot and you're always easily upset. You always stick to your own opinions or judgment, but you don't raise your hopes too much. You usually live for today not tomorrow. This means that you enjoy having a good time. If you sleep curled up, you are probably a very nervous person. You have a low opinion of yourself and so you're often defensive. You're shy and you don't normally like meeting people. You prefer to be on your own. You're easily hurt. If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well--balanced personality. You know your strengths and weakness. You're usually careful. You believe in yourself. You sometimes feel anxious, but you don't often get sad. You always insist on what you think even if it makes people rather angry. According to the passage, a person, who is not willing to change his mind and hard to deal with, probably sleeps _ . A) on his side B) on his back C) curled up D) on his stomach
A: A