IleftmyhometowninLondonlastyearandnowIhaveenjoyedworkinginthissmallcityinChina.Learningaforeignlanguageopensyouuptothecultureandhistoryofacountry.SoinordertoknowmoreaboutChinaIstartedtolearnChinese.

ButattimesIfoundmyselfinfunnysituations.WhenIgreetedstrangersinChinatheybegantotalkalotandveryfast.Theyaskedmequestionsabouteverything.ButallIcoulddowastolookatthemwithablankface.Ihadnoideawhattheyweretalkingabout.Weretheyjustbeingkindfunnyorimpolite?Manypeoplewanttomakefriendswithme.ButIamabitupsetwhenIfindoutthereasonwhytheyneedaforeignfriend.TheysaytheywanttopracticetheirEnglish.Idon’tneedfriendslikethis.Ilikefriendstosharemyfeelingsandideaswith.

HoweverthemoreChineseIlearnthemoresimilaritiesIfindithaswithEnglish.InEnglishthick-skinnedistodescribeapersonwhodoesn’tcareforcriticism(批评).IwassurprisedtofindthathoulianpiinChinesemeansthesame.Andbothlanguagessharesomecommonidioms(习语).Forexample“lookonwithfoldedarms”meansxiushoupangguanand“burntheboats”issimilartopofuchenzhou.

I’mstillonmyjourneytolearnChinese.Ibelievethatsometimesyouhavethemostfunonajourney.

( )1.Thewritercomesfrom.

A.theUK B.theUSA

C.Australia D.Canada

( )2.Theunderlinedword“similarities”means“”inChinese.

A.相似点 B.不同点

C.规律性 D.重要性

( )3.Athick-skinnedpersonmay.

A.beverystrongandseldomfallill

B.liketocriticizeothersfortheirmistakes

C.talkalotandspeakfast

D.feelOKwhenhe’scriticized