Ⅰ. Choose the best answer(选择最恰当的答案)
Have you ever found that what may be normal to us may be strange to others? Why is that so? Not all strange things can be explained as a tradition or custom. And what makes them strange in the first place? How did some of them become "traditional"?
In Thailand, it is very rude to walk into a person's house with your shoes on. Shoes are left at the front door. And it is considered to be rude to cross your legs in your company and to point your toes at another person. The feet, as the lowest part of the body, are given the lowest respect. Pointing a toe is demeaning to the person at whom the foot is pointed.
Equally, the head is the most important part of the body and should never be touched by another. Children in most Western countries are familiar with being patted on the head and consider it as a compliment. In Thailand, however, it is extremely rude.
Also in Thailand and some other Asian countries, when two people meet, they usually hold the two hands together in a prayer position. It is called a wai in Thailand and takes the place of the Western handshake. Once again this is a much cleaner greeting, as there is no body contact. The height of the hands raised shows the importance of the person to whom the wai is made. The most common wai between two equals is with the tip of the fingers at the nose level. When a person of a lower status meets a person of a higher status, the former raises the hands to forehead height and the latter to the chest height. It is a very convenient way to greet a friend with a wai in a crowded room where personal contact is difficult. It seems so much more dignified and sincere to greet with a wai rather than a wave.
It is those customs which travellers consider "odd" that make travel worthwhile.
()1. If you want to visit a friend in Thailand, it's necessary to .
A. leave your shoes at the door of your house
B. take off your shoes before entering his or her house
C. cross your feet to show your respect
D. point your toes at your friend
()2. The underlined word "demeaning" in Paragraph 2 probably means "".
A. shameful B. careful C. important D. impolite
()3. It's very rude to pat a Thai on the head because .
A. people consider it as a compliment
B. the head is given the lowest respect
C. the head is the most important part of the body
D. children are never allowed to touch the head

1.B 2.D 3.C
点拨:2题,前文说:The feet... are given the lowest respect. Pointing a toe is demeaning...“脚是身体最低的部位,不受尊重”,所以“用脚趾指向别人”是不礼貌、冒犯的。demeaning=impolite(不礼貌的)。

【分析】
本题为英语阅读理解选择题，需通过定位原文信息、结合上下文语境解题：1.第1题是细节理解题，需定位泰国进别人家的习俗相关内容；2.第2题是词义猜测题，需结合前文语境推断划线词含义；3.第3题是细节理解题，需定位泰国关于头部的习俗内容。
【解析】
1.细节理解题：根据文章第二段第一句“In Thailand, it is very rude to walk into a person's house with your shoes on. Shoes are left at the front door.”可知，在泰国进入他人房屋前需脱鞋，对应选项B。
2.词义猜测题：前文提到“The feet, as the lowest part of the body, are given the lowest respect.”，说明脚不受尊重，因此“Pointing a toe is demeaning to the person at whom the foot is pointed”意为“用脚趾指向他人是不礼貌的”，划线词“demeaning”与“impolite”含义相近，故选D。
3.细节理解题：根据文章第三段第一句“Equally, the head is the most important part of the body and should never be touched by another.”可知，摸泰国人的头是不礼貌的，原因是头是身体最重要的部分，对应选项C。
【答案】
1.B 2.D 3.C
【知识点】
英语阅读理解；细节理解；词义猜测
【点评】
本文围绕泰国的独特习俗展开，考查学生的细节定位能力和词义推断能力，题目难度适中，需学生仔细阅读原文，找准对应信息。
【难度系数】
0.6