Question

“An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an orderly queue of one,” wrote a famous British author, George Mikes. While this sounds funny, it’s a popular English stereotype (刻板印象). From the supermarket to the subway, queues are a common sight on the streets of Britain.

Here in China, queues are normal, too. It is a part of everyday life. People queue most of the time, from buying tickets in the cinema to waiting for seats at a restaurant. But in certain situations, you’ll find yourself in the middle of a rushing crowd, such as getting onto the subway. Even away from the busy subway platform, queues are different.

One day I was standing in line at the supermarket. I left a small space in front of me. Within seconds, a girl walked by and took her place in that small space. I was surprised at first, but later I found these experiences very interesting. It is with these small, everyday differences that I get to live and learn in a new culture.

Back in Britain, the person spends about six months of their life waiting in a queue, according to the auction site MadBid. To pass the time, maybe they tell themselves the famous proverb: Good things come to those who wait.

1. From the passage, we know that the English are famous for          .

A. being rude and loud         B. traveling on subways

C. forming an orderly queue             D. standing in line at the supermarket

2. How did the writer feel when the girl jumped the queue?

A. From annoyed to calm.                 B. From calm to angry.

C. From surprised to interested.  D. From shocked to angry.

3. The passage is mainly about         .

A. comparing queuing in two cultures

B. praising the English for good manners

C. calling on people in China to queue more

D. explaining why people rush in some situations

4. Where would you most probably read this passage?

A. Novel.       B. Poster.                    C. Newspaper.     D. Science magazine.

Answer 1

1. C  2. C  3. A  4. C