The other day, my friend Jane was
invited to a 40th birthday party. The time printed on the invitation
was7:30p.m.Jane went off with her husband, expecting a merry evening of wine,
food, and song. By 9:45, everybody was having great fun, but no food had appeared.
Jane and David were restless. Other guests began whispering that they, too,
were starving. But no one wanted to leave, just in case some food was about to
appear. By 11：00, there was still no food, and
everyone was completely off their heads. Jane and David left hungry and
angry. Their experience suggests that the words on printed invitations need to
be made clearer. Everyone reads and understands the invitations differently.
Most of us would agree that 6:30 ～ 8:30p.m.means drinks
only, go out to dinner afterwards; ～ 8:00p.m.or 8:30p.m.
means possible dinner, but 9:30p.m.and any time thereafter means no food, eat
beforehand, roll up late. But this is not always the case. If asked to a
students' party at 6:30p.m. , it is normal for guests not to appear before
midnight, if at all, and no one cares. Being the first to arrive-looking
eager-is social death. When my mother is asked to a party for 6:30, she likes
to be there, if not on time, then no later than seven. My age group (late
thirties) falls somewhere between the two, but because we still think we're
young, we're probably closer to student-time than grown-up time. The accepted
custom at present is confusing (混乱的), sometimes annoying,
and it often means you may go home hungry, but it does lend every party that
precious element(成分) of surprise.
1. The underlined words "off
their heads" probably mean ________.
A. tired
B. crazy
C. curious
D. hopeless
2. Jane and David's story is used
to show that ________.
A. party-goers usually get hungry at parties
B. party invitations can be confusing
C. people should ask for food at parties
D. birthday parties for middle-aged people are dull
3. For some young people, arriving
on time for a students' party will probably be considered ________.
A. very difficult
B. particularly thoughtful
C. friendly and polite
D. socially unacceptable
4. According to the writer, people
in their late thirties ________
A. are likely to arrive late for a party
B. care little about the party time
C. haven't really grown up yet
D. like surprises at parties
5. What is the general idea of the
text?
A. It's safe to arrive late just when food is served.
________
B. It's wise to eat something before going to a party.
C. It's important to follow social rules of party-going.
D. It's necessary to read invitations carefully.
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