Question

【题目】阅读理解

“How far is the next village？” the American asks a man standing by the edge of the road. In some countries, because the man realizes that the traveler is tired and eager to reach his destination (目的地), he will politely say “Just down the road.” He thinks this is more encouraging, gentler, and therefore the wanted answer. So the American drives through the night, getting more and more angry, feeling “being tricked”. He thinks the man on purpose lied to him, for obviously he must have known the distance quite well.

Had conditions been reversed (颠倒过来), the American would have felt he was “cheating” the driver if he had said the next town was not too far, and if he would be sorry to the weary driver, he would say “You have a good way to go yet, it is at least fifteen miles.” The driver might be disappointed, but he would know what to expect.

Whether to be accurate or polite leads to many misunderstandings between people of different cultures. If you know the situation in advance, it is sometimes easier to recognize the problem.

【1】The man at the roadside tells the American it is not far from the next village because he ________.

A. wants to encourage him to go further

B. doesn't know the exact distance at all

C. wants to help the man to decide whether to stop and have a rest

D. tries to play a trick on him

【2】We can learn from this passage that Americans ________.

A. are polite to anybody

B. like to be honest and accurate

C. often lie to others

D. have no sympathy to others

【3】If you ask an American how far it is from the next village, he will ________.

A. give you an accurate answer if he knows the distance

B. say that he doesn't know but he will encourage you to go on

C. decide whether you are tired or not, and then tell you

D. tell you politely it is close though he knows it isn't

【4】The short passage advises us to ________.

A. learn some customs of America

B. tell the truth to Americans more than to the people from other countries

C. be polite to those who understand you well

D. decide whether to be polite or accurate according to the customs

Answer 1

【答案】本文讲述关于在问与指路方面不同文化背景下的差异。

【1】A

【2】B

【3】A

【4】D

【解析】

【1】A 从文章第一段第三句可推知。

【2】B 从文章第二段可以推知美国人处理此类情况的方式。

【3】A 从第二段美国人的回答可以推知。

【4】D 从文章最后一段可以看出作者的建议。