英语六级阅读理解练习附详解:风俗文化

　　Our linguistic and cultural blindness and the casualness with which we take notice of thedeveloped tastes.gestures. customs and languages of other countries. are losing us friends.business and respect in the world.

　　Even here in the United States. we make few concessions to the needs of foreign visitors. Thereare no information signs in four languages on our public buildings or monuments; we do nothave multilingual (多语言的) guided tours. Very few restaurant menus have translations, andmultilingual waiters. bank clerks andpolicemen are rare. Our transportation systems havemaps in English only and often we ourselves have difficulty understanding them.

　　When we go abroad. we tend to cluster in hotels and restaurants where English is spoken. Theattitudes andinformation we pick up are conditioned by those natives-usually the richer-whospeak English. Our businessdealings, as well as the nation's diplomacy. are conducted throughinterpreters.

　　For many years, America and Americans could get by wich cultural blindness and linguisticignorance. Afterall. America was the most powerful country of che free world, the distributor ofneeded funds and goods.

　　But all that is past. American dollars no longer buy all good things, and we are slowly beginningto realize that our proper role in the world is changing. A l979 Harris poll reported that 55percent of Americanswant this country to play a more significant role in world affairs; we wantto have a hand in the important decisions of the next century, even though it may not alwaysbe the upper hand.

　　[2]我们的文化使大多数美国人不仅觉得自己的语言是到处通用的，甚至自己的手势也是尽人皆知的。我们没有意识到挥手告别的动作是菲律宾人召唤一个人到自己身边的方式，也没有意识到在意大利和一些拉丁美洲国家，手指向自己弯曲才是一种告别的手势。

　　那些寄送包裹给我们二战后在德国驻军的市民，在包裹上面标记GIFT(礼品)以避税，他们并未费神去弄明白“GIFT"在德语中指的是有毒物质。此外，[1]我们往往认为自己很友好，却喜欢与别人保持至少3 英尺或一臂之长的距离。拉丁美洲和中东国家的人喜欢靠得很近并有身体接触，而这样却会使美国人感到极不舒服。

　　[4]我们在语言和文化上的无知和漫不经心地对待其他国家逐渐形成的品味、手势、习俗和语言，正在使我们在世界上失去朋友、错失商机和不受尊重。

　　甚至在美国这儿，我们很少对外国采访者的需要做出任何让步。在我们的公共建筑和纪念碑上没有带四种语言的信息标志;我们没有多语种向导的旅游服务。很少有餐馆菜单配有译文，很少有能讲多种语言的服务员、银行职员和警察。我们的交通设施只有英文的地图，连我们自己都经常看不明白。

　　[3]我们出国时往往爱聚集在讲英语的饭店和宾馆里。我们获得的信息和对对方态度的印象，已经被讲英语而通常比较有钱的当地人所调整过。我们做生意和处理国家外交事务一样，都要通过翻译来进行。

　　[4]在过去许多年，美国和美国人带着文化和语言的无知混过来了。毕竟，美国是自由世界中最强大的国家，是所需资金和商品的分配者。

　　[4]但是，这一切都已成为过去。美元不再能买到所有好东西，我们慢慢地开始意识到，我们在世界上所起的作用在改变。1979年Harris民意测验表明55%的美国人想让美国在世界事务上发挥更重要的作用;我们还想插手下个世纪的重大决策，即使不能总是占上风。

　　1.It can be inferred that Americans beingapproached too closely by Middle Easternerswould most probably_______________.

　　A) stand still

　　B) jump aside

　　C) step forward

　　D) draw back

　　2. The author gives many examples io criticize Americans for their_______________.

　　A) cultural self-centeredness

　　B) casual manners

　　C) indifference towards foreign visitors

　　D) arrogance towards other cultures

　　3. In countries other than their own most Americans_____________.

　　A) are isolated by the local people

　　B) are not well informed due to the language barrier

　　C) tend to get along well with the natives

　　D) need interpreters in hotels and restaurants

　　4. According to the author. Americans' cultural blindness and linguistic ignorancewill_________.

　　A) affect their image in the new era

　　B) cut themselves off from the outside world

　　C) limit their role in world affairs

　　D) weaken the position of the U.S. dollar

　　5. The author's intention in writing this article is Lo make Americans realizethat____________.

　　A) it is dangerous to ignore their foreign friends

　　B) it is important to maintain their leading role in world affairs

　　C) it is necessary to use several languages in public places

　　D) it is time to get acquainted with other cultures