A report consistently brought back by visitors to the U.S. is how friendly, courteous, and helpful most Americans were to them. To be fair, this observation is also frequently made of Canada and Canadians, and should best be considered North American. There are, of course, exceptions. Small minded officials, rude waiters, and ill-mannered taxi drivers are hardly unknown in the U.S. Yet it is an observation made so frequently that it deserves comment.
For a long period of time and in many parts of the country, a traveler was a welcome break in an otherwise dull existence. Dullness and loneliness were common problems of the families who generally lived distant from one another. Strangers and travelers were welcome sources of diversion, and brought news of the outside world.
The harsh realities of the frontier also shaped this tradition of hospitality. Someone traveling alone, if hungry, injured, or ill, often had nowhere to turn except to the nearest cabin or settlement. It was not a matter of choice for the traveler or merely a charitable impulse on the part of the settlers. It reflected the harshness of daily life: if you didn't take in the stranger and take care of him, there was no one else who would, and someday, remember, you might be in the same situation.
Today there are many charitable organizations which specialize in helping the weary traveler. Yet, the old tradition of hospitality to strangers is still very strong in the U.S., especially in the smaller cities and towns away from the busy tourist trails. "I was just traveling through, got talking with this American, and pretty soon he invited me home for dinner — amazing." Such observations reported by visitors to the U.S. are not uncommon, but are not always understood properly. The casual friendliness of many Americans should be interpreted neither as superficial nor as artificial, but as the result of a historically developed cultural tradition.
As is true of any developed society, in America a complex set of cultural signals, assumptions, and conventions underlies all social interrelationships. And, of course, speaking a language does not necessarily mean that someone understands social and cultural patterns. Visitors who fail to "translate" cultural meanings properly often draw wrong conclusions. For example, when an American uses the word"friend", the cultural implications of the word may be quite different from those it has in the visitor's language and culture. It takes more than a brief encounter on a bus to distinguish between courteous convention and individual interest. Yet, being friendly is a virtue that many American value highly and expect from both neighbors and strangers.
1.In the eyes of visitors from the outside world,_______.
A.rude taxi drivers are rarely seen in the U.S.
B.small minded officials deserve a serious comment
C.Canadians are not so friendly as their neighbors
D.most Americans are ready to offer help
2.It could be inferred from the last paragraph that_______.
A.culture exercises an influence over social interrelationship
B.courteous convention and individual interest are interrelated
C.various virtues manifest themselves exclusively among friends
D.social interrelationships equal the complex set of cultural conventions
3.Families in frontier settlements used to entertain strangers_______.
A.to improve their hard life B.in view of their long distance travel
C.to add some flavor to their own daily life D.out of a charitable impulse
4.The tradition of hospitality to strangers_______.
A.tends to be superficial and artificial
B.is generally well kept up in the United States
C.is always understood properly
D.was something to do with the busy tourist trails
5.Which statement can be inferred according to the article?
A.American is not so friendly as it seems in fact.
B.There is different understanding to the cultures so it results into different feelings.
C.Because American feels lonely and dull, so they welcome newcomers to come here for travel.
D.Friendship of American is just due to long lasting cultural tradition.
長難例句分析
［長難例句］For example, when an American uses the word "friend", the cultural implications of the word may be quite different from those it has in the visitor's language and culture.
［結(jié)構(gòu)分析］本句中，the cultural implications of the word是主句的主語，賓語是those，定語從句it has in the visitor's language and culture用來修飾those，those本身指代the cultural implications of the word。前面的關(guān)系代詞when引導條件狀語從句。
［參考譯文］例如，美國人在使用“朋友”一詞時，它的文化內(nèi)涵可能與游客母語和文化中的該詞的意思大相徑庭。
全文參考譯文
去美國訪問的人一貫認為，大多數(shù)美國人對他們友好、謙恭、樂于助人。公平地講，人們對加拿大和加拿大人也有同樣的觀察報告。最好應當看成這在整個北美都普遍存在。當然也有例外，在美國，心胸狹窄的官員、粗魯?shù)姆丈约叭狈甜B(yǎng)的出租車司機也不少。但由于人們常得出上面的結(jié)論，那就值得議論一番了。
長時間以來，在美國很多地方，旅行者打破了當?shù)爻翋灥纳睿允艿綒g迎。那時人們一般住在相距遙遠的地方，沉悶、孤獨是家庭普遍存在的問題。陌生人和旅行者很受歡迎，因為他們帶來了消遣娛樂，還帶來了外部世界的消息。
邊境上的殘酷現(xiàn)實也促進這一好客傳統(tǒng)的發(fā)展。當一個人獨自旅行時，如果餓了、受了傷或生了病，通常無處可去，只能向最近的小屋或村落求助。對旅行者來說，這不是選擇的問題，對當?shù)厝藖碚f，這也并非出于一時的仁慈沖動。它反映了日常生活的殘酷：如果你不接納陌生人，并照顧他，那他再找不到別人了。請記住，某一天也許你也會面臨相同的處境。
現(xiàn)在有很多慈善組織，專門幫助那些疲倦的旅行者。但是對陌生人友好的舊傳統(tǒng)在美國仍很盛行，尤其是在遠離熱門旅游線路的小市鎮(zhèn)?！拔覄傓D(zhuǎn)了一圈，同這個美國人聊了聊，很快，他就邀請我到他家吃飯——不可思議?！痹趤砻绹眯械挠慰椭信龅竭^這類事的很普遍，但對此并不都能正確理解。許多美國人的隨意友好態(tài)度不應看成表面應付或矯揉造作，而應視為歷史發(fā)展形成的一種文化傳統(tǒng)。
美國同任何發(fā)達國家一樣，文化、信念以及習俗是社會關(guān)系的基礎(chǔ)。當然，一個人會說一種語言并不一定意味著他明白其社會和文化模式。那些不能理解文化含義的游客很可能經(jīng)常作出錯誤的結(jié)論。例如，當一個美國人說“朋友”時，該詞的文化內(nèi)涵可能與游客母語和文化中的該詞的意思大相徑庭。僅憑借在汽車上偶遇時說聲“朋友”并不能區(qū)分這是出于禮貌，還是個人興趣。然而，待人友好是一種美德，許多美國人都推崇并且希望無論是鄰居還是陌生人都如此。
題目答案與解析
1.在外界游客的眼中，________。
A.在美國很少見到粗魯無禮的出租車司機 B.心胸狹窄的政府官員應該受到嚴肅批評
C.加拿大人不如他們的鄰國人友好 D.大多數(shù)美國人樂于提供幫助
【答案】D
【解析】本題可參照文章第一段的第一句話。從中可知，到美國旅行過的游客一直傳說大多數(shù)美國人對他們?nèi)绾斡押谩⒂卸Y貌，如何樂意幫助他們。據(jù)此可知，游客認為大多數(shù)美國人對人友好。D項與文中的意思相符。
2.從最后一段可以推知________。
A.文化對社會相互關(guān)系有影響 B.謙恭的習俗和個人的愛好是相關(guān)的
C.各種美德只在朋友間的交往中體現(xiàn) D.社會相互關(guān)系等同于文化習俗的復合體
【答案】A
【解析】從文章最后一段可知，文化、思維方式（文化復合體關(guān)系）決定或影響社會相互交往的方式。A項與文中的意思相符。B項之意與文章最后一段倒數(shù)第二句話的意思不符。C項與文章最后一句意思不符。D項與文章的意思明顯不符。因此只有A項為正確答案。
3.居住在邊境的家庭過去經(jīng)?？畲吧?，________。
A.以便改善他們的艱難生活 B.是出于對他們長途旅行的考慮
C.為他們自己的日常生活增添一些情趣 D.出于一時行善的沖動
【答案】C
【解析】從文章第二段的最后一句話可知，陌生人和旅行者帶來了歡樂，因而受到人們的歡迎；從文章第三段的內(nèi)容可知，邊境上的殘酷現(xiàn)實也促進這一好客傳統(tǒng)的發(fā)展；當一個人獨自旅行時，如果餓了、受了傷或生了病，通常無處可去，只能向最近的小屋或村落求助；對旅行者來說，這不是選擇的問題，對當?shù)厝藖碚f，這也并非出于一時的仁慈沖動；它反映了日常生活的殘酷：如果你不接納陌生人，并照顧他，那他再找不到別人了；請記住，某一天也許你也會面臨相同的處境。據(jù)此可知，在邊界居住的人們之所以常常招待陌生人，是因為這樣做可以為自己枯燥乏味和孤獨寂寞的生活解悶。C項與文中的意思相符，因此為正確答案。
4.招待陌生人的傳統(tǒng)________。
A.往往是表面的、虛偽的 B.在美國普遍得到很好的繼承
C.總是被正確理解 D.與旅游熱線有關(guān)系
【答案】B
【解析】從文章第四段的內(nèi)容可知，如今，許多慈善機構(gòu)專門幫助那些疲倦的旅行者；不過，款待陌生人的老傳統(tǒng)在美國仍然盛行，在那些遠離旅游熱線的小城市和城鎮(zhèn)尤其如此。B項的與文中的意思相符。A項和C項明顯與文章的意思不符。D項不正確。綜上所述，B項為正確答案。
5.依照本文意思，可以推論出以下那種論斷？
A.美國人并不像表面上看起來那樣友好。
B.因為對文化有不同的理解，所以有不同的感受。
C.因為美國人感到很孤獨很無趣，所以歡迎陌生人來旅游。
D.美國人的友好只是長期文化傳統(tǒng)使然。
【答案】B
【解析】本文作者對外國人感覺到的美國人的友善持懷疑態(tài)度。第四個選項絕對化了，因為文中講述的是“部分美國人”。第一個選項也絕對化了。第三個選項則過于狹隘。
