Question

【題目】 All countries have their own characteristics that make them stand out. One thing that visitors to the UK always notice is how good British people are at waiting, especially in queues. Everywhere in the UK, it’s common to see queues. People wait in long lines at bus stops, in shops and in cinemas.

Speaking to BBC News, Kate Bradley, a lecturer at the University of Kent, explained that queuing in the UK isn’t simply about having goodwill toward other people. Indeed, British people also like everything to be in perfect order, so being shouted at for skipping ahead of someone in a line is something that most British try to avoid.

The British obsession (癡迷) with queuing goes back to World War II. When the amount of food that people are allowed to have is limited by the government due to wartime, people had to wait in line to get important goods in shops, particularly food. The government at the time was worried that trouble and disorder would break out, so it made a point of telling people that queuing was civilized and a British thing to do. And that message is still alive today.

There’s probably only one factor that will affect a Briton’s willingness to stand patiently in line — the weather, which can change quite quickly in the UK. One minute it can be fine and sunny, and the next it can be wet and windy. If people are queuing in bad weather, their main hope is that the bus arrives soon, or the people in front of them waiting to use the ATM give up and decide to leave.

But if the weather is good, queuing can be fun. Although people are waiting, they may be excited about the thing they’re waiting for. There’s an air of expectation when people are standing in line for a pop concert, for example. This can create a great atmosphere, which can make queuing for something an enjoyable experience all of its own.

【1】What do the most British people try to avoid?

A.Cutting in a line.

B.Waiting in long lines.

C.Behaving badly in public.

D.Having goodwill towards other people.

【2】Why did the British people wait in line during World War II?

A.They loved to queue to kill time.

B.They thought of waiting in line as a tradition.

C.They wanted to get their important goods in shops.

D.They wanted to leave a good impression on others.

【3】What can prevent the British from standing in line patiently?

A.The weather.B.The time.

C.The mood.D.The war.

【4】In which of the following cases do the British enjoy queuing?

A.They wait for the bus on a rainy day.

B.They wait to use the ATM in bad weather.

C.They go to the restaurant on a windy day.

D.They go to the concert with friends on a sunny day.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】A

【2】C

【3】A

【4】D

【解析】

這是一篇說(shuō)明文。文章介紹英國(guó)的排隊(duì)現(xiàn)象。所有國(guó)家都有自己的特點(diǎn)，使他們脫穎而出。到英國(guó)旅游的人總會(huì)注意到英國(guó)人有多么善于等待，尤其是在排隊(duì)的時(shí)候。在英國(guó)，到處都能看到排隊(duì)的現(xiàn)象。

【1】細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第二段的最后一句Indeed, British people also like everything to be in perfect order, so being shouted at for skipping ahead of someone in a line is something that most British try to avoid.可知，事實(shí)上，英國(guó)人也喜歡一切都井井有條，所以當(dāng)插隊(duì)時(shí)被人沖在前面大喊大叫是大多數(shù)英國(guó)人盡量避免的事情。由此可知，大多數(shù)英國(guó)人會(huì)盡量避免“插隊(duì)”。故選A。

【2】細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第三段的第二句When the amount of food that people are allowed to have is limited by the government due to wartime, people had to wait in line to get important goods in shops, particularly food.可知，戰(zhàn)時(shí)，由于政府的限制，人們的食物數(shù)量受到限制，人們不得不排隊(duì)購(gòu)買商店里的重要商品，尤其是食物。由此可知，英國(guó)人在二戰(zhàn)期間之所以要排隊(duì)是因?yàn)樗麄兿朐谏痰昀镔I到重要的商品。故選C。

【3】細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第四段的第一句There’s probably only one factor that will affect a Briton’s willingness to stand patiently in line — the weather, which can change quite quickly in the UK.可知，可能只有一個(gè)因素會(huì)影響英國(guó)人耐心排隊(duì)的意愿——英國(guó)的天氣變化很快。由此可知，天氣能阻止英國(guó)人耐心排隊(duì)。故選A。

【4】推理判斷題。文章第四段說(shuō)唯一一個(gè)可能讓英國(guó)人不愿排隊(duì)的原因是天氣，最后一段說(shuō)排隊(duì)看演唱會(huì)時(shí)，因?yàn)橛忻篮玫钠诖�，所以等待也是一種愉快的體驗(yàn)。由此可知，英國(guó)人喜歡在一個(gè)晴朗的日子和朋友排隊(duì)去聽(tīng)音樂(lè)會(huì)。故選D。