Question

【题目】One day, I heard an American boy say to a Chinese student of English, “You speak very good English.” But the student answered, “NO, no. My English is very poor.” The foreigner was quite surprised at the answer. Thinking he had not made himself understood or the Chinese student had not heard him clearly, he said, “Yes, indeed, you speak very well.” But the Chinese student sill kept saying “No.” In the end the American boy could not understand and didn’t know what to say.

What’s wrong with the student’s answer? He didn’t accept a compliment（赞美词）in the same way as the American people do. He should answer “thank you” instead of “no”. He really understood what the American boy had said, but he thought he should be modest（谦虚的）.In the west, people will feel proud and confident when they are praised. So if someone says the dishes you have cooked are very delicious, you should say “Thank you”. If someone says to a woman “You look so beautiful with the new clothes on.” She must be very happy and answer “Thank you”.

In our country we think being modest is a virtue（美德）and being proud is a bad thing, but in my opinion, being confident does not mean being proud, so sometimes you should be confident instead of being modest.

If you are modest and say, “No, I’m afraid I can’t do it well” while working in a western country, the others may think that you really cannot do it. If you often say “No”, you will certainly be looked down upon by others. If asking for a job, one says something like “Yes, I can certainly do it” instead of “Let me have a try”, he or she will expect to get it. So in the west, you should be brave to show your self-confidence!

【1】 Why was the American boy surprised at the Chinese student’s answer?

A. Because he was expecting the Chinese student to say “Thank you”.

B. Because he wouldn’t like others to say “No”.

C. Because he could hardly hear what the student had said.

D. Because he wondered whether the student could really speak good English.

【2】As the student kept saying “No”, the American boy ________.

A. became disappointed B. didn’t know what to say

C. lost his interest D. got angry

【3】In the west, if you meet a friend who wears a really beautiful dress, you may say “________”.

A. Where do you buy it?

B. Could you give me your dress?

C. How beautiful you are today!

D. I want a dress like yours very much.

【4】 Why does a man in the west who asks for a job say something like “Yes, I can certainly do it”?

A. Because he is not modest.

B. Because he is confident and he wants to get the job.

C. Because he just wants to try.

D. Because he can do nothing but speak in that way.

【5】We can learn that the writer wants us to ________ through his passage.

A. be modest B. be confident

C. be clever D. be beautiful

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】A

【2】B

【3】C

【4】B

【5】B

【解析】

试题分析：短文属于议论文。作者通过对中西方文化的差异的描述，阐明自己的观点：有时候我们应该用自信代替谦虚。

【1】A细节理解题。根据He should answer “thank you” instead of “no”. He really understood what the American boy had said, but he thought he should be modest（谦虚的）.可知，人家赞扬他英语讲得好，他应该说谢谢，但好似他说不，所以这个美国男孩感到很惊讶。故选A。

【2】B细节理解题。根据But the Chinese student sill kept saying “No.” In the end the American boy could not understand and didn’t know what to say.可知，当中国的学生一直说不，美国的男孩也不知道该说什么了。故应该选B。

【3】C推断题。句意：在西方国家当你看到了一位非常漂亮的连衣裙的朋友你会说：“你今天真漂亮！”处于礼貌，一定要赞扬人家，故选C。

【4】B细节理解题。根据If asking for a job, one says something like “Yes, I can certainly do it” instead of “Let me have a try”, he or she will expect to get it. So in the west, you should be brave to show your self-confidence!可知，在西方国家如果你想要找工作一定要足够勇敢地表现出自信，该选B。

【5】B综合理解题。作者通过对中西方文化的差异的描述，阐明自己的观点：有时候我们应该用自信代替谦虚。故选B。