Question

Chinese Culture

Every Chinese language textbook starts out with the standard phrase for greeting people; but as an American, I always found myself   16   to speak freely when it came to seeing guests off at the door. Just a good-bye would not do, yet that was all I had ever learned from the
  17   books. So I would smile and nod, bowing like a Japanese and searching madly for words that would   18   over the visitors’ leaving and make them feel they would be   19   to come again. In my unease, I often hid behind the skirts of my Chinese husband’s kindness.

Then finally, listening to others, I began to pick up the phrases that   20   relationships and sent people off not only successfully but also skillfully.   21   for the Chinese includes a lot of necessary habitual practice. Although as a   22  , I’m not expected to learn the expressions of politeness and   23   at leaving-taking.

The Chinese feel they   24   see a guest off to the farther possible point－down the stairs to the street below or perhaps all the way to the   25   bus stop. I’ve sometimes waited half an hour or more for my husband to return from seeing a guest off,   26   he has gone to the bus stop and waited for the next bus to arrive.

That’s very well, but when I’m the guest being seen off, my protests are always   27  . My hostess or   28  , or both, insists on   29   me down the stairs and well on my way, with my repeating the “Don’t   30   to see me off at every landing.” If I try to go fast to   31   them from following, they simply run after me. Better to accept it.

Besides, that’s going against Chinese   32  , because rushing is to be avoided. What do you say when you   33   someone? Not “Farewell” or “Don’t rush”,   34   “Go slowly.” To the Chinese it means “Take care” or “Watch your   35  ” or some such caution, but translated literally it means “Go slowly”.

16. A. easy                   B. difficult                    C. unable               D. effective

17. A. useful                 B. terrible                     C. priceless            D. cheap

18. A. smooth               B. talk                          C. calm                 D. take

19. A. content               B. ready                     C. welcome           D. sad

20. A. damaged             B. broke                C. destroyed                 D. eased

21. A. Leaving              B. Dividing            C. Separating                D. Interviewing

22. A. wife                   B. guest                 C. hostess                    D. foreigner

23. A. protest                B. refuse               C. explain                     D. state

24. A. can                     B. will                  C. may                         D. must

25. A. farther                B. nearest                     C. easiest                      D. shortest

26. A. although              B. unless               C. if                             D. because

27. A. effective             B. unnecessary       C. useless                     D. troublesome

28. A. neighbour            B. host                  C. relative                     D. friend

29. A. leading                B. seeing               C. inviting                     D. pushing

30. A. trouble                B. have                  C. decide                      D. walk

31. A. protect                B. make                 C. discourage                D. dismiss

32. A. rule                    B. custom              C. design                      D. opinion

33. A. meet with            B. talk with            C. part with                  D. call on

34. A. and                     B. or                     C. but                          D. even

35. A. foot                    B. health                C. shoe                        D. step

Answer 1

16－20  CBACD     21－25  ADADB    26－30  DCBBA   31—35  CBCCD