2019年12月英语六级阅读理解：风俗文化

Our culture has caused most Americans to assume not only that our language is universal. but that the gestures we use are understood by everyone. We do not realize that waving good-bye is the way to summon a person from the Philippines to one's side. or that in Italy and some Latin-American countries. curling che finger to oneself is a sign of farewell.

Those private citizens who sent packages to our troops occupying Germany after World War II and marked them GJIF-r to escape duty payments did not bother to find out that "Gift" means poison in German. Moreover. we like to think of ourselves as friendly. yet we prefer to be at least ,3 feet or an arm's length away from others. Latins and Middle Easterners like to come closer and couch. which makes Americans uncomfortable.

Our linguistic and cultural blindness and the casualness with which we take notice of the developed 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. There are no information signs in four languages on our public buildings or monuments; we do not have multilingual (多语言的) guided tours. Very few restaurant menus have translations, and multilingual waiters. bank clerks andpolicemen are rare. Our transportation systems have maps 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. The attitudes andinformation we pick up are conditioned by those natives-usually the richer-who speak English. Our businessdealings, as well as the nation's diplomacy. are conducted through interpreters.

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

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

1.It can be inferred that Americans being approached too closely by Middle Easterners would 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 ignorance will_________.

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 realize that____________.

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

六级阅读理解参考答案：

1.从文中可以推测出，如果中东人太接近美国人，美国人多半会________。

A) 站立不动

B) 跳到一旁

C) 走上前

D)退后

[D]文章第2段提到，我们喜欢和其他人保持至少3英尺或一臂之长的距离。但拉丁人和中东人却喜欢站得很近，身体互相接触，而这使美国人很不舒服。由此可推断，如双方靠得太近，美国人定会向后退。因此，D与文中所陈述的意思一致，故而正确。

2.作者给出了很多例子来批评美国人，认为他们_______________。

A) 在文化上以自我为中心

B) 行为很随便

C) 对外国游客很冷漠

D) 对其他的文化很无知

[A]作者在文章的开篇就提出了沦点，即我们的文化观使大多数美国人认为自己的语言世界通用，自己的手势人皆明白，但这种观点是错误的。围绕此论点，作者举出了数个例子驳斥美国人这种以自我为中心的文化观。因此，A与作者所阐述的观点一致。其余三项都是这种文化观所引起的后果。

3.在别的，大部分美国人_______________。

A) 被当地人所孤立

B) 不知道发生了什么事情，因为有语言障碍

C) 能跟当地人和谐相处

D) 在酒店和餐馆都需要口译员的帮助

[B]第5段提到.每次出国，我们一般都食宿在说英语的那些宾馆和饭店中，人们对我们的态度和我们所获得的信息都是由说英语的本地人——通常是富人决定的。我们的生意往来、的外交活动也是通过翻译才能进行。因此，B与文中所陈述的意思相符，故正确。A的信息在文中并没有提及;C与文章所提及的观点相悖;D与文中所给的意思不符。

4.作者认为，美国人的闭塞性和语言上的无知会_____________。

A) 影响他们在新世纪的形象

B)将他们与外界世界隔开来

B)限制他们在世界事务上的作甩

D)削弱美元的地位

[C]第6段和第7段提到，但这一切已成为过去，美元已不再能购买所有的好东西，美国人也开始慢慢地意识到他们在世界的地位正在改变。结合第3段提到的“在语言和文化上的盲目性……正使我们在世界上失去朋友、生意和人们的尊重”，可推断，美国人的作用已受到限制，C与文章所阐述的观点一致，故正确。A的信息在文章中并没有提及,B与文章所陈述的意思相悖;D只是一种次要的影响。

5.作者写这篇文章是为了让美国人意识到____________________。

A) 忽视外国朋友是很危险的

B) 保持美国在世界事务上的领导地位是很重要的

C) 在公共场合使用多种语言是必要的

D) 是时候与其他文化打成一片

[D]题目询问作者写这篇文章是要使美国人意识到什么。作者在文章的开篇就批评了大多数美国人心目中的一种错误的文化观，即美国的语言世界通用。接着又指出这种文化观所引起的语言和文化上的盲目性和随意性使美国人在世界上失去了朋发、生意和人们的尊重。美国在国际事物中的领先地位也正在失去。由此可看出作者的写作意图是要美国人克服这种文化上的盲目性，了解世界的文化。因此，D与作者的意图相符。