Do as the Romans Do
The customs in different countries are rather different. If I have dinner with a Chinese host, he always puts more food onto my plates as soon as I have emptied it. That often discomforts me greatly. I have to eat the food even if I don’t want to, because it is considered bad manners in the West to leave one’s food on the plate. I have already noticed that when a Chinese sits at an American’s dinner party, he very often refuses the offer of food or drink though he is in fact still hungry or thirsty. This might be good manners in China, but it is not in the West at all. In the United States, it is impolite to keep asking someone again and again or insist on his accepting something. Americans have a direct way of speaking. If they want something, they will ask for it. If not, they will say, “No, thanks.” When an American is fed with beer by the host, for example, he might say, “No, thanks. I’ll take some diet, Pepsy-Cola（百事可樂）if you have it. ”That is what an American will do. So when you go to the United States, you had better remember the famous saying: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
1. From the passage, we can know that the Chinese are usually ________ to the guests.
A. very hot B. rude
C. impolite D. cold
2. When a foreigner has dinner with a Chinese host, he often feels _______.
A. pleasant B. uncomfortable
C. satisfied D. happy
3. Why does a Chinese often refuse the offer of food or drink at a dinner party?
A. He has had enough.
B. He is shy.
C. He is afraid that others will laugh at him.
D. He thinks it’s polite to do that.
4. When an American wants something to eat or drink at a dinner, he will _______.
A. ask for it boldly大膽地
B. refuse the offer
C. ask for it directly
D. express himself indirectly
5. “When in Rome, do as the Romans do “means “________”.
A. When you got to Rome, you should act as the Romans do
B. When you stay in Rome, you should do as the Romans do
C. When you are in a new country, you should do as the locals do
D. Romans can be an example for you
附上參考答案和譯文：
1.A 2.B 3.D 4.C 5.C
入鄉隨俗
不同國家地區的習俗是有很大差異的。如果我和壹個中國客人吃飯，他會在我壹吃完盤子的食物就立刻給我加更多，那讓我非常苦惱，我不得不把食物吃下去即使我已經不想吃了，因為在西方，在盤子裏剩下食物是很不禮貌的。我註意到壹個中國人參加壹個美國人的飯局時，他總是拒絕吃的和喝的哪怕其實他很餓很渴。在中國，這也許是很有禮貌的舉動，但在西方不是。在美國，不停地叫人吃東西是不禮貌的，美國人說話很直接，如果他們想要什麽，他們會直接要求，否則，他們會說：不，謝謝。如果主人給美國客人喝啤酒，他也許會說：“不，謝謝！我想要些別的，可樂——如果妳有的話。”那才是美國人會做的。因此如果妳去了美國，妳最好記住這句名言：入鄉隨俗。