Question

It’s inevitable for us to meet and contact with strangers. Also talking to strangers matters but how does it work? There are unwritten rules we tend to follow. The rules are very different depending on what country we’re in and what culture we’re in.

In most parts of the US, the baseline expectation in public is that we maintain a balance between politeness and privacy. This is known as civil inattention(礼貌性疏忽). So, imagine two people are walking towards each other on the street. They’ll glance or wave at each other from a distance. That’s the civility. And then as they get closer, they’ll look away, to give each other some space.

In other cultures, people go to extraordinary lengths not to interact at all. People from Denmark are unwilling to talk to strangers, and they would rather miss their stop on the bus than say “excuse me” to someone that they need to get around. They move the backpacks on purpose or use their bodies to say that they need to get past, instead of using two words.

In Egypt, it’s rude to ignore a stranger, and there’s a remarkable culture of hospitality. Strangers might ask each other for a sip of water. Or, if you ask someone for directions, they’re very likely to invite you home for coffee. We see these unwritten rules most clearly when they’re broken, or when you’re in a new place and you’re trying to figure out what the right thing to do is.

When you talk to strangers, you’re making beautiful interruptions into the expected narrative of your daily life and theirs. You’re making unexpected connections. If you don’t talk to strangers, you’re missing out on all of that. We spend a lot of time teaching our children about strangers. What would happen if we spent more time teaching ourselves? We could make a space for change.

1.Which of the following can be regarded as civil inattention in most parts of the US?

A. Avoiding talking to strangers.

B. Glancing at each other anytime.

C. Greeting someone in the distance.

D. Inviting strangers home for coffee.

2.How does a Dane get past on the bus?

A. By saying “excuse me” politely.

B. By tapping others on the shoulders.

C. By forcing his way through people.

D. By making a gesture.

3.Why does the author advise making a space for change?

A. To let us create private space between strangers and us.

B. To let us show hospitality to strangers.

C. To let us make improvement on how to treat strangers.

D. To let us maintain a balance between politeness and privacy.

4.What does the passage mainly talk about?

A. How to contact with strangers.

B. Different rules of treating strangers.

C. The meaning of civil inattention.

D. Making unexpected connections.

Answer

The rules are very different depending on what country we’re in and what culture we’re in.☞B项Different rules of treating strangers

【解析】试题分析：我们不可避免的会遇到陌生人，怎么和陌生人打交道呢？文章给出了不同的文化和国家的一些不成文的规则，帮助我们理解如何与陌生人交流。

1.细节理解题。根据第二段的句子They’ll glance or wave at each other from a distance. That’s the civility. And then as they get closer, they’ll look away, to give each other some space.可知，在美国的大部分地区，人们从远处给别人打招呼，走的近了就把目光看向别处，这被称作礼貌性疏忽。故选C。

2.细节理解题。根据第二段最后一句They move the backpacks on purpose or use their bodies to say that they need to get past, instead of using two words.可知，丹麦人通过一些手势表明他们要通过。故选D。

3.推理判断题。根据最后一段的两个问句We spend a lot of time teaching our children about strangers. What would happen if we spent more time teaching ourselves?可知，我们花费时间教给孩子们了解陌生人，如果我们花费更多的时间让我们自己去了解陌生人会发生什么呢，接下来讲述我们可以为了改变创造空间，再结合上文讲述的如何和陌生人交往推断，作者通过这句话是为了让我们在如何对待陌生人上做出一些改变。故选C。

4.主旨大意题。纵观全文可知，第一段为主题段，主题句是There are unwritten rules we tend to follow. The rules are very different depending on what country we’re in and what culture we’re in.因此可知，文章主要讲述如何与陌生人打交道，不同的文化和国家有不同的不成文与陌生人打交道的规则。故选B。

【名师点睛】

每篇文章都会有一个主旨要义。主旨要义型题范围一般包括：短文标题、主题大意或段落大意等。此题型要求考生在理解文章后归纳文章要点，概括中心思想。考生需要分析文章的篇章结构，抓住文章的开头或结尾，从而找出能概括文章的主题句。主题句的特点：（1）语言特点：归纳性、概括性、抽象性；（2）位置特点：主题句常出现在“总结性”语言的“信号词”后，如：in summary, in a word, as a result, finally, in short, in conclusion和in brief等；主题句常出现在“转移话题式”语言的“信号词”后，如：but, however, nevertheless, Hence等。概括主旨的方法是：先看首尾或各段开头再看全文找主题句，若无明显主题句，就通过关键词句来概括(如议论文中寻找表达作者观点态度的词句，记叙文寻找概括情节和中心的动词或反映人物特点的形容词)。文中出现两种或两种以上的不同观点时，务必牢记作者的观点才是体现全文中心的。此时，要注意一些转折词，如but, yet, however, although, in spite of, by contrast, on the contrary等。当文章中表示相反的观点时，往往用到这些词。答题时要弄清哪个是作者的观点，排除迷惑性信息，准确归纳主旨大意。

小题4属于主旨类。答案需要看第一段的最后一句找主题句。

【答案定位】第一段为主题段，主题句是There are unwritten rules we tend to follow. The rules are very different depending on what country we’re in and what culture we’re in.因此可知，文章主要讲述如何与陌生人打交道，不同的文化和国家有不同的不成文与陌生人打交道的规则。

【推理关系】What does the passage mainly talk about?.☞文章内容（中心句）There are unwritten rules we tend to follow. The rules are very different depending on what country we’re in and what culture we’re in.