Important Things to Know When Dining Out
Cultural dining etiquette ( 礼节 ) might surprise you with some of its important rules. 36 . Knowing some tips will help ensure that you have an enjoyable meal with friends or family — no matter where you are in the world.
Chopstick Rules
The way you handle chopsticks is important to avoid annoying your companions. When you put them down between bites, always put them down together so they are parallel with the edge of the table in front of you. 37 .
Hands or Utensils ( 餐具 )
In India and the Middle East, it’s considered very rude to eat with your left hand. People in France expect you to eat with a utensil in each hand. 38 , instead preferring to use their hands. In Chile, you may never touch any food with your fingers. People in Thailand generally use their forks only to push food onto their spoons.
Making Requests
39 . In Portugal, this would be a serious mistake, because it shows the chef that you don’t like their seasoning skills. Similarly, in Italy, never ask for extra cheese to add to your food.
Some of these cultural dining etiquette rules may seem random and strange, but they are important in various countries. 40 , the more comfortable you’ll begin to feel with its foreign cultural practices.
A ． The more friends you make in your lifetime
B ． The more time you spend in any given country
C ． Mexicans consider it inappropriate to eat with utensils
D ． Don’t get caught making an embarrassing mistake at a restaurant
E ． It’s a good sign for the chef if you make a mess around your plate
F ． Never stick them upright in your food or cross them as you use them
G ． It may seem like a simple request to ask for salt and pepper at a meal
D 37 ． F 38 ． C 39 ． G 40 ． B
【导语】这是一篇应用文。文章主要介绍了一些外出就餐时要知道的一些重要事项。
36 ．根据后文 “Knowing some tips will help ensure that you have an enjoyable meal with friends or family — no matter where you are in the world.( 知道一些技巧将有助于确保你和朋友或家人一起享受一顿愉快的晚餐 —— 无论你在世界的哪个地方。 )” 可知，此处是指要学习一些用餐礼节以避免在用餐时犯错误，所以选项 D“ 不要在餐馆犯尴尬的错误 ” 切合文意。故选 D 。
37 ．根据前文 “When you put them down between bites, always put them down together so they are parallel with the edge of the table in front of you.( 当你在吃的间隙把它们放下来的时候，一定要把它们放在一起，这样它们就和你面前的桌子边缘平行了。 )” 可知，此处是讲筷子的摆放方式，所以选项 F“ 不要把它们直立在食物中，也不要在使用时交叉放置 ” 切合文意，选项中的 them 指的就是本段中的 chopsticks 。故选 F 。
38 ．根据前文 “In India and the Middle East, it’s considered very rude to eat with your left hand. People in France expect you to eat with a utensil in each hand.( 在印度和中东，用左手吃饭被认为是非常不礼貌的。法国人希望你每只手拿一个餐具吃饭。 )” 可知，此处举例说明几个地方的用餐方式，且根据后文 “instead preferring to use their hands( 相反更喜欢用手 )” 可知，此处是指不喜欢用餐具用餐，所以选项 C“ 墨西哥人认为用餐具吃饭是不合适的 ” 切合文意。故选 C 。
39 ．根据小标题 “Making Requests”( 提出要求 ) 可知，此处是讲在用餐时提出要求，根据后文 “In Portugal, this would be a serious mistake, because it shows the chef that you don’t like their seasoning skills. ( 在葡萄牙，这将是一个严重的错误，因为这表明你不喜欢厨师的调味技巧。 )” 可知，后文中的 this 是指要求额外的调料，所以选项 G“ 吃饭时要盐和胡椒似乎是一个简单的请求 ” 切合文意。故选 G 。
40 ．根据后文 “the more comfortable you’ll begin to feel with its foreign cultural practices( 你就会对它的外国文化习俗感到越舒服 )” 可知，此处句式为 “the more...,the more...” ，且 its 是指 “ 国家的 ” ，所以此处是指在一个国家待的时间越久，选项 B“ 你在某个国家待的时间越久 ” 切合文意。故选 B 。
【点睛】