A
Visitors to Britain may find a traditional pub is the best place to sample local culture. But these friendly pubs can be dangerous places of potential gaffes (失礼) for the newcomers.
A team of researchers have discovered some of the unknown customs of British pubs—starting with the difficulty of getting a drink. Most pubs have no waiters—you have to go to the bar to buy drinks. A group of Italian youths waited 45 minutes before they realized they would have to fetch their own. This may sound inconvenient, but there is a hidden purpose.
Pub culture is designed to promote sociability in a society known for its reserve. Standing at the bar for service allows you to chat with others waiting to be served.The bar counter is possibly the only site in the British Isles in which friendly conversation with strangers is considered entirely suitable and really quite normal behavior. “If you haven't been to a pub, you haven't been to Britain.” This tip can be found in a booklet, Passport to the Pub：“The Tourists' Guide to Pub Etiquette, a customers' rule of conduct for those wanting to sample a central part of British life and culture”．
The trouble is that if you do not follow the local rules, the experience may fall flat. For example, if you are in a big group, it is best if only one or two people go to buy the drinks. Nothing annoys the regular customers and bar staff more than a group of strangers blocking all access to the bar while they chat and hesitate about what to order.
【语篇解读】 本文是一篇说明文。在英国，酒吧是体验当地文化的最佳去处，本文介绍了在酒吧你需要遵守的一些规则。
1．The underlined word “sample” in the first paragraph probably means “ ”．
A．defence B．experience C．test D．record
B [词义猜测题。根据第一段中的“Visitors to Britain may find a traditional pub is the best place to sample local culture.(到英国的游客也许会发现，传统酒吧是体验当地文化的最佳场所。)”可知画线词的含义是“体验”。故选B。]
2．The culture of pubs in Britain is so developed to ．
A．encourage people to communicate with each other
B．encourage more people to consume drinks
C．attract more tourists to the pubs
D．form its own character of culture
A [细节理解题。根据第三段中的“Pub culture is designed to promote sociability in a society known for its reserve.(在一个以保守著称的社会里，酒吧文化旨在促进社交。)”可知，酒吧的目的是鼓励人们交际，故选A。]
3．What does the author mean by giving the example of a group of Italian youths in Paragraph 2?
A．British pubs don't always have waiters or waitresses.
B．There is always a hidden purpose in most British pubs.
C．It is quite convenient for people to get a drink in British pubs.
D．Not knowing the customs of British pubs may cause inconvenience.
D [推理判断题。根据第二段最后一句“This may sound inconvenient，but there is a hidden purpose.”可知，不知道英国酒吧的习俗会造成不便，故选D。]
