Tobefair,thisobservationisalsofrequentlymadeofCanadaandCanadians,andshouldbestbeconsideredNorthAmerican.Thereare,ofcourse,exceptions.Small-mindedofficials,rudewaiters,andill-manneredtaxidriversarehardlyunknownintheUS.Yetitisanobservationmadesofrequentlythatitdeservescomment.Foralongperiodoftimeandinmanypartsofthecountry,atravelerwasawelcomebreakinanotherwisedullexistence.Dullnessandlonelinesswerecommonproblemsofthefamilieswhogenerallyliveddistantfromoneanother.Strangersandtravelerswerewelcomesourcesofdiversion,andbroughtnewsoftheoutsideworld.Theharshrealitiesofthefrontieralsoshapedthistraditionofhospitality.Someonetravelingalone,ifhungry,injured,orill,oftenhadnowheretoturnexcepttothenearestcabinorsettlement.Itwasnotamatterofchoiceforthetravelerormerelyacharitableimpulseonthepartofthesettlers.Itreflectedtheharshnessofdailylife:ifyoudidn’ttakeinthestrangerandtakecareofhim,therewasnooneelsewhowould.Andsomeday,remember,youmightbeinthesamesituation.Todaytherearemanycharitableorganizationswhichspecializeinhelpingthewearytraveler.Yet,theoldtraditionofhospitalitytostrangersisstillverystrongintheUS,especiallyinthesmallercitiesandtownsawayfromthebusytouristtrails.“Iwasjusttravelingthrough,gottalkingwiththisAmerican,andprettysoonheinvitedmehomefordinner—amazing.”SuchobservationsreportedbyvisitorstotheUSarenotuncommon,butarenotalwaysunderstoodproperly.ThecasualfriendlinessofmanyAmericansshouldbeinterpretedneitherassuperficialnorasartificial,butastheresultofahistoricallydevelopedculturaltradition.Asistrueofanydevelopedsociety,inAmericaacomplexsetofculturalsignals,assumptions,andconventionsunderliesallsocialinterrelationships.And,ofcourse,speakingalanguagedoesnotnecessarilymeanthatsomeoneunderstands,socialandculturalpatterns.Visitorswhofailto“translate”culturalmeaningsproperlyoftendrawwrongconclusions.Forexample,whenanAmericanusestheword“friend”,theculturalimplicationsofthewordmaybequitedifferentfromthoseithasinthevisitor’slanguageandculture.Ittakesmorethanabriefencounteronabustodistinguishbetweencourteousconventionandindividualinterest.Yet,beingfriendlyisavirtuethatmanyAmericansvaluehighlyandexpectfrombothneighborsandstrangers. Intheeyesofvisitorsfromtheoutsideworld,_____.
A.rude taxi drivers are rarely seen in the US B.small-minded officials deserve a serious comment C.Canadians are not so friendly as their neighbors D.most Americans are ready to offer help正确答案D
