Question

In the UK, we like a good bargain. People flock to the sales in January, when stores slash their prices to get rid of all their winter stock. But surprisingly, the British hate haggling. In markets you might see the odd British person battling with a stall owner to bring down the price of a pair of trousers or some furniture. Generally, though, people from the UK are too reserved to haggle. If we think the price of something we want is too high, we’ll simply move on and try somewhere else.

The act of bargaining with someone is very theatrical, in my opinion. It’s a test to see who can stand their ground for the longest. But it is not in British people’s nature to “perform” in public, especially around strangers.

However, in the US, people are generally more willing to haggle. And if you wander into a market, you’re likely to hear a number of phrases that Americans reserve for such occasions.

First, “you drive a hard bargain” is commonly said by the customer to indicate they think the stall holder is working very hard, probably a little too hard, to get the price he wants.

Or you might hear the buyer telling a stall holder that “the kid’s gotta have braces”, which means they don’t have enough spare money lying around to afford the price being offered.

If the customer is really shocked at the price suggested by the seller, they also might say “you’re killing me” to indicate that they think the price is far too high.

In Britain, it’s difficult to imagine anyone saying anything along these lines. If I were forced to bargain, I’d probably say, very simply: “I’m going to make you an offer.” If that offer were refused, I think I’d just walk away.

1.The underlined word “haggling” can be replaced by _______.

A．arguing           B．bargaining         C．performing        D．insisting

2.Why don’t the British haggle generally?

A．They don’t think it is polite behavior.

B．They have sales every January.

C．They can always get a better price somewhere else.

D．They dislike openly expressing feelings or opinions.

3.The underlined phrase “you drive a hard bargain” means_______.

A．the seller has a lot of deals on offer.

B．the buyer will make a final offer

C．the stall holder is too insistent

D．the buyer doesn’t have a lot of spare money

4.What’s the author’s attitude toward bargaining?

A．Negative.          B．Careless.          C．Positive.           D．Critical.

5.How does the passage mainly develop?

A．By providing examples.

B．By making comparision.

C．By analyzing causes and effects.

D．By following the order of importance.

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.C

4.A

5.B

【解析】

试题分析：本文主要讲述的是英国人和美国人对待讨价还价的不同的态度，英国人很少讨价还价，而美国人则习以为常。两国人讨价还价的方法也有很大的差别。

1.B 推理题。根据本句People flock to the sales in January, when stores slash their prices to get rid of all their winter stock. But surprisingly, the British hate haggling.可知在1月份英国人都去疯狂购物，但是我们却很少看见英国人讨价还价。故B正确。

2.D 推理题。根据文章第一段Generally, though, people from the UK are too reserved to haggle. If we think the price of something we want is too high, we’ll simply move on and try somewhere else.

可知英国人很少在公众场合表述自己的观点，这是这个民族的特点。故D正确。

3.C 推理题。根据本句First, “you drive a hard bargain” is commonly said by the customer to indicate they think the stall holder is working very hard, probably a little too hard, to get the price he wants.可知顾客认为店主的价格太高，故C正确。

4.A 推理题。根据文章最后一段If I were forced to bargain, I’d probably say, very simply: “I’m going to make you an offer.” If that offer were refused, I think I’d just walk away.

可知作者对于讨价还价持否否的态度，认为没有必要这样做。故A正确。

5.B 推理题。本文主要讲述的是英国人和美国人对待讨价还价的不同的态度，文章的组织方式是比较，通过二者的比较来体现。故B正确。

考点：考察文化类短文阅读