Question

    You may not pay much attention to your daily elevator ride. Many of us use a lift several times during a day without really thinking about it. But Lee Gray, PhD, of the University of North Carolina, US, has made it his business to examine this overlooked form of public transport. He is known as the “Elevator Guy”.

“The lift becomes an interesting social space where etiquette (礼仪) is sort of strange,” Gray told the BBC. “They are socially very interesting but often very awkward places.”

We walk in and usually turn around to face the door. If someone else comes in, we may have to move. And here, according to Gray, lift-users unthinkingly go through a set pattern of movements. He told the BBC what he had observed.

He explained that when you are the only one inside a lift, you can do whatever you want — it’s your own little box. If there are two of you, you go into different corners, standing diagonally (对角线地) across from each other to create distance.

Newcomers to the lift will need to size up the situation when the doors slide open and then act quickly. Once in, for most people the rule is simple — look down, or look at your phone.

Why are we so awkward in lifts? “You don’t have enough space,” Professor Babette Renneberg, a clinical psychologist at the Free University of Berlin, told the BBC. “Usually when we meet other people, we have about an arm’s length of distance between us. And that’s not possible in most elevators.”

In such a small, enclosed space it becomes very important to act in a way that cannot be considered to be threatening or strange, “The easiest way do this is avoid eye contact,” she said.

1.What is people’s response to the lift etiquette according to Gray?

A.Thinking much of it. B.Avoiding it on purpose.

C.Researching it continuously. D.Ignoring it unconsciously.

2.What does Gray think of riding a lift?

A.It’s funny and quick. B.It’s strange and dangerous.

C.It’s interesting but awkward. D.It’s convenient but boring.

3.What may most people do if they stay in the lift?

A.Talk loudly to each other. B.Keep still and silence.

C.Use mobile phones. D.Keep a close distance.

4.What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A.To show how to ride each elevators.

B.To introduce some rules of elevator etiquette.

C.To show how to break awkwardness of riding lifts，

D.To analyze the reasons for keeping elevator etiquette.

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.C

4.B

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文。文章作者介绍了乘坐电梯时，应该注意的一些礼仪。

1.

推理判断题。根据第三段中的And here, according to Gray, lift-users unthinkingly go through a set pattern of movements.可知，根据格雷的说法，电梯使用者会不假思索地经历一组动作模式。由此可知，格雷认为人们无意识地忽视了电梯礼仪。故选D。

2.

细节理解题。根据第二段中的They are socially very interesting but often very awkward places.可知，这些地方在社交上很有趣，但通常也很尴尬。由此可知，格雷认为乘电梯很有趣，但也很尴尬。故选C。

3.

细节理解题。根据第五段中的Once in, for most people the rule is simple — look down, or look at your phone.可知，一旦进入，对大多数人来说，规则很简单——低头，或者看你的手机。由此可知，如果人们呆在电梯里，大多数人可能会使用手机。故选C。

4.

推理判断题。根据第一段中的But Lee Gray, PhD, of the University of North Carolina, US, has made it his business to examine this overlooked form of public transport.(但美国北卡罗来纳大学的李•格雷博士却致力于研究这种被忽视的公共交通形式)及第二段“The lift becomes an interesting social space where etiquette (礼仪) is sort of strange,” Gray told the BBC.(“电梯变成了一个有趣的社交空间，在这里礼仪有点奇怪，”格雷告诉BBC)及下文介绍可知，作者写这篇文章的目的是为了介绍一些电梯礼仪的规则。故选B。