There is one word that is on the lips of Americans , day and night , “Sorry”.
One time as I was walking on the street , a young man ran by hurriedly , brushing against my handbag . Even as he continued on his way , he turned back and said “sorry” to me . Even in a rush , he didn’t forget to apologize .
One day , after I bought some apples , the salesman was giving me the change , but I wasn’t ready for it , and a coin dropped on the ground, “I’m sorry ,” he said while bending down to pick it up . I was puzzled —why would he apologize when it was my fault ?
Another time , I stepped on a man’s foot in an escalator . At the same time , we both said “sorry” . I thought it interesting : was it really necessary for him apologize ?
Later on , an American friend explained to me that according to the American ideas, the escalator is public place which everyone should be able to stand in . After someone occupies a position in the escalator , making it difficult for someone else to find a place to stand in , isn’t it necessary to express an apology ?
During my stay in America , I gradually realized that when friction (摩擦) occurs in daily life , Americans don’t care much about who is responsible . If someone is troubled , a “sorry” is always necessary . Even if the other person is hurt , the “sorry” would cool tempers . Perhaps this is why I never saw anyone quarreling on the buses , subways or streets in America .
小题1:When I was walking in the street , ____ .
A．a young man wanted to rob me of my bag
B．a young man ran by and wanted to brush my bag
C．a young man said sorry to me for touching my bag
D．a young man came hurriedly to help me with my bag小题2:When the salesman gave me the change , _____
A．I purposely didn’t want to accept it from the salesman
B．the salesman purposely didn’t want to pass it to me
C．I was slower to accept it than the salesman to give it to me
D．the salesman was slower to give it to me than I could accept it小题3:The man on whose feet I stepped apologized to me because ____ .
A．the escalator is a public place
B．the man was very afraid of me
C．the “sorry” said to me was for everyone
D．there wasn’t enough room to get my feet in小题4:In this passage , the author seems to feel _____ the Americans’ “sorry”.
A．angry with
B．disappointed with
C．interested in
D．approving of
