The English are famous for their manners. The phrase, "Manners make the man" was coined by
Englishman William of Wykeham back in 1324, but they're just as important today. Books are written
on the subject; advice columns in magazines tell people how to behave; and "finishing schools" still exist
to ensure that young girls become young "ladies".
The best example of English manners is in their mastery of the art of forming a queue. It is a popular
joke in England (the land of sporting failures) to say, "If only queuing was an Olympic sport, we'd win
hands down." No one knows exactly how and when it started, but queuing plays an important role in the
English social make-up. School children are taught to queue for roll-call, assembly and lunch, and English
people across the land form orderly queues at shops, banks, cinemas and bus-stops every day. The
English obviously aren't the only people who queue, but they seem to do it better than anyone else. As
one visitor said, "I have travelled across Europe, the Middle and Far East and nowhere have I seen the
single-file queues which are formed in England."
The English are also famously polite when it comes to language. Whereas many other notions are more direct in their communication, the English prefer a more indirect form of asking for things. For example,
an American who wants to talk to a colleague might say, "Got a minute?"; however an English person will
often use a more indirect means of requesting the chat, "Sorry to bother you, but would you possibly have a minute or so to have a quick chat if you don't mind, please?"
The English also love to apologize for things. When squeezing past someone, people say "Sorry". And
they will apologize if you bump into them, "Whoops! Sorry! My fault." In fact, no one seems to say
"Sorry" as much as the English: "Sorry I'm late. /Sorry I forgot to call you last night./I'm sorry you didn't
get the e-mail." And so on. They also like to use "Please" and "Thank you" a lot. In a shop, they will say, "I'd like a packet of crisp, please. Thanks." British students thank their lectures, and bosses often thank
their employees for doing their jobs.
1. Why does "finishing schools" still exist to help young girls become "ladies"?
A. Because the English mind their manners very much.
B. Because the English parents want to marry their daughters to the royal family.
C. Because the English girls are so rude that they need to be taught to be polite.
D. Because the English government ensures their existence.
2. The underlined sentence in paragraph2 implies ______.
A. The English love the Olympics very much.
B. The English spend nothing winning an Olympic medal.
C. The English are best at queuing.
D. The English prefer to queue with their hands down.
3. According to the passage, if Americans say "Waiter! Could I have another fork, please?" how will the
English express such a meaning?
A. Excuse me! Give me another fork, please!
B. Excuse me! I have to be a bother, but would you mind awfully changing this fork, please?
C. Hi! Would you mind giving me another fork?
D. Waiter! Come here and change the fork!
4. According to the passage, why do the employers often thank their employees for doing their jobs?
A. The employees can bring them a lot of benefits.
B. The employees finish their jobs perfectly.
C. The English employers' good manners lead them to do so.
D. The employers do it as a result of the company's regulation.
