Americans often plan social gatherings（社交聚会）on short notice, so don’t be surprised if you get invited to someone’s home or to see a movie or baseball game without much warning. If the time is convenient (方便) for you, surely accept their invitation. But if you’re busy, don’t be afraid to decline the invitation, perhaps suggesting a time that would be better. Your host won’t be shamed.
Invitations are usually sent in person or over the telephone. The main exception(例外) is for some formal occasions, in which case a written invitation will be mailed. You would normally receive a written invitation to a wedding(婚礼).
For a casual(不正式的)dinner invitation, don’t arrive more than 5 minutes early, because your host may still be preparing for your visit. Arriving more than 10 minutes late is considered rude if very few people were invited. If many people were invited, it’s OK to arrive a little late, even as much as half an hour late. For example, it’s OK to arrive late for a party, for a potluck (家常便饭) dinner or for a social gathering inviting a large group of people.
If you’re invited for dinner, it’s proper to bring the host a bottle of wine, a gift basket of fruit, a box of candy (糖果), or a bouquet(束)of flowers. Don’t bring roses, as men often give roses to women on a date (约会).
If you wish to thank the host for his or her hospitality (好客), it’s right to call or send a brief (简单的) written thank-you note the next day.
【小题1】The passage is to tell us .A．how to accept Americans’ invitations.B．something about American social visits.C．something about American business visits.D．how to make a living in America.【小题2】The underlined word “decline” in the first paragraph most probably means .A．acceptB．receiveC．refuseD．follow【小题3】If an American only invites you to his home for an informal supper at 7:30p.m., you’d better get to his house at .A．7:15p.m.B．7:35p.m.C．7:45p.m.D．7:55p.m.【小题4】In America, invitations to a wedding are often sent .A．by mailB．by faxC．by e-mailD．over the telephone【小题5】According to the passage, in American .A．if you’re invited to a family as a guest, you can stay as long as you please.B．if you’re invited for a party, you must always be on time.C．if you’re invited for dinner, you’d better bring some presents.D．you must make a call to show your thanks after you get home from the dinner.B
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(答案→)B
解析：这篇文章主要讲了关于美国社会聚会的一些事。例如被邀请时，到达聚会的时间以及应该给主人带些礼物。
【小题1】根据Americans often plan social gatherings（社交聚会）on short notice, so don’t be surprised if you get invited to someone’s home or to see a movie or baseball game without much warning.可知这篇文章主要讲了关于美国社会聚会的一些事情，故选B。
【小题2】根据perhaps suggesting a time that would be better. Your host won’t be shamed，可知decline的意思是谢绝，故选C。
【小题3】根据For a casual(不正式的)dinner invitation, don’t arrive more than 5 minutes early, because your host may still be preparing for your visit. Arriving more than 10 minutes late is considered rude if very few people were invited.所以答案为B。
【小题4】根据You would normally receive a written invitation to a wedding(婚礼)，因此选A。
【小题5】根据If you’re invited for dinner, it’s proper to bring the host a bottle of wine, a gift basket of fruit, a box of candy (糖果), or a bouquet(束)of flowers. Don’t bring roses, as men often give roses to women on a date (约会)，因此选C。