Knowinghowtoaskforinformationandhelppolitelyisimportant.InEnglish“Wherearetherestrooms?”and“Couldyoupleasetellmewheretherestroomsare?”aresimilarrequests(请求)—botharecorrectEnglishbutthefirstcouldsoundrude.It’simportanttousecorrectlanguagebutsometimesthisaloneisnotenough—weneedtolearnhowtobepolitewhenwemakerequests.
InEnglishjustlikeinChinesewechangethewaywespeakwhentalkingwithdifferentpeople.Theexpressionsyouusemightdependonwhomyouarespeakingtoorhowwellyouknowthem.Ifyousaytoyourteacher“Whereismybook?”thiswillsoundrude.Butifyousay“ExcusemeMrWest.Doyouknowwheremybookis?”yourquestionwillsoundmuchmorepolite.Ontheotherhanditmightbealrighttosay“Whereismybook?”tothepeopleyouknowwell.
Andyouwouldnotusuallysay“Peterlendmeyourpen.”AverydirectorderlikethiscansoundrudeinEnglish.UsuallyinEnglishpolitequestionsarelongerandincludeextra(附加的)languagesuchas“Couldyouplease...?”or“CanIask...?”Itsoundsmorepolitetosay“Petercouldyoupleaselendmeyourpen?”Ifyoustopastrangerinthestreetwemightfirstsay“Excuseme.Iwonderifyoucanhelpme.”or“I’msorrytotroubleyoubut…”beforeaskinghimforhelp.
Itmightseemthatspeakingpolitelyismoredifficultthanbeingdirectandinawaythismaybetrue.
1.Whenwemakerequestsweneedtospeakina____way.
A.politeB.carefulC.differentD.direct
2.Youshouldsay“____”whenyouaskastrangerforaway.
A.Whichisthewaytothezoo?
B.HowcanIgettothezoo?
C.Doyouknowthewaytothezoo?
D.Excuseme.Canyoutellmethewaytothezoo?
3.Whichofthefollowingistrueaccordingtothepassage?
A.Weshoulduselongsentenceswhenweaskforinformationandhelp.
B.Whenweaskforhelpfromotherspolitelanguagemustbeused.
C.Thewayofspeakingisimportantwhenweaskdifferentpeopleforhelp.
D.InEnglishpolitequestionsareasneccessaryasrudeanddirectones.