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Did you know that all human beings have a “comfort zone” regulating the distance they stand from someone when they talk? This distance varies in interesting ways among people of different cultures.

Greeks, some of the Eastern Mediterranean, and many of those from South America normally stand quite close together when they talk, often moving their faces even closer as they warm up in a conversation. North Americans find this awkward and often back away a few inches. Studies have found that they tend to feel most comfortable at about 21 inches apart. In much of Asia and Africa, there is even more space between two speakers in conversation. This greater space subtly lends an air of dignity and respect. This matter of space is nearly always unconscious, but it is interesting to observe.

This difference applies also to the closeness with which people sit together, the extent to which they lean over one another in conversation, how they move as they argue or make an emphatic point. In the United States, for example, people try to keep their bodies apart even in a crowded elevator; in Paris they take it as it comes!

Although North Americans have a relatively wide “comfort zone” for talking, they communicate a great deal with their hands—not only with gesture but also with touch. They put a sympathetic hand on a person's shoulder to demonstrate warmth of feeling, or an arm around him in sympathy; they nudge（用肘轻推）a man in the ribs to emphasize a funny story; they pat an arm in reassurance or stroke a child's head in affection; they readily take someone's arm to help him across a street or direct him along an unfamiliar route. To many people—especially those from Asia or the Islamic countries—such bodily contact is unwelcome, especially if inadvertently（不注意地）done with left hand. The left hand carries no special significance in the U.S. Many Americans are simply left-handed and use that hand more.

1．In terms of body distance, North Americans____.

A．are similar to South Americans

B．stand farther apart

C．feel ill at ease when too close

D．move nearer during conversation

2．For Asians, the comfort zone____.

A．is deliberately determined

B．measures 21 inches

C．varies according to status

D．implies esteem

3．It can be inferred from the passage that in a crowded elevator, a Frenchman would____.

A．behave in the same way as an American would

B．make no particular effort to distance himself

C．be afraid of body contact

D．do his best to leave

4．When Americans tell a joke, they often____.

A．pat people on the head

B．give people a hug

C．dig people in the ribs

D．touch people on the arm

5．Which of the following is true about “left-handedness”?

A．The Asians are likely to pat an arm in reassurance with left hand.

B．People in the USA are all left-handed.

C．People in Islamic countries tend to use left hand.

D．Japanese are less likely to use left hand.

1．【答案】C

【精析】题干关键词“North Americans”定位至第二段第二句“North Americans find this awkward and often back away a few inches.”北美人发现这样（指前文说的“谈话时靠得很近，甚至达到面对面的程度”）很尴尬并且常退后几英寸。awkward与ill at ease同义，所以C项正确。

2．【答案】D

【精析】由题干关键词“Asians”定位至第二段后半部分“In much of Asia and Africa, there is even more space between two speakers in conversation. This greater space subtly lends an air of dignity and respect. This matter of space is nearly always unconscious...”大意为：在谈话时，亚洲人之间的距离更大，并且距离空间越大越显示出一种尊重的氛围。人们保持这样的距离常常是无意识的。所以D项正确。

3．【答案】B

【精析】由题干关键词“crowded elevator”和“Frenchman”定位至第三段最后一句“In the United States, for example, people try to keep their bodies apart even in a crowded elevator; in Paris they take it as it comes!”在拥挤的电梯里，美国人尽量与他们的身体分开一些；而在巴黎，人们则比较随意！所以B项正确。

4．【答案】C

【精析】由题干关键词“Americans tell a joke”定位至最后一段第二句“...they nudge a man in the ribs to emphasize a funny story...”（……他们（美国人）在强调一个有趣的故事时，常常碰一下谈话对象的肋部……）所以C项正确。

5．【答案】D

【精析】由题干关键词“lef-t handedness”定位至最后一段最后两句“To many people—especially those from Asia or the Islamic countries—such bodily contact is unwelcome, especially if inadvertently done with left hand. The left hand carries no special significance in the U.S. Many Americans are simply left-handed and use that hand more.”对于一些人来说——特别是来自亚洲和伊斯兰国家的人——这样的身体接触（上文提到的如轻拍胳膊表示确信等）是不受欢迎的，尤其是有人不小心用左手做了这些动作。而在美国，用左手没有特殊的含义，很多美国人就是左撇子，用左手的机会更多。由“To many people—especially those from Asia or the Islamic countries—such bodily contact is unwelcome”可知，D项正确，A项、C项不正确；由“Many Americans are simply left-handed”可知，B项不正确。