单选题 Entire cultures operate on elaborate systems of indirectness. For example, it is discovered in a small research project that most Greeks assumed that a wife who asked, "Would you like to go to the party?" was hinting that she wanted to go. They felt that she wouldn"t bring it up if she didn"t want to go. Furthermore, they felt, she would not state her preference directly because that would sound like a demand. Indirectness was the appropriate means for communicating her preference.
Japanese culture has developed indirectness to a fine art. For example, a Japanese professor, Harumi Befu, explains the delicate exchange of indirectness required by a simple invitation to lunch. When his friend extended the invitation, Befu first had to determine whether it was meant literally or just a ritual, much as an American might say, "We"ll have to have you over for dinner some time" but would not expect you to turn up at the door. Having decided the invitation was meant literally and having accepted, Befu was then asked what he would like to eat. Following custom, he said anything would do, but his friend, also following custom, pressed him to specify. Host and guest repeated this exchange an appropriate number of times, until Befu thought it polite to answer the question—politely—by saying that tea over rice would be fine. When he arrived for lunch, he was indeed served tea over rice—as the last course of a luxurious meal. Befu was not surprised by the feast, because he knew that custom required it. Had he been given what he asked for, he would have been insulted. But custom also required that he make a great show of being surprised.

单选题 According to Paragraph 1, Greeks believe that women ______.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] 第一段最后两句“Furthermore, they felt, she would not state her preference directly because that would sound like a demand...her preference.”。
细节判断题。第一段最后两句得出妻子不会直接地表达她们的喜好，因为直接表达会听起来像是命令。而之前举例中，妻子是以问句的方式问要不要去聚会，所选项C符合题意，妻子喜欢将她的喜好通过问句表达出来。

单选题 On receiving a lunch invitation, Befu first has to ______.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[解析] 第二段第三句“...Befu first had to determine whether it was meant literally or just a ritual...”。
细节判断题。根据第二段第三句，北府需要第一时间确认这是真正意义上的邀请还只是礼貌上的寒暄，故选项D(判断这个要求是否是认真的)符合题意。

单选题 Why would Befu ask for tea over rice?

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[解析] 第二段第六句“Host and guest repeated this exchange an appropriate number of times, until Befu thought it polite to answer the question—politely—by saying that tea over rice would be fine.”。
细节判断题。根据本文第二段第六句可知，北府认为这样回答是一种礼貌，故选项A符合题意。

单选题 Which of the following statements is true?

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[解析] 第二段第八句“Befu was not surprised by...”。
细节判断题。根据本文第二段第八句可知北府并没有被这顿宴席震惊到，因为他知道这就是他们的文化习惯。所以他们的文化习俗应该是如果没有一顿丰盛的菜肴，是不礼貌的，选项B符合题意。