| Questions 51 - 55 are based on
the following passage. In many countries there is a fixed charge for personal services. A certain percentage may be added to the bill at a hotel or restaurant "for the service". In other places the customer may be expected to give a tip, or a small amount of money, as a sign of appreciation whenever services are performed. In the United States there is no consistent practice in regard to tipping. The custom is more common in a large city than in a small town. A native American may often be in doubt about when and how much to tip when he is in a city that is strange to him. In general, however, a tip is expected by the porter who carries your baggage, by taxi drivers (except, perhaps, in small towns), and by those who serve you in hotels and restaurants. When you pick up your incoming luggage at an airport, you may tip the man who takes it to the taxi or airport bus. He usually expects 35 cents a bag for his service. In some cities the taxi that takes you to your hotel may have one meter that shows the cost of the trip and another that shows a fixed charge, usually about 20 cents, for "extra". In some cities the taxi driver may expect a tip in addition to the "extra", especially if he carries your suitcase, ff no "extra" is charged, a tip is usually given. Hotels generally do not make a service charge, though there are places where one is added. It is customary, however, to give something to the porter who carries your suitcases and shows you to your room. In case of doubt, 35 cents for each bag he carries is satisfactory. In a restaurant you generally leave about 15 percent of the bill in small change on that table as a tip for the person who has served you. A service charge is generally not included except in some of the larger, more expensive places. If the order is small--a cup of coffee at a lunch counter, or something of the sort--a tip is not usually expected. Questions: |