阅读理解。
It Tastes Just Like Chicken
Away from home, eating is more than just a way to keep your stomach full. It is a language all its own, and no words can say, "Glad to meet you … glad to be doing business with you ..." quite like sharing a
meal offered by your host.
Clearly, mealtime is not the time for you to say, "Thanks, but no." Acceptance of the food on your
plate means acceptance of the host, the country, and the company. So, no matter how difficult it may be
to swallow (吞咽), swallow. Or, as one experienced traveler says, "Travel with a cast-iron (铸铁的)
stomach and eat everything everywhere."
Often, the food offered represents proudly your host country's eating culture. What would Americans
think of a French person who refused to take a bite of homemade apple pie or sirloin? Our discomfort
comes not so much from the thing itself; it comes from our unfamiliarity (不熟悉) with it. After all, an
oyster has remarkably the same look as a sheep's eye; and a first look at a lobster would remind almost
anybody of a creature from a science fiction movie, not something you dip in butter and eat. By the way,
in Saudi Arabia sheep's eyes are a famous dish and in parts of China it's pig's tails.
Can you refuse such food without being rude? Most experienced business travelers say no, at least
not before taking at least a few bites. It helps, though, to slice (切) any item very thin. This way, you
minimize (最小化) the taste and the reminder of where it came from. Or, "Swallow it quickly," as one
traveler recommends. "I still can't tell you what sheep's eyeballs taste like." As for dealing with taste, the
old line that "it tastes just like chicken" is often thankfully true. Even when the "it" is really rat or snake.
Another useful piece of advice is not knowing what you are eating. What's for dinner? Don't ask.
Avoid glancing into the kitchen or looking at English-language menus. Your host will be pleased that you
are eating the food he offers, and who knows? Maybe it really is chicken in that soup.
1. The purpose of the article is to _________.
A. introduce unfamiliar food
B. share the writer's personal experiences
C. suggest ways to overcome a cultural barrier (障碍)
D. advise on how to politely refuse to eat foreign food
2. According to the writer, people hesitate (犹豫) at strange food mainly due to _________.
A. the way it looks
B. safety worries
C. not knowing much about it
D. the unfamiliar atmosphere
3. From the article we can infer that ________.
A. an American may feel comfortable with apple pie
B. one should refuse strange food after a few bites
C. English-language menus are not always dependable
D. one needs a cast-iron stomach to travel in other cultures
4. One may say "It tastes just like chicken." when __________.
A. showing respect for chicken-loving nations
B. greeting people with different dieting habits
C. judging chefs at an international food festival
D. getting someone to try an unpleasant meal
