A report consistently brought back by visitors to the US is how friendly, courteous, and helpful most Americans were to them. To be fair, this observation is also frequently made of Canada and Canadians, and should best be considered North American. There are, of course, exceptions. Small-minded officials, rude waiters, and ill-mannered taxi drivers are hardly unknown in the US. Yet it is an observation made so frequently that it deserves comment.For a long period of time and in many parts of the country, a traveler was a welcome break in an otherwise dull existence. Dullness and loneliness were common problems of the families who generally lived distant from one another. Strangers and travelers were welcome sources of diversion, and brought news of the outside world.The harsh realities of the frontier also shaped this tradition of hospitality. Someone traveling alone, if hungry, injured, or ill, often had nowhere to turn except to the nearest cabin or settlement. It was not a matter of choice for the traveler or merely a charitable impulse on the part of the settlers. It reflected the harshness of daily life: if you didn’t take in the stranger and take care of him, there was no one else who would. And someday, remember, you might be in the same situation.Today there are many charitable organizations that specialized in helping the weary traveler. Yet, the old tradition of hospitality to strangers is still very strong in the US, especially in the smaller cities and towns away from the busy tourist trails. I was just traveling through, got talking with this American, and pretty soon he invited me home for dinner—amazing. Such observations reported by visitors to the US are not uncommon, but are not always understood properly. The casual friendliness of many Americans should be interpreted neither as superficial nor as artificial, but as the result of a historically developed cultural tradition.As is true of any developed society, in America a complex set of cultural signals assumptions, and conventions underlies all social interrelationships. And, of course, speaking a language does not necessarily mean that someone understands social and cultural patterns. Visitors who fail to translate cultural meanings properly often draw wrong conclusions. For example, when an American uses the word friend, the cultural implications of the word may be quite different from those it has in the visitor’s language and culture. It takes more than a brief encounter on a bus to distinguish between courteous convention and individual interest. Yet, being friendly is a virtue that many Americans value highly and expect from both neighbors and strangers.1.The word “observation” in the first paragraph most probably means （ ）.2.People in frontier settlements used to entertain travelers because these strangers would （ ）.3.Nowadays the tradition of friendliness to strangers （ ）.4.According to the passage, which of the following is true?5.From the last paragraph of the passage we have learned that（ ）.

A.attention. B.watchfulness. C.survey. D.opinion.
问题2：
A.bring good news from outside world. B.help locals solve their problems. C.bring a change to the life in the settlements. D.requires a different definition.
问题3：
A.is still prevailing. B.can rarely be seen C.is wading fast D.requires a different definition
问题4：
A.People are still fond of traveling to remote places. B.Foreign travelers now keep away from busy tourist trails. C.There is no charitable organization in small cities. D.Foreign visitors to the US have trouble understanding American’s friendliness.
问题5：
A.the ability of speaking a foreign language implies a better understanding of its culture B.various virtues manifest themselves exclusively among friends C.culture exercises a great influence on social interrelationships D.courteous convention and individual interest are closely interrelated