“在一位密友的安排下,我得到機會在北京會見了金正恩。在這場簡短的會面中,我問他能否把他的私人裁縫介紹給我,他同意了。到了平壤,金正恩的裁縫為我做了一套金正恩式的制服?!?
測試中可能遇到的詞匯和知識:
corpulence肥胖,臃腫[?k??pj?l?ns]
wig假發(fā)[w?ɡ]
oxymoron矛盾修飾法[??ks?'m??r?n]
abinitio從開始起;自始[??b ??n??i??]
rebuke斥責(zé),指責(zé)[r?'bju?k]
adamant強硬的,固執(zhí)的['?d?m?nt]
etiquette禮儀,禮節(jié)['et?ket]
bourgeois中產(chǎn)階級的,追求名利的['b???wɑ?]
By David Tang
In a recent column you mentioned you briefly met Kim Jong Un. I have just returned from North Korea and would be fascinated to hear about your encounter with the Supreme Leader.
I was introduced to him in Beijing by a close friend of mine who buys a lot of vegetables from North Korea because he thinks they are the most uncontaminated vegetables in the world. Although the meeting was brief, I asked if the Supreme Leader could introduce me to his tailor. He did. When I subsequently went to Pyongyang, his tailor cut me a “Kim” suit: medium brown, with shirt sleeves and a centre zip, together with slightly flared trousers. The ensemble fitted quite well, and if I put a small pillow inside the jacket to create a prominent corpulence, I could look a bit like the man himself, with the help of a wig.
Timing and schedules are essential to any social occasion — “fashionably late” has always struck me as oxymoronic — but surely not sufficient to success? What are your essentials for hosting a successful dinner party?
It's inconsiderate of guests to arrive late especially for sit-down dinners, which really require being served together ab initio without any empty chairs. But we also know that on arrival there is always a lot of chit-chat and milling around. So if asked for 8pm, it is not too bad to arrive at 8.10pm or 8.15pm. I would often do that, not to be fashionable but sensible, because I find chit-chat tiresome before sitting down. Sometimes I know hosts who don't sit down until as late as 9pm and I tend to say no to those invitations.
In India, the Middle East or Spain, sit-down dinners don't really occur until 10.30pm or 11pm and I never formally accept them or I ask if I could attend in my pyjamas. I would certainly have some cup noodles before going because I find having to digest a large dinner late very uncomfortable.
The secret of a successful dinner is not to let it drag on. And make sure you always have one surprising guest: someone amusing such as Nigel Farage, Monica Lewinsky or Diane Abbott.
At a pub supper of some 20 people in a busy bar in Cornwall I was rebuked by a fellow lady diner for placing an empty wine bottle upside down in a wine cooler, this being deemed bad manners. She was adamant that I take it out, which I declined to do. This was a pub, not Claridge's; is she justified in her behaviour?
Bad manners involve being inconsiderate to others. I don't see how an upturned bottle could offend anyone. And why should there be a difference in behaviour between a pub and Claridge's? One could argue that the etiquette at Claridge's is unnecessarily bourgeois. Indeed, when the waiters there lay napkins over customers' thighs, they are doing something that is offensive to me. Or when they interrupt my conversation to ask if I want “still or sparkling” water, which is the most annoying question one could be asked. So tell your lady friend to grow up and stop pretending to be classy. And tell her, turning the bottle upside down sends a clear signal that the bottle is empty and saves the face of the host for not having ordered another bottle straightaway.
My half-century birthday is coming soon. What suggestions, on a more limited budget, do you have to bring fun and elegance to the day? Are there special pieces of music? What other ideas might you have?
On a budget, always go for “bring a bottle”. That's fair for everyone and you can top it up with whatever extra bottles you can buy. The main attention should be on providing a space with tables and chairs and not an empty space just for dancing. Seating on small round tables creates a cabaret atmosphere. Get some loud and familiar music going. I like DJs who are not too clever: the standard Beatles and even the Carpenters or Abba are always good. All the old hot tracks like “I Will Survive” or “YMCA” guarantee a flowing group of dancers, of all ages. And NO overhead lighting. All lights must come from sconces, up-lights or table lamps. Don't forget to bring in sausage rolls at about 10pm. That's when people begin to feel famished.
1.Why did the author's friend buy a lot of vegetables from North Korea ?
A.Because he thinks vegetables from North Korea are very tasty.
B.Because vegetables from North Korea are pretty cheap.
C.Because he wants to study North Korea's model of modern agriculture.
D.Because he believes vegetables from North Korea are the most uncontaminated vegetables in the world.
答案(1)
2.What color is the “Kim” suit?
A.dark brown.
B.medium brown.
C.dark grey.
D.medium grey.
答案(2)
3.Which of the following statements about Spain sit-down dinners is true?
A.On arrival there is always a lot of chit-chat and milling around.
B.The hosts usually don't sit down until as late as 9pm.
C.They don't really occur until 10.30pm or 11pm.
D.There is always a surprising guest at a successful Spain sit-down dinner.
答案(3)
4.According to the author, turning the bottle upside down at a supper____.
A.is unnecessarily bourgeois.
B.is offensive to the host.
C.means the bottle is empty.
D.is forbidden at Claridge's.
答案(4)
(1)答案:D.Because he believes vegetables from North Korea are the most uncontaminated vegetables in the world.
解釋:我的一位密友在朝鮮購買了大量蔬菜,因為他認(rèn)為朝鮮的蔬菜是世界上污染最少的。
(2)答案:B.medium brown.
解釋:我在平壤時,金正恩的裁縫為我做了一套金正恩式的制服:中等深的棕色、有著襯衫袖子、中間是拉鏈,還有一條有些闊口的褲子。
(3)答案:C.They don't really occur until 10.30pm or 11pm.
解釋:在印度、中東和西班牙,晚宴常常在晚上10:30或11:00才開始。
(4)答案:C.means the bottle is empty.
解釋:將瓶子倒置說明瓶子已經(jīng)空了,這可以避免主人因為沒及時點一瓶新的而丟了面子。