Bright red post boxes, the Queen and queuing—what do they all have in common? They are all important parts of British life. At least I thought so.
However, the ability to queue for long periods of time, once believed to be a traditional characteristic of the British, is no longer tolerated by people in the UK, according to a survey done for British bank Barclays.
Once upon a time, queuing was seen as normal. During World WarⅡ, everyone had to queue up to receive their daily supply of foods. In fact, if you didn't stand up and wait in line with all the others, it was seen as uncivilized.
The famous English double-decker buses, with only one entrance, might also help explain why queuing was seen as a part of British life. Almost always, there is queue to get on.
But perhaps the British are tired of being pushed past by the Spanish, the Italians or the French as they queue up to get a table at a restaurant. The people of these other European countries have more than one entrance to their buses, which explains their more relaxed attitude to the queue.
Two minutes is now the longest time most British people are prepared to stand and wait. But could it be that the Internet, which allows us to carry out tasks quickly, is the main reason why British people are no longer prepared to queue?
"Used to buying without delay, customers are even giving up purchases rather than wait their turn," says Stuart Neal of Barclaycard. "Shoppers are also less likely to queue for long if the item they are buying is of low value."
Perhaps I will have to replace "queuing" with "impatience" in my list of things I relate to the British.
小题1: What can we learn about the tradition of queuing in Britain?
| A．It was considered a symbol of a civilized behavior. |
| B．It was a long time tradition as old as the Queen. |
| C．It was a product of the slow pace of life. |
| D．It has made the Britain different from other Europeans. |
小题2: According to the passage, the British gradually stopped queuing because ______.
| A．they prefer shopping online |
| B．the Internet has changed their way of life |
| C．what they are buying is of low value |
| D．they follow the example of foreigners |
小题3: It can be learned from the text that ______.
| A．the British used to buy without delay |
| B．the British have to queue to receive food |
| C．the British get impatient with queuing for long |
| D．the British prefer to take double-decker buses |
小题4:The author's main purpose of writing the passage is _______.
| A．to tell us the influence of the Internet on the British ways of life |
| B．to compare the cultural difference between Britain and other countries |
| C．to report his research on the British ways of life |
| D．to talk about the changes in the attitude to queuing in Britain |