閱讀理解。
From Mr. Ward Hoffman.
Sir, I was halfway through Professor Raj Persaud's article "What's the tipping point" (Financial Times
Weekend, April 9-l0) when it occurred to me that what I was reading was not ironic (諷刺的). If Prof
Persaud wants to know why Americans tip in restaurants, he need only ask the first American he meets in
London.
Americans tip in restarts for one reason, and one reason only: we tip to supplement (補貼) the salary of
restaurant workers. Quality of service does not enter into it, beyond the fact that one may tip a bit less for
poor service, or a little more for good service.
Not tipping at all in a non-fast-food restaurant is not a choice. In the US, one used to tip about 15 per
cent for dining in a family-style restaurant or in an up-market (高檔的) restaurant. Here, in San Francisco
Bay area restaurants, we me encouraged to tip 20 per cent or more, to help restart workers live in this very
expensive area.
After eating at an Italian restart in my city, I left a tip of 20 per cent on the non-tax part of our dinner bill.
It was expected. There is nothing more complicated (復(fù)雜的) than that about Americas tipping in restaurants.
Ward Hoffman,
Palo Alto, CA 94306, US
From Mr. Philip McBride Johnson.
Sir, I agree with most of Raj Persaud's opinion about the doubtful value of tipping, but with one exception
(例外). Tips can be very useful when one is a repeat customer or diner.
It is only when the tipper is a stranger and likely to remain so that the system does not work to his or her
advantage. But frequent a hotel or a restaurant, always tip a bit more, and the difference in service and
treatment will ba easily felt.
Phfiip McBnde Johnson,
Great Falls, VA 22066, US
1. What can we learn from Hoffrnan's letter?
A. Quality of service determines tipping in the US.
B. Americans don't tip in non fast-food restaurants.
C. Tipping in US upmarknt restarts is unnecessary.
D. How to tip in the United States is not complicated.
2. Johnson's letter shows ______.
A. a stranger in a restaurant is likely to tip a bit more
B. diners receive better service if they frequent a restaurant
C. repeat dinners may get good service if they tip a bit more
D. the tipping system works to the advantage of new customers
3. From tbe two letters, we can learn Professor Raj Persaud ______.
A. feels doubtful about the value of tipping
B. believes tipping improves quality of service
C. wats to ask Hoffman about tipping m the US
D. thinks tipping a bit mom one can get good service
4. The two letters most probably appears in a ______.
A. notice
B. handbook
C. book review
D. newspaper
