2. 外语
  3. The word hug is of uncertain origin. The Oxford English Dictionary cautions against confusing it with hugge—a variant of the Mid

The word hug is of uncertain origin. The Oxford English Dictionary cautions against confusing it with hugge—a variant of the Mid

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问题     The word hug is of uncertain origin. The Oxford English Dictionary cautions against confusing it with hugge—a variant of the Middle English ug, meaning "to inspire with dread, loathing, or disgust." Nevertheless, I find myself drawn to the possibility that hug does, in fact, have some kinship with ug. It seems apt to me. At the prospect of a tight embrace, dread and loathing, if not disgust, do come to mind. So does the sound ug.
    So why is it that when I go over to your house for dinner, you wrap your arms around me, even though I saw you last Friday at the movies? And why do you come at me again after the meal is over, even though we hugged not three hours ago and I’ll probably see you next week? It’s not that I don’t like you—I do—but it’s such an awkward interaction. One arm or two? Should there be space between us? How much? Should I brush my cheek against yours? Maybe even kiss your cheek? And for how long, exactly, should we be touching?
    I’m willing to believe that some people really love to hug. They rush to enfold not only family and friends but also friends of friends and near strangers. Yet most people are just going through the motions; they’re looking for a way to say hello or goodbye, and so they open their arms wide. Not wanting to seem rude, I submit to this ritual of friendship. That, or I make sure I’m carrying something heavy.
    After one particularly confounding interaction, I looked for expert counsel. An advice columnist, Emily Yoffe, offered her sympathy: "I’ve become a non-hugger who hugs. Recently after breakfast with a new friend, I went in to hug her goodbye, and I could see a kind of horror in her eyes, but it was too late to back off and say, ’ I’m really not a hugger either. ’" That’s me: the girl with the look of horror in her eyes.
    The Emily Post Institute, which specializes in manners, explains that when greeting someone, you should look him or her in the eyes and smile, speak clearly, say the person’s name, add a "glad to see you" or "how’s it going?" and then shake hands with a firm grip, pump two or three times, and then release. The institute suggests adding a hug "if it’s a relative or close friend. " No mention of friends of friends or friends’ dates. Nor any specific information on what a proper hug entails.
    There are several hug alternatives, among them: the handshake, the cheek kiss, the wave, the arm squeeze, and the nod. Handshakes seem formal, cheek kisses un-American, waves rather odd. Arm squeezing would be a good solution if it weren’t for the danger of getting pulled into something more full-bodied. The nod, though, can be very effective when combined with a smile, especially when executed with confidence and with one hand already grasping the door handle.
What does the passage mainly discuss?
选项 A、Specialized opinions on daily rites.
B、Comprehensive research into hug.
C、Appropriateness of daily rituals.
D、Radical reform of greeting manners.
答案C
解析 主旨题。文章开篇即定下了作者对拥抱礼的感觉基调。随后作者从多个角度讨论了这种日常礼仪的规范和适宜性，还提出了替代这种礼仪的建议和选择，简要探讨了这些礼仪的特点和适用性。由此可见，[C]“日常礼仪的适用性”是对文章主旨的恰当概括，为本题答案。[A]“日常礼仪的专家意见”仅能概括第四段和第五段，概括范围过窄，排除；文章除第一段援引牛津词典的研究结果而外，其他段均不涉及规范的研究，故排除[B]“对‘拥抱’的全面研究”；文章除了在结尾处提出了替代拥抱礼的建议外，并没有涉及任何改革日常礼仪的内容，故排除[D]。
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