Americans have a great love for informality and nowhere is this better expressed than in their love for nicknames (昵称、绰号). Upon greeting strangers for the first time they will quickly introduce themselves by their nickname. These are shortened forms of their given name at birth and reflect the casual relationships which exist among friends and coworkers. Family names are hardly ever used in daily situations and the use of one's father's last name is saved only for rare and formal occasions.
In many traditional cultures the use of the family name is seen as a sign of respect. For Americans, however, it's the nickname which creates an immediate intimacy between two people upon which to build a relationship. By speaking to another on a first name basis and using his nickname, walls are immediately torn down and equality between two people is established.
At work bosses will refer to their employees by their nicknames. Should an employer use a worker's family name, you can be sure that some kind of correction or serious business will follow.
This love for nicknames can create a sense of closeness between people who are otherwise not related. Even the presidents of the United States have borne nicknames. Abraham Lincoln was known as Honest Abe. John F. Kennedy was known as Jack or JFK and William Clinton has no reservations in letting people know he prefers to be called Bill, but those who look upon him with disfavor may call him Slick Willy.
Not only people but cities often carry their own nicknames. Chicago is called the "Windy City" because of the strong winds which come down from Canada throughout the year. New York City is considered the "Big Apple" for reasons which are still obscure to most people including many New Yorkers.
Not every nickname, however, is positive and some can be rather rude and insulting. If someone should demonstrate a certain negative characteristic, a label will soon be attached to describe that person in an unpleasant way.
Likewise a person's physical traits which are very dominant may lead to nicknames but not necessarily to one's liking or choice. A nickname, therefore, is a way of identifying or describing someone or something for better or worse.
1. Why do Americans prefer to use nicknames when addressing one another?
A. Nicknames are easy to remember.
B. Americans are a friendly people.
C. Nicknames help build a closer relationship.
D. Nicknames are convenient to use in daily life.
2. Americans tend to use others' family names ________.
A. on formal occasions
B. when writing letters
C. in the work place
D. when making phone calls
3. Many traditional societies see the use of one's family name as a sign of_________.
A. respect
B. distance
C. importance
D. gratitude
4. An American employer is likely to use a worker's family name when __________.
A. the worker is to get a promotion
B. the worker has done something wrong
C. he speaks to the worker at a gathering
D. he is being friendly with the worker
5. In Paragraph 5, the word "obscure" is closest in meaning to“__________”.
A. funny
B. sound
C. unclear
D. popular
6. What’s the main idea of the passage ?
A. Americans would like informality.
B. Americans prefer to use nicknames to help build a closer relationship.
C. A nickname stands for a person's physical traits.
D. At work bosses will refer to their employees by their nicknames.
答案解析：
1. C。答案在第一段第三句，文中说昵称显示出人与人之间亲近的关系。另外，第二段第二句说，对于美国人来说，昵称能够立刻建立起两人之间的亲密关系。故答案为C。
2. A。答案在第一段最后一句，文中说日常生活中姓氏只在少数正式场合使用。故答案为A。
3. A。答案在第二段第一句，文中说在许多传统文化中使用姓氏来表示尊敬。respect意为“尊敬”;distance意为“距离”;importance意为“重要”;gratitude意为“感谢”。故答案为A。
4. B。答案在第三段，文中说一旦老板叫了某位员工的姓，那么我们可以肯定，他一定是犯错了或是老板有很严肃的话要说。故答案为B。
5. C。obscure出现在原文第五段最后一句，由上下文语义可知，纽约“BIG APPLE”的绰号，很多纽约人都不清楚。funny意为“有趣的”。sound意为“圆满的”。unclear意为“不清楚的”。故答案为C。
6. B。答案在第一段，文中说美国人喜欢用绰号，而且昵称容易建立亲密的关系。故答案为B。
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