Toan outsider, any culture can seem quirky(离奇古怪的), and confusing. And the UK’s g-组卷网

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To an outsider, any culture can seem quirky(离奇古怪的), and confusing. And the UK’s got a thing or two that raises a few eyebrows. Brits are quite capable of confusing visitors with their characteristics. However, understand why and things might be less perplexing. Here are the reasons for three of Britain’s more puzzling practices.

In a world where 61% of nations drive on the right, Brits drive on the left. Most people think it goes back to Medieval, maybe even Roman times. This unusual behaviour makes sense when you remember that right-handed people wear a sword on their left hip. Travelling on the left allowed you to keep your weapon arm toward your opponent, who would be on your right. This practice persisted until the 18th Century when a law was passed requiring all traffic crossing London Bridge to keep to the left.

Visitors to the UK that have just washed their hands in an old-fashioned sink might be wondering why one tap is only for hot water, the other entirely cold. Either can make washing very uncomfortable. It relates to a time when hot and cold water were kept separate to prevent pollution. Drinkable cold water came from a mains supply, but hot water came from attic(顶楼) tanks and was not considered suitable for consumption. So they were kept apart.

Millions of people drink tea worldwide, but Brits put milk in theirs. Why? This practice relates to the quality of china cup used in the 18th Century when tea was first imported. For the majority of Brits, the cups available couldn’t withstand the heat of the boiling water and would break, so milk was added first. This cooled the cup enough to withstand the water. And this practical tweak soon became a national habit.

There’s a method to the madness, they say. As you can see, these quirky Brits have perfectly coherent reasons for left-hand driving, two-tap sinks and tea with milk. Even if they still seem strange, at least now you’re in the know.

【小题1】According to the passage, what possibly led to Brits driving on the left?

A．The law passed in the 18th century.

B．The concern about the driver’s safety.

C．The existence of a number of bridges.

D．The unique design of the British roads.

【小题2】What would happen to the 18th century cups when poured into boiling water?

A．They were all imported from China.

B．They were of low quality and easy to break.

C．They were used for drinking milk and coffee.

D．They couldn’t bear the heat and would break easily.

【小题3】What is the writer’s attitude towards the practices mentioned?

A．Negative.