Directions: After reading the passages below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.
A Very Brief History of Greetings
Physical greetings may be part of human nature, but they also vary hugely from culture to culture. The oldest evidence of the handshake, for example, can be seen in an Assyrian (亚述人) relief from the 9th century BC, which shows King Shalmaneser’s 【小题1】(seal) an alliance with a clasp of the hand. Handshaking can also be found in ancient Greek literature as a sign of hospitality.
Evidence of kissing is even older. The social kiss dates to at least the Roman Empire, where it 【小题2】(see) as a greeting between equals. The emperor Tiberius, who reigned from AD 14 to 37, banned the practice at court receptions, since it was believed to spread a dangerous facial infection. The ban didn’t last for long; cheek-kissing 【小题3】 (remain) particularly popular across southern Europe so far.
Some cultures touch noses as a greeting. This is known as the hongi to New Zealand’s Maori population, to 【小题4】the “sharing of breath” is considered to symbolize the unity between two people. It can also be found in some Inuit (因纽特人) cultures,【小题5】it isn’t as widespread as the cliche of the “Eskimo kiss” would suggest.
Many cultures prefer socially distanced greetings, such as bowing, to symbolize trust and cooperation, and these, too, are ancient. Bow greetings are still common in countries such as India, Japan, and Thailand. In Tibet, China, people will stick their tongues out of their mouth 【小题6】(show) their friendly intentions.
These distanced greetings remain the safest option for anyone who wants to convey good wishes 【小题7】getting too close and personal. However, some more recently 【小题8】(invent) greetings might serve as alternatives. There is evidence 【小题9】the fists bump, which emerged in the 1960s, lowers the risk of transmitting a disease compared with a more formal handshake. Along with the elbow bump, which seems 【小题10】(originate) in the 1980s, it may become much more common now that the covid-19 pandemic has increased our awareness of the disease-transmitting potential of more intimate greetings.
