Meeting someone for the first time can be embarrassing (令人尴尬的) if you get it wrong. Suppose you are going to meet a person from the UK. Do you know what you should say and do?
A hand shake is the most common way to greet someone, especially if you are in a formal (正式的) situation. However, the kind of handshake is important. Your handshake should be confident, but that doesn’t mean you need to crush (挤压) anybody’s fingers. On the other hand, don’t be too weak. It’s always a good idea to smile and make eye contact (直视) with the person you are shaking hands with. Lastly, remember that two shakes are enough. Take hold of the hand and shake it up and down twice. Don’t hold on for too long-you are not asking someone to dance!
Hugging and kissing are more informal greetings in the UK. They are usually for friends, family and small children. When meeting someone for the first time, you may not want to use these kinds of greetings.
In the past, Britons would usually greet strangers with a “How do you do?” Today, this phrase is seen as out-of-date. It’s seldom used now. Phrases such as “How are you doing?” and “How are you?” have become more popular. These phrases, however, can cause some confusion (困惑). When a Briton says “How are you?” to you, he or she probably doesn’t expect you to answer the question. You may just reply with “How are you?” to him or her.
Greeting phrases may be different from one place to another. You might hear a “Now then?” or “Ey up?” when you meet someone from the north of the U.K. How should you reply then? Just smile and say, “Hi!”, or “How are you”?
【小题1】How do people usually greet in a formal situation?| A．By hugging. | B．By shaking hands. | C．By kissing. |
① Be confident. ② Crush other’s fingers. ③ Be too weak.
④ Smile and keep eye contact. ⑤ Shake hands twice. ⑥ Hold on for a long time.
| A．①④⑤ | B．①②④ | C．②③⑥ |
| A．时尚的 | B．典型的 | C．过时的 |
| A．I’m fine. | B．How are you? | C．Not too bad. |
A． | B． | C． |
