Dining Custom Every land has its own dining custom, and the United States is no exception. Americans feel that the first rule of being a polite guest is to be on time. If a person is invited to dinner at 6:30, the hostess expects him to be there at 6:30 or not more than a few minutes after. Because she usually does her own cooking she times the meal so that the coffee and meat will be at their best at the time she asks the guest to come. If he is late, the food will not be so good, and the hostess will be disappointed. When the guest cannot come on time, he calls his host or hostess on the telephone, gives the reason, and tells at what time he thinks he can come. As guest continue to arrive, the men in the group stand when a woman enters and remain standing until she has found a chair. A man always rises when he is being introduced to a woman. A woman does not rise when she is being introduced either to a man or a woman unless the woman is much older. When the guests sit down at a dinner table, it is customary for the man to help the ladies by pushing their chairs under them. Even an American may be confused by the number of knives, forks and spoons beside his plate when he sits down to a formal dinner. The rule is simple, however: use them in the order in which they lie, beginning from the outside. Or watch the hostess and do what she does. The small fork on the outside on the left is for salad, which is often served with the soup. The spoon on the outside at the right is for soup, and so on. Sometimes there is a separate little knife, called a butter spreader , on a small bread-and-butter plate at the left. As the bread is passed, each guest puts his piece on the bread-and-butter plate. 1. The passage is mainly about . A) how to accept other people's invitation to dinner B) how to behave properly before and at dinner C) how to be polite to ladies at dinner D) how to use the right kind of knives and forks 2. In order to be a polite guest, the first thing one has to do is . A) to arrive 30 minutes earlier B) not to bring too many presents C) to phone the hostess before arrival D) not to be late for dinner 3. When both a man and a woman are introduced to another woman about their age, who normally has to rise . A) both the man and the woman B) only the woman C) only the man D) neither of them 4. According to the passage, which of the following may need knives, forks and spoons the most? A) A dinner party. B) Breakfast. C) A picnic. D) Afternoon tea. 5. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT? A) In case of being late, the guest must phone the hostess. B) Follow the hostess in using different sets of knives and forks. C) As soon as a woman guest enters, men can sit down. D) Men should help women to sit down at the dinner table.