A
When you eat out in a restaurant, it is not unusual to hear people yelling, “Let me
get this one!” and sometimes see them pushing or arm wrestling(抢) to fight for the privilege(特权) of paying the bill.
These fighters are often very loud and active. Each person involved shows an
honest desire to pick up the bill, and in the end, all the people at the table give the winner praise and gratitude.
In fact, figuring out who will get the bill is always a headache for Chinese people
at formal meals. Although the people hosting the meal are very likely to pay the check, it is a common practice to make a token(装样子的) effort to pay the bill, but you will embarrass them if you do end up actually chipping in some cash(凑钱).
In recent years, going Dutch (AA 制) has been embraced by many young people.
But older generations who fear “losing face” still find it embarrassing and stingy (小气 的) to calculate each person’s share of the bill. As travel guide brand Lonely Planet
noted, it is considered “the height of unsophistication (不懂人情世故)”.
But these days, thanks to digital payment apps, splitting the bill electronically is becoming a widely-accepted idea. Even people from older generations may be tempted to do so.
By scanning a QR code and paying the share via social networking tool WeChat
and e-commerce app Alipay on their smartphones in one easy click, urban Chinese are finding it easier to save them the embarrassment of figuring out each person’s payment when they order a meal.
This function “has made going Dutch less hassle (麻烦) and more fun in China”,
CNN noted.
“Because of their convenience, many of us are never without our phones.” And person-to-person mobile payment services are incredibly easy to use and save the
trouble of dealing with change,” said 18-year-old student in China. “You can also leave funny notes using emoji (表情符号) like a bowl of rice or a cup of tea to describe a meal that you have shared.”
21.What is the article mainly about?
A. The Chinese tradition of dining out with friends.
B. A new trend of splitting the bill in China.
C. How social networking tools have influenced our daily lives.
D. Why people in China argue over who pays the bill when dining out.
22.Many Chinese people make a token effort to pay the bill because________.
A. They don’t want to be considered unsophisticated
B. They want praise and gratitude from their friends
C. They consider it an honor to host the meal and pay the bill
D. They find it hard to work out how much each person needs to pay
23.According to the article, what are the advantages of using digital payment apps to
split the bill?
a.They’re easier to use and more interesting.
b.They save the trouble of dealing with change.
c.They make it easier to figure out how much money each person had to pay.
d.They make people less embarrassed to split the bill.
A. a, b B. b. c C. a, b, d D. b, c, d
