Few words are spoken more often every day on the streets of Britain than “I’m sorry”. This sentence

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Few words are spoken more often every day on the streets of Britain than “I’m sorry”. This sentence has become such a common that it has taken on a lot of meanings.
Sorry means to apologize (道歉). This is simple and easy to understand. We learn it both as a mother language speaker and as a student of foreign language.
But in Britain, it take on another meaning. It is a cultural expression. Imagine this situation: a man walks down the street, looking down at his phone. A woman is walking in the opposite direction, towards the man. She sees him, but she can’t get out of the way in time. The man walks into the woman. Who should say sorry? Naturally, the man should say sorry, because he isn’t looking at where he is going. Yet in Britain, it is common for both to apologize.
It is known that British people, like most people, do not enjoy conflict (冲突). So to calm the situation soon, British people will apologize to each other.
Sometimes it may sound funny to hear “sorry”. In Britain, sorry doesn’t always mean exactly what you think. Some of my friends say it at restaurants. As they ask the waiter, “Sorry, but can I order another drink?” It is not to apologize, but just to express that we need the waiter.
36. How many meanings of “sorry” are the passage mentioned but apologize?
A. Three. B. Two. C. Only one. D. Four.
37. What does the phrase “take on” mean in the passage?
A. 从事 B. 雇佣 C. 呈现 D. 拿起
38. The example in the third paragraph is used to ________.
A. explain why people should say sorry to each other
B. describe a situation that people should avoid
C. describe how “sorry” has another meaning in Britain
D. show how polite British people are
39. The restaurant example shows that “sorry” can be used to ________.
A. apologize to a waiter B. explain what you’re thinking about
C. calm a situation down D. ask a waiter to bring something
40. What might be a good title for this story?
A. “I’m sorry” is more than just an apology. B. Traditional British manners.
C. Finding a way out of a difficult situation. D. How to best catch others’ attention.
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