阅读理解
Meeting people from
another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong
signal. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying
to develop a relationship.
Different cultures stress
the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example,
business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust.
Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in "small
talk", usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European
countries, like the UK or France, people find it easier to build up a lasting working
relationship at restaurants or cafés rather than at the office.
Talk and silence may
also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected
my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead there was an uncomfortable
silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know
their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own
culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel
too many words are unnecessary.
Even within Northern
Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and
German cultures share similar values. However, Germans prefer to get down to business
more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture
starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.
People from different
parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against
each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment
will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.
(1)
What's the probable meaning of the underlined word "stress"?
A . To draw special attention to.
B . To ignore.
C . To laugh at.
D . To get close to.
(2)
The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that ______________.
A . the English prefer to make long speeches
B . people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature
C . even talk and silence can be culturally different
D . too many words are of no use
(3)
According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?
A . By accepting different habits.
B . By recognizing different values.
C . By sharing different ways of life.
D . By speaking each other's languages.
(4)
What would be the best title for the text?
A . Cross-Cultural Differences
B . Multicultural Environment
C . How to Understand Each Other
D . How to Build Up a Relationship
答案: A
C
B
A