It can be hard to meet people from another culture. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal (信号). Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.
Different cultures emphasize（强调）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 cafes 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（多元文化）environment will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.
【小题1】In some countries, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to ______.

A．keep each other company

B．share the same culture

C．get to know each other

D．develop closer relations

【小题2】The writer mentions his experience in Thailand to show that ______.

A．too many words are of no use

B．the English prefer to make long speeches

C．even talk and silence can be culturally different

D．people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature

【小题3】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Multicultural Environment

B．Cross-Cultural Differences

C．How to Understand Each Other

D．How to Build Up a Relationship

All big cities are quite similar. Living in a modern Asian city isn’t very different from living in an American city. 1.______

In many parts of the world, farmers and their families live in villages or towns. In the United States, however, each farm family lives on its own fields, often beyond (在……之外) the sight of any neighbors. Instead of traveling from the village to the fields every morning, American farmers stay on their land the whole week. 2.______ Their children ride on buses to large schools for all the farm families living in the area. In some areas, there are small schools serving a few farm families, and the children walk to school. Of course life keeps changing for everyone, including farmers. 3.______ And there are also modern machines for farming. All of these have changed the farm life.

4.______ Farmers usually had to deal with their own problems, instead of getting help from others. They learned to try new ways, and to trust their own ideas rather than (而不) followed the old ways.

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A. Today there are cars, good roads, radios and television sets.

B. The same can not be said about living on farms, however.

C. Many years ago, however, farming in America was often a lonely way of living.

D. They travel to the nearest town on Saturdays for shopping or on Sundays for church.

5. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Life in the world also keeps changing.

B. Life in the United States keeps changing.

C. American farmers like their old ways.

D. American farmers have changed their lives.

 

Living in the foreign culture can be exciting, but it can also be confusing. A group of Americans who taught English in other countries recently discussed their experiences . They discussed that miscommunications were always possible, even over something as simple as “yes” and “no”.
On her first day in Micronesia, an island in the Pacific, Lisa thought the waitress wasn’t paying any attention to her. The day was hot she went into a store and asked, “ Do you have any cold drinks ?” The woman there didn’t say anything. Lisa repeated the question again. Still the woman said nothing. She later learned that the woman had answered her: She has raised her eyebrows , which in Micronesia , it means, “yes”.
Jan remembered an experience she had in Bulgaria, a country in Europe. She went to a restaurant that was known for its cabbage. She asked the writer, “Do you have cabbage today ?” He nodded his head. Jan waited, but the cabbage never came. In that country, a nod means “no”.
Tom had a similar problem when he arrived in India. After explaining something in class , he asked his students if they understood . They answered with different nods and shakes of heads. He thought some people hadn’t understood, so he explained again. When he asked again, the did the same thing. He soon found out that his students did understand. In India, people nod and shake heads in different ways . It depends on where they come from.
【小题1】These Americans teaching English in other countries found that they _____________.
A. needed to learn foreign languages.
B. should often discuss their experiences
C. had problems with communications
【小题2】People in Micronesia show “yes” by _________.
A. nodding heads          B. raising the eyebrows         C. shaking hands.
【小题3】 Tom misunderstood his class at first because __________.
A. he didn’t know much about Indian culture
B. he didn’t explain everything clearly enough
C. he didn’t know where the students came from
【小题4】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. In Bulgaria, nodding heads means “no”
B. Jan taught English on a Pacific island
C. Lisa was trying to buy some cabbage.
【小题5】The passage is mainly about _________.
A. body language in foreign restaurants
B. class discussion in Indian schools
C. miscommunicaions in different cultures