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.

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

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

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


完形填空,阅读下面短文,掌握其大意,然后从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出能填入短文相应空白处的最佳选项

Each nation has many volunteers(志愿者) who help to take care of others. They 1 books to the people in hospitals or homes for the aged. Sometimes they just visit them and play games with them or listen to their 2 .

Other young volunteers go and work in the homes of people who are sick or 3 . They paint, clean up, 4 their houses or do their shopping.

For boys who no longer have 5 , there is an organization called Big Brothers. College students and other men take these boys to baseball games or fishing places and help them to get to know things that boys 6 learn from their fathers.

Each city has a number of clubs 7 boys and girls can go to play games or learn crafts (工艺). Some of these clubs organize short trips to the mountains, beaches, or other places of interest 8 . Most of these clubs use high school and college students as volunteers because they are young enough to 9 the names of boys and girls.

Volunteers believe that the happiest people in the world are those who help to 10 happiness to others.

1. A. sell B. read C. throw D. show

2. A. voices B. speeches C. songs D. problems

3. A. young B. happy C. old D. hungry

4. A. pollute B. repair C. build D. remove

5. A. brothers B. sisters C. fathers D. mothers

6. A. usually B. never C. only D. seldom

7. A. which B. who C. when D. where

8. A. nearby B. faraway C. abroad D. home

9. A. report B. forget C. remember D. choose

10. A. cause B. bring C. take D. lend

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