Question

  It can be hard to meet people from another culture. From the be?ginning,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 offices.

  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 si?lence. 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 peo?ple 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 bet?ter,a multicultural environment (多元文化环境) 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 author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that      .

   A. even talk and silence can be culturally different

   B. too many words are of no use

   C. people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature

   D. the English prefer to make long speeches

3. According to the text,how can people from different cultures understand each other better?

   A. By sharing different ways of life.

   B. By recognizing different values.

   C. By accepting different habits.

   D. By speaking each other's languages.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

   A. Multicultural environment

   B. How to understand each other

   C. Crosscultural differences

   D. How to build up a relationship

Answer 1

[文章大意]本文是一篇说明文。文章讲述了不同文化之间的差异。只有理解这种差异，我们才能建立良好的人际关系。

1. D细节理解题。根据文章第二段的最后一句"In many European countries―like the UK or France―people find it easi?er to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at offices."可知，一些国家的人们发现通过吃饭或喝咖啡的方式更容易和同事建立良好的关系。故选 D.

2. A推理判断题。根据文章第三段的第一句话"Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures."可知，该说还是该保持沉默在不同文化中的要求也是不一样的。作者举自己在泰国演讲而遭遇尴尬的例子就是为了证明这一论点。故选A.

3. B细节理解题。根据文章最后一段中的"People from different parts of the world have different values,and some?times these values are quite against each other. However,if we can understand them better,a multicultural environment (多元文化环境) will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other."可知，如果我们能够理解不同国家的价值观，多元文化环境就能为我们提供相互学习的机会。故选 B.

4. C主旨大意题。根据文章的整体内容可知，文章通篇讲的都是不同文化之间的差异，所以选 C.