Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. 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 them 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 mom quickly.
People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, it 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.
72. In some countries, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to___________.
A. develop closer relations B. share the same culture
C. get to know each other D. keep each other company
73. The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that___________.
A. the English prefer to make long speeches B. too many words are of no use
C. people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature
D. even talk and silence can he culturally different
74. According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?
A. By sharing different ways of life. B. By accepting different habits.
C. By recognizing different values. D. By speaking each other’s languages.
75. What would be the best title for the text?
A. Multicultural Environment. B. Cross-Cultural Differences.
C. How to Understand Each Other. D. How to Build Up a Relationship.
答案
72. A
解析:这是一道推断题。根据第二段“people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafés rather than at the office.”可知在一些地方吃饭和喝咖啡比在办公室更容易建立工作关系。
73. D
解析:这是一道主旨题。根据第三段“Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures.”可知谈话和沉默也有文化上的差异。作者在后面举在泰国演讲的例子也是为了说明这一点。
74. C
解析:这是一道推断题。根据最后一句“However,if we can understand them better,a multicultural environment will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.”可知虽然文化之间差异很大，但是加强了解和认识才能互相理解。
75. B
解析:这是一道主旨题。本文主要介绍了不同文化之间的差异，并说明了要加强互相了解和认识。所以“Cross-Cultural Differences”作为题目比较恰当。
点击查看：高考英语阅读理解真题汇编及答案解析 专题