跨文化交际英语考试

Lesson1

1.Howdoyouunderstandthetitle"LivingBetweenThreeWorlds"?

Thisreferstothesituationinwhichtheauthorfindshimself.Heisa

childofanIndianfatherandEnglishmother,sohehasIndiancitizenship.

HealsohasaRightofabodetoworkintheUnitedKingdom.Atthesame

time,heisanapplicantforaU.S.GreenCard.

2.Whatdoesglobalizationmeantodifferentpeople?

Somepeoplebelievethatglobalizationwillimproveproductivity

throughouttheworld,andastheworldbecomesricherandmore

prosperous,livingstandardseverywherewillhavethepotentialtorise.

However,somepeopletaketheoppositeview,claimingthat

globalizationwillhaveincreasinglydevastatingeffectsonhumanlife.

3.Whatdoyouthinkmakestheauthor'ssituationdifferenttothatof

themajorityofIndians?Theauthorhasapromisingjobinmarketing

andbusinessdevelopmentinapost-modernfirm,aso-callednetwork

companythatisheldtogetherthroughe-mailsandteleconferences

alone.Therefore,hisfateisnotthatofacorporatefoot-soldier,and

evenlesslikethatofmostotherIndians,whoarestillpoor.

4.Whatdomigrationandoutsourcingmeanfromaneconomist'spoint

ofview?Why?

Aneconomistwillnotcareaboutmigrationandoutsourcing.According

totheoriesofmicroeconomics,freeexchangewillmoveresourcesto

theirhighestvalueduse,and,asaresult,itwillmaximizeglobaloutput.

Undersuchconditions,migrationandoutsourcingaretwosidesofthe

samecoin,temporarydisequilibriumconditionsthatwillleadtoan

eventualequilibrium.

5.Accordingtotheauthor,whatchangeshastheIndustrialRevolution

brought?

TheauthorthinksthattheIndustrialRevolutionhasbroughtglobal

inequality.BeforetheIndustrialRevolution,povertywasequally

distributedthroughouttheglobe,andthecircumstancesofapeasantin

IndiaandofoneinEuropewerefairlysimilar.WhentheIndustrial

Revolutioncame,globalinequalityreachedthepointwheretheaverage

bachelorsdegreeholderinIndiahadtomakedowithafewdollarsaday,

whilehisU.S.counterpartwithasimilareducationallevelenjoyeda

three-bedroomhouse,evenifbothweredoingthesamework.

6.Whatdoeslaborsupplyshiftduetoglobalizationmeantoa

U.S.worker?

Duetolaborshift,thelabormarketthatanAmericanworkerfacesisno

longeralocalornationalmarket,butaninternationalone.Hewillface

morepressurefromforeignlabor,andhiswageswilldecreasedueto

fiercecompetitionthroughouttheworld.Therefore,hislifewon'tbeso

easyasbefore.

7.Whydoestheauthorthinkthatthebacklashasaresultoflaborshift

intheU.S.andEuropewillnotgoawayeasily?

Hebelievesthatthereisafundamentalcontradictionthatliesatthe

heartoftheliberalpoliticalandeconomicorder.Itisdifficultto

coordinatethesetwofactors.Ontheonehand,theliberaleconomic

orderdemandsprogressiontowardsperfectcompetitionwhich

ultimatelydevaluescitizenshiprights.Ontheotherhand.theliberal

politicalorderisdeterminedbytheconcertofnation-states.Therefore,

laborshifthasposedabigproblemthatwillhavelong-term

consequences.

8.Howdoestheauthorviewthedilemmathattheeconomic

entrepreneurandthepoliticianarefacing?Theeconomicentrepreneur

placesgreatemphasisonmeetingthedemandsandneedsofthe

consumer.Butforthepolitician,ifhefollowswhattheeconomic

entrepreneurisdoing,aprotectionistregimecouldeasilyemerge.The

reasonforthisisthatdemandforprotectionisanaturalreactionto

decliningorstagnantincomelevels.Theauthorthinksthatthereisno

easywayoutofthisdilemmaandonlyagooddoseofcommonsense

andself-restraintcanmakematterslesspainfulanddifficult.

Lesson2

1.Whatdoestheauthorintendtoillustratebytellingusthestoryof

teachingthecolorwhitetoablindperson?

Themanfailedtomaketheblindfriendunderstandthecolorwhite.

Thistellsusthatifpeopledonotsharesameexperiences,itwillbevery

difficultforthemtounderstandoneanother.Moreover,weshouldtake

forgrantedthatotherpeoplehavethesameperceptionsofthingsaswe

do.

2.Accordingtotheauthor,whatmakesup"culture"?

Theauthorthinksthatcultureismadeupofthoseexperienceswhich

wemaynotshareandwhichmaybedifferentforallofus,suchasthe

habitsofeverydaylife,thecuestowhichpeoplerespond,theautomatic

reactionstheyhavetowhatevertheyseeandhear.

3.WhydidtheFrenchmanmakethewrongassumptionaboutthe

Americaneconomicsystem?

Therearetworeasons:first,theeconomicsystemisnotsomethingthat

canbeimmediatelyperceived,buttheFrenchmanjudgedfromwhathe

saw;second,heevaluatedwhathesawinhisownway,butdidn't

noticethepotentialdifferences.

4.Aremisunderstandingsthattakeplaceattheleveloffeelingsthe

mostseriousones?Why?

Yes.Becausemisunderstandingsattheleveloffeelingsoftencomenot

fromillwill,butfromgoodwill;besides,whenmisunderstandingsat

thisleveltakeplace,wehurtanotherperson'sfeelingswithoutwanting

todoitandwithoutknowingthatwearedoingit.

5.WhathadmadetheJapaneseyoungmanchangehisviewabout

Americans?

Astheauthorpointsout,itisaquestionofdifferentrhythmsin

interpersonalrelationshipsbetweenAmericansandJapanese.Americans

arethefasttypeandJapanesearetheslowandlife-longtype.

6.Howmanytypesofindividualismarementionedinthisarticle?What

arethey?

Fourtypesofindividualismarementioned:differentideasof

individualismamongAfricanpeople,Americanpeople,Frenchpeople,

andMexicanpeople.

7.AmericanandEnglishpeopleshareacommonlanguage,but

differencescanalsobefoundbetweenthem.Howdotheydifferintheir

ideasofanidealguest?

Typically,foranAmerican,theidealguestisonewho"makeshimselfat

home,andhelpshimselfwithoutbeingasked.However,fortheBritish,

anidealguestisonethatseekstobetreatedsimplyasaguest.

8.Whatsuggestionshastheauthorofferedustodealwithproblemsof

communicationacrosscultures?

Hesuggeststhatweshouldfirstlearntoappreciatethedifferencein

culturalvalues,ratherthanseektoobtainmorelanguageskillsormore

informationaboutthemoresofaparticularculture.

Lesson3

1.WhydidtheauthorpretendnottohearhisFrenchsister-in-law's

question?

Becausehewasn'texactlysurewhatshewasasking,eventhoughhe

knewshewasreferringtohistwo-and-ahalf-year-oldsonwhowasthen

chasingaballonthebeach.

2.WhatdifferencesaretherebetweenFrenchandAmerican

child-rearingpractices?

TheFrenchperceivethathumankindcontainsbothgoodandevil,and

thatchildrenthereforeneedtheguidinghandofrationaladultsinorder

topreparethemtoparticipateproperlyinsociety,tobringoutthe

positiveinthemandtocontroltheirinnatenegativetendencies.Children

mustfollowtherules.Americans,incontrast,tendtoviewhumankindas

basicallygood,andareconsequentlymoretolerantofchildrenfinding

theirownway,learningfrommistakes,trustingthemtodowhatisright.

3.Howdoestheauthorpresentculturalperspectives?

Hepresentsculturalperspectivesasacombinationofperceptions,

values,beliefs,andattitudes.Theyaretheexplicitandimplicitmeanings

sharedbymembersoftheculture,manifestedinproductsandpractices.

Inasense,culturalperspectivescanexplainwhythepeopleofa

particularculturedothingsinthewaytheydo.

4.1s“theAmericanDream"aculturalperspective?Isitseenby

Americansasmythorreality?

Yes,itis.Whetheritismythorreality,differentAmericansmayseeit

differently.Thosewhohavereallymadeitwillseeitasreality,butto

thosewhohavefailed,itmaybejustmyth.

5.Thereisamaxim,"Ifyouwanttoknowaboutwater,don'taska

fish."Whatisthepointthatitoftenmakeswhenusedinintercultural

circles?

Perspectivescanbetacitoroutsideawareness.Membersofaculture

maynotbeawareofthem.Theyusuallytakethemforgranted,thinking

thatisjustthewaythingsare.

6.Intheauthor/sview,whatdostrongemotionalreactionsusually

signal?

Accordingtohim,strongemotionalreactionsgenerallysignalthatan

importantculturalperspectiveshasbeentouched,calledinto

questionerthreatenedinsomeway.

7.Whatisworldview?

Literally,worldwideiswhatitsuggests:perceptionsofallthatsurrounds

one.Theassumptionunderlyingthenotionofworldviewisthatofa

unified,sharedoutlookontheworld.Worldviewisusedmostoftento

describethefundamentalperceptionssharedbymembersofaculture.

Perceptions,inotherwords,aretheorganizingelementin

culture.Beliefs,values,attitudes,practices,andproductsfollow.

8.Howdoesanemicperspectivedifferfromaneticperspective?

Emicperspectivesarethosearticulatedbymembersofthecultureto

explainthemselveswhileeticperspectivesarethoseofoutsiderstothe

culture,whousetheirowncriteriatoexplaintheothersculture.

Lesson6

1.Accordingtotheauthor,whatistheappliedsignificanceofstudying

crossing-culturalcommunication?

Duetoincreasingglobalmigrationsandcross-cultural,diplomacy,and

personalrelationships,wearemorelikelytobeinvolvedincross-cultural

communication.Byexamininginteractionsexpectationsinwhichhabits

andexpectationsabouthowtoshowwhatismeantbywhatissaidare

notshared,wecanseehowlanguageworks,whichishardertoobserve

intheseamlesssurfaceofsuccessfulcommunication.

2.Whentwostrangers,anAthabaskanIndianandanon-Athabaskan,

aresittingtogethesilencemeantoeachperson?

TheAthabaskanIndianmaynevernoticethereisasilence,ashe

considersitinappropriatetotalktostrangers.However,the

non-Athabaskanmayfindthereisasilencebetweenthem,asheexpects

theAthabaskanIndiantotalkbutnowordsareexchanged.

3.Whatcanwelearnfromtheauthor'spersonalexperienceinGreece?It

makesusawarethattherearedifferentculturalconventionsinvolvedin

exchangingcompliments.Peopledifferastowhichcomplimentsshould

beacceptedandwhichdeflected,andhow.Moreover,weshouldnot

interpretthedifferencemerelyaspersonalitycharacteristics.

4.Accordingtothearticle,whatmayhappenwhentwopeoplewith

differentstylesofpacingandpausingaretalkingwitheachother?

Theslightlyfasterspeakerwilltakeaturnfirst,leavingfewerpausesfor

theslightlyslowerspeakertoreply.Theslightlyfasteronemayaccuse

hiscounterpartofbeingsilentandnotsayingwhat'sonhismind;while

theslightlysloweronemayfeelhehasnochancetotalk.Therefore,

misunderstandingwillariseandmayevenbringaconversationtoan

end.

5.Asforeyecontactintheprocessofconversation,howdowhitesand

blacksdiffer?

Whenlistening,thewhiteparticipantwillmaintaineyecontact;but

theyfrequentlybroketheirgazewhenspeaking.Blacksdidthe

opposite.

6.WhatdoesNewYorkers'"Wow!"or"Nokidding!”meanto

Californians?

NewYorkersshowtheirattentionandencouragementbyshouting

“Wow!〃or"Nokidding!"ButCaliforniansdon'tseesuchresponses

asasignofattentionandenthusiasm.Infact,theymaybefrightened

andconfused,andmayevenstoptalking.

7.WhatshouldanAmericanbusinessmanpayattentiontowhenheis

doingbusinesswithhisJapanesecounterpart?

TheAmericanbusinessmanmustbeawarethatforhisJapanese

counterpart,elaborate"smalltalk"isbigandessential,furnishingthe

foundationforbusinessdealings.Therefore,heshouldcatertothe

Japanesepreferenceofsmalltalkbeforeactuallydoinganybusiness.

8.HowdoyouunderstandEdwardHall'sassertionthat“cultureis

communication"?

Communicationisculturallyrelative.Peopleindifferentcommunities

havedifferentwaysofusinglinguisticmeanstocommunicativeends,

andtheirwaysoftalking,likeotherculturalpatterns,definethemasa

community.Moreover,notwopeoplehaveexactlythesame

communicativebackground.Inthissense,allcommunicationis

cross-cultural,andthereforecultureiscommunication.

Explorations

Doyoualwaystalkwithothersaboutwhateveryouliketotalkinthe

manneryouprefer?Infact,talkingisaculturalmatteraswellasa

personalpreference.Astheauthoroftheabovetexthassaid,all

communicationiscross-cultural.Canyoufindsomemoreexamplesfrom

yourexperiencesofcommunicationtofurtherillustratethepointthat

communicationisculturallyrelative?

Wecan'talwaystalkv/ithothersaboutwhateverweliketotalkinthe

mannerweprefer.Certainthingscanonlybetalkedaboutwithcertain

peopleinacertainway.Somethingsmayneverbetalkedaboutin

certainmanners.Inthisaspect,everyculturehasitsownnorms.What

canbetalkedaboutinaparticularwayinoneculturemaynotbetalked

aboutinanotherculture.Forinstance,sincetherehasneverbeena

strongsenseofprivacyinChina,peoplewhoknoweachotheroftenfeel

freetoaskquestionsaboutpersonalaffairswithoutnecessarilybeing

offensive.Itisoftenallrightforustoaskaboyweknowwhetherhehas

agirlfriendand,ifhehas,whethersheisbeautiful.Butaskingaperson

fromanotherculturethesamequestionmayembarrassthem.

Lesson9

1.Whyisnonverbalcommunicationconsideredthefirstformofhuman

communication?

Intheevolutionaryhistoryofhumanity,verbalcommunicationis

relativelyrecent,forhumanbeingsusednonverbalmeanssuchas

posture,gestures,facialexpressionslongbeforetheycoulduselanguage

tocommunicatewitheachother.

2Whydopeopletendtobelievenonverbalmessagesmorethanverbal

ones?

Comparativelyspeaking,itiseasiertolieverballythannonverbally,for

nonverbalcommunicationsystemsaremuchlesssubjecttothe

consciousdeceptionthatoftenoccursinverbalsystems.Muchofour

nonverbalbehaviorisnoteasilycontrolledconsciouslyandisrelatively

freeofdistortionsanddeception.Itisdifficulttocontrolablushingface

whenweareembarrassedoraclenchedjawwhenweareangry.

Thereforeitisgenerallyassumedthatnonverbalmessagesaremore

reliablethanverbalones.

3.Aretalkingandlisteningtwodifferentthings,separatefromeach

other?

Talkingandlisteningaresointricatelyintertwinedthatapersoncannot

doonewithouttheother,tvenwhenoneisaloneandtalkingtooneself,

thereispartofthebrainthatspeakswhileanotherpartlistens.

4.Howcanalistenerinfluencethespeakerinface-to-face

communication?

Inface-to-facecommunication,thelistenerisneverpassivebutis

positivelyornegativelyinfluencingthespeakerallthetime.Thelistener

mayevenusehisorhernonverbalbehavior(e.g.laughingorfrowning

orawaveofhisorherhandjtoguidetheconversationwithout

consciouslyknowingit.

5.WhymightanAmericanwomanwhohasbecomeusedtolifein

FranceorItalycomplain"Nooneeverreallylooksatmeanymore"when

sheisbackintheUnitedStates?

BecauseinFranceortaly,itiscustomaryformentogazeatwomenin

publicplaces,whereasintheU.S.A,thisisconsideredill