六级拔高3

拔高2答案

A. What we know

B. How unique are we

C. The physical evidence

D. How linguistic capacity evolved

E. The tiny change that may seperate us from monkeys

1. true
2. false
3. true
4. true
5. false
6. true

匹配

stark	to be conceived as	to break the ice	nuances
extreme and obvious, often used with “difference” or “contrast”	to be thought of us	to do something that helps relieve the tension and get conversation going, especially between people meeting for the first time	subtle differences meaning
to stand someone in good stead	pompous	to pigeonhole someone	mundane
to be useful to someone in the future	arrogant and self-important	to label someone and put them in a restrictive category	boring, uninteresting or ordinary

正文

Much of today’s business is conducted across internationaI borders, and while the majority of the global business community might share the use of English as a common language, the nuances and expectations of business communication might differ greatly from culture to culture. A lack of understanding of the cultural norms and practices of our business acquaintances can result in unfair judgements, misunderstandings and breakdowns in communication. Here are three basic areas of differences in the business etiquette around the world that could help stand you in good stead when you next find yourself working with someone from a different culture.

conduct 实施，进行

norm 规范

acquaintance 熟人

etiquette - manner - politeness

Addressing someone

When discussing this topic in a training course, a German trainee and a British trainee got into a hot debate about whether it was appropriate for someone with a doctorate to use the corresponding title on their business card. The British trainee maintained that
anyone who wasn’t a medical doctor expecting to be addressed as ‘Dr’ was disgustingly pompous and full of themselves. The German trainee, however, argued that the hard work and years of education put into earning that PhD should give them full rights to expect to be addressed as ‘Dr’.

doctorate 博士学位

disgustingly 恶心地

This stark difference in opinion over something that could be conceived as minor and thus easily overlooked goes to show that we often attach meaning to even the most mundane practices. When things that we are used to are done differently, it could spark the strongest reactions in us. While many Continental Europeans and Latin Americans prefer to be addressed with a title, for example Mr or Ms and their surname when meeting someone in a business context for the first time, Americans, and increasingly the British, now tend to prefer using their first names. The best thing to do is to listen and observe how your conversation partner addresses you and, if you are still unsure, do not be afraid to ask them how they would like to be addressed.

overlook 忽视

attach to 附加

minor 次要的

Smiling

A famous Russian proverb states that ‘a smile without reason is a sign of idiocy‘ and a so-called ‘smile of respect’ is seen as insincere and often regarded with suspicion in Russia. Yet in countries like the United States, Australia and Britain, smiling is often interpreted as a sign of openness, friendship and respect, and is frequently used to break the ice. In a piece of research done on smiles across cultures, the researchers found that smiling individuals were considered more intelligent than non-smiling people in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, China and Malaysia. However, in countries like Russia, Japan, South Korea and Iran, pictures of smiling faces were rated as less intelligent than the non-smiling ones. Meanwhile, in countries like India, Argentina and the Maldives, smiling was associated with dishonesty.

idiocy 傻，愚蠢

frequently - often - usually

a piece of 一系列

rate 评估

Eye contact

An American or British person might be looking their client in the eye to show that they are paying full attention to what is being said, but if that client is fron Japan or Korea, they might find the direct eye contact awkward or even disrespectful. In parts of South America and Africa, prolonged eye contact could also be seen as challenging authority. In the Middle East, eye contact across genders is considered inappropriate although eye contact within a gender could signify honesty and truthfulness.

prolonged 长时间的

signify 标志着，象征着

truthfulness 真实

Having an increased awareness of the possible differences in expectations and behaviour can help us avoid cases of miscommunication, but it is vital that we also remember that cultural stereotypes can be detrimental to building good busineess relationships. Although national cultures could play a part in shaping the way we behave and think, we are also largely influenced by the region we come from, the communities we associate with, our age and gender, our corporate culture and our individual experiences of the world. The knowledge of the potential differences should therefore be something we keep at the back of our minds, rather than something that we use to pigeonhole the individuals of an entire nation.

detrimental 有害的

corporate 企业的，公司的

knowledge 知道

问题

1. The British trainee felt that people who want to be addressed as ‘Dr’ must be …
   a. hard-working.
   b. conceited and self-important.
   C. doing a medical degree.
   d. from Germany.

2. If you are not sure how to address someone, you should …
   a. use the title you see on their business card.
   b. make your decision based on cultural stereotypes about theicountry
   c. address them the way you’d like to be addressed.
   d. ask them what they would like you to call them.

3. There might be a misunderstanding if an American smilesat a Russian business associate because the Russian might think that the American is …
   a. being fake.
   b. challenging their authority.
   c. trying to break the ice.
   d. disrespectful.

4. The Japanese, South Koreans and Iranians might interpret: a smiling face as being …
   a. friendlier.
   b. less open.
   C. not as intelligent.
   d. dishonest.

5. Americans and British people sometimes use evee contact to show that they …
   a. pay full of attention
   b. like the speaker
   c. are really listening to what is being said