Answer questions by referring to 3 passages concerning cultural differences. Note: Answer each question by choosing A, B or C and mark it on ANSWER SHEET 1. Some choices may be required more than once. A=Passage One B=Passage Two C=Passage Three In which passage you will find ...
Asian workers in American company has got emotional starvation
21. ______
people are willing to give much information of their culture when asked
22. ______
in one country, if you are punctual for a party, you will feel embarrassed
23. ______
the idea that the interior world of people in different cultures are basically the same in nany aspects
24. ______
misunderstanding arises because of different manners in showing refusal
25. ______
a manager found his foreign stuff have complaints due to different understanding of me word
26. ______
misunderstanding arises because of different manners in accepting compliments
27. ______
before entering another culture, it is crucial to know different thinking patterns
28. ______
if a person says, It’s trouble some and I’m not much thirsty. you should offer him something to drink
29. ______
is there much to be gained by observing how people of the same culture interact with each other
30. ______
Passage One American and Chinese cultures are at polar opposites. An American hostess, complimented for her culinary skills, is likely to say, "Oh, I’m so glad you liked it. I cooked it especially for you." Not so a Chinese host or hostess, who will instead apologize profusely for giving you "nothing" even slightly edible and for not showing you enough honor by providing proper dishes. The Chinese take pride in "modesty"; the Americans in "straightforwardness". That modesty has left many a Chinese hungry at an American table, for Chinese politeness calls for three refusals before one accepts an offer, and the American hosts take a "no" to mean "no", whether it’s the first, second, or third time. Recently, a number of a delegation sent to China by a large American corporation complained to me about how the Chinese had asked them three times if they would be willing to modify some proposal, and each time the Americans had said "no" clearly and definitely. My friend was incensed that the Chinese had not taken their word the first time. I recognized the problem immediately and wondered why the American had not studied up on cultural differences before coming to China. It would have saved them a lot of perplexity and needless frustration in their negotiation. Once you’ve learned the signals and how to respond, life becomes infinitely easier. When guests come, I know I should immediately ask if they’d like a cup of tea. They will respond, "Please don’t bother," which is my signal to fetch tea. Passage Two An Asian engineer is assigned to a US laboratory and almost suffers a nervous breakdown. A US executive tells his staff he’s going to treat them fairly — and creates dissension. Each of these real life cases involved people who were regarded as superior employees, but were ill-equipped to cope with the complexities and dangers of intercultural management. Never show the sole of your shoe to an Arab; never arrive on time for a party in Brazil; and in Japan, don’t think "yes" means "yes", but simply learning the social "dos" and "don’ts" is not the answer, according to the new culture specialists. The penalties for ignoring different thinking patterns, they point out, can be disastrous. For example, the American manager who promised to be fair thought he was telling the Japanese staff that their hard work would be rewarded; but when some workers received higher salary increase than others, there were complaints. "You told us you’d be fair, and you lied to us," accused one salesman. "It took me a year and a half," signed the American, " to realize that ’fair’, to my staff, means being treated equally." The Asian engineer who suffered in American was the victim of another mistaken expectation. He was accustomed to the warm group environment so typical in Japan. But in American company, everyone is expected to be self-starter, who thrives on working alone. For this Japanese it was emotional starvation. Passage Three As we interact with others of different cultures, there is no good substitute for receptiveness to interpersonal feedback, good observation skills, effective questions, and some horse sense. There is much to be gained by observing how people of the same culture interact with each other. Don’t be afraid to ask questions as most people respond very positively to inquiries about their culture. Ask a variety of people so you can get a balanced view. Making a genuine effort to find the positive historical, literary, and cultural contributions of a society; learning a few polite expressions in another person’s language; and showing appreciation for the food and music of another culture can have especially positive effects. The conclusion, then, is not that there are no cultural differences. These differences between cultures and peoples are real and can add richness (and humor) to the fabric of life. People everywhere have much in common, such as a need for affiliation and love, participation, and contribution. When the exterior is peeled off, there are not so many differences after all.