When I worked as a global media coordinator(协调员)for the United Nations several years ago, I organized biweekly conference calls,during which I would ask my colleagues around the world to provide information by particular deadlines. My colleagues almost always responded with a yes. but all too often, the deadlines came and went without the requested material. Finally, my South African boss had to explain what would never have occurred to me: in many cultures, it is rude lo say no. So some people would say yes to anything I asked, regardless of whether they had any intention of delivering.
If communicating internally at the UN was challenging, interacting with the outside world was much harder. How would we reach people in places where newspapers are televisions are still not widely available? How could we generate media coverage there? Communicating globally may require changing the way you interviewing senior communication professionals in 31 countries about how they help clients modify their messages and strategies for particular cultures. I have found that some of the biggest factors to consider when communicating in a new culture involve emotion, context and social expectations.
As an example of emotional differences, if I were to do a media interview in the US and become visibly angry at a reporter’s question, I would be seen as unstable. By contrast, in the Middle East (an area including the countries of Southwest Asia and Northeast Africa),when people are talking about a heated issue, they tend to display powerful feelings—those who stay cool and calm while discussing such a problem may be viewed as untrustworthy.
Another big cultural difference revolves around the level of “context” provided in a conversation. As an American, I am what is known as a low-context communicator (who communicates information in a direct manner that relies mainly on words rather than contextual elements such as tones and body language), so if I want something done, I say so frankly. In high-context cultures, as in Asia, people may do the opposite. You have to pick up on body language, tones, and other contextual cues to realize that your colleague who just said yes to you has actually communicated that she does not agree to your plan.
【小题1】How did the author probably feel about those colleagues according to Paragraph 1?| A．Confused and upset. | B．Ashamed and guilty. |
| C．Satisfied and delighted. | D．Doubtful and uncertain. |
| A．Mild curiosity. | B．Remarkable ease. |
| C．Emotional responses. | D．Confident calmness. |
| A．She may be€ from the United States. |
| B．She may prefer to speak in a direct way. |
| C．She may be a high-context communicator. |
| D．She may he influenced by low-context cultures. |
| A．The main content of the author's book. |
| B．Cultural differences of social expectations. |
| C．Different meanings of yes in different cultures. |
| D．Important skills of communicating with colleagues. |
I’m very happy to receive your letter. I have always dreamed about having a penfriend. Hopefully, we can learn from each other and grow to be good friends. I think our letters will let us know each other and share parts of our lives.
Your horse Shannon looks beautiful. I also want to live on a farm like you and learn to ride horses. It must be interesting to ride through the beautiful countryside. I have pictured myself in that situation so many times. Your sisters are also lovely. I am the only child in my family, and sometimes I feel very lonely.
Life in New York is so busy and it is difficult to find the time to get to know people. Even becoming close to my classmates is quite difficult. However, sometimes it can be the most fantastic city in the world. At night it is so bright.
I love reading too! But I have never read any books by your favorite author Enid Blyton. I will have to go to the library in my neighborhood and find some. I also enjoy dancing and have dance class every Thursday and Saturday. My other favorite hobby is skating. In winter, I like to skate in Central Park.
I have to go now and do my homework. I really hope that I hear from you soon!
Yours,
Megan
【小题1】Who is Shannon?| A．Mary’s dog. | B．Megan’s dog. | C．Mary’s horse. | D．Megan’s horse. |
| A．lovely. | B．clever. | C．careless. | D．lazy. |
| A．Once a week. | B．Twice a week. | C．Three times a week. | D．Four times a week. |
| A．She has many friends. |
| B．Her sister is good at skating. |
| C．She likes to live in New York. |
| D．Her favorite writer is Enid Blyton. |
| A．Schoolmates. | B．Penfriends. | C．They are in the same club. | D．They live in the same neighborhood. |
| Dear Mary, I’m a young professional working for a company. I’ve been in the same workplace for a couple of years, and there are many things I love about it. A few months ago, however, I got a new boss. He never gave me positive feedback, but leaned over my shoulder and disliked everything I did. When I tried talking to him about my concerns, he suggested I give up. The stress being too much to bear, I moved to another job in the same company. While the pay was lower, it would allow me to take some classes to improve myself. Here’s the problem. At the beginning, I agreed to help with small tasks from my old department while it searched for my replacement(接替者). But it seems that my old boss isn’t actively searching. I am still under as much stress as I was working for him full time, but now I’m getting less pay. How do I deal with this situation without jeopardizing my new position, which fits my education schedule so well? Rose |
| Dear Rose, You have probably realized that it was a mistake to make such an open-ended offer. You should have suggested helping out with certain tasks for a certain period of time, which would have made your old boss replace you timely. Now here’re two ways. First, communicate what’s going on to your new boss. Don’t make it a huge complaint, just be matter-of-fact. You thoughtfully offered to help your old department through a transitional(过渡的) period for the good of the company—but you can’t keep doing two jobs forever, and you want to focus on doing the best you can in your new role. Your new boss needs to know that this is happening—and, frankly, should immediately step in to handle the matter without further discussion. Second, you should say no if necessary. The next time your old boss asks you to do something, tell him that while you are happy to help him, you must give your new job your full attention. Remember you’re not complaining, or starting a fight; you simply have the company’s best interests in mind. Your old department needs to move on—and you need to do your new job. Mary |
【小题1】What’s the problem with Rose now?
| A．She’s getting on badly with her new boss. |
| B．She’s getting less pay for her new job. |
| C．She’s overworking for her old boss. |
| D．She’s losing interest in her new job. |
| A．Preventing. | B．Damaging. | C．Benefiting. | D．Refusing. |
| A．Accepting tasks without certain limits. | B．Asking for too much from the company. |
| C．Refusing many tasks from the new boss. | D．Losing her job from the old department. |
| A．Balancing the old and new jobs. | B．Making more huge complaints. |
| C．Saying no to any given tasks. | D．Having open communication. |
I sometimes feel left out with my friends at the party. What can I do?
— Susan
Alice: Speak to your best friend before you arrive and ask her to make sure you don’t get left out of the group. That way, she will know to include you in all the fun. Make the effort to speak to some other people at the party. You might even make a new friend or two.
Sometimes I think parties get boring and I want to go home!
— Jenny
Alice: Even a great party will drag if you’re not enjoying yourself. Making the effort to dance and have a chat with your friends will beat the boredom! You don’t have to stay to the very end of the party.
Our school is having a Christmas dance party but I’m really shy. Shall I go or not?
— Emma
Alice: Part of you would like to go to the party, so give it a try. Let good friends know how you feel and make sure you’ll have people to dance with when the evening comes. Practice some fun dances so you’ll feel comfortable on the dance floor.
Whenever I go to a party, my dad comes to pick me up at 8 pm. I always have to leave earlier than the rest of my friends and I get really angry with my dad.
— Anny
Alice: Talk with your dad and let him know how you feel. It feels hard to have different rules from your friends but don’t worry too much — your friends are probably picked up soon after you anyway.
【小题1】Alice advises Susan to _____.| A．stay with her friends. | B．ask her friend for help. |
| C．leave the party at once. | D．make fun of her friends. |
| A．fail. | B．improve. |
| C．be boring. | D．be pleasant. |
| A．Her dad is strict with her. | B．She always argues with her dad. |
| C．Nobody picks her up after the party. | D．She can’t go to the party with her friends. |
| A．In a notice. | B．In a guidebook. | C．In a famous novel. | D．In a popular magazine. |
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