Suppose you meet a person for the first time who comes from a distant country but is fluent in your language. Would you adapt the tone of your voice, or the spacing of pauses in your speech? Would you adjust your body language and facial expressions, depending on the background of the person in front of you?

These are just a handful of the shifts in behavior that can contribute to what is known as your “cultural intelligence”, or CQ.” The number one predictor of your success in today’s borderless world is not your IQ, or not even your expertise(专长),” writes social scientist David Livermore in his book The Cultural Intelligence Difference. “It’s your CQ.”

Typically CQ is measured through a series of questions that assess four distinct components. The first is “CQ Drive” — the motivation to learn about other cultures. Then there is “CQ Knowledge”, which is an understanding of some of the general cultural differences you may face. “CQ Strategy” examines how you make sense of those difficult conflicts and learn from them, while “CQ Action” involves your behavioral flexibility — whether you are able to adapt your conduct like a cultural chameleon.

“While understanding a specific culture can be useful, it may not predict at all your ability to engage effectively in a new place,” says Livermore. “In fact, our research finds that individuals who have lived in multiple locations for extended time are more likely to have higher CQ Knowledge than those who have lived multiple decades in one overseas setting.”

Someone with low CQ might have a tendency to judge everyone else’s behavior by his own cultural standards. If he comes from a more sociable environment, for instance, and notices that his Japanese colleagues are very quiet in a meeting, he may assume that they are being unfriendly or bored. A person at the top of the scale, meanwhile, might realize that silence is a sign of respect and that feedback won’t be given unless it is explicitly required. As a result, he’ll make sure to offer suitable opportunities within the meeting for others to provide their opinions.

The tea that has delighted and fascinated the world for thousands of years has finally received top-level global recognition as a shared cultural treasure of mankind. China’s traditional tea-making was added on Tuesday to the intangible cultural heritage list of UNESCO.

The traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China consist of knowledge, skills and practices concerning the management of tea plantations, picking of tea leaves, manual(手工的)processing, drinking and sharing of tea. Since ancient times, Chinese people have been planting, picking, making and drinking tea. Tea producers have developed six categories of tea: green, yellow, dark, white, oolong and black teas. Together with reprocessed teas, such as flower-scented teas, there are over 2, 000 tea products in China.

Tea-related customs are not only found across the country, but also influence the rest of the world through the ancient Silk Road and trade routes. Tea is ubiquitous in Chinese people’s daily life, as steeped(浸泡)or boiled tea is served in families, workplaces, tea houses, restaurants and temples, etc. It is also an important part of socialization and ceremonies such as weddings and sacrifices. The practice of greeting guests and building relationships within families and among neighbors through tea- related activities is common to multiple ethnic groups, providing a sense of shared identity and continuity for the communities.

In China, 44 registered national-level intangible cultural heritage entries are related to tea. There are over 40 vocational colleges and 80 universities that have set up majors in tea science or tea culture, resulting in over 3,000 graduates specializing in tea production and art every year, according to the ministry.

China now has 43 items on the intangible cultural heritage list, continuing to be the most enlisted country in the world.

As an old saying in China goes, “The days of the Sanjiu period are the coldest days.” “Sanjiu period”, which is in Minor Cold (小寒), refers to the third nine-day period (the 19th to the 27th day) after the day of the Winter Solstice (冬至). There are many different customs related to Minor Cold in China.

During Minor Cold people should eat some hot food to benefit the body and defend against the cold weather. Winter is the best time to have hotpot and braised mutton with soy sauce. But it is important to notice that too much spicy food may cause health problems.

In Tianjin, there is a custom to have huangyacai, a kind of Chinese cabbage, during Minor Cold. There are large amounts of vitamins A and B in huangyacai. As huangyacai is fresh and tender, it is fit for frying, roasting and braising.

According to tradition, the Cantonese eat glutinous rice in the morning during Minor Cold. Cantonese people add some fried preserved pork, sausages and peanuts and mix them into the rice.

In ancient times, people in Nanjing took Minor Cold quite seriously, but as time went by, the celebration of Minor Cold gradually disappeared. However, the custom of eating vegetable rice is still followed today. The rice is steamed and is incredibly delicious. Among the ingredients (原料), aijiaohuang (a kind of green vegetable), sausages and salted duck are the specialties in Nanjing.