山西省太原五中2014-2015学年高一下学期阶段性检测 英语试卷（缺答案）
I. 阅读理解(共12小题；满分29分)
第一节 （共7小题；每小题2分，满分14分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
A
Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.
Different cultures emphasize (强调) the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in "small talk", usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countries -- like the UK or France -- people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.
Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.
Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.
People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural (多元文化) environment will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.
1. The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that _________.
A. the English prefer to make long speeches
B. even talk and silence can be culturally different
C. people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature
D. too many words are of no use
2. According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?
A. By recognizing different values. B. By sharing different ways of life.
C. By accepting different habits. D. By speaking each other' s languages.
