四、阅读理解。〔人与社会——历史、社会与文化〕
Living in a foreign country can be exciting, but it can be confusing(令人迷惑的). A group of Americans who taught English in other countries recently discussed their experiences. They thought that miscommunication was always possible, even over something as simple as “yes” and “no”.
On her first day in Micronesia, an island country in the Pacific Ocean, Lisa thought people weren’t paying any attention to her. The day was hot. She went into a store and asked, “Do you have cold drinks?” The woman there didn’t say anything. Lisa repeated the question. The woman still said nothing. She later learned that the woman had answered her. She had raised her eyebrows (眉毛), which in Micronesia means “yes”.
Jan remembered an experience she had in Bulgaria, a country in Europe. She went to a restaurant that was known for its cabbage(卷心菜). She asked the waiter, “Do you have cabbage today?” He nodded his head. Jan waited, but the cabbage never came. In that country, a nod means “no”.
Tom had a similar problem when he arrived in India. After explaining something in class, he asked his students if they understood. They answered with many different nods and shakes of the head. He thought some students had not understood, so he explained again. When he asked again, they did the same thing. He soon found out that his students did understand. In India, people nod and shake their heads in different ways depending on where they come from. You have to know where they come from to understand whether they mean “yes” or “no”.
1. These Americans teaching English in other countries found that they .
A. should go abroad for vacations
B. needed to learn foreign languages
C. should often discuss their experiences
D. had problems with communication
2. Tom misunderstood his class at first because .
A. he did not know much about Indian culture
B. he didn’t explain everything clearly enough
C. some students didn’t understand his questions
D. his students didn’t listen carefully
3. Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?
A. In Bulgaria, nodding heads means “no”.
B. Jan taught English on a Pacific island.
C. Lisa was trying to buy some cabbage.
D. In India, only shaking heads means “yes”.
4. The passage is mainly about .
A. body language in foreign restaurants
B. class discussions in Indian schools
C. miscommunication in different cultures
D. English teaching in other countries