You are a new manager at the American branch of your German firm in Chicago. With a few minutes to spare between meetings, you go to get a quick cup of coffee.
“Hey, David, how are you?” one of the senior partners at the firm asks you.
“Good, thank you, Dr. Greer,” you reply. You’ve really been wanting to make a connection with the senior leadership at the firm, and this seems like a great opportunity. But as you start to think of something to say, your American colleague breaks in to steal your spotlight.
“So Arnold”, your colleague says to your boss, in such a casual manner that it makes your German soul cringe(畏缩), “So what’s your Super bowl prediction? I mean, you’re a Niners fan, right?”
The conversation moves on, and you walk silently back to your desk with your coffee. You know how important small talk is in the U.S., and you feel jealous of people who can do it well.
There’s nothing small about the role that small talk plays in American professional culture. People from other countries are often surprised at how important small talk is in the U.S. and how naturally and comfortably people seem to do it ------ with peers, men, women, and even with superiors. You can be the most technically skilled worker in the world, but your ability to progress in your job in the United States is highly dependent on your ability to build and maintain positive relationships with people at work. And guess what skill is critical for building and maintaining these relationships? Small talk.
What can you do if you are from another culture and want to learn to use small talk in the U.S. to build relationships and establish trust? Work hard to hone(磨练) your own version of American-style small talk. Watch how others do it. You don’t have to imitate what they do; in fact, that would likely backfire because people would see you as inauthentic(假的,不可信的). But if you can develop your own personal version, that can go a long way toward making you feel comfortable and competent．
1. The author introduces the topic of the passage by________________.| A．offering a plot |
| B．describing an interesting scene |
| C．making comparisons |
| D．telling a small joke |
| A．They don’t make so much small talk． |
| B．They hate making small talk． |
| C．They usually make small talk in work breaks． |
| D．They are good at making small talk too． |
| A．American workers’ ability to make progress． |
| B．American workers’ attitude towards superiors． |
| C．The special meaning of small talk |
| D．The role small talk plays in work settings． |
| A．have a warm atmosphere |
| B．have the opposite effect |
| C．have a good result |
| D．have a hard time |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Conversation begins almost the moment we come into contact with another and continues throughout the day with the aid of cell phones and computers. However, we are so often absorbed in conversation that we lose sight of its true purpose and value.
One important aspect of a good conversation is the words used to express thoughts and feelings. We are full of deep thoughts and strong emotions, yet our vocabularies are not enough for this expression, and many make little effort to expand that. Perhaps you see a movie that touches you deeply, yet you have the following conversation: “So, what did you think of the film?” “Oh, my God, it was so sad. I swear, I went through using up a box of tissues. I was in tears.”This dialogue is hardly an effective way of expressing feelings. It gives no sign of how or why the movie truly affected you. Such commonly-used phrases are certainly not enough to describe a deeply moving experience. However, not only must you try to avoid overused words, you must also be careful in your selection. The purpose of expanding vocabulary is not to use the largest or most impressive words, but to find those best suited.
What is lacking in many conversations is the ability to talk to another rather than just talking with that person. A thoughtful person will find that even in the most ordinary of conversations, there are a thousand questions waiting to be asked if you have courage and a desire for change, in order to seek out the person behind the mask. Good conversations should not be made up of nonsense, but of a meeting of two sharing the human condition. It should bring a purer understanding of others and offer a release of emotions more than drive away unpleasant thoughts or kill time. If we want, we can reach beyond the superficiality(肤浅) of talking into the vast kingdom of wisdom.
1. The author used a movie as an example to show that ____________.| A．overused words can’t fully express feelings of a speaker |
| B．how and why a moving movie can deeply affect a speaker |
| C．only expanding vocabulary can describe moving experiences |
| D．the largest or most impressive words should he used by speakers |
| A．remove the mask of others | B．distrust the others’ appearance |
| C．feel doubtful about the others | D．get the hidden truth beyond words |
| A．a way to free the unpleasant or pass time | B．a desire to raise more questions |
| C．an exchange of emotions and experiences | D．a route to the kingdom of wisdom |
| A．Vocabulary in Conversations | B．Art of Conversations |
| C．Ability in Conversations | D．Importance of Conversations |
【推荐2】2018 Fudan University Chinese Language Program for International Students
(Spring Semester Intake)
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL CULTUTRAL EXCHANGE SCHOOL, ICES, FUDAN UNIV.
International Cultural Exchange School, ICES, is the institution specialized in providing Chinese language and culture programs for international students in Fudan University. ICES is appointed to be one of the first four bases of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages in China. We accept international students for long term and short term language programs, general advanced and other tailor-made programs. ICES also provide degree programs for undergraduates majoring in Chinese Language & Culture and Business Chinese, and for Master candidates majoring in
Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages.
MAIN COURSES
The main courses include intensive reading, extensive reading, listening, speaking and writing. Optional courses including Pronunciation, Shanghai Dialect, Chinese Movie, Chinese sayings and proverbs, etc. are also provided. Special Character Writing class is set up for overseas Chinese origin students. There will be about 20 class hours per week for each level.
★Optional course could be different every year.
ABOUT CHINESE PROFICIENCYTEST,HSK & BUSINESS CHINESE TEST,BCT
Chinese Proficiency Test, HSK and Business Chinese Test, BCT are national examinations held by HANBAN, Confucius Institute Headquarters, which are widely recognized internationally. ICES is authorized test centers for both tests. ICES holds HSK tests 5 times in a year, for detailed schedule please call +86-21-65642256.
APPLYING
Study Period: Ranges from half-year to two years.
The spring semester runs from February to July, and the autumn semester from September to January.
★Final tuition criteria are subject to enrolment pricing announced by Financial Office of Fudan.
Application Requirements: Applicant must be a citizen of a foreign country between 18 and 60 years of age, in good mental and physical health.
Application periods:
1. Applications begin on October 8. Deadline of submitting application materials is December 10.
2. Autumn Semester: Applications begin on March 14. Deadline of submitting application materials is June 10.
How to Apply:
1. Log on to http://iso.fudan.edu.cn, and enter University’s Online Application System through
E-Application.
2. The online application procedure is as follows:
Registering and activating account → Filling in application → Submitting application → Paying application fee on Online Application System → Waiting for application result.
The Program Duration are as follows:
2018 Spring Semester, one semester Program:
Duration of Major Study (From): 2018-02-26, (To): 2018-07-07
Contact Information:
Room 909, East Main, GuangHua Building,
International Cultural Exchange School, Fudan University
220 Han Dan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
Tel: +86-21-65643652
Fax: +86-21-55664859
E-mail: yuyansheng@fudan.edu.cn
http://www.ices.fudan.edu.cn http://iso.fudan.edu.cn,
APPLICATION FEES AND MATERIALS ARE NON-RETURNABLE.
1. Which is a compulsory course in the program?| A．Character writing. | B．Speaking. |
| C．Chinese sayings. | D．Chinese culture. |
| A．An applicant can’t be aware of the application result before he or she finishes the payment. |
| B．ICES is the fourth great base of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages in China. |
| C．The payment for application is refundable. |
| D．You can call +86-21-65643652 for further information about the timetable of HSK tests. |
| A．Daisy, 17 years old, American, interested in Chinese, passed the BCT. |
| B．Yuan, 23 years old, Chinese, have Internet access till the end of December. |
| C．Fiamma, 27 years old, New Zealander, failed in last HSK test. |
| D．Zoe, 24 years old, Indonesian, no Internet access until the end of December. |
【推荐3】Body language or, as it is also known, non-verbal communication, is about all the things that people say and do without using words. Research suggests that more than 70% of communication occurs without people having to say a single word.
Like language, the way we communicate non-verbally varies across cultures. But, unlike language, it can be very difficult to find out what the non-verbal rules are.
It’s all very well known that there are differences in the ways that cultures work, but what can you do to try to prepare yourself for living and surviving in another culture?
I think you’ve got two things to think about. I personally don’t fully accept the idea of “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” I don’t think people expect you to completely adopt all of the things that they do.What I think that people would like is that you agree and understand it and that you do your best.
One of the things you can do is actually explain to the other culture, saying, “Well, you know, actually we don’t normally kiss in my culture, so it’s a bit uncomfortable.” But then do your best, so it’s a learning process.
Well, kissing is just one of many different ways of interaction that you need to know. You can get into difficult or embarrassing or even worse situations if you don’t know it. Eye contact, tone of voice, how close you stand, any touching, how many times you kiss, a long handshake, a short handshake, it can go on and on. So I think, yes, you do need to get these correct and you need to have good observation skills.
1. From the passage, it can be inferred that ________.| A．only grown-ups have body language |
| B．body language can be understood by all the people all the time |
| C．only the same body language has the same meaning all over the world |
| D．body languages are not the same because their cultures are different |
| A．body language is important | B．to find out the rules of body language |
| C．when in Rome, do as the Romans do | D．to learn good observation skills |
| A．to learn body language, you should watch people and observe what they do |
| B．to learn a language, you should prepare yourself for living in another culture |
| C．when you learn a language, you must know the differences of different cultures |
| D．to know body language, you should adopt all that other cultures do |
| A．activity | B．expression |
| C．difference | D．communication |
