3 . At a conference held in a cross-cultural team, some employees will feel uncomfortable intervening (介入). Meanwhile, others will be_________ to participate. Now, whether you’ll_________ actively not only depends on your personality, but also depends on your_________ patterns.

Adam Goulston, the owner of the Japanese company Seize, says that his_________ is made up of Asians and Westerners. Workers find it hard to_________ during the meetings: I found many members were unprepared to express themselves_________. Even if they _________ to break free from the typical meetings in which the highest-ranking person does most of the talking while others listen, they were_________ by having to talk. Perhaps it was too impulsive (冲动的) or they needed more time to think and prepare an ideal _________. The bigger the meeting, the greater the__________. ”

In general, when it comes to expressing ideas and opinions, employees from individualistic cultures, like Australia or the United States, __________ to say their viewpoints with ease. __________, workers from hierarchical (等级的) cultures, such as India and Middle East countries, are__________ to expressing their thoughts only after their senior coworkers have__________ their points of view. The hierarchical standards__________ a lot in Singapore, too. According to a Reddit user, at the meetings with clients, only senior managers are allowed to speak.

In addition, many Chinese people__________ the rule of “thinking before speaking”, and they’ ll have to make good__________ ahead of the meeting if they have to participate.

If you are a boss with employees from individualistic cultures, you should __________ these barriers and overcome them, because it is particularly__________ if you’ re managing a multicultural team. In that case, be sure to help your employees__________ cultural divides.

I had an unusual Spring Festival this year

5 . A Thai town’s popular “monkey festival” returned Sunday after a two-year break caused by the pandemic.

The fun event took place in Lopburi in central Thailand. There, thousands of monkeys ate lots of fruits and vegetables. The animals could be seen climbing on people and colorful fruit formations made of pineapples, bananas and even costly durians(榴莲).

“Today’s special is the durian, which is expensive. Lopburi monkeys like expensive things,” said Yongyuth Kitwatananusont. She has organised over 30 monkey festivals.

The huge fresh meal cost over $3,000. It is a yearly tradition for locals in Lopburi to thank the monkeys for doing their part in bringing tourists to the area, which is sometimes known as “Monkey Province”. The event takes place on the last Sunday in November.

The theme for this year’s festival was wheelchair monkeys. Yongyuth, the event organiser, planned to give 100 wheelchairs to people who have difficulty in walking.

Tourists have been slowly returning to Thailand after the government started a quarantine-free(免隔离)travel plan for vaccinated(已接种疫苗的)visitors in November. The country saw more than 100, 000 travelers in November. That is as many as the number of arrivals in the first 10 months of 2021.

The festival proved to be a popular event this year. Tourists were seen playing with monkeys with their cameras. “I’m really happy to get to see this and now I’ m thinking about going to the next festival, “ said Ayoub Boukhari, a visitor from Morocco. “It’s quite unexpected and the monkeys are quite lovely.”

The return of the tradition also pleased locals. “It’s the first time in two years that monkeys have got a chance to eat all kinds of fruits and vegetables,” said Lopburi local Thanida Phudjeeb. “I’m happy for them.”

Japanese Fish Flags—“Koinobori”

People in Japan hang “Koinobori” or Japanese fish flags every year to celebrate National Children’s Day,     1    takes place on May 5. These flags are usually made by     2    （draw）the pattern of a fish named “Koicarp” on paper or cloth. In Japanese culture, Koinobori   is thought to be a symbol of energy,     3    （strong）and courage because of its ability to swim upstream（逆流地）rather than just “go with the stream”. Families decorate their landscapes（风景）    4     fish flags from April to early May to symbolize the hope     5     their children will grow up into healthy and strong adults.

There are many different stories about the origin of Koinobori and Children’s Day. According to the Japanese American National Museum, Koicarp     6    （choose）as a symbol to celebrate “Tango No Sekku” or Boys’ Day in the past. The ability of this fish to swim upstream, its high energy and powerfulness were     7    （quality） generally desired by families in boys.     8    （include）all kids, in 1948, this holiday was widened and Children’s Day was born. Another story states that the tradition of hanging flags started in the year 1282 to celebrate the victory     9    （win）by soldiers in a battle. While there are many stories, nobody     10    （exact）knows when or why it started.

The Chinese people are without doubt the ones who best understand the nature of tea. We attach great importance     1     tea in Chinese culture.

While records of tea in Chinese literature go back to about 5,000 years ago, the beginning of tea’s use as     2     kind of drink is unclear. At first, tea was valued for its medical qualities. It has long been known that tea helps digestion (消化),     3     is why many Chinese would like     4     (drink) it after their meal. The rising of tea drinking to an art form     5     (begin) in the 8th century, with the publication of Lu Yu’s The Classic of Tea. His work contained several useful tips for     6     (produce) tea, many of which are still in use today. In the centuries following the publication of Lu Yu’s work, tea’s popularity spread     7     (rapid) throughout China.

Not only did tea drinking become a fitting subject for books and poems, but the rich presented tea as     8     (gift) to friends and guests. Later, teahouses started to spread all over the country. While the Chinese have never developed an     9     (office) ceremony (礼仪) surrounding tea drinking like the Japanese tea ceremony, they have respect for     10     (it) role in their daily lives.

8 . Some annual festivals come out of religious ceremonies or cultural events, while others come about because of marketing experiments or boredom. Here are some festivals that might make you scratch your head.

Wife Carrying World Championship — Sonkajärvi, Finland

Wife carrying started as a sport in Sonkajärvi, Finland, in 1992. Participants are asked to carry their wives in a variety of ways across a 253.5-meter track full of obstacles, from fences to water pools. The prize is awarded based on the wife’s weight in beer.

International Hair Freezing Contest — Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

International Hair Freezing Contest is a fun winter celebration that occurs every February outside at the Takhini Hot Pools. Participants in the contest put their heads in the hot water of the pools and then create frosty hairstyles by shaping their hair as it freezes in the cold air above. Temperatures in the area can reach below －30℃ at the time of the contest. Winners receive a small cash prize.

Underwater Music Festival — Looe Key Reef, Florida, USA

Held in the Florida Keys in America’s only living coral barrier reef (珊瑚礁), the festival has been running for 31 years. A local radio station sponsors the event to promote coral protection and responsible diving, and they play their sea-themed music underwater through speakers hung under boats situated above the reef. Participants are encouraged to wear costumes and play “underwater instruments” to compete for prizes.

Boryeong Mud Festival — Boryeong, South Korea

This annual festival occurs in July in the village of Boryeong. It was originally created as an outdoor marketing event for Boryeong mud cosmetics (化妆品). The mud there is rich in natural minerals and is used to make beauty products. The festival is popular with locals and tourists alike. Notable festivities include a mud pool, mud slides, mud prison and mud skiing.