7 . Everyone “talks” with their hands at least sometimes. Some people’s hand-talking, or gesturing (手势) matches their messages well. Other people like to make gestures that can be confusing. And still others don’t use their hands much at all. No matter which group you are in, it’s important to pay attention to your hand gestures while you are communicating. And also remember hand gestures can have cultural meanings.
A few years ago, I was a speaker at a conference in Lisbon, Portugal. It was my first time in Portugal, and I became immediately fond of the special pastries (糕点) that Lisbon and Portugal are known for. One morning I went into a bakery and ordered two of the pastries. I did so by holding up two fingers, similar to the “victory” or “peace” gesture in the United States. The person behind the counter put three pastries in the box. I later learned that the gesture for two would raise thumb and index finger. Even though my thumb wasn’t showing, the person behind the counter thought I was signaling for three.
I was lucky that I didn’t get into more trouble than an extra pastry. Many hand gestures are not universal. Before speaking in a country that you are not familiar with, do some research to find out which gestures might be misunderstood, not understood at all or rude.
1. Why did the author go to Lisbon, Portugal?
| A．To taste pastries. | B．To take a holiday. |
| C．To attend a meeting. | D．To learn Portuguese culture. |
2. What does the underlined word “universal” refer to in para.3?
| A．Normal. | B．Independent. | C．Common. | D．Complex. |
3. What can we learn from the author’s experience?
| A．One should be careful when ordering food in Portugal. |
| B．Hand gestures may have different meanings in different cultures. |
| C．The person behind the counter understood the author’s gesture. |
| D．The person behind the counter cheated the author. |
4. The author’s main purpose in writing the passage is to______.
| A．tell us that hand gestures are not the same worldwide |
| B．explain the general use of gestures |
| C．ask us to use correct hand gestures in Portugal |
| D．share a funny story in Portugal |
