Building relationships and working successfully with different cultural backgrounds can seem like a major challenge. But you can enjoy the rewards, while keeping dissatisfaction to a minimum. The key to making them work is cultural competence. Essentially, cultural competence is defined as the ability to understand and interact effectively with people from different cultures.
Cultural competence is critical for everyone in today’s modern world. Living and working in a culturally diverse environment sometimes comes with differences of opinion and tension. People with strong cultural competence can resolve these issues creatively, even if a solution seems impossible at first. What’s more, thinking and caring about others with different experiences can bring out a sense of understanding. This helps to build trust between each other.
Cultural competence can be improved through training, education, and experience. Here are some simple tips to help you improve your cultural competence.
Assess yourself
The starting point is to understand your own cultural values and world view. Assess the current level of cultural competence in yourself and identify the knowledge, skills and resources that you want to acquire. This can give you an idea of your strengths and weaknesses in the area so that you can improve yourself in future.
Practice good manners
No matter whom you are dealing with, make sure that you are respecting others’ backgrounds, boundaries and customs. Pay close attention to your communication and make sure that you’re speaking to others in a kind and polite way.
Ask questions
When you don’t understand something or want to know why someone has behaved in a certain way, simply ask. Asking questions stops you making unnecessary assumptions, and shows the questions you did not understand to them.
Keep in mind that developing cultural competence is not a one-shot enterprise. It takes time and practice. Whether you are in a classroom or on campus, cultural competence plays an important role in your daily environment. Recognizing and dealing with cultural differences will create a happier setting for everyone.
1. What is cultural competence according to the passage?2. Why is cultural competence important for people in intercultural environment?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
>To improve our cultural competence, we should not only understand our strengths and weaknesses in this area, but also ask questions when we don’t understand others’ behaviors, even if we may speak in an impolite way.
4. Apart from the tips mentioned in the passage, what other way(s) can you think of to develop your cultural competence? (In about 40 words)
2 . An apology can achieve great things for both the givers and the receivers although nobody likes to admit that they were wrong.
An apology is crucial to our physical health. When we acknowledge that we are wrongdoers and express our guilt to others, we will free ourselves from the uncomfortable state. This act feels like a weight on us has been lifted.
Apologizing affects us not just physically, but also mentally.
Of course, the most effective apologies often bring a cost to our dignity, since we have to admit that we are wrong in front of others or many people.
| A．There are agreed-upon ways to express our apology to others. |
| B．It’s a way of showing the price we paid for the wronged action. |
| C．A good apology affects the health of those on the receiving end, too. |
| D．But this can often be minor compared to the benefits of a proper apology. |
| E．This means we should take the blame and not try to justify it or explain it away. |
| F．Apologize for what you did rather than what other people might have thought about it. |
| G．It has the ability to disarm others of their anger and to prevent further misunderstandings. |
3 . Saying farewell to someone you love, even for a night, can be difficult, much less saying goodbye for a lifetime or forever in death. Juliet bid Romeo adieu (再见) for the evening with the words, “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” Sweet sorrow is an oxymoron. But this seeming contradiction is true in the context of relationships.
Relationships are based on feelings, emotions, and passion. Deep friendships and loving relationships are measured by the level of emotional attachment. Emotions intensify over time. People spend time with the people they like. The more one person likes another person, the closer the relationship becomes. Each person in the relationship receives an emotional benefit from knowing the other person.
Saying goodbye means separating from the people who make up a significant part of your emotional identity. Separation, even a temporary absence, from the people you have a deep emotional connection with can cause sorrow because you will no longer be able to enjoy their company.
The sweet side of saying goodbye is the emotional fulfillment of being in a close relationship. The time spent together is emotionally rewarding, especially if that person is seen as a soulmate. Humans are social beings. We seek the love and comfort of other people. Loneliness devastates the human condition and leads to sadness. Sad people will do anything they can to find fulfilling relationships. Likewise, happy people will do anything they can to maintain or enhance relationships. Herein lies the essential point of the emotional problem.
The more intense relationships become, the more devastating the emotional loss that is felt upon separation. The exhilaration of relationships cannot be truly measured without experiencing the overwhelming loss of a deep emotional connection.
Enjoy the company of the person you are with as long as you can; knowing the pain you will feel at the end of the relationship is the true measure of the relationship. If it doesn’t hurt to say goodbye, perhaps it wasn’t worth saying hello.
1. Which of the word group can create the same effect as “sweet sorrow”?| A．icy cold | B．clicking sound | C．deafening silence | D．endless speech |
| A．Saying goodbye is unavoidable in our daily life. |
| B．The companion of close friends can lessen sorrow. |
| C．A person’s identity is connected with relationship. |
| D．Separation is the sorrowful part of saying goodbye. |
| A．Making more communication with others. |
| B．Building deep emotional connections with others. |
| C．Comforting friends with love and intense feelings. |
| D．Being a thoughtful person by standing in others’ shoes. |
| A．Sweet sorrow is very common in close relationships. |
| B．The pain of separation is the measure of relationships. |
| C．Human beings are eager to get emotional fulfillment. |
| D．Happiness is meaningless without sadness to compare it. |
4 . When I re-entered the full-time workforce a few years ago after a decade of lonely self-employment, there was one thing I was looking forward to the most: the opportunity to have work friends once again. It wasn’t until I entered the corporate world that I realized, for me at least, being friends with colleagues didn’t emerge as a thing on the list at all. This is surprising when you consider the current common emphasis by scholars and trainers and managers on the importance of cultivating close interpersonal relationships at work. So much research has been done to explore the way in which collegial ties can help overcome a range of work place-issues affecting productivity and the quality of work output such as team-based conflict, jealousy, undermining, anger, and more.
Perhaps my expectations of lunches, watercooler’ gossip and caring, deep and meaningful conversations were a legacy of the last time I was in that kind of office environment-Whereas now, as I near the end of my fourth decade, I realize work can be fully functional and entirely fulfilling without needing to be best mates with the people sitting next to you or form a close bond with them.
In an academic analysis just published in the profoundly-respected Journal of Management, researchers have looked-at the concept of “indifferent relationships ”. It’s a simple term that illustrates the fact that relationships at work can reasonably be not close, not important, not sensible and even, dare I say it, disposable or replaceable.
Indifferent relationships are neither positive nor negative. The limited research conducted thus far indicates they’ re especially dominant among those who value independence over cooperation, and harmony over conflict. Indifference is also the preferred option among those who are socially lazy. Maintaining relationships over the long term takes effort. For some of us, too much effort, actually.
As noted above, indifferent relationships may not always be the most helpful approach in resolving some of the issues that pop up at work. But there are nonetheless several proven benefits. One of those is efficiency. Less time chatting and socializing means more time working and yielding (产出).
The other is self-esteem. As human beings, we’re prepared to compare ourselves to each other in what is an anxiety-provoking phenomenon. Apparently, we look down on acquaintances more so than close friends. Since the former is most common among those more likely involved in indifferent relationships, their predominance can boost individuals’ sense of self-worth.
Ego aside, a third advantage is that the emotional neutrality of indifferent relationships has been found to enhance critical evaluation, to strengthen one’s focus on task resolution, and to gain greater access to valuable information. None of that might be as fun as after-work socializing but, hey, I’ll take it anyway
1. What did the author realize when he re-entered the corporate world?| A．Making hew mends with this workmates was not as easy as he had thought. |
| B．Cultivating positive interpersonal relationships helped him shake off lonely feelings. |
| C．Building close relationships with his colleagues was not as important as he had expected. |
| D．Working in the corporate world requires more interpersonal skills than self-employment. |
| A．They should be cultivated. |
| B．They are actual irrelevant. |
| C．They are vital to corporate culture. |
| D．They should be reasonably intimate. |
| A．They feel uncomfortable when engaging in social interactions. |
| B．They often find themselves in confrontation with their colleagues. |
| C．They lack basic communication skills in dealing with interpersonal issues. |
| D．They are unwilling to make efforts to maintain workplace relationships. |
| A．They provide fun at work. |
| B．They improve work efficiency. |
| C．They help resolve differences. |
| D．They help control emotions. |
5 . Many people have secrets or things about themselves they don’t want others to know. Those secrets can be something as simple as they have a new job or serious matters such as a divorce.
Have conversations with others that cover a range of meaningful topics. Talking about meaningful things to others can help them consciously connect positive feelings about you and make them more likely to open up to you.
Listen carefully
Talk about yourself
Make sure to talk about yourself during your conversations.
Be reliable
Make sure to be there and fulfil promises with your friends. This shows them that they can rely on you, including telling and keeping secrets. Follow up on any commitment you make to the best of your ability.
| A．Chat online |
| B．Have meaningful conversations |
| C．You can’t share your friend’s secret with anyone |
| D．Getting someone to tell you their secrets can be difficult |
| E．Listen closely to what they are saying during your conversations |
| F．Give little bits of information about yourself as you feel comfortable |
| G．If you cannot keep your promise, explain the circumstances and then apologize |
The Best Response to Criticism
When someone criticizes you, your natural reaction is mostly to feel bad about it or defend yourself. If you lack confidence or if you have no clear opinion about yourself, you may also feel pain and even accept the criticism as true. Living in this world, we have to deal with the opinions of others and keep ourselves safe from their negativity.
Sometimes, you will face genuine criticism from others. If you are too caught up in defensive attitude and not being open minded, you may not receive the criticism well and may not perceive the truth in it. When you are criticized, remember that your opinion of yourself is probably more genuine than the opinion of another who does not know you as much as you know about you.
Yet, we give so much importance to what others say and what they think about us. It is natural because we prefer to be approved and accepted by others, or at least respected and acknowledged for who we are. The truth is, in many respects, criticism is a reflection of the person who indulges in it rather than you. A critic’s criticism reveals more about him and his judgment rather than the object of his criticism.
Criticism is a personal opinion of the critic. It very much depends upon the person, his or her thinking, beliefs, knowledge, attitude and values. It is a product of his worldview, upbringing, values, beliefs, likes and dislikes, knowledge and ignorance. It also depends upon his relationship and attitude towards the person for whom the criticism is intended.
A criticism which is not based upon true discernment（识别能力）and purity of perception and judgment should not be considered true criticism. You can ignore it or use it to know the people who criticize.
Every criticism helps you know about you or those who engage in it. Use it to improve yourself or your relationships. If you understand this truth, you will accept criticism as a blessing and an opportunity to become a better person with better awareness.
1. According to this passage, what is the natural reaction when one gets criticized?2. Why do we give so much importance to what others say and what they think about us?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Since every criticism is a personal opinion of the critic, it is not helpful for us.
4. How do you usually respond to criticism?（In about 40 words）
As humans, we
But what if you are struggling with shyness, social in security or have a long-standing difficulty
No matter
8 . Praise is like sunlight to the human spirit: we cannot flower and grow without it. And yet, while most of us are only too ready to apply to others the cold wind of criticism, we are somehow reluctant to give our fellows the warm sunshine of praise.
It’s especially rewarding to give praise in areas in which effort generally goes unnoticed or unmentioned.
Praise is particularly appreciated by those doing routine jobs: gas station attendants, waitresses-even housewives.
So, let’s be alert to the small excellences around us and comment on them. We will not only bring joy into other people’s lives, but also, very often, add happiness into our own.
| A．We are accustomed to accepting praise. |
| B．A student is ignored despite his good work. |
| C．To give praise costs the giver almost nothing. |
| D．It’s strange how cautious we are about praising |
| E．Shakespeare said, “Our praises are our wages.” |
| F．An artist gets complimented for a glorious picture. |
| G．“I can live for two months on a good compliment,” said Mark Twain. |
9 . We need to be conscious of the fact that people around us influence us in subtle ways that may encourage us, or hamper it. Motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously said, “You’re the average of the five people you spend most of your time with”.
If this “circle” of people is goal-driven, and encouraging, we can experience a positive impact on our actions. On the other hand, if the people around us are negative and restrictive, we may subconsciously “live-up” to these qualities and stop our own personal growth in the process.
How do you identify who is influencing you? Be mindful of the conversations you have with people and the activities you engage in with them. What are the opinions that dominate in your social group?
Nourish your circle
Once you identify the people who belong to your reference group, it is important to nourish these relationships.
| A．Know your circle |
| B．Dominate your circle |
| C．Over time, this core circle may change. |
| D．It means that this “circle” can help you live a better life. |
| E．The influence of those around us can be quite significant. |
| F．Also remember, just like others influence you, you also have an influence on others. |
| G．What are the similarities between you and the five people you are constantly close to? |
| A．Customer and clerk. | B．Boss and employee. | C．Reporter and interviewee. |
