I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: At a psychology conference in England years ago, a woman said to me: "I'll knock you up in the morning." I was taken aback by her strange suggestion, but it occurred to me that I might not have understood what she really meant. As it turned out, what she had meant was, "I'll knock on your door in the morning so that we can meet for breakfast to discuss the panel we're on." This example of the difference in the meaning of "knock you up" in British and American English shows the complicated situations that can result from cultural misunderstandings. A cultural misunderstanding occurs when something -- a word, gesture, object, social context, or almost anything you can think of -- has a different meaning in two cultures. Sometimes the misunderstandings get _ , sometimes they lead nowhere, and sometimes they can become the starting point of something much more extreme, from love to war. Race is one area where cultural misunderstandings are common. We Americans tend to assume that racial categories are biological rather than social, so it may not occur to us that people from other cultures have a different set of racial concepts and classify themselves and us differently. Some African Americans complain that certain immigrants from other countries, such as Haiti or Jamaica, "act as if they aren't black." The cultural misunderstanding is that, in the immigrants' countries of origin, they would never describe themselves as "black". This doesn't mean that they think they are white. It just means that their cultures have more categories, like marabou or grimaud in Haiti, or fair or brown in Jamaica, than are used in the United States. Meanwhile, white people in America, unaware of this cultural diversity, sometimes refer to all darker-skinned people as "black" without realizing that an issue exists. Resolving cultural misunderstandings can clear the air or even lead to laughter. Sometimes, though, when it comes to race, unidentified cultural misunderstandings can create tension, unhappiness and distrust. Question: What is the author's opinion about cultural misunderstandings? Options: A: There's no need to notice racial differences. B: Haitians prefer to be described as fair or brown. C: Cultural misunderstandings based on racial categories may be difficult to spot. D: Americans are especially likely to misunderstand people from other cultures.
C
(Question)
I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: Dr. Jack M. Gwaltney, Jr. a professor at the University Of Virginia School Of Medicine infected six student volunteers with virus, the most common cause of colds. A few days later, when they were coughing and sneezing, he gathered 37 more people and divided them into three groups. Group 1 members spent three days and nights in the same room with one of the infected students, separated by a screen so they couldn't touch one another. Group 2 sat around a table while an infected volunteer talked, coughed and sang to them. Group 3 held hands with an infected student for ten seconds, and then touched their own noses or eyes. Although most scientists at the time, the mid-70s, believed colds were spread by virus-laden droplets spread through the air when infected people coughed or sneezed, Gwaltney suspected physical contact might play an important role. Sure enough, of the 15 people who had touched a student volunteer, 11 became infected--compared with only one of those who had been sitting at the table, and none who had spent three days and nights together. "The best evidence we have is that hand-to-hand contact is the most efficient way of transmitting virus," says Gwaltney. The study was one of a series that helped establish Gwaltney's reputation as a leading authority. Dr. Robert Couch says, "It would not be inappropriate to call him Mr. Common Cold." When Gwaltney is asked how close scientists are to finding a cure, he replies: "If you mean 'get rid of', I don't think we're going to be able to do that with cold viruses any time soon. But if you look in the dictionary, you'll see that 'cure' is explained as a successful treatment. And we're not just getting more effective at treating the symptoms --we're getting at the root cause too. " Question: When Dr. Gwaltney gives a reply in the end of the passage, he means that _ . Options: A: they have found the fundamental cause of colds B: they have managed to wipe out the cold viruses C: they have meant to experiment more D: they have made much progress in dealing with colds
(Answer)
D
Ques: I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: When I was about twelve, I headed to a restaurant for dinner with my family. It was winter, and on that particular night, the wind was really blowing. As my mom and I headed towards the restaurant from our car, a girl about my age and her mother came up to us. They asked if we had any spare change. My mom immediately asked where they kept their things. They pointed to an old car in a parking across the street. The girl said there were six of them living in that car, which was the same size as my own family. My mom said she had something to do after handing the people a few dollars. She sent me inside the restaurant with my dad and my three siblings. But she didn't come. Later, I found out she had gone home and practically emptied our cupboards into a few bags. Then, she brought that food over to the car and handed the bags to the family. I wasn't there when that part happened, but I can only imagine the joy it brought to their faces. A few days later, when I actually found out about what she had done, I asked her why she helped those people. She told me that they were not lucky. I remember the face of that girl who had asked us for change, she was the same age as me, yet we looked so different. Here I stood, dressed in almost new clothes, headed to dine in a restaurant and then back home to the bedroom I shared with my younger sister. I remember thinking that the other girl didn't have any food to eat. and she was heading back to a cold car shared with five other people. After painting this picture in my mind, I understood why my mom had done what she did. I will never forget what she did that night, and how she taught me one of the best lessons I ever learned. Question: Which of the following best describes the author's mother? Options: A: Reliable and determined. B: Considerate and enthusiastic. C: Cautious and friendly. D: Unusual and optimistic.
Ans: B
Ques: I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: Most Americans would have a difficult time telling you, specifically, what the values are which Americans live by. They have never given the matter any thought. Over the years I have introduced thousands of international visitors to life in the United States. This has caused me to try to look at Americans through the eyes of foreign visitors, I am confident that the values listed in this booklet describe most (but not all )Americans, and that understanding these values can help you, the international visitor, understand Americans. It is my belief that if foreign visitors really understand how deeply these 13 values are _ in Americans, they will then be able to understand 95% of American actions --actions which might otherwise appear "strange,"" confusing," or "unbelievable" when evaluated from the perspective (aspect) of the foreigner's own society and its values. The different behaviors of a people or a culture make sense only when seen through the basic beliefs, assumptions and values of that particular group. When you encounter (meet) an action, or hear a statement in the United States which surprises you, try to see it as an expression of one or more of the values listed in this booklet. Question: The author lists 13 values in his booklet to _ . Options: A: invite foreigners to visit America B: look at Americans through the eyes of foreign visitors C: describe the confusing actions of most Americans D: help international visitors understand Americans
Ans:
D