任务型阅读。
According to one study, words send only 7 percent of a person's message. Intonation (语调) and voice
quality communicate 38 percent, and nonverbal (not using or involving words) cues (暗示) transmit a large
55 percent. That means people pick up more from nonverbal communication than from the words a person
says. When studying a foreign culture then, it just makes sense to pay attention to how people use nonverbal
cues.
Gestures consist of a major form of nonverbal communication. But often these gestures are culture-bound.
For example, when the Maoris of New Zealand stick out (伸出) their tongue at someone, it is a sign of respect.
When American schoolchildren make the same gesture, it means just the opposite. Also, Americans often
indicate "OK" with their thumb and fore-finger touching to form a circle. The same gesture means "money"
to the Japanese and "zero" to the French. For that reason, people in a foreign culture must use gestures with
caution.
Another part of nonverbal communication is the one that you might not think about-space. When someone
comes too close, he feels uncomfortable. When he knocks into someone, he feels obligated (有义务的) to
apologize. But the size of a person's "comfort zone" varies, depending on his cultural or ethnic origin. For
example, in casual conversation, many Americans stand about four feet apart. People in Latin or Arabic cultures,
instead, stand very close to each other and touch each other often.
Considering the effects of nonverbal communication, we never really stop communicating. How we walk,
how we stand and how we use our hands all send a message to others. That's why it's possible to "read
someone like a book".
1. How does an American feel when an Arab stands too close to him? (no more than 3 words)
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2. What does the gesture "OK" mean in Japan? (no more than 3 words)
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3. Why do we pay more attention to nonverbal cues in a foreign country? (no more than 10 words)
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4. Why should people in a foreign culture must use gestures with caution? ( no more than 10 words)
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