阅读理解。

     The way Westerners communicate tends to (倾向于) be relatively explicit (直率的) and direct. In other

words, Westerners tend to put most of their ideas and feelings into words, and then state these ideas and

feelings clearly and openly. It is generally considered a good thing to"get to the point" and "say what you

mean," and it is largely the speaker's responsibility to ensure that his/her message is stated in a way that is

clear and easy to understand.

     In contrast (比照), Chinese people tend to communicate in a way that is more indirect and subtle. They

often view direct, explicit communication as unsophisticated (不成熟的) or even rude. They are more likely

to preserve good feelings and relationships by not saying something that might upset or offend (冒犯) another

person. If a Westerner makes a request and a Chinese person responds by saying something like "I'll think it

over", the Westerner may assume that there is a good chance that the answer will be "yes". In fact, there is a

better chance that the implied answer is"no".

     One interesting example of the Western preference for very direct communication can be seen in what

Western students are taught about how they should organize their writing. Writers are generally expected to

state their point as clearly as possible, generally right at the beginning. Students are taught to begin paragraphs

with a "topic sentence" that states the point of the paragraph. Also, articles should generally begin with a brief

statement of the points to be made -and also conclude with a review of those same points. In contrast, in

Chinese writing it is more acceptable to build up to the point rather announcing it right form the start, although

it is also acceptable to state the point up front.

     It is important to note that Westerners are not all equally direct in their communication styles. For example,

the direct communication style is more typical of Western men than of Western women. Furthermore, even in

Western culture it is generally not considered good to communicate so directly that you hurt other people's

feelings, offend them, or create conflict.

1. What is the subject of the passage?

A. Communication styles

B. Features of Western culture

C. Communication skills

D. Politeness in communication

2. When communicating with others, Western people _____.

A. pay more attention to others' feelings

B. prefer to express their ideas openly

C. often communicate in an indirect way

D. consider direct communication as rude

3. When writing an article, Westerners _____.

A. generally state their point in the middle

B. tend to let readers guess their point

C. usually announce their point from the start

D. like ending each paragraph with a topic sentence

4. According to the author, which of the following are more likely to communicate directly?

A. Western men

B. Western women

C. Chinese men

D. Chinese women

5. The passage is developed mainly by_____ .

A. showing the effects and then explaining the causes

B. providing figures to support its main point

C. describing the changes in space order

D. giving examples and making comparisons