首页
登录
职称英语
Our culture has caused most Americans to assume not only that our language is
Our culture has caused most Americans to assume not only that our language is
游客
2023-12-23
8
管理
问题
Our culture has caused most Americans to assume not only that our language is universal but that the gestures we use are understood by everyone. We do not realize that waving good-bye is the way to summon a person from the Philippines to one’s side, or that in Italy and some Latin-American countries, curling the finger to oneself is a sign of farewell.
Those private citizens who sent packages to our troops occupying Germany after World War II and marked them GIFT to escape duty payments did not bother to find out that "Gift" means poison in German. Moreover, we like to think of ourselves as friendly, yet we prefer to be at least 3 feet or an arm’s length away form others. Latins and Middle Easterners like to come closer and touch, which makes Americans uncomfortable.
Our linguistic and cultural blindness and the casualness with which we take notice of the developed tastes, gestures, customs and languages of other countries, are losing us friends, business and respect in the world.
Even here in the United States, we make few concessions to the needs of foreign visitors. There are no information signs in four languages on our public buildings or monuments; we do not have multilingual guided tours. Very few restaurant menus have translations, and multilingual waiters, bank clerks and policemen are rare. Our transportation systems have maps in English only and often we ourselves have difficulty understanding them.
When we go abroad, we tend to cluster in hotels and restaurants where English is spoken. The attitudes and information we pickup are conditioned by those natives—usually the richer—who speak English. Our business dealings, as well as the nation’s diplomacy, are conducted through interpreters.
For many years, America and Americans could get by with cultural blindness and linguistic ignorance. After all, America was the most powerful country of the free world, the distributor of needed funds and goods.
But all that is past. American dollars no longer buy all good things, and we are slowly beginning to realize that our proper role in the world is changing. A 1979 Harris poll reported that 55 percent of Americans want this country to play a more significant role in world affairs; we want to have a hand in the important decisions of the next century, even though it may not always be the upper hand. [br] The author’s intention in writing this article is to make Americans realize that ______.
选项
A、it is dangerous to ignore their foreign friends
B、it is important to maintain their leading role in world affairs
C、it is necessary to use several languages in public places
D、it is time to get acquainted with other cultures
答案
D
解析
转载请注明原文地址:https://tihaiku.com/zcyy/3299107.html
相关试题推荐
Hisinabilitytolearnforeignlanguageswasa(n)obstacletohiscareer.A、barrie
Ithinkyoucantakea(n)______languagecoursetoimproveyourEnglish.A、interme
ThefactthatmostAmericansliveinurbanareasdoesnotmeanthattheyres
ThefactthatmostAmericansliveinurbanareasdoesnotmeanthattheyres
ThefactthatmostAmericansliveinurbanareasdoesnotmeanthattheyres
ThefactthatmostAmericansliveinurbanareasdoesnotmeanthattheyres
ThefactthatmostAmericansliveinurbanareasdoesnotmeanthattheyres
ThefactthatmostAmericansliveinurbanareasdoesnotmeanthattheyres
Humanbeingsaresuperiortoanimalsthattheycanuselanguageasatoolofcom
Everygrouphasaculture,howeveruncivilizeditmayseemtous.Tothepro
随机试题
Theconflictbetweengoodandevilisacommonthemerunningthroughthegrea
能够储存磁场能量的电路元件是()A.电阻 B.电感 C.电容 D.电源
属于暂态过电压的是()。A.参数谐振过电压 B.工频电压升高 C.空载长线
从所给的四个选项中,选择最合适的一个填入问号处,使之呈现一定的规律性:
项目经理部定期对施工现场安全情况进行专项检查,下列不属于专项检查内容的()A.安
一病人左颞下颌关节在开口、咀嚼时疼痛,无自发痛,检查发现开口中度受限、开口型偏向
属于子宫内膜分泌期中期变化的是A.腺上皮细胞呈立方形或低柱状 B.腺上皮细胞核
随着计算机的广泛应用,网络营销迅速崛起,人们足不出户就可以通过互联网购买商品。
日本血吸虫的主要寄生部位为A.食管静脉丛B.膀胱静脉丛C.胃底静脉丛D.肠系膜下
居民消费价格指数调查按消费品用途可划分为()大类。A.8 B.263
最新回复
(
0
)