单选题
To understand how Americans think about things, it is necessary to understand "the point". Americans mention it often. "Let's get right to the point," "My point is ..." "What's the point of all this?" The "point" is the idea or piece of information that Americans suppose should be at the center of people's thinking, writings, and spoken comments. Speakers and writers are supposed to "make their points clear", meaning that they are supposed to say or write clearly the idea they wish to express. People from many other cultures have different ideas about the point. Africans traditionally tell stories that express the thoughts they have in mind, rather than stating "the point" clearly. Japanese traditionally speak indirectly, leaving the listener to figure out what the point is. Thus, while an American might say to a friend, "I don't think that coat goes very well with the rest of your outfit," a Japanese might say, "Maybe this other coat would look even better than the one you have on." Americans value a person who "gets right to the point". Japanese are likely to consider such a person insensitive if not rude. The Chinese and Japanese languages are characterized by vagueness (模糊) and ambiguity. The precision and directness Americans associate with "the point" cannot be achieved in Chinese and Japanese. Speakers of those languages thus have to learn a new way of reasoning if they are going to communicate satisfactorily with Americans.
单选题
According to the passage, Americans expect speakers and writers to ______.