When you learn a
foreign language you must learn more than just the words and the grammar. To
communicate successfully in speech, you must also learn the non-verbal language,
or "body language" of that culture. "Body language" is a term used to describe
facial expressions, gestures, and other movements of the body that send
messages. This means of communication is so important that we may actually say
more with our movements than we do with words. Unconsciously,
everyone understands the importance of body language. That's why we stand on
tiptoe (脚尖) in a crowded room to see a speaker's face and hands, even though we
may be able to hear him very clearly. For some messages, words are not enough.
Speaking a foreign language is sometimes difficult because we may not understand
the non-verbal signals of another culture, or they may mean something very
different from what they mean in our culture. For example, nodding the head up
and down is a gesture that may communicate a different message in different
parts of the world. In North America it means "I agree. " In the Middle East
nodding the head down means "I agree" and up means "I disagree. " In a
conversation among Japanese it often simply means "I'm listening. " One Japanese
student in the U.S. learned the difference the hard way. While speaking with a
salesman the student nodded his head politely to show that he was paying
attention. The next day the salesman brought a new washing machine to the
student's apartment. Eye contact is also meaningful, but it,
too, can mean different things in different countries. In some Spanish-speaking
countries, children show respect to an older person by not looking directly into
the person's eyes during a conversation. In other cultures, looking into a
person's eyes is expected. For example, if you don't do it in the U.S., people
may think you are afraid or angry. In the Middle East, direct eye contact during
a conversation is more continuous than in many other parts of the world. People
who are not used to this may feel uncomfortable.
单选题
What does "the non-verbal language" mean?
A. It means a language without verbs.
B. It means a language that has no grammar.
C. It means a language without words.
D. It means a language that isn't your mother tongue.
A. you must nod your head to show you are listening
B. you should look into his eyes
C. you must avoid direct eye contact
D. you should not feel afraid
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] (见第3段3—5行)
原文“if you don't do it in the U．S…．”中的“it”代替前一句中的“looking into a person’s eyes”(直视对方的眼睛)。
单选题
Which of the following is NOT the writer's view expressed in this
article?
A. Though body language is an important means of communication, it cannot
send as many messages as words do.
B. Head nodding means different things in different countries.
C. When you learn a foreign language, you should learn the words, the
grammar and its body language as well.
D. It is sometimes difficult to communicate in a foreign language because we
don't understand the non-verbal signals of that culture.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析]
1)可对各项进行排除。如：
B)项在第2段中有述；
C)项在第1段行中有述；
D)项有日本留学生吃苦果的例子；
A)项无出处。故为答案。
2)对拟选项本身进行分析。如：本题的拟选答案A)所表达的意思是对原文“This means of communication...e do with words”(第1段最后1句)的错误理解。原文的意思是：身势语这种交际手段是很重要的。如果我们在交流时加上了身体部位的动作，能表达的信息要多于只用话语表达。而A)项的意思是：身势语虽是交际的重要手段，但能传达的信息却不如话语多。这显然不是作者在文章中所要表明的观点。故A)项为答案。
单选题
What is the main idea of this passage?
A. It is difficult to speak a foreign language.
B. Everybody understands the importance of body language.
C. Different cultures have different non-verbal signals.
D. Body language is an important means of communication.