2017届四川省长宁县高考英语一轮复习阅读理解练习：8（含解析）_高考复习指南

2017届四川省长宁县高考英语一轮复习阅读理解练习：8（含解析）

　　In contrast, 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 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 than announcing it right from 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 manners to communicate so directly that you hurt other people’s feelings, offend them, or create conflict.