Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.
Unfamiliar words
majority — մեծամասնությունը
acquaintances — ծանոթներ
unfair judgements — անարդար դատողություններ
misunderstandings — թյուրիմացություններ
trainee — սովորող
maintained — պահպանվում
disgustingly — զզվելի կերպով
argued — վիճել է
overlooked — անտեսված
proverb — ասացվածք
challenging authority — մարտահրավեր նետող իշխանություն
awkward — անհարմար
disrespectful — անհարգալից
truthfulness — ճշմարտացիություն
inappropriate — անպատշաճ
Read a blog post about doing business in different cultures to practise and improve your reading skills.
Task 1. Choose the correct answer .
1. The British trainee felt that the people who want to be addressed as ‘Dr’ must be …
hard-working
conceited and self-important
doing a medical degree
from Germany
2. If you are not sure how to address someone , you should …
use the title you see on their business card
make your decision based on cultural stereotypes about their country
address them the way you’d like to be addressed
ask them what they would like you to call them
3. There might be a misunderstanding if an American smiles at a Russian business associate because the Russian might think that the American is …
being fake
challenging their authority
trying to break the ice
disrespectful
4. The Japanese, South Koreans and Iranians might interpret a smiling face as being …
friendlier
less open
not as intelligent
dishonest
5. Americans and British people sometimes use eye contact to show that they …
like the speaker
are really listening to what is being said
are honest and truthful
are attending to every need of the speaker
6. The last paragraph warns the reader not to …
engage in international business
let national cultures shape the way we behave and think
let miscommunication damage our business relationships
overgeneralise using our knowledge of cultural stereotypes
Task 2. Are the sentences true or false?
1. When doing business internationally , there is a possibility that we might misinterpret what each other is saying even though we are speaking the same language .
True/False
2. To the German trainee , having a PhD is equivalent to being a medical doctor .
True/False
3. Sometimes , the smallest things can trigger a huge emotional response in us , especially when they are things we are not used to .
True/False
4. In the research done on the perceptions of smiles , people from different countries were asked to rate photos of smiling faces and non-smiling ones .
True/False
5. Making eye contact can be interpreted in different ways in different cultures but is almost always a positive thing .
True/False
6. The writer recommends keeping possible cultural differences in the forefront of our minds when doing business with people from different cultures .
True/False
Արթուր Պետրոսյան 