After decades of distrust, China and America are finally seeking friendship. But after teaching in Xiamen University’s MBA cente

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问题     After decades of distrust, China and America are finally seeking friendship. But after teaching in Xiamen University’s MBA center for over five years, I’ve come to realize that even if political and economic barriers are overcome, a major hurdle remains—culture!
    On occasion I have felt that some Chinese were rude or inconsiderate. Unfortunately, some Chinese have thought even worse of me. But most of the discord arises not from intent but from ignorance of cultural differences.
    America’s individualist culture springs from a 2 000 year tradition of Roman and Greek arts, philosophy and government, as well as the moral and legal traditions of Christianity. By contrast, China’s culture, including its arts, philosophy, and government is rooted in the Confucian ethic, Taoism, Buddhism, and more recently, Chinese Socialism.
    Two weeks after I arrived in China, I told a cashier "Thank you. " She replied, "Don’t use thanks. " Taken aback, I asked "Why shouldn’t I use thanks?" She looked at me as if I were from another planet and I beat a hasty retreat.
    I reasoned that since China is socialist, maybe polite phrases denote feudalist class distinctions and are best avoided! But a leopard can’t change its spots and an American can’t easily stop saying "thank you" for everything. A week later a shop assistant told me "Don’t use thanks. " I asked "Why not?" and she replied, "Don’t be polite. " I thought, "Well, this is too much! We can’t use any polite speech at all?"
    To my dismay, I eventually learned that "Don’t use thanks" had the exact same meaning and usage as the English "Don’t mention it". I had translated words instead of intent.
    My mistake was merely an embarrassment, but similar blunders(错误)by business and political leaders have destroyed potential business negotiations or diplomatic relationships.
Questions:
What conclusion can we draw from the passage?

选项 A、The author tries to tell the readers how important the language is.
B、The author intends to explain the significance of culture in global communication.
C、The author thinks his mistake is only an awkwardness in his everyday life.
D、The author wants to illustrate what the sentence "Don’t use thanks" means.

答案B

解析 第5题问从文章中能得出什么结论。综合文章全文内容,重点分析一下首尾段和一些关键词句,我们可以推出本题的正确答案应是B:作者试图解释在国际交流中文化差异的重要性。
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