When studying foreign speech，don't forget about body language．To help you master these significant parts of communication，here are four non-verbal characteristics that vary from culture to culture．

Gestures

When trying to communicate through a language barrier，it's natural to use gestures as a way of explaining your point．（36）___Hand motions are，however，culturally relative，and the wrong gesture can lead to confusion．

The thumbs-up sign is equal to the middle finger in Greece and Sardinia．Tapping your finger to your temple is a gesture to show memory in North America，but suggests insanity（精神错乱） in Russia（37）___The yes-no gestures are reversed in countries like Bulgaria and Albania．

Silence

Though it can feel like a void in communication，silence can be very meaningful in different cultural contexts．Western cultures，especially North America and the UK，tend to view silence as problematic．In our interactions at work，school，or with friends，silence is often regarded as a sign of disinterest．（38）___ In China，silence can be used to show agreement．

Touch

Britain is classed as a"non-contact"culture，in which there's very little physical contact in people's daily interactions（39）___By comparison，in the high-contact cultures of the Middle East，physical touch is a big part of socializing．

Eye Contact

（40）___We tend to assume that a conversation partner who looks away is either disengaged or lying．Of course，this is not the standard around the world．

A．Even nodding yes can be misunderstood abroad．

B．We think it's helpful，since our words are being visually strengthened．

C．Individual gestures can cause miscommunication．

D．In other cultures，however，silence is not viewed as a negative circumstance．

E．In most western countries，frequent eye contact is a sign of confidence．

F．Naturally，these different standards of contact can lead to misunder