Informalconversationisanimportantpartofanybusinessrelationship.Beforeyoustartadiscussionhowevermakesureyouunderstandwhichtopicsaresuitableandwhichareconsideredtaboos(禁忌)inaparticularculture.LatinAmericansenjoysharinginformationabouttheirlocalhistoryartandcustoms.Theyexpectquestionsabouttheirfamilyandaresuretoshowpicturesoftheirchildren.YonmayfeelfreetoasksimilarquestionsofyourLatinAmericanfriends.TheFrenchthinkofconversationasanartformandtheyenjoythevalueoflivelydiscussionsaswellasdisagreements.Forthemargumentscanbeinteresting—andtheycancoverprettymuchoranytopic—aslongastheyoccurinarespectfulandintelligent(智慧的)manner.

IntheUnitedStatesbusinesspeopleliketodiscussawiderangeoftopicsincludingopinionsaboutworkfamilyhobbiesandpolitics.InJapanChinaandKoreahoweverpeoplearemuchmoreprivate.Theydonotsharemuchabouttheirthoughtsfeelingsoremotionsbecausetheyfeelthatdoingsomighttakeawayfromtheharmonious(和谐的)businessrelationshipthey’retryingtobuild.MiddleEasternersarealsoprivateabouttheirpersonallivesandfamilymatters.ItisconsideredrudeforexampletoaskabusinessmanfromSaudiArabiaabouthiswifeorchildren.

Asgeneralruleit’sbestnottotalkaboutpoliticsorreligion(宗教)withyourbusinessfriends.ThiscangetyouintotroubleevenintheUnitedStateswherepeopleholddifferentviews.Inadditiondiscussingone’ssalaryisusuallyconsideredunsuitable.Sportsistypicallyafriendlysubjectinmostpartsoftheworldalthoughbecarefulnottocriticizeanationalsport.Insteadbefriendlyandpraiseyourhost’steam.

1.Theauthorconsiderspoliticsandreligion________.

A.cheerfultopics B.taboos

C.rudetopics D.topicsthatcanneverbetalkedabout

2.Whichistypicallyafriendlytopicinmostplacesaccordingtotheauthor?

A.Sports. B.Children.

C.Personalfeelings. D.Families.

3.WhyarepeoplefromAsiamoreprivateintheirconversationwithothers?

A.Theydon’twanttotalkwithothersmuch.

B.Theydo