Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Read the following passage and circle A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the
questions
When living and working in another country, there are numerous things to consider apart from
the more obvious ones of climate, language, religion, currency, etc. Some important considerations are
less obvious. For example, do you have a pet or do you enjoy a hobby such as horse riding? Your
animal or hobby may be perceived in a completely different light in another culture so it’s important to
consider the significance given to specific animals in different parts of the world and general
perceptions towards them.
One example which is often mentioned in popular press is the case of dogs. In some cultures,
like the US or UK, dogs are loved and considered a great pet to have at home and with the family. In
other cultures, such as those where Islam is the majority religion, dogs may be perceived as dirty or
dangerous. Muslims’ treatment of dogs is still a matter of debate amongst Islamic scholars, while these
animals are widely considered by many Western cultures to be “man’s best friend”, the Koran
describes them as “unhygienic”. Muslims will therefore avoid touching a dog unless he can wash his
hands immediately afterwards, and they will almost never keep a dog in their home.
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In Iran, for instance, a cleric once denounced “the moral depravity” of dog owners and even
demanded their arrest. If you are an international assignee living and working in Saudi Arabia or
another Arabic country, you should remember this when inviting Arab counterparts to your house in
case you have a dog as a pet. This is just one example of how Islam and other cultural beliefs can
impact on aspects of everyday life that someone else may not even question. A Middle Eastern man
might be very surprised when going to Japan, for instance, and seeing dogs being dressed and
pampered like humans and carried around in baby prams!
Dogs are not the only animals which are perceived quite differently from one culture to another.
In India, for example, cows are sacred and are treated with the utmost respect. Conversely in
Argentina, beef is a symbol of national pride because of its tradition and the high quality of its cuts. An
Indian working in Argentina who has not done his research or participated in a cross cultural training
programme such as Doing Business in Argentina may be surprised at his first welcome dinner with his
Argentinean counterparts where a main dish of beef would be served.
It is therefore crucial to be aware of the specific values assigned to objects or animals in different
cultures to avoid faux-pas or cultural misunderstandings, particularly when living and working in
another culture. Learning how people value animals and other symbols around the world is one of the
numerous cultural examples discussed in Communicaid’s intercultural training courses. Understanding
how your international colleagues may perceive certain animals can help you ensure you aren’t
insensitive and it may even provide you with a good topic for conversation.
(Source: https://www.communicaid.com)
1. Which of the following could be the main idea of the passage?
A. What should be learnt before going to another country.
B. Dogs and different beliefs in the world.
C. Perceptions of animals across cultures.
D. Muslims and their opinions about animals.
2. According to paragraph 2, all of the following statements are true, EXCEPT _______.
A. The dog is a typical example of different views in the world about animals.
B. Muslims are those considering dogs as their best pets at home.
C. Dogs are well-treated and loved in the US and UK.
D. People whose religion is Islam don’t like having dogs in their home.
3. The word “unhygienic” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to______.
A. unhealthy B. undependable C. unreliable D. unacceptable
4. What does the word “this” in paragraph 3 refer to?
A. you are an international assignee
B. you are having a dog as pet
C. you are living and working in Saudi Arabia or another Arabic country
D. a cleric once denounced the moral depravity of dog owners and even demanded their arrest
5. The word “pampered” in the third paragraph could be best replaced by______.
A. taken care of B. indulged C. made up D. respected
6. The author mentioned cows in paragraph 4 as an example of______.
A. a symbol of a nation for its high quality of nutrients
B. sacred animals in Argentina
C. the animals that are differently perceived in numerous cultures
D. which may cause surprise for Argentinian people at dinner
7. What does the author suggest in the last paragraph?
A. Talking about different perceptions with others will help you overcome insensitivity.
B. Understanding different perceptions of animals will help you avoid faux-pas in another nation.
C. To avoid cultural shocks, people should not live or work in another culture.
D. It’s important to value the objects or animals in different countries before going there.
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8. It can be inferred from the passage that______.
A. people will change their perceptions of animals when living in another culture
B. you should not be surprised if other counterparts consider your sacred animals as food
C. respecting other cultures is a good way to have a successful life abroad
D. there are many things to research before going to live and work in another country
Choose the correct answer among A, B, C or D that best fits each of the blank spaces
The combination of music and study has long been a source of disagreement between adults
and children. Parents and teachers (1)______ maintain that silence is important when learning,
(2)______ youngsters insist that their favourite sounds help them concentrate.
Now a study shows that the grown-ups have been right all long. Psychologists in Florida tested
how fast students wrote essays with and without music in the (3)______. They found that the sounds
slowed progress down by about sixty words per hour. “This demonstrates clearly that it is difficult to
cope (4)______ listening and writing in the same time,” said Dr Sarah Randall. She also (5)______ to
the conclusion that it is a myth that instrumental music is less distracting than vocals. “All types of
music had the same effect,” she said in the report. “One’s ability to pay (6)______ to write fluently is
likely to be disturbed by both vocal and instrumental music,” she added.
Dr Randall claimed the research (7)______ that the idea that music could improve performance
was wrong. “Writing an essay is a complex task. You are recalling information and putting it in
(8)______. An additional stimulus in the form of music is bound to distract. But music is not the only
(9)______. What is (10)______ worrying is that more and more teenagers are studying in front of the
television.”
1. A. likely B. lively C. alive D. alike
2. A. besides B. because C. whereas D. despite
3. A. setting B. background C. surrounding D. circumstance
4. A. about B. to C. up D. with
5. A. came B. drew C. arrived D. reached
6. A. attendance B. intention C. attention D. intensity
7. A. investigated B. demonstrated C. concentrated D. devastated
8. A. order B. turn C. line D. time
9. A. distracted B. distraction C. distractor D. distracting
10. A. particularly B. informally C. officially D. respectively
Rewrite the sentences, beginning with the words given so that the meanings stay the same as the
first ones
1. He spends twenty minutes travelling to work every day.
It ............................................................................................................................................................
takes him 20 mins to travel to work every day.
2. As soon as he entered the house, the police stopped him.
Scarcely ..................................................................................................................................................
had he entered the house when the police stopped him
3. “Don’t forget to pick me up at 6 o’clock tomorrow afternoon,” she said to me.
She reminded ..........................................................................................................................................
me to pick her up at 6 o'clock the following afternoon
4. People say that he was released from prison yesterday afternoon.
He is .......................................................................................................................................................
said to have been released from prison yesterday afternoon
5. It was her encouragement that helped him to win the competition.
If it ..........................................................................................................................................................
hadn't been for her encouragement, he wouldn't have won the competition
Complete the second sentence so that it has similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word
given. DO NOT change the word given. You must use between THREE and FIVE words,
including the word given.
1. Peter is not accustomed to living in a big city. (USED)
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not get used to living
Peter does ……………………………………………… in a big city.
2. I am sure that John didn’t break into her house. (BROKEN)
can't have broken
John ……………………………………………… into her house.
3. They don’t get on well with their neighbours. (TERMS)
not on good terms with
They are ………………………………………… their neighbours.
4. The president was criticized for his inconsiderate decision to close the government. (FIRE)
came under fire
The president ……………………………… for his inconsiderate decision to close the government.
5. The old man became very angry with a guest at the party and shouted at her. (TEMPER)
lost his temper
The old man………………………………………… with a guest at the party and shouted at her.
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