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1.Isitstilloftenthecasethat“everyone’squicktoblamethealien”inthecontemporaryworld?Thisisstillpowerfulintoday‘ssocialandpoliticalrhetoric.Forinstance,itisnotuncommonintoday‘ssocietytohearpeoplesaythatmost,ifnotall,ofthesocialandeconomicproblemsarecausedbyminoritiesandimmigrants.2.What’sthedifferencebetweentoday’sinterculturalcontactandthatofanytimeinthepast?Today‘sinterculturalencountersarefarmorenumerousandofgreaterimportancethaninanytimeinhistory.3.Whathavemadeinterculturalcontactaverycommonphenomenoninourlifetoday?Newtechnology,intheformoftransportationandcommunicationsystems,hasacceleratedinterculturalcontact;innovativecommunicationsystemshaveencouragedandfacilitatedculturalinteraction;globalizationoftheeconomyhasbroughtpeopletogether;changesinimmigrationpatternshavealsocontributedtointerculturalencounter.4.Howdoyouunderstandthesentence“cultureiseverythingandeverywhere”?Culturesuppliesuswiththeanswerstoquestionsaboutwhattheworldlookslikeandhowweliveandcommunicatewithinthatworld.Cultureteachesushowtobehaveinourlifefromtheinstantofbirth.Itisomnipresent.5.Whatarethemajorelementsthatdirectlyinfluenceourperceptionandcommunication?Thethreemajorsocio-culturalelementsthatdirectlyinfluenceperceptionandcommunicationareculturalvalues,worldview(religion),andsocialorganizations(familyandstate).6.Whatdoesone’sfamilyteachhimorherwhileheorshegrowsupinit?Thefamilyteachesthechildwhattheworldlookslikeandhisorherplaceinthatworld.7.Whyisitimpossibletoseparateouruseoflanguagefromourculture?Becauselanguageisnotonlyaformofpreservingculturebutalsoameansofsharingculture.Languageisanorganized,generallyagreed-upon,learnedsymbolsystemthatisusedtorepresenttheexperienceswithinaculturalcommunity.8.Whatarethenonverbalbehaviorsthatpeoplecanattachmeaningto?Peoplecanattachmeaningtononverbalbehaviorssuchasgestures,postures,facialexpressions,eyecontactandgaze,touch,etc.9.Howcanafree,culturallydiversesocietyexist?Afree,culturallydiversesocietycanexistonlyifdiversityispermittedtoflourishwithoutprejudiceanddiscrimination,bothofwhichharmallmembersofthesociety.1.Whichofthedefinitionsgivenabovedoyouprefer?Why?Somemaypreferashortdefinition,suchastheonegivenbyE.SapirorR.Benedict,foritishighlygeneralizedandeasytoremember.Somemaypreferalongerone,suchasEdwardT.Hall‘sdefinitionofculture,becauseitprovidesuswithamorecomprehensiveunderstandingofcultureandpointsouttheall-pervasiveimpactofcultureonhumanlifeindifferentdimensions.2.Whathaveyoulearnedfromthosedefinitionsaboutculture?Manythingscanbelearnedfromthosedefinitions,foreachdefinition,thoughnotwithoutitslimitations,tellsussomethingveryimportantaboutcultureorcertainaspect(s)ofculture.3.Doyouagreethatourlowerneedsalwayshavetobesatisfiedbeforewecantrytosatisfythehigherneeds?Eventhoughthisisgenerallythecase,therewillstillbesomeexceptions.Sometimespeoplemightprefertosatisfyhigherneeds,forinstance,esteemneeds,beforetheirlowerneeds,suchascertainphysiologicalneedsorsafetyneeds,aresatisfied.4.Whatexamplescanyougiveabouthowpeopleofdifferentculturesachievethesameendsbytakingdifferentroads?Forexample,everyonehastoeatinordertoliveandthisisuniversallytrue.However,tosatisfythisbasicneed,peopleofvariousculturesmaydoitinverydifferentways:whattoeatandhowtoeatitvaryfromculturetoculture.5.Whatbehaviorsofoursarebornwithandwhatarelearnedintheculturalenvironment?Instinctivebehaviorsarebehaviorsthatwearebornwithandwaysofdoingthingsindailylife,suchaswaysofeating,drinking,dressing,findingshelter,makingfriends,marrying,anddealingwithdeatharelearnedintheculturalenvironment.6.Whatotherculturaldifferencesdoyouknowinthewaypeopledothingsintheireverydaylife?Wecanalsofindculturaldifferencesinwaysofbringingupchildren,treatingtheelderly,greetingeachother,savingandspendingmoney,andmanyotherthingspeopledoineverydaylife.7.InwhatwaysaretheChineseeatinghabitsdifferentfromthoseoftheEnglish-speakingcountries?WeChinesemayenjoysomethingthatisnotusuallyconsideredasediblebytheEnglish-speakingpeople.Generallyweprefertohavethingshotandlaymuchemphasisontastes.Wetendtosharethingswitheachotherwhenweareeatingwithothers.1.WhyisitcomparativelyeasytomakefriendsintheUnitedStates?BecausefewAmericansstayputforalifetime.Witheachmove,formingnewfriendshipbecomesanecessityandpartoftheirnewlife.2.Dopeoplefromdifferentcountriesusuallyhavedifferentexpectationsaboutwhatconstitutesfriendshipandhowitcomesintobeing?Yes.Thedifficultywhenstrangersfromtwocountriesmeetistheirdifferentexpectationsaboutwhatconstitutesfriendshipandhowitcomesintobeing.3.HowisfriendshipinAmericadifferentfromfriendshipinWestEurope?InWestEurope,friendshipisquitesharplydistinguishedfromother,morecasualrelationships,isusuallymoreparticularizedandcarriesaheavierburdenofcommitment,whileinAmericatheword―friendcanbeappliedtoawiderangeofrelationshipandafriendshipmaybesuperficial,casual,situationalordeepandenduring.4.Inwhatcountrydoesfriendshiphavemuchtodowithone’sfamily?Andinwhatcountrydoesitnot?InGermany,friendshiphasmuchtodowithone‘sfamilyasfriendsareusuallybroughtintothefamily,whileinFranceitdoesn‘tas,f