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• با کسب نمره قبولی در این مرحله می‌توانید آزمون را در سطح بالاتر C1 High ادامه دهید.

1. A: Oh, what’s happened to the fender of your car?
B: Two days ago, I was driving on Palm Street when I noticed a vehicle speeding in the opposite direction. I …… the sidewalk to avoid hitting it.
a) cut in on
b) swerved
c) mounted
d) skidded

2. A: I think our cars are well equipped to survive accidents.
B: They might be, but weather conditions and technical problems are inevitable. We can’t relax our safety standards or we’d be …… with people’s lives.
a) gambling
b) mumbling
c) rambling
d) crumbling

3. A: How can we bring the piano in? It’s too big.
B: Maybe we should try bringing it …… through the door.
a) forward
b) sideways
c) lengthways
d) backward

4. A: She …… of the meeting. The receptionists called everyone.
B: Maybe they forgot to call her.
a) must have informed
b) might be informed
c) must have been informed
d) might have been informed

5. A: He pretended to …… the book to impress her.
B: Didn’t she ask him any questions about it?
a) having read
b) reading
c) had read
d) have read

6. A: Then what happened?
B: What we did is …… a letter to apologize.
a) wrote
b) write
c) written
d) writing

7. A: There is something mysterious about the portraits in his paintings.
B: Yeah, they all …… sad.
a) could be
b) seem like
c) look kind of
d) look to me

8. A: Today we have to clean the whole house for the party.
B: But there are some problems. To ……, neither of us likes housework.
a) give a bit of background information
b) come up with it
c) sum up
d) start with

9. A: What would you do if you committed a crime that no one found out about?
B: …… and face the consequences than to live with a guilty conscience.
a) Far better to confess
b) Confessing is by far and away better
c) Confessing is better by far
d) To confess is by far and away better

10. Listen to the audio and choose the correct option.

The concert was unusual because the musicians didn’t use …… .

11. In talking about the concert, the speaker says he …… .

12. What does the speaker say about the concert?

Read the article and choose the correct options.

Much of today’s business is conducted across international borders, and while the majority of the global business community might share the use of English as a common language, the nuances and expectations of business communication might differ greatly from culture to culture. A lack of understanding of the cultural norms and practices of our business acquaintances can result in unfair judgements, misunderstandings and breakdowns in communication. Here are three basic areas of differences in the business etiquette around the world that could help stand you in good stead when you next find yourself working with someone from a different culture.

Addressing someone

When discussing this topic in a training course, a German trainee and a British trainee got into a hot debate about whether it was appropriate for someone with a doctorate to use the corresponding title on their business card. The British trainee maintained that anyone who wasn’t a medical doctor expecting to be addressed as ‘Dr’ was disgustingly pompous and full of themselves. The German trainee, however, argued that the hard work and years of education put into earning that PhD should give them full rights to expect to be addressed as ‘Dr’.

This stark difference in opinion over something that could be conceived as minor and thus easily overlooked goes to show that we often attach meaning to even the most mundane practices. When things that we are used to are done differently, it could spark the strongest reactions in us. While many Continental Europeans and Latin Americans prefer to be addressed with a title, for example Mr. or Ms. and their surname when meeting someone in a business context for the first time, Americans, and increasingly the British, now tend to prefer using their first names. The best thing to do is to listen and observe how your conversation partner addresses you and, if you are still unsure, do not be afraid to ask them how they would like to be addressed.

Smiling

A famous Russian proverb states that ‘a smile without reason is a sign of idiocy’ and a so-called ‘smile of respect’ is seen as insincere and often regarded with suspicion in Russia. Yet in countries like the United States, Australia and Britain, smiling is often interpreted as a sign of openness, friendship and respect, and is frequently used to break the ice.

In a piece of research done on smiles across cultures, the researchers found that smiling individuals were considered more intelligent than non-smiling people in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, China and Malaysia. However, in countries like Russia, Japan, South Korea and Iran, pictures of smiling faces were rated as less intelligent than the non-smiling ones. Meanwhile, in countries like India, Argentina and the Maldives, smiling was associated with dishonesty.

Eye contact

An American or British person might be looking their client in the eye to show that they are paying full attention to what is being said, but if that client is from Japan or Korea, they might find the direct eye contact awkward or even disrespectful. In parts of South America and Africa, prolonged eye contact could also be seen as challenging authority. In the Middle East, eye contact across genders is considered inappropriate, although eye contact within a gender could signify honesty and truthfulness.

Having an increased awareness of the possible differences in expectations and behavior can help us avoid cases of miscommunication, but it is vital that we also remember that cultural stereotypes can be detrimental to building good business relationships. Although national cultures could play a part in shaping the way we behave and think, we are also largely influenced by the region we come from, the communities we associate with, our age and gender, our corporate culture and our individual experiences of the world. The knowledge of the potential differences should therefore be something we keep at the back of our minds, rather than something that we use to pigeonhole the individuals of an entire nation.

13. Sometimes, the smallest things can trigger a huge emotional response in us, especially when they are things we are not used to.

14. To the German trainee, having a PhD is equivalent to being a medical doctor.

15. In the research done on the perceptions of smiles, people from different countries were asked to rate photos of smiling faces and non-smiling ones.