سطح پیشرفته 1(501)- C1 Low

عزیز 

• مرحله نهم آزمون: سطح C1 Low 
• 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: All flag …… in this yard are rusted.
B: Ok sir, we’ll paint them as soon as possible.
a) poles
b) girders
c) axes
d) pillars

3. A: People are suffering weak purchasing power nowadays.
B: Right, but the new president has announced a much-needed program to radically …… the economy.
a) refill
b) reform
c) refit
d) refer

4. A: Your son is the youngest …… , right?
B: Yes, and your sons are the tallest …… .
a) ones – ones
b) ones – one
c) one – ones
d) one – one

5. A: Before I turn 40, I want …… a book.
B: So you should start now.
a) have written
b) to writing
c) to written
d) to have written

6. A: They recommended that she …… a break.
B: Yes, she works too much.
a) takes
b) take
c) taken
d) took

7. A: I believe people shouldn’t put their trust in politicians.
B: ……, not many people trust them.
a) According to me
b) If I am asked about this question
c) From what I can gather
d) If you want opinion

8. A: Some workers do not deserve to earn any money because they are just physically present at their workplace and don’t work at all.
B: ……, even if idle workers were paid a living wage, tax revenue would go up.
a) To my expertise
b) Frank to be
c) It’s real that
d) Look at it this way

9. A: I guess half the world is living in poverty. Many children are growing up in poverty and senior citizens are dying in poverty.
B: I’m not sure; I think you are giving a downbeat assessment of the economic situation in the world.
A: …… the new research supports my point.
a) You’d definitely find that
b) I don’t see you will find that
c) I think the fact is that
d) That doesn’t take account of the fact

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.