Our linguistic and cultural blindness and the casualness with which we take notice of thedeveloped tastes.gestures. customs and languages of other countries. are losing us friends.business and respect in the world.

　　Even here in the United States. we make few concessions to the needs of foreign visitors. Thereare no information signs in four languages on our public buildings or monuments; we do nothave multilingual (多語言的) guided tours. Very few restaurant menus have translations, andmultilingual waiters. bank clerks andpolicemen are rare. Our transportation systems havemaps in English only and often we ourselves have difficulty understanding them.

　　When we go abroad. we tend to cluster in hotels and restaurants where English is spoken. Theattitudes andinformation we pick up are conditioned by those natives-usually the richer-whospeak English. Our businessdealings, as well as the nation's diplomacy. are conducted throughinterpreters.

　　For many years, America and Americans could get by wich cultural blindness and linguisticignorance. Afterall. America was the most powerful country of che free world, the distributor ofneeded funds and goods.

　　But all that is past. American dollars no longer buy all good things, and we are slowly beginningto realize that our proper role in the world is changing. A l979 Harris poll reported that 55percent of Americanswant this country to play a more significant role in world affairs; we wantto have a hand in the important decisions of the next century, even though it may not alwaysbe the upper hand.

　　[2]我們的文化使大多數美國人不僅覺得自己的語言是到處通用的，甚至自己的手勢也是盡人皆知的。我們沒有意識到揮手告別的動作是菲律賓人召喚一個人到自己身邊的方式，也沒有意識到在意大利和一些拉丁美洲國家，手指向自己彎曲才是一種告別的手勢。

　　那些寄送包裹給我們二戰后在德國駐軍的市民，在包裹上面標記GIFT(禮品)以避稅，他們并未費神去弄明白“GIFT"在德語中指的是有毒物質。此外，[1]我們往往認為自己很友好，卻喜歡與別人保持至少3 英尺或一臂之長的距離。拉丁美洲和中東國家的人喜歡靠得很近并有身體接觸，而這樣卻會使美國人感到極不舒服。

　　[4]我們在語言和文化上的無知和漫不經心地對待其他國家逐漸形成的品味、手勢、習俗和語言，正在使我們在世界上失去朋友、錯失商機和不受尊重。

　　甚至在美國這兒，我們很少對外國采訪者的需要做出任何讓步。在我們的公共建筑和紀念碑上沒有帶四種語言的信息標志;我們沒有多語種向導的旅游服務。很少有餐館菜單配有譯文，很少有能講多種語言的服務員、銀行職員和警察。我們的交通設施只有英文的地圖，連我們自己都經常看不明白。

　　[3]我們出國時往往愛聚集在講英語的飯店和賓館里。我們獲得的信息和對對方態度的印象，已經被講英語而通常比較有錢的當地人所調整過。我們做生意和處理國家外交事務一樣，都要通過翻譯來進行。

　　[4]在過去許多年，美國和美國人帶著文化和語言的無知混過來了。畢竟，美國是自由世界中最強大的國家，是所需資金和商品的分配者。

　　[4]但是，這一切都已成為過去。美元不再能買到所有好東西，我們慢慢地開始意識到，我們在世界上所起的作用在改變。1979年Harris民意測驗表明55%的美國人想讓美國在世界事務上發揮更重要的作用;我們還想插手下個世紀的重大決策，即使不能總是占上風。

　　1.It can be inferred that Americans beingapproached too closely by Middle Easternerswould most probably_______________.

　　A) stand still

　　B) jump aside

　　C) step forward

　　D) draw back

　　2. The author gives many examples io criticize Americans for their_______________.

　　A) cultural self-centeredness

　　B) casual manners

　　C) indifference towards foreign visitors

　　D) arrogance towards other cultures

　　3. In countries other than their own most Americans_____________.

　　A) are isolated by the local people

　　B) are not well informed due to the language barrier

　　C) tend to get along well with the natives

　　D) need interpreters in hotels and restaurants

　　4. According to the author. Americans' cultural blindness and linguistic ignorancewill_________.

　　A) affect their image in the new era

　　B) cut themselves off from the outside world

　　C) limit their role in world affairs

　　D) weaken the position of the U.S. dollar

　　5. The author's intention in writing this article is Lo make Americans realizethat____________.

　　A) it is dangerous to ignore their foreign friends

　　B) it is important to maintain their leading role in world affairs

　　C) it is necessary to use several languages in public places

　　D) it is time to get acquainted with other cultures