Question

The meaning of silence varies among cultural groups. Silences may be thoughtful, or they may be empty when a person has nothing to say. A silence in a conversation may also show stubbornness, uneasiness, or worry. Silence perhaps viewed by some cultural groups as quite uncomfortable; therefore tries may be made to fill every gap （間隙） with conversation. Persons in other cultural groups value silence and view it as necessary for understanding a person’s needs.

Many local Americans value silence and feel it is a basic part of communicating among people, just as some traditional Chinese and Thai persons do. Therefore, when a person from one of these cultures is speaking and suddenly stops, what perhaps shows is that the man wants the listener to consider what has been said before continuing. In these cultures, silence is a call for reflection（反應(yīng)）.

Other cultures may use silence in other ways, particularly when dealing with conflicts（沖突） among people or in relationships of people with different amounts of power. For example, Russian, French, and Spanish persons may use silence to show agreement between parties about the topic under discussion. However, Mexicans may use silence when instructions are given by a person in power rather than be rude to that person by arguing with him or her. In still another use, persons in Asian cultures may view silence as a sign of respect, especially to an elder or a person in power.

Nurses and other care-givers need to realize the possible meanings of silence when they come across the personal anxiety（焦慮）their patients may be experiencing. Nurses should learn about their own personal and cultural situation of silence so that a patient’s silence is not stopped too early or allowed to go on unnecessarily. A nurse who understands the curing value of silence can use this understanding to help in the care of patients from their own and from other cultures.

1.Which of the following people might regard silence as a call for careful thought?

A. The Chinese. B. The French. C. The Mexicans. D. The Russians.

2.What does the writer advise nurses to do about silence?

A. Let it continue as the patient pleases. B. Break it while treating patients.

C. Study its harm to patients. D. Make use of its healing effects.

3.What may be the best title for the text?

A. Sound and Silence B. What It Means to Be Silent

C. Silence to Native Americans D. Speech Is Silver; Silence Is Gold

1.A 2.D 3.B 【解析】 文章大意：本文是一篇科教類閱讀，文中主要講的是沉默在不同的文化中所代表的含義。 1.細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)文中的句子just as some traditional Chinese and Thai persons do. Therefore, when a person from one of these cultures is spea...

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