EnglishEntrance Examination for Non-English Major Doctoral Candidates
March20,2004
Ⅰ. Listening Comprehension
(20 points
) /lr1hW~Dbk Section A
]g
>m? \'n Directions: There are five statements inthis section. Each statement will be spoken only once. When you hear a statement,read the four choices given and choose the one which is closest in meaning tothe statement you have heard by marking the corresponding letter A, B, C and Don the ANSWER SHEET.
`J>E9p< d2C[wQF 1.
_K0izKTA. A. Tony’s boss left office for two days.
qe5tcv}u B. Tony quit his job after two days.
?qg^WDs$ C. Tony was off work for two days.
&G-#*OG D. Tony’s boss agreed to take two days off.
!2zo]v4? 2.
E!zd( A. The professor told the students that thedate of the exam would be changed.
,7^d9v3t B. The students expected that the examwould not be delayed.
q_<*esZ, C. The exam would not be canceled as theprofessor had originally said.
<XQN;{xSa D. The professor said the exam would not bepostponed.
SY%A"bC 3.
ZnvEv;P A. I wrote to you.
J3/\<=Qh B. I called you.
Rk($lW) C. I let you inside.
Js\-['` D. I went to see you.
jo9J%
vo 4.
)
-bD2YA{ A. Unlike Sarah, Frank takes his coffeeblack.
A Gv!c($ B. Frank likes coffee, but Sarah doesn’t.
w^06z, C. Frank took the coffee back to Sarah.
BFBR/d[& D. Sarah and Frank take cream and sugar intheir coffee.
eWb0^8_ 5.
<8u>_o6 A. There were more people than chairs.
_PK}rr?"7O B. There were more than enough chairs.
]Nnxnp C. There were too many empty seats.
ppAmN0=G D. There were never enough people.
8)L'rW{q# Z5((1J9 Section B
EkN_8(w Directions: In this section, you will hearfive short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will beasked about what was said. Both the conversation and the question will bespoken only once. After each question, there will be a pause. During the pause,you must read the four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D on your testpaper, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letteron the ANSWER SHEET.
/8f>':zUb R<"2%oY `TUZZz 6
. :W~6F*A A. An architect.
*6:v}#b[ B. A civil engineer.
~mtTsZc C. A furniture designer.
+ c`AE D. A cameraman.
7$!yfMttu ToV6lS" 7
. 3)}(M A. He had a busy morning.
1Fv8T' B. He had a terrible morning.
%B@! C. He had an exciting morning.
$0_^=DEW D. He had a terrific morning.
*P`v^& YQ;
cJ$ 8
. $H'8
#:[d_ A. Trains are often overcrowded withtourists.
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B. She is in favor of closing down therailway.
jAXR`D C. She always takes trains whenever shegoes out.
[!EXMpq' D. The railway is more convenient than thehighway.
sI'a1$ -LTKpN`[@ 9.
9 CB\n A. It’s a well-paying job.
</= CZy5w B. The job can be very rewarding.
NetYg]8` C. The job may not be worth taking.
'TL2%T/)t D. It’s a job she can do.
b(l0js D|l,08n"? 10.
)>\4ULR83 A. She should have been more careful abouther money.
61} i5o B. She should buy the brown suit.
<?YA,"~ C. She should find another job to make moremoney.
&R,9+c D. She shouldn’t buy the brown suit.
V>Fesm"aq kx:jI^ SectionC VevNG* Directions: In this section, you will hear part ofa radio programme in which a doctor talks about jet lag. Look at the tenstatements for this part on your test paper and decide if you think eachstatement is Right, Wrong or Not Mentioned while you are listening to theprogramme. Then mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.
dy2rkV.z |f\D>Y%) 11. You really only suffer from jet lagwhen you fly east.
e`iEy=W A. Right B.Wrong C. Not Mentioned
_\\ -md: 12. The problem of jet lag is that manypeople become hyperactive.
CQgcC-)ns] A. Right B.Wrong C. Not Mentioned
z\T Ls
x 13. Only certain people suffer from jetlag.
@E%DP9.I A. Right B.Wrong C. Not Mentioned
/aY pIMi9} 14. Jet lag affects young children less.
>zs5s A. Right B.Wrong C. Not Mentioned
\K7t'20 15. If you are flying west you can reducethe effects of jet lag before you go by going to bed and getting up later.
BtsdeLj| A. Right B.Wrong C. Not Mentioned
n-J2/j 16. If you are flying east you can reducethe effects of jet lag before you to having your meals later.
j+kC-U; A. Right B.Wrong C. Not Mentioned
iidT~l 17. It is better not to sleep on the plane.
Dz;HAyPj A. Right B.Wrong C. Not Mentioned
fPqr6OYz 18. You should be more careful than usualof what and when you cat on the plane.
z)-c#F@% A. Right B.Wrong C. Not Mentioned
=rFN1M/n{E 19. It takes up to seven days to get overjet lag.
.tnkT;T A. Right B.Wrong C. Not Mentioned
<+v{GF#R 20. When you arrive you should always tryto sleep.
V5p0h~PK A. Right B.Wrong C. Not Mentioned
8 lT{1ro
c5% 6Y2W0 Ⅱ. Reading Comprehension (25 points) taWqSq! -SCM:j%h Directions: There are five passages in this part. Each of the passages isfollowed by five questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there arefour choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best one and mark your answer onthe ANSER SHEET.
8)j@aiF` [X
R$F@o 1
Imagine eatingeverything delicious you want with none of the fat. That would be great, wouldn’tit?
vScjq5"p
New “fake fat”products appeared on store shelves in the United States recently, but not everyoneis happy about it. Makers of the products, which contain a compound calledolestra, say food manufacturers can now eliminate fat from certain foods,Critics, however, say that the new compound can rob the body of essentialvitamins and nutrients and can also cause unpleasant side effects in somepeople. So it is up to consumers to decide whether the new fat-free productstaste good enough to keep eating.
B^v8,;jZT Chemistsdiscovered olestra in the late 1960s, when they were searching for a fat thatcould be digested by infants more easily. Instead of finding the desired fat,the researchers created a fat that can’t be digested at all.
4aUiXyr*2 Normally,special chemicals in the intestines “grab” molecules of regular fat and breakthem down so they can be used by the body. A molecule of regular fat is made upof three molecules of substances called fatty acids.
Um`!% The fatty acidsare absorbed by the intestines and bring with them the essential vitamins A, D,E and K. When fat molecules are present in the intestines with any of thosevitamins, the vitamins attach to the molecules and are carried into the bloodstream.
*ZrSiIPP Olestra, whichis made from six to eight molecules of fatty acids, is too large for theintestines to absorb. It just slides through the intestines without beingbroken down. Manufacturers say it’s that ability to slide unchanged through theintestines that makes olestra so valuable as a fat substitute. It providesconsumers with the taste of regular fat without any bad effects on the body.But critics say olestra can prevent vitamins A, D, E, and K from beingabsorbed. It can also prevent the absorption of carotenoids, compounds that mayreduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, etc.
Fc 6iQ Manufacturersare adding vitamins A, D, E and K as well as carotenoids to their products now.Even so, some nutritionists are still concerned that people might eat unlimitedamounts of food made with the fat substitute without worrying about how manycalories they are consuming.
m Y,|J\w@ qv*7K@ 21. We learn from the passage that olestrais a substance that
.
B1!kn}KlL{ A. contains plenty of nutrients
0#_'o ,
B. renders foods calorie-free whileretaining their vitamins
d+eZub94U C. makes foods easily digestible
0RFRbi@n( D. makes foods fat-free while keeping themdelicious
Z4b|| dT"hNHaf 22. The result of the search for an easilydigestible fat turned out to be
.
I:98 $ r$ A. commercially useless
Yf@e=: B. just as anticipated
u\yVR$pQ C. somewhat controversial
yLE7>48 D. quite unexpected
&ANP`= as yZe 23. Olestra is different from ordinary fatsin that
.
w
obgu A. it passes through the intestines withoutbeing absorbed
V~G`kkNy B. it facilitates the absorption of vitaminsby the body
kR CQv-* C. it helps reduce the incidence of heartdisease
r0;:t D. it prevents excessive intake of vitamins
/P|fB]p @mP]*
$00 24. What is a possible effect of olestraaccording to some critics?
)Z 9E=% A. It may impair the digestive system.
d\{>TdyF B. It may affect the overall fat intake.
JF&$t} C. It may increase the risk of cancer.
sV"UI D. It may spoil the consumers’ appetite.
@hQlrq5c ULrr=5&8 25. Why are nutritionists concerned aboutadding vitamins to olestra?
klg25 #t A. It may lead to the over-consumption ofvitamins.
RqEH|EUZ B. People may be induced to eat more thanis necessary.
Qd}m`YW-f$ C. The function of the intestines may beweakened.
F:@70(<w% D. It may trigger a new wave of fake foodproduction.
0R{dNyh{ ?Nf>]|K:Q 2
3.22"U\1: Although rarelyseen, bats, as compared to other mammals, are quite common. Bats rank secondonly to rodents in number and diversity of species. Their numbers probablytotal in the tens of billions. Bats also vary considerably in size-from thetiny Philippine bamboo bat, with a six-inch wingspan and weighing 1/20
thof an ounce to the “flying fox” with a wingspan of four or five feet and weightof two pounds.
;<yd^Xs The diet ofbats is varied. Most types eat insects, but they also consume blood, pollen,and nectar and fruits. Some eat other vertebrates (animals with backbones) suchas fish, lizards, and even other bats. Those that feed on flowers very oftenserver as the primary pollinator of the flowers. The insect-consuming forms,quite obviously, are very beneficial.
F<>!kK/c Perhaps themost unusual characteristic of bats is their skilled
nocturnal flying ability. This skill is so highly developed that theyare capable of avoiding obstacles even in total darkness. Bats possess a highdegree of tactile sense that may help them in avoiding obstacles, but theirprimary ability to do so is based on their ability to make high-pitched soundsand on their acute hearing ability.
1XM^8 .; Flying batswere long thought to be silent creatures, but this is now known not to be thecase. While in flight, bats are continuously emitting a series of ultrasonicorientation pulses that are inaudible to the human ear. The frequency of thecries of bats, at 50,000 vibrations per second, is estimated to be two and halftimes higher than the human ear can hear.
@KX
\Er This uniqueoperation, a highly refined type of sonar system, allows the bat to detectrebounding pulses from obstacles near and far in its environment. They systemis unique, additionally, in that the bat is capable of sorting through numerousrebounding pulses so as to avoid objects in its immediate path. Rescarchers areattempting to understand this system in hopes that it may reveal how the humanbrain processes sensory information.
d\x7Zw> In the finalanalysis bats are interesting and amazing; and to contrast to popular legends,they are quite useful and helpful to nature and man.
p' M%XBu ~|<WHHN( 26. Which of the following is true?
*
#jsgj[ A. There are more rodents in the world thanbats.
^O^l(e!3 B. There are more bats in the world thanrodents.
}cT_qqw(f% C. Bats are usually bigger than rodents.
@d Jr/6Yx D. Rodents are usually bigger than bats.
-@T/b$]'n 27. According to the passage, some bats eat
.
ml \4xp, A. human-beings
:'#TCDlOb B. rodents
m[j70jYe C. foxes
t#q<n:WeYU D. other bats
?LvCR_D: 28. The word “nocturnal” in Paragraph 3 isrelated to
.
ByCnD A. sound
<.Nx[!'~&d B. vibrations
rn<PR
* C. night
@)Ofi j D. reputation
6Cn+e.j@ 29. What can make bats avoid objects inflight?
!
u:Weoz A. Their sharp sense of hearing.
cJ54s} B. Their ability to emit ultrasonic sounds.
a'z) C. Their unique sense of seeing.
~%YBI9$+ D. Both A and B.
E9;|'Vy<E 30. We can conclude from the passage thatbats are
.
!?|Th5e A. really more intelligent than man
s`0QA!G{- B. often wronged in popular legends
} \ZaE~
C. ugly and dangerous
_-EyT D. beautiful in appearance
]\!?qsT3}
}Hn/I,/ 3
fMOU$0]$< There were twowidely divergent influences on the early development of statistical methods.Statistics had a mother who was dedicated to keeping orderly records of governmentalunits (“state” and “statistics” come from the same Latin root, “status”) and agentlemanly gambling father who relied on mathematics to increase his skill atplaying the odds in games of chance. The influence of the mother on theoffspring, statistics, is represented by counting, measuring, describing,tabulating, ordering, and the taking of censuses
—all of which led to modern descriptive statistics. From theinfluence of the father came modern inferential statistics, which is basedsquarely on theories of probability.
rwGKfoKI Descriptivestatistics involves tabulating, depicting, and describing collections of data.Theses data may be quantitative, such as measures of height, intelligence, orgrade level
—variablesthat are characterized by an underlying continuum
—or the data may represent qualitative variables, such as sex,college major, or personality type. Large masses of data must generally undergoa process of summarization or reduction before they are comprehensible.Descriptive statistics is a tool for describing or summarizing or reducing tocomprehensible form the properties of an otherwise unwieldy mass of data.
u9N 1pZ~ Inferentialstatistics is a formalized body of methods for solving another class ofproblems that present great difficulties for the unaided human mind. Thisgeneral class of problems characteristically involves attempts to makepredictions using a sample of observations. For example, a schoolsuperintendent wishes to determine the proportion of children in a large schoolsystem who come to school without breakfast, have been vaccinated for flu, orwhatever. Having a little knowledge of statistics, the superintendent wouldknow that it is unnecessary and inefficient to question each child: theproportion for the entire district could be estimated fairly accurately from asample of as few as 100 children. Thus, the purpose of inferential statisticsis to predict or estimate characteristics of a population from a knowledge ofthe characteristics of only a sample of the population.
3D2E?$dX ]C) 4 31. The word “divergent” (Para.1, Line 1) is closest in meaning to
.
Z,=7Tu bR# A. distributed B. different C.recorded D. prominent
5-M&5f. 32. According to the first paragraph,counting and census-taking are associated with
.
eM+!Y>8Y A. inferential statistics
X-wf:h?i B. qualitative changes
lBaR C. descriptive statistics
m}X`> aD/ D. unknown variables
yxH ( c 33. Why does the author mention the “mother”and “father” in the passage?
~-I+9F A. To point out that parents can teachtheir children statistics.
3? HhG B. To introduce inferential statistics.
62Z#YQ}x C. To explain that there are differentkinds of variables.
l g-X:Z
. D. To present the background of statisticsin a humorous and understandable way.
={z*akn, 34. Which of the following statements aboutdescriptive statistics is best supported by the passage?
PS[+~>% A. It reduces large amount of data to amore comprehensible form.
:3I@(k\PY B. It is based on probability.
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C. It can be used by people with littleknowledge of mathematics.
+ ~>Aj D. It measures only qualitativedifferences.
CY"/uSB 35. With what is the passage mainlyconcerned?
uH(f$A A. The drawbacks of descriptive andinferential statistics.
g4l
!xT B. The development and use of statistics.
bdc&1I$ C. Applications of inferential statistics.
Dp':oJC D. How to use descriptive statistics.
F~P%AjAx' sNLs\4v
4
6E^.7%3 It is possibleto persuade mankind to live without war? War is an ancient institution whichhas existed for at least six thousand years. It was always wicked and usuallyfoolish, but in the past the human race managed to live with it. Moderningenuity has changed this. Either Man will abolish war, or war will abolishMan. For the present, it is nuclear weapons that cause the gravest danger, butbacteriological or chemical weapons may, before long, offer an even greaterthreat. If we succeed in abolishing nuclear weapons, our work will not be done.It will never be done until we have succeeded in abolishing war. To do this, weneed to persuade mankind to look upon international questions in a new way, notas contests of force, in which the victory goes to the side which is mostskillful in massacre, but by arbitration in accordance with agreed principlesof law. It is not easy to change age-old mental habits, but this is what mustbe attempted.
*#C+iAF|)' There are thosewho say that the adoption of this or that ideology would prevent war. I believethis to be a profound error. All ideologies are based upon dogmatic assertionswhich are, at best, doubtful, and at worst, totally false. Their adherentsbelieve in them so fanatically that they are willing to go to war in support ofthem.
`-p:vq` The movement ofworld opinion during the past two years has been very largely such as we canwelcome. It has become a commonplace that nuclear war must be avoided. Ofcourse very difficult problems remain in the international sphere, but thespirit in which they are being approached is a better one than it was someyears ago. It has began to be though, even by the powerful men who decidewhether we shall live or die, that negotiations should reach agreements even ifboth sides do not find these agreements wholly satisfactory. It has begun to beunderstood that the important conflict nowadays is not between East and West,but between Man and the H-bomb.
urjjw.wZ dzDqZQY$ 36. This passage implies that war is now
.
t$De/Uq A. more wicked than in the past
&8vCZN^ B. as wicked as in the past
W;,C_ C. less wicked than in the past
@]ytla>d D. what people try to live with
d%o&+l# L{8xlx` 37. According to the author
.
#3+!ee27# A. it is impossible to live without war
iLkZ"X.'|1 B. war is the only way to
suede international disagreements
K5xX)oV C. war must be abolished if man wants tosurvive
LyAn&h} D. war will be abolished by moderningenuity
70eb]\% D?NbW @] 38. The author says that modern weapons
.
xo7Kn+ Kl A. will help abolish war
.%L?J E B. put mankind in grave danger
&M.66O@ C. will gradually become part of man’s life
5) pj]S!]- D. need further improving
`#;e)1 s=0BMPDgm 39. The author believes that the only wayto abolish war is to
.
3ZXQoC ' A. abolish nuclear weapons
SUU !7Yd| B. let the stronger side take over theworld
w tiny,6 C. improve bacteriological and chemicalweapons
Yq%9M=#k D. settle international issues throughnegotiation
IrqZi1 fmb} 2h 40. The last paragraph suggests that
.
yFtd=AI'E A. nuclear war will definitely not takeplace
-UOj>{- B. international agreements are now reachedmore and more easily
jAm3HI
C. man is beginning to realize that nuclearwar is his greatest enemy
>8qQK r\" D. world opinion is in favour of nuclearwar
K otrX TjwBv6h 5
hHT_V2* Theacknowledged “King of Ragtime” was the black pianist and composer Scott Joplin.Joplin (1868-1917), originally from Texarkana, Texas,began his career as an itinerant pianist. By 1885 he was in St. Louis, playing in honky-tonks andsporting houses. He went to Chicago briefly(1893) to try his luck in the entertainment halls that had sprung up around theWord’s Fair, then in 1894 to Sedalia, Missouri, to stay until the turnof the century. His first published rag,
OriginalRags, came out in March, 1899; later the same year appeared
Maple Leaf Rag, named for a saloon anddance hall in Sedalia.The work has an instant and resounding success, and by the time of his death Joplin had published morethan thirty original rags, and other piano pieces, songs, and arrangements. Hehad even larger aims: in 1902 he finished a ballet score called
Rag Time Dance, and in 1903 the opera
A Guest of Honor, unpublished and nowapparently lost, in 1911 came another opera,
Treemonisha. The artistic success of these larger works isdebatable, but that of Joplin’spiano rags is not; they can only be described as elegant, varied, often subtle,and as sharply incised as a cameo. They are the precise American equivalent, interms of a native style of dance music, of minuets by Mozart, mazurkas byChopin, or waltzes by Brahams. They can both be lovely and powerful, infectiousand moving-depending, of course, on the skill and stylishness of the pianist,for they are not easy music technically and they demand a clean but “swinging” performance.
aPm`^
q $**r(HV 41. Which of the following is the besttitle for the passage?
4<lRPsvgc A. Scott Joplin’s Early Career
hKT B. Rare Piano Works of Scott Joplin
!U'QqnT C. Sedalia: The Birthplace of Ragtime
2gCX}4^3b D. A Ragtime composer and His Music
2-C!jAfd SBIj<Yy] 42. It can be inferred from the passagethat Joplin isrecognized as the “King of Ragtime” because he
.
iX2]VRNx l A. was probably the greatest composer ofragtime music
>U]C/P[+ B. began his career as a famous childpianist
ecCr6) C. created the character “King of Ragtime”in one of his operas
Z(ACc9k6:' D. was a descendant of a European royalfamily
](wvu(y\E Q2F+?w;, 43. According to the passage, which of thefollowing is an accurate statement about
MapleLeaf Rag? }}>q2y A. It was Joplin’s favorite composition.
DW_1,:,?7l B. Its name came from an establishment in Missouri.
d\
1Og\U|A C. It was published in March 1899.
/.o^R6 D. Its popularity grew slowly.
y6[If cN YYu6W@m] 44. Toward the end of the passage, theauthor refers to the works of other composers in order to illustrate the
.
f-E("o A. popularity of different styles of dancemusic of recent centuries
)`A3M) B. success of Joplin’soperas in Europe
T
QSzx%i2 C. high quality of Joplin’s work as an American musical form
C86J
IC" D. powerful movement attributed to Joplin’s compositions
~XWQhIAM4 bS"fkf9 45. From the last sentence of the passage,one may infer that Joplin’spiano music can best be appreciated when played
.
Ft;^g3N A. by a highly skilled pianist
1][S#H/? B. in an elegant setting
qpE&go=k' C. with a moving classical style
{O`w,dMOI D. for a small audience
}9W4"e 2) ,~OwLWi-|X Ⅲ. Translation and Writing (55 points) c;n *AK PartA Translation viMzR(JU Translatethe following into Chinese (30 points): h?;T7|^ H
s"HID 1. We care for literature primarily on account of its deep and lastinghuman significance. A great book grows directly out of life; in reading it, weare brought into large, close, and fresh relations with life; and in that factlies the final explanation of its power. Literature is a vital record of whatmen have seen in life, what they experienced of it, what they have though andfelt about those aspects of it which have the most immediate and enduringinterest for all of us. It is thus fundamentally an expression of life throughthe medium of language. Such expression is fashioned into the various forms ofliterary art. But it is important to understand, to begin with, that literaturelives by virtue of the life it embodies. By remembering this, we shall be savedfrom the besetting danger of confusing the study of literature with the studyof philology, rhetoric, and even literary technique.
JaL%qco |>JS!NM
I 2. Physical science is the systematic study of the inorganic world,as distinguished from the study of the organic world, which is the province ofbiological science. Physical science is ordinarily though of as consisting offour broad areas: astronomy, physics, chemistry, and the Earth sciences.Physics is the basic physical science. It deals with the structure andbehaviour of individual atoms and their components, as well as with thedifferent forces of nature and their relationships. It also is concerned withthe physical properties of matter and with such phenomena as electricity andmagnetism. Chemistry focuses on the properties and reactions of molecules.Broadly speaking, it tends to concentrate on the specific properties ofdifferent elements and compounds, as opposed to physics which is chieflyconcerned with the general properties of matter as a whole. Astronomy entailsthe study of the entire universe beyond the Earth. It includes investigationsof the gross physical properties of the earth primarily as they relate tointeractions with other components of the solar system. Most other aspects aredealt with by the Earth sciences.
L"j
tf78 5yiK+-iTs Translatethe following into English (10 points): ktdW`R\+ A3S<..g2 在20
世纪,
我们习惯于于使用无线电,
它成了每个人生活的一部分.
人们在汽车上,
在家里,
在海滩上—几乎在所有的地方听无线电。对许多人来说,无线电已成为他们工作中的重要组成部分:飞行员、宇航员、警察、出租车司机都经常用无线电收入发信息。而第一次用无线电发报是在1896
年,距现在只有一百多年时间。 5wh|=**/ x"{'&J[hx PartB Summary Writing (15 points) 3
"Q=Vl" Read thefollowing passage carefully and then write a summary of it in English in about120 words.
naw0$kXTA Ts ^"xlK The success offailure of a company abroad depends on how effectively its employees canexercise their skills in a new location. That ability will depend on both theirjob-related expertise and the individual’s sensitivity and responsiveness tothe new cultural environment. One of the most common factors contributing tofailure in international business assignments is the erroneous assumption thatif a person is successful in the home environment, he or she will be equallysuccessful in applying technical expertise in a different culture.
,J{ei7TN Research hasshown that failures in the overseas business setting most frequently resultfrom an inability to understand and adapt to foreign ways of thinking andacting rather than from technical or professional incompetence. At home U.S.businesspeople equip themselves with vast amount of knowledge of theiremployees, customers, and business partners. Market research provides detailedinformation on values, attitudes, and buying preferences of U.S, consumers;middle-and upper-level managers are well versed in the intricacies of theirorganization’s culture; and labor negotiators must be highly sensitive to whatmotivates those on the other side of the table. Yet when North Americans turnto the international arena, they frequently are willing to deal with customers,employees, and fellow workers with a lack of information that at home would beunimaginable.
y1bbILWej The literatureon international business is filled with examples of business miscues when U.S.corporations attempted to operate in an international context. Some are mildlyamusing. Others are downright embarrassing. All of them, to one degree oranother, have been costly in terns of money, reputation, or both. For example,when American firms try to market their products in other countries, they oftenassume that if a marketing strategy or slogan is effective in Cleveland, it will be equally effective inother parts of the world. But problems arise when cultural context changes.
mA*AeP_$ Just asinattention to the cultural context can result in some costly blunders inmarketing and management, it also can affect seriously the success ofinternational business negotiations. Time, effort, reputation, and evencontracts can be lost because of cultural ignorance. The world is changingfaster than most of us can calculate, and if American businesspersons are tomeet the challenges of an increasingly interdependent world, they will need todevelop a better understanding of how cultural variables influence internationalbusiness enterprises. A healthy dialogue between cultures and members of theinternational business community will be an important step in achieving thatneeded understanding.
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