Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 31 to 37. A gesture is an action that sends a message from one person to another without using words. We use gestures to communicate with others. There are some gestures that have completely different meaning depending on when and where they are used. When an American wants to show that something is OK. or good, he raises his hand and makes a circle...
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Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 31 to 37.
A gesture is an action that sends a message from one person to another without using words. We use gestures to communicate with others. There are some gestures that have completely different meaning depending on when and where they are used.
When an American wants to show that something is OK. or good, he raises his hand and makes a circle with his thumb and foreigners. The circle sign has only one meaning for him. He might be surprised to learn that in other countries it can mean something different. In Japan, for instance, it is the gesture for money. In France, it means 'zero' or 'worthless'. Such differences can lead to all kinds of misunderstanding when foreigners meet. But why is it that the same gesture has so many different meanings?
When some people want to show that something is exact or precise, they make a sign to show that they are holding something between the tips of their thumb and forefinger. Many people from all over the world do this when they want to make a specific point as they are speaking. People later started using this signal to mean 'exactly right' or 'perfect'. This was how the famous OK was bom.
In Japan, money means coins and coins are around. Therefore, making a round hand sign came to represent money. It is simple as that. The French sign for 'nothing' or 'worthless' also has a simple origin. This time the circle doesn't represent a coin, but nought. Nought equals zero, zero equals nothing, nothing equals worthless.
Which of the following statements is true?
A. A gesture with a circle means zero in America
B. In France and Japan, a circle sign made with a thumb and a forefinger means the same.
C. Body language hardly meads to misunderstanding.
D. A gesture may mean different things in different cultures.
