What is acceptable at home doesn’t necessarily apply in other countries. Here are four distinctive customs for you to
use as a passport to new experiences and friendships.
(1) Be careful when presenting flowers to a friend or business associate in Russia. Yellow flowers signify deceit or a
relationship break-up. Skip red carnations, too. Traditionally, red carnations are placed on the graves of the dead, or are
offered to surviving war veterans.
(2) Who needs a watch? Here’s one place where being early or on time is viewed as being rude. In Venezuela if you
are invited over to someone’s home for a meal, it’s recommended that you arrive 10 to 15 minutes later than the requested
time. Early or punctual guests are viewed as being too eager, even greedy.
(3) In Bolivia, it’s rude to discuss business during a social occasion such as a wedding, or a dinner party. The dining
experience is meant to enrich personal relationships, not to make deals. If you’re attending a business lunch or dinner,
wait until your host brings up the subject of work before diving into the topic. Your Bolivian counterpart will want to chat
about family before tackling business issues.
(4) When doing business in Turkey, it’s the custom for your host to pay for your meal. Requests to split the bill will
be viewed as a polite gesture, but won’t be accepted. If you would like to pay your fair share, Turks recommend inviting
your host to a follow-up meal. At that time, you can reciprocate and extend the same courtesies that were offered to you. 【題組】50 Which proverb below best describes the main idea of the passage?
(A)“A picture is worth a thousand words.” (B)“When in Rome, do as the Romans.”
(C)“There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” (D)“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”