Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks. Culture beliefs differ as to whether directness or indirectness is considered positive. In the mainstream American culture, the ideal (37) _______ of communication includes being direct rather than indirect (“ideal" here means that the culture values this style, although not everyone speaks directly). There are several expressions in English (38) _______ emphasize ...

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks. Culture beliefs differ as to whether directness or indirectness is considered positive. In the mainstream American culture, the ideal (37) _______ of communication includes being direct rather than indirect (“ideal" here means that the culture values this style, although not everyone speaks directly). There are several expressions in English (38) _______ emphasize the importance of being direct: “Get to the point! Don't beat around the bush! Let's get down to business!". These sayings all indicate the importance of dealing directly with issues rather than avoiding them. One way to determine whether a culture favours a direct or indirect style in communication is to find out how the people in that culture express disagreement or how they say “No”. In Japan, there are at least fifteen ways of saying "No", without actually saying the word. (39) _______, in some countries, there are different ways to express disagreement. For example, it would be considered rude to say directly “I disagree with you!” or “You're wrong!". (40) _______ Americans believe that honesty is the best policy, and their communication style reflects this. Honesty and directness in communication are strongly related. It is not a(n) (41) _______ then, to find out that cultural groups misjudge each other based on different beliefs about directness and honesty in communication.