王强口语 第二册 Read Text 020

（单词翻译）

　　口语部分
文化篇
Read the text carefully and be prepared to answer the question:
Directness
People from more discreet¹ cultures may be uneasy² with American directness. In the USA, your neighbor will tell you straight away if he thinks that your peach tree is growing into his garden.  He will not talk around the subject and hope that you understand.  A manager who thinks that you are doing something wrong will tell you about it.  If you declare that Los Angeles is the capital of the United States, someone will be quick to set you right: it's Washington D.C..
But this directness can be softened³ by language.  You can always say what you want politely, without overdoing⁴ it by repeatedly saying please and thank you.  For example, saying, "Would you mind lending me your pen?" instead of "I want to borrow your pen."  "Maybe you should give the others a chance," says a teacher to an outspoken⁵ student and "I think you should try that again," to someone who added four and three and got eight.  Choosing your words carefully shows consideration for the other person's feelings, but still gets your point across.  "I'm not so sure about that," is a lot easier to accept than "No, you're wrong."