阅读理解

    Imagine this situation: You are walking along the street when you see a classmate coming toward you. As she approaches, your classmate suddenly raises her eyebrows. What does her facial expression tell you?

    The human face is an important communication tool. We often express our feelings nonverbally by doing things like smiling or frowning. Sometimes we use facial expressions to add information to something we are saying. Think again about your classmate. As she raised her eyebrows, she probably said, ‘Oh, what a surprise to see you here!”Both her face and words expressed her feelings. However, sometimes our facial expressions do not match our words, especially when we are trying to hide our feelings. If someone says to you, ‘I'm fine,' but he is looking down and frowning, how do you think he really feels?

    Facial expressions have different meanings in different cultures. Miscommunications can happen even when two people are speaking the same language. In many cultures, for example, a smile communicates happiness or amusement. In some Asian countries, people also smile when they are embarrassed. Seeing this, a Westerner might be confused and think the Asian person is laughing. In North and South America, and many European cultures, a speaker and listener look at each other directly while talking. In those cultures, looking down or away from a speaker often suggests boredom. In many Asian cultures, looking at someone directly in the eyes while speaking is considered rude.

    Facial expressions communicate important messages, and can sometimes be more powerful than words. How do people in your culture use them to communicate?