How different can other cultures be？Very different！People probably speak different languages and have beliefs and customs very different from yours. They can eat different foods and live in different types of houses. However，they can also be similar in ways of connecting with each other. We sometimes call these means of communication universal（共同的）languages.

Some legends hold that，thousands of years ago，there was a single language spoken by everyone on Earth. Of course，historical evidence does not support this，but it is fun to think about a time when everyone may have been able to communicate in the same language.

Today，there are thousands of languages spoken around the world. Yet，there are some means of communication that go beyond words and allow people of different backgrounds to communicate and share emotions and feelings. For example，some people believe music is a universal language. There may be some scientific support for this idea. Experts have learned that，across cultures，people can recognize three common emotions in music:happiness，sadness and fear.

So what other types of universal languages might there be？Some people believe dance is a universal language. Along with music，dancing seems to be a common interest shared by people all over the world. Do you think you could see a dance from another culture and make some reasonable（合理的）guesses about the ideas and emotions behind it？We bet you could！

Another universal language that you might not have thought of is mathematics! If you think about it now, it just makes sense.  The value of pi is roughly 3. 14159 no matter where you are on Earth. Similarly, figuring out the value of something involves the same mathematical calculations, regardless of whether you' re counting in dollars, pesos or coconuts.