READING COMPREHENSION You are going to read an article about good manners in Spain in which some of the sentences
are missing. For questions 1-5 choose the sentence from the list (A-H) that best fits in each gap (1-5) in the text, as in the example 0-. There are two extra sentences that you dont need to use.
I went into the post office the other day to post a letter. You see post boxes are actually few and far between so its just as easy to go in the post office, although it does involve a trip into t own.(0) So, I approach the counter, manned with two staff, with my one little envelope . They continue to do their thing and after a couple of minutes one of them (furthest away) decides to acknowledge me with Shes busy at the minute(referring to her colleague nearest to me). I have learnt not to react with any kind of expression or sign of annoyance. They carry on until they are ready and I stand there staring at them with blank expression. Its the only way to deal with it otherwise you focus on the rudeness from a British perspective. And thats just it, it was rudeness in my eyes but as far as they were concerned they had a task to carry out and finish before they could properly deal with me. I am sure they didnt intentionally make me stand for what seemed like forever while I waited to do what was supposed to take just a couple of seconds. In the meantime, a van blocked my car in but he too, like the ladies behind the post office counter, probably didnt think it would matter if I had to wait a few minutes. I have to admit that unless I put all into perspective, I do start to simmer but just simmer because if I were to explode they would think that I was crazy because none of it was done on purpose to spite me. So sometimes I just turn it around to my advantage and make the most of it. What I love about Spain is that when I am feeling rebellious I can go out and behave in a way that feels downright aggressive and rude and not offend anybody. I can get straight to the point when I pick up the phone with Dime, or Dgame (Tell me!, or Speak to me!). I can demand that people listen with a simple Oiga!. Its all about getting to the point and being heard. Theres no faffing about with long winded, polite softening phrases such as Would you mind. or If you dont mind, I would like... Just know what you want and let others know. Some days I just go wild like a real cavewoman just blurting out imperatives all over the place. The point is when the Spanish come across as a bit gruff, it is not intended in any malice or annoyance.(1) Thats just how they are. You might think that your waiter is in a mood but I bet you he doesnt forget a single item of your order and if anything is bothering you, wobbly table or whatever, he will do his best to put it right. The gruffness can also carry through into your body language and behaviour. I havent got so far as queue hopping yet but I have been known to recklessly throw the money (but not in anger just as an experiment) at the cash assistant although she doesnt seem to notice. Must try harder to see if I can get a reaction as it would be nice to know what the limit is! I was at the checkout the other day packing my bags. I hadnt even paid yet but the impatient customer behind me saw no wrong in blocking the area to pay with his trolley and had already started preparing carrier bags. A couple of years ago I would have been incredulous at such behaviour and would have expressed this. However, I have new tactics which include moving very slowly, packing very methodically frozens with frozens, eggs at the top, checking to see if I have everything a dozen times, double bagging and practising my best handwriting when it comes to signing the credit card receipt! By the end of it, I feel positively serene and unflustered whilst the guy behind me has steam coming out of his ears. Some might argue that the whole American Have a nice day ethos is worse than the Spanish gruffness because it is often not genuine. At least you know that if you do receive a smile in a Spanish shop, it is heartfelt. Surely it is better if someone greets you that they are doing it because they want to and not because they have been ordered to. (2)The same applies to the whole please and thank you business that we value so highly. In particular, are our thank yous mainly just a force of habit. How often do we actually experience the sensation of real gratitude at the checkout in Tesco? So, why do we
dish out so many meaningless and tiresome thank yous? I can get through a whole day in Spain without a single please or thank you without raising a single eyebrow. Ones experiences at the supermarket are actually quite a common reference point for manners .(3) In Spain, dont expect the smiles or chit chat that you are used to at your local Tesco . You have to remember that there is a language barrier in place and that the supermarkets in the UK do tend to employ older staff who are after the social side of work whereas in Spain, the young people working in Mercadona are there because they need the money. Hanging out with a child is a safe bet if you are looking for a bit of customer interaction with staff. Any child under the age of seven will guarantee a smile and a cheering up of whoever is behind the till. Dont wo rry if the child messes around, climbs behind the counter or swings from the barriers as this wont bother the staff. In fact, children are the best ice breaker where the Spanish service industry is concerned. The truth is there is nothing superficial about Spanish manners, in fact some would say that showing respect is more important than manners for the sake of being polite and adhering to convention.. A major part of it is saying hello and good bye. (4)Although, we are on please and thank you auto pilot in the UK, we do tend to go out of our way not to greet people in the street, especially people that we dont know. In Spain, when you walk into a local shop, bank, office it is customary to say hello to everyone else in the room and goodbye when you leave. In fact, it feels awkward when you dont. Its as if all interactions should have an opening and closure. Its nice to be acknowledged with a smile and the tone of what is being said usually communicates a lot more than abiding by conventions of what should be said and when exactly it should be said .(5) So when you do receive a smile or friendly tone in Spain, you can be comforted to know that it is genuine and hasnt been forced. And when you don't, well that person is either having a bad day or needs a change of job. On the whole, people can be quick to be critical and superior about other peoples lack of manners. But what they fail to realise is that an important part of having real manners is actually about learning to accept other peoples cultural norms of behaviour and not impose our own.
http://www.eyeonspain.com/spain-magazine/manners.aspx Although, we are on please and thank you auto pilot in the UK, we do tend go out of our way not to greet people in the street, especially people that we dont know. B Besides, one can think that it is something personal, but it is not. In Spain, dont expect the smiles or chit chat that you are used to at your C local Tesco D Because it is not that Spanish people are rude by nature. The same applies to the whole `please and thank you business that we value E so highly. So, I approach the counter, manned with two staff, with my one little F envelope. So when you do receive a smile or friendly tone in Spain, you can be G comforted to know that it is genuine and hasnt been forced. H That is just how they are. A
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1-H
2-E
3-C
4-A
5-G
Me fui a la Oficina de correos el otro da para enviar una carta. Ves buzones de correo son realmente pocos y espaciados por lo que es tan fcil ir en la Oficina de correos, aunque se trata de un viaje a la ciudad. Por lo tanto, me acerco al contador, tripulado con dos funcionarios, con mi pequeo uno sobre. Siguen a hacer sus cosas y despus de un par de minutos uno de ellos (ms lejos) decide reconocer a m con "est ocupada en el minuto" (refirindose a su colega ms cercano a m). He aprendido no a reaccionar con cualquier tipo de expresin o seal de molestia. Llevan hasta que estn listos y estoy all mirando fijamente con expresin en blanco. Es la nica forma de tratar con ella de lo contrario que usted se enfoca en la rudeza desde una perspectiva britnica. Y es justo, era grosera en mis ojos pero en cuanto estaban preocupados tuvieron una tarea a realizar y finalizar antes de que pudieran ocuparse correctamente me. Estoy seguro no intencionalmente me hacen reposar lo que pareca para siempre mientras que esper hacer lo que se supona tomar slo un par de segundos. Entretanto, una furgoneta haba bloqueado mi coche pero tambin, como las damas detrs del mostrador de la Oficina de correos, probablemente no piensa que le importa si tuve que esperar unos minutos. Tengo que admitir que a menos que poner todo en perspectiva, comienzo a fuego lento pero lento solo porque si estuviera a punto de estallar pensaran que estaba loco porque ninguno fue hecho a propsito para fastidiar a me. A veces slo vuelta a mi ventaja y sacar el mximo provecho de ella. Lo que me encanta de Espaa es que cuando me siento rebelde puedo salir y comportarse de una manera que se siente francamente agresivo y grosero y no ofender a nadie. Puedo conseguir al grano cuando coge el telfono con "Dime", o "Dgame" (Dime!, o hablar a m!). Yo puedo exigir que la gente escucha con un simple " Oiga!". Es todo para el punto y ser escuchados. No hay faffing con largo aliento, Corts "ablandamiento" frases tales como "te importara..." o "Si no te importa, me gustara...". Slo s lo que quieres e informar a otros. Algunos das apenas voy salvaje como un verdadero cavewoman slo blurting a imperativos por todo el lugar. El punto es cuando los espaoles al venir a travs como un poco brusco, que no est previsto en ninguna malicia o molestia. Eso es slo lo que son. Se podra pensar que el camarero est en un estado de nimo pero apuesto a l no olvida un solo elemento de su orden y si algo est molestando a usted, mesa tambaleante o lo que sea, lo har su mejor dicho derecho. La severidad puede llevar tambin a travs de su lenguaje corporal y comportamiento. No tengo hasta ahora como cola salto todava pero conozco imprudentemente tirar el dinero (pero no en ira como un experimento) en el Ayudante de efectivo aunque ella no parece darse cuenta. Debe esforzarse ms ver si puedo conseguir una reaccin que sera bueno saber cul es el lmite! Estaba en la caja el otro da mis maletas. Yo an no haba pagado todava pero el cliente impaciente detrs de m vi nada malo en el bloqueo de la zona a pagar con su carro y ya haba empezado a preparar bolsas. Un par de aos habra sido incrdulos ante tal comportamiento y hubieran expresado esto. Sin embargo, tengo nuevas tcticas que incluyen movimiento muy despacio, muy metdicamente Frozen con Frozen, huevos en la parte superior del embalaje, comprobar si tengo todo una docena de veces, doble embolsado y practicar mi escritura mejor cuando se trata de firmar el recibo de tarjeta de crdito! Al final de ella, me siento positivamente sereno y unflustered mientras que el chico detrs de m tiene vapor saliendo de sus orejas. Algunos podran argumentar que la Amrica toda "Tienen un ethos de nice day" es peor que la severidad espaol porque a menudo no es genuino. Por lo menos sabes que si recibes una sonrisa en una tienda, es corazn senta. Seguramente es mejor si alguien te saluda que lo estn haciendo porque quieren y no porque les ha ordenado. Lo mismo se aplica a su negocio por favor y gracias que valoramos tan altamente. En particular, son nuestros yous gracias principalmente slo una fuerza de la costumbre. Con qu frecuencia realmente experimentamos la sensacin de gratitud real en las cajas en Tesco? As que, por qu nos plato a tantos sin sentido y cansino thank yous? Puedo pasar un da entero en Espaa sin un solo por favor o gracias sin levantar una sola ceja. Las experiencias en el supermercado son bastante un punto de referencia comn para modales. En Espaa, no esperes las sonrisas o chit chat que usted est acostumbrado en su local Tesco. Hay que recordar que hay una barrera de idioma en el lugar y que los supermercados en el Reino Unido tienden a emplear ms personal que estn tras el lado social del trabajo, mientras que en Espaa, los jvenes que trabajan en Mercadona existen porque necesitan el dinero. Salir con un nio es una apuesta segura si usted est buscando un poco de interaccin con el cliente con el personal. Cualquier nio menor de siete aos garantizar una sonrisa y un animando hasta de quien est detrs de la caja. No se preocupe si el nio se mete, sube detrs del mostrador u oscilaciones de las barreras como esto no molesta al personal. De hecho, los nios son el rompehielos mejor cuando se trata de la industria de servicio espaol. La verdad es que no hay nada superficial sobre costumbres espaolas, de hecho, que algunos diran que el respeto es ms importante que modales por el bien de ser Corts y adherentes a la Convencin... Una parte importante de ella est diciendo Hola y adis. Aunque estamos en por favor y gracias el piloto automtico en el Reino Unido, tendemos a salir de nuestro camino no para saludar a la gente en la calle, especialmente en personas que no sabemos. En Espaa, cuando entras en una tienda local, Banco, Oficina se acostumbra a saludar a todos los dems en la habitacin y adis al salir. De hecho, se siente incmodo cuando no. Es como si todas las interacciones deben tener una apertura y cierre. Su agradable ser reconocido con una sonrisa y el tono de lo que se dice generalmente comunica mucho ms que acatar convenciones de lo que debe decirse y cuando exactamente debe decirse. As que cuando usted recibe una sonrisa o un tono amistoso en Espaa, puede ser reconfortado saber que es genuino y no ha sido forzado. Y cuando no lo hace, bien esa persona est bien tener un mal da o necesita un cambio de trabajo. En general, las personas pueden ser rpidas ser crticos y superior sobre la falta de modales de otras personas. Pero lo que logran darse cuenta de que una parte importante de tener modales reales es realmente aprender a aceptar las normas culturales de otras personas de comportamiento y no imponer nuestra propia.
