Free Practice Question
RC · Reading Comprehension
555-605
Short Passage - Humanities
Reading Passage
In mono-cultural societies such as Japan or Poland, finding common ground on ethical and moral principles is easier than in societies with competing ideologies. One knows essentially what to expect from the people who have formed the political and social compact in monocultures. Members know what to expect of one another. They know the code composed of meanings and rules by which that society functions. Common cultural origins produce proverbs, motifs, icons, symbols, nuances of language, nonverbal behaviors, and metaphors that are immediately understood and accepted by anyone in the group. However, such commonality is more difficult to achieve once one moves to societies with a diverse population with different cultural backgrounds or to the global society of international relations. Such societies are often called multi-cultural individualistic societies. Hence, the United States, which favors individual effort and has less concern for the group as a whole is seen to be high on individualism. Such cultural differences lead to contrasting communication styles to the extent the historians label the communication style of collectivist cultures as "High Context" and the style of individualistic cultures "Low Context". A high-context communication or message is one in which most of the information is either in the physical context or internalized in the person, while very little is in the coded, explicit part of the message" and a low-context message is the opposite, with the information explicitly coded in the message.
What does the author imply when he says that “such commonality is more difficult to achieve once one moves to societies with a diverse population”?
Answer Choices
Correct answer marked belowA
Non-Verbal behaviours that are immediately understood in mono-cultural societies take time to be comprehended in individualistic societies.
B
Monocultural societies produce nuances of language that can be used in sensitive situations; multi-cultural societies avoid such situations.
In individualistic societies, a common interpretation of nonverbal behaviours is much more challenging to achieve than in monocultural societies.
Correct
D
Since individualistic societies focus on the individual, it is almost impossible to create a common set of rules that everyone in a group can agree to.
E
In individualistic societies, even people from a common background struggle to understand the common cultural motifs, proverbs, and symbols.
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What it tests
Your ability to understand a passage, its structure, and what the author is really saying. At the 555-605 level, accuracy and speed both matter.
Common trap
Answering from memory or outside knowledge instead of strictly from the passage.
Details
Difficulty
555-605
Type
RC
Category