2.  Blanks Filling

Read the following passage and select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage.

Business Etiquette in China

    When setting up a Chinese business meeting, it is important to send as much information to your Chinese (1) __________ in advance, including details about the topics to be discussed and background information on your company. However, preparing in advance will not get you confirmation of the actual meeting’s day and time. It is not uncommon to wait (2) __________ to the last minute for confirmation. The Chinese prefer waiting until a few days before or even the day of the meeting to confirm the time and place.

Be on time at a Chinese business meeting. Arriving late is considered rude. If you do arrive late, apologizing for your tardiness (拖拉，迟延) is a (3)_____. If you are hosting the meeting, it is a proper (4) _________ to send a representative to meet the meeting’s participants outside the building or in the lobby. The host should be waiting in the meeting room to greet all meeting (5)________. The senior-most guest should enter the meeting room first.

counterparts

The seating in a business meeting is typically arranged by rank. The host should escort the senior-most guest to his or her seat as well as any VIP guests. The place of honor is to the host’s right that is opposite the room’s doors. If the meeting is held around a large conference table, then the guest of honor is seated directly (6) _________ the host. Other high rank guests sit in the same general area while the remainder of the guests can choose their seats from among the remaining chairs. If the meeting is held around a large conference table, all the Chinese (7) ________ may opt to sit on one side of the table and foreigners on the other. The principal delegates are seated in the meeting with lower ranking attendees placed at either end of the table.

Meetings usually begin with small talk to help both sides feel more (8)_________. After a few moments of small talk, there is a short welcoming speech from the host followed by discussion of the meeting’s topic. During any conversation, the Chinese will often nod their heads or make affirmative (9)__________. These are signals that they are listening to what is being said and understand what is being said. These are not agreements to what is being said. Do not interrupt during the meeting. Chinese meetings are highly structured and (10) ___________ beyond a quick remark is considered rude. Also, don’t put anyone on the spot by asking them to provide information they seem unwilling to give or directly challenge a person. Doing so will lead them to become embarrassed and lose face.

A) must

B) etiquette

C) counterparts

D) calmly

E) delegation

F) interrupting

G) opposite

H) interfering I) anxiously

J) deletion

K) comfortable

L) negotiators

M) conferees

N) utterances

O) cozy