silence to appear. For example, among your closest friends and family it's easier to sit in silence than with people you're less well acquainted with.

1. Which of the following people might have the longest silence in conversation?

A. The Dutch. B. Americans. C. The English. D. The Japanese.

2．What might the Japanese agree with in conversation?

A. Speaking more gives the upper hand.

B. Speak out what you have in your mind.

C. Great minds think alike without words.

D. The shorter talking silence, the better.

3. What can we learn from the text?

A. A four ­ second silence in conversation is universal.

B. It's hard for Americans to reach a common agreement.

C. English speakers are more talkative than Japanese speakers.

D. The closer we and our family are, the easier the silence appears.

4. What does the underlined word "homogeneity" in the last paragraph mean?

A. Similarity. B. Contradiction. C. Diversity. D. Misunderstanding.