Vocabluary Quiz 1: culture

You’ve just moved abroad and accidentally packed nothing but chargers and cereal. Time to:

• Get yourself cancelled

• Get yourself sorted out

• Get yourself deported

• Get yourself some cereal

When he heard someone call British weather “refreshing,” he visibly winced —

• He couldn’t bear the coldness and the euphemism

• He couldn’t bear the humidity in British speech

• He couldn’t bear understatement in foreign languages

• He couldn’t bear British people being too literal

Answer explanation

To wince = to show a slight involuntary grimace or shrinking movement due to discomfort/ pain

“The French will all switch to English just to be polite!”

• Accurate prediction

• Universal truth

• Like that’s going to happen

• They already have

Breaking News: A new stereotype about Scandinavians has arrived —

• Right now

• Just in

• Nearly out

• Totally false

Cultural misunderstandings can leave emotional

• Tattoos

• Piercings

• Bruises

• Passports

“I was wondering if you…” is often used by speakers who:

• Want to hide their intentions in vague language

• Are unsure of their grammar

• Want to make a request sound polite and indirect

• Are likely to change their minds mid-sentence

“He can argue about passport queues for hours on end.” What does on end mean here?

• While standing

• One-sidedly

• In a non-stop, extended way

• In circles, without reaching a point

Why did he hesitate before calling on the landline?

• He forgot how to use one

• It reminded him of phone interviews

• He didn’t want to look outdated — who still uses landlines?

• He thought it was for emergencies only

When he said, “Of course Canadians are aggressive,” the room went silent. She replied with a calm:

• “That’s a bit of a leap, don’t you think?”

• “That’s a very specific compliment.”

• “That’s funny, coming from you.”

• “That’s probably a fact.”

“I’ve got my eye on that international conference in Geneva.”

• You’re ignoring it

• You’re watching it suspiciously

• You’re considering it closely

• You want to shut it down