Page 61 - 633 102 Professional English for Pharmacists E-Course book

Recommended answer is B: Smiling will make the conversation friendly and engaging. The humor
can be used when it is comfortable to do and the humor should be appropriate otherwise it can
cause the awkwardness then silence. Some people may think that it is important to be serious in
a group-business setting to show that you are focused on the conversations but it is not true. If
you are too seriou it can make business conversations get boring quickly.

Social Communication at Work
Because people tend to like to work with one another who is similar and respectful. Dealing
with people at work respectfully will make a good working environment .

12. When a co-worker discuss a non-work related topic at work (e.g. sport game, TV show),
A. I politely leave the conversation.
B. I listen or join in the conversation.
C. I tell his boss that this co-worker is not working hard enough.
Recommended answer is B. Socializing in the workplace is important. You need to spend your
time to know about the people around you. Talking about their common interests or hobbies is a
good topic to approach because people like to promote and socialize with people that they like.

13. If a co-worker has put on weight,
A. I say nothing about it.
B. I tell the person that he or she has changed in appearance.
C. I honestly tell the person that he or she looks fat.
Recommended answer is A. Some topics are too sensitive to talk about such as weight, age, or
religion. For American culture, they do not like to hear negative comments about themselves,
even if they are true. It is considered offensive, and will definitely harm any good relationship that
you may have with the person. However, some foreign countries feel free to talk about the weight.

For example, Chineses often talk about their weight and they have two reasons for doing this:
1. Weight is not a sensitive topic in China. Chinese people can directly comment about each
other's weight as a normal topic.
2. In the 1960s, there was a mass famine in China. Therefore, anyone who looks chubby or
strong is considered wealthy. In other words, Chinese people use this comment as a
compliment.

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