中口0403

SECTION 1: LISTENING TEST

Part A: Spot Dictation

What is a gesture? A gesture is a movement of the hand or body that expresses one’s emotion or intention. It is an action that sends a visual signal from one person to another. To become a gesture, an act has to be seen by someone else and has to communicate some piece of information to them. There are some gestures, however, that have completely different meanings depending on when and where they are used.

When an American wants to signal that something is OK, good or perfect, he raises his hand and makes a circle with his thumb and forefinger. This circle-sign has only one message for him, and he might be surprised to discover that in other countries it can mean something very different. In Japan, for instance, it is the gesture for money. In France, it means zero or worthless. Such differences can, of course, lead to all kinds of misunderstandings when foreigners meet, But why is it that the same gesture has so many different meanings?

When some people want to show that something is precise or exact, they make a sign to show they are holding something very small between the tips of their thumb and forefinger. Many people from all over the world do this unconsciously when emphasizing a certain point as they speak. The object they hold is imaginary, and they simply perform the action of holding it. In this way, they automatically form a circle with the thumb and forefinger. In America, this unconscious gesture grew into a deliberate signal meaning exactly right or perfect. This was how the famous “OK” sign was born.

The Japanese sign for money comes from a completely different source. Money means coins, and coins are round. Therefore, making a round hand sign came to symbolize money. It is as simple as that. The French sign for nothing or worthless also starts from a simple source. This time, however, the circle does not represent a coin, it only indicates nought. Nought means nothing, nothing equals worthless.