How many ways are there to say “No” without offending anyone’s feeling? Well, there are “No, I can’t”, “No, I don’t have time” and “No, I don’t want to”. But the problem is that many of us try to avoid situations that require us to say “No” to people. In almost every culture this little word is associated with rejection, failure, egoism and a lack of tact and empathy (感同身受) towards others.I cannot recall how many times I have eaten burnt, undercooked, bland (淡而无味的) and poorly tasting dishes simply because I did not want to hurt the feelings of the person who had cooked them. Or the times when I bought something I did not need, because I felt guilty leaving a shop empty-handed after spending 20 minutes of the shop assistant’s time.Whether it is our manager, a customer service representative or an acquaintance asking for a favor, for some unexplainable reason many of us feel mental resistance when we have to voice a straight-forward “No”.If you are a rare exception, who has no problem saying “I wish I could, but I do not want to” please share your secret! What is running through your head when an 8-year old with huge blue eyes offers you to buy a box of Girl Scouts cookies? Or when your boss asks you in a matter-of-fact voice if you can stay after hours to finish a project?How do you say “No” without offending anyone or feeling guilty afterwards?On the other hand, how do you NOT say “No” when you know that if you go along with everything other people want from you, you would be physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted?I believe the answer to this question lies in the wisdom of the Eastern world. You see, many oriental cultures, Chinese being one of them, do not even have a “N”- word. Instead, they use thousands of ways to express their disagreement and none of them involves saying a straight-forward “No”.There is a great lesson to be learned from such approach to communication.If just like me, you sometimes find it difficult to be direct about saying “No”, you can still be assertive and express your disagreement in a more subtle, yet equally powerful way. The great thing about this method is that it gets your point across without making you look bad, unprofessional, insensitive or uncaring.1. What does saying “No” mean in most cultures according to the passage?A) It is a mild word without offending anyone’s feeling.B) It helps us avoid situations that we may get hurt.C) It suggests refusal and self-centeredness towards others. D) It is associated with the sense of failure and getting hurt.2. Which of the following statement is true about the author according to the passage?A) The author has eaten many poorly cooked dishes. B) The author has refused the boss’ suggestion to overwork many times.C) The author bought a box of cookies from an 8-year old child.D) The author felt guilty because he/she bought nothing when leaving a shop.3. Why should we learn from the wisdom of communication approach in the Eastern world?A) Because there is no word meaning “no” in many oriental cultures.B) Because there are many ways to express their disagreement more powerfully.C) Because people there usually express their disagreement in a subtle way. D) Because people there seldom offend others’ feelings.4. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the phrase “get your point across” (Para.9)?A) Accept your view.B) Make yourself understood. C) Put forward your point.D) Explain your point carefully.5. Which of the following cannot be inferred from the passage?A) People often feel mental resistance when they have to say “No”.B) People are reluctant to say “No” because they don’t want to offend others.C) People often feel guilty after they have said “No” directly.D) Avoiding expressing disagreement is a good strategy.