1. You are, no doubt, a smooth operator in all climes. See if you can match the tasteless question with the country where it would be offensive.

   A. Where do you live?	1. Qatar
   B. How's your wife?	2. France
   C. What did that cost?	3. England

2. In Belgium, which has the most complex legislation regarding language in Europe, your Flemish, French, and German skills may be exercised. True or false: Flemish is a variety of Dutch.
3. You are hosting a meeting in Wisconsin for Chinese executives. Which is not a blunder?

   A. Holding the meeting in room 444

   B. Passing out green caps (perhaps from the Green Bay Packers!)

   C. Staying out late entertaining your guests

   D. Serving Wisconsin cheese at every meal

4. True or false: Chileans think diamond-studded gold jewelry on men is uncouth.
5. True or false: It is a social gaffe to arrive on time for a dinner party in Mexico City.
6. Citizens of which country revel in "cutting down the tall poppy"(their phrase for deflating pompous people)?

   A. Uruguay

   B. Jamaica

   C. Australia

7. Suffering from a miserable cold, you travel to Japan. True or false: It is appropriate to use a handkerchief as discreetly as possible during your meetings.
8. Which of the following behaviors are not mal éléve (ill-mannered) in France?

   A. Going to the bathroom during a meeting

   B. Asking whom one voted for in the last election

   C. Feeding your dog from the chair next to you in a restaurant

9. Translation blunders often occur even among English speakers. True or false: The 1993 Warner Brothers' film Free Willy left many Londoners helpless with laughter.
10. Your elegant business card, which contains a great deal of red, draws peculiar looks from some international clients. This is because:

    A. Some belief systems (like Buddhists) traditionally write the names of those who are condemned to death, or are dead, in red.

    B. Some Mexicans find a name in red offensive.

    C. Red is the color of mourning in parts of Africa.

    D. All of the above.

Answers

1. A, 3; B, 1; C, 2 One's home is a personal affair for the English. In Islamic countries, wives are not an appropriate topic for conversation. Discussions of money - but not sex! - can make the French uncomfortable.
2. True.
3. C. The number 4 is inauspicious in Chinese (it sounds like death); a green hat means you are a cuckold; cheese was not a traditional food in China, and some Chinese are lactose-intolerant.
4. True. Chileans interpret a man's ostentatious display of jewelry as proof that he is in business to amass personal wealth, and has the poor taste to show it.
5. True. Guests commonly arrive an hour late for dinner.
6. C. Australians value modesty, and may sit in the front seat in taxis to avoid appearing pompous.
7. False. The Japanese find the custom of preserving mucous in a carefully folded handkerchief to be grotesque. Use disposable tissues.
8. C. Traditionally, dogs have been welcome in many French establishments.
9. True. In England, the word willy is slang for penis.
10. D.

1. Deciding on the world's tallest structure is problematical. Do you limit it to buildings or include TV towers? True or false: Although most of its height is under water, the MARS TLP oil drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico is taller than the world's tallest buildings.
2. While not notably tall, Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the most famous towers in the world. Which of the following is correct about the Leaning Tower?

   A. It is one of several buildings in the Cathedral complex.

   B. It is built in the Gothic style.

   C. It was built as a mausoleum.

   D. All of the above are true.

3. True or false? At 553 meters, the CN Tower in Toronto is not only the tallest structure in Canada, but may be the tallest tower in the world.
4. Often described as the world's largest hydroelectric project, the Itaipú Dam straddles the border between Brazil and which of the following countries?

   A. Chile

   B. Ecuador

   C. Paraguay

5. True or false: The tallest completed structure in the southern hemisphere is in New Zealand.
6. The Japanese hold several records in construction. Which of the following world-record holders is not in Japan?

   A. Longest suspension bridge

   B. Longest tunnel

   C. Tallest skyscraper

7. Currently, the world's tallest hotel is the Chicago Beach Resort Hotel. True or false: This hotel is located in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
8. Following devastating floods in 1953, the Dutch have been building the Delta Works Project to hold back the sea. True or false: The new Delta storm surge barrier is a movable dike as long as the Eiffel Tower is tall.
9. These are three of the tallest buildings in the world. Match each with its home city.

   A. Jin Mao Building	1. Chicago, USA
   B. Petronas Towers	2. Shanghai, China
   C. Sears Tower	3. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

10. As part of its celebration for the year 1000, the UK will focus on the time-keeping town of Greenwich. True or false: Now under construction, the Greenwich Millennium Dome will be slightly smaller than Houston's Astrodome.

1. True. This oil rig is some 3,250 feet tall, compared to the World Trade Center, which reaches 1,728 feet (including antenna).
2. A. It was built as a bell tower in the Romanesque style.
3. True
4. C. Brazil has no common border with Chile or Ecuador.
5. False. However, when completed, New Zealand's Auckland Sky Tower will be taller than any extant structure in the Southern Hemisphere.
6. C. Yokohama's Landmark Tower is not even in the top ten.
7. True. However, this building may soon be eclipsed by the under-construction Emirates Tower, also in Dubai.
8. True
9. A,2; B,3; C,1
10. False. Greenwich will have the largest dome in the world.

1. Classic cars such as Cords, Duesenbergs, and Pierce-Arrows are fondly remembered, but many other US firms once built cars. True or false: From 1919 to 1932, DuPont Motors Inc. built luxury cars.
2. Match each of the following car manufacturers with its country of origin.

   A. Alvis	1. Australia
   B. Holden	2. Malaysia
   C. Proton	3. United Kingdom

3. True or false: The first Willy Jeeps were used by the United States Army during World War II as reconnaissance vehicles to replace the motorcycle.
4. True or false: The fondly remembered Talbot-Lago racing car was produced in France.
5. True or false: Founded in 1961, the Monteverdi automobile company produced luxury cars in Switzerland.
6. Which of the following is not a Japanese-owned car manufacturer?

   A. Daihatsu

   B. Fuji (Subaru)

   C. Hyundai

7. The classic Hispano-Suiza may be the best-remembered Spanish car. True or false: Since World War II, there have been no Spanish-owned automakers.
8. German cars are renowned for their quality. Which of the following German manufacturers, however, once produced underpowered compact cars?

   A. BMW

   B. Daimler-Benz

   C. Trabant

9. Swedish automakers are known for their attention to safety and technical innovations. True or false: The Saab car company began as an aircraft manufacturer.
10. Italy has often been a leader in automotive design. Which of the following is not an Italian car company?

    A. Alfa Romeo

    B. Ferrari

    C. Yugo

Answers

1. True
2. A,3; B,1; C,2
3. True
4. True. Talbot produced the race cars from 1936 to 1956.
5. True
6. C. Hyundai is a Korean car manufacturer.
7. False. Empresa Transportes Autocamiones SA of Barcelona has produced trucks, buses, and the well-regarded Pegaso sports car.
8. C. Built in Communist East Germany, the tiny, two-cylinder Trabi had a top speed of about sixty-two miles per hour.
9. True
10. C. The Yugo was manufactured in the former Yugoslavia.