Differentgestures（手势）meandifferentthingsindifferentcountries．Sometimesagesturethatispoliteinonecountryisnotpoliteinanotheranshouldnotbeused．Differentmeaningsofgesturescanalsocauseproblemsinunderstandingw

　　Different gestures（手势） mean different things in different countries．Sometimes a gesture that is polite in one country is not polite in another an should not be used．Different meanings of gestures can also cause problems in understanding what another person is trying to say．A gesture that many people do not understand is one that uses the thumb．Most westerners will sometimes show that they like something by holding out a closed hand with the thumb lifting in the air．This is called give someone or something"the thumb up"．Often，only one thumb is used，so it should be"the thumb up"．

　　The usual explanation（解释） for the origin of this gesture is not really correct．It says that in ancient Roman times，when people werwe pleased with the way a gladiator（角斗士） had fought，they showed their thumbs up．When they were not pleased，they gave the thumbs down．When a gladiator was given the thumbs up，the emperor allowed him to live．When a gladiator was given the thumbs down，the emperor ordered hme to be killed．

　　The truth is，however，it was translated into a wrong meaning by mistake．If people wanted to save the gladiator，they put out their hands and hid their thumbs in their hands．If they wanted the gladiator to die，they pointed their thumbs stright at him．

　　46．Westerners lift their thumbs when they___．

　　A．want someone to die B．want to go to a play ground

　　C．like something D．want someone to live

　　47．Most people think that in ancient Rome，"thumbs up"meant that___．

　　A．the emperor could die B．the people wanted the gladiator to live

　　C．the fighting could continue D．the people were not pleased

　　48．In fact，if people wanted a gladiator to live，they___．

　　A．hid their thumbs B．pointed their thumbs down

　　C．lifted their thumbs up D．pointed their t