Chapter 9 — Quiz
Try the whole quiz before checking the key.
Multiple choice
1. Among Western friends/peers, the default for a restaurant bill is usually to: - A) have one person pay for everyone - B) split it (evenly or by what each had) - C) leave without paying - D) argue over who pays
2. "Going Dutch" means: - A) traveling to the Netherlands - B) each person pays for themselves - C) one person treats everyone - D) skipping the meal
3. If you have a dietary restriction at a Western host's home, you should: - A) say nothing and quietly avoid the food - B) mention it warmly in advance - C) eat it anyway against your wishes - D) refuse all food without explanation
4. Splitting the bill, in Western terms, is mainly read as: - A) coldness/stinginess - B) fairness and respect for independence - C) an insult - D) a sign of poverty
5. Regarding alcohol, in the West it is: - A) mandatory to drink socially - B) completely fine to decline ("I'm good, thanks") with no explanation owed - C) rude to ever refuse - D) only acceptable to refuse for medical reasons
6. For "dinner at someone's home at 7," you should arrive about: - A) 6:45 (early, to help) - B) 7:10–7:15 (slightly late) - C) 9:00 - D) exactly 7:00
7. Bringing a small gift (wine, dessert, flowers) to a home dinner is: - A) strange and unwelcome - B) a gracious courtesy - C) required by law - D) only for weddings
8. Eating alone (e.g., lunch at your desk) in the West is: - A) deeply shameful - B) normal and unremarkable - C) illegal - D) only for tourists
9. A "potluck" is a meal where: - A) the host cooks everything - B) everyone brings a dish to share - C) you order takeout - D) no one eats
10. In France, meals tend to be: - A) very fast, "food as fuel" - B) long, multi-course, and savored - C) eaten alone at desks - D) skipped
11. (new) Insisting on paying for everyone in an individualist culture can: - A) always delight your friends - B) create a sense of indebtedness their culture works to avoid - C) be illegal - D) mean nothing
12. (new) At a home dinner "at 7," you'll usually actually eat around: - A) 7:00 sharp - B) 8:00 (after a social warm-up) - C) midnight - D) you won't eat
True / False
13. Hiding a serious food allergy to be polite is the right move in the West. (True / False)
14. It's fine to leave some food on your plate in most Western settings. (True / False)
15. When a Western friend splits the bill with you, they're being cheap and don't value the friendship. (True / False)
16. Generous communal hospitality is a strength you should keep, even in an individualist food culture. (True / False)
17. (new) Home hospitality (cooking for guests) fits both communal and individualist cultures comfortably. (True / False)
Short answer
18. Explain the "why" behind bill-splitting (which Part I value drives it?).
19. Write a warm, one-line way to decline alcohol at a party.
20. Name one genuine loss of Western individualized eating (the Honesty Box).
21. (new) Name three of the "ten hidden rules" of a Western home-dinner invitation.
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Answer Key
- B. 2. B. 3. B. 4. B. 5. B. 6. B. 7. B. 8. B. 9. B. 10. B. 11. B (indebtedness). 12. B (~8, after a warm-up).
- False — never hide allergies; they're safety matters. 14. True. 15. False — it reflects fairness/independence, not coldness. 16. True. 17. True.
- Model: Individualism (Chapter 2) — each person is the basic unit, so each orders and pays their own share; equality/fairness makes splitting feel right (no one indebted or burdened).
- Model: "I'm good with sparkling water, thanks — I don't drink!" (calm, no explanation owed).
- Model: Loss of communal, leisurely shared meals → solo desk-lunches and "food as fuel," with less daily connection and more loneliness (also diet-anxiety).
- Any three: arrive ~7:10–7:15 (not early); bring a small gift; host cooks (unless potluck); offer to help and accept "no"; eat ~an hour after arrival; make conversation; mind light table manners; don't overstay (leave ~10–10:30); thank and reciprocate.