Unit Seven   Culture

Part 1  Listening, Understanding and Speaking

Listening I 

Exercise 1 F F T T T F F F

Exercise 2

1)cold open outgoing 2)overpowering  friendly  3）long time  for life 4) accent  country  loud behavior  language 5)closer  distance

Script:

Interviewer：so ,Terry. You have been in England for quite a long time now.

Terry ：    Mmm.

Interviewer：What differences do you notice between England and the United States?

Terry：     Obviously the biggest difference  is  the  people .The average Englishman is ~~mm, cold and not very open. you know, when I first came ,I could not

Interviewer：Oh.

Terry：     In the United States it is very different. We start conversations with people in the street, in the subway ；we are a lot more outgoing than people here. You know, when I first came, I could not understand why I was getting so little reaction from people, but now I see that they thought I was overpowering and too friendly too soon.

Interviewer：But tell me: Does the Englishman improve as you get to know him?

Terry：     Oh, yes

Interviewer：Oh ,good

Terry：     Once you have made a friend, it is a friend for life, but it takes a very long time . I will tell you something that I think is very important. An Englishman in America is respected. Everyone wants to talk to him. We are inquestive. We love his acent and his country. But Americans in  England are thought to be a little inferior because of their loud behavior and their language. One thing I have learned is that English people like a certain distance. When I was talking to someone, he would move away, you know, move backwards, and I thought , “Do I smell ?Am I  boring him ?” The reason is you see, Americans stand closer when they are talking while English people like a certain distance.

 

Listening II 

Exercise 1  1)C 2)A 3)D 4)C 5)C

Exercise 2 

l. lost  2.India  3.settle/stay  4.compare  5.water  6.spoil  7.sugar  8.stay

Script:

Many centuries ago, a group of Jews landed in India and immediately went to the king . They told him that they were lost and wanted to settle in his kingdom.

  In those days any foreigner was viewed with suspicion. So the king was hesitant about letting them in .He sent for one glass of milk and added some water. He asked the leader of the Jews to taste the milk. The he poured out some milk and added some water .He asked the leader to taste the milk again and  said ,”What is the difference in taste?”

  The  leader said,“The second time the milk tastes terrible.”“That is because of the water added to the milk” said the king ，“The water dilutees the milk and spoils its taste. So too your addition will spoil the kingdom.”The leader of the milk and asked the king to taste it .”I t tastes sweet,” said the king

   The leader of the Jews bowed his head and said,“Oh，Your Majesty! That is how we would like to live here :as the small amount of sugar which sweetens the large quantity of milk and not as the water which dilutes the milk.” Pleased with him, the king granted them permission to stay.

Listening III

Exercise 1  1-E  2-B  3-G  4-A  5-D  6-F  7-C

Exercise 2  1. European  2. 1:00p.m. ,4:30p.m.  3. brown  4. party  5. stand

Script:

Different cultures adhere to different business customs. For example, the British consider it impolite to interrupt a visitor, even after all business has been done. Thus a visitor should know when to stop talking and when to leave.

Spanish business people need to see samples, so samples of products or services should be offered whenever possible. Visitors also need to know that in Spain offices and retail establishments generally close from 1:00 p.m. to as late as 4:30 p.m. In addition, black shoes, not brown, are considered proper for business occasions. The Spanish historically have favored black.

In Scandinavia and Finland, business guests may be asked to shed their clothes and join their hosts in a sauna. The invitation is a sign that a good working relationship has been established.

In Denmark, a visitor who is invited to a business associate’s home should take flowers or some unusual food.

In Norway, the visitor is expected to send a gift the way after a dinner.

In France, one sends flowers before visiting a home for dinner, but not chrysanthemums; they’re for funerals. More than flowers and gifts, the French expect a business visitor to give a party after major dealings.

In Germany, flowers are an appropriate gift to take to a business colleague’s wife when invited to dinner, but not red roses; they’re for lovers. Here men are expected to stand when a   woman rises from the table and when she returns. Fortunately, German women have reached a silent understanding that when one has to be excused, the other women leave also.  

 

Listening IV

Exercise 1  4, 7, 6, 1, 3, 8, 2, 5     

Exercise 2  F T T F F

Script:

A Hindu priest, rabbi and a lawyer were driving down the road when the car broke down. Fortunately, they found a farmhouse nearby. The farmer informed them that he had only one spare room, and that it had only two twin beds.

They were welcome to it, but one of them had to sleep in the barn. After much discussion, the Hindu volunteered to go to the barn. A few moments later, there was a knock on the bedroom door, and the Hindu explained that there was a cow in the barn, and cows were sacred and he could not possibly sleep in the barn with a cow.

Annoyed, the rabbi volunteered. A few moments later, there was a knock on the door. The rabbi explained that there was a pig in the barn and that he, being very orthodox, could not possibly spend the evening in the barn with the origin of pork.

Finally, the lawyer said that he would go to the barn. A few moments later, there was a knock on the door. It was the cow and the pig!  

 

Part 2  Viewing, Understanding and Speaking

Exercise 1  T T F T F T T F     

Exercise 2

1. stupid mistakes   2. lovely ones; make  3. eve; entirely  4. finished; fixes    5. symbol of death

6. on time; alone    7. remind; in front of    8. what we do; right away

 

Part 3  Video Appreciation and Singing for Fun

Exercise 1  A C B D C B

Exercise 2 

1. culture  2. nation  3. mix  4. ceremonies  5. celebrations  6. recognized  7. worn  8. distinctive  9. everyday wear   10. varies

 

Part 4  Further Listening

Listening I 

1.      walk  2. matter  3. both  4. leave  5. share  6. shake  7. offer  

8. Promptness is important both in Britain and in America.

9. There is an old story about a man who gave a normal dinner party.

10. It would have been bad manners to make his guest feel foolish or uncomfortable.

Scripts:

Customs differ from country. Does a man walk on the left or on the right of a woman in you country? Or doesn’t it matter? What about table manners? Should you use both hands when you are eating? Should you leave one in you lap , or on the table?

  The Americans and the British not only speak the same language but also share a large number of social customs .For example, in both America and England people shake hands when they meet each other for the first time. Also, most Englishmen will open a door for a woman or offer their seat to a woman，and so will most Americans. Promptness is important both in England and in America. That is, if one is invited to a dinner at 7 o’clock, the dinner guest either arrives close to that time or calls up to explain his delay .

The important thing to remember about social customs is not to do anything that might make other people feel uncomfortable—especially if they are your guests. There is an old story about a man who gave a normal dinner party .When the food was served, one of the guests started to eat his peas with a knife. The other guests were surprised, but the host quietly picked up his knife and began eating in the same way. It would have been bad manners to make his guest feel foolish or uncomfortable.

 

Listening II

Exercise 1  C D E G

Exercise 2  T T F F F T T T

Scripts:

Throughout the world children are taught not to stuff their mouthswith food, to eat politely at the table and not to be ”piggish” with their eating habits. However, more and more countries have eating contests in which as much food is eaten as fast as possible, and no one cares about manners.

Today, eating contests have become a sport in many countries including Japan, the US, Canada, Germany, Thailand, England, Russia and Scotland. In the U.S., the best known eating contest is Nation’ s restaurant in Coney Island, New York City’s popular beach and amusement park. The contest was first held in 1916 and has been held each year except 1947 and 1971.The all-time world record is held by Takeru Kobayashi of Japan, who ate 50 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes. Recently, a tiny     Korean American woman, Sonya Thomas, came in fourth, eating 25 hot dogs in 12 minutes. This broke the women’s record.

Sonya Thomas hold several eating records.  She ate 23 pork sandwiches in 10 minutes at a contest in Mississippi, and at a competition in Indiana, she shocked the crowd by eating 65 hard-boiled eggs in only 6 minutes and 40 seconds. She thinks her biggest win was when she ate 36 dozen oysters in 10 minutes .Despite all the food she eats, Sonya weights less than 45 kg. She keeps fit by eating lots of rice, vegetables and chicken and walks on a treadmill 4 times a week .She also says that when she is not competing in a contest she likes leisurely meals.

 

Listening III  

Exercise 1  1)C 2)C 3)B 4)D 5)D 6)A

Exercise 2  T F F T F T

Scripts:

When people live in a new country, they often find it uncomfortable to adjust to life in the new culture. They might feel confused, anxious or lonely, especially when the new culture is greatly different from their own. These feelings are called symptoms of culture shock.

There are 3 stages of culture shock. In the first stage, the newcomers like their environment.

Then, when the newness wears off, they begin to hate the city, the country, the people etc. in the new culture. In the final stage of culture shock, the newcomers begin to adjust to their surroundings and again enjoy their life.

  Some of the factors in culture shock are obvious. Maybe the weather is unpleasant. Perhaps the customs are difficult to figure out and you make mistakes. The simplest things seem difficult. The language may be difficult. The food may seem strange to you and you may miss the familiar smalls of the food of your own country. If you don't look like the natives, you may feel strange. You may feel like everyone is watching you. In fact, you are just self-conscious.

  Culture shock may produce a feeling of homesickness, imagined illness, or even unreasonable fear. When people have such feelings, they sometimes feel like staying inside all the time. They want to protect themselves from the unfamiliar environment.

 

Listening IV 

Exercise 1   1 2 5

Exercise 2   A D A B B D

Scripts:

(An American traveler, John Smith, has just arrived in Britain. He wants to know something about British pubs, so he is

talking with a British pub owner.)

•• John Smith:   Pub is a funny word. Why are pubs called pubs?

• Pub Owner:   It’s short for public house, a place that has a special license to sell drinks.

• John Smith:   Why do most pubs have signs hanging outside?

• Pub Owner:   Because until the beginning of this century, most people couldn’t read. So a picture was best for showing travelers where they could get a drink.

• John Smith:   I see, but I’ve noticed in British that a lot of the pubs have the same name. I’ve seen three called The Red Lion. Why?

• Pub Owner:   Well, many years ago, huge areas of British were owned by a few families, and innkeepers named their pubs after these families who each had their own family symbol. A red lion was the Gaunt family’s symbol. The Tudors had a greyhound. That’s why so many pubs all over the country have the same name. Other pubs got their names from religious events, ways of traveling, sports , jobs, famous people, famous battles and so on. Studying pub names is a really good way of learning a bit about our history.

• John Smith:   Your pub’s a “free house”. What’s that?

• Pub Owner:   It doesn’t mean that the drinks are free! Most pubs are owned by big breweries which sell only their own beer. But some landlords, like me, own their own pubs. We’re free to sell any beer from any brewery.

• John Smith:   This beer is lovely and different.

• Pub Owner:   We call it real ale. It’s usually made by small local breweries so each type has a different taste. It’s normally much stronger than the beer made by big breweries—when you’re traveling round England you should try to taste some of the different types.