Book I Unit 1 Section A Time-Conscious Americans Included in This Unit Are: Section A Time-Conscious Americans Section B Culture Shock I. Objectives
1) Listening: understanding words, sentences and passages 2) Speaking: practice conversation skills 3) 4) Writing: a paragraph of Genera statement supported by specific details and reasons 5) Translation: developing translation skills II. Important Points 1. vocabulary development---word power a) Learning words and expressions used to talk about Americans attitude towards time and how they try to save time. budget, acute, replace, abrupt, assess, whereas, interaction, convention in a hurry, under pressure, racing through daytime meals, in public eating-places, communicate through, faxes, phone calls, personal contacts, emails face-to-face conversation , sign in person, teleconference, obtain information, conduct business, worthy of proper respect, a sign of skillfulness, a sign of being competent, pour into capital, energy, and attention, result in, account for, by satellite b) Word building: noun formation using ment, ation, tion, sion, ion 2. Grammar c) subjunctive mood (3.1-3.6, student self-teaching) III. Difficult Points 1) finding out word meanings 2) Using “much less” and using “whereas “ to introduce a clause Section A
注重时间的美国人 美国人认为没有人能停止不前。如果你不求进取,你就会落伍。这种态度造就了一个投身于研究、实验和探索的民族。时间是美国人注意节约的两个要素之一,另一要素是劳力。 A Brief Introduction to the text
Communicating successfully with people of another culture is one of the most challenging things we do. Cultural differences cause most wars, political tensions and arguments between peoples and nations. Unless we learn how others’ beliefs, values and customs differ from ours, we will likely destroy this planet. We cannot automatically expect another culture to understand ours; all of us bear the responsibility of helping others to learn our ways. We must never stop learning about our cultural differences. Our lives depend on it. Step 2 Background Information 1. Cultural differences: Students and teachers need to be aware that the ethnocentric attitudes of writers are precisely the way cultural conflict is encouraged. Why is understanding a culture always the others’ responsibility? Is it not possible that each culture could be made aware of different conventions? Both sides must work at rising above cultural differences and be willing to compromise…and, in both cases, most likely neither side has access to the cultural conventions of the other so blaming is not the answer. Educating is. 2. Cultural shock: a term meaning strong feelings of discomfort, fear, or anxiety, which people may have when they enter another culture. Usually when a person moves to live in a foreign country, he/she may experience a period of culture shock until he/she becomes familiar with the new culture. Step 3
Warm-up activities
1. Proverbs about time 1) Time works wonders. 时间创造奇迹。 2) Time tries truth. 时间检验真理。 3) Time is the best healer. 时间是治愈创伤的良药。 4) Time and tide wait for no man. 时间不等人。(时不我待。) 5) All time is no time when it is past. 机不可失,时不再来。 The Spring Festival;
the Lantern Festival (元宵节);
the Mid-autumn Festival (中秋节);
the Dragon Boat Festival (端午节);
the Double Nine Festival(重阳节);
the Tomb-sweeping Day(清明节)
一)(三)时间是尺,万物皆检 Time tries friends as fire tries gold. (时间考验朋友,烈火考验黄金) 2. Discussion on the topic concerned in the text
1) What precious resource do Americans value and save? Time and labor. 2) Why is time so important for Americans? Because Americans think that time is a precious resource. 3) Why do Americans believe no one stands still? If you are not moving ahead, you are falling behind. 4) What labor-saving devices do Americans use in order to save time? Americans produce a steady flow of labor-saving devices: they communicate rapidly through faxes, phone calls or emails rather than through personal contacts. 5) How do Americans conduct business? Americans conduct business by meeting more and more through television screens, holding teleconferences to solve problems, instead of face-to face conversation. However, they will normally sign a final agreement in person. Step 4
Guidance on Understanding the Whole Text—Structure Analysis Details of the text & Further discussion 1. What do Americans believe according to the author and why? Americans believe no one stands still. If you are not moving ahead, you are falling behind. 2. What does this attitude result in? This attitude results in a nation of people committed to researching, experimenting and exploring. 3. How is time treated in Time is treated as if it were something almost real. People budget it, save it, waste it, steal it, kill it, cut it, account for it; they also charge for it. They do this because time is a precious resource. 4. What is a foreigner’s first impression of the Everyone is in a rush--- often under pressure. In the writer’s eyes, city people always appear to be hurrying to get where they are going, restlessly seeking attention in a store, or elbowing others as they try to complete their shopping. 5. What is the writer’s advice to the States “miss smiles, brief conversations, small exchanges with strangers”? And Why? Don’t take it personally. This is because people value time highly, and they resent “wasting” too much time. 6. What will many new arrivals to the They will miss the opening exchanges of a business call, the ritual interaction,, leisurely business chats, small exchanges , sweet smile and brief conversations. 7. Why will new arrivals to the States miss many social behaviors during a business call? This is because Americans generally assess and inquire about their visitors professionally rather than socially. They start talking business very quickly. Time is always ticking in their inner ear. 8. What does the author mean “The US is definitely a telephone country”? Almost everyone uses the telephone to conduct business, to chat with friends to make or break social appointments and so on. 9. How do Americans view the impersonality of electronic communication? The impersonality of electronic communication has little or no relation to the significance of the matter at hand. Now, have a discussion on the following question: 1. Americans have a saying “Time is money.” How do you understand it? Time is a precious resource. Time can bring profits. If we make good use of time and work efficiently, we may expect good results and big profits. On the contrary, if we work with tardiness, we’ll waste our precious time and gain less than we should gain. Therefore, time is really money and saving time is just like saving money. As individuals, we should treasure our limited time and let every minute count. 2. In America, there’s another saying about time: “We are slaves to nothing but the clock.” How do you understand this saying? American culture is a time-conscious culture and people value time highly. Time is treated as if it were something almost real. Many people have a rather acute(敏感的) sense of the shortness of each lifetime. Time is always ticking(滴答响) in their inner ear. As a result, sometimes people just feel helpless in front of time. They are under control of time and are slaves to the clock. Step 6 Key Words & Expressions
A: New words 1. budget vt. plan the spending of or provide (money) in a plan The company has ~ed $10 million for advertising. You should ~ time very carefully. vi. save or spend money (for a particular purpose) He ~ed for buying a new car. 为买新汽车而计划节省开支 adj. inexpensive; cheap A ~ flight / house n. Very often this word is used as a noun to mean a plan of how to spend money, etc. during a particular time for a particular purpose. balance one’s ~; a family ~; the government ~ for the coming year 2. acute: 1) (of feeling or the senses ) fine; sharp acute hearing/sense of smell Dogs have an acute sense of smell. 狗有敏锐的嗅觉。 2) intelligent acute understanding/ analysis/observations 敏锐的观察 3) serious, severe ~ pain; 剧痛 ~ lack of water 严重缺水 Food shortage has become acute in this area. cf. acute, sharp, keen sharp/ keen knife; acute/ sharp pain acute/ keen hearing/sense of smell 3. replace: 1) put sth. back where it was before The telephone line was dead. Cindy ~d the telephone handle. 搁上话筒 ~ the book on the shelf. 2) take the place of sb./ sth. George has ~d Edward as personnel manager/monitor. We’ll have to ~ those old computers with/by new ones. cf. substitute: Can you substitute for me at the meeting? They were substituting violence for dialogue. 以暴力取代对话 4. elbow: vt. push others out of the way using elbows She ~ed her way through the crowd. 从人群中挤了过去 n. joint where the arm bends 5. assess: vt. judge the quality, importance, or worth of assess→assessment self-assessment It’s too early to ~ the effects of the new law. 要评价新法令的效果现在还为时过早。 cf. assess 估价,评价 access 接近,入口 excess 超过 Access: The only access to the farmhouse is across the fields. Students must have access to good books. Excess: Luggage in excess of 100kgs will be charged extra. 6. conduct: vt. 1) organize or carry out ~ a survey/ experiment/ inquiry 2) music ~ the orchestra 3) act as the path for (electricity, heat, ect.) Plastic and rubber won’t ~ electricity, but copper will. 4) show sb sth The guide ~ed us round the castle. n. [U] He can’t distinguish good conduct from bad one. 7. whereas conj. But in contrast; while Our country has plenty of oil, whereas theirs has none. 他们国家石油丰富, 而我们国家则一点也没有。 We thought she did not like to talk to us, whereas in fact she was very shy. 我们以为她不喜欢我们,然而事实是因为她很害羞。 8. competent: adj. (of people ) having the necessary ability, skill, knowledge, etc. competent→competence He is ~ for the task. 能胜任这项任务 He is a ~ director. 称职的主任 cf. be competent for sth. /to do sth. be capable of (doing ) sth. He’s capable of working under pressure. be able to do sth. 9. fulfill: vt. 1) do or perform ~ a duty/promise/ the terms of a contract 履行 We ~ed our work ahead of time. 2) supply or satisfy ( a need, demand or requirement) ~ a desire/ hope/ dream The traveling library ~s an important need for people who live in the country areas. 流动图书馆满足了乡村居民的一项重要需求。 The company should be able to fulfill our requirements for product quality. 这家公司必须能满足我们对产品质量的要求。 B: Phrases 1. stand + adj / adj phrase (here “stand “ is used as a linking verb) The room ~s idle. = useless/ unoccupied 这间房间闲置着。 They stand opposed to the new law. 他们反对这项新法律。 2. result in (L.2) Bad living habits will result in disease. result in: have sth as a result, cause result from: be caused by Acting before thinking always results in failing. 做事不先考虑会导致失败。 The child’s illness resulted from eating unclean food. Nothing has resulted from his efforts. 他的努力终成泡影。 3. commit to (researching, experimenting and exploring)投身于(研究、实验和探索)(L.2) People of all walks of life have committed themselves to the fight against SARS. 各行各业的人们都已投身于抗击非典的战役中。 Paras 2 4. We are slaves to nothing but the clock. (L5) Meaning: We are under the control of time only and nothing else. slave to sth.: a person who is completely influenced or dominated by sth. a slave to drink 酒鬼 a slave to money 金钱的奴隶 nothing but: only The report contains ~ lies. 这篇报道满篇谎言。 He is ~ a criminal. 他只不过是个罪犯。 5. account for: 1)explain the cause of This corrupt official couldn’t account for the source of his income. 这个贪官无法解释他的收入来源。 His illness ~ his absence. 2)be the cause or origin of The sales of computer accounts for a high proportion of our company profits. 占了…的很大部分 6. count: here it means “to be very important” (not in progressive) (L10) If something counts, it is important and valuable. First impression really ~s. Every minute ~s. Paras 3-5 7. Racing through daytime meals is part of life in this country. (L13) Meaning: To eat their meals hurriedly during the day is part of Americans’ fast pace of life. race through: do sth. in a hurry I raced through the passage in order to get a main idea. The child raced through his homework in order to watch the football match on TV. 8. Don’t take it personally. (L18) Meaning: Don’t get upset because they treat everybody the same way. You mustn’t take her negative comments of your plan personally. 你不应该把她对你计划的批评当作对你个人的攻击。 9. interaction: n. (L23) 1) communication human-computer ~ /teacher-student ~ 2) acting on each other; working together complex ~ between mind and body 合作 10. go with: (L23) 1) exist or take place at the same time, be found together 伴随 Happiness does not go as an automatic result with money. 健全的头脑要有健康的身体。 Healthy mind goes with a healthy body. 2) be in harmony with 配合, 调和 These new curtains go well with your carpet. 11. Consequently, we work hard at the task of saving time. Meaning: As a result, we try our best to invent and produce things that can help save time. Consequently: ad. As a result, so, accordingly, hence, therefore The bank refused to help the company; ~ it went out of business. 公司因此倒闭了。
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文化冲击 |
你认为在异国留学是一件听上去非常令人兴奋的事情吗?你会像许多离家去另一个国家学习的年轻人一样感觉很有趣吗?这当然是一种崭新的经历,它会给你带来机会,让你发现许多迷人的东西,获得一种自由感。然而,尽管有这些好处,你也会遇到挑战。因为你的观点可能会与存在于不同国家的不同信念、准则、价值观念和传统发生冲突。你也许会感到很难去适应一种新的文化以及该文化中你不熟悉的那些部分。这就是“文化冲击”。人们经历文化冲击的过程至少包括四个主要阶段。 |
Step 1
Introduction (page 16)
The particular reading skill introduced for this unit is reading for the main idea in a paragraph. This skill is one of the most useful reading skills students can develop. Finding the main idea is necessary for the understanding of a piece of writing.
The main idea of a paragraph is usually stated by one of the sentences in the paragraph. The main idea sentence is commonly known as “a topic sentence” or “a topic statement”. It may appear in one of several places in the paragraph. Most frequently the first sentence of a paragraph states the main idea. However, the main idea sentence may also appear in other places: in the middle or at the end of a paragraph.
Please notice that sometimes there is no sentence in the paragraph which directly states the main idea. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a main idea in the paragraph, only the main idea is implied. In these cases you have to write a sentence to sum up the main idea of the paragraph.
Step 2
Words & Expressions:
A. Words & Phrases:
1. fascinating adj. having great attraction or delight
a ~ voice/ story
fascinate v.→ fascination n.
2. clash vi. / n.
clash with Their interests clashed with ours. 他们的利益与我们的相冲突。
a clash of/ between
There is a clash of personalities among them.
There is a boundary ~ between the two countries.
3. sth familiar to sb
sb familiar with sth.
This English song is very familiar to me.
He not only speaks English well, but also is familiar with the cultures in English speaking countries.
4. hostility n. strong reaction against; unfriendliness
I have no ~ towards anyone. 我对任何人都没有敌意。
Note: When the word is used to mean acts of war or fighting, it is used in its plural form.
The meeting led to and end of the hostilities between the two counties. 他们的会谈促成了双方停火。
hostile adj. They are ~ to reform.
5. distress ; vt. (usu. Passive) cause great pain or suffering
He was too ~ed to speak when he heard the news.
distress: n.
1) great pain, sadness, suffering
The sick man showed signs of ~. 病人显出很痛苦的样子。
2) suffering caused by lack of money
a company in funding ~ 陷入资金短缺状况的公司
3) a state of danger or great difficulty
Sent out a distress signal; the ship is sinking. 发出求救信号
6.acquire → acquisition
language acquisition
Children progressed quickly in the acquisition of basic skills. 孩子们在掌握基本技能方面进步很快。
7. alleviate: vt. ease; make sth. less severe
~ pain / loss of jobs 减轻疼痛/ 缓解失业问题
8. furthermore: ad. (fml) also; in addition to what has been said; moreover
The house is too small, and ~ it’s too far from the office.
B. Structure
1. It is desirable + to do sth.
For this job it is ~ to know something about medicine. 干这行最好懂点医学。
It is desirable that…(should)+v
It is desirable that she leave the company immediately. 明智的做法是她立即离开公司。
desirable←→undesirable
2. have difficulty (in) doing sth.
The preposition “in” is often omitted.
His English is very bad and I have great difficulty (in) understanding him.
She had no difficulty (in) learning English well.
have difficulty with + n. (The preposition can never be omitted in this case.)
The child seems to have a lot of difficulty with English grammar.
3. would rather + do sth : (used to express a choice) prefer to
Which would you rather do, go to cinema or stay at home?
He would rather lose his job than make false accounts.
Notice that “would rather” can be used with different subjects, to say that one person would prefer another to do something. In this case, we generally use a past tense with a present or future meaning.
I would rather you stayed with me tomorrow.
“Shall I open a window?” “I’d rather you didn’t.”
Step 3
Guidance on Understanding the Text
1. What does studying in a different country mean according to Paragraph 1?
It means meeting both advantages and challenges.
2. Could you explain the meaning of “culture shock”?
When you move to live in foreign country, your views may clash with the different beliefs, norms, values, and traditions that exist in different countries, you may have difficulty adjusting to a new culture and to those parts of the culture not familiar to you. This is culture shock.
3. How many stages will you experience when you enter a new culture according to the writer? And what are they?
Four. They are honeymoon, hostility, recovery and adjustment.
4. What do you feel in the “honeymoon”?
You feel excitement about living in a different place, and everything seems to be marvelous.
5. What do you tend to do in the hostility stay stage?
You become tired of many things about the new culture and keep alone.
6. When you are in the hostility stage, what defense mechanisms do you usually devise to feel better ?
Repression, regression, isolation and rejection.
7. Is the shock of the new culture permanent or temporary?
It’s temporary.
8. How do you feel about the new culture in the final stage of culture shock? And why?
I feel good because I understand what I didn’t understand before.
Testing section
Test yourself—multiple choices
1. The government has devoted a larger part of its national ___________ to agriculture than most other countries.
A. resources B. potential
C. budget D. economy
2. In western countries, it is the _________ for men to wear suits on formal occasions.
A. conviction B. convention
C. confession D. concession
3. The annual income of school teachers in this place was __________ at $ 900.
A. budget B. predicted
C. account D. assessed
4. His long illness and _____________ absence put him far behind in his study.
A. sequent B. consequent
C. frequent D. subsequent
5. If you want to learn English, you must first find a ____________ teacher.
A. able B. desirable
C. competent D. significant
6. Jane was the only one who _______ all the conditions: she was of the required age, height and degree.
A. fulfilled B. recovered
C. appreciated D. rejected
7. We ______ his idea for a music club, and decided to have an art club instead.
A. turned B. rejected
C. accepted D. isolated
8. I appreciate ________ herself to the cause of education.
A. of her devoting B. her to devote
C. her devoting D. to devote
9. It is most ________ that he attend the conference.
A. desirous B. desiring
C. desired D. desirable
10. The neighbors let their radio blare late in night just to ______ us.
A. spit B. despite
C. spite D. inspire
11. She couldn’t hide her _______ at his foolish mistake.
A. amusement B. fascination
C. hostility D. recognition
12. The publisher’s ______ of his manuscript depressed him.
A. ejection B. rejection
C. injection D. dejection
13. It is highly desirable that every effort _______to reduce pollution in
A. was made B. be made
C. will be made D. would be made
14. He is an artist, so these economic terms are not familiar _________ him.
A. with B. of
C. to D. on
15. Happiness does not necessarily ________ wealth.
A. go after B. go with
C. go on D. go out
Key to questions: 1-5 CBDBC 6-10 ABCDC 11-15 ABBCB
For fun
1. What fruit is never found singly?
Answer: a pear (pair)
2. Why are young men unwilling to date the daughter of the Fortunes?
Answer: Because she is Miss. Fortune. (misfortune)
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