英语学习策略与技巧教程教师用书unit12

Unit 12 Learning Culture
Aims and Objectives
The aim of this unit is to help students learn the English culture. The students will learn how
to learn English culture through
1. the English language.
2. learning about people and places.
3. increasing cultural awareness.
Tasks
1. Students will certainly come up with various definitions, just as famous people have
done. Encourage them to define in their own language first, and then compare their
own ideas with those provided. If they read the definitions first their ideas will be
influenced in such a way that they may find people have said what they had wanted to
say.
Here are some more definitions:
(1) The system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that the
members of society use to cope with their world and with one another, and that are
transmitted from generation to generation through learning.
(2) The systems of knowledge shared by a relatively large group of people.
(3) Culture is communication, communication is culture.
(4) Culture in its broadest sense is cultivated behavior; that is the totality of a person‘s
learned, accumulated experience which is socially transmitted, or more briefly,
behavior through social learning.
(5) A culture is a way of life of a group of people—the behaviors, beliefs, values, and
symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them, and that are
passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to the next.
(6) Culture is symbolic communication. Some of its symbols include a group's skills,
knowledge, attitudes, values, and motives. The meanings of the symbols are
learned and deliberately perpetuated in a society through its institutions.
(7) Culture consists of patterns, explicit and implicit, of and for behavior acquired and
transmitted by symbols, constituting the distinctive achievement of human groups,
including their embodiments in artifacts; the essential core of culture consists of
traditional ideas and especially their attached values; culture systems may, on the
one hand, be considered as products of action, on the other hand, as conditioning
influences upon further action.
(8) Culture is the sum of total of the learned behavior of a group of people that are
generally considered to be the tradition of that people and are transmitted from
generation to generation.
2. (1) Huang Shan did not make any grammar mistake.
(2) Robert felt embarrassed because he might have thought Ms. Huang was criticizing
his bad table manners.
(3) Huang Shan should have taken into consideration the cultural differences between
Chinese and English speaking people.
3. The answer is open ended.
4.
(1) Some rivers have rough surfaces with waves. That is usually because the water is
shallow and there are rocks near the surface. But deep rivers have no rocks near the
surface and the water is smooth and still. The proverb means that people w

ho are
calm and tranquil on the outside, often have a strong, ―deep‖ personality.
(2) The unusual structure of this proverb may make it difficult to understand. It
becomes easier if we change the structure to ―He who teaches all teaches ill.‖ The
word ―ill‖ here means ―badly‖. So the proverb means that the teacher who teaches
students everything, does not teach well. A good teacher lets students discover
some things for themselves.
(3) This proverb drops the verb ―to be‖. But we understand: ―It is better not to be taught
at all than to be taught badly.‖ It‘s better not to learn something than to learn it
badly.
(4) This proverb means ―Don‘t worry about problems before they arrive.‖
(5) Everybody will revolt if driven too far. Even the lowest of people, or animals, will
revolt and hit back at some stage. Even a worm, the simplest of animals, will defend
itself.
(6) There is a limit to everything. We can load the camel with lots of straw, but finally it
will be too much and the camel‘s back will break. And it is only a single straw that
breaks its back - the last straw.
(7) Some people think that women talk too much. If they already talk too much, they
don‘t need another tongue. One tongue is sufficient. This proverb is another way of
saying that women talk too much.
(8) If we have a problem, we may find the answer after a good night‘s sleep.
(9) This proverb suggests that we should not interfere in other people‘s business. We
should live our own lives and let others live their lives.
(10) ―Birds of a feather‖ means ―birds of the same type‖. The whole proverb means that
people of the same type or sort stay together. They do not mix with people of
another type.
4. (1) B 不要孤注一掷。
(2) B 覆水难收。
(3) B 一箭双雕。
(4) C 双鸟在林不如一鸟在手。
(5) B 与人方便自己方便。
(6) B 不入虎穴焉得虎子。
(7) B 新官上任三把火。
(8) B 这山望着那山高。
(9) B 小事聪明..大事糊涂..抓了芝麻..丢了西瓜..
(10) B 趁晴晒草..趁热打铁..
(11) B 明枪易躲..暗箭难防。
(12) B 杀鸡焉用牛刀。
5. (1) b, (2) a, (3) b, (4) b, (5) a, (6) a, (7) b, (8) a
6. (1) e, (2) g, (3) f, (4) a, (5) b, (6) c, (7) d
7. (1) hype: false publicity
(2) dodgy: bad
(3) dosser: a lazy person
(4) dosh: money
(5) whizz-kid: somebody who is very young and successful
(6) freebie: something free; gig: a concert
(7) naff: in bad taste
8. The Chinese equivalent for the English words are:
(1) Crosier: 权杖 (bishop‘s staff)
(2) Celebrant: 天主教主领弥撒的神父(priest who leads the service of the Mass)
(3) Lent..四旬斋..大斋期 (period of fasting and penitence observed by the Church)
(4) Pizza: 比萨饼 (Italian food, baked dough covered in tomato sauce and cheese)
(5) Pudding: 布丁 (type of dessert; custard, pie, soft creamy sweet food)
(6

) As stubborn as a mule. 犟如牛。
The difficulty in translating this group of words and expressions lies in the fact that they
have denotations or connotations which are completely new to non-English speakers.
Even if the translator tries to explain to help, it will not help much. To better understand
what these words and expression, one has to increase cultural knowledge.
9. None of the pairs of words and expressions mean the same.
(1) high school 是美国的中学。英国的中学叫 secondary school,
(2) 在英语中improve one‘s standard of living 表示―提高生活水平‖的意思..而汉语
中的 ―改善生活‖则不然..《人民日报》一则新闻中说..―我的邻居是一位六十多
岁的老太太..隔三差五..到街头饭馆改善一次生活。但每次都是去一家私人饭
馆。她说..原因不是别的..就是这家小饭馆服务态度好..总听到一声.里边请‘。‖
按中国的习惯用法..―改善生活‖在一般情况下指吃一顿或几顿比常吃的伙食较
好的饭菜等
(3) service station 是给汽车加油及进行简单维修的地方。
(4) busboy 与公共汽车没有任何关系..它指的是在餐馆中收拾的碗碟..擦桌子的
杂工。..美国英语..
(5) 前者指收回自己说的话..一般多用于强迫别人收回所说的话..使他丢脸。后者
指说了话不算数..答应了的事不去做。
(6) 前者是非常道地的英语成语..多用于口语..意思是―欣赏…或从…中得到极大
愉快‖。如..I got a kick out of watching those kids perform; their play made me
realize how strange and funny we grown..ups must seem to them....我非常欣赏孩
子们的表演。他们演的戏使我意识到。在他们看来..我们这些成人多么古怪和
可笑。..这与―踢‖这一动作本身毫无关系。
(7) 在美国英语中..rest room 是剧院、大商店或大建筑物中的一间房子..里面设有
厕所、盥洗设备等..供顾客、雇员等使用。这是浴室、厕所的委婉说法。汉语
中的―休息室‖应译为英语中的lounge 或 lobby。
(8) 前者是个成语..表示―自吹自擂‖..一般用来形容某人炫耀自己的成就、技能、
智力等。很像汉语中的―老王卖瓜..自卖自夸。‖如..If he‘s so successful..why does
he have to keep blowing his own trumpet....既然他干得很出色..干吗要整天自
我吹嘘呢....汉语中的―各吹各的号..各唱各的号‖则表示两个或几个人各干各
的事或各自坚持自己的看法..不能协调一致..与英语中的 each doing his own
thing 相近。
(9) political campaign 指英美政府职务的候选人为了树立自己的形象..争取选票而
组织 的活动..即竞选活动。
10. (1) apple pie is traditionally regarded as the quint an essential American dish. The term
now has extended expanded to refer to a situation or person reflecting American
values,

e.g. What the president is saying is as American as apple pie.
(2) easy as pie means very easy, e.g. That exam was easy as pie.
(3) slice/share/piece of the pie means a share of something such as money, profits, etc.,
e.g. The smaller companies want a bigger share of the pie.
(4) be as nice as pie (spoken): If someone is as nice as pie, he or she is are very nice to
you when you were expecting them to be angry, e.g. I told her about the broken
window and she was as nice as pie about it.
(5) pie in the sky means something good that someone is promising or suggesting, but
which you do not think will happen, e.g. The idea of full employment is just pie in
the sky.
(6) have a finger in every pie means to be involved in many activities and have
influence on over them, used especially when you think someone has too much
influence, e.g. He‘s the kind of person who wants to have a finger in every pie.
11. In British and American culture, time is seen as a valuable commodity. It is limited, and
has to be used carefully to accomplish our goals. It is tangible: one can ―gain time‖,
―spend time‖, ―waste time‖, ―save time‖, or even ―kill time‖! Common questions in
English reveal this concrete quality as though time were possessions. Do you have any
time? Can you get some time for this? How much free time do you have? Time is often
compared to money.
12. 1) (1)b, (2)c, (3)c, (4)b, (5)c, (6)b
2) (1)a, (2)a, (3)b, (4)a, (5)b, (6)c
13. Most likely The same transactions are most likely to would be carried out in silence in
China. Students may express different opinions according to their personal experience.
14. Some students may claim to be superstitious, others not superstitious. In China, magpies
are signs of good luck, and breaking a mirror is a sign of something bad. These two seem
to be similar to with those in English speaking countries. The other images mentioned are
not found in China. One thing worth mentioning is that in different parts (areas) of the
same country people may have different superstitions. Therefore, it is a good idea to have
students share their ideas. None of these superstitions can be explained logically.
15.
Festival Time of
celebration
Festival Time of celebration
New Year‘s Day January 1st Easter Depending on the
calendar - can be
celebrated in March or
April
Valentine‘s Day February 14th Mother‘s Day the 2nd Sunday in May
St. Patrick‘ Day March 17th Father‘s Day the 3rd Sunday in June
April Fools Day April 1st Halloween October 31st
Thanksgiving the 4th Thursday
of November
Christmas December 25th
Independence Day July 4th Boxing Day December 16th
16.
17. (1)F, (2)T, (3)T, (4)F, (5)F, (6)F
You may have students read the following passage after they have completed the task to
check their own answers.
American Classroom Customs
If the teacher asks a question, you are expected to give an answer. If you do n

ot
understand the question, you should raise your hand and ask the teacher to repeat the
question. If you do not know the answer, it is all right to tell the teacher that you do not
know. Then he or she knows what you need to learn.
There is no excuse for not doing your homework. If you are absent, you should call
your teacher or someone who is in your class and ask for the assignment. It is your
responsibility to find out what assignments you have missed. It is not the teacher's
responsibility to remind you of missed assignments.
You must not be absent on a test day. If you are seriously ill, call and let the teacher
know you will not be there for the test. If your teacher allows make-up tests, you should
take the test within one or two days after returning to class. Serious illness is the only
reason for missing a test.
Be on time! It is considered rude to be late. Also, it bothers other students. If you
must come in late, be sure to do it quietly. Have your books and papers out of your bag
before you come into the room. Then go to your seat and sit quietly. In the U.S. it is not
necessary to knock before you enter the classroom. Most of the ELC teachers will give
you a low grade if you are often late.
Have your book out and be ready to begin when the class starts. Your teacher
should not have to ask you every day to take out your book. Be sure you have a paper
and a sharp pencil ready.
In America, you should call your teacher by his or her last name, not "teacher".
Also you should use Mr., Miss, Ms. or Mrs. before the last name (such as Mrs. Smith or
Mr. Jones). This is considered polite. The teacher will tell you his or her preferred title.
Be courteous to other students. If another student is answering a question, giving a
report or an explanation, you should listen quietly and give them your attention.
Everyone must be treated with the same respect you would like them to give to you.
Also, the question they are asking may be something you need to know.
It is considered impolite in the U.S. to eat, drink or chew gum during class. This is
reserved for the break. Also, removing one's shoes in the classroom is not polite.
If you must leave during class, do so quietly. There is no need to ask the teacher's
permission. However, leaving the class for something other than an emergency is not
acceptable. (Getting a drink or sharpening your pencil is not considered an emergency.)
Copying another student's test or paper is never acceptable. It is called cheating. At
BYU and most schools in the U.S., students who cheat are expelled (kicked out).
Posters, bulletin boards, or any other thing hanging on the wall is considered
property of the school and shouldn't be written on or removed without permission. (A
sign-up sheet may be written on, but only put your name on it.)
It is not acceptable to put up any sign, announcement or advertisement without first
getting permission from t

he school office.
Books, backpacks, lunches--anything that belongs to other people is considered
private and should not be moved or tampered with.
Entering a teacher's office or any office with a closed door without knocking first is
not acceptable. Knock first, then wait to be invited in.
It is not considered polite to yell at people to get their attention. When talking in a
group, you should not speak so loudly as to disrupt others who are close by.
Wearing a hat in class is considered impolite by many teachers. Some
teachers/programs may ignore it, but you should ask permission first.
18. Students may have different opinions and things are changing too.
(1) S
(2) D, Young people in China go on dates when they are older (students may have
different opinions)
(3) D, Sometimes parents choose dates for their children.
(4) S
(5) D, Seldom is this the case in China, probably because private cars are still not so
popular.
(6) D, Rarely is this the case in China. Only a few women would do this, probably
because of the power of tradition.
(7) S
(8) S
19. (1)T, (2)T, (3)T, (4) T, (5)F
If someone says ―Let me be mother‖ or ―Shall I be mother‖, they are offering to pour out
the tea from the teapot.
20. (1)d, (2)c, (3)a, (4)b
21. (1) The students should have said ―Good morning, Mark!‖ or "Good morning, Sir!"
English speaking people do not use the word ―teacher‖ to address their teacher.
(2) The students should have said ―Miss Horniman‖ because it is the family name not
the first name.
(3) President Truman had thought Shek was the Family name. (Notice the different
order between Chinese names and English names.)
(4) Chinese people seem to like greeting people by asking the obvious. For example,
we often ask ―(Are you) going to the library?" "(Are you) going to the classroom?"
etc. when we are actually greeting them. The student should have said something
like ―Hi!‖, ―Hello!‖ or ―Nice to see you again.‖
(5) and (6) English-speaking people usually respond to compliment by saying ―Thank
you.‖
22. Answers will vary according to individual students.
23. (1) In British culture the bank clerk‘s question would be regarded as an indirect
invitation to lunch, and between unmarried young people it indicates the young man‘s
interest in dating the girl. Since the bank clerk was a complete stranger to Helen, she was
taken aback.
(2) No, her conclusion was not correct. In fact, the question had no real significance. It
was merely a greeting. People around Helen asked her the question in English, though
the question was a typical Chinese way of greeting. Tell students to have a discussion on
the form and function of language.
Home Assignment
1. People with different cultural backgrounds would interpret the notice in different ways.
In English culture people do not eat dogs, therefore, they would assume that the butcher
is telling the c

ustomers that for reasons of hygiene, dogs should not be taken into the
shop. However, for people from a different culture, e.g. China, the notice might mean that
the butcher is apologizing for having run out of dog meat. Since this notice is written in
English and in an English-speaking background, we choose a as the correct
interpretation.
2. (1)black, (2)blue, (3)red, (4)white, (5)blue, (6)colors, (7)green, (8)yellow, (9)purple
Explanations of these color expressions:
black sheep - someone who is considered unpleasant or disreputable
grey mood - lacking hope
red tape - bureaucracy
white elephant - an article or a household utensil no longer wanted by its owner
feel/be/become blue - depressed
with flying colors - very successfully
green thumb - an ability to make plants grow well
a yellow streak - a trace of cowardliness
purple with rage - extremely angry
3. (1)f, (2)g, (3)a, (4)b, (5)i, (6)e, (7)c, (8)d, (9)j, (10)h
4. Superstitions mentioned here are:
(1) The bride should not allow her bridegroom to see her on the wedding day before she
gets to the church.
(2) The bride should leave off some part of her whole ―ensemble‖.
(3) To be kissed by a passing chimney sweep is very good luck.
(4) When the newly married couple reach their new home, the bride should be carried
over the threshold by the bridegroom to avoid the evil spirits that gather at the threshold.
5. Many Chinese words have denotations that are completely new to native speakers of
English. As a matter of fact, the things these words denote do not exist in English
culture at all. Without understanding Chinese culture, it would be difficult for foreign
learners to know what 五讲四美 means. The difficulty in translating this group of
words and expressions lies in the fact that they have denotations and connotations which
are completely new to English speakers. Even if the translator tries to explain to help, it
will not help much. To better understand what these words and expressions, one has to
increase cultural knowledge of the Chinese language and its culture.
Possible English translations for these words are (sadly dissatisfying to show students
how difficult it is to find satisfactory translation):
守岁: see the old year out and the new year in;, stay up late or all night on New Year‘s
Eve
三好学生: three-good student 小康生活: comfortably-off life
黄色书刊: pornographic books magazines 您老高寿..How old are you?
旗袍: the cheongsam 文明单位: civilized units 红白喜事: weddings and funerals
红光满面: (one‘s face) glowing with health
您贵姓..免贵姓张。May I know your name, please? My family name is Zhang.
下海: go to do business 三个代表: three represents
又红又专: red and expert; both socialist-minded and professionally qualified
鼠目寸光: short-sighted
夏练三伏..冬练三九: In summer keep exercising during the hottest days..

In winter do
the same thing during the coldest weather.
6. In almost all the situations behavior in the UK or the US is different from behavior in
China.
In China
(1) When people are invited to a party, they very rarely take a bottle of wine, let alone
bottles of beer.
(2) When invited to a dinner party, it seems common for some people to arrive later
than the appointed time.
(3) At an informal party, only some people introduce themselves, others wait to be
introduced. Consequently people may stay strangers even if they have been to the
same party.
(4) When people are being introduced, they sometimes make direct eye-contact with the
other person.
(5) After a formal introduction, people often use full names.
(6) Men and women friends never kiss each other on the cheek in public.
(7) People may try to start a conversation with someone they don‘t know by making a
comment about the weather, but not always.
(8) People may try to start a conversation by complimenting the other person.