1、In this unit, you will read about the characteristics of western cultures; learn how to design an invitation letter; practice how to guess the meaning of the unknown words through Inference/General Knowledge Clues and Contrast/Antonym Clues; be required to finish 9 tasks so as to achieve the objecti
2、ves.Unit 1Unit 1 Western CulturesUnit 1Part 1Topic IntroductionPart 2Reading Skill FocusPart 3Practical ReadingPart 4Comprehensive ReadingMore and more people are working in multicultural environments nowadays. The understanding of other coworkerscultures is becoming increasingly important. The cont
3、ents in this unit give you a general picture of American culture and British culture, which will help you have a better understanding of western cultures.In this unit，you may meet s o m e p a r t i c u l a r t e r m s commonly used in explaining cultures and lifestyles. Check t h e f o l l o w i n g
4、 w o rd s & expressions and see whether you know their meanings. Use a dictionary to help you if necessary.Task 1：Lead-in ExerciseWords & ExpressionsMeaningscustom symbolismstereotypebowler hatassimilatemannerpersonal spaceslangpubdemeanorn. 习惯，风俗习惯，风俗n. 象征意义象征意义n. 模式化概念模式化概念n. 圆顶高帽，礼帽圆顶高帽，礼帽v. 使同化，
5、吸收使同化，吸收n. 礼貌，举止礼貌，举止个人空间个人空间n. 俚语俚语n. 酒吧，酒馆酒吧，酒馆n. 行为，风度，举止行为，风度，举止Successful readers use a variety of methods to deal with a word they do not know. They may study the formation or parts of the word, or they may make use of its definition, synonym or antonym provided by the author to work out the m
6、eaning. Determining the meaning through the context is the most effective method for handling an unknown word. That is, the readers examine the sentence in which the word appears, or even the sentence before and after the word. When the surrounding text contains a hint or suggestion to help determin
7、e the meaning of the unknown word, we refer to this hint or suggestion as a context clue. There are commonly six types of context clues:1. Inference /General Knowledge（推论/常识）2. Contrast /Antonym Clues（对比/反义）3. Restatement /Synonym Clues（重述/同义）4. Example Clues（示例）5. Cause and Effect Relationship（因果关系
8、）6. Definition Clues（定义）Context Clues (1)We will discuss the six types of context clues from Unit 1 to Unit 4. In this unit, we will begin with Inference /General Knowledge Clues and Contrast /Antonym Clues.Inference/General Knowledge CluesSometimes a word or phrase is not immediately made clear wit
9、hin the same sentence. Relationships, which are not directly apparent, are implied. The reader must look for clues within, before, and after the sentence in which the word is used.Contrast/Antonym CluesIn some sentences, we will find two words with opposite meanings. If we know the meaning of one wo
10、rd, we will be able to guess the meaning of the other word. The clue words commonly used in the sentences are:Guided ExampleGuided ExampleGuided ExampleI cant believe it! Right in the middle of our conversation, Peter turned around abruptly and walked out of the room!abruptly: _Clue : _Try to figure
11、 out the Chinese meanings of the underlined words in the following sentences or paragraphs and identify what the clues are.Task 2：Lets TryPractice 1突然地，唐突地首先，第一句话表明说话人对于后面发生的事情感到非常惊讶。从第二句话中，我们得知：“当我们正在谈话时，彼得很唐突地（abruptly）转身离开了房间”，这就是说话人为什么感到吃惊的原因。因此abruptly的意思是“突然地，唐突地”。During office hours he looked
12、 very tense and anxious, but on the weekends he was very relaxed.tense: _Clue : _Practice 2紧张的“but” 这个线索词表明“tense”与“relaxed”的词义形成对比，由此可以猜出“tense”这个词含有“紧张”的意思。Unlike the well-mannered John, Jim was rather uncouth.uncouth: _Clue : _Practice 3粗鲁的“unlike”这个线索词表明在原句中John和Jim在行为举止方面是截然相反的，John彬彬有礼（well-ma
13、nnered），由此可以推测出uncouth的意思是“粗鲁的”。Like most countries and societies, Britain has a rich and varied culture, which is formed by the UKs history as a developed island country, a major power, and its composition of four partsEngland, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Each of the four parts has disti
14、nct customs, cultures and symbolism. The following tips will help a new comer to adapt to British position:_Clue: _distinct: _Clue: _Practice 4组合its composition of four parts后面的破折号起到了解释说明的作用，后面列举了英格兰、苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰，说明此处想说英国是由这四个部分组成的，因此可以推断composition的意思是“组合”的意思。不同的，独特的主语each说明该句想表达的是组成英国的四个部分中的每一个都是有
15、自己特点的，因此可以推断distinct的意思是“不同的，独特的”。Forget the stereotypes. When people think of Britain, they often think of the royal family, people drinking tea in the afternoon, eating fish and chips and wearing bowler hats. However, many of the long established stereotypes simply are not relevant in Britain toda
16、y. Dont assume that everyone drinks tea in the afternoon, and you wont see anyone wearing bowler hats on streets. Giving up preconceived ideas of people and culture will allow you to be more openminded and readily able to assimilate the culture you find yourself in.relevant: _Clue: _preconceived: _C
17、lue: _Practice 5相关的句首的however表示此句想表达与上一句相反的意思。也就是说那些老套的模式化观念是不对的，relevant前面有not，因此推测relevant的意思是“相关的”。预先的，预想的前文提到，不要认为英国人都喝下午茶，而且你也不会在街上看到戴高帽子的人。这些都是人们对英国人的一贯印象，而此句的意思接着说要“放弃想法”，这个想法指的就是人们对英国人的刻板的印象，因此可推断preconceived意思是“预想的”。Mind your manners. Good manners are important in British culture, and you d
18、ont want to come across as rude.“Please,”“thank you”and“excuse me”are all expected expressions. Always apologize for bumping into someone, even if it was their fault. Respect peoples personal space and always wait in line.rude: _Clue: _fault: _Clue: _Practice 6粗鲁的前半句提示，好的礼貌是很重要的，因此后半句中说的你不想给人留下的印象，应
19、该与好的礼貌是相反意思的，因此推断rude是“粗鲁的”。错误even if表示让步，也就是说“撞到人一定要道歉，即使这是他们的错”。因此推断fault的意思是“错误”。Accept the jokes. One of the most confusing aspects of British culture is humor. Bantering, ribbing, or“taking the mickey”are all ways to describe making fun of someone but this isnt necessarily a bad thing, since te
20、asing someone is a common way to show affection. As one Briton put it,“you never make fun of someone you dont like.”banter: _Clue: _affection: _Clue: _Practice 7开玩笑后半句就是对前面三个词bantering, ribbing和taking the mickey的解释，即开玩笑。因此推断banter的意思是“开玩笑”。喜欢跟某人开玩笑是为了表示affection, 而下一句继续说，你不会跟不喜欢的人开玩笑，因此推断affection和“
21、不喜欢”意思相反，即“喜欢”。Practice 8Know the slang used in British culture. The bathroom is a loo and an elevator is a lift. If youre at a pub and you want potato chips, dont ask for chips or you will get French fries. Instead, ask for crisps.crisps: _Clue: _炸薯片根据句意，crisps和potato chips是一个意思，即“炸薯片”。Americans do
22、 not generally stand very close to each other when conversing, keeping about arms length apart. However, they may spontaneously touch one another on the arm or shoulder during conversation. It is common for couples to hold hands or show affection in public. When sitting, both men and women are often
23、 casual when circumstances allow, and they may prop their feet up on chairs or place the ankle of one leg on the knee of the other. In more formal settings, however, it is often considered inappropriate to slouch or be too casual in demeanor.inappropriate: _Clue: _Practice 9不适合的句中的however表示转折，因此同样的行
24、为在正式场合下就是不合适的，因此推断inappropriate的意思是“不合适的”。Invitation LettersA letter of invitation, or invitation letter, is a key business letter that is typically used to invite clients or customers to special events. Invitation letters need to be short, persuasive, and informative.The following is an example of
25、an invitation letter.Read the following introduction to invitation letters and the example, and then complete the statements below.Task 3：Knowing about Invitation LettersIn this part, you will read an invitation letter inviting people to attend a lecture about Chinese traditional culture, which may
26、show you the basic components of an invitation letter.1. The lectures are intended to introduce _.2. The lectures are held by _.3. The lecture held on August 18th is about _.4. Participants need to confirm attendance by _ and handing it in at _.5. The place for the lectures is _.Chinese traditional
27、cultureBeijing International Media CenterChinese Traditional Musicfilling out a formCulture Events Information DeskPress Conference Hall 2 (Level 2, Block B, BIMC)Read each of the target words below. Think about how well you know it and check () the appropriate column.Task 4：Previewing VocabularyIn
28、this part, you will read a longer and more complete article and practice your comprehensive reading skills.Before You ReadTargetWords(I have）Never seen the word before Seen the word but am not sure what it means Seen the word and understand what it means Used the word, but a m n o t s u r e whether
29、it was correctU s e d t h e w o r d confidently in either speaking or writingsuburbanbriefcoreprimaryindividual TargetWords(I have）Never seen the word before Seen the word but am not sure what it means Seen the word and understand what it means Used the word, but a m n o t s u r e whether it was cor
30、rectU s e d t h e w o r d confidently in either speaking or writingpursuestriveunique innovative egocentricunitydefineequivalententrepreneurmobilityrelativelytransportationTargetWords(I have）Never seen the word before Seen the word but am not sure what it means Seen the word and understand what it m
31、eans Used the word, but a m n o t s u r e whether it was correctU s e d t h e w o r d confidently in either speaking or writingadventuremigratestablenativeimmigrantAs you read the following selection, think about the answer to this question: What are the characteristics of American Culture? Read the
32、 selection. Do not use a dictionary. Then do the exercises that follow the reading.Task 5：Reading This ArticleAs You ReadAmerican Culture When most people think about“American culture”, images of Coca- Cola, hot dogs, baseball games, big cars and suburban houses come to mind. But there is a deeper s
33、ide of American culture than Hollywood1 and Disney World2. Here is a brief look at several cultural aspects that influence the way Americans think and act.Individualism The core of American culture is individualism: belief in the primary importance of the individual and the importance of personal in
34、dependence. Americans tend to put their personal needs first; they pursue individual benefit and enjoyment rather than collective interest; and they emphasize on achieving individual value by self-strive and self-design.American individualism has its pros and cons. People are encouraged to express t
35、hemselves in unique ways. They admire those who do something new and innovative. Perhaps this is one reason why so many technological inventions and new ideas have come from the US. On the other hand, it is difficult to keep good relationships among people if everyone is egocentric, which makes the
36、entire society lack unity.Work: You Are What You DoOne of the first questions that Americans ask each other when they meet is,“So, what do you do?”This is a common question because most people in the US define who they are by the work they do. Americans have a very strong sense of success. They beli
37、eve that ones personal value is equivalent to his achievements in his career. Some high achievers in their career such as entrepreneurs, scientists, artists and all kinds of super stars become modern heroes. The process of how they strived has become the real- life textbook for parents to educate th
38、eir children.Mobility American society has great movements within itself. These movements are shown in two aspects: movements among locations and movements inside the society. The United States are relatively more open and have more freedom. Developed transportation and the tradition of adventure an
39、d mobility make a lot of American migrate from countryside to cities, from downtown to uptown; and from north to the southern sunny land, from one city to another. The social classes in America are not so stable, and movements upwards along the social ladder are possible. Many people living in the S
40、tates, no matter whether they are natives or immigrants from overseas, have the same dream of changing their social classes and making their lifetime dream come true through their own efforts. This is what they often called“American dream3”. (408 words)Word Listhot dog suburban brief core primary in
41、dividual pursuestrive unique innovative egocentric unity Defineequivalent /sbbn/ /brif/ /k(r)/ /pramri/ /ndvdul/ /psju/strav/ /junik/ /nvetv/ /egsentrk/junti/ /dfan/ /kwvlnt/ adj. adj. n. adj. n. vt. n. adj. adj. adj. n. vt. adj. 热狗郊区的简洁的，简明的核心，精髓首要的，主要的个人追求努力，奋斗独特的创新的自我为中心的团结，一致定义相等的，相当的Word Listen
42、trepreneur mobilityrelatively transportation adventure migratestable nativeimmigrant/ntrprn(r)/ / mblti/reltvli/ /trnspten/ /dvent(r)/magret/stebl/ /netv/mgrnt/n. n.adv. n. n. vi. adj. n. n. 企业家流动性相对地，比较地交通冒险移动，移往稳定的本国人，本土人移民，侨民1. Hollywood 好莱坞好莱坞位于美国西海岸加利福尼亚州洛杉矶郊外，依山傍水，景色宜人。由于美国许多著名的电影公司设立于此，因此“好莱坞
43、”一词往往直接用来指美国的电影工业。好莱坞是世界闻名的电影中心，每年在此举办的奥斯卡颁奖典礼是世界电影的盛会。2. Disney World 迪士尼世界全球闻名遐迩的迪士尼，全称为The Walt Disney Company，取名自其创始人华特迪士尼，是总部设在美国伯班克的大型跨国公司，主要业务包括娱乐节目制作、主题公园、玩具、图书、电子游戏和传媒网络。3. American Dream 美国梦“美国梦”是美国人的普遍信念，机会均等是“美国梦”的灵魂。聪明、勤奋与坚韧不拔是美国梦的必要条件，而幅度巨大的社会阶级纵向流动，尤其是由下层阶级至上层阶级的社会流动，是美国梦表现出来的最为显著的特征。
44、After You ReadTask 6：Determining the Meaning of New Words1. individualism (Para. 2, Line 1):_A. a belief in the virtue of obedienceB. a belief in the freedom of thought and the virtue of self-relianceC. a belief that people should consider the benefit of the unit or group firstClue: _Read the text a
45、gain and choose the most probable meaning for the following words and explain what the clues are.B冒号后面是对individualism一词的定义，即“信仰将个人重要性放在首位，信仰个人的独立”，其意思与B选项一致。2. collective (Para. 2, Line 3): _A. of or shared by every member of a group of peopleB. relating to a single, separate person or thingC. owned
46、 and controlled by a single personClue: _A这是根据反义线索而猜测的词义。前半句解释个人主义的表现，即“追求个人利益”，线索词rather than表示后半句与individual benefit 意思相反，因此collective interest是“集体利益”的意思。3. pros and cons (Para. 3, Line 1): _A. in one direction and then in the opposite directionB. reasons or causes of somethingC. advantages and di
47、sadvantages of somethingClue: _C本段接下来的两句给出了个人主义的优点，即鼓励创新，词组On the other hand 表明最后一句给出了个人主义的缺点，即整个社会缺乏整体意识。因此可以推断pros and cons的意思是“优势和劣势”。4. uptown (Para. 5, Line 5): _A. in or towards an area of a city that is away from the centerB. to or in the center or main business area of a town or cityC. in th
48、e industry area of a town or cityClue: _uptown 与downtown词义相对，即从城市中心到城市周边，因此可以推断该词的词义是“市郊”。5. overseas (Para. 5, Line 9) : _A. in the middle of a country, away from the seaB. related to the sea or oceanC. to or in other countriesClue: _C从句意来看，immigrants from overseas与natives意思相反，与“本土人”相反的应该是“来自海外的移民”
49、，因此overseas的意思是“海外的，外国的”。Task 7：Comprehending the Whole TextRead the text again and choose the best answer to each of the following questions according to the text.1. Why does the author mention Coca-Cola, hot dogs, baseball games, big cars and suburban houses in the first paragraph?A. To exemplify
50、a superficial understanding of American culture by many people.B. To exemplify the core of American culture.C. To introduce an important aspect of American culture.D. To present the most popular products and sports in America.2. What is the central belief of American culture?A. Luxurious lifestyle.B
