新英语视听说教程Unit+1原文及答案

Unit 1 Differences Between Cultures

Thinking Ahead

Students are asked to discuss the following questions in groups. The reference answers for the questions are offered below:

1. How do you think about the word “culture”?

Culture is a word for people’s “way of life”, meaning the way they do things. A group of people has a separate culture when that group sets itself apart from others through its actions. Cultures are what make countries unique. Each country has different cultural activities and cultural rituals. Culture is more than just material goods, that is things the culture uses and produces. Culture is also the beliefs and values of the people in that culture. Culture also includes the way people think about and understand the world and their own lives. 2. Why should we study cross-cultural communication?

Cross-cultural communication refers to the study of successful communications across different cultures. It concerns the understanding of tradition and modernization, consistency and change. As we understand some of the ongoing national characteristics of a people, we can examine how this culture is seen from the outside, how it interacts with other cultures and how it is changing.

The increase in international business and in foreign investment has created a need for executives with knowledge of foreign languages and skills in cross-cultural communication. The challenge is that even with all the good will in the world, miscommunication is likely to happen, especially when there are significant cultural differences between communicators. Miscommunication may lead to conflict, or aggravate conflict that already exists. So it is very important that we should study cross-cultural communication.

(From )

Part I Video Time

In this part, students will have 2 tasks to accomplish.

Task 1

In task 1, students will watch a video clip from Gua Sha and then do the exercises as required. Before watching, students are supposed to read the words, expressions and cultural notes related to the video.

Transcript

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Mrs.Xu: How come it doesn’t look like the courtroom on TV?

Judge: Because it isn’t a courtroom, Mrs. Xu. Does either of the counselor have problem with my

holding hearings in chambers? To tell you the truth, because I can’t stand that awful echo in the courtroom, you know, winds in the gallery. (People were chuckling.)

Lawyer Quinlin: No problem, your honor. John Quinlin, attorney for the defense. Judge Horowizs: Why that I’ve never seen you around before, Mr. Quinlin?

Lawyer Quinlin: I’ve never had the honor, your honor. Er, I deal mostly with the intellectual

property rights cases.

Judge: Apples and oranges（风马牛不相及）, Mr Quinlin; The two areas of law have virtually

nothing to do with each other.

Lawyer Quinlin: Well, yes, of course. So I told my client. But he insisted on my representing him.

Also I’d like to have the record show that my client only had two days’ notice of this hearing; also for me only 24 hours’ preparation time.

Judge: I think we are putting the cart before the horse（本末倒置）, your counselor. This

hearing is for the purpose of determining whether there is sufficient evidence to advance court proceedings, so take off your lawyer caps. And before we get caught to these formalities, let’s just talk about the matter. Will the Child Welfare Agency care to start?

Lawyer Davis: Yes, your honor. We are prepared to proceed in any way you save it. Three days

ago, we received a telephone call from the social worker on duty at St. Matthew hospital informing us of a possible case of child abuse discovered as a result of medical examination by Doctor Michael Longman. Upon administrating treatment in the ER to Denis Xu, Doctor Longman had reason to suspect that Denis had been the subject of physical abuse. Judge: I’ve read the report, Ms. Avery. Very thorough as usual.

Lawyer Davis: As you can see, the medical report indisputably proves that Denis Xu has been a

subject of deliberate, long-term neglect and abuse.

Lawyer Quinlin: Objection! No foundation, just conjecture and speculation! Judge: This is a hearing, not a trial, Mr. Quinlin, but you make a fine point.

Lawyer Davis: In order to supplement the medical report, you will know that we provided

additional evidence.

(Lawyer Davis opened a suitcase.)

Lawyer Quinlin: Your honor, we haven’t received any copies of evidence or report related to this

case.

Margaret Avery (murmuring): I thought you provided them with copies. Lawyer Davis: En. Sorry, your honor, no recite.

Margaret Avery: I don’t know how this could have happened.

Lawyer Davis: Your honor, the CWA was currently carrying a full investigation of this case and

has located a considerable number of witnesses, all of whom are prepared to testify regarding Mr. Datong Xu’s violent nature, and the neglect and abuse he has inflicted on his young son Denis.

Lawyer Quinlin: And I can produce a hundred witnesses to testify that he is a good husband and

father who rather die than see his family harmed. I count myself chief among those witnesses.

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Margaret Avery: As my colleague has just stated, we are in the midst of a full investigation, but

we will not be calling any witnesses: we feel there is no need. Datong Xu: She really doesn’t have any witnesses. Lawyer Quinlin: Or she thinks she doesn’t need any.

Margaret Avery: Your honor, I have incontrovertible evidence that I feel we will quickly settle

this matter in the court’s mind.

(Margaret Avery and Lawyer Quinlin both walked to the judge.)

Lawyer Quinlin: Your honor, perhaps I don’t understand family law, but I do understand Datong

Xu. These accusations are ludicrous laughable.

Margaret Avery: Perhaps you don’t understand your friend as well as you think you do. (Margaret Avery presented pictures to the judge.)

Margaret Avery: According to the doctor’s report, the condition and coloration of the bruise were

inflicted two days prior to Denis’ head injury. We believe these photographs are sufficient evidence to demonstrate that Denis Xu lives in a dangerous home environment, and should remain under the protection of the state. Judge (sternly): Please return to your seat.

Lawyer Quinlin: (to Datong Xu) How could you do this to your son? Is this something you forgot

to fill me in on? Did you think they will never notice your son’s back like a piece of roast beef?

Datong Xu: That is Gua Sha, a traditional Chinese medical treatment. Denis had stomach ache

that day, and Gua Sha is simply a cure, a… a home remedy, you call it. I had this done on me in this time when I was a kid.

Lawyer Quinlin: If this is what you call some kind of treatment that he does see what you

considered as child abuse!

Judge: If you two want to chit chat, we can all go home. Does the defense have something more

to add?

Lawyer Quinlin: No.

Datong Xu: Yes I do! I think you don’t understand. You know, Gua Sha is a traditional Chinese

medical treatment used for nearly all kinds of illnesses. For thousands of years, Chinese medicine had recognized that there are seven Jing and eight Mai（七经八脉）. Er, for example, it is like small streams that run in to rivers and in turns fall into a sea. A person’s body has an invisible but very complex system of vessel network, just like the computer network. And also the human Qi from Dantian finally goes to Dantian. It is the same principle!!

Judge: Your kind, what is he saying?

Datong Xu: It’s the kind of…(interrupted by the judge)

Judge: We don’t understand what you say. Perhaps I should put it in another way. What does it

say on every Missouri license plate?

Datong Xu: Show-me state（用证据说话）.

Judge: Precisely. Can you get an authoritative medical expert to back your testimony in plain

English that an old country judge can understand? Datong Xu: Yes, I can try.

Judge: Did you do this Gua Sha to your son yourself? (A pause)

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Judge: Mr. Xu?

Datong Xu: Yes, I did it myself. Mrs. Xu: No! It wasn’t him.

(Datong Xu started to speak Chinese.)

Judge: I warn you: this hearing must be conducted in a language we all can understand. Did you

have something to add at this discussion? Mrs. Xu: No, your honor.

Judge: Let me ask you one more time for the sake of clarity. Did you do this Gua Sha to your

son?

Datong Xu: Yes, I did.

Judge: Then until I was shown otherwise, I have no choice but to conclude that Denis Xu lives in

an unsafe home environment, and should be kept under the supervision of the Child Welfare Agency tending a full trial on the charges.

Key to Exercises

Exercise 1 Watching for Details

Students are asked to watch the video clip and choose the best answers to the questions. 1) D 2) C 3) B

Exercise 2 Watching for Specific Information

Students are asked to watch the video clip again and fill in the blanks with the missing information.

Lawyer Davis: Yes, your honor. We are prepared to 1) proceed in any way you save it. Three days ago, we received a telephone call from the social worker on duty at St. Matthew hospital 2) informing us of a possible case of child abuse discovered 3) as a result of medical examination by Doctor Michael Longman. Upon 4) administrating treatment in the ER to Denis Xu, Doctor Longman had reason to suspect that Denis had been the subject of physical 5) abuse.

Datong Xu: Yes I do! I think you don’t understand. You know, Gua Sha is a 6) traditional Chinese medical treatment used for nearly all kinds of 7) illnesses. For thousands of years, Chinese medicine had recognized that there are seven Jing and eight Mai. Er, for example, it is like small 8) streams that run into rivers and in turns fall into a sea. A person’s body has an 9) invisible but very complex system of 10) vessel network, just like the computer network. And also the human Qi（气）from Dantian（丹田）finally goes to Dantian. The same principle!

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