By Dai Biqin

Cultural differences By ZuoYalian

The second floor in Britain

Fast reading Please go through this passage quickly and try to finish the following questions:

1.Which country is Waled from? 2. Where does Peter come from? 3. Does everyone in Brunei wear yellow?

1. What does Thanksgiving celebrate and what is eaten at that day?

2. In the west, when is the polite time to open a present?

3.Why do guests expect a present at a wedding in Italy?

4.What can you not drink at a wedding in Brunei?

5. What should you do instead of pointing with your first finger in Brunei？ 6. What customs do Chinese cities and Brunei have in common?

Listen to the tape and try to find the answers to these questions:

1. What does Thanksgiving celebrate and what is eaten at that day?

Careful reading: Listen to the tape and try to finish the questions :

2. In the west, when is the polite time to open a present?

3.Why do guests expect a present

at a wedding in Italy?

Thanksgiving Day is held to celebrate the first harvest after the European settlers went to live in the USA. /Turkey.

In the west, the polite time to open a present is when someone gives it to a person, because they like to see the person’s reaction.

Guests expect presents as a souvenir to remember the big day.

4. What can you not drink at a wedding in Brunei?

5. What should you do instead of pointing with your first finger in Brunei？

Alcohol.

In Brunei, you should use your thumb to point at things.

In both places, you should take off your shoes before going inside a house.

Careful reading

6. What customs do Chinese cities and Brunei have in common?

Subjects for topics: An American celebration

presents

weddings

color of clothing

pointing

USA/UK cultural differences

shoes

1

2 3

4 5 6

7

Reading strategy:understanding the use of examples

Sometimes we use examples to: 1.explain the concepts and ideas. 2.support arguments. 3.act as interesting stories. 4. introduce a topic.

What are the examples’ purposes in the text?

Try to find out :1.the sentences explaining the concept of cultural differences between English speakers from different countries. Our American teacher is always talking about Thanksgiving…The British teachers didn’t know what he was talking about…2. the sentences supporting the argument that

there are differences as well as similarities between

West weddings.

In the UK, the guests are expected to give presents to

the newly-weds, but in Italy …

3. the example used as an interesting story

about cultural misunderstanding.

The British teacher who

opened the present as soon as

he was given it at the

end-of-the term ceremony…

...in many countries people point with...It’s quite funny watching the new foreign teachers trying to adjust to doing that.

Subject 1.__________ differences2._______ It is held to 3._________ the first harvest after the settlers

from Europe went to live in the USA.

present In the 4.________ ,the present should be opened when someone gives you one.

wedding

In the UK the newly-weds 5._______presents from guests while in Italy the newly-weds give presents to guests.

To celebrate the wedding, people in China always have a huge banquet while people in Brunei play 6._______ for hours, even all night.

In Brunei a man guest has to sit with the bridegroom and the other men and people can not drink 7._________.

pointing (gestures)

In Brunei， people point with their thumb, instead of 8.__________their first finger.

color of clothing

In Brunei,9._________ is the royal color for the Sultan and his family.

shoes People take 10._______ shoes before going into someone’s house both in Brunei and China.

CulturalThanksgiving celebrate

west

expect

drums

alcohol

usingyellow

off

Can you help MaLi collect the information about her chat room discussion and retell it to your classmates? (You can refer to the words below and discuss with your parters)

Retelling the text .

We know that there are many differences between countries....

1. Thanksgiving America...harvest/ the UK...

2. present in the west... open...as soon as...

3. wedding in the UK...guests give...to.../in Italy...the newly-weds give...as...

In China...have a.../in Brunei ...a man guest sits with...,serve...but no...,play...to...

4. pointing In many countries people point...,

in Brunei people ...

5. color of clothing in...you shouldn’t ... /yellow is...

6. shoes take off ...before...in...and China ...

Words for reference:

Why does the foreign friend feel surprised?

Do you think it is important to find out other cultures’ traditions? Why?

1.How can people understand each other’s cultures better?

2.Can you say something about a culture that is different from yours?

Summary:1.Fast-reading2.Careful-reading3.Reading strategy4.Task-based reading exercise5. Retell the different cultures6. Discussion

Homework1.Finish A1 and A2 on page 116and Part A on page 120 in the workbook.

1.Which of the following statemants is TRUE according to the passage?A. Waled’s English teachers from the UK often talk about Thanksgiving and the great turkeys they eat.B. Americans hold Thanksgiving in celebration of their victory.C. it is impolite to open a present when it is given to you in the West.D. people have a large banquet to cerebrate weddings in China.2. The newly-weds are expected to give presents to their guests in________. A.Italy B. America C. England D. Brunei

3. People in Brunei mustn’t do the following except______.

A. drink alcohol at the wedding

B. point with their first finger

C. take off shoes before going inside a house

D. wear yellow clothes at an important ceremory.