Lesson 25 - Honesty Is The Best Policy

Lesson 25. Honesty Is The Best Policy

Learning Objectives 2

1. Explain the proverb “Honesty is the best Policy”.2. Determine words that are associated with honesty and lies.3. Explore ideas about honesty and diplomacy.4. Determine how honest someone is using honesty quiz.5. Discuss honesty trait demonstrated by a homeless man6. Use “both…and”, “neither…nor”, and “either…or” in sentences7. Distinguish and practice words that contains vowel sounds.

Learning ObjectivesAfter this lesson, students will be able to:

Warm Up 3

Lesson 25. Honesty Is The Best Policy

In A Nutshell 4

Honesty is the best policy is a well-known proverb assumed to have been coined in the1500’s by Sir Edwin Sandys, a prominent English politician and colonial entrepreneur. Theproverb was, quite literally, first meant to encourage the populace to tell the truth andavoid crime. However, in modern English the proverb is now used to express that it is betterto tell the truth than to tell a lie, no matter what the consequences are. Although,sometimes it is difficult to tell someone the truth because of the possible repercussionsfrom telling that truth. That is why sometimes we resort to something called “white lie”

In A Nutshell

Lesson 25. Honesty Is The Best Policy

Word Association 5

Put each word in the correct category. Which word belongs to which box?

straightforward walk the talk

hypocrite hogwash

gullible candor

genuine fraud

Box of lie9 words

Box of honesty9 words

make something up transparency

law-abiding deceptive

deceive candid

forthright conman

perjurer swindler

Lesson 25. Honesty Is The Best Policy

Vocabulary Application 6

a. straightforwardb. law-abidingc. walk the talkd. candore. hypocritef. candidg. hogwashh. Transparencyi. deceivingj. gulliblek. deceptivel. make things up

1. A ________ citizen reported the scam to the police which means there will be one less scammer in theneighborhood, thanks to her report.

2. She’s always late for everything. Don’t believe in anything she’s said. All her excuses are _____. It doesn’tmake sense. How can one person always be late all the time?

3. _______ is key when handling public money like this. Please be detailed with the ledger, we wouldn’twant people to think that we are corrupt

4. If you don’t _________ then you’re being a ________. You’ve always said, we should be honest with youbut you yourself are lying to us

5. In a business meeting like this, we should always be _________. Let’s not beat around the bush. We havemany things to discuss

6. Thank you for your ______ we really appreciate it7. Witnesses at court must not _________. They are sworn under oath to be ______8. The company has been ________ customers by selling old computers as new ones9. Appearances can be ________. Don’t believe anything right away10. There are plenty of miracle cures on the market for people _____ enough to buy them

Complete these sentences below with its correct vocabulary on the right

Lesson 25. Honesty Is The Best Policy

Reading Text 7

We have always been taught that honesty is the best policy and that lying is bad. As we grow older, we realize that in many

situations, it is a good idea to keep quiet or better still, be diplomatic and tactfully handle sensitive issues. We have to be careful in

deciding when to be honest and when to be at our diplomatic best. We also have to decide whether we should be absolutely candid

or use the truth as a matter of convenience? However, before you decide to be totally frank, you must carefully analyze all

consequences of your actions. Life needs a good mix of honesty and diplomacy, when to be honest and when to be diplomatic is a

tough individual choice. An honest person will feel frustrated and restless when forced to be diplomatic against his will, while a

diplomatic one will get highly stressed at the thought of speaking the truth. How to react in a situation also depends on what is at

stake. If you want to be honest and speak your mind against your boss, you better be prepared to lose your job. If you tell your friend

what you hate about him, it might end your friendship. Diplomacy is always an escapist trait, which we use to avoid hurting others

and ourselves. Diplomacy protects us in the short term, but it is honesty that brings long-term benefits and permanent gains. To be

completely honest, you must ask yourself, “Why am I afraid of speaking the truth”? You will find that the answer is obvious. Our

diplomacy is only for our self-protection; it is a self-preservation device. Our egos are too fragile to accept insult and criticism. In our

daily lives, few of us want to rock the boat by speaking the truth at work or in our homes. We like to avoid confrontations. The

difference between living a superficial life and a rich and meaningful one is eventually determined by whether we are being

diplomatic or brutally honest.

Text adapted from: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Should-we-be-honest-or-diplomatic/articleshow/10127508.cms

Read this text below and study the highlighted words

Lesson 25. Honesty Is The Best Policy

Reading Text Exercise 8

1. What kind of new understanding finally dawns on usas we age?

2. What kind of essential combination is required in lifeaccording to the passage?

3. How does the passage exemplify the conflictingdilemmas likely experienced by two differentpersonalities when coerced to do something that isagainst their natural traits?

4. How does the passage exemplify the costs we mighthave to endure for being candid?

5. According to the passage, under what circumstancedo we tend to resort to diplomacy?

6. Which idiomatic expression used in the passagewhich meaning refers to someone who upsets peopleor cause problems?

Study the reasons why people lie and relate it with your own experience. Which of these reasons compels you to lie the most? Give example(s)

Reading Comprehension Free Responses

Source: https://www.paulekman.com/blog/why-do-people-lie-motives/

Lesson 25. Honesty Is The Best Policy

Quiz: How Honest Are You? 9

If someone asked you if you were honest, you'd probably say yes. But are you really as honest as you think? Answer these questions and find out. Please don’t forget to take notes of your answer!

1. Imagine you found some library books that weredue back eight months ago, would you return them?

a. I’d take the books back if I didn’t have to pay a fineb. No way. I’d probably try to sell themc. I’d take them back even if I had to pay a fine

2. Suppose a cash machine gave you twice as much moneyas you asked for, would you keep it?

a. Yes, I would. If the bank found out, I could say I didn'tcount it.

b. No, I wouldn't. That would be theft.c. If I really needed it, I might keep it.

3. Imagine you saw a ten-year-old boy shoplifting, would

you tell a security guard?

a. Yes, I certainly would. It might stop the boy from doingit again.

b. I'd tell a security guard as long as he/she agreed not tocall the police.

c. Assuming no one else saw the boy. I’d just tell him toreturn the things he'd stolen

4. If you needed paper for your printer at home, would

you steal it from your school or office?

a. Provided no one was looking, I'd take as much as I

needed.

b. No, I wouldn't. I'd be terrified of someone seeing me.c. Assuming I couldn't buy any on the way home, I might

take a bit.

5. Supposing you couldn't find a parking space in town,

would you park in a private car park?

a. No, I wouldn't. If they clamped my car, I'd be stuck there

all day.

b. Of course I would. Wouldn't everyone?c. Yes, I would. Providing I wasn't going to be very long.

Check out your result here!https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uOmvLkqAMAQDjAx7uh8NWL_HItuZR

PlHQI6YLvxB_1U/edit

Lesson 25. Honesty Is The Best Policy

Listening Activity 10

Homeless Man And Credit Card HonestyA homeless man in New York has repaid (1)________________________ (4 words) him by a woman who gave

him her credit card. Jay Valentine, 32, was standing on a Manhattan street (2)________________________ (4 words) when Merrie Harris, 45, lent him her Platinum AmEx card. (3)________________________ (4 words) see the woman hand it over and walk off. Valentine said he bought deodorant, body wash, a pack of cigarettes and bottled water,(4)________________________ (4 words). A short time later, he went back to the restaurant where Ms. Harris was eating to return the card to her. (5)____________________ (5 words) awarded the title of Most Honest Homeless Man in the City. Valentine also received an offer from a New York-based airline to apply to be a flight attendant and $5,000 (6)________________________ (3 words) Texan. Ms. Harris, an advertising executive, was also(7)________________________ (5 words) generosity and trust. She told reporters she never doubted Mr. Valentine would do anything dishonest with her card, saying: "What he did (8)________________________ (5 words).” She asked: “Are we only supposed to trust people we know?” Valentine said he (9)________________________ (4 words) Harris’ trust in him: "I wasn't tempted at all. She trusted me, and I didn’t (10)________________________ (5 words)," he said. He added: "It sets a good example that people in need – like me - can and should be trusted." What is (11)_________________ (6 words) procedures of the store Valentine shopped in. Staff obviously did not (12)________________________ (4 words) look at the photo id on the AmEx card.

Lesson 25. Honesty Is The Best Policy

Listening 25.1Listen to the recording carefully and complete this paragraph below

Grammar Bits: Both, Neither, and Either 11

Use of both…and…, either…or…, neither…nor…

We use both, either and neither to refer to two people or things.BOTH (Both X and Y = not only X but also Y)Both + adjective + and + adjective• He is both honest and intelligentBoth + noun + and + noun• He has both honesty and intelligence

NEITHER (Neither X nor Y = not one and not the other )Neither + noun + nor + noun + singular verb• Neither the judge nor the jury is able to decide what to

make of the witness’ testimony*Note: Although the jury is comprised of many people, the

jury counts as singular. It’s called collective noun

EITHER (Either X or Y = any one of the two/this one or

the other one)

Either + noun + or + noun + singular verb• Either the passerby or the neighbor witnesses the whole

crime incident, we’ll soon find out the truth

However, watch out for something called

“Subject Verb Agreement”In English, subjects and verbs have to agree

Whether “neither” requires a singular or plural verb depends on the second noun (the one after “nor”)Neither + singular noun + nor + plural noun + plural verb• Neither the teacher nor the classmates believe in Jamie’s

testimonyNeither + plural noun + nor + singular noun + singular verb• Neither the classmates nor the teacher believes in

Jamie’s testimony

The same idea applies to “either”:Either + singular noun + or + plural noun + plural verb• Either Sharon or her sisters testify in the court this morning

Either + plural noun + or + singular noun + singular verb• Either her sisters or Sharon testifies in the court this morning

Lesson 25. Honesty Is The Best Policy

Grammar Exercise 12

Note:• Observe the whole sentence to find out what the mistake is• Pay attention to subject verb agreement• Beware of collective nouns

Correct the mistakes in the following sentencesExample:Both Dinah or Laurel is lying -> Answer: Both Dinah and Laurel are lying

1. Neither the jury or the police in the court room is convinced by what the defendant is saying. He has been proven to be lying inthe previous hearings

2. Either Ross or Dylan is convinced that Martha is saying the truth, because they know very well that Martha can’t lie3. Either Sara or Jenny is telling the truth. They both said no when asked whether they went out last night because they feared their

father would find out they came home late4. Both Michael and Steven like their grandma’s cooking. They only say they like it because they love their grandma so much5. Neither the coach nor the team are willing to tolerate Shane’s behavior anymore. Shane has been lying right to their faces the

whole time6. Neither Susan nor the rest of her family enjoy the party. But they still say they’re enjoying it because they respect the host of the

party7. Either Peter or Ruby and Nate has to tell the truth about why Danny's been absent from the class for the past two days8. Either Donny or Jason aren’t actually ill. They both call in sick only because they avoid meeting their boss9. Both Diane and Jack isn’t actually 25. They only say they’re 25 in order to fit the job vacancy requirement

Lesson 25. Honesty Is The Best Policy

Idiomatic Expressions 13

Honesty Related Idioms

Put/Lay One's Cards On The Table

Speaking honestly about your feelings/intentions

Ex:Let's be honest with each other and put our cards on the table

Fair And SquareObtaining something in an honest

and open manner. No cheating/lying

Ex:Gavin won the competition fair

and square. The game’s not rigged

Economical With The TruthOmitting important facts or giving

incomplete information

Ex:The politician was accused of being

economical with the truth

(The) Benefit Of The DoubtBelieving that the person is innocent because there is no evidence to the

contrary

Ex:Although Tom's explanation was hard to believe, the teacher decided to give him

the benefit of the doubt

Lesson 25. Honesty Is The Best Policy

Speaking Drill 14

1. Would you consider yourself an honest person generally? State reasons

2. Are you good at being diplomatic?

3. Would you say that honesty is always the best policy?

4. Do you believe in “white lies”?

5. When do you think is it all right to just tell a "half truth"?

6. What is your common reaction when you find out people are telling lies?

7. Have you ever upset someone for telling the truth?

8. Were you ever hurt by someone else because that person was being honest?

What was it like?

9. How do you know when to trust someone?

10. Is there anyone you know who is completely honest all the time?

11. Under what circumstances do you think lying can be justified?

Lesson 25. Honesty Is The Best Policy

Express Yourself

Pronunciation Drill 15

Which of these words has a different vowel sound?

Row 1 Abroad Walk Board Work

Row 2 Person Word Third Heart

Row 3 Friendly Pretty Men Many

Row 4 Live Shy Mice Eyes

Row 5 Make Trainers Great Earn

Row 6 Shirt Work Coat Skirt

Row 7 Since Time Child Life

Row 8 Won’t Want Borrow Body

Lesson 25. Honesty Is The Best Policy

Odd One Out

THE END

16