Unit OnePersonality

Personality refers to all the personal characteristics that determine the way a person thinks, feels and acts in his or her social and personal relations. These traits include a vast variety of attitudes and attributes such as shyness, generosity, patience, flexibility, sadness, humor, cheerfulness, selfishness, independence and aggressiveness.

Oral Practice IPersonality and Job

Work in pairs to list different kinds of jobs and discuss with your partner and decide the personality traits for these jobs. You must think of at least three words for each job, and the more the better.

teacher

patient

tolerant

talkative

loving

humorous

unselfish

bossy

host or hostess

emotional quick-minded humorousexpressiveexaggerrated

police officer

brave alert strong calm

reporter

curious

open-m

inded

adventurou

s extroverted

spokesperson

intelligent diplomatic cautious talkative

doctor

patient calm careful sympathetic

Oral Practice IIGroup Discussion

According to some westerners , your individuality and personality are designated by the Star Signs. That is to say, the positions of the stars and planets at the moment of your birth reveal the general direction of your life and the potential for creativity. In addition, the relationship between the planets and the houses they are in, all have a bearing upon your life and fortunes.

Star signs and personality

What are star signs?

The star sign or sun sign represents the sign

of the Zodiac that the Sun was in at the time

of your birth. The Sun rules will power the

individuality and personality. It is the core of

your potential and sets the direction you

want to take in life.

What are the star sign dates?Aries: March 21st-April 20th 白羊座 Taurus: April 21st-May 21st 金牛座Gemini: May 22nd-June 21st 双子座Cancer: June 22nd-July 23rd 巨蟹座Leo: July 24th-Aug. 23rd 狮子座Virgo: Aug. 24th- Sept. 23rd 处女座Libra: Sept. 24th- Oct. 23rd 天秤座Scorpio: Oct.24th – Nov.22nd 天蝎座Sagittarius: Nov. 23rd-Dec. 22nd 射手座

Capricorn: Dec. 23rd – Jan. 20th 摩羯座Aquarius: Jan. 21st- Feb. 19th 水平座Pisces: Feb. 19th- March 20th 双鱼座

AriesRuling Planet: Mars         Element: Fire     

• Short Summary• Aries are reckless and determined. Nothing will

stand in their way if they can help it, including people. They've got heaps of physical energy and are very competitive. They have to come first in everything. If they don't, they'll let you know what a bad loser they are. Never tell an Aries they're wrong either. They become dangerous. They make fantastic mates, great leaders and good politicians. They like to supervise and organize more than actually working. Never ignore this sign as their ego will be severely deflated and that's not a pretty sight. It's not all bad - they're friendly, kind and generous and certainly cute to a Sagittarian!

Taurus

Ruling Planet: Venus        Element: Earth     • Short summary• Taurus are practical and persevering.

They are solid and reliable, regular in habits, sometimes a bit wet behind the ears and stubborn as mules. Their love of money and the comfort it can bring may make them very materialistic in outlook. They are most suited to a practical career that brings with it a few surprises and plenty of money.

Gemini

Ruling Planet: Mercury        Element: Air     • Short Summary• Gemini's have amazing brains. They store data like you

wouldn't believe. Lots of people think they talk garbage but this is because their minds move faster than their mouth. Gemini's are generous, affectionate and impulsive and hate hanging around. Boredom and relaxing frightens them. If they're not on the move they go mad. They are great with kids because they never grow up themselves. If you have a Gemini friend, life will never be dull. They love to be respected; this is pretty hard because they're so changeable. In fact, they are often prone to losing their train of thought mid sentence. They're practical jokers too, but can get aggravated if someone turns the trick on them.

Cancer

Ruling Planet: Moon         Element: Water     • Short Summary• Cancers are cute. They pretend to be tough but i

t's all an act. They have great memories and lots of them are good at history. They love anything old, like museums, antiques and your grandmother. They are fairly secretive and hide things - food in their drawers and cupboards for instance. They stay pretty close to home, are extremely psychic, have a great sense of humour and are the world's best cooks. They collect things. Other people call this garbage but to them it's gold...you'd never find a Cancerian throwing a garage sale.

Leo

Ruling Planet: Sun            Element: Fire     • Short Summary• Leo's are larger than life - or so they think. Everything is

"me first" and if they don't win, watch out. They have to have all the ideas. If it's a good one it's his or hers, if it's a rotten one, it's someone else's. They're very generous and extremely helpful. If you're feeling a bit low, go to a Leo for some TLC. They love expensive presents and would expect you to leave the price tag on so they can see how much you've spent. They love people and you'll rarely see a Leo by themselves. They hardly ever get moody; in fact they're pretty good tempered for a lion.

Virgo

Ruling Planet: Mercury         Element: Earth     • Short Summary• Virgo's are one of the most misunderstood signs of the z

odiac. People think they're fussy, critical bad tempered and picky but that's only because they want everything to be perfect. This is the sign of cleanliness, although lots of Virgo's have the grottiest bedrooms and hang their clothes on the floor. They're extremely inquisitive and have a dreadful time trying to relax. Virgo's make fantastic friends. If a minor crises pops up you can be sure the Virgo will have everything under control in 30 seconds. They are always on the move because they like to learn as much as they can before they take off again. They excel at work so they probably get all the boring jobs (the ones Leo wouldn't be seen dead doing).

LibraRuling Planet: Venus        Element: Air     

• Short Summary• Librans are emotionally impulsive and just love

being in love. In fact they can get quite depressed if they feel unwanted. They're also known as 'Lazy Libran' because they don't like to make decisions. They're just happy to go with the flow. They're fantastically beautiful. People will do anything for them. They're affectionate and sympathetic and intensely interested in people. They love entertaining and lots of good food, which means they're forever dieting. They're also the world's biggest spenders.

Scorpio

Ruling Planet: Pluto         Element: Water     • Short Summary• Scorpios make everyone go weak at the knees

they are so utterly gorgeous. They have a brain sharper than a computer and no challenge is too difficult. They are very interesting, friendly and helpful. If you don't do something mean to a Scorpio they will be your friend for life. They have total control of everything and everyone. They are extremely jealous and will plan for weeks how to get their revenge. They make the best detectives, doctors and lawyers as nothing escapes their notice.

Sagittarius

Ruling Planet: Jupiter            Element: Fire     

• Short Summary• Sagittarians are fun loving, generous and extremely

friendly. They very rarely tell lies, in fact they're so open about everything, the whole world knows what they're up to. They have marvelous intuitions that they should take notice of. They're pretty clever because they're so interested in everything. They can be a bit rude but that's only because they're very honest and will say exactly what they think. They love travel, fast cars and horse riding. They also love spending money, so a credit card should be avoided.

Capricorn

Ruling Planet: Saturn          Element: Earth     • Short Summary• Capricorns are lucky. They are the ones who look

younger as they get older. They are very attractive and neat and once they get over their shyness they are quite aggressive. They can be trusted to keep a secret and are really great in emergencies. Sometimes they are a little bit impulsive but as their intuition is pretty strong, they usually make the right decisions. They're creative, sensitive and patient. On a bad day they can be jealous, selfish and moody. They are very close to their family and are usually the last ones to leave home.

AquariusRuling Planet: Saturn        Element: Air     

• Short Summary• Firstly, you can't tell an Aquarian anything - they already

know! In fact, they are the know-alls of the zodiac. They are original, inventive and very smart. They are very peculiar in the way they dress. Wearing footy(football) socks with a suit could be quite normal! They are nearly always late arriving anywhere because time means nothing. The telephone is their lifeline so they would rather ring their next-door neighbor than fraternize over the fence. They are so friendly even the dog down the street will find its way to the Aquarian house...and stay.

PiscesRuling Planet: Neptune      Element: Water     

• Short Summary• Pisceans are extremely psychic and can amaze people

with their uncanny ability to predict things. They are usually gifted in anything creative from designing to music. They are also very clever when they want to be. They have the most stunning eyes and that's the first thing that attracts the opposite sex. They are probably the first ones to start a rumour and could find it a bit tough to keep a secret. They are everyone's friend so can be a touch easily led because fish have no backbones. In other words they can't say 'no'. Pisceans like quiet places and beautiful surroundings and probably wouldn't thank you for giving them a surprise party.

Listening Exercise I

What Do You Think of Yourself

1. conscientious 认真负责的2. reflection 影像3. coherent 前后一贯的4. dignified 有尊严的5. fanatic 狂热者6. boarding school 寄宿学校

What Do You Think of Yourself

Exercise

Woman Man1 Man2

Profession ——————used to be an _________

\

Strengths

___________, conscientious and _______

keeping himself __________, dignified and ______; a _____ chap, _______ his wife and family

_________

Weaknesses

_______ in her private life

a bit of a fanatic about __________ and discipline

___ and _______ when he was young

army officer

hard-working

efficient

respectablehelpful good

fond ofindependent

different organization

shy unhappy

secretary

Directions:Directions: Listen to the conversation and completeListen to the conversation and completethe table with the information you get from the recording.the table with the information you get from the recording.

Tapescript -1 • Man 1= the first man, Man 2 = the second manInterviewer: In this week’s edition of “Up with People” we went out

into the streets and asked a number of people a question they just didn’t expect. We asked them to be self-critical… to ask themselves exactly what they thought they lacked or—the other side of the coin—what virtues they had. Here is what we heard.

Woman: Well… I… I don’t know really… it’s not the sort of question you ask yourself directly. I know I’m good at my job… at least my boss calls me hard-working, conscientious, efficient. I’m a secretary by the way. As for when I look at myself in a mirror as you sometimes do in the privacy of your own bedroom… or at your reflection in the shop windows as you walk up the street… Well… then I see someone a bit different. Yes… I’m different in my private life. And that’s probably my main fault I should say… I suppose I’m not coherent in my behavior. My office is always in order… but my flat! Well… you’d have to see it to believe it.

Tapescript -2Man 1: Well… I’m retired you know. Used to be an army officer.

And… I think I’ve kept myself respectable—that’s the word I’d use—respectable and dignified the whole of my life. I’ve tried to help those who depended on me. I’ve done my best. Perhaps you might consider me a bit of fanatic about organization and discipline—self-discipline comes first—and all that sort of thing. But basically I’m a good chap, fond of my wife and family… That’s me.

Man 2: Well… when I was young I was very shy. At times I… I was very unhappy… especially when I was sent to boarding-school at seven. I didn’t make close friends till… till quite late in life… till I was about… what… fifteen. Then I became quite good at being by myself. I had no one to rely on… and no one to ask for advice. That made me independent. My wife and I have two sons. We… we didn’t want an only child because I felt… well I felt I’d missed a lot of things. (386 words)

Listening Exercise II

Passage: Be Happy

Passage: Be Happy • Listen to a passage and fill in the blanks:

“The days that make us happy make us wise.”----John Masefield

when I first read this line by England’s Poet Laureate, it ___me. What did Masefield mean? Without thinking about it much, I had always ___ that the opposite was true. But his sober assurance was arresting. I could not forget it.

Finally, I seemed to ___ his meaning and realized that here was a profound observation. The wisdom that happiness makes possible lies in clear perception, not fogged by ___ nor dimmed by despair and boredom, and without the blind spots caused by fear.

Active happiness---not mere ___ or contentment ---often comes suddenly, like an April shower or the unfolding of a bud. Then you discover what kind of wisdom has ___ it. The grass is greener; bird songs are ___; the shortcomings of your friends are more understandable and more forgivable. Happiness is like a pair of eyeglasses correcting your spiritual ___.

Nor are the insights of happiness limited to what is near around you. Unhappy, with your thoughts turned in upon your ___ woes, your vision is cut short as though by a wall. Happy, the wall crumbles.

The long vista is there for the seeing. The ground at your feet, the world about you----people, thoughts, emotions, pressures---are now fitted into the larger scene. Everything assumes a fairer proportion. _______________.

tapescript tapescript

Unit One

Word Study

Fill in the blanks with the words you have learned in

unit one.• I only have a nodding ________ with local history.• Eventually you will _______ in large groups with s

kill and self-assurance.• His black skin is in sharp _____ to his white teeth.• Don’t _____ on the past- try to be more positive.• She checked her composition carefully to _______

_ all spelling mistakes.• No _____ products should be allowed to pass.

1. I only have a nodding acquaintance with local history.

2. Eventually you will circulate in large groups with skill and self-assurance.

3. His black skin is in sharp contrast to his white teeth.

4. Don’t dwell on the past-try to be more positive.

5. She checked her composition carefully to eliminate all spelling mistakes.

6. No inferior products should be allowed to pass.