Vocabulary Idioms & Phrases

Reading-Paragraphs 4-10

Post-reading

Listen to paragraphs 4-10.

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Now,answer the following questions.

____ According to the reading, _____ don’t like to argue with friends. (A) Frenchmen (B) Germans (C) Americans (D) Britons

B

____ After a long separation, _____ friends can still take up their relationship. (A) German (B) French (C) British (D) American

C

____ According to the reading, _____ friendships don’t appear long-lasting. (A) German (B) French (C) British (D) American

D

____ For French friends, disagreement is something ______. (A) necessary (B) troublesome (C) boring (D) funny

A

Reading

For French friends, who enjoy arguing about intellectual questions, disagreement is “the breath of life.”

However, Mead notes, “for Germans, whose friendships are based on mutuality of feeling, deep disagreement on any subject that matters to both is a tragedy.”

[for Germans, whose friendships are based on mutuality of feeling], [deep disagreement on any subject that matters to both] is a tragedy主要子句的主詞 deep disagreement on any subject that matters to both 很長，動詞為 is 。。

Germans form friendships early in life, and friends usually become part of each other’s family life. As a result, Mead reports, young Germans who come to the United States often have difficulty making friends with Americans, whose friendships are less permanent.

American friendships fade “as people move, change their jobs, marry, or discover new interests.”American friendships fade “as people

move, ….”→ Americans cannot keep/maintain/ continue their friendship “when they move.…”

British friendships, which usually stay outside the family, follow yet another pattern.

yet 亦可置於句首當連接詞連接前一段落。

British friendships, which usually stay outside the family, follow yet another pattern.→ Yet, British friendship is formed and kept in another way. It has nothing to do with their family life.

According to Mead, shared activity is the basis for friendship among the British.

shared activity is the basis for friendship among the British→ British friendship is based on the activity that is shared by friends.

British friends may not be as deeply attached to each other as German friends, but their relationships can survive a long separation.

原句 = British friends may not be fond of each other so much as German friends, but their friendship can keep on going even after they are separated for a long time.

Americans who have made British friends report that, even years later, “you can take up just where you left off.”

Americans [who have made British friends] report that, even years later, “you can take up just where you left off.”→ Americans who have made friends with the British say that their friendship that was lost years ago can even be continued now.

Meeting after a long interval, friends are like a couple who begin to dance again when the orchestra strikes up after a pause.

原句 = When Americans meet their British friends again after a long separation, they resume their friendship with the British just like a couple who begin to dance again when the orchestra starts to play after a short break.

Studies of American friendships indicate that, like the French and British, people in the United States often form friendships around interests. They have friends who enjoy sports, friends who go shopping with them, friends who share a hobby. And, like the Germans, they also form long-lasting friendships which are based on feelings.

In fact, the variety of relationshipsthat Americans call friendships can confuse people from other cultures, especially when Americans say things like, “I just made a new friend yesterday.”

原句 = Actually, people from other cultures often feel confused at the various definitions of friendship that Americans made....

Nevertheless, the term does not seem to confuse Americans, who know very well the difference between friends and acquaintances.

According to a survey in Psychology Today, those who answered the survey found that “it is easy to distinguish between close and casual friends” and reported that “they have more close friends than casual ones.”

those [who answered the survey] found that “it is easy to distinguish between close and casual friends”...→ it is easy for those Americans surveyed to tell close friends from casual ones

Although different people andcultures emphasize different aspects of friendship, there is one element which is always present, and that is the element of choice. We may not be able to select our families, our co-workers, or even the people that ride the bus with us, but we can pick our friends.

As Mead puts it, “a friend is someone who chooses and is chosen.”

put 有「敘述，說明」之意• Let me put it this way. (put = explain)as Mead puts it→ just like what Mead says

It is this freedom of choice that makes friendship such a special and unique relationship.

It is this freedom of choice that makes friendship such a special and unique relationship.→ Due to/Just because of this freedom of choice, friendship appears such a special and unique relationship. → What makes friendship appear such a special and unique relationship is this freedom of choice. Back

Reading for the Main Idea_____1. Friends are very important to us in our lives. _____2. Europeans treat friends differently from Americans. _____3. Although the definition of friendship varies from culture to culture, people all agree that we have freedom to choose our own friends. _____4. Although Europeans and Americans have different ideas about friendship, they all form their friendships around interests.

1.1. Do you have many good Do you have many good friends? What are the friends? What are the bases of your friendships?bases of your friendships?

Reference answer :I have many casual friends, but I only have a few good friends. In my opinion, a friend is someone who understands how I feel, and who is always willing to help me when I am in trouble. Above all, a friend is someone who shares my innermost secrets. Luckily, I do have such kind of good friends.

2. What do you think about 2. What do you think about making friends on the making friends on the Internet?Internet?

Reference answer : Making friends via the Internet transcends all kinds of boundaries.Through the net, we can make friends regardless of race, religion, or social class. For example, in chat rooms, I have talked with friends from the States, Korea, and Germany. Coming from

Reference answer :diverse backgrounds, they have different perspectives about various issues. I have learned a lot from them. But of course, making friends on the Internet sometimes can be risky. I’ve seen many reports in the newspapers about how some people got into trouble

Reference answer :just because of the friends they made through the net. So I think people should not risk their safety by dating people they meet on the net. If they really want to meet Internet friends in person, they should at least find someone to go along with them the first time they meet. Back