新大学英语综合教程4uni.docx

新大学英语综合教程4uniUnit5 Active reading (1) 1 Work in pairs and decide who is gossiping. In fact, anybody could be saying these things. As sterotypes, the first is said by a male football fan, the second is a women gossiping about the weather as part of small talk, the third is a young man / women gossiping to another man about other peoples personal relationships. 2 Check (¸) the statements about gossip which you think are true. 1 Men gossip just as much as women. No, men seem to gossip less than women. 2 Men talk more about politics than women. Yes, this seems to be true. 3 Men talk more about football than women. Yes, surely this is the case. 4 Women talk more about themselves than men. No, I am not sure. Maybe men talk about themselves as much. 5 Men dont admit they gossip. Yes, I think this is true. 6 Women dont admit they gossip. No, I dont agree, I think they like gossiping and do admit it. Sex differences in English gossip rules Reading and understanding 3 Choose the best answer to the questions. 1 What does the research quoted in the passage show? (a) Men talk more about politics than about football. (b) Women dont like speaking about politics and art. (c) Men gossip just as much as women. (d) Men and women gossip in exactly the same way. 2 What do men do when women are present? (a) They tend to talk about themselves. (b) They change their tone of voice. (c) They speak more about politics and art than usual. (d) They let women do most of the speaking. 3 What is the main difference between male and female gossip? (a) Women dont realize they are gossiping. (b) Men only gossip outdoors. (c) Women speak more about themselves than men do. (d) Men speak more about themselves than women do. 4 What is “the tone rule” in womens gossip? (a) Use a special tone of voice to show that you are gossiping. (b) It is important to keep a flat unemotional tone. (c) Dont change your tone of voice when you start gossiping. (d) Always start gossiping by using a low whisper. 5 What is “the detail rule”? (a) You should avoid boring details when you gossip. (b) When gossiping about people its important to quote what they actually said. (c) You should avoid talking about why people did something. (d) It doesnt matter if your gossip is vague. 6 What does “the feedback rule” say about listeners? (a) They should keep quiet while someone is gossiping. (b) They shouldnt show surprise. (c) They should believe everything they hear. (d) They should show interest and enthusiasm. 4 Number the different parts of the passage in the order in which they occur. 1 Refer to recent research to dispel the myth about male gossip. 2 Reveal that men change topic of conversation when women are present. 3 Focus on the difference of content between male and female gossip. 4 Suggest that the myth about male gossip is really a problem of terminology. 5 Present a detailed, technical account of how women gossip. 6 Conclude that the vital difference between male and female gossip lies in the positive response of the audience. Dealing with unfamiliar words 5 Match the words in the box with their definitions. 1 in a way that is impossible to doubt and easy to see (decidedly) 2 the reason that you do something (motive) 3 main, or most important (principal) 4 with qualities thought to be typical of men (masculine) 5 to criticize something, or to suggest it is not good enough for you (sniff) 6 lively or active (animated) 6 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 5. When Simona Ventura became the host of the Italian TV soccer programme, a lot of people (1) sniffed at the decision. What could a woman do in such a (2) decidedly male-dominated world? They argued. But the (3) motive behind the choice of Simona as the new presenter soon became apparent. Rather than change to fit the programme there is nothing (4) masculine about her she created a new, more modern show, the (5) principal aim of which is to entertain the whole family. The old style, lengthy and rather technical analyses of football matches, has been replaced by a lively TV programme, which is (6) animated by guest celebrities, dancers and singers, as well as extracts from the days top matches. 7 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the following words. You may need to make other changes. 1 Cultural and intellectual programmes tend to be broadcast very late in the evening. (highbrow) 2 At the beginning I was very shy, but I soon got to know everyone and made friends. (initially) 3 The course I enjoyed most when I was studying linguistics was the one on the relationship between words and meanings. (semantics) 4 To find out more about English as a world language, we need reliable people who are able to give information. (informants) 5 She sent me a bunch of roses when I got the job, and I did the same when she got promoted. (reciprocated) 6 For some men there is still a feeling of embarrassment and unease about taking orders from a female superior. (stigma) 7 After the goal was disallowed, most of the words I could hear were swear words. (expletives) 8 You cant speak like that to someone you dont know. Its a matter of rules of social behaviour. (etiquette) 9 Only after a very careful and time-consuming editing will this book be ready for publication. (exhaustive) 8 Answer the questions about the words and expressions. 1 Does scandalous behaviour (a) make you feel uncomfortable, or (b) leave you indifferent? 2 If you bemoan something, do you (a) express pleasure, or (b) complain about it? 3 If you rake over something, do you (a) want to forget it, or (b) keep talking about it? 4 If you are appreciative of something someone has done for you, do you (a) thank them, or (b) criticize them? 5 If a man has an effeminate manner, does he make you think of (a) a child, or (b) a woman? 6 Is camp behaviour (a) typical of, or (b) different from established norms about the traditional male way of doing things? Reading and interpreting 9 Check (¸) the writers main purposes in writing the passage. 1 to summarize findings from recent research Most of the passage is taken up with research findings from both the writer and others. If you are not sure about this, look at how many times words like study, research, findings, found, interviews, interviewed, informants etc are used and read the last two sentences of paragraph five and see how verbs in the past tense in the second part are all reporting research findings! 2 to present the writers own research findings These are clearly included and they are most of the second part, but this is the main purpose is not to present them they illustrate how gossip works. 3 to dispel a myth about males and gossip The first part of the text does this, but the second part reports research only about womens gossip, so No 1 is a better answer. 4 to show that women are superior to men No, the writer does not intend to show this and doesnt do so. 5 to encourage people to learn to gossip properly No, the passage is about rules, but these are not the kind that people are supposed to learn but the descriptive rules that describe common behaviour. There is nothing about encouraging people to behave like this. 6 to draw attention to the different ways in which men and women gossip This is a reasonable answer but the passage is really reporting research (see No 1) 7 to analyze the way in which women gossip This is the point of the second part, but not the main idea of the whole passage. Active reading (2) Marked: women in the workplace Reading and understanding 3 Choose the best summary of the passage. 1 The English language reflects and reinforces the sexist attitudes of society, whether we consider words such as actress, which is a less serious equivalent of the word actor, or titles we give women, such as Mrs, Miss and Ms. This only summarizes the first section, but the title should indicate that a summary would say more than this, including the points about hairstyle or clothes. 2 Women find it much harder to get on in the workplace because they have to spend too much time thinking about what clothes to wear, or what hairstyle they should have. This is only one point. It doesnt summaraize the main idea and examples of language use. 3 Women constantly have to make choices about dress and appearance, and even the way they sign their names, which lead people to make judgments about them; men do not have to make the same choices. Although this doesnt emphasize language, it summarizes the main idea of choice (marked / unmarked). 4 Choose the best answer to the questions. 1 Which of the following words is marked? (a) Doctor. (b) Actor. (c) Actress. (d) Poet. 2 What does a marked female ending to a word usually convey? (a) Physical attractiveness. (b) A lack of authority. (c) A lack of seriousness. (d) Greater professional competence. 3 What did the writer notice at a conference? (a) All the women were dressed in the same way. (b) All the men were dressed in the same way. (c) One of the men wore a cowboy shirt and jeans. (d) None of the women wore sensible shoes. 4 What did a woman with high heels do at the conference? (a) She was isolated by her female colleagues. (b) She was the first to complete a group task. (c) She broke one of the heels when she had to make a trek. (d) She took off her shoes and attracted a group of men. 5 What did a male colleague tell a female lawyer to do before she went to court? (a) To put on a jacket over her blouse. (b) To do up a button on her blouse. (c) To undo a button on her blouse. (d) To wear something with darker colours. 6 What is a woman often asked to do when filling in a form? (a) Choose from four titles. (b) Give both her married and unmarried name. (c) Give information about her married status. (d) Avoid using the title “Dr”. Dealing with unfamiliar words 5 Match the words in the box with their definitions. 1 the place where you work (workplace) 2 to mean something (denote) 3 to make something or someone become gradually less effective, confident, or successful (undermine) 4 to think that something is true because it is likely, although you cannot be certain (presume) 5 a regular and important part or feature of something (staple) 6 involving or consisting of many people, things, or parts (multiple) 7 expressing what you mean using clear and effective language (eloquent) 8 used to describe a word that refers to one person or thing (singular) 9 behaving in a very unfriendly or threatening way towards someone (hostile) 10 to say or write words that someone else has said or written (quote) 11 to give someone responsibility for an important job or activity (entrust) 6 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words in Activity 5. 1 Melanie got to her feet and made a eloquent defence of the rights of women in the workplace. 2 There are a number of words in English, such as people, which although technically in the singular form, in actual fact denote a plural meaning. 3 The dark suit is a staple of the businessmans wardrobe, and I presume it will remain so for a long time. 4 The hostile reception he got at the meeting is likely to undermine all the work that has been done recently to improve relations between staff and management. 5 Jason suffered multiple injuries in the accident, and we didnt want to entrust an inexperienced surgeon with the operation. 6 I think that most world leaders in the next century will be women, but dont quote me on that. 7 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the following words. You may need to make other changes. 1 Dont forget to put on a bit of lipstick and mascara before you go out. (make-up) 2 The candidate displayed a lack of seriousness which we felt was not appropriate to the position he was applying for. (frivolousness) 3 I need to check my free dates in March before I can confirm whether I shall be able to attend the conference. (availability) 4 He has an attractive smile which people find hard to resist. (alluring) 5 This list of participants needs to be put into alphabetical order. (alphabetized) 6 The first person officially suggested as general secretary had to withdraw due to ill health. (nominee) 7 After the first remarks offering congratulations the atmosphere at the prize-giving ceremony turned sour. (congratulatory) 8 The speaker made a comment which I found unfriendly and which meant the opposite of what he really meant. (sarcastic) 8 Answer the questions about the words and expressions. 1 Is a linguistic problem concerned with (a) words, or (b) figures? 2 If you are disqualified from an event, do the organizers (a) allow you, or (b) refuse to allow you to take part? 3 Is rub likely to mean (a) a problem, or (b) a solution? 4 If you have got myriad job offers, are you likely to be (a) concerned, or (b) optimistic about your future? 5 If you let on about something to someone, do you (a) tell them about it, or (b) keep it a secret? 6 If you duck something which has been thrown at you, does it (a) hit, or (b) miss you? 7 If someone speaks to you in an uppity way, is their manner (a) superior, or (b) humble and polite? Reading and interpreting 9 Answer the questions. 1 From which field has the writer borrowed the term marked? The term marked is borrowed from linguistics. 2 What are the differences between a “marked” and an “unmarked” word? An “unmarked” word is normal, common or neutral, while a “marked” one is noticeable or used in a particular way or has a special meaning. Sometimes the unmarked one is positive and the unmarked on is negative. 3 What is the difference between a “marked” and an “unmarked” appearance in the workplace? An “unmarked” appearance would be normal, neutral and common, so it is unlikely that anyone would comment on it. A “marked” appearance would be different, particular and noticeable because it would be a contrast to all those with an unmarked appearance people would be likely to comment on the person with the marked appearance. 4 Why is no make-up “marked” for women? Because many or most women wear some make-up. A woman wearing no make-up in a context where it is expected that make-up would be worn is noticeably different, so it is “marked”. 5 How often do men wear “marked” clothes in the workplace? Not often or rarely. 6 What is the connection between “marked” and “sexy”? Assuming that most women wear attractive and smart clothes, say in the workplace, this would be unmarked (among women), whereas if a woman wore sexy clothes (which for example were very revealing), this would be noticeable and “marked” (and inappropriate). In another context, the opposite might