College English: Listening and Speaking Course 1

College English: Listening and Speaking Course 1 Unit 16: Culture

Unit 16: Culture • Part A • Part B • Part C • Part D

Unit 16: Culture Communicative Function: Talking About Similarity and Difference PART A

Unit 16: Culture Listening Task Text : Fireworks PART B

Unit 16: Culture Additional Listening : Warm Colors and Cool Colors PART C

Unit 8: Employment Home Listening ( 1 ) : Punctuality Home Listening ( 2 ) : Runaway Children PARTD

Part A Communicative Function Talking About Similarity and Difference In talking about people or things, we often touch upon their similarities and differences. This part focuses on various ways to express these in English.

Part A Listen to the dialogue. Notice the similarities and differences between the celebration of the Spring Festival in China and Christmas in the West. Then complete the answers. Similarities: Both festivals are a time for_____________________. Differences:On the Eve of the Spring Festival, the Chinese are a. having___________________; b. watching CCTV's____________________; c. setting off_____________. On Christmas Eve most Americans are a. decorating__________________; b. placing family reunion New Year's Eve's dinner Spring Festival Special firecrackers Christmas trees presents under the tree .

Part B Exercise 1: Listen to the tape once and choose the right answers to the following questions. 1.Which two of the following are the main topics of the passage you have just heard? a. A sweetheart's kiss producing fireworks. b. A fierce argument between lawyers in a courtroom. c. The custom of exploding fireworks on special days in many countries. d. The origin of fireworks. e. The traditions of different countries in the world. f. The way people celebrate their national holidays. g. Various meanings of the word "Fireworks".h. The size of fireworks. 2. When was the passage written? a. Just before the American National Day. b. Just before the Australian National Day. c. Just before the French National Day. d. Just before the Chinese National Day.

Part B Exercise 2: Listening for details Listen to the tape once again and choose the right answers to the questions you hear. 1. Which of the following can the expression "fireworks" mean? a. A fierce quarrel between two people. b. A sensation of love. c. A judge's speech in court. d. Both a and b. 2. We can associate "fireworks" with . a. something sudden, noisy, exciting b. something sudden, colorful, exciting c. something sudden, noisy, expensive d. something sudden, noisy, causing air pollution

3. Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage? a. Americans celebrate their Independence Day with fireworks at night. b. India people welcome the coming of a new year by holding a firework show. c. Fireworks were intented by the Chinese people at least 500 years ago. d. On the evening of New Year’s Day, people in Syndey set off fireworks.

Part C Exercise Listen and tick: Listen to the passage once. Then you'll hear six statements based on the passage. When you hear a statement, put a tick in the right column of the table.

Part C Warm Colors and Cool Colors People say that red and yellow and orange are "warm" colors, and that blue and green are "cool" colors. But if you touch a red wool sweater, it doesn't feel warmer than a blue wool sweater. And if you touch a green leaf, it doesn't feel cooler than a yellow leaf. Then why do people call certain colors "cool" and other colors "warm"? Now let us think of some warm things. Faces turn red when they are warm. The hot sun glows yellow to orange. In warm summer weather, strawberries and tomatoes ripen to red. These may be some of the reasons why we say red and yellow and orange are warm colors. But why do we say blue and green are cool colors? Is it because cold seas and oceans are blue and green? Or is it because people cool off in the shade of green trees? Or still, is it because lips turn blue when they are cold? Many cold things seem to be blue and green. There is another reason why we talk about "cool" colors and "warm" colors. Scientists have measured the temperature of colors with a special instrument called a thermopile and have found that reds and oranges are warmer than blues and greens. Although we cannot feel the difference, "warm" colors really are warmer than "cool" colors.

Part D Home Listening • Punctuality • If you were in London for the first time, you would probably find that • a. most people are workaholics • b. people try to make 25 hours out of 24 • c. people take their time in doing things • d. people are always in a hurry • 2. Regarding appointments, British people______ . • a. lay great emphasis on punctuality • b. are often delayed by traffic and feel very sorry • c. find it hard to be on time but do not seem to worry about it • d. can always give good reasons for being late

Part D 3. Traffic jams happen most often______. a. in a city center b. on a motorway c. outside London d. where minor accidents are likely to occur 4. Social events in Britain seem to be most affected by unpunctuality because_ a. it's rude to behave like clockwork b. people neglect punctuality when they have fun c. such events are regarded as unimportant d. one is expected to be late

Part D 5. People who take unpunctuality to extremes are usually_____ a. bus drivers b. post office workers c. service people in clinics d. plumbers and repairmen 6.We can infer from the passage that__________. a. British people are slow by nature b. British people prefer a more relaxed way of life c. British people have little sense of time d. British people have a philosophic turn of mind

Part D • Home Listening (2) • Runaway Children • According to the investigation most runaway children • are ____________________________________________. • 2. Experts say there are several reasons accounting for those children's leaving home. They are: • a.___________________________________________. • b._____________________________________________ • c.________________________________________________. • 3. The local governments established an organization called __________to provide _______________for those runaways. between the ages of twelve and eighteen. they have bad relations with their parents there is a crisis in the family they have been beaten by their parents Open Door temporary care

Part D Runaway ChHdren Some people think that young people are not being taught the importance of knowing the difference between right and wrong. To my mind, it's true. Today there are over one million runaway children in the United States. Those children don't want to study at school. They don't listen to their parents nor teachers. They leave their homes and wander on the streets. The Federal Bureau of Investigation gathers information on missing persons. It says about eighty-five percent of the runaways are children between the ages of twelve and eighteen. Those children suffer after they leave home. They can not earn money easily. They become easy targets for adult criminals. About seventy-five percent of the runaways become criminals themselves if they remain on the streets for a long time. Why do children leave their homes and choose this dangerous life? Experts say there are several reasons. Some of the children leave because they have bad relations with their parents; some leave because there is a crisis in the family; some leave because they have been beaten by their parents. The local governments are trying to help. They've established an organization called Open Door which provides temporary care for those runaways who are between twelve and seventeen years old.

College English: Listening and Speaking Course 1