Unit 2Unit 2Unit 2Unit 2

Culture ShockCulture Shock

Word Pretest1. In the kitchen I encountered a woman I had never seen

before. encounter v./n. — to meet someone unexpectedly; to experience, especially sth. unpleasant 偶然碰到，邂逅；遭遇，经历

• encounter sb.• encounter some difficulties• have an encounter with sb.• confront = face/deal with 面对，面临

2. She was sitting on the sofa, browsing through the TV pages of the newspaper.

browse through --- look through a book or books casually, reading passages here and there.

随意翻阅，浏览

• web browser

网络浏览器

3. 3.After he failed his math exam , he has been feeling depressed for several weeks.

depressed a. — unhappy and without hope for the future

抑郁的，消沉的，沮丧的

• depress v. 使忧郁，使沮丧 sth. depress sb.• depression n.

• puzzled=confused 困惑的

4. Because of their different opinions on the issue , there is now open hostility between the two leaders.

hostility n. [U] — when someone is unfriendly or shows that they do not agree with or like something

敌意，不友好

• open(= obvious) hostility

公开的敌意• hostile a.

5. Common sense and creativity are some of the intangible qualities we’re looking for in an employee.

intangible a.— an intangible feeling or quality exists but you cannot describe it exactly or prove it

（感觉或性质）难以捉摸的，无形的

• intangible asset 无形资产 ( good reputation)• intangibly ad.

6. Making mistakes is inevitable, so do not be discouraged.

inevitable a. — certain to happen and unable to be avoided or prevented ； unavoidable

不可避免的；必然发生的

• inevitably ad.

7. I have located a better restaurant in the next street . Why don't we go there for lunch ?

locate v. —to find the exact position of sth. ； to be in a particular place

找到；位于，坐落在…

• be located in• location n. 地点，位置，方位

8. stop dwelling on your problems and do something about them.

dwell on — to keep thinking or talking about sth. ，especially something bad or unpleasant

老是想着，一直在说（尤指不好或令人不快之事）

• dwell in = live in

• dweller n.

居民• dwelling n.

房屋，住所

居住

Section A : Text A

Making a Cultural Change

Making a Cultural Change

Until a relatively short time ago, traveling abroad was limited to well-to-do tourists and prosperous businesspeople. Flying abroad was not common for the average person. In time, however, plane travel became safer, more convenient, and less expensive. As a result, people of diverse backgrounds now fly to distant places for pleasure, business, and education. Very often, government officials and business representatives fly to one country for a breakfast or lunch conference, then fly to another country for a dinner meeting. With the world becoming smaller, many young adults make the decision to study in foreign universities. It is an exciting, challenging experience to live in a foreign country. Anyone who can study abroad is fortunate; but, of course, it is not easy to make the transition from one culture to another. One faces many difficulties.

The student who studies in a foreign country leaves behind a familiar, loving, comfortable environment. Back home, she has her family, friends, and acquaintances. She knows the language, politics, money, food, social customs, and so forth. She knows all the intangible aspects of her native culture, such as body language, bargaining practices, and efforts to minimize waste through recycling, etc. In short, she knows "the system" in her native country. Then one day she leaves all this behind and suddenly finds herself in a place where everyone and everything is strange, perhaps even perplexing. All this strangeness is a major surprise to a person's assurance. This abrupt change often leads to a reaction called culture shock.

Foreigners experience varying degrees of culture shock. The symptoms range from being ill-at-ease to being seriously depressed. Feeling homesick, irritable, unhappy, and very sensitive are other signs of culture shock. It is easy to understand that the endless frustrations of the early days in a new country would produce discontent, discomfort, and perhaps even hostility. People are always at ease in a familiar environment. A mature, realistic person experiences mild, temporary symptoms; the insecure newcomer suffers from a more serious case of culture shock.

During the inevitable period of adjustment, the international student tends to complain about everything in the host country. In fact, she is likely to exaggerate the problems. When she encounters another miserable person from the same country, she has a real outlet for unhappy feelings. Together they can complain in their native language. Although this complaining provides temporary satisfaction, it certainly does not help her adapt to a new society. Being negative will never get rid of the feelings of frustrations. The mature person understands that a positive attitude, determination, and flexibility are crucial in making the transition successful. A sense of humor is a big help.

The following suggestions have been found to be helpful in fighting culture shock.

1.Keep busy. Get to know the area where you live by

walking around and observing. Become familiar with the stores in the neighborhood and the kinds of merchandise sold. Locate the post office, library, schools, hospital and supermarkets. Say hello to a neighbor in your building, and perhaps start a friendship.

2. Become friendly with classmates. Spend some out-of-school time together. 3. Do something you enjoy. Phone your family back home. Write a letter to a friend. Contact a relative or an acquaintance whose address you may have. Browse through department stores. Visit a museum. Walk through a new area of town. See a play. Go to a movie.4. Forget that your English is less than perfect, and feel free to ask people for information, guidance, or directions. Many people are friendly, sympathetic, and helpful. It is important not to dwell on negative incidents. Disappointments are simply a fact of life.

5. Be flexible. Laugh at the mistakes you make; they are usually not serious. Make up your mind that you are going to enjoy your new adventure. With the right attitude, living in a foreign country can be a priceless, enriching period in a person's life. It is a form of education—— an exciting form. The above recommendations will help a person cope with life abroad.

Reading Comprehension

1. Nowadays, flying abroad is ______.A. limited to rich tourists and wealthy businessmenB. more convenient but less safeC. common for the average personD. not common for the average person

(Fact: As a result, people of different background now fly to … L3, para. 1)

2. “The system” in the third paragraph includes the following EXCEPT ___.A. social customs B. bargaining practicesC. politics D. foreign culture(Fact: He knows the language, politics, money … L2, para. 3)

3. Culture shock affects foreigners ____.A. in just the same way B. in the same degreeC. in quite similar ways D. in different degrees

(Fact: Foreigners experience different degrees of culture shock. L1, para. 4)

4. Endless frustrations of the early days in a new country would create ____.A. dissatisfaction B. discomfortC. hostility D. all of the above

(Fact: It is easy to understand … would produce dissatisfaction, … L3, para. 4)

5. The following are important in fighting culture shock EXCEPT ______.A. Determination B. a positive attitudeC. a sense of humour D. hostility

(Fact: The mature person understand that a positive attitude, … L6, para. 5)

6. In a foreign country, you should feel free to talk with people because ____.A. your English is almost perfectB. you need informationC. people are friendly and helpfulD. you need guidance

(Fact: Many people are friendly…. L2, Point 4)

Vocabulary Building

• exaggerate to say more than the truth about sth.

• slang nonstandard vocabulary

• irritable becoming angry very easily

• insecure weak; uncertain; unprotected

• distinct different; separate

夸张，夸大 v.

俚语 n.

易怒的 a.

不自信的；无把握的；无安全感的 a.

不同的；差别明显的 a.

• discomfort the feeling of being uncomfortable

• range to have several different types

• discontent the feeling of not being satisfied

• transition the process of changing

• cope with to deal with

不适，不安 n.

从…至…不等，在…到…之间 v.

不满 n.

转变；过渡 n.

应付，处理

• merchandise goods bought and sold

• recommendation a suggestion that someone or something is good

• minimize to make as small as possible

• distortion twist; changing shape

• reverse opposite; contrary

商品，货物 n.

提议，建议；推荐 n.

使减到最少 v.

扭曲；变形 n.

相反；背面；逆向 ( 的 ) a. / n.

Key to the exercise: (p. 21-22)• 1. slang • 2. exaggerate • 3. cope with • 4. reverse• 5. recommendation • 6. irritable• 7. discomfort • 8. transition

Suffixes(p. 22)

v. + -able = adj. “be able to do”v. (root)+ -ible = adj.

v. + -tion, -ation, -ition,- ion, -sion = n.

Key to the exercise: (p. 22)1. dividable / divisible

2. determination

3. dependable

4. satisfaction

5. correction

6. relation

7. usable

8. recognizable

Cloze: (p. 23)foreign anxious behaviormean necessarily appear unsure approach frustrationssystem

• International communication is communication between members of different cultures. This definition is simple. But the process is complex. Intercultural communication involves different beliefs, attitudes, and interpretations. We know that even two people from the same culture can have communication problems. People can unconsciously hurt each other by something they say or do. Isn't it logical, then, that we will have more communication problems among people who do not share the same language and culture?

• Cultures do not communicate; individuals do. Everyone has a unique style of communication, but cultures determine a general style for their members. The relationship of the individual to his culture is analogous to an actor and his director. The actor puts his own personality into his acting but is nevertheless influenced by the director.

• Problems do not always appear when members from two cultures

communicate. However, when cultural conflicts do arise, they may be perceived as personal rather than cultural. Cultural misunderstandings can create negative feelings and confusion.

• Individuals experience the stages of adjustment in different ways. When visitors have close relatives in the new culture or speak the foreign language fluently, they may not experience all the effects of cultural shock or mental isolation. An exile or refugee would adjust differently from someone who voluntarily traveled to a new country. Certain individuals have difficulties adapting to a new environment and perhaps never do; others seem to adjust well from the very beginning of their stay.

• Day-to-day living in another culture is undoubtedly an educational experience. While traveling and living abroad, people learn second languages, observe different customs, and encounter new values. Many people who have lived in other countries feel that their foreign experience enables them to understand their own society better. When facing different values, beliefs, and behavior, they develop a deeper understanding of themselves and of the society that helped to shape their character. The contrasts of a second culture provide a mirror in which one's own culture is reflected.

• Suppose that you're planning to visit a part of the world about which you know very little—except that it is quite different from your own country. You expect that the spoken language and probably some gestures will be different. You know, too, that customs will be different, but you are not sure exactly what this will mean. At least there will be interesting things to take pictures of or write home about. The climate and food will be different, of course, but these differences are attractions and are not really problems. Such is the would-be tourist's view of a foreign culture.

• From the moment you arrive, your cultural and personal background will influence everything you expect and a great deal of what you do and do not do. Most of the people you meet will be similarly influenced by their own backgrounds, culturally, socially, and personally. If some of the people you meet think you act a little strangely, they may never know whether you are peculiar, or whether most people from your country are strange, or whether all "foreigners" are strange.

• There are millions of rules, regulations, attitudes and values that make up a given culture. These rules and attitudes are learned from birth and are so internalized that they form a part of who and what we are. The difficulty is that other societies have a different set of rules, regulations, attitudes and values. Many of the actions and items in the two cultures are the same outwardly, but they do not mean the same thing. For example, everyone knows how to wave goodbye. But in Latin America, this same motion means "Come here".

• Culture shock is the confusion resulting from the distortion of the signs, rules, and regulations that govern social interaction. The reaction to these signs is automatic. Thus we often have committed mistakes in a new cultural environment before we have had time to think about the situation and react properly. The American President Jimmy Carter gave us a good example of this in Panama. When President Torrijos of Panama met Carter, he tried to give him a friendly abraso (hug). To have done anything less would have shown disrespect for President Carter. Carter, however, reacted automatically to another man trying to hug him and quickly jumped back. This was equivalent to refusing to shake hands. No wonder Americans couldn't keep the Canal there.

Culture Shock: A Fish out of Water

• Whenever people travel overseas, they are like “a fish out of water.” Like the fish, they have been swimming in their own culture all their lives. A fish does not know what water is. Likewise, we often do not think too much about the culture we are raised in. Our culture helps to shape our identity. Many of the cues of interpersonal communication (body language, words, facial expressions, tone of voice, idioms, or slang) are different in different cultures. One of the reasons that we feel like a fish out of water when we enter a new culture is that we don not know all the cues that are used in the new culture.

• Psychologists tell us that there are five distinct phases (or stages) of culture shock. It is important to understand that culture shock happens to all people who travel abroad, but some people have much stronger reactions than others.

• During the first few days of a person’s stay in a new country, everything usually goes smoothly. The newcomer is excited about being in a new place where there are new sights and sounds, new smells and tastes. The newcomer may have some problems, but usually accepts them as just part of the newness. They may find themselves staying in hotels or being with a homestay family that is excited to meet the foreign stranger. The newcomer may find that “the red carpet” has been rolled out and they may be taken to restaurants, movies, and tours of the sights. The new acquaintances may want to take the newcomer out to many places and “show them off.” This first stage of culture shock is called the “honeymoon phase.”

• Unfortunately, this honeymoon phase often comes to an end fairly soon. The newcomer has to deal with transportation problems (buses that don’t come on time), shopping problems (can’t buy favorite foods) or communication problems (just what does “chill out, dude.” mean?). It may start to seem like people no longer care about your problems. They may help, but they do not seem to understand your concern over what they see as small problems. You might start to think that the people in the host country do not like foreigners.

• This may lead to the second stage of culture shock, known as the “rejection phase.” The newcomer may begin to fell aggressive and start to complain about the host culture/country. However, it is important to recognize that these feelings are real and can become serious. This phase is called the “rejection phase” because it is at this point that the newcomer start to reject the host country, complaining about and noticing only the bad things that bother them. At this stage the newcomer either gets stronger and stays, or gets weaker and goes home (physically, or only mentally.)

• If you do not survive stage two successfully, you may find yourself moving into stage three the “regression phase.” The word “regression” means moving backward, and in this phase of culture shock, you spend much of your time speaking your own language, watching videos from your home country, or eating food from home. You may also notice that you are moving around campus or around town with a group of students who speak your own language. You may spend most of this time complaining about the host country/ culture.

• Also, in the regression phase, you may only remember the good things about your home country. Your homeland may suddenly seem marvelously wonderful; all the difficulties that you had there are forgotten and you may find yourself wondering why you ever left. You may now only remember your home country as a wonderful place in which nothing ever went wrong for you. Of course, this is not true, but an illusion created by your culture shock “disease.”

• If you survive the third stage successfully (or miss it completely), you will move into the fourth stage of culture shock called the "recovery phase" or the "at-ease-at-last phase." In this stage you become more comfortable with the language and you also feel more comfortable with the customs of the host country. You can now move around without a feeling of anxiety. You still have problems with some of the social cues and you may still not understand everything people say (especially idioms). However, you are now 90% adjusted to the new culture and you start to realize that no country is that much better than another - it is just different lifestyles and different ways to deal with the problems of life.

• With this complete adjustment, you accept the food, drinks, habits, and customs of the host country, and you may even find yourself preferring some things in the host country to things at home. You have now understood that there are different ways to live your life and that no way is really better than another, just different. Finally, you have become comfortable in the new place.

• It is important to remember that not everyone experiences all the 4 phases of culture shock. It is also important to know that you can experience all of them at different times: you might experience the regression phase before the rejection phase, etc. You might even experience the regression phase on Monday, the at-ease-at-last phase on Tuesday, the honeymoon phase on Wednesday, and the rejection phase again on Thursday. “What will Friday be like?”

• Much later, you may find yourself returning to your homeland, and ----guess what?----you may find yourself entering the fifth phase of culture shock. This is called “reverse culture shock” or “return culture shock,” which occurs when you return home. You have been away for a long time, becoming comfortable with the habits and customs of a new lifestyle, and you may find that you are no longer completely comfortable in your home country. Many things may have changed while you were away, and ----surprise! surprise!---- it may take a little while to become at ease with the cues and signs and symbols of your home culture.

• Reverse culture shock can be very difficult. There is a risk of sickness or emotional problems in many of the phases of culture shock. Remember to be kind to yourself all the time that you are overseas, and when you get home, give yourself time to adjust. Be your own best friend. If you do these things you will be a much stronger person. If you do these things, congratulations, you will be a citizen of the world!

Key to Section B: (p. 24-26)1. C 2. B 3. D 4. C 5. C 6. D 7. B 8. D

Key to Section C: (p. 27-29)1. C 2. B 3. B 4. D 5. B 6. C 7. A 8. D