Kalervo Oberg
Kalervo Oberg: (1901-1973) a world-renowned anthropologist.
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
 Born:
1901
 Birthplace:
British Columbia, Canada
 Died:
July 11, 1973, in Corvallis, Oregon
 Best Known As: a pioneer in economic and applied
anthropology
Script
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
Kalervo Oberg was born in 1901 in the Canadian province of
British Columbia, to Finnish parents. He received a bachelor’s
degree in economics from the University of British Columbia in
1928, a master’s degree in economics from the University of
Pittsburgh, and his Ph.D from the University of Chicago. Oberg
had numerous teaching positions in his career, but never a
permanent position. He also worked in various government
postings overseas, including the Institute of Inter-American
Affairs, forerunner of the US Agency for International
Development. After his employment with the government, Oberg
returned to teaching at Cornell University, the University of
Southern California, and also Oregon State University. He was
an excellent teacher and was always aware of current events
around the world and ready to discuss them. Although he did not
publish as much as many anthropologists due to the nature of
his work, his contributions were great. He was most famous for
developing the idea of “culture shock.”
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
Directions: Culture is responsible for how we live. There are
different ways to divide culture, one of which is to
think about culture in two basic categories:
individualism and collectivism. Watch the video
and try to get the differences between individualistic
cultures and collectivistic cultures.
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
Individualistic culture:
a. People are concerned more with the needs, goals and
interests of the individual.
b. People tend to emphasize self-actualization and individual
initiative and achievement.
c. People focus on an I identity.
d. People are supposed to look after themselves and
immediate families only.
e. People tend to emphasize individual rights like freedom,
independence, individuality and equality.
f. People tend to have a SELF-other orientation toward
relationships, meaning that the SELF is the most important.
g. Examples of individualistic cultures are US and Australia.
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
Collectivistic culture:
a. People are more concerned with the group’s needs, goals
and interests than those of the individual.
b. People stress fitting in with or belonging to the group.
c. People focus on a WE identity.
d. People are supposed to look after others in the group or
collective in exchange for loyalty.
e. People tend to emphasize belonging to groups. Family
relations, loyalty and harmony are highly valued.
f. People tend to have a self-OTHER orientation toward
relationships meaning that the other is more important than
the self.
g. Examples of collectivistic cultures are China, Columbia,
Costa Rica and Indonesia.
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Directions: The term “culture shock” was introduced for the first
time in 1954 by Kalvero Oberg. Now let’s learn
something in detail about it.
Culture Shock
1. Definition
Group Discussion
2. Six aspects of culture shock
3. A typical six-month cycle of culture shock
4. Causes of culture shock
5. Signs of culture shock
6. Dealing with intercultural stress and shock
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
Definition
Script
Culture shock is a term used to describe the anxiety and
feelings (of surprise, disorientation, confusion, etc.) felt when
people have to operate within an entirely different culture or
social environment, such as a different country.
Kalervo Oberg
Six aspects of culture shock
Script
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
1. Strain due to the effort required to make necessary
psychological adaptations.
2. A sense of loss and feelings of deprivation regarding friends,
family, status, career and possessions.
3. Being rejected by and/or rejecting members of the new
culture.
4. Confusion in role, role expectation, values, feelings and
self identity.
5. Surprise, anxiety and even disgust and indignation after
becoming aware of cultural differences.
6. Feelings of impotence due to not being able to cope with a
new environment.
Kalervo Oberg
A typical six-month cycle of culture shock
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
Pre-Departure
First Month
Sixth Month
Fourth and Fifth
Months
Third Month
Second Month
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
Pre-Departure: Defined by excitement, anticipation and
enthusiasm. Emotions are running high and although excited,
everyone is also a bit apprehensive and concerned.
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
First Month: Still filled with the excitement of travel and
newness of food, culture and environment. Learning the
language becomes a priority.
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
Second Month: Distinguished by the awareness of differences
being felt as unpleasant. Inconveniences in accommodation,
not speaking the language well enough and the lack of
familiarity of foods, shops, friends and surroundings are
noticed.
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
Third Month: Often the low point in the adjustment period.
Language skills seem to stagnate and personal productivity
drops. Nothing about the new culture seems positive. Family
and friends are greatly missed.
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
Fourth and Fifth Months: The beginning of the return of
enthusiasm and enjoyment. New foods, new ways of doing
things and the language are tried with a positive effect.
Emotions are smoother, confidence is regained and built up,
and health is restored.
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
Sixth Month: Brings normal lifestyle, with established routines
and social life in place. The ups and downs of living abroad are
accepted. Normality, indeed, has finally smiled on you once
again.
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
Causes of culture shock
Script
1. Being cut off from cultural signals and known patterns of
communication, especially the subtle, indirect ways of
expressing feelings.
2. Living or working over an extended period of time in a
situation that is ambiguous.
3. Having personal values (which were previously
considered absolutes) brought into question.
4. Being continually put into positions in which you are
expected to function with maximum skill and speed, but
where the rules have not been adequately explained.
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
Signs of culture shock
Script
homesickness, withdrawal, stereotyping of host nationals,
need for excessive amounts of sleep, marital stress, loss of
ability to work effectively, compulsive eating or drinking,
unexplainable fits of weeping, irritability, physical ailments,
boredom, exaggerated cleanliness, family tension and
conflict
Kalervo Oberg
Dealing with intercultural stress and shock
Script
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
1. Gather information. The more that is known about a
place or its people, the less foreign or threatening they
seem. Consider traveling locally, taking a cooking class,
or joining a club.
2. Do not criticize the host culture. Resist the temptation
of talking negatively about the local people.
3. Find a friend. Find someone who can serve as a “cultural
informant” to introduce parts of local life and practices
that are not normally accessible to foreigners. This will
help make sense of the cultural differences one naturally
encounters.
4. Look at the “big picture.” Find patterns and
interrelationships that explain what is going on so that it
no longer seems confusing.
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
1. Language is a tool for us to communicate with each other.
Lack of efficient linguistic as well as cultural knowledge may
cause misunderstanding between people from different
cultures. Watch the video See You Later.
2. Discuss with your group members. Your discussion should
include the following questions:
a. Do you have the similar experiences?
b. Have you heard of some stories of the same type?
c. What can we do to avoid such an awkward situation?
Kalervo Oberg
Culture
Culture Shock
Group Discussion
Parts Para(s).
Part Division of the Text
Further Understanding
1
1~3
True or False
Questions and Answers
Interview
2
4~6
3
7~9
Main Ideas
We might call culture shock a disease
which is caused by the frustration and
anxiety resulting from losing all our familiar
signs and symbols of social intercourse.
Culture shock is due to our own lack of
understanding of other people’s cultural
background and our lack of the means of
communication rather than the hostility of
an alien environment.
To get over culture shock, we should get to
know the people of the host country and
their language; we should find out what they
do, how they do it, and what their interests
are, etc. But understanding the ways of a
people does not mean that we have to give
up our own.
1. Culture shock is just like a disease which can be cured. ( T )
Part Division of the Text
Further Understanding
True or False
Questions and Answers
Interview
2. Culture shock often leads to the loss of our familiar signs
and symbols of social intercourse. ( F )
Culture shock results from the loss of our familiar signs
and symbols of social intercourse.
3. Usually people resort to a particular way for dealing with
their daily life. ( F )
We orient ourselves to the situations of daily life in
countless ways.
4. People who experience culture shock tend to view the
host country irrationally. ( T )
Part Division of the Text
Further Understanding
True or False
Questions and Answers
5. After the period of culture shock, people tend to take a trip
home. ( F )
Regression is another phase of culture shock. It usually
takes a trip home to bring one back to reality.
6. Culture shock enables people to forget everything back
home, good or bad. ( F )
Interview
Culture shock makes people forget all the difficulties and
problems and remember only the good thing back home.
Part Division of the Text
Further Understanding
True or False
Questions and Answers
Interview
1. What is the cultural environment made up of according to the
passage?
A cultural environment consists of man-made physical
objects, social institution, and ideas and beliefs.
2. Is culture acquired?
Yes, it is. An individual is not born with culture but only with
the capacity to learn it and use it.
3. What does culture enable young people to do?
Culture enables the young to learn to adapt themselves to
the physical environment and to the people with whom they
associate.
Part Division of the Text
Further Understanding
4. What is ethnocentrism?
It is a belief people hold that not only their culture but their
race and nation form the center of the world.
True or False
Questions and Answers
Interview
5. What is the proper way for us to treat ethnocentrism
according to the author?
We should recognize that ethnocentrism is a permanent
characteristic of national groups.
6. What should people know first in order to overcome culture
shock?
People should realize that their trouble is caused by lack of
understanding of different cultural background and the lack
of means to communicate, and that both understanding
and means can be gained by themselves.
Part Division of the Text
Further Understanding
True or False
Questions and Answers
Interview
Directions: Work in pairs to perform an interview. One student
plays as the writer, Kalervo Oberg, and the other, a
TV reporter. The topic you are talking about is how we
can get over culture shock. Your conversation should
be based on part 3 and the interview should cover the
following three aspects:
1. learn the language;
2. get to know the value and interest pattern;
3. be a participant observer.
Part Division
Further Understanding
Questions and Answers
Blank Filling
1. Do the students in distance learning programs use
textbook?
Yes, they do. But textbooks are just learning aids and they
aren’t the only source of knowledge.
2. Where can cyber students acquire knowledge apart from
textbooks?
True or False
Questions and Answers
From the collaborative efforts of online debates, conferences
and papers.
Detailed Reading
People tend to experience frustration and anxiety when
they enter a new culture. This phenomenon is often referred to
as “culture shock.” How and why does it happen? What is the
nature of “culture shock”? And how can we cope with it? Kalervo
Oberg provides us with some answers.
Culture Shock
Kalervo Oberg
Detailed Reading
We might almost call culture shock an
occupational disease of people who have
been suddenly transplanted abroad.
Like most ailments it has its own
cause, symptoms, and cure.
Culture shock is precipitated by the
anxiety that results from losing all our
familiar signs and symbols of social
intercourse. These signs or cues include
the thousand and one ways in which we orient ourselves to the
situations of daily life: when to shake hands and what to say
when we meet people, when and how to give tips, how to give
orders to servants, how to make purchases, when to accept and
when to refuse invitations, when to take statements seriously
and when not.
These cues which may be words, gestures,
Detailed Reading
facial expressions, customs, or norms are acquired by all
of us in the course of growing up and are as much a part of our
culture as the language we speak or the beliefs we accept. All
of us depend for our peace of mind and our efficiency on
hundreds of these cues.
Now when an individual enters a
strange culture, all or most of these
familiar cues are removed. He or she
is like a fish out of water. No matter
how broad-minded you may be, a
series of props have been knocked
from under you, followed by a feeling
of frustration and anxiety. People react
to the frustration in much the same way. First they reject the
environment which causes the discomfort: “The ways of the
host country are bad because they make us feel bad.”
Detailed Reading
When Americans or other foreigners in a strange land get
together to complain about the host country and its people —
you can be sure they are suffering from culture shock.
Another phase of culture shock is regression. The home
environment suddenly assumes a tremendous importance.
To an American everything American becomes irrationally
glorified. All the difficulties and problems are forgotten and
only the good things back home are remembered. It usually
takes a trip home to bring one back to reality.
In an effort to get over culture shock, there is some value
in knowing something about the nature of culture and its
relationship to the individual. In addition to living in a physical
environment, an individual lives in a cultural environment
consisting of man-made physical objects, social institutions,
and ideas and beliefs. An individual is not born with culture but
only with the capacity to learn it and use it. There is nothing in
a newborn child which dictates that it should eventually speak
Detailed Reading
Portuguese, English, or French; nor
that he should eat with a fork in his left
hand rather than in the right or use
chopsticks. All these things the child
has to learn. Nor are the parents
responsible for the culture which they
transmit to their young. The culture of
any people is the product of his try and
is built up over time largely through
processes which are beyond his awareness. It is by means of
culture that the young learn to adapt themselves to the physical
environment and to the people with whom they associate. And
as we know, children and adolescents often experience
difficulties in this process of learning and adjustment. But once
learned, culture becomes a way of life.
Detailed Reading
People have a way of accepting
their culture as both the best and the
only way of doing things. This is
perfectly normal and understandable.
To this attitude we give the name
ethnocentrism, a belief that not only the
culture but the race and the nation form
the center of the world. Individuals
identify themselves with their own group to the extent that any
critical comment is taken as a remark which is rude to the
individual as well as to the group. If you criticize my country, you
are criticizing me; if you criticize me, you are criticizing my
country. Along with this attitude goes the tendency to attribute all
individual peculiarities as national characteristics. For instance,
Detailed Reading
if an American does something odd or anti-social in a
foreign country which back home would be considered a
purely individual act, this is now considered a national trait.
He acts that way not because he is Joe Doaks but because
he is an American. Instead of being censured as an
individual, his country is censured. It is thus best to recognize
that ethnocentrism is a permanent characteristic of national
groups. Even if a national criticizes some aspect of his own
culture, the foreigner should listen but not enter into the
criticism.
Once you realize that your trouble is due to your own lack
of understanding of other people’s cultural background and
your own lack of the means of communication rather than the
hostility of an alien environment, you also realize that you
yourself can gain this understanding and these means of
communication. And the sooner you do this, the sooner
culture shock will disappear.
Detailed Reading
The question now arises, what
can you do to get over culture
shock as quickly as possible? The
answer is getting to know the
people of the host country. But this
you cannot do with any success
without knowing the language, for
language is the principal symbol
system of communication. Now we all know that learning a new
language is difficult, particularly to adults. This task alone is
quite enough to cause frustration and anxiety, no matter how
skillful language teachers are in making it easy for you. But
once you begin to be able to carry on a friendly conversation
with your maid, your neighbour, or to go on shopping trips alone,
you not only gain confidence and a feeling of power but a whole
new world of cultural meanings opens up for you.
Detailed Reading
You begin to find out what people do, how they do it, and
what their interests are. People usually express these interests
by what they habitually talk about and how they allocate their
time and money. Once you know this value or interest pattern
it will be quite easy to get people to talk to and be interested in
you.
At times it is helpful to be
a participant observer by joining
the activities of the people, to try
to share in their responses,
whether this be a carnival, a
religious ritual, or some economic
activity. Yet the visitor should
never forget that he or she is an
outsider and will be treated as
such.
Detailed Reading
He or she should view this participation as a role-playing.
Understanding the ways of a people is essential but this does
not mean that you have to give up your own. What happens is
that you have developed two patterns of behavior.
Like most ailments it has its own cause, symptoms, and cure.
Detailed Reading
1. What does “it” refer to in this sentence?
“It” refers to culture shock.
2. In the previous sentence, the author uses the word “disease”,
but here the word “ailments” is used. What is the difference
between these two words?
Disease is a general term referring to an illness which
affects a person, animal, or plant. Ailment refers to an
illness that is not very serious. Obviously, culture shock is
not a serious physical disease that is affecting one’s body.
It is just a kind of emotional discomfort usually found in
somebody who has been suddenly transplanted abroad.
3. Translate the sentence into Chinese.
和大部分疾病一样，这种病有其独特的起因、症状和疗法。
Detailed Reading
… when to shake hands and what to say when we meet people,
when and how to give tips, how to give orders to servants, how
to make purchases, when to accept and when to refuse
invitations, when to take statements seriously and when not.
1. Say something more about the usage of “when/what/how/
infinitive” structure.
There are three points to remember when you use this kind
of structure:
1) This structure is used only after such English verbs as
ask, decide, discover, find out, forget, know, learn,
remember, see (=understand/perceive), and wonder, etc.;
2) Besides “when/what/how”, words like “where/which/whether”
can also be used in this structure;
3) The structure “whether + infinitive” is usually used after
“want to know” or “wonder.”
More examples:
*I found out where to buy fruit cheaply.
*I didn’t know when to switch the machine off.
*I wondered whether to write or phone.
Detailed Reading
2. Paraphrase “when to take statements seriously and when
not.”
when we should believe that these statements are worth
our attention and when we needn’t pay attention to them
Detailed Reading
These cues which may be words, gestures, facial expressions,
customs, or norms are acquired by all of us in the course of
growing up and are as much a part of our culture as the
language we speak or the beliefs we accept.
1. According to this statement, what makes up our culture?
The cues we acquire in daily life, the language we speak,
and the beliefs we accept.
2. Translate the sentence into Chinese.
这些暗示可以是语言、手势、面部表情、风俗习惯或社会行为标
准。我们在成长的过程中获得了这些暗示，就像我们的语言和我
们所接受的信仰一样，它们已经成为我们文化的一部分。
Detailed Reading
All of us depend for our peace of mind and our efficiency on
hundreds of these cues.
What is the implied meaning of this sentence?
Without these familiar cues such as words, gestures,
facial expressions, customs, or norms, we would probably
get lost and suffer from frustration and anxiety, and
wouldn’t be able to work efficiently.
Detailed Reading
To an American everything American becomes irrationally
glorified.
Do the two words “American” in this sentence mean the same?
No, they don’t mean the same. The first “American” is a
noun, meaning “someone from the USA,” while the second
is used as an adjective, meaning “relating to the USA.”
Detailed Reading
The culture of any people is the product of history and is built
up over time largely through processes which are beyond his
awareness.
1. What can you infer from this sentence?
Culture develops and builds up through a long but hardly
noticeable process.
2. Translate the sentence into Chinese.
任何一个民族的文化都是历史的产物，经过漫长的、本民族意识不
到的过程才得以积累形成。
Detailed Reading
To this attitude we give the name ethnocentrism, a belief that
not only the culture but the race and the nation form the center
of the world.
1. To what kind of attitude do we give the name ethnocentrism?
We give the name ethnocentrism to the attitude that people
regard their culture as both the best and the only way of
doing things.
2. How is ethnocentrism defined in this sentence?
It is a belief that not only the culture but the race and the
nation form the center of the world.
3. Analyze the structure of this sentence.
1) The first part of this sentence uses the technique of
fronting (前置手法). The regular sentence order would be
“We give the name ethnocentrism to this attitude”;
2) In the second part, there is an appositve clause used to
modify “belief,” telling us the specific content of this
“belief.”
Detailed Reading
For instance, if an American does something odd or anti-social
in a foreign country which back home would be considered a
purely individual act, this is now considered a national trait.
1. What can we infer from the sentence?
People tend to attribute all individual peculiarities as national
characteristics.
2. Translate this sentence into Chinese.
例如，倘若一个美国人在国外做出怪异的或有悖社会公德的事情，在
美国国内的人们会认为这纯属个人行为，但在国外却被视为一种民族
特性。
Detailed Reading
Instead of being censured as an individual, his country is
censured.
Paraphrase the sentence.
His country rather than the individual himself would be
officially criticized.
Detailed Reading
This task alone is quite enough to cause frustration and anxiety,
no matter how skillful language teachers are in making it easy
for you.
1. What does “it” refer to?
It refers to the act of learning a new language.
2. Translate this sentence into Chinese.
无论教语言的老师多么擅长于减轻你学习语言的难度，单单学语言
这项任务都足以让你焦虑不安、饱受挫折。
Detailed Reading
At times it is helpful to be a participant observer by joining the
activities of the people, to try to share in their responses,
whether this be a carnival, a religious ritual, or some economic
activity.
1. Analyze the structure of the second sentence “whether
this be a carnival, a religious ritual, or some economic
activity.”
This sentence adopts the subjunctive mood. Here the third
person singular pronoun “this” is followed by “be” instead of
“is.” This is one type of present subjective (现在虚拟) which is
often used in clauses of condition or concession. The
present subjective can also be found in certain exclamations
to express a wish or hope, very often involving supernatural
powers.
More examples:
*God bless you!
*Long live the queen!
Detailed Reading
2. Translate this sentence into Chinese.
有时候，参加人们举办的各种活动，不管是嘉年华会、宗教仪式还
是经济活动，在活动中仔细观察，和人们一起喜怒哀乐，这都有好
处。
Detailed Reading
transplant:
1. vt. to move from one place and settle elsewhere
We start the flowers indoors and then transplant them to
the garden.
His kidney was transplanted in his
daughter.
2. n. the operation of transplanting an
organ, piece of skin etc
Kelly’s only hope of survival was a heart and lung transplant.
Collocation:
heart transplant surgery
a bone marrow transplant
心脏移植手术
骨髓移植
Detailed Reading
ailment: n.
an illness that is not very serious
It was still unclear what caused the victims’ ailments.
The medicine was supposed to cure all kinds of ailments,
ranging from colds to back pains.
CF: ailment, illness, disease & complaint
Detailed Reading
这些名词均有“疾病”之意。
ailment 指身体或精神不适，尤其指小毛病。例如：
His ailment was only a slight headache.
他身体不舒服，有点轻微的头痛。
illness
泛指一切疾病，强调生病的时间或状态。例如：
Her mother was just recovering from an illness .
他妈妈生了一场病，刚刚康复。
disease 指具体的疾病，且通常较严重，发病时间也较长。例如：
She suffers from a rare disease of the brain.
她得了罕见的脑病。
complaint 指具体部位的疾病，尤其指不是很严重的那种。例如：
He is having treatment for a chest complaint.
他正在接受胸部疾病的治疗。
Detailed Reading
cure:
1. n. treatment or substance that cures; remedy
There is still no cure for AIDS.
预防比任何一种治疗都要好得多。
Prevention is far better than any cure.
2. vt. to make an illness or medical condition go away
Many types of cancer can now be cured.
Ninety percent of patients can be cured of the disease.
Pattern:
cure sb. of sth. 把某人的病治愈
She had some acupuncture treatment which seems to
have cured her.
针灸几次后她的病似乎痊愈了。
Detailed Reading
precipitate:
1. vt. to make (an unwanted event) happen sooner
An attack on the country could precipitate a world war.
The 1929 stock market crash precipitated the collapse of
the American banking system.
2. vi. to separate a solid substance from a liquid by chemical
action, or to be separated in this way
This material causes most of the alumina in the solution to
precipitate quickly.
3. n. a solid substance that has been chemically separated
from a liquid
老师让他在沉淀物溶解后再加热混合物。
The teacher asked him to warm the mixture after the
precipitate dissolved.
Detailed Reading
4. adj. happening or done too quickly, and not thought about
carefully
A precipitate decision leads to his failure.
一阵冷风造成气温急剧下降。
A cool breeze caused a precipitate drop in the temperature.
NB:
该词作动词用时，近义词为hasten；作形容词用时，近义词为hasty。
Detailed Reading
orient: v.
to arrange or direct with a particular purpose
She looked at the street names, trying to orient herself.
登山者停下来以便辨别自己的方位。
The climber stopped to orient himself.
The meeting decided that the magazine had to orient to the
busisness community.
Detailed Reading
Collocations:
orient oneself to sth. 使自己熟悉某事
It takes new students a while to orientate themselves to
college life.
新同学要花一定的时间来熟悉校园生活。
be oriented to/towards/around sth/sb 迎合某人的需要, 围绕某事
The course is oriented towards the needs of businessmen.
这一课程是为迎合商人的需要而设立的。
A lot of the training is orientated around communications skills.
很多培训都是围绕交际技能展开的。
NB:
该词还可以用作名词，意为“东方”，但通常以the Orient的形式出现。
例如：
The traveler made a fame for himself by a book about the
Orient.
这个旅行家凭了一本描写东方的书一举成名。
Detailed Reading
purchase:
1. n. sth. you buy, or the act of buying it
Other customers arrived, made their purchases and left.
那顶帽子买得不错。
That hat was a good purchase.
Detailed Reading
Collocations:
date of purchase
proof of purchase
hire purchase
make purchases
购买日期
购买凭证
分期付款
购物
2. vt. to buy sth.
You can purchase insurance online.
Foreign investors are not permitted to purchase land.
Detailed Reading
a fish out of water:
sb. who is uncomfortable; sb. who is at a disadvantage
I felt like a fish out of water in my new school.
Pattern:
be/feel like a fish out of water
感觉格格不入
Detailed Reading
tremendous: adj.
very great in size, amount, or degree
She was making a tremendous effort to appear calm.
这个计划能省我们一大笔钱。
This plan could save us a tremendous amount of money.
CF: tremendous, huge, vast & giant
这些形容词均有“巨大的” ，“庞大的”之意。
tremendous 指某物非常大，大得惊人。强调尺寸大小、数量以及程度方
面的大。
huge 含义广，强调体积或容积的庞大。也可用于引申意义。
vast 多指空间、面积、范围的巨大，不涉及重量。
giant 非常大，强调比同类中的其他事物大得多。
Detailed Reading
Directions: Fill in the blanks with the words in the previous page.
Change the form where necessary.
giant snakes and spiders.
1. Be careful. The forest is full of _____
huge success.
2. King’s new novel will undoubtedly be a _____
3. She praised her husband for the __________
tremendous support he
had given her.
4. Vast
____ areas of the Amazon rainforest have been destroyed.
Detailed Reading
glorify: vt.
to cause to appear more important or better than they really are
Movies that glorify violence may be responsible for some of
the rise in crime.
The emperor’s achievements were glorified in numerous
poems.
Detailed Reading
get over
1) to find a way to deal with
Once we’ve got over the first few months, we should be
making a reasonable profit.
我不知道我们应该怎样解决这个问题。
I don’t know how we’re going to get over this problem.
2) to become well again after an illness or a very upsetting
experience
It’s taken me ages to get over the flu.
她从没有从儿子去世的悲伤中恢复过来。
She never got over the death of her son.
Detailed Reading
dictate: v.
1) to tell someone exactly what they must do or how they must
behave
Islamic custom dictates that women should be fully covered.
The media cannot be allowed to dictate to the government.
她拒绝听命于华盛顿一些愚蠢官员。
She refused to be dictated to by some stupid officials in
Washington.
Can they dictate how the money will be spent?
Patterns:
Detailed Reading
dictate that
dictate to
dictate who / what / how etc.
2) to say words for someone else to write down
He’s dictating a letter to his secretary right now.
Detailed Reading
transmit: v.
to send or pass from one person, place, or thing to another
会议将通过卫星进行现场转播。
The meeting will be transmitted live via satellite.
Radars that transmit at lower frequencies are more effective
than high-frequency radars in penetrating clouds, fog, and
rain.
CF: transmit, send & deliver
Detailed Reading
这些动词均含“送出”，“发送”，“传送”之意。
transmit 指通过无线电、电视或其他类似的设备将信号、消息等发送
出去或指传播知识、疾病等。例如：
The system transmits information over digital phone lines.
这个系统通过数字电话线发送信息。
Cultural values are transmitted from parent to child.
文化价值观由父母传递给孩子。
send 最常用，含义广，指把人或物由一地送往另一地，而不涉及事
物的内容或送的方式。例如：
We sent Mom flowers for Mother’s Day.
母亲节我们送花给母亲。
deliver 指把信件、包裹等物寄发出去或交到某地，或直接交与某人，
着重发送这一行为。例如：
The morning mail has just been delivered.
晨报刚刚送到。
Detailed Reading
build up:
1) to increase, develop, or become gradually larger
The firm has built up a wide reputation for fair dealing.
He’s built up the family firm into a multinational company.
2) to make someone well and strong again; strengthen
Taking exercise will build up your strength.
生病的时候必须休息以便恢复健康。
When sick you must rest to build up your health.
Detailed Reading
by means of:
by using a particular method or system
I found my lost dog by means of a notice in the paper.
NB:
英文单词means比较活跃，有很多固定用法。常用的有：
by all means
尽一切办法, 一定
by any means 无论如何
by no means
决不
Detailed Reading
associate with sb.:
to spend time with sb.
I don’t like those people you’re associating with.
约翰好像一直和犯罪分子混在一起。
John may have been associating with the criminals.
Detailed Reading
identify oneself/sb. with sb./sth.:
to support or feel closely connected with sb./sth.
She has always been identified with the radical left.
I tried to identify my mind with the old fellow’s, and take his
view of the world.
CF: identify, recognize & make out
这些动词均含“认出”，“识别”之意。
identify 指辨别、确定人的身份或物品的归属等。
recognize 所辨认的人或物多是以前所熟悉的。
make out 通常指通过人的感觉器官来辨别事物。
Detailed Reading
Directions: Fill in the blanks with the words in the previous page.
Change the form where necessary.
1. I didn’t recognize
________ you in your uniform.
2. His accent ________
identified him as a Frenchman.
out a dark shape moving towards him.
3. He could just make
________
4. Scientists have ________
identified the gene that causes abnormal
growth.
Detailed Reading
to the extent that:
so much that
Violence increased to the extent that residents were afraid to
leave their homes.
NB:
英语中还有一个词组与该词组意思相同：to such an extent that，意
为“到这样的程度以致”。常用的关于extent的词组还有：
to a certain extent
在一定程度上
to some extent
在某种程度上
to a great/large extent
在很大程度上
Detailed Reading
tendency: n.
a characteristic likelihood of doing sth.
There is an increasing tendency for women to have children
later in life.
男孩的好斗倾向比女孩强。
Boys have a stronger tendency to fight than girls.
Collocations:
aggressive tendency
suicidal tendency
criminal tendency
artistic tendency
have a tendency to/towards sth.
进攻倾向
自杀倾向
犯罪倾向
艺术倾向
有做某事的倾向
Detailed Reading
attribute:
1. vt. to regard sth. as belonging to, caused by or produced by
sb./sth.
We attribute courage to the lion and cunning to the fox.
艾丽思的成功归功于她的聪明和勤奋。
Alice’s success should be attributed to her intelligence and
hard work.
2. n. a quality considered as belonging to a person or thing;
characteristic.
Patience is an attribute of a good teacher.
一名好经理应该具备何种素质？
What attributes should a good manager possess?
Detailed Reading
peculiarity: n.
sth. that is a feature of only one particular place, person,
situation etc.
We noticed the peculiarity of his manner at once.
She was well aware of the peculiarity of her own situation.
CF: peculiarity, trait & attribute
这些名词均有“特性”，“特点”，“品质”之意。
peculiarity 指人或事物独具的或奇怪的特点，常带感情色彩。
trait
多指人的性格、心情的特征，尤指先天秉赋的持久的行为模
式或性格特征。
attribute
通常指好的或有用的特征、品质。
Detailed Reading
Directions: Fill in the blanks with the words in the previous page.
Change the form where necessary.
1. Courage, love, patience and common sense are desirable
traits .
_____
peculiarities is that his two eyes are not the
2. One of his __________
same color.
attributes of a journalist.
3. He possesses the essential ________
Detailed Reading
hostility: n.
unfriendliness; opposition.
The guard dog showed signs of hostility toward the
newcomers.
Recently there has been hostility towards the Prime
Minister from members of his own party.
Collocations:
open hostility
公开的敌意
They eyed each other with open hostility.
他们带着明显的敌意注视对方。
popular hostility 公众的敌意
Pictures of refugees aroused popular hostility towards the
war.
难民照片引起了公众对于战争的愤怒。
hostility to/towards sb./sth. 对某人或某事的敌意
There was fierce hostility to the new policy.
新政引起了强烈的敌意。
Detailed Reading
open up:
1) to (cause to) spread or unfold
With a microscope, a whole new world of investigation opens
up.
新国际公约带来了更多反恐合作的可能性。
The new international agreement opens up the possibility of
much greater co-operation against terrorism.
2) to open sth. that is closed, locked, or covered
Open up, this is the police!
3) to stop being shy and say what you really think
Last night was the first time that Ken had opened up
about his feelings.
allocate: vt.
to divide and give as a share
Detailed Reading
You should allocate the same amount of time to each question.
One million dollars was allocated for disaster relief.
CF: assign, distribute, divide & allocate
这些动词均含“分配”，“分发”之意。
assign 指分配某项任务给某人或让某人负责某事；也可指为某事指定
时间、地点。
distribute 通常指将整体或定量分为若干份来分配。
divide 普通用词，强调将某物分成若干份分配给他人，当某物一分为
二时，含平均分配之意。
allocate 将某物划归特殊用途使用或将某物划拨给特定的人。
Detailed Reading
Directions: Fill in the blanks with the words in the previous page.
Change the form where necessary.
divide East and West Berlin.
1. The Wall used to _____
allocated millions of dollars for cancer
2. The Ford Foundation ________
research.
3. Clothes and blankets have been _________
distributed among the
refugees.
4. I’ve been ________
assigned the task of looking after the new students.
Detailed Reading
participant:
1. adj. participating; sharing.
Participant reporters are welcome at the council meeting.
2. n. someone who is taking part in an activity or event
Last summer, children’s art program had fourteen participants.
At the end of the conference, all the participants were asked
to fill out a questionnaire.
Detailed Reading
as such:
properly so named; in the exact meaning of the stated thing
If Mr. Green chooses to act like a child, he may have to be
treated as such.
分娩是一个自然过程，也应该这样被对待。
Birth is a natural process and should be treated as such.
Collocations:
be treated as such
be recognized as such
be accepted as such
被这样对待
被这样认可
被这样接受
1. 职业病
an occupational disease
2. 因……而产生
result from
3. 社会交往
social intercourse
4. 使自己熟悉（新情况）
orient oneself to
Activities
5. 握手
shake hands
Picture Talking
6. 购物
make purchases
Proverbs and Quotations
7. 对……当真
take sth. seriously
8. 面部表情
facial expressions
9. 在……过程中
in the course of
10. 离水之鱼；不得其所的人
a fish out of water
11. 心胸开阔
be broad-minded
12. 一系列
a series of
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Discussion and Writing
Optional Classroom
13. 对……做出反应
react to
Listening Comprehension
14. 抱怨
complain about
Discussion and Writing
15. 克服，战胜
get over
Optional Classroom
16. 除了
in addition to
Activities
17. 社会风俗
social institutions
Picture Talking
18. 增加，积累
build up
Proverbs and Quotations
19. 用，依靠
by means of
20. 使自己适应
adapt oneself to
21. 和……打交道
associate with
22. 和……打成一片，认同
identify with
23. 到这样的程度以至于
to the extent that
24. 例如
for instance
Useful Expressions
25. 个人行为
an individual act
Listening Comprehension
26. 因为
due to
Discussion and Writing
27. 而不是
rather than
Optional Classroom
28. 尽快
as quickly as possible
Activities
29. 进行交谈
carry on a conversation
Picture Talking
30. 打开，展开
open up
Proverbs and Quotations
31. 宗教仪式
a religious ritual
32. 被这样对待
be treated as such
Useful Expressions
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Discussion and Writing
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Proverbs and Quotations
Directions: Listen to the following passage and then fill in the
blanks.
Dealing with culture shock
You have stepped off the plane into a new (1) _______
cultural
world. Initially you may experience a sense of (2) excitement
_________
and surprise. Everything around you is (3) ____
new : a different
language, different dress, or a confusing (4) transit
_____ system.
Slowly you begin to adapt.
You may have heard these words — culture shock, a
psychological disorientation (心理错位) that most people
(5) experience
_________ when living in a culture markedly different
from one’s own. Everyone experiences culture shock in
different ways, at different (6) times
_____ and to different
(7) degrees
_______ . Usually the cultural adjustment (8) process
_______
follows a certain pattern. At first, you will be excited about
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Discussion and Writing
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Proverbs and Quotations
going abroad and starting a new (9) adventure
________. When you
first arrive, everything will (10) appear
______ new and exciting.
However, after some time, you may start to feel (11) ________
homesick
and question why the local people do things so differently.
You may even become (12) upset
_____ about these differences.
However, you will eventually (最终) get used to this new way
of life. And before you know it, you will be getting excited
about the (13) return
_____ home to your family and friends.
Sometimes our values and (14) ______
beliefs will conflict
and sometimes they will converge (汇合) with the cultures we
visit. The better you are able to adjust to the differences, the
greater the ability you will have in empathizing and
communicating with those with whom you come in
(15) _____________
contact. The result will be a better understanding of your own
values and the values of the people you will encounter in
another culture.
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Discussion and Writing
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Proverbs and Quotations
1. Discussion
Here is a story about a Canadian’s experience in China.
Read it and have a discussion with your classmates. Your
discussion might cover the following aspects:
(1) The Canadian’s attitude towards privacy;
(2) The concept of privacy in Chinese culture;
(3) Your comments on this example of culture difference;
Culture Shock — Sense of Privacy
2. Homework for Writing
For this part, you are required to write a composition on the
topic Different Concepts of Privacy based on the story and the
discussion above. Your composition should be no less than
120 words.
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Discussion and Writing
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Proverbs and Quotations
I don’t mean to say that there was no privacy in China.
But, what I experience in a public office made me wonder
what privacy really meant to many people there. One day, I
went into the office. Seeing people revealing their quite
personal stories in front of many others made me
uncomfortable… “Do as the Romans do” I told myself. So, I
waited patiently and tried to avoid the sound coming from the
person in front of the line. Then, I sensed that someone was
peering through my shoulder and stared at the paper that I
was holding. “Do as the Romans do” I murmured quietly.
Moments later, my brother came and we discussed at the
corner of the office with the documents open on the desk.
Almost immediately, I saw a man was staring at the
documents. His staring lasted (about three minutes) till I
politely reminded him that it was a personal document and …
My mouth dropped seeing him shouting at me, reminding me
that it was a public place and he stared just the desk not the
document.
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Discussion and Writing
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
On some occasions we Chinese behave differently from
people in the Western countries. The most apparent difference
can be found on the way people deal with their daily life.
Besides the cultural difference shown in the table manner, in
the way to address and greet people, in giving and receiving
gifts, can you name some other differences in terms of the
value system? You may take America as an example of the
Western countries.
Proverbs and Quotations
Value Difference
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Discussion and Writing
Optional Classroom
Activities
Aspects
China
Interpersonal “Relationship” comes
first
“Economics” comes
first
On “Humility” “Humility” viewed
(谦卑)
as a virtue
“Humility” is a sign of
weakness; there is
every reason for the
abled to be proud
What Wins
Respect
Respect for seniority,
wisdom, ability
Respect for success,
achievement, wealth
On “Family”
Children should learn
to respect the elder,
love the young, and
rely on the “extended
family”
Children should learn
to be independent
Picture Talking
Proverbs and Quotations
United States
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Discussion and Writing
Optional Classroom
Aspects
On “the
Strong” and
“the Weak”
China
It is not righteous to
hurt others who are
not as strong as you
are
Activities
United States
It is an honour to win;
business is all a
competition; it is only
natural that the weak
is replaced by the
strong
Picture Talking
Proverbs and Quotations
Tolerance of Openly very receptive, More open
Diversity (对 but actually less so
多样性的容忍)
On Shame or Long memory; need
Humiliation
and urge to declare
(羞辱)
the innocence
Tends to come after
business
consideration
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Discussion and Writing
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Proverbs and Quotations
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Discussion and Writing
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Proverbs and Quotations
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Discussion and Writing
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Proverbs and Quotations
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Discussion and Writing
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Proverbs and Quotations
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Discussion and Writing
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Proverbs and Quotations
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Discussion and Writing
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Proverbs and Quotations
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Discussion and Writing
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Proverbs and Quotations
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Discussion and Writing
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Proverbs and Quotations
1. Every country has its customs.
乡有乡俗。
2. Do as the Romans do.
入乡随俗。
3. Let our object be our country, our whole country, and nothing
but our country.
我们的心目中要有国家，要有整个国家，而且只有我们的国家别无其他。
4. Culture itself is neither education nor law making, it is an
atmosphere and a heritage.
— Henry Louis Menken, American writer and editor
文化本身既不是教育，也不是立法，它是一种氛围，一种遗产。
—— 美国作家、编辑 亨利•路易斯•门肯
Useful Expressions
5. Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home.
— J. H. Payne, American dramatist and act
Listening Comprehension
Discussion and Writing
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Proverbs and Quotations
金窝，银窝，不如自家的草窝。
——美国剧作家、演员J. H.佩恩
6. Home is the place where, when you have to go there, it has to
take you in.
—Robert Frost, American poet
无论何时何地家永远是向游子敞开大门的地方。
——美国诗人 罗伯特•弗罗斯特
7. Go where he will, the wise man is at home. His hearth the earth,
his hall the azure dome.
—Ralf Waldo Emerson, American thinker
明智者四海为家——地球是他的壁炉，蓝天是他的客厅。
——美国思想家 拉尔夫•瓦尔多•爱默生