Unit 1 Giving the Right Gift
Warm-up
Work in pairs and discuss/ talk about/ talk over the following questions (below)
with your classmates.
Which gift /present would you choose/ chose/ chosen when....
◎ you are celebrating your parents’ wedding an/ni/ver/sa/ry (結婚週年紀念日)?
_____
◎ you are going to your best friend’s birthday party? _______
◎ you are visiting your grandparents or relatives? _______
◎ you are celebrating Valentine’s Day with your boyfriend/girlfriend? _______
◎ you want to thank someone who has helped you? _______
Reading 孝
1.1My boss turned pale when I opened the gift box.
1.2We were at the airport and would leave on a business trip to visit an important
Asian client.
1.3My boss had asked me to buy our client a gift.
1.4Although I was just a junior manager on my first trip overseas, I was
pleased with my choice─an expensive silver letter opener.
1.5I asked my boss what went wrong, and he explained, “Giving knives, or even
a letter opener, as a gift in Asia is impolite.
1.6In some Asian cultures, it implies that a relationship is about to end.”
Therefore, it was careless of me to choose this gift.
2.1Gift-giving customs are different around the world. My sister is an English
teacher and was once invited to a student’s home. She took a bottle of wine, but she
was embarrassed to discover that this family was Muslim. In many Western countries,
a bottle of wine is an ideal gift, but for Muslims, this gift is offensive because they do
not drink alcohol. Luckily, the family was understanding. They knew my sister had
good intentions and didn’t mean to cause any offense.
3.1In addition, the way a gift is presented often reflects how highly you value
a relationship. Gifts for Chinese people are often wrapped in red, a lucky color. For
Westerners, the color or type of wrapping is not that important, but the gift should be
wrapped. A colleague of mine once bought an expensive tie for a client from England.
The tie was not wrapped in wrapping paper, and it was just given in a shopping bag
from an airport duty-free shop. The English client didn’t look glad when he received
this gift.
4.1Westerners often like to open their gifts in front of the givers to show how
much they enjoy the gifts. However, in some cultures, it is impolite and embarrassing
to open a gift right away. Once, I gave a gift to a Chinese friend and was surprised to
see him hide it under his seat!
5.2I learned an important lesson that day, and it is this lesson that I have never
forgotten: Always spend some time looking into local customs before choosing a gift
for a foreigner. Years later, I gave my assistant the same request: Buy a suitable gift
for an important client. Guess what he bought for our Muslim client─a bottle of
whiskey! This time it was my turn to go pale when I opened the box!
─by Toni Jordan
Post-reading Activities
I. Comprehension Check
根據課文內容，在閱讀下列句子後，於適當的送禮敘述前標示(○)，不適當的送禮敘述前標
示(×)。
__X__ 1. Choosing a knife as a gift for an Asian.
__O__ 2. Presenting a Chinese friend with a gift wrapped in red.
__X__ 3. Sending a bottle of wine as a gift to a Muslim.
__O__ 4. Giving a gift that is wrapped carefully to a Westerner.
__X__ 5. Encouraging a Chinese friend to open his/her gift in front of the giver.
II. Questions for Discussion
1. When we choose gifts for people from another country, what should we do in order
not to offend them?
2. When you choose a gift for your best friend, what do you care about most?
Vocabulary, Idioms and Phrases
I. Words for Production
1. pale
adj. (膚色)蒼白的

․Tommy turned pale (when he heard the news of his
grandfather’s death).
湯米聽到他祖父的死訊時，臉色轉為蒼白。
2. client

n. [C] 客戶
․Jessica advises / suggests her clients on how to
decorate their homes. 潔西卡提供她的客戶關於房屋
裝潢的建議。
3. junior

adj. 職級低的，資歷淺的/ senior
․George has only worked in the mall for two months,
so he is junior to all of his colleagues there.
(PS: A be junior to B = B be senior to A.)
喬治只在這個商場工作兩個月之久，所以他比那裡所有的
同事都資淺。
4. manager



manage



n. [C] 經理
․Miranda is the manager of the restaurant, and she
runs / manages it very well.
米蘭達是這家餐廳的經理，她把餐廳經營得很好。
vt. 經營= run，管理 handle= take charge of = take care
of = look after
․After Eason graduated from university, he managed
/ ran a hotel for his father.
伊森從大學畢業後就替父親經營旅館。
5. overseas = abroad


overseas




6. pleased

please

7. explain

adv. 向(在)海外，向(在)國外
․More and more Taiwanese (people) are now
working overseas.
現在有越來越多的台灣人在國外工作。
adj. 海外的，國外的
․The company will invite some overseas visitors to
tour/ visit its factory next week.
這間公司下星期將邀請一些來自海外的訪客來參觀它的
工廠。(ps: plant)
adj. 高興的 happy/ glad，滿意的 satisfied
․The football players are pleased with the results of
the games. 這些足球員對於比賽結果很滿意。
vt. 使高興，使滿意 satisfy
․Eric loves his girlfriend very much / a lot and
always tries/ does his/the best/most to please her.
艾瑞克非常愛他的女友，總是盡全力取悅她。
vt. 解釋，說明
․Before the class played the new game, Mr. Hanks
explained the rules to his students.
在全班玩這個新遊戲之前，漢克斯先生向他的學生說明規
explanation
則。
 n. [C] 解釋，說明

․Sherry gave no explanation for why she didn’t show

up at the meeting.
8. imply
雪莉對於她為何沒有在會議中現身沒有給任何解釋。

vt. 暗示，暗指

․My mother’s smile implied that she was very

satisfied with my grades.
9. careless
我媽媽的笑容暗示她對我的成績非常滿意。

adj. 粗心的，疏忽的

․It was careless of me to lose my house keys on my

way to school.
10. offensive
我真是粗心，在去學校的路上掉了家裏的鑰匙。

adj. 冒犯的，令人不快的

․Many people complained that the TV advertisement

was offensive to women.
offense
許多人抱怨這個電視廣告冒犯女性。


offend



11. intention






intend



12. cause


cause


13. present




14. reflect



reflection



15. value
n. [U] 得罪，冒犯
․Don’t get angry about Chuck’s joke. He meant no
offense. 不要對查克的玩笑感到生氣。他無意冒犯。
vt. 冒犯，得罪
․The radio talk-show host tried his best not to offend
any of his listeners.
這個廣播脫口秀的主持人盡力不去得罪他任何一位聽眾。
n. [C][U] 意圖
․I lent some money to Joe with the best intentions. I
meant to help him out.
我好心借一些錢給喬。我想要幫助他度過難關。
․My sister will stay in Japan for two years with the
intention of studying Japanese.
我姊姊將待在日本兩年，目的是學日文。
vt. 打算，企圖
․Rachel intends to study in the United States after she
graduates from high school.
瑞秋打算在中學畢業後去美國唸書。
vt. 造成，引起
․During the typhoon, strong winds caused several
trees to fall. 在颱風期間，強風吹倒了一些樹木。
n. [C] 原因，起因
․Cancer is the leading cause of death for Taiwanese people
today. 癌症是今日台灣人的死亡首因。
vt. 贈送，給予
․The boss presented Lee with an award for making
the most sales over the last two years.
老闆頒給李一個獎牌，以表揚他過去這兩年所創下的最佳
銷售業績。
vt. 顯示，反映
․Peggy can’t hide her feelings. Her face always
reflects how she feels.
佩姬無法隱藏她的情緒。她的臉上總是反映出她的心情。
n. [C] 反映，表現
․The color a person likes is usually a reflection of his
or her personality.
一個人對顏色的喜好通常是個性的寫照。


value



16. type



17. colleague



18. assistant


assist= aid= help


19. request


request

vt. 重視
․Rebecca is my best friend, and I really value our
friendship. 蕾貝嘉是我的摯友，我真的很重視我們的友
誼。
n. [U] 價值
․People often do not know the value of good health
until they get sick.
人們通常要等到生病了才會了解身體健康的價值。
n. [C] 樣式，類型
․There are various types of dresses for sale in the
clothing store.
這間服飾店出售各種樣式的洋裝。
n. [C] 同事 = coworker
․Mr. Wang is my father’s colleague in the bank.
They work in the same department.
王先生是我父親在銀行的同事。他們在同一個部門工作。
n. [C] 助理，助手= helper
․The manager needs an assistant to help him finish
the job. 這經理需要一名助手來幫助他完成工作。
vt. 協助，幫助
․The program has assisted many young people in
finding new jobs.
這項計畫幫助許多年輕人找到新工作。
n. [C] 要求 demand，請求
․At Lydia’s request, I played a song on my guitar for
her. 在莉迪亞的要求下，我用吉他為她彈奏一首歌。
vt. 要求 ask，請求 demand
․The students requested that the speech contest be
held after the exam. 學生要求演講比賽在考試後舉行。
II. Words for Recognition
1. silver  adj. 銀製的；銀色的 (ps: gold/silver/copper)
2. wine  n. [U] 葡萄酒
3. Muslim] adj. 回教的
Muslim n. [C] 回教徒
4. alcohol  n. [U] 酒，含酒精飲料
5. duty-free  adj. 免稅的
6. whiskey  n. [U] 威士忌酒(另一寫法為 whisky)
III. Idioms and Phrases
1. be (about) to
即將
= be going to
․The train to Taichung is (about)/ going to leave/
= be 來往
leaving, so we’d better 為助動詞 hurry up(後加原形
V(leave/go/come…)
動詞).
往台中的火車即將要出發，因此我們最好動作快一點。
調查
2. look into = check ․The police are looking into the cause/ reason of the
= examine
car accident.
警方正在調查這起車禍的原因。
Word Smart
字尾“-free”與名詞結合，可以構成表「無……的，免除……的」之意的形容詞。
duty-free 免稅的
fat-free 不含脂肪的
salt-free 無鹽的
smoke-free 無煙的，禁止吸煙的
no-smoking
trouble-free 無憂無慮的 care-free
Grammar in Use
1. It + be + Adj + of + sb + to V....
→ 在此句型中，真正的主詞是後面的不定詞片語(to V)，但過長的主詞放在句首會使句子頭
重腳輕，故將真正的主詞移到句子後半部，並以 it 當虛主詞；此外，be 動詞後的形容詞
為修飾人的形容詞，因此要用 of + sb 來強調人的「特質」。
Examples
1. It was careless of me to choose this gift.
= I am careless to choose this gift.
(cf) It is good for me to exercise everyday. = To exercise everyday is good for me. =
Exercising everyday is good for me.
2. It is nice of you to help me water the flowers.
Exercise
根據句型，合併下列句子。第一題為範例。
1. Julia was nice.
Julia sent me a birthday present.
→ It was nice of Julia to send me a birthday present.
2. Hank was careless.
Hank broke his father’s favorite vase.
3.
4.
5.
6.
→ It was careless of Hank to break his father's favorite vase.
Sophie was wrong.
Sophie told a lie to her parents.
→ It was wrong of Sophie to tell a lie to her parents.
James was impolite.
James asked the lady about her age.
→ It was impolite of James to ask the lady about her age.
The local people were friendly.
The local people gave us a tour of their beautiful town.
→ It was friendly of the local people to give us a tour of their beautiful town.
Sammy was mean.
Sammy did those bad things.
→ It was mean of Sammy to do those bad things.
2. It + be + 被強調的部份 + that....
→ 本句型的目的是將句子中的某一部分加以強調，以突顯出其重要性；句型中的 that 不可省
略，且若強調的部分為人且為主格時，可以用 who 替代。
Examples
1. It is this lesson that I have never forgotten.
2. It was Jason that/who gave a love letter to Sandy.
Exercise
根據句型，將下列劃線部份的字詞改成強調句。第一題為範例。
1. Alice borrowed my CD player yesterday.
→ It was Alice that/who borrowed my CD player yesterday.
2. My father cooked dinner today.
→ It was dinner that my father cooked today.
3. The drunk driver was to blame for the car accident.
→ It was the drunk driver that/who was to blame for the car accident.
4. Sally wants to study art at the university.
→ It is art that Sally wants to study at the university.
5. The death of Simon’s dog made him very sad.
→ It was the death of Simon's dog that made him very sad.
6. The teacher asked her students to write a report on recycling.
→ It was a report on recycling that the teacher asked her students to write.
English Workshop
你知道如何用英文表達你的讚美或是回應別人給你的讚美嗎？以下提供一些相
關的用語：
Offering a Compliment
Accepting a Compliment
‧How great/nice ______ is!
‧Thank you.
‧What a beautiful ______!
‧Oh, it was nothing.
‧This is a special ______.
‧I’m glad you like/love it.
‧I really love your ______.
‧It is so kind of you to say so.
‧You have good taste in ______.
‧Thanks! I bought it in ______.
‧______ is great/wonderful/so cool.
‧I appreciate the compliment (讚美).
‧This is exactly what I want/am looking ‧Thank you for your compliment.
for.
‧Oh, thank you. That means a lot to me.
‧Thank you for giving me ______. I
really appreciate (感激) it.
Exercise
與同學兩人一組，利用上面的用語，完成下列的對話。
1. A: Wow! _____________________ How did you make it?
B: I made it by using some recycled materials.
2. A: Thank you for giving me this gift. I really appreciate it.
B: ______________________ I think the color really suits you.
3. A: The shoes you are wearing look nice. ___________________
B: ________________ I just bought them yesterday.
4. A: I saw you dancing in the gym today. You are a great dancer.
B: Really? ____________________________
5. A: ______________________ You could be a chef (主廚) in a restaurant.
B: _____________________ I hope you enjoyed the meal.
Conversation
Bridget is giving Pamela a picture frame as a gift. (B = Bridget, P = Pamela)
B: Pamela, I’d like to give you this little gift to celebrate our friendship.
P: Thanks a lot, but you really don’t need to get me a present, Bridget.
B: Well, I want to get something to reflect our long relationship. It’s to show that we
are true friends, not just colleagues. Go on, open it.
P: OK. Wow! What a nice photo of the two of us! And I love the designs around the
metal frame.
B: Thanks. It’s handmade, and I made a request for the special design here on top. Do
you notice it?
P: Ah, yes. Those two birds sitting together in the tree are very cute.
B: They mean we are close friends and happy when we are together.
P: It is so kind of you to think of me like this.
B: Well, I just want to show you how much I value our friendship.
P: Thank you again, Bridget. This is a gift that I will keep forever.
Tips for You
1. frame  n. [C] 框架 2. handmade  adj. 手工的
Listening Practice
有四個人正在敘述他們的國家或文化中，何為適當且何為不適當的禮物。在聽
完錄音內容後，在每一題適當的禮物上打(○)，不適當的禮物上打(×)。
Do It Yourself
I. Vocabulary
填入最符合句意的單字以完成句子。
__________ 1. Henry went to India with the i______n of studying Indian culture.
__________ 2. In the United States, pointing at other people with your middle finger
is considered to be a very o______ve gesture.
__________ 3. Billy’s negative opinions r______ted his unhappiness at the new plan.
__________ 4. Amy works as an a______t in this small company, and she is a great
help to her boss.
__________ 5. Amy works as an a______t in this small company, and she is a great
help to her boss.
II. Multiple Choice
根據下列各題句意，選出語法最適當的答案。
( ) 1. It was nice ______ Kyle to help the kid cross the street.
(A) for
(B) about
(C) of
(D) with
( ) 2. Richard gives his girlfriend a large bunch of red roses to show ______.
(A) how deep is his love
(B) how much he loves her
(C) how highly does he like her (D) how strong he likes her
( ) 3. It was Leo ______ finished first in the race.
(A) that
(B) whom
(C) it
(D) which
( ) 4. People in China often dress ______ red to celebrate the coming of the New
Year.
(A) to
(B) at
(C) of
(D) in
( ) 5. Ashley ______ when she received many wonderful birthday presents on her
birthday.
(A) turned happily
(B) went angrily
(C) was gladly
(D) felt pleased
III. Blank-filling
根據文意，填入最適當的字詞以完成句子。
1. Michael is ______ the airport now, and he is waiting there to pick up his friends
from France.
2. Zoe will leave for England ______ a business trip tomorrow.
3. The sky is getting dark. Jeff thinks it is about ______ rain.
4. The manager bought a tie as a gift ______ his American client.
5. Edward spent some time looking ______ Muslim culture before taking a trip to
Saudi Arabia.
I.
1. intention 2. offensive 3. reflected 4. assistant
II.
1. C 2. B 3. A 4. D 5. D
III.
1. at 2. on 3. to 4. for 5. into
5. overseas