UNIT 2: CULTURAL DIVERSITY
A. READING Unit 2 trang 14 SBT
Part 1. Read the passage and complete the table that follows.
[ Đọc bài và hoàn thành bảng sau]
There are questions from a cross-cultural workshop which helps business people to avoid misunderstandings when they deal with people who come from different cultures. Ideas about polite behaviour vary from one culture to another and it’s easy to cause offence, or feel offended, if you don’t know what other cultures expect.
Some societies, such as America and Australia, for example, are mobile and very open. People here change jobs and move house quite frequently. As a result they have a lot of relationships that often last only a short time, and they need to get to know people quickly. So it’s normal to have friendly conversations with people that they have just met, and you can talk about things that other cultures would regard as private.
At the other extreme are more crowded and less mobile societies where long-term relationships are more important. A Malaysian or Mexican business person, for example, will want to get to know you very well before he or she feels happy to start business. But when you do get to know each other, the relationship becomes much deeper than it would in a mobile society.
To Americans, both Europeans and Asians seem cool and formal at first. On the other hand, as a passenger from a less mobile society put it, it’s no fun spending several hours next to a stranger who wants to tell you all about his or her life and asks you all sorts of embarrassing questions that you don’t want to answer.
Cross-cultural differences aren’t just a problem for travellers, but also for the airlines that carry them. All airlines want to provide the best service, but ideas about good service vary from place to place. This can be seen most clearly in the way that problems are dealt with.
Some societies have ‘universalist’ cultures. These societies have a strong respect for rules, and they treat every person and situation in basically the same way.
‘Particularist’ societies, on the other hand, also have rules, but they are less important than the society’s unwritten ideas about what is right or wrong for a particular situation or a particular person. So the formal rules are bent to fit the needs of the situation or the importance of the person.
This difference can cause problems. A traveller from a particularist society, India, is checking in for a flight in Germany, a country which has a universalist culture. The Indian traveller has too much luggage, but he explains that he has been away from home for a long time and the suitcases are full of presents for his family. He expects that the check-in clerk will understand his problem and will bend the rules for him.
The check-in clerk, however, expects that if she explains the rules, the customer will understand. If he was allowed to have too much luggage, it wouldn’t be fair to the other passengers. But the traveller thinks this is unfair, because the other passengers don’t have his problem.
Type of society or culture
Distinguishing feature
Effect on
behaviour
Country on region Mobile
Lest mobile
“Universalist”
“Particularism”
Answer
Type of society or culture
Distinguishing feature
Effect on
behaviour
Country or region
Mobile Change jobs and
move house quite frequently
Have a lot of relationships that often last only a short time know people quickly
America and Australia
Less mobile Long-term
relationships are more important
Relationships are deep
Malaysia or Mexico
“Universalis” Strong respect for rules
Treat every person and situation in basically the same way.
Germany
“Particularism” Rules are less important than the society’s unwritten ideas
Formal rules are bent to fit the needs of the situation or the importance of the person
India
Dịch bài đọc:
Có những câu hỏi từ buổi hội thảo giao thoa văn hóa giúp đỡ các doanh nhân tránh những hiểu lầm khi đối mặt với những người đến từ các văn hóa khác nhau. Các ý tưởng về lối ứng xử lịch sự khác nhau của nền văn hóa này và nền văn hóa khác và dễ gây ra sự tổn thương, hoặc cảm thấy bị xúc phạm, nếu bạn không biết những nền văn hóa khác mong đợi gì.
Một vài xã hội, ví dụ như Mỹ và Úc rất linh hoạt và cởi mở. Mọi người ở đây thay đổi công việc và chuyển nhà khá thường xuyên. Vì vậy họ có nhiều mối quan hệ thường kéo dài chỉ một thời gian ngắn, và họ cần biết mọi người một cách nhanh chóng. Vì vậy rất bình thường khi có các cuộc đối thoại thân thiện với những người họ vừa mới gặp, và bạn có thể trò chuyện về các vấn đề mà những nền văn hóa khác sẽ xem là riêng tư.
Ở xã hội khắc nghiệt khác thì những xã hội đông đúc hơn và ít linh động hơn nơi mà các mối quan hệ lâu dài quan trọng hơn. Một doanh nhân Mã Lai hay Mexico, chẳng hạn, sẽ muốn biết bạn rất kỹ trước khi anh ấy hay cô ấy cảm thấy vui vẻ để bắt đầu hợp tác làm ăn. Nhưng khi bạn biết về nhau, các mối quan hệ trở nên sâu sắc hơn nhiều so với trong một xã hội linh hoạt.
Đối với người Mỹ, cả người châu Âu và người châu Á lúc đầu có vẻ như dễ chịu và trang trọng. Ngược lại, khi một hành khách từ một xã hội kém linh động hơn, không vui gì khi dành hàng giờ bên cạnh một người xa lạ người mà muốn kể cho bạn nghe về đời sống của anh ấy hay cô ấy và hỏi bạn tất cả những loại câu hỏi gây bối rối mà bạn không muốn trả lời.
Sự khác nhau giữa giao thao văn hóa không chỉ là vấn đề của những du khách, mà còn cho các hãng hàng không vận chuyển họ. Tất cả các hãng hàng không muốn cung cấp dịch vụ tốt nhất, nhưng những ý tưởng về dịch vụ tốt khác nhau từ nơi này cho đến nơi khác. Điều này có thể nhìn thấy rõ ràng nhất theo cách thức mà vấn đề đó được giải quyết.
Một số xã hội có nền văn hóa “ phổ quát”. Những xã hội này cực kỳ tôn trọng các quy luật, và họ đối xử với mọi người và mọi tình huống theo cùng một lối cơ bản.
Những xã hội “ riêng biệt”, ngược lại, cũng có các quy luật, nhưng chúng ít quan trọng hơn so với những ý kiến không được viết thành văn bản về cái đúng và sai cho một tình huống cụ thể hoặc 1 người cụ thể. Vì vậy những quy tắc trang trọng được điều chỉnh phù hợp với những nhu cầu của tình huống hoặc tầm quan trọng của người đó.
Sự khác nhau này gây ra vấn đề. Một du khác từ 1 xã hội riêng biệt. Ấn Độ, đang kiểm tra chuyến bay ở Đức, một đất nước có nền văn hóa phổ quát. Du khách người Ấn Độ có quá nhiều hành lý, nhưng anh ấy giải thích rằng anh ấy đi xa nhà lâu rồi và hành lý đầy những món quà cho gia đình anh ấy. Anh ấy mong đợi rằng nhân viên thủ tục sẽ hiểu vấn đề của anh ấy và sẽ điều chỉnh các quy luật. Tuy nhiên, nhân viên hải quan hi vọng rằng nếu cô ấy giải thích , khách hàng sẽ hiểu. Nếu anh ấy được cho phép quá nhiều hành lý, sẽ không công bằng cho những hành khách khác.
Nhưng vị hành khách này nghĩ điều này là không công bằng, bởi vì những hành khách khác không có vấn đề này.
Part 2.Complete the passage, using the word from the box that best fits each space
[ Hoàn thành bài đọc sử dụng từ trong khung phù hợp với mỗi chỗ trống]
particular particularly fairly common suitable enough carefully naturally advisable useful important immediately acceptable finer invariable Good personal relations based on mutual trust and esteem play a
(1) important role in doing business in Japan. Hospitality given and
received can (2) part in maintaining and establishing such relations. While it is (3) for the visitor to offer a meal in a restaurant or in his hotel: he is not expected to reciprocate entertaining on the Japanese scale.
The Japanese do not expect foreigners to understand the (4) points of their own etiquette but they like people who try to conform. Shoes are removed before entering Japnaese – style houses and restaurants.
Most Japanese meals consist of a series of small dishes. (5) , the polite thing to do is to eat what one is offered but Japanese hosts are understanding if a foreigner explains that he finds a (6) dish unappetizing.
In Japan it is the almost (7) custom to exchange visiting cards when one makes a new acquaintance. This is useful to the foreign visitor, and it is (8) to take a substantial number of cards (say at least 100) for use in Japan. The custom of giving gifts to business and personal acquaintances is more (9) than in most other countries. Most of these gifts are (10) small items and it is not necessary to reciprocate (11) although it is customary to give something back in due course for personal presents received from individuals. It may be useful to take a number of souvenir items such as English china, company pens or ties to give away on (12) occasions. Very high-quality Scotch whisky also makes an (13) gift. It is (14) that all gifts should be (15) wrapped in gift wrapping paper.
Answer
1. particularly 2. useful 3. enough 4. finer 5. Naturally 6. particular 7. invariable 8. advisable 9. common 10. fairly 11. immediately 12. suitable 13. acceptable 14. important 15. carefully
B. LANGUAGE FOCUS unit 2 trang 16
Exercise 1. Circle A, B, C, or D to indicate the word whose underlined part differs from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions.
[Khoanh tròn A, B, C hoặc D để xác định từ có phần được gạch dưới khác so với ba từ còn lại về phát âm]
1. A. wanted B. stopped C. decided D. hated
2. A. walked B. knocked C. jumped D. arrested 3. A. helped B. rained C. phoned D. explained 4. A. started B. arrived C. mended D. decided 5. A. needed B. afforded C. advanced D. invented 6. A. astonished B. toured C.rubbed D. erased 7. A. disposed B. satisfied C. missed D. timed 8. A. asked B. advised C. worked D. promised 9. A. washed B. matched C. intended D. walked 10. A. stopped B. added C. produced D. worked Hướng dẫn giải
1.B 2. D 3.A 4. B 5. C 6. A 7. C 8. B 9. C 10. B
Exercise 2. Choose the correct answer.
[ Chọn câu trả lời đúng]
1. I at the library when you came over. I there twice since Monday.
A. am; have been C. was; have been B. have been; am D. were; am being
2. I’m sure he to bring it. He here tonight, isn’t he?
A. will'not forget; is coming B. has not forgotten; comes C. is not forgetting; is coming D. will not forget; is going to come
3. He some stamps at the post office. He says he me some stamps too.
A, is buying; gets C. has bought; got A. is going to buy; will get D. will buy; gets 4. The child would not have fallen if you him.
A. haven’t pushed C. hadn’t pushed B. didn’t push D. weren’t pushing 5. She as if she for days.
A. looks; had not slept B. looked; had not slept C. is looking; isn’t sleeping D. had looked; hadn’t slept
6. The library now. No one to enter it.
A. has cleaned; is allowed B. is being cleaned; is allowed C. has been cleaned; are allowed D. is cleaning; allows
7. She out the towel after she it in hot water for a while.
A. wrings; soaked C. was wringing; soaked B. wrung; had soaked D. wrung; has soaked
8. They always very troublesome neighbours. Just last night they a quarrel with us.
A. had ... been; were having C. have ... been; were having C. have ... been; had
D. are ... being; had had
9. By three o’clock yesterday afternoon, we decorating the hall.
A. were finished C. had finished B. finished D. are finishing
10. Everyone in the school part in the sports meet next week. The classrooms empty then.
A. are taking; is C. will be taking; have been B. is taking; will be D. takes; is
Answer
1. C 2. A 3. B 4. C 5. B 6. B 7. B 8. C 9. C 10. B
Exercise 3. Put each verb in brackets into an appropriate tense.
[ Đặt mỗi động từ trong ngoặc ở thì đúng]
Ask hundreds of people what they (1. do) on a certain day in August next year, or the year after, and there (2. be) only one reply. Provided of course that the people you (3. ask) (4. belong) to the Elvis Presley Fan Club. Although the King of Rock and Roll (5. die) nearly two decades ago, his fans (6.
meet) every year since then outside his home in Memphis,Tennessee, to show respect for the singer they (7. love) so much. Jean Thomas, who is from Catford in South London, (8. visit) Graceland, the house where Elvis (9.
suffer) from his fatal
heart attack, twice in the past five years. “It was the first time I (10. borrow) the money from my mom, as I (11. not work) then. But two years ago I (12.
get) married and since then I (13. work) in my husband Chris’s garage.
Chris and I (14. go) together last year, and we (15. think) of spending two or three months in the U.S.A. next year. I (16. always want) to visit some of the places where Elvis (17. perform) . Like Las Vegas for example.” Jean says that Elvis (18. be) her obsession ever since she (19. be) ten years old, and she (20. own) every single one of his records, good and bad.
Answer
1.will be doing 2. will be 3. ask 4. belong 5. died 6. have met 7. love 8. has visited 9. suffered 10. borrowed 11. was not working
12. got 13. have worked 14. went 15. are thinking 16. have always wanted
17. performed 18. has been 19. was 20. owns C. SPEAKING unit 2 trang 19
Check the statements about cultural behaviour that are true in your country. Then tell your partners about them.
[ Kiểm tra các câu về hành vi văn hóa đúng với đất nước của bạn. Sau đó kể với bạn của mình về chúng]
Example: In Vietnam, it is all right to ask people how much money they earn.
Socialising
1. It’s OK to ask people how much money they earn.
2. It’s all right to ask someone how old she/he is.
3. It’s common to introduce yourself to new neighbours and give them a small gift.
4. People always arrive on time when they’re invited to someone’s home.
5. It’s OK to bring a friend or family member when you are invited to someone’s home.
6. It’s OK to drop by a friend’s house without calling first.
7. When friends have dinner out together, each person pays his or her share of the check.
Out in public
1. It’s OK to blow your nose in public.
2. It’s all right to chew gum while talking to someone.
3. It’s common to bargain when you buy things in stores.
4. If you want to smoke around other people, you should always ask if it’s OK.
At work and school
1. In an office, people usually prefer to be called by their first name.
2. In schools, it’s common to call a teacher by his or her first name.
3. Students always stand up when the teacher enters the classroom.
Dating and marriage
1. Parents often decide who their children will marry.
2. Teenagers go out on dates a lot.
3. A man usually gives a woman a gift when they go out on a date.
4. Young people usually live with their parents after they married.
Dịch bài:
Hòa nhập xã hội: 5, 6,7
1. Bình thường khi hỏi người ta thu nhập bao nhiêu 2. Bình thường khi hỏi người khác bao nhiêu tuổi
3. Bình thường khi tự giới thiệu mình với hàng xóm mới và tặng họ một món quà nhỏ
4. Mọi người luôn đến đúng nơi khi họ được mời tới nhà ai đó
5. Bình thường khi dẫn theo một ngưươ bạn hay một thành viên trong gia đình khi bạn đến nhà của ai đó.
6. Bình thường khi ghé nhà ai đó chơi mà không báo trước
7. Khi những người bạn ăn ngoài cùng nhau, mỗi người tự chia thanh toán với nhau.
Trong cộng đồng: 3
1. Bình thường khi xì mũi ở nơi công cộng
2. Bình thường khi nhai kẹo cao su khi đang nói chuyện với người khác 3. Phổ biến khi trả giá khi bạn mua hàng ở các cửa hàng
4. Nếu bạn muốn hút thuốc quanh người khác bạn nên luôn hỏi người khác có được họ đồng ý không.
Ở nơi làm việc và trường học: 1, 3
1. Trong văn phòng, mọi người thường thích tên nhau hơn 2. Ở trường, bình thường khi gọi tên giáo viên
3. Học sinh luôn đứng lên khi giáo viên vào lớp Hẹn hò và hôn nhân:
1. Bố mẹ thường quyết định người mà con họ sẽ cưới 2. Thanh niên hẹn hò nhiều
3. Đàn ông thường tặng phụ nữ một món quà khi họ hẹn hò 4. Giới trẻ thường sống với bố mẹ sau khi kết hôn
D. WRITING unit 2 trang 20
Exercise 1.Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it means the same as the sentence printed before it.
[ Kết thúc mỗi câu sau đây theo cách có nghĩa giống với câu đã cho trước đó]
1. The last time I was in Prague was in 1986.
I haven’t .
2. This will be the team’s first match outside England.
This will be the first time .
3. Terry will get over his illness. Then his work will be improved.
Once . 4. There will be someone to meet you on arrival.
When .
5. The number of people who attended the fair exceeded our expectations.
More people . 6. I didn’t receive the results of my test for a month.
It was .
7. My work won’t be finished by the end of the month.
I .
8. Go to the international ticket desk immediately on arrival.
As . 9. I didn’t know about John’s departure.
I didn’t know that . 10. Quite a few books are missing from the class library.
Several members of the class have not . Answer
1. I haven’t been to Prague since 1986.
2. This will be the first time the team has played outside England.
3. Once Terry gets over his illness, his work wil be improved.
4. When you arrive, there will be someone to meet.
5. More people than we expected attended the fair.
6. It’s was a month before I received the results of my test.
7. I won’t have finished my work by the end of the month.
8. As soon as you arrive, go to the international ticket desk.
9. I didn’t know that John had left/ departed.
10. Several members of the class have not brought back their library books.
Exercise 2. Below are some typical features of the American culture. Write the corresponding features of the Vietnamese culture.
[Bên dưới là những đặc điểm điển hình của văn hóa Mỹ. Viết những đặc trưng tương ứng của văn hóa Việt Nam]
In America In Vietnam
1 Two generations (parents and children) live in a home.
2 Family relationship is not always close.
3 Americans have knives, spoons, forks and plates. They in soup in the plate.
4 Food is put in individual plates or on the table. They tend to pass the whole plate of food around.
5 Americans sometimes exchange cheek- kisses to express friendliness.
6 Talking directly about the main subject is prefeable.
7 Looking straightly into someone’s eyes in conversation shows honesty and
frankness.
Answer
In America In Vietnam
1 Two generations (parents and children) live in a home.
Two, three or even four generations live under one roof
2 Family relationship is not always close.
Family relationship is very close.
3 Americans have knives, spoons, forks and plates. They in soup in the plate.
Vietnamese use spoons, chopsticks, and bowls. They eat soup in a bowl.
4 Food is put in individual plates or on the table. They tend to pass the whole plate of food around.
Food is put on the table and all individuals take piece by piece. The parents get food for their kids by using
their chopsticks, not by passing the whole plate.
5 Americans sometimes exchange cheek-kisses to express
friendliness.
Vietnamese never exchange cheek- kisses. It is a shock to most married women.
6 Talking directly about the main subject is preferable.
Vietnamese talk around a subject before coming to the point.
7 Looking straightly into someone’s eyes in conversation shows honesty and frankness.
It is not respectable especially older people or to superiors.
