新编商务英语实训教程unit 4

UnitFourCulturalDifferences(III)SectionAReadingSkillsSectionBTextSectionCFastReadingSectionDCaseStudySectionECheerYouUpTrainingObjectives1.Tolearnneworunfamiliarwordsbymeansofcomparison,antonyms,andsynonyms.2.Tounderstandthesignificanceofretainingculturallegaciesinaglobalizingworld.3.Todevelopinterculturalawareness.SectionAReadingSkillsGuessingNewandUnfamiliarWords(4)I.Comparisonhelpsyoufigureoutthemeaningsofneworunfamiliarwords.Unknownorunfamiliarwordsbecomemeaningfulwhencomparedwithknownwords.Whenwecomparethings,weseehowtheyarealike.Forinstance:Thesnowwasfalling―bigflakesdriftedwiththewindlikefeathers.(flakesmeanssmall,verythinpiecesofsnow)返回II.Antonymsarehelpfulforyoutoguessthemeaningsofneworunfamiliarwords.Inthecaseofcontrast,wearedealingwiththingsthatareopposite.Sometimesasentencetellsyouthenegativeortheoppositeofwhatanewwordmeans.Suchwordsorphrasesthathaveoppositemeaningstootherwordsorphrasesarecalledantonyms.Forinstance:Alicemanagesmoneyjudiciously,butherbrotherdoesunwisely.Thesignalword“but”showsjudiciouslyhastheoppositemeaningof“unwisely.”III.Youcanalsogetthemeaningsofneworunfamiliarwordsbysynonyms.Asynonymisawordwiththesameornearlythesamemeaningasanotherword.Sometimesanauthorgivesthemeaningofanewwordbyusingasimilarormorefamiliarwordtomakeiteasytounderstand.Forinstance:Mr.Brownlovestotalk,andhiswifeissimilarlyloquacious.From“and”and“similarly”,weknowloquacioushasthesamemeaningaslovestotalk.TaskGuessthemeaningsoftheunderlinedwordsorabbreviation.1.Ourhousehasmoreadvantagesthanourover-crowdedapartment.2.Theoldwomanhasastrangehabittokeepover100catsinherhome.Herneighborsallcalledheranlady.commodiouseccentriccommodious:spaciouseccentric:strange3.JanewastalkingwithotherswhileMarisaremainedallthetime.4.Cultureshockisamilddiseaseincomparisonwiththeseriousoffutureshock.5.Movingclosertoschoolcanbothyourcommutingproblemandimproveyoursociallifereticentreticent:silent;unwillingtotalktoothersmaladymalady:anillnessameliorateameliorate:makebetterSectionBTextBeforeyouread,pleasethinkabouttwoquestions.1.Appropriatebehaviormayrequirebeing30to45minuteslateinsomesituations.Doyouknowwhatthesituationsare?2.Chronemics,thestudyofhowacultureusestime,studiesculturalattitudestowardthepast,thepresent,andthefuture.CanyouguessthemeaningofthewordChronemics?返回.ReadingSpeedEvaluationYourPerformanceAbout80wpmExcellentAbout70wpmAverageAbout60wpmYouneedtodomorepractice.ReadingEvaluation375WordsSuggestedReadingTime:5.5minutesThemeaningoftime,andthewaytimeisused,isalsoamajorculturalvariable1.Studyofaculture’sconceptofhowtousetime,calledchronemics,studiesitsattitudetowardthepast,thepresent,andthefuture.Intheimmediatesenseoftime,forexample,schedulingandkeepingbusinessandsocialappointments,culturesmaydifferconsiderablyinwhatisconsideredappropriate2.FormostU.S.Americans,promptnessinkeepingappointmentsisconsideredabasiccourtesy.Beinglatesuggestsirresponsibilityoralackofinterest.FormanyLatinAmericans,thetimeframeforanUseofTime(Chronemics)appointmentismoreflexible.Appropriatebehaviormayrequirebeing30to45minuteslateinsomesituations.Inthesecases,apersonwhoislatedoesnotoffend3theotherperson.Howtimeisusedinbusinessmeetingsreflectsmajorculturaldifferences.TheU.S.economiccultureattachesamonetaryvaluetotime.Americansevenhaveasaying,“Timeismoney.”Manyothercultures,includingtheJapanese,preferpersonallevelcommunicationinameetingbeforegettingonwithbusiness.Insuchaninterculturalmeeting,theU.S.businesspeoplewillthinkofthepersonalexchangesasunnecessaryandwastingtime,whilesomeonefromadifferentculturewillvaluethepersonaltalkandnegativelyevaluatetheimpatienceoftheU.S.participants.Differentculturesalsohavedifferentlong-termviewsoftime.Easternculturestendtoviewtimeintermsofcenturies,ratherthanyearsordecades.Fromthisperspective4,agoalthatisahalf-centuryawayisnotverydistant,andashorterviewoftimeprevails5.Goalsareusuallysetforafewyearsorevenafewmonths.Whiletheconceptofinstantgratification6isunderstoodbymostU.S.Americans,andpracticedbymany,itisatimeconceptthatdoesnotexistinmanyothercultures.Ininterculturalcommunication,chronemicsisamajordifferencereflectedinmanyvaluesandattitudes.Moreover,manypeoplecannotconceive7awayofviewingtimethatisdifferentfromtheirown.Thesedifferencesin“internalclocks”canleadtomanydifficultiesininterculturalcommunication.Ininterculturalsettings,basictimeconsiderationssuchaspromptness,socializingordealingwithbusinessandawarenessofeventsfromhistoryarefundamentallydifferent.Itrequirespatienceandrespecttoachievemoreeffectiveinterculturalcommunication.FromCommunicating(sixthedition),byAnitaTaylor,ArthurC.Meyer,TeresaRosegrant,B.ThomasSamplesNotes:1.chrone:akindofunitusedforthelengthoftime;chronemics:theuseoftime.2.timeframe:atimeperiodduringwhichsomethinghappensorisexpectedtohappen.返回UsefulWebsitesabouttheMeaningofTime://://['vɛəriəbl]n..somethingthatmaybedifferentindifferentsituations,sothatyo