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新标准大学英语综合教程3课后答案

Unit 1

Active reading (1)

Catching crabs

Reading and understanding

3 Choose the best summary of what happened in the crab cage.

3 The cage was full of crabs. One of them was trying to escape, but each time it reached the top the other

crabs pulled it back. In the end it gave up trying and started to prevent other crabs from escaping.

4 Choose the best answer to the questions.

1 What happened to the students in the fall of the final year?

(a) They became more relaxed.

(b) They became more serious.

(d) They stopped going to lessons.

2 Why did some people have bags under their eyes in the morning?

(a) They’d been to an all-night party.

(b) They’d started worrying about their future.

(d) They wanted to impress their teachers.

3 Which students had already planned their future?

(a) The ones who had the best grades.

(b) The ones who came from wealthy families.

(d) The ones who wanted to get married and start a family.

4 Why did the writer go home?

(a) He wanted to speak to his father.

(b) He could study better at home than at college.

(d) It was a national holiday.

Unit 1 Discovering yourself

5 Why did his father take him out to catch crabs?

(a) They needed to get something to eat for dinner.

(b) He wanted to show him how to catch crabs.

(d) They both wanted to enjoy the coastline and the sea.

6 What advice did his father give him?

(a) Get to know yourself better.

(b) Watch what others do carefully.

(d) You can’t always do what you want.

Dealing with unfamiliar words

5 Match the words in the box with their definitions.

1 achieving good results (productive)

2 the fact of being present at an event, or of going regularly to school, church etc (attendance)

3 the refusal to accept something new, such as a plan, idea, or change (resistance)

4 determined to be successful, rich, famous etc (ambitious)

5 agreement to a plan, offer, or suggestion (acceptance)

6 the written words of a play, film, television programme, speech etc (script)

7 very good, large, or showing great skill (impressive)

6 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 5.

To be a successful film scriptwriter takes more than training although (1) attendance on a screenwriting

course will definitely help you learn the skills. You also need to be very (2) ambitious – the film business

is very competitive. You have to be prepared to work hard and be very (3) productive because it takes

more than just one good idea to make it big. No matter how (4) impressive your idea is, there will

always be (5) resistance from producers because it’s too expensi ve. So make sure you have plenty of

others to show them. What are you waiting for? Get on with writing that brilliant (6) script and plan your

(7) acceptance speech for when you win your first Oscar!

7 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words in the box.

1 We’ve seen a place we like and we’re applying for a loan to buy a house. (mortgage)

2 We stood on the top floor of the boat and watched the coast disappear into the horizon. (deck)

3 I love to walk along the beach and watch the waves breaking, and the white water hitting the shore. (surf)

4 In seaside areas in the north-east of the country, life is hard and fishermen have to go against the forces

of nature every time they go to work. (coastal; defy)

5 Agreement was finally reached after a long and heated discussion. (lengthy)

8 Answer the questions about the words and expressions.

1 If you watch an impromptu performance of something, has it (a) been prepared, or (b) not been

prepared?

2 When you map out your future, do you (a) plan it carefully, or (b) draw a sketch of it on paper?

Discovering yourself Unit 1

3 If you brace yourself for something unpleasant, do you (a) try not to think about it, or (b) prepare

yourself for it mentally and physically?

4 Do you moor a boat by (a) turning the steering wheel, or (b) tying it to a post with a rope?

5 Is a rusty piece of metal something that (a) is bright and shiny, or (b) might have been left out in the rain

and is covered with brown substance?

6 If a bowl is brimming with soup, is it (a) very full, or (b) half empty?

7 If someone is being held captive, are they (a) free to do as they please, or (b) being kept as a prisoner?

8 If you have figured out something, have you (a) added numbers together, or (b) understood it?

Active reading (2)

2 Work in pairs. Look at the title of the passage and choose the best way to complete the sentences.

1 The passage will be (c) .

(a) a newspaper article about life expectancy

(b) a sad story about death

(d) a warning that modern lifestyles are bad for health

Unit 1 Discovering yourself

2 The passage is likely to be (d) .

(a) serious

(b) funny

(d) a mixture of all three

3 The passage is likely to say (b) .

(a) young people don’t think enough ab out death

(b) life is short

(d) people don’t enjoy life enough

We are all dying

Reading and understanding

3 Choose the best summary of the passage.

3 Life is short. So there’s no point in planning for a future which may n ever come. Now is the time to do

what we want to do. There’s no time to lose.

Dealing with unfamiliar words

4 Match the words in the box with their definitions.

1 involving three things of the same kind (triple)

2 an area of ground where dead people are buried (cemetery)

Discovering yourself Unit 1

3 the part of a place or thing that is at the back (rear)

4 a book that someone writes about someone else’s life (biography)

5 to put people or things into a space that is too small (cram)

6 at the very beginning of a career and likely to be successful at it (budding)

7 continuing only for a limited time or distance (finite)

8 to pass (elapse)

5 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words in Activity 4.

1 About two hours elapsed before we reached the cemetery where the war dead were buried.

2 I sat in the rear seat behind the driver. My three sisters were all crammed in the front.

3 The entrance to the car park was blocked, so the road was full of cars which had been

triple-parked one

against another, making it almost impossible to get past.

4 We have a number of budding authors in our class this year, one of whom has written a fascinating

biography of his grandmother.

5 The time we have on this earth may be finite, but there are no limits to the human imagination.

6 Answer the questions about the words.

1 If you substantiate a claim, do you (a) prove it is true, or (b) persuade someone that it is true?

2 If someone tramples over something, do they (a) pour water over it, or (b) walk all over it?

3 I f someone’s arrival is untimely, is it (a) at the wrong moment, or (b) late?

4 If events are described chronologically, do they occur (a) in the order in which they happened, or (b) in

no particular order?

5 Is ingeniously likely to mean (a) artistically, or (b) cleverly?

6 Is knackered an informal British word meaning (a) very relaxed, or (b) extremely tired?

7 Is patently likely to mean (a) obviously, or (b) usually?

8 When something is allotted to you, is it (a) given to you, or (b) taken from you?

7 Answer the questions about the phrases.

1 If you check something out, do you (a) find out, or (b) not think about it?

2 If you see something from the sidelines, do you (a) take part in the action, or (b) stay away from it?

3 If something is down to you, is it your (a) bad luck, or (b) responsibility?

4 If you have something on the back burner, (a) will you look at it later, or (b) are you interested in it now?

5 If you are in a position to do something, are you (a) able, or (b) unable to do it?

6 If time is ticking away, does it seem (a) as if it will last forever, or (b) to be passing quickly?

7 If you can have one shot at something, (a) are you allowed to shoot it, or (b) do you have only one chance to do it?

8 If you make the best of something, do you (a) enjoy it while you can, or (b) work hard to make it a

success?

9 If a girl stands you up, does she (a) fail to turn up for a date, or (b) refuse to sit down when you ask her to?

Language in use

word formation: compound words

1 Find more examples of each use of hyphens in the passage We are all dying .

? I’ve double- and triple-checked it. (compound verb)

? budding crypt-kickers (compound noun)

? a rear-view mirror (compound adjective)

? the once-a-year holiday to Florida or Spain (compound adjective)

? back-burner stuff (compound adjective)

? standing at the corner of the Co-op (compound noun)

? a sepia-coloured relative that no one can put a name to (compound adjective)

2 Rewrite the phrases using compound adjectives.

1 a party which is held late at night (a late-night party)

2 a library which is well stocked (a well-stocked library)

3 a professor who is world famous (a world-famous professor)

4 some advice which is well timed (some well-timed advice)

5 a population which is growing rapidly (a rapidly-growing population)

6 an economy which is based on free market (a free-market economy)

7 a boat trip which lasts for half an hour (a half-hour boat trip)

It’s what / how … that …

3 Rewrite the sentences using It’s what / how … that …

1 What other people think of us is determined by how we behave.

It’s how we behave that determines what other people think of us.

Unit 1 Discovering yourself

2 What sort of job we are going to end up doing is usually determined by our character.

It’s what our character is that usual ly determines what sort of job we are going to end up doing.

3 What we do as a career isn’t always determined by the marks we get at university.

It isn’t always what marks we get at university that determine what we do as a career.

4 How we react to life’s problems is often determined by our childhood experiences.

It is often what we experienced in our childhood that determines how we react to life’s problems.

5 When we die is determined by our genetic clock, and the changes we make to it.

It’s what our gen etic clock is and what changes we make to it that determine when we die.

It is / was not just that … but …

4 Rewrite the sentences using It is / was not just that … but …

1 Not only were the shops all closed for Thanksgiving, there was also no one in the streets.

It wasn’t just that the shops were all closed for Thanksgiving, but there was no one in the streets.

2 Not only did she spend all her time at college going to parties, she also took the time to gain

a first-class

degree.

It wasn’t just that she spe nt all her time at college going to parties, but she took the time to gain a firstclass

degree.

3 Not only were they not listening to what he said, it also seemed as if they weren’t at all interested.

It wasn’t just that they weren’t listening to what he said, but it seemed as if they weren’t at all interested.

4 Not only was I upset, I also felt as if I was going to burst out crying.

It wasn’t just that I was upset, but I felt as if I was going to burst out crying.

5 Not only was the Grim Reaper intended to frighten people, it was also a figure of fun.

It wasn’t just that the Grim Reaper was intended to frighten people, but it was also a figure of fun.

collocations

5 Read the explanations of the words. Answer the questions.

1 settle When you settle somewhere you go there to stay.

(a) Where is dust likely to settle in a room?

On the surfaces that aren’t used very often or aren’t cleaned.

(b) If you settle an argument, is the conclusion satisfactory?

Yes, it is, because the disagreement is solved and each party is satisfied with the outcome. (c) If you settle the bill, what is there left to pay?

Nothing, because you have paid everything that is owed.

(d) What do you do when you settle back to watch a film?

We relax in a comfortable chair and enjoy it.

2 smooth This word can mean flat or soft, comfortable, easy or confident.

(a) If the sea is smooth, are you likely to feel seasick?

No, because the sea is calm. We will feel seasick if it is rough.

Discovering yourself Unit 1

(b) If a changeover from one government to the next is smooth, are there lots of problems? No, because the changeover has gone well, without difficulties.

Not necessarily, because some people who talk confidently like that do so to trick you, like a confidence trickster or conman.

3 offer This word can refer to something you would like someone to take, something someone gives, or

something that is for sale.

(a) If you decline an offer, do you say ―yes‖ or ―no‖?

We say ―no‖, because we are refusi ng it.

(b) If you offer an apology to someone for something you have done, what do you say?

We should say, ―I apologize‖ or ―I’m sorry‖.

In a shop, because the shop is offering a special price or reduction for something.

(d) If someone has a lot to offer, what kind of person are they?

They are intelligent, talented, gifted or creative and they will bring these kinds of qualities to their work.

4 bear If you bear something you carry or bring it. If you cannot bear something, you dislike it or cannot

accept it.

(a) If you bear something in mind, do you forget it?

No, we will remember it and consider it for a particular occasion in future.

(b) If you bear a resemblance to someone, in what way are you like them?

We look similar in certain physical features.

I can’t bear to think too much about some of the problems in the world, famine, war, poverty etc. In

the modern world, why don’t we just solve them?

5 resistance This word can refer to the refusal to accept something new, the ability not to be harmed by

something, or opposition to someone or something.

(a) If there is resistance to an idea, do people accept it?

No, not easily. They refuse to accept the idea maybe because it’s just a bad idea, or they may change

their mind if they understand it better.

(b) If the soldiers met with resistance, what happened?

The soldiers met opposition from those they were fighting against.

Yes, we can keep ourselves as healthy as possible with a good diet and getting enough exercise so

that we are less likely to catch a cold, or if we do get one, we won’t suffer so badly.

6 Translate the paragraphs into Chinese.

1 We all sensed we were coming to the end of our stay here, that we would never get a chance like this

again, and we became determined not to waste it. Most important of course were the final exams in

April and May in the following year. No one wanted the humiliation of finishing last in class, so the

peer group pressure to work hard was strong. Libraries which were once empty after five

o’clock in the

afternoon were standing room only until the early hours of the morning, and guys wore the bags under

their eyes and their pale, sleepy faces with pride, like medals proving their diligence. (? and guys wore

the bags under their eyes and their pale, sleepy faces with pride … 这句的动词wear 后面带两个宾语，中

Unit 1 Discovering yourself

文找不到能带这两个宾语的动词，故处理成四个中文短句；翻译like medals proving their diligence

时，采用―增词法‖增加―这些‖来概括前面所描写的―眼袋‖，―脸色苍白‖，―睡眼惺忪‖

等，使译文含义更加清晰流畅。)

我们都觉得在校时间不多了，以后再也不会有这样的学习机会了，所以都下定决心不再虚度光阴。

当然，下一年四五月份的期末考试最为重要。我们谁都不想考全班倒数第一，那也太丢人了，因此

同学们之间的竞争压力特别大。以前每天下午五点以后，图书馆就空无一人了，现在却要等到天快

亮时才会有空座，小伙子们熬夜熬出了眼袋，他们脸色苍白，睡眼惺忪，却很自豪，好像这些都是

表彰他们勤奋好学的奖章。

2 Tomorrow? It’s all a lie; there isn’t a tomorrow. There’s only a promissory note that we are often not in

a position to cash. It doesn’t even exist. When you wake up in the morning it’ll be today again and all

the same rules will apply. Tomorrow is just another version of now, an empty field that will remain so

unless we start planting some seeds. Your time, which is ticking away as we speak (at about

60 seconds

a minute chronologically; a bit faster if you don’t invest your time wisely), will be go ne and you’ll

have nothing to show for it but regret and a rear-view mirror full of ―could haves‖, ―should haves‖ and

―would haves‖. (?本段的难点在于对一些词的理解与翻译，如an empty field that will remain so,

chronologically, invest your time wisely, have nothing to show for it but 等等。―could haves‖,

―should

haves‖,―would haves‖ 是表达与事实相反的条件句，指自己没有做，但有可能或应该做的事情。)

明天行吗？明天只是个谎言；根本就没有什么明天，只有一张我们常常无法兑现的期票。明天甚至

压根儿就不存在。你早上醒来时又是另一个今天了，同样的规则又可以全部套用。明天只是现在的

另一种说法，是一块空地，除非我们开始在那里播种，否则它永远都是空地。你的时间会流逝（时

间就在我们说话的当下嘀嗒嘀塔地走着，每分钟顺时针走60 秒，如果你不能很好地利用它，它会走

得更快些），而你没有取得任何成就来证明它的存在，唯独留下遗憾，留下一面后视镜，上

面写满

了―本可以做‖、―本应该做‖、―本来会做‖的事情。

7 Translate the paragraphs into English.

1 对于是否应该在大学期间详细规划自己的未来，学生们意见不一。有的人认为对未来应该有一个明

确的目标和详细的计划，为日后可能遇到的挑战做好充分的准备；有的人则认为不用过多考虑未

来，因为未来难以预料。(map out; brace oneself for; uncertainty)

Students differ about whether they should have their future mapped out when they are still at university.

Some think they should have a definite goal and detailed plan, so as to brace themselves for any

challenges, whereas some others think they don’t have to think much about the future, because future is

full of uncertainties.

2 经过仔细检查，这位科学家得知自己患了绝症。虽然知道自己将不久于人世，他并没有抱怨命运的

不公，而是准备好好利用剩下的日子，争取加速推进由他和同事们共同发起的那个研究项目，以提

前结项。(tick away; make the best of; have a shot at)

After a very careful check-up, the scientist was told he had got a fatal disease. Although he knew that

his life was ticking away, instead of complaining about the fate, the scientist decided to make the best of

the remaining days, and speed up the research project he and his colleagues initiated, and have a shot at

completing it ahead of schedule.

Unit 2

Active reading (1)

Language points

1 ... I can recall the changing colors of those days, clear and definite as a pattern seen through a

kaleidoscope. (Para 1)

A kaleidoscope is a toy that shows changing patterns. It is made of a tube with mirrors and colored pieces

of glass inside. The glass pieces move as you turn the kaleidoscope. As a metaphor, kaleidoscope means a

view, situation or experience that keeps changing and has many different aspects.

2 … and look over the lights of Boston that blazed and blinked far off across the darkening water. (Para 2)

To blaze means to burn strongly and brightly. The lights ... that blazed and blinked means the lights were

bright and went on and off continuously, like the blinking of eyes.

3 The sunset flaunted its pink flag above the airport, and the sound of waves was lost in the perpetual

droning of the planes. (Para 2)

To flaunt means to deliberately try to make people notice something, eg your possessions, beauty, abilities

etc, because you want them to admire you. The sunset flaunted its pink flag means the pink color of the

setting sun was like a flag which the sun was using to try to make everyone notice and admire it.

To drone means to make a continuous low sound. Because Logan is an international airport, the noise of

the planes continued all the time. So it was perpetual.

4 I marveled at the moving beacons on the runway and watched, until it grew completely dark, the

flashing red and green lights that rose and set in the sky like shooting stars. (Para 2)

A beacon is a bright light that shines in the dark and is used as a signal to warn people of danger or to

show them the way to somewhere. Beacons are used in airports to show approaching and departing planes

the position of the runways to help them land and take off safely.

A shooting star is a meteor, a large piece of rock in space that falls through the earth’s atmosphere and

makes a bright line of light in the sky. When you see a shooting star, it is said to be lucky, and some people

make a wish.

5 Out by the parking lot David and I found the perfect alcove for our Superman dramas. (Para 5)

A parking lot is the American equivalent of a car park, British English. A lot in American English refers to

a small area of land used for a particular purpose.

6 During recess, David and I came into our own. (Para 6)

To come into one’s own means to have the opportunity to show how good or useful someone is. Here the

two children are good at imaginative play with Superman games.

Childhood memories Unit 2

7 We ignored the boys playing baseball on the gravel court and the girls giggling at dodge-ball in the

dell. (Para 6)

Dodge-ball is a game played by children standing in a circle or on opposite sides of an area. A rubber ball

is thrown by those outside, who try to hit those in the circle. The children in the circle try to dodge the

ball to avoid being hit.

8 Our Superman games made us outlaws … (Para 6)

An outlaw is a criminal, especially one who moves from place to place to avoid being caught. There are

many famous stories of outlaws in Western culture, eg Robin Hood, Billy the Kid, Butch Cassidy and

the Sundance Kid, Ned Kelly etc. Here, the two children are outlaws because they play their imaginative

games against the custom of other games like dodge-ball.

9 … the sallow mamma’s boy on our block who was left out of the boys’ games ... and skin his fat

knees. (Para 6)

Mamma, mama, momma, mummy are children’s names for mother (mum). A mamma’s boy is one who

depends too much on his mother and is not independent when he should be.

To skin one’s knees means to hurt one’s knees by falling on a rough surface in a way that causes some

skin to be removed.

10 At the time my Uncle Frank was living with us while waiting to be drafted … (Para 8) The draft means conscription into the armed forces for military service. People who are drafted are made

to join the army, navy etc; they are conscripts or draftees not volunteers.

Reading and understanding

3 Answer the questions.

1 What were Sylvia Plath’s most important memories?

She remembered winning a prize, Paula Brown’s new suit and the view from her window.

2 Where did she live and what could she see from her bedroom window?

She lived on the bay side of town, on Johnson Avenue, and she could see the lights of Boston and Logan

Airport from her bedroom window.

3 What did the view make her want to do?

It made her want to fly in her dreams.

4 Why did she have such vivid dreams?

Because she was rarely tired when she went to bed.

5 Who appeared in her dreams?

Superman appeared and taught her to fly.

6 Why did she enjoy the radio adventures of Superman?

Because she loved the sheer poetry of flight.

7 Where did her friend and she play Superman?

At the dingy back entrance to the school, an alcove in a long passageway.

Unit 2 Childhood memories

8 Why do you think they chose Sheldon to be the villain?

Because he was a mamma’s boy and was left out of the other boys’ games.

9 How did she feel about her Uncle Frank?

She admired him as she thought he bore an extraodinary resemblance to Superman incognito.

4 Choose the best summary of the passage.

3 Sylvia Plath wrote about her real and imaginary life as a child.

Dealing with unfamiliar words

5 Match the words in the box with their definitions.

1 accurate and true (definite)

2 continuing all the time (perpetual)

3 to spin quickly in circles (whirl)

4 to shine very brightly (blaze)

5 to laugh in a nervous, excited or silly way that is difficult to control (giggle)

6 to encourage someone to speak or continue speaking (prompt)

7 to fall to the ground (tumble)

6 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 5.

Plath never needed to be (1) prompted to talk about her childhood memories. They were very (2) definite

and still real to her as an adult. She imagined she could fly and (3) whirl through the air like Superman.

Coming from the highways around Boston was the (4) perpetual sound of traffic. In the distance a plane

was taking off, its lights (5) blazing into the night sky. She remembered the sound of (6) giggling which

came from the group of girls. Sadly in her later life it seemed as if Superman had (7) tumbled to earth.

7 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words in the box.

1 The lights at the airport went on and off all day and night. (blinked)

2 The playground was like a desert. It was without any interesting or positive features and unfriendly.

(barren)

3 The boys were playing a children’s game in which the players chase and try to touch each other and the

girls were gossiping and giggling. (tag)

4 Pulling the legs off insects is a form of action causing extreme physical pain by someone as a

punishment, and is extremely cruel. (torture)

5 The similarity in appearance between the twins was striking. (resemblance)

6 He would cover candy with a piece of cloth used for cleaning lips and hands, and make it disappear.

(napkin)

8 Answer the questions about the words and expressions.

1 If you look through a kaleidoscope, are you likely to see (a) changing coloured patterns, or

(b) a single

coloured pattern?

2 If you flaunt something, do you (a) deliberately try to make people notice, or (b) try to hide it?

3 If you marvel at something, do you find it (a) boring, or (b) surprising and fascinating? Childhood memories Unit 2

4 Are shooting stars likely to (a) move brightly through the night sky, or (b) stand still?

5 Is the twilight likely to be (a) at the end of, or (b) in the middle of the day?

6 If you drift off to sleep, are you likely to fall asleep (a) quickly, or (b) slowly?

7 If someone is bookish, are they likely to be (a) more, or (b) less interested in reading books than doing

other activities?

8 If you make up something, do you (a) invent it, or (b) borrow it from someone else?

9 If you come into your own, are you likely to show (a) how effective and useful, or (b) ineffective and

useless you can be?

10 Is a villain likely to be a (a) good, or (b) bad person?

11 If you are left out of something, are you likely to be (a) included, or (b) excluded? Active reading (2)

Language points

1 These changing ideas about children have led many social scientists to claim that childhood is a

“social construction”. (Para 4)

A social construction refers to the process or result of creating an idea or system of behaviour in social

contexts, ie it is created and developed between people and is not something natural or genetic.

Childhood memories Unit 2

2 Social anthropologists have shown this in their studies of peoples ... (Para 5)

Social anthropologists are scholars and researchers who study human societies, customs and beliefs

from a social perspective, which may be distinct from the focus of physical anthropologists or linguistic

anthropologists.

3 Because they can’t be reasoned with, and don’t understand, pare nts treat them with a great deal of

tolerance and leniency. (Para 5)

Tolerance is the attitude of someone who is willing to accept other people’s beliefs or way of life without

criticizing them even if they disagree with them. The word leniency means giving a punishment or acting

in a way that is not as severe or harsh as it could be.

4 They are seen as being closer to mad people than adults because they lack the highly prized quality

of social competence … (Para 6)

Something is prized if it is considered to be very important or valuable. The examples in the passage

emphasize how different cultural communities may give importance to quite different qualities which they

expect from children, so the children are brought up very differently.

5 They are regularly told off for being clumsy and a child who falls over may be laughed at, shouted

at, or beaten. (Para 6)

To tell someone off means to criticize someone angrily for doing something wrong. If you are told off for

doing something in a serious or official way, you are reprimanded.

6 Looking at it from a cross-cultural perspective shows the wide variety of childhoods that exist across

the world … (Para 11)

A cross-cultural perspective is a view which considers different cultures separately or independently and

then makes comparisons. An intercultural perspective would look at the relations and interactions between

different cultures or communities, taking inside views of each culture into account. A transcultural

perspective would look at different cultures using knowledge, skills and insights which are thought to

apply to a wide range of cultural contexts and which would help people in intercultural contexts.

Reading and understanding

3 Read the passage again and complete the table.

Teaching tips

? When Ss have completed the table on their own, divide the class into seven groups, each group

being responsible for one row in the table. They have to summarize the characteristics of childhood

of this ethnic group, and also include an example. Then they report to the class. Each group should

also add related information they learned from the passage, and the language and culture notes. The

presentation of each group could be given from that exact roles of parents from that exact cultural or

ethnic group. If this is difficult, T may give each group a copy of the example below, and ask them to

practise and present it to the class.

? As a way to follow this up, T can ask each group, one by one, to compare their result with that of

another group, without looking at their books. An alternative follow-up is for the T, together with

one or two Ss, to take the roles of TV reporters who meet each group and ask them ―on camera‖ to

compare themselves with another group, and talk about how they understand the other group from a

cross-cultural perspective.

Unit 2 Childhood memories

1 We are American colonial people. We lived in the 17th and 18th centuries on the east coast of America

and our families settled here from Europe. In our time, children were expected to be good and industrious. That was the main characteristic of childhood. For example, when our girls were four they

knitted stockings and mittens; when they were six they spun wool. We called them ―Mrs‖ to show the

girls our appreciation.

2 We are Inuit people from the Arctic regions. Some of us are from Canada and Greenland, Denmark,

others from Russia and Alaska of US. For us, children need to get ihuma – you would call this the

process of acquiring thought, reason and understanding. That’s the main characteristic of childhood.

For example, as parents we are tolerant and lenient with children until they are old enough to develop

ihuma, then we can teach them and discipline them.

3 We are from Tonga, a kingdom of about 170 islands in the south-west Pacific Ocean. As parents, we

may regularly beat our children if they haven’t yet developed poto. You would think of poto as social

competence. For us, it’s the main quality that our children need to develop. So we treat them with

discipline and physical punishment when they are mischievous or wilful.

4 We are the Beng people. We live in different parts of West Africa. The main characteristic of childhood

is that young children are thought to be in contact with the spirit world. They come to the world

reluctantly because life in the spirit world is so pleasant. As parents, we have to look after our

children

properly, or they may return to the spirit world. We have to treat them with care and reverence. They can

know and understand everything we tell them, whatever languages we use.

5 We are parents from the Western world today. Some of us are from Europe, others from North America,

Australia and other places. The main characteristic of childhood in our countries is that children are

incompetent and dependent, so they should play, be part of the family and go to school. Children should

not work. For example, a child under 14 can’t look after a younger child unsupervised because they

aren’t competent or responsible yet. If we found a child of 12 working in a factory or in a market, the

social services could intervene and the family could be prosecuted.

6 We are Fulani people. Most of us live in West Africa. For us, the main characteristic of childhood is

that children are competent and responsible. So by the age of four our girls can care for their younger

siblings; by six they can pound grain or produce milk and butter which they can sell in the market

alongside us.

7 We are the Yanamam? people from the Amazonian rainforest. We live among the hills where you

probably call the border between Brazil and Venezuela. The main characteristic of childhood is that

children are responsible and competent. Our girls help their mothers from a young age and by the age of

ten they will be running the house. This is important because they will probably be married at 12 or 13.

Our boys have fewer responsibilities. They can play because they don’t get married until later.

Culture / Ethnic group Characteristics of childhood

American colonial expected to be good and industrious

Inuit develop a process of acquiring thought, reason and understanding

Tonga

regularly beaten and told off by parents and older siblings, seen as being very

naughty, until they develop social competence

Beng

treated with great care and reverence, believed that they are in contact with the

spirit world

Childhood memories Unit 2

Culture / Ethnic group Characteristics of childhood

Western world today

seen as incompetent and irresponsible; playing not working, going to school not labouring, consumption instead of production

Fulani competent and responsible; expected to work

Yanamam?

competent and responsible; girls expected to work from a young age, be married

and have children at 12 or 13; boys having fewer responsibilities and getting

married later

4 Choose the best way to complete the sentences.

1 The characteristics of childhood a hundred years ago (d) .

(a) would have interfered in their education

(b) are similar to those of today

(d) meant that children were treated more like adults

2 The idea that childhood is a social construction suggests that (a) .

(a) children experience childhood in different ways according to the society in which they live

(b) enormous transformations have taken place within a relatively short time

(d) all children are different from adults

3 Both Inuit and Tongan parents understand that (b) .

(a) their children need to be treated in a way which would be considered harsh by outsiders

(b) their children don’t yet possess certain prized qualities, su ch as reasoning and social competence

(d) bringing up their children requires tolerance and discipline

4 Parents of Beng children treat them with great care because they (d) .

(a) think children know all human languages and understand all cultures

(b) think life in the earthly world is unpleasant

(d) fear the children may choose to return to the spirit world where they lived before they were born

5 Western childcare practices (c) .

(a) include allowing eight-year-old girls to work and 12-year-old girls to marry

(b) treat the child in a bizarre and possibly harmful way

(d) are only similar to Yanamam? childcare practices in that girls help out at home, and boys are allowed

to play well into their teens

6 The main idea of the passage is that (c) .

(a) history shows us how our perception of childhood has changed

(b) childhood is viewed in different ways according to the child’s cultural and social upbringing

(d) Western notions of childhood are outdated and not informed

(continued)

Unit 2 Childhood memories

Dealing with unfamiliar words

5 Read the passage again and find the words in the box. Choose the best definition in the context of the

passage.

1 consumption

(a) the process of buying or using goods

(b) the process of eating, drinking, or smoking something

2 colonial

(a) relating to a system or period in which one country rules another

(b) made in a style that was common in North America in the 18th century

3 knit

(a) to make something such as a piece of clothing using wool and sticks called knitting needles

(b) to join together or work together as one group or unit

4 harsh

(a) unpleasant and difficult to live in

(b) strict, unkind, and often unfair

5 contact

(a) communication between people, countries, or organizations either by talking or writing

(b) a situation in which people or things touch each other

6 impose

(a) to force someone to have the same opinion, belief as you

(b) to cause extra work for someone by asking them to do something that may not be convenient for them

7 perspective

(a) a way of thinking about something

(b) a sensible way of judging how good, bad, important etc something is in comparison with other things

6 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words and expressions in the box.

Our (1) knowledge and understanding of childhood is undergoing a process of (2) nonstop change. In

the West we see children as being (3) in need of adult control. However, among other (4) socio-cultural

groups with similar traditions children are (5) mainly considered to be capable of assuming greater

responsibilities. So there is a (6) strong desire for (7) someone who does not belong to this group to

think that such practices might be odd or even harmful. But while most ethnic groups may at

first show

(8) hesitation about integrating other traditions and customs with their own, (9) outside pressures usually

make them change their traditional view of childhood.

Key: (1) notion (2) continual (3) dependent on (4) ethnic (5) largely

(6) temptation (7) an outsider (8) reluctance (9) external

7 Answer the questions about the words and expressions.

1 Is prosecution likely to be (a) the act of accusing someone of a crime, or (b) the process of supervision

by the social services?

Childhood memories Unit 2

2 Is intricate likely to be (a) very basic, or (b) very detailed in design?

3 Is leniency likely to involve (a) kindness and understanding, or (b) strict discipline?

4 If someone tells you off, are they (a) criticizing, or (b) praising you?

5 Is a mischievous child likely to (a) be well behaved, or (b) enjoy having fun by causing trouble?

6 If a child is wilful, are they likely to cause damage or harm (a) deliberately, or (b) by mistake?

7 When a child is unsupervised, are they likely to be (a) looked after by adults, or (b) without an adult

looking after them?

8 Is something bizarre likely to be (a) strange and difficult to explain, or (b) very usual? Language in use

unpacking complex sentences

1 Look at the sentences from the passage Superman and answer the questions.

1 My flying dreams were believable as a landscape by Dali, so real that I would awake with a sudden

shock, a breathless sense of having tumbled like Icarus from the sky and caught myself on the soft bed

just in time.

(a) What were believable?

Her dreams about flying were believable.

(b) How real were they?

They were very real.

Unit 2 Childhood memories

The writer, Sylvia Plath.

(d) Why would she wake up with a breathless sense?

Because she felt she was really flying.

(e) What did the breathless sense feel like?

It felt like a sudden shock.

(f) Why did she catch herself on the soft bed just in time?

Because she felt she was falling.

2 We even found a stand-in for a villain in Sheldon Fein, th e sallow mamma’s boy on our block who was

left out of the boys’ games because he cried whenever anybody tagged him and always managed to fall

down and skin his fat knees.

(a) What did we find?

We found someone who could be a villain.

(b) Who was the stand-in for a villain?

Sheldon Fein.

He was sallow and a mamma’s boy.

(d) Where did he come from?

He came from their block.

(e) Why was he left out of the boys’ games?

Because he always cried and fell over.

(f) What happened when he always managed to fall down?

He skinned his knees.

2 Rewrite the sentence from the passage Cultural childhoods in a diagram below.

He has written how a Yanamam? girl is expected to help her mother from a young age and by the age of

ten will be running a house.

3 Complete the sentences with the correct form of suitable expressions from the collocation box.

Sometimes more than one collocation is possible.

1 The Australian bush fires blazed for several days before they were brought under control.

2 As a child Ruth’s long dark hair tumbled down her back.

3 He comes from a very close-knit / tight-knit family with three brothers and two sisters.

4 I remember my father used to knit his brows / eyebrows together when he was thinking hard about

something.

5 It was extremely hot and the sun was blazing.

has

written

how a

Yanomam? girl

from a young

age and

will be running

a house

is expected to help