《大学英语跨文化交际课程》讨论问题及答案.docx

1、大学英语跨文化交际课程讨论问题及答案大学英语跨文化交际课程讨论问题及答案第一套: 1 There are organizations devoted to Ford cars and trucks. Some people are preoccupied with that for a while and then lose interest and hence relinquish membership in the group. 2 Army personnel in uniform are required to salute when they meet and recognize p

2、ersons entitled (by grade) to salute except when it is inappropriate or impractical (in public conveyances such as plans and buses , in public places such as inside the theaters, or when driving a vehicle). 3. Li Lan had an American friend Susan. They usually had lunch together and Li Lan often aske

3、d Susan for advice on problems she faced adjusting to American society. Susan gave Li Lan a lot of advice and helped her to improve her English. Once Li Lan needed urgently a big sum of money to pay her tuition fee. Since she has no other friends in the States, she turned to Susan for help and promi

4、sed that she would return the money soon. To Li Lans great disappointment, this time Susan didnt seem happy to lend the money to her. Though Li Lan returned the money as she promised, they didnt get along well from then on. Questions: (1) What are the differences in what American and Chinese young p

5、eople expect from their friends? (2) What kind of advice would you give to hath of them so that they could get to know each other? 第二套: 1 Xiao LI and Xiao Wang were colleagues. Xiao LI gave a lot of help to Xiao Wang financially and socially. Recently Xiao LI would get married. But he forgot invitin

6、g Xiao Wang attend his wedding. Later Xiao Wang got information about Xiao LI wedding and sent RMB 500 Yuan to Xiao LI. 2. People in the United States frequently err in guessing the age of Japanese individuals, such as judging a Japanese college student in mid-20s to be only 14 or 15. Why? 3. Can yo

7、u use Confucianism to explain why Chinese people both have fan and chai in one meal? 第三套: 1. In 1997, a Danish woman left her 14-month-old baby girl in a stroller outside a Manhattan restaurant while she was inside. Other diners at the restaurant became concerned and called New York City Police. The

8、 woman was charged with endangering a child and was jailed for two nights. Her child was placed in foster care. The woman and the Danish consulate explained that leaving children unattended outside cages is common in Denmark. Pictures were wired to the police showing numerous strollers parked outsid

9、e cafes while parents were eating inside. 1 2. Assume that global warming is a fact, and, as a result, assume that summers in the United States average 43? (109?). It would be logical to make adjustments: Rather than air condition building all day, you might close schools and businesses in the after

10、noons to conserve energy. Such adjustments would make sense. Why then do some people attribute sensible midday siestas in hot climates to laziness? 第四套: 1 Sometimes parents will say to their children “ We dont associate with people like that.” Or “be careful when youre with them.” 2. A classic psych

11、ology study in the 1970s had two groups of undergraduates read stories about a woman. The stories were identical, except that one had the sentence “ Betty is now a lesbian.” On a test one week later, individuals in the group that had read that Betty is a lesbian were much more likely than individual

12、s in the other group to recall having read that Betty never dated men. In fact, the story that both groups had read stated that Betty dated men occasionally. 3. In India, there are elaborate rules about how closely members of each caste may approach other castes, and Arabs of the same sex do stand m

13、uch closer than North Americans. North Americans in an elevator maintain personal space if the physical space permits it. An Arab entering an elevator may stand right next to another person and be touching even though no one else is in the elevator. 4. In Thailand and Laos, it is rude for a stranger

14、 or acquaintance to touch a child on the top of the head because the head is regarded as the home of the spirit or soul. It is believed that a childs spirit or soul is not strong enough to be touched and has tendency to become ill if patted. 第五套: 1 Chinese students can not make good use of the follo

15、wing phrases which are comprised of only simple words, such as read between the lines,hold water, kick the bucket. 2 During World War?, the Allies had issued the Potsdam Ultimatum demanding the surrender of the Japanese military to end the war. Prime Minister Suzuki said, “The government does not se

16、e much value in it. All we have to do is mokusatsu it.” But the word mokusatsu can mean anything from “ignore” to “treat with silent contempt.” The Allies took it as the most offensive meaning. 3. The US and China have continual conflicts on human rights. Both accused the other side that they have h

17、uman rights abuses. Despite of great efforts in resolving the differences, the problem still exists. 第六套: 1 A student from Colombia may study in the United States and earn a Ph.D., teach at a 2 distinguished university, and publish important books, but when he returns to visit Colombia, people to wh

18、om he is introduced will want to know to whom he is related. Colombians want to know who his family is because that places him in society much more so than any of his accomplishments in the United States. 2(In Germany, there is a society that relies on rules, laws and regulations. Students expect th

19、eir teachers to be experts who have all the answers. In the workplace, there is an inner need to work hard. Germany wants to reduce its risks to the minimum and proceed with changes step by step. 3(Employment decisions cannot be made on the basis of age, ancestry or ethnicity, disability, marital or

20、 parental status, race, religion, or sex. 4(Time clocks are everywhere: In homes, cars, work sites, on wrists, at organized play sites. Many people report feeling uncomfortable not knowing the time. Perhaps only camping in the woods-without a radio and clocks- can one be free of time awareness in th

21、e United States. 第七套: 1 Japanese advertising reflects Confucian and collectivistic values. Concepts of face and harmony relate to an indirect communication style, It is said that the goal of Japanese advertising is to win the trust and respect of the consumer; Taiwan advertising generally links the

22、product to the consumers traditional Chinese values, such as family relations and respect for authority. 2(Disneys ,4.4 billion Euro Disney opened outside Paris in April 1992, later the park was losing ,1 million a day. Disney was forced to take some measures; it had discounted its own value as a U.

23、S. icon. It has now become the most popular tourist attraction in France. 3(Post-World War ? Japanese products of the time were popularly known as “junk”, so General Douglas MacArthur asked Washington to send someone to help conduct a national census and assess Japans ability to rebuild. Dr. W. Edwa

24、rd Deming, a relatively unknown statistician for the U.S. government, was sent. Deming stressed achieving uniform results during production rather than through inspection at the end of the production line. Later, Dr. Joseph Juran lectured in Japan on extending quality from just manufacturing to the

25、entire process from product design to product delivery to the customer. This and other efforts had by 1970s resulted in top-quality cameras, electronics, etc. Later, companies such as Lockheed and Honeywell started similar pilot programs, but the program did not fit in well with the dominant U.S val

26、ue of individualism. Questions: (1) analyze the role of General MacArthur and Dr. Deming in the model? (2) why did the program did not have the same impact they had in Japan? 第八套: 3 1 When a person arrives in a new country, everything seems so new and exciting. 2 An international student in a U.S. g

27、rocery may be asked, “Paper or plastic?” The student knows what paper is and what plastic is, but doesnt understand the question. 3 The practice of cao gio rubbing coins with hot balm oil on the chest and back of a sick person led to the jailing of one father, who subsequently committed suicide. 4 T

28、he defendants, who were members of the Amish faith, refused to send their children, aged 14 and 15, to public school after the children had completed the eighth grade. 第九套: 1.Budweiser advertised to three regional subgroups: In California, Texas, and the Southwest, advertisements aimed at Spanish-sp

29、eakers of Mexican heritage featured cowboys and cactus; In the Northeast, advertisements aimed at Puerto Ricans featured cityscapes and salsa music; and the Florida, advertisements aimed at Cubans featured palm trees, cigars, and bananas. Each advertisement featured differently accented Spanish and

30、national-origin-appropriate music. 2. The Nielsen study of Hispanic television viewing showed that Hispanics watch very differently TV shows than the general public does. Adults prefer Univision and Telemundo to the English-language network shows 3 to 1. Of English-language shows, only 1 in 4 of the

31、 top 10 shows shows preferred by the general public rated in the top 10 for Hispanics. 3. Leslie Zhueng was a famous singer and movie star in Hong Kong. His fame and popularity brought a lot wealth to him. And he had a boyfriend, Mr. Tang. 4. Southwest is the only major airline in the U.S. that has

32、been profitable in each of the last five years. It has the youngest fleet, the best safety record, and awards for customer service. Like all the better-performing companies, Southwest Airlines has a well-defined set of values that helps the company to survive in those difficult times. 第十套: 1.A White male department manager posted training opportunities as required but strongly encouraged other White heterosexual man in the department to sign up. He never mentioned them to any women, ethnic group members, or lesbians and gay men. 2.A new Spanish immigrant to the U