After You Read
Knowledge Focus
1．Answer the following questions.
1)Why do American people value money so much?
2)Why foreigners sometimes think American people are rude and impolite?
3)What are the advantages and disadvantages of being highly competitive?
4)How do you understand the statement that“The foreigner does not remain an outsider for long”?
2．Match the examples with the American values the terms illustrate.
____1)self-reliance
____2)competition
____3)material wealth
____4)call a spade a spade
____5)being practical
____6)sense of obligation
a.great emphasis on winning in sports
b.popularity of do-it-yourself policy
c.donating money to the churches or schools
d.buying things beyond what they need
e.asking for a raise from the boss
f.action taking priority over words
Language Focus
1．Read the sentences below that contain pairs of opposites in the parentheses．Choose the correct words and write them in the sentence blanks.
1)Most importantly, if all of us get news and information____ (inclusively/exclusively)from television, there will be a decline in general literacy.
2)He is a dutiful son, and he'd do anything rather than ____(displease/please)his parents.
3)Our____ (generous/stingy)hostess heaped our plates with food.
4)He is an____ (assertive/indecisive)boy, always insisting on his own rights and opinions.
5)Nearly all the sports practiced nowadays are____ (competitive/cooperative), and everybody plays to win.
6)I feel nothing but contempt for such____ (dishonest/honest)behavior.
7)His casual style of dress was____ (proper/improper)for such a formal dinner.
8)There are some people who____ (praise/criticize)the violence in American sports, particularly in football.
2．Use the following expressions to complete the sentences.
make every moment count point out
keep up with the Joneses get ahead of
status symbol keep from
a sense of ask for
1)Teachers____ mistakes so that students will learn the correct way to speak and write English.
2)If you want to succeed, you have to ____other competitors.
3)An expensive car is a(an)____ .It makes the owner seem important.
4)She bit her lip to____ crying.
5)Excuse me.Could I ____another cup of coffee?
6)Don't waste time.____ .
7)You don't have to buy a new house just because your neighbors did.You needn't____ .
8) ____humour is a great asset for a person.
3．Fill in each blank with a suitable preposition.
1)Many sayings reflect the American obsession ____promptness and efficiency.
2)Advertising encourages people to keep buying things far____ what they need.
3)The American character includes a strong sense of obligation to help those____ need.
4)In many cultures, respect____ those in positions of authority keeps people____ expressing their true feelings or intentions.
5)In this nation of immigrants, the foreigner does not remain an outsider____ long.
ComprehensiveWork
1．Identify problems in the following situation:when East meets West, many problems occur.
Try to put yourself in the shoes of Wang Lin.He has invited an American friend Lisa, to his home for a meal.Unfortunately, the occasion gets off to a rather bumpy start.
What has gone wrong? What would you do in such a situation? Analyze the dialogue with your partner.
Wang:Hi! Lisa, welcome! Come in.
Lisa: Thank you for your invitation.It's a lovely room and very warm here.
Wang:My room is very small and untidy.Please sit down and have a cup of tea.You must be tired after the long walk here.
Lisa: What a strange thing to say—your room is perfectly clean and tidy! And as for the walk, I'm very fit, you know.I usually walk for at least half an hour every day. Don't you think walking is a good way to keep fit?
Wang:Yes, I do.Dinner is ready.Please sit at the table.
Lisa: Wow! They look very tasty!
Wang:I'm not a very good cook.Here are only a few cold dishes.Please try this fish, though I'm not very good at cooking fish.
Lisa: This is delicious.
(Later on in the meal, just before theyfinish the cold dishes, hot dishes are placed on the table.)
Lisa: What? There are more?
Wang:Yes.We usually serve eight dishes for our most distinguished guests.
Lisa: If I had known earlier, I would have left some room for the hot dishes.I feel fit to burst at present, and I couldn't eat another mouthful.
2．Essay Writing
Write about the aspects of the American Character that impress you most.