英语测试理论与实践期末AC部分整理

英语测试理论与实践期末A C部分整理

-CAL-FENGHAI-(2020YEAR-YICAI)_JINGBIAN

Chapter 1

Section A

1.Why is Elle Woods considered diverse by Harvard Law School And why is Elle Woods admitted by Harvard Law School What can we learn from it about American culture

Elle Woods is considered diverse by Harvard Law School because she’s a fashion major and her practices out of class are quite different from other students, who are usually politics, history or philosophy majors. Elle Woods was admitted by Harvard Law School mainly because they are looking for diverse students like Elle. From it, we can learn that American educational system encourages the development of individuality.Furthermore, we can also realize that culture shapes people’s discourse and behaviors, which influences the communication between people.

2.Discuss in groups the strengths and weaknesses of the American and Chinese education systems. Present your ideas to the whole class after your discussion.

American education system emphasize that students should be diverse and take part in a lot of social practice, which contributes to the all-round development of students. However, American students usually lose in the competition with Chinese students because they don’t highlight the test skills. By contrast, Chinese education is a exam-oriented education, which put the exam at first. Therefore, Chinese students are often good at exam but lack experience of social practice and don’t know how to communicate with strangers.

3.Why do Chinese and Americans develop different education systems What are the cultural factors underlying the differences

4.

The cultural difference generates the different education system between America and China. American culture is characteristic of opening and highlights social practice while Chinese culture is rigorous and highlights the role of parents and teachers. In this sense, students should respect for and obey their command and pay all attention to exam in terms of fierce competition.

Section C

1.Why did Zhao say ‘America is a good place, but it’s too dull’ What can we learn about Chinese culture

2.

When his son went to work, Zhao was quite lonely and didn’t have any friends. This kind of life was much different from his farming life in China, where he had many friends and neighbors around, talking, drinking tea and playing mabjong together during the leisure time. Chinese culture is a group-oriented culture, where people would like to interact with each other.

3.Why did most Chinese families decide to grow vegetables instead of flowers on their land What can we learn about Chinese culture

4.

Chinese people are very diligent and thrifty. For them, it is wasteful to use land to raise flowers. Chinese culture which is characteristic of collectivism is a guideline that shapes Chinese behaviors.

5.Culture is often compared to the ‘software’ of people’ mind. Cite the examples in this case to explain the sentence.

When Zhao was in American, he was very lonely and had no friend. That summer was the happiest time for him because he could communicate with his friends. From this example, we can learn that culture governs people’s mind and determines whether they are happy or not.Another example is the choice of Chinese families to grow vegetables. From it, we can learn that culture governs people’s behavior and provides guidelines for what to do and what not to do.

Chapter 2

Section A

1.In the movie, Jonathan wants to get Sara’s phone number, but their process of communication fails. What elements go wrong in this process?

2.

When Sara gives her phone number to Jonathan, the paper is blown into a trash. Jonathan takes it as an accident, but Sara regards it as a sign of fate, which is telling her not to develop their relationship. Their different outlook to life causes the breakdown of the process of communication.

3.In the movie, how many things does Sara do in order to test fate And what are they What do you think of these behaviors

Three things. The first one is that Sara asks Jonathan to write down his phone number on a $5 bill and spends the bill in a little grocery store. The second one is that she promises to write down her number inside a book and sell it to a used bookstore. The third one is that she asks Jonathan to get into a hotel with her and proposes that she and Jonathan pick the same floor in the lift randomly. I think Sara believes in fate and regard the fate as the foundation of feelings.

4.A famous anthropologist once said that ‘Culture is communication and communication is culture.’ Do you agree Why or why not

5.

Yes. Because people in different cultures have different contexts, which influence how they communicate. In this case, Sara with a belief of fate can’t communicate with Jonathan not believing fate very well. Furthermore communication may be culture, because people often communicate with each other will have the same interest, habits and beliefs, which create the new culture.

Section C

1.What the mode of communication favored by Asians What cultural values underlie it?

Asian people are very courteous and indirect in the communication. Because they emphasize group harmony, they ere tolerant when they are offended. These collectivism values, shaped by Confucian teachings, were spread from China to many Asian countries.

2.What is the mode of communication favored by Westerners What cultural values underlie it

3.

Westerners are direct and frank in the communication. And they have s strong sense of protecting their own rights. Individualism values are the principles guiding their behaviors.

4. 同上面3

Chapter 3

Section A

1.In the hearing, why does Xu Datong invite John to be his lawyer although John is not familiar with family law What can you learn from it about Chinese culture?

Xu Datong invited John to be his lawyer because John was his best friend.?In his opinion, Chinese usually ask their intimate relationship for help to solve some intractable problems as this kind of relationship will make more effort to help you.?Hence, we know that China is a collectivism society and Chinese people usually emphasize interdependence and collective relations.

2.Why doesn’t John defend Xu Datong in the hearing

3.What can we learn from this about Chinese culture?

From the photos, John spontaneously considered that Dennis was abused by his father, which was illegal in America.?That's why John rejected to defend Xu Datong.?From it, we can see that

in America, people are attached importance to the truth and law rather than to the interpersonal relationship, which is the most obvious characteristic of an individualism society and is different from a collectivism society.

4.Why does Xu Datong tell the judge he performed Guasha on Dennis

5.What can we learn from this about Chinese culture

6.

On Chinese' view, the young man is the brace of a family and he should be responsible for the whole family.?Although Dennis' injury was created by his grandfather in fact, Xu Datong realized that he should shoulder the responsibility according to Chinese traditional culture.

7.Who shall we ask for help when we get into legal troubles, our relatives and friends or a lawyer?

I would like to ask the lawyers for help when I get into legal troubles.On the one hand, lawyers understand the laws and regulations and they know how to use laws to debate while your friends or relations who are willing to help you are possibly not familiar to laws.?In fact, lawyers are useful in dealing with legal troubles than your friends and relatives.?On the other hand, the fact and evidence are more emphasized in modern society.?When the justice judged the legal cases and make the verdicts, they will notice the evidence and truth rather than persons. Section C

1.Could you understand why Mile called the police What can we learn about American culture and Chinese culture?

Mike called the police because his grandmother beat him which was forbidden in America.?In China, 'beating' is a regular and popular way to educate children.?It is a common sense.?'Beating' can date back to ancient Chinese education when the teachers gave serious punishment to students doing something wrong.?In America, 'beating' is forbidden and illegal.?Parents always use mild methods such as persuasion or suggestion to educate their children.Meanwhile American children realize their right to protect themselves, which is influenced by freedom and equality propagated by The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizens.

2.Why couldn’t Xue Suling carry out her original plan of Chinese language teaching

3.What can we learn Learning about American culture and Chinese culture?

Chinese is very difficult, especially in speaking and writing.It must have an environment of Chinese language and substantial practices.However, Mike and Xue Suling didn't have these conditions.?In China, children’ s learning is manipulated by the teachers and parents and perhaps monitored for the whole day.?In America, children should learn how to be independent of their parents from the moment they are born.?They arrange their own studies.Therefore, Xue Suling can't carry out her original plan.?From it, we could realize that American highlight individual rights, which is the same as other individualism countries and areas.

Chapter 4

Section A

1.Discuss the image of the whale as a symbol of nature, and Captain Ahab’s attitude towards it.

The whale is a symbol of the nature, is a concrete embodiment of the powerful nature. Nature is rich and generous, it is a treasure for humans, providing humans with food and clothes. If losing it, humans will die. Nature is also stingy, it never gives something to humans on its own initiative, humans rely on plundering(掠夺)it to get what they want. Captain Ahab is the representative of human. He is a person with strength and perseverance as well as craziness, selfish and arrogance. He fights against the whale parallel to the behavior that people conquer the nature. For

him ,the mission is holy and historic. In fact, human are confused a question whether the nature is friend or enemy, but the conflict between human and nature is inevitable.

Section C

1.What can we learn about Mexican culture from the reward system of PAMEX?

From this case, we learn that the Mexican culture is reserved and group-oriented. It highlights the group harmony and interpersonal relationships.

2.What can we learn about American culture from the reward system USAHP?

The American culture is more individualistic, result-oriented and analytic.

3.How do you explain the phenomenon in this case, applying the theory of the relationship between humans What cultural differences caused the resistance of the local staff in PAMEX after the acquisition?

Because of the radically cultural differences between the American management and the Mexican staff, it was a challenge for the American management to accept for the Mexican staff and pay attention to the fundamental values in human relationship under Mexican circumstances.

4.If you were one of the managers from USAHP, concerning the local culture, what measures will you take to promote the motivation of the original staff in PAMEX?

If I was one of the managers from USAHP, I would like to respect and promote the culture and philosophy of the original staff in PAMEX.?With the merge and acquisition, the culture clash became increasingly obvious.?If the company wanted to manage the PAMEX and its employees, it should observe the original cultures.?It should glorify and support that PAMEX promoted,

rewarded and retained employees based on their loyalty to the firm and to their immediate supervisors, and on interpersonal connections.?Approving the cultures and customs of the original staff in PAMEX, they would be promoted to work hard and contribute to the company USAHP.

Chapter 5

Section C

1.What can we learn from the first case Use Hofstede’s ‘Uncertainty avoidance’ dimension to explain your answer.

‘Uncertainty avoidance’ indicates how much a society feels threatened by ambiguous situations and tries to avoid them by providing rules, believing in absolute truths, and refusing to tolerate deviance. Some cultures, such as Greece, Portugal, Belgium, Japan and Spain are averse to the unknown. Such cultures emphasize uniformity and dislike deviance. Such cultures may be rather emotional in the process of gathering information. Foreign teachers need detailed instructions. They hope to reduce the ambiguity in their expectations for the working in China. Thus they turn to Chinese officials to tell them exactly their responsibility, rights, the regulations, the available facilities, the accommodations. Such information helps reduce the anxiety.

2.If you are in America, what will you do to get a book you need What can we learn from this case

https://www.360docs.net/doc/dd2587679.html,e Hofstede’s ‘individualism-collectivism’ dimension to explain your answer.

According to Hofstede’s research, collectivist cultures tend to be Asian and Latin American, while the individualistic cultures are North American and European. Collectivist cultures emphasize common interest, cooperation, conformity and inter-dependence. They have tight social framework, where people help each other. The in-group includes one’s family, relatives, acquaintances, friends, classmates and colleagues. In individualistic cultures, people highlight their own needs. They emphasize more ‘I’ than ‘we’. Thus, if an American wants to borrow a book from another library, he would directly consult the staff working at the library to see whether the library is available to him. Then, he will inquire the procedures for obtaining books from that library. He will not ask his friends for help. In China, however, one would first try to find someone he knows to help him.

4.What does ‘friend’ mean to Chinese? What does ‘friend’ mean to Americans

5.

According to Hofstede’s research, America ranked No.1 in individualism worldwide. Americans respect other privacy and maintain certain distance. Even friends should try not to be very demanding. If friends ask for help, they should make their requests reasonable. While Chinese belong to community, so friends have a closer relationship. One encountering some troubles, wants his friend to help him. In China, friends are the people that one can depend on and trust. Chapter 6

Section A

1.Why is the meaning of ‘I like your sweater’ very clear in the West?

2.