space invaders unit 2 space invaders unit2 watch the video and answer the following questions. 1.how...

SPACE INVADERS

Unit 2Unit 2

SPACE INVADERS

Watch the video and answer the following questions.

1. How is the “getting through the door” movement understood by many people?

Audiovisual supplementCultural information

Many view this apparently light-hearted tussle as a sign that Arafat and Barak were getting on well.

Arafat and Barak are struggling to get through the door after the other party in order to show “I am in control”.

2. What is the hidden message behind the scene?

Body language is very important, but often complex and easily misunderstood.

3. What does this story tell us?


From Secret of Body Language

Voiceover: But body language is often complex, and easily misunderstood. Here, President Clinton leads the Israeli and Palestinian leaders Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat up before the press during peace negotiations. It’s all smiles for the cameras, but behind the façade of bonhomie, there’s a power struggle going on. Clinton jokingly explains that none of them will take any questions.Clinton: We promise to each other we will answer no question and offer no comments, so I have to set a good example. Voiceover: The body language then reveals just why that works.Expert A: Wow. It’s almost a physical fight.


Voiceover: Many view this apparently light-hearted tussle as a sign that Arafat and Barak were getting on well. Think again. Expert A: There is a great meaning behind who goes through the door first. Now of course here in the West, letting someone through the door first doesn’t really matter. Polite maybe. But in the Middle East, it has significant cultural impact. Expert B: The host, the power person, says, “I’m in control. I’ll help you through the door. I’ll show you the way.” Arafat: Thank you. Thank you.Voiceover: Throw in the fear and tension present in most Middle East negotiations, and suddenly, the desire of


both Arafat and Barak not to go through that door before the other starts to make sense. Expert C: This is a classic example in its extreme

way of how the last man through the door is the winner. So Barak reaches for Yasser Arafat. Arafat literally grasps his arm, moves on, and starts wagering his finger at Barak, who, then, Barak, uses this opportunity as a wrestling match to move around, to actually be behind Arafat, and then literally grasps Arafat, holds him by the arm, and shoves him through the door.

Expert B: So you’ve got fear and power struggle, showing in big big big big bold body language with it.


Personal space can be imagined as a kind of bubble surrounding a person that protects his or her privacy and which other people may not normally enter. Allowing somebody to get very close and enter your personal space may be a sign of trust or love. On the other hand, intruding other’s personal space can be rather offensive.

The amount of space people need to feel around them varies with various factors, such as culture, sex, familiarity between people, crowdedness of the situation, etc. For example:


● people from cultures that like a lot of personal space feel awkward and embarrassed when somebody comes too close to them;

● people of the same sex may sit or stand closer to each other than to somebody of the opposite sex;

● strangers and casual acquaintances usually need more space than friends and members of the same family who know each other well;

● in a noisy street people may need to stand closer than they would normally, simply in order to hear each other.


In the text, the writer first points out the fact that nowadays people are more concerned about themselves and want to have a larger personal space than decades ago, and then he analyzes the causes of space invasion. The text can be divided into three parts. Part I (Paragraphs 1 — 2): The writer calls the

reader’s attention to the invasion of personal space by relating an experience of how his personal space was invaded.

Rhetorical featuresStructural analysis

Part II (Paragraphs 3 — 7): The writer analyzes some likely causes of the shrinkage of personal space, and attributes the invasion of personal space to the general decline of good manners.


Part III (Paragraph 8 — 9): The author presents his view about the essence of personal space, i.e. it is psychological, rather than physical, and urges people to “expand the contracting boundaries of personal space”.

A vivid and accurate description of the behaviour of the space invaders and those whose personal space is being invaded is achieved by a delicate selection of verbs. Some of the examples are as follows.


•a man … started inching toward me … (Paragraph 1)•In elevators, people are wedging themselves in just before the doors close ... (Paragraph 3)• In movie theatres these days, people are staking a claim to both armrests, annexing all the elbow room ... (Paragraph 7)

Verbs and verbal phrases used to describe the behaviour of space invaders:

Verbs and verbal phrases used to describe the reaction of those whose space is being invaded:• I minutely advanced toward the woman … in front of me ... (Paragraph 1) • … who absent-mindedly shuffled toward the white- haired lady ahead of him ... (Paragraph 1)


Practice: Please find more examples to illustrate the author’s careful choice of verbs.

Detailed reading

SPACE INVADERS Richard Stengel

1 At my bank the other day, I was standing in a line snaking around some tired velvet ropes when a man in a sweat-suit started inching toward me in his eagerness to deposit his Social Security check. As he did so, I minutely advanced toward the woman reading the Wall Street Journal in front of me, who, in mild annoyance, began to sidle up to the man scribbling a check in front of her, who absent-mindedly shuffled toward the white-haired lady ahead of him, until we were all hugger-mugger against each other, the original lazy line having collapsed in on itself like a Slinky.

Detailed reading

2 I estimate that my personal space extends eighteen inches in front of my face, one foot to each side, and about ten inches in back — though it is nearly impossible to measure exactly how far behind you someone is standing. The phrase “personal space” has a quaint, seventies ring to it (“You’re invading my space, man”), but it is one of those gratifying expressions that are intuitively understood by all human beings. Like the twelve-mile limit around our national shores, personal space is our individual border beyond which no stranger can penetrate without making us uneasy.

3 Lately, I’ve found that my personal space is being invaded more than ever before. In elevators, people are wedging themselves in just before the doors close; on the street, pedestrians are zigzagging through the human traffic, jostling others, refusing to give way; on the subway, riders are no longer taking pains to carve out little zones of space between themselves and fellow-passengers; in lines at airports, people are pressing forward like fidgety taxis at red lights.

Detailed reading

4 At first, I attributed this tendency to the “population explosion” and the relentless Malthusian logic that if twice as many people inhabit the planet now as did twenty years ago, each of us has half as much space. Recently, I’ve wondered if it’s the season: T-shirt weather can make proximity more alluring (or much, much less). Or perhaps the proliferation of coffee bars in Manhattan — the number seems to double every three months — is infusing so much caffeine into the already jangling locals that people can no longer keep to themselves.

Detailed reading

5 Personal space is mostly a public matter; we allow all kinds of invasions of personal space in private. (Humanity wouldn’t exist without them.) The logistics of it vary according to geography. People who live in Calcutta have less personal space than folks in Colorado. “Don’t tread on me” could have been coined only by someone with a spread. I would wager that people in the Northern Hemisphere have roomier conceptions of personal space than those in the Southern. To an Englishman, a handshake can seem like trespassing, whereas to a Brazilian, anything less than a hug may come across as chilliness.

Detailed reading

6 Like drivers who plow into your parked and empty car and don’t leave a note, people no longer mutter “Excuse me” when they bump into you. The decline of manners has been widely lamented. Manners, it seems to me, are about giving people space, not stepping on toes, granting people their private domain.7 I’ve also noticed an increase in the ranks of what I think of as space invaders, mini-territorial expansionists who seize public space with a sense of manifest destiny. In movie theatres these days, people are staking a claim to both armrests, annexing all the elbow room, while at coffee shops and on the Long Island Railroad, individuals routinely commandeer booths and sets of facing seats meant for foursomes.

Detailed reading

8 Ultimately, personal space is psychological, not physical: it has less to do with the space outside us than with our inner space. I suspect that the shrinking of personal space is directly proportional to the expansion of self-absorption: people whose attention is inward do not bother to look outward. Even the focus of science these days is micro, not macro. The Human Genome Project is mapping the universe of the genetic code, while neuroscientists are using souped-up M.R.I. machines to chart the flight of neurons in our brains.

Detailed reading

9 In the same way that the breeze from a butterfly’s wings in Japan may eventually produce a tidal wave in California, I have decided to expand the contracting boundaries of personal space. In the line at my bank, I now refuse to move closer than three feet to the person in front of me, even if it means that the fellow behind me starts breathing down my neck.

Detailed reading

Is “personal space” a term of the seventies? Is it out of date nowadays? Why or why not? (Paragraph 2)

“Personal space” was a term popularly used in the seventies but seldom mentioned nowadays. However, it doesn’t mean that it is out of date. People, whatever periods they are in, need personal space, which is not to be penetrated. The only problem is that the world is becoming so crowded that it is impossible for people to protect their personal space as well as they used to do.

Detailed reading

What does the author mean by saying “personal space is mostly a public matter”? (Paragraph 5)Personal space, first of all, is the space you expect and are expected to keep between you and other people in public places in order to maintain an appropriate interpersonal relationship. Edward T. Hall in The

Detailed reading

Hidden Dimension, for example, describes the social values applied by Americans to certain distances between people as falling into four main categories: “Intimate distance (0 — 1&1/2 feet), Personal distance (1&1/2 — 4 feet), Social/Consultative distance (4 — 10 feet), and Public distance (10 or more feet).”

Do you agree with the writer’s view that the contraction of the outer, personal space is proportional to the expansion of the inner-space of modern man? (Paragraph 8)

Yes, people in the present society tend to be more self-centered, concentrating on their private affairs and ignoring the outer world around them. They say they have no time or energy to care about others in a society of fast tempo. As a matter of fact, they do not want to bother about it.

Detailed reading

Group discussionsTopic A: Is personal space important to you? Why or why not?

Topic B: According to your observation, does personal space vary in different places/relations/cultures? Give examples.

Detailed reading

snake: v. move in a twisting way

e.g.The train was snaking its way through the mountains.

Detailed reading

Synonym:

meander

inch: v. move very slowly and carefully

Detailed reading

e.g.Howard inched forward in the crowd. He inched his way through the narrow passage.

in mild annoyance: with a little anger or impatience mild: a. not very great in degreee.g.We looked at each other in mild

astonishment.

Detailed reading

Synonym:

slight

sidle: v. walk in a timid manner, esp. sideways or obliquely

Detailed reading

e.g. A man sidled up to me and asked if I wanted a ticket for the match.

scribble: 1) v. write or draw (sth.) carelessly or hurriedly e.g.He scribbled a note to his sister before leaving.

She scribbled down her phone number and pushed it into his hand. Throughout the interview, the journalists scribbled away furiously.

Detailed reading

Synonym:scrawl

2) n. [U, sing.] careless and untidy writing

e.g.How do you expect me to read this scribble?

shuffle: v. walk by dragging one’s feet along or without lifting them fully from the ground

Detailed reading

e.g.He slipped on his shoes and shuffled out of the room. A fat woman was shuffling along with a pushchair.

Collocations:

shuffle sth. off: avoid talking or thinking about sth. because it is not considered important

shuffle out of sth.: try to avoid some unpleasant task by acting dishonestly

e.g.He shuffled the question off and changed the topic.

e.g. I mistrust the way in which they shuffle out of sustained efforts.

Slinky: n. A Slinky (“ 机灵鬼”，一种用软弹簧做成的会翻跟头的玩具 ) is a coil-shaped spring invented by mechanical engineer Richard James in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Slinkys come in various sizes and shapes. They can “walk” down stairs as the coils stretch and reform as gravity moves them down each step, the spring’s momentum causing it to spill end over end from one step to the next.

Detailed reading

ring: n. a quality, or an impression of having the quality that is mentionede.g. Her story had a ring of truth about it.

The books he mentioned had a familiar ring about them.

Detailed reading

gratifying: a. giving pleasure or satisfaction

e.g.The new plan may be gratifying to the President.

Detailed reading

Derivations:

gratify v.; gratification n.

Detailed reading

penetrate: v. succeed in forcing a way through (sth.) e.g. They penetrated into the territory where no

man had ever gone before. The sun’s radiation penetrates the skin.

The people sitting close to me wedged me into the corner. Open the door wide and wedge it with a pad of newspaper.

e.g.

Detailed reading

wedge: v. force into a narrow space; fix sth. in position by using a wedge or sth. else

Detailed reading

zigzag:

We zigzagged up the hill. The narrow path zigzags up the cliff.

e.g.

1) v. move forward by going at an angle first to one side,

then to the other

2) n. a line or pattern that looks like a series of letter W’s as it bends to the left and then to the right again The path descended the hill in zigzags. e.g.

3) a. [only before noun]a zigzag line/path/pattern

e.g.

Detailed reading

carve out: establish or create sth. through painstaking

effortWith months of strenuous work, the artist carved out a flower of ivory.Years of failures and setbacks have taught him and carved out a career for him.

e.g.

Detailed reading

press: v. push, move, or make (one’s way) strongly, esp.

in a crowdHe pressed his way through the crowd. So many people pressed round the famous actress that she couldn’t get to her car.

e.g.

Translation:

人群挤在她身边，争着要她的签名。Crowds pressed round, her trying to get her autograph.____________________________________________________________

Detailed reading

infuse: v. fill or cause to be filled with sth.

Her novels are infused with sadness.e.g.

Collocations: infuse … into/with: fill ... with ...

e.g.He infused eagerness into the men.His speech infused the men with eagerness.

Detailed reading

keep to oneself: remain private; avoid meeting other

peopleShe doesn’t go out much; she likes to keep to herself.

e.g.

Detailed reading

Malthusian logic: Thomas Robert Malthus (1766 —

1834), British economist and clergyman. In Essay on Population (1798) he argued that without the practice of “moral restraint” the population tends to increase at a greater rate than its means of subsistence, unless war, famine, or disease intervenes or efforts are made to limit population.

Detailed reading

wager: v. (a more formal term for) bet

She wagered £50 on a horse.I had wagered a great deal of money that I would beat him.

e.g.

1) wager (sth.) (on sth.); wager sth./sb. that …: bet money on sth.

2) wager (that): used to say that you are so confident that sth. is true or will happen that you would be willing to bet money on itI’ll wager that she knows more about it than

she’s saying.

e.g.

Detailed reading

plow: v. force a way or make a track

A truck plowed into the back of the bus. She plowed her way through the waiting crowds.

e.g.

Spelling:

plow (American English) = plough (British English)

lament: v. express regret or disappointment over sth. considered unsatisfactory, unreasonable, or unfair

e.g. In the poem he laments the destruction of the countryside.

Detailed reading

Synonym:bemoan

e.g.She shows a lamentable lack of understanding.

Derivations:lamentable: a. very disappointing, regrettable

lamentation: n. (formal) an expression of great sadness or disappointment

Detailed reading

stake a claim to: make a claim to

stake: v. be assertive in defining and defending a position or policy

e.g. He staked a claim to the land where he’d found the gold.

Detailed reading

annex: v. take control and possession of land, a small country, etc., esp. by force; take without permission

Synonym:

occupy

e.g. Germany annexed Austria in 1938.There are examples of people occupying public squares and annexing the pavement next to their lands.

Detailed reading

be proportional to: increase or decrease at the same rate as the other thing increases or decreases, so that there is always the same relationship between the two things

Derivation: proportion: n. the relationship of one thing to another in size, amount, etc.

e.g. The output should be proportional to the input. As a rule suicide rates are proportional to the size of the city.

e.g.The room is very long in proportion to (= relative to) its width.

Detailed reading

self-absorption: the characteristic of thinking about things concerning oneself without noticing other people or the things around him

Derivation: self-absorbed a.

some tired velvet rope (Paragraph 1)

Explanation:

Here, the word “tired” means “drooping, loosened or slackened”.

Detailed reading

… until we were all hugger-mugger against each other, the original lazy line having collapsed in on itself like a Slinky. (Paragraph 1)

Paraphrase:

… until we were all pushing against each other, leaving the line in disorder.

Detailed reading

The phrase “personal space” has a quaint, seventies ring to it ... (Paragraph 2)

Paraphrase:

The phrase “personal space” sounds old-fashioned and reminds one of the seventies ...

Detailed reading

... I’ve wondered if it’s the season: T-shirt weather can make proximity more alluring (or much, much less). (Paragraph 4)

Paraphrase:... it has passed through my mind that maybe the cause (of the space invasion) is the season: summer may make people want to be closer to those whose physical attraction is revealed by light summer clothing (though it may also make them wish to move further away from those smelling unpleasantly of perspiration).

Detailed reading

Or perhaps the proliferation of coffee bars in Manhattan … is infusing so much caffeine into the already jangling locals that people can no longer keep to themselves. (Paragraph 4)

Paraphrase:

Or perhaps the increasing coffee bars in Manhattan ... attract more and more people, who are stimulated and excited by the caffeine they take in, so that they become eager to meet others and no longer want to remain in private.

Detailed reading

… we allow all kinds of invasions of personal space in private. (Humanity wouldn’t exist without them.) (Paragraph 5)

Paraphrase:

… privately we allow people with whom we have close relationships to enter our personal space in a variety of ways. (Indeed, in the absence of sexual intimacy, none of us would be here.)

Detailed reading

The logistics of it vary according to geography. (Paragraph 5)

Paraphrase:

People in different regions are given different sizes of personal space.

Detailed reading

“Don’t tread on me” could have been coined only by someone with a spread. (Paragraph 5)

Paraphrase:

“Don’t step into my space.” This could only have been invented by people who have a farm and thus a large space all their own.

Detailed reading

The decline of manners has been widely lamented. (Paragraph 6)

Paraphrase:

Many have expressed regret at the deterioration of manners.

Detailed reading

I’ve also noticed an increase in the ranks of what I think of as space invaders, mini-territorial expansionists who seize public space with a sense of manifest destiny. (Paragraph 7)

Paraphrase:

I’ve also noticed that the problem of space invasion has become more and more serious, and that space invaders, acting in the way territorial expansionists usually do, take it for granted that they have the right to seize public space.

Detailed reading

... individuals routinely commandeer booths and sets of facing seats meant for foursomes. (Paragraph 7)

Paraphrase:

... individuals, as usual, occupy the booths and seats which are designed for four people.

Detailed reading

… personal space is psychological, not physical: it has less to do with the space outside us than with our inner space. (Paragraph 8)

Paraphrase:

... personal space is more a psychological matter than a physical one. As far as we feel comfortable in our mind, it does not matter whether our physical personal space is large or small.

Detailed reading

In the same way that the breeze from a butterfly’s wings in Japan may eventually produce a tidal wave in California, I have decided to expand the contracting boundaries of personal space. (Paragraph 9)

Paraphrase:

The author hopes that his own stand against the shrinking of personal space, while small in itself, will nonetheless eventually have a dramatic effect in the same way as the breeze from a butterfly’s wings in Japan, if it initiates a chain of waves, may eventually produce a tidal wave in California.

Detailed reading

Phrase practice

Word derivation

Synonym / Antonym

Vocabulary Translation Integrated skillsOral activitiesWritingGrammar

1) Women tend to their success external causes such as assistance from friends.


attribute

2) My job is to challenge, but not threaten them. So I must be careful not to their toes.tread

on __________

3) A young lady and her little son were seriously injured when a car them on a crossing.

plowed into

______________

to___________ ___

Fill in the blank(s) in each sentence with a word or phrase from the text in its appropriate form.

4) Loss of weight the rate at which the disease is progressing.


5) In contemporary society, most farmers have bank managers in order to secure their finance balance.

is proportional to ___________________

breathing down their necks ______________________________


e.g.吉姆将自己的成功归功于努力的工作。Jim attributes his success to hard work.

attribute … to …: believe sth. to be the result of


e.g. 我如果直接和她导师谈的话，会不会冒犯她？

Would I be treading on her toes if I talk directly to her supervisor?

tread on (sb.’s toes): offend or annoy sb., esp. by getting involved in sth. that is their responsibility


e.g. 货车因为刹车失灵，猛地冲入了人群之中。The van’s brakes failed, and it plowed into a crowd of people.

plow into: (esp. of a vehicle or its driver) crash violently into sth. esp. because you are driving too fast or not paying enough attention


e.g.在那个公司，你的报酬与你的经验年限直接成正比。

In that company, your salary is directly proportional to your years of experience.

be proportional to: increase or decrease at the same rate as the other thing increases or decreases, so that there is always the same relationship between the two things


e.g.你老是盯着我，让我无法正常工作。

I can’t work properly with you breathing down my neck.

breathe down sb.’s neck: (informal) watch closely what sb. is doing in a way that makes them feel anxious and/or annoyed


1) annoyance n. → annoy v. → annoying a. e.g. 他无法掩饰自己被打断后的恼怒。

一想到我们已经浪费了那么多时间，我便很懊恼。

他不停地打断我们，实在是太烦人了。

He could not conceal his annoyance at being interrupted.

It annoyed me to think how much time we had wasted.

It was annoying that he kept interrupting us.


2) intuitive a. → intuitively ad. → intuition n.

e.g. 他好像凭直觉就知道我的感受。

凭直觉，她知道他在撒谎。

我的直觉告诉我，他这个人不能信赖。

He seems to have an intuitive knowledge of how I am feeling.

Intuitively, she knew that he was lying.

My intuition told me that he was not to be trusted.


3) relentless a. → relentlessly ad. → relent v.

e.g. 每个人都被她对完美的不懈追求打动了。

已经有三个月没有下雨了，可太阳还在残酷无情地照耀着。

起初她威胁要解雇我们所有的人，可后来她的态度软化了。

Everyone was moved by her relentless pursuit of perfection.

It has been three months since it rained last time, but the sun still shines relentlessly.

At first she threatened to dismiss us all, but later she relented.


4) proliferation n. → proliferate v.

e.g. 国际社会应该携起手来，一起防止核武器扩散。

二十世纪八十年代，电脑公司的数量激增。

The international community should work together to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

During the 1980s, computer companies proliferated.


5) lament v. → lamentable a. → lamentably ad.

e.g. 全国降半旗，哀悼伟大领袖的逝世。

这届政府的工作实在太令人痛心了。

他痛失赢得比赛的最后机会。

The nation lowered its national flag to half-mast to lament the passing of its great leader.

This government’s performance is absolutely lamentable.

He lamentably lost the last chance to win the game.


6) expand v. → expansion n. → expansive a.e.g. 水结冰时会膨胀。

新工厂很大，具有未来扩充的空间。

喝了几杯酒以后，她显然变得更加放松和健谈起来。

Water expands when it freezes.

The new factory is large, allowing room for expansion in the future.

After a few drinks, she became clearly relaxed and in an expansive mood.


7) routinely a. → routine n. .

e.g.进入大楼的来访者照例要被检查。

要想保持健康，就要将锻炼身体作为每日常规。

Visitors are routinely checked as they enter the building.

To keep fit, make exercise a part of your daily routine.


8) shrink v. → shrinkage n.

e.g.羊毛制品在热水中洗涤会收缩。

今年劳工人数进一步减少。Washing wool in hot water will shrink it.

This year sees a further shrinkage in the size of the work force.

shrinking, receding, lessening

1. As he did so, I minutely advanced toward the woman reading the Wall Street Journal in front of me.Antonym:

significantly, considerably, incautiously

2. I have decided to expand the contracting boundaries of personal space.

Synonym:


3. Personal space is mostly a public matter.Antonym: private, personal, individual

4. Manners, it seems to me, are about giving people space, not stepping on toes, granting people their private domain.

Synonym: give, present, confer


5. At my bank the other day, I was standing in a line snaking around some tired velvet ropes.

Antonym: tightened, tense, rigid

6. Lately, I’ve found that my personal space is being invaded more often than before.

Synonym: recently, currently

7. The phrase “personal space” has a quaint, seventies ring to it.Synonym: old-fashioned, odd, antiquated

8. Like the twelve-mile limit around our national shores, personal space is our individual border beyond which no stranger can penetrate without making us uneasy.Synonym: uncomfortable, nervous, upset


Vocabulary Grammar Translation Integrated skillsOral activitiesWriting

can, could, may, might

Substitution

so, such

can, could, may, might Can, could, may and might are English modal auxiliaries. They have no non-finite forms, can only be the initial element of a finite verb phrase and are invariably followed by a bare infinitive, and have lexical meanings by themselves.


For example:To talk about ability: I can climb this cliff. She could play the piano when she was only six.


For example:

To talk about possibility: Where can/could he be? He may/might be in his office. To an Englishman, a handshake can seem like trespassing.

To talk about permission: Can/Could/May/Might I smoke in here? Yes, you can/may. No, you can’t / may not.


Practice: Fill in the blank in each sentence with the choice

you think most appropriate.

1. When I was a child, I never understand a word he said. A. can B. could C. may D. might

Both can and could can express ability, but could is used for past ability.

B_____


A. May, may B. Might, may

C. Might, might D. May, might

2. A: I trouble you for a light? B: Yes, of course you ________.

Might, being more tentative, is used when one asks for permission. May is often used when one gives permission.

C_____

3. The plan easily have gone wrong, but in fact it was a great success. A. might B. will C. must D. can

Might is used to express possibility, which has more uncertainty in tone than may or can.

A_____


4. I don’t agree with you, but there be some sense in what you say. A. can B. should C. may D. would

When can is used in a positive statement, it usually refers to theoretical possibility.

A_____


Rewrite the following sentences, using can, could, may or might.1. He is in poor health. It is possible for him to fall ill at any time.

He is in poor health. He could/may/might/can fall ill at any time. (In a positive statement, can refers to theoretical possibility.)

2) John looks pale today. It is possible that he is ill. John looks pale today. He may be ill. (In a positive statement, may refers to factual possibility.)


3) I know how to answer the question now.

I can answer the question now.4) Students were allowed to refer to dictionaries in the exam.

Students could refer to dictionaries in the exam.


Substitution Substitution is a grammatical device for avoiding repetition and achieving textual cohesion. There are three kinds of substitution: nominal substitution, verbal substitution, and clausal substitution.

For example:There are good films as well as bad ones. (nominal substitution)I hate hypocrisy. Actually, everyone does. (verbal substitution)A: Do you think he will come tomorrow?B: Yes, I think so. / No, I think not. (clausal substitution)


Practice:

1. A: What about going there in your car? B: My car is too small. Let’s rent a bigger .2. A: I always forget to lock the door. B: So I.

Complete the sentences with so, do, one or not.

one_____

3. A: Will your flight be cancelled because of the bad weather? B: I hope .4. A: Will there be a storm soon? B: I am afraid .5. A: Tom is not working conscientiously. B: I’ve noticed.

do___

not____

so____

So____


so, such Both so and such are used to emphasize the great degree of sth. and appear in the construction so/such … that to introduce adverbial clauses of result. So, as an adverb, is usually followed by adjectives, while such, a determiner or pronoun, can only precede nouns or noun phrases.

For example:The accident was so terrible that we can’t talk about it.It is such a terrible accident that we can’t talk about it.It is such a surprise that I can’t get over it.It is so surprising that I can’t get over it.


1. Jack was out of breath. He couldn’t speak at first.Jack was so out of breath that he couldn’t speak at first.

2. She made a good meal. We all ate far too much. She made such a good meal that we all ate far too much.

Practice: Combine the two sentences into one, using so or such.

3. There was much to do. Nobody ever got bored. There was so much to do that nobody ever got bored.


4. This issue was of importance. We could not afford to ignore it.

This issue was of such importance that we could not afford to ignore it.

5. We sat very near to the front. We could see every action of the performer.

We sat so near to the front that we could see every action of the performer.

1. 那只鸽子被卡在树杈里，不多一会儿就跌落下来。(wedge)

If you wedge sth./sb. in sth. else, you put or squeeze the thing or the person tightly into a narrow space, so that it or he cannot move easily.


Translate the following sentences into English.

The pigeon was wedged in the fork of a branch and it fell after a while.

Practice：他把报纸塞进门下面的缝隙里，好让门保持敞开。

她把自己塞进座位里。


He wedged the newspaper into the crack beneath the door to keep the door open.

She wedged herself into the seat.

2. 你只有伏在地上慢慢爬过一条狭长的地道才能进入山洞。(inch)


If sth. inches towards a direction, it moves slowly and carefully in a particular direction.

You can only enter the cave by inching through a narrow tunnel on your stomach.

Practice：她向前移动，缓缓靠近大门。

我一点一点开车前进。


She moved forward, inching towards the gate.

I inched the car forward.

3. 他尽力向我解释说不是因为我工作不好而解雇我，而是因为公司面临着财政困境。 (take pains to)


If you take pains to do sth., you put a lot of effort into doing it.

He took pains to explain to me that I was not being dismissed because I didn’t do my work well but because the company was confronted by financial troubles.

Practice：为了严守计划不被发现，这对夫妻煞费苦心。

政府努力在那个地区维持和平。


The couple took great pains to keep their plans secret.

The government takes pains to keep peace in that region.

4. 年轻士兵的入伍给军队带来了新的希望并鼓舞了士气。(infuse ... into ...)


If you infuse sth. (e.g. quality) into sth. else, you fill the latter with the former.

The enlistment of young soldiers infused new hope and morale into the army.

The present science education needs an infusion of new ideas and energy.


Practice：他的演说使听众充满了信心和勇气。

目前的科学教育需要注入新的思想和活力。 (infusion)

His speech infused confidence and courage into the listeners.

5. 跟在她身后的人让她心神不安，她不由得加快了脚步。(make sb. uneasy)


If you make sb. uneasy, you make him or her worried or unhappy.

The man following her made her uneasy and she couldn’t help quickening her steps.

Leaving the children with them made her uneasy.


Practice：想起考试越来越近，他就很担心。

把孩子留给他们，她感到很不安心。

It made him uneasy to think about the oncoming exam.


Dictation

Cloze


Dictation You will hear a passage read three times. At

the first reading, you should listen carefully for its general idea. At the second reading, you are required to write down the exact words you have just heard (with proper punctuation). At the third reading, you should check what you have written down.

Body language is the unspoken communication / that goes on in every face-to-face encounter with another human being. / It tells you their true feelings towards you / and how well your words are being received. / Between 60 — 80% of our message / is communicated through our body language, / only 7 — 10% is attributable to the actual words of a conversation. Your ability to read and understand another person’s body language / can mean the difference / between making a great impression/ or a very bad one! / It could help you in a job interview, / at a meeting, / or for a special date!


Dictation


Every one of us / has experienced the feeling of an instant like / or dislike of someone / but without necessarily knowing why. / We just weren’t happy, / there was something about them. / We often refer to this as a hunch or gut feelings, / two descriptions directly relating to our own body’s physiological reaction.

Cloze Human beings are able to communicate (1) a variety of ways besides the use of words. This type of communication is referred to (2) non-verbal communication. Perhaps the most prevalent form of non-verbal communication is body language. Among humans, body language accounts (3) a large part of meaningful communication. The way we sit, stand, gesture, or orient ourselves in a group often helps others make accurate (4) about our thoughts, feelings and intentions.

in____

as____

for___


judgments____________

Mannerisms such as a clenched jaw, narrowed eyes, or slumped posture can be interpreted (5) conveying anger, distrust, or disinterest. On the other hand, steady eye contact, a tilted (6) , and a reassuring smile can demonstrate interest and empathy. As we develop a greater sensitivity (7) body language and its implications, we can be more in tune (8) the thoughts and feelings of others. We can also become more certain that the messages we are communicating are the ones we intended to convey.


as___

to___

with_____

head______

Human beings are able to communicate (1) a variety of ways besides the use of words. This type of communication is referred to (2) non-verbal communication. Perhaps the most prevalent form of non-verbal communication is body language. Among humans, body language accounts (3) a large part of meaningful communication. The way we sit, stand, gesture, or orient ourselves in a group often helps others make accurate (4) about our thoughts, feelings and intentions.

in____

as____

for___


A preposition is missing before “ways”, with which “in” habitually collocates.



in____

as____

for___



A preposition is needed here, while “refer to ... as” is a fixed collocation.


in____

as____

for___



Inferred from the context, the sentence means “body language makes up a large part of meaningful communication”, and “account for”, which means “to be a particular amount or part of sth.” fits in the text.


in____

as____

for___



It can be inferred from the context that people’s body language reveals their thoughts, hence helping others make “judgments” about the feelings and intentions.


as___

to___

with_____

head______


After the verb “interpret”, “as” habitually follows, as in the phrase “interpret ... as …”.


as___

to___

with_____

head______


As can be drawn from the previous text, body language refers to “the way we sit, stand, gesture, or orient ourselves”. The missing word here should be a noun denoting a body part like “eye”, which can be tilted, and “head” comes out as a naturally tilted one.


as___

to___

with_____

head______


Again, this blank tests on the usage of prepositions. “To” usually follows “sensitivity” as in “be sensitive to sth.”.


as___

to___

with_____

head______


A preposition is missing between “in tune” and “the thoughts and feelings”, and “in tune with” means “in agreement with”, which expresses the meaning.


Giving a talk

Having a discussion

public space, expansionist, breathe down my neck, spread, tread, stake a claim, elbow room, trespass, aggressive, stick to, leave room, good manners, mutual respect

Giving a talk

Topic A: My Experience in the Railway Station

Topic B: Respecting Personal Space in the Public Space — My Opinion on Privacy


crowds, long queues, swarm, packed, anxious, push, bump into, fidgety, tread, wedge, annoy, jump the queue, cry hugger-mugger, mess, shove, glare

Words and phrases for reference:

Words and phrases for reference:

The concept of personal space varies with the culture, either nationally or locally, and the population (dense versus sparse), opinions about intimacy, customs, etc., can all exert an impact on people’s behavior concerning personal space. Social factors, such as the interpersonal relationship, gender, age, etc., can also affect personal space.

Viewpoints for reference:

Having a discussionTopic A: A Comparison between Chinese and Americans in terms of Personal SpaceTopic B: A Comparison of Personal Space in Different Parts of ChinaTopic C: What Influences Personal Space?



Practice: Write a three-paragraph essay on what you see on a busy street in the morning rush hour. Describe the situation and people’s behavior (e.g. cars, pedestrians, etc.) in the first paragraph, and present your analysis on the causes of the situation in the second paragraph and your opinion about the right behavior in the last paragraph.


Suggestion: You may organize the essay into three paragraphs. The first paragraph is largely descriptive, and a delicate employment of verbs is recommended to add vividness to the description of actions. The second paragraph is a further analysis based on the previous part. The last paragraph is where you present your opinion about what is proper behavior.

Text II Memorable quotes

Lead-in questions

Text

Questions for discussion

Lead-in questions

1) What are some of the ways in which space and distance are used to communicate?2) Could you find any gender differences in the use of space?


SPACE AND DISTANCE Larry A. Samovar et al.

1 The flow and shift of distance between us and the people with whom we interact are as much a part of communication experiences as the words we exchange. Notice how we might allow one person to stand very close to us and keep another at a distance. We use space and distance to convey messages. The study of this message system, called proximics, is concerned with such things as our personal space, seating and furniture arrangement. All three have an influence on intercultural communication.


Personal Space2 Our personal space, that piece of the universe we occupy and call our own, is contained within an invisible boundary surrounding our body. As the owners of this area, we usually decide who may enter and who may not. When our space is invaded, we react in a variety of ways. We back up and retreat, stand our ground as our hands become moist from nervousness, or sometimes even react violently. Our response is manifestation not only of our personality, but also our cultural background. For example, cultures that stress individualism (England, the United States, Germany, Australia) generally demand more space than do collective cultures and “tend to take an active, aggressive stance when their space is violated.” This perception and use of space is quite different


from the one found in the Mexican and Arab cultures. As Condon tells us, in Mexico the “physical distance between people when engaged in conversation is closer than what is usual north of the border.” And for the Middle Easterners, Ruch writes, “Typical Arab conversations are at close range. Closeness cannot be avoided.”3 As is the case with most of our behavior, our use of space is directly linked to the value system of our culture. In some Asian cultures, for example, students do not sit close to their teachers or stand near their bosses; the extended distance demonstrates deference and esteem. Extra interpersonal distance is also part of the cultural experience of the people of Scotland and Sweden, for whom it reflects privacy. And in Germany, Hall and Hall tell us, private space is sacred.



Seating4 Culture influences the manner and meaning in seating arrangements. Notice, for example, that Americans, when in groups, tend to talk with those opposite them rather than those seated or standing beside them. This pattern also influences how they select leaders when in groups: in most instances, the person sitting at the head of the table is chosen. In America, leaders usually are accustomed to being somewhat removed physically from the rest of the group and consequently choose chairs at the ends of the table. In China, seating arrangements take on different meanings. The Chinese often experience alienation and uneasiness when they face someone directly or sit on opposite sides of a desk or table from someone. It makes them feel as if they are on


trial. In China, meetings often take place with people sitting on couches. In Korea, seating arrangements reflect status and role distinctions. In a car, office, or home, the seat at the right is considered the one of honor.5 For the Japanese, seating arrangements at any formal or semiformal function are also based on hierarchy. The most important person sits at one end of the rectangular table, with those nearest in rank at the right and left of this senior position. The lowest in class is nearest to the door and at the opposite end of the table from the person with the most authority.


Furniture Arrangement6 Furniture arrangement within the home communicates something about the culture. For example, people from France, Italy, and Mexico who visit the United States are often surprised to see that the furniture in the living room is pointed toward a television set. For them, conversation is important, and facing chairs towards a television screen stifles conversation. In their countries, furniture is positioned to encourage interaction.


7 Even the arrangement of offices gives us a clue to the character of a people. According to Hall and Hall, “French space is a reflection of French culture and French institutions. Everything is centralized, and spatially the entire country is laid out around centers.” In Germany, where privacy is stressed, office furniture is spread throughout the office. In Japan, where group participation is encouraged, many desks are arranged hierarchically in the center of a large, common room absent of walls or partitions. The supervisors and managers are positioned nearest the windows. This organization encourages the exchange of information, facilitates multitask accomplishments, and promotes the Confucian concept of learning through silent observation.


8 Co-cultures also have their own use of space. Prostitutes, for example, are very possessive of their territory. When they mentally mark an area as their own, even though it may be a public street, they behave as if it were their private property and keep other prostitutes away. In prisons, where space is limited, controlled, and at a premium, space and territory are crucial forms of communication. New inmates quickly learn the culture of prison by learning about the use of space. They soon know when to enter another cell, that space reduction is a form of punishment, and that lines form for nearly all activities. Women normally allow both men and other women to stand closer to them than do men. Summarizing other gender differences in the use of space, Leathers has concluded:


9 Men use space as a means of asserting their dominance over women, as in the following: (a) they claim more personal space than women; (b) they more actively defend violations of their territories — which are usually much larger than the territories of women; (c) under conditions of high density, they become more aggressive in their attempts to regain a desired measure of privacy; and (d) men more frequently walk in front of their female partner than vice versa.


About the text ― This text is taken from Communication between Cultures (Third Edition) written by Larry A. Samovar, Richard E. Porter and Lisa A. Stefani and published by Wadsworth in 1998.


About the author ― Larry A. Samovar is a teacher of San Diego State University.

proximics (Paragraph 1) ― the study of space and distance between people


stand one’s ground (Paragraph 2) ― stick to one’s position or opinion



collective cultures (Paragraph 2) ― cultures that emphasize collectivism

Condon (Paragraph 2) ― Condon, and also Ruch, Hall and Hall, and Leathers, appearing in later paragraphs, are names of authors listed in the bibliography of the book from which the text is excerpted. Presumably these people have also made contributions to the area of intercultural communication. Most probably one of the Halls in “Hall and Hall” refers to the famous 20th-century American anthropologist Edward T. Hall, whose book The Hidden Dimension (1966) is a study of “social and personal space and man’s perception of it.”



function (Paragraph 5) ― party; reception


arranged hierarchically (Paragraph 7) ― arranged according to one’s rank or importance


co-cultures (Paragraph 8) ― In cell biology, co-culture means the growth of distinct cell types in a combined culture. Here it refers to the cultures that have derived from the combination of different cultures.


at a premium (Paragraph 8) ― very difficult to get because it is so little in amount


Culture influences the manner and meaning in seating arrangements. (Paragraph 4) — Culture influences the way seats are arranged and the meaning such arrangements convey.


The Chinese often experience alienation and uneasiness … (Paragraph 4) — The Chinese often feel isolated and anxious …


Prostitutes, for example, are very possessive of their territory. (Paragraph 8) — Prostitutes, for example, have a strong sense of possession about their own particular territory, i.e. they do not want other prostitutes to trespass on their area of “business.”


1. Do you keep the same distance from other people,

when interacting with them?

No. The distance we keep from other people depends on our interpersonal relationship. We tend to keep longer distances from strangers and shorter from close friends and family members. (In answering this question, you can be more specific through exemplification.)


2. Where do you usually sit in a meeting room if you can

make your choice? Try to explain why you have such a

preference.Tell your classmates whether you prefer to sit in the front, in the middle, or at the back of the meeting room. There can be different reasons for different people to make the same choice. For example, if you prefer to sit in the front, you might want to hear the speakers more clearly, or to catch the attention of the chairman or the speakers. But of course there are other reasons, non-physical ones, that determine your choice.


3. Suppose a friend comes to see you when you are

watching an interesting TV play in your sitting room.

Will you turn off the TV before you start your conversation?In most cases we will turn off the TV before the

conversation starts. Any delay will mean that the visitor comes at a wrong time and therefore he or she is not welcome, at least at this moment.


1. Let there be space in your togetherness. — Kahlil

Gibran

2. Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage’s whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of his tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from man.

— Ayn Rand


Questions for discussion1) Some people say “Distance breeds beauty”. How do you understand this in terms of “personal space”? 2) Do you agree that the enhancement of people’s sense of privacy is a representation of the progress of civilization? Explain and give examples.

what is “personal space”; “personal space” exists in all cultures and in all relationships; inappropriate violation of “personal space” evokes offence; “Let there be space in your togetherness.”

a comparison of the barbaric tribal life and the modern civilized life


1) For example:

Guidance:

2) Suggestion:


Kahlil Gibran (1883 — 1931) was a Lebanese-American philosophical essayist, novelist, mystical poet, and artist. In the 1960s, Gibran’s works influenced especially American popular culture. His most famous book is The Prophet (1923).


Ayn Rand (1905 — 1982) was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She was known for her two best-selling novels and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism.

space invaders unit 2 space invaders unit2 watch the video and answer the following questions. 1.how...

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