跨文化交际英语思考题目(12)

compared with other people. He had trouble finding a job. He felt that he did not have an important role or position in the city and missed happy in the US. He began to feel very depressed and homesick.

With the help of a counselor in his English program, he understood that his feelings were normal and that they were only a stage in his adjustment to the new culture. He learned that many other Vietnamese felt the same way he did. Some, in fact, were more disoriented than he was and were afraid to go out into the city.

Eventually, Loc began to feel better about his life in the US. He developed a position in the Vietnamese American community and adjusted to his new role in the new country but will always miss Vietnam.

C. Read the following and answer the questions below it.

An American university student Tom is active in a foreign student club at his university and has several good friends from different countries. One of them tells Tom his parents and sister will be visiting, and he asks Tom if he would like to meet them.

Tom invites all of them to visit his home one afternoon. They arrive and present him with a nicely wrapped gift. Tom tells them they shouldn‘t have brought anything, but thanks them and proceeds to open the gift, which turns out to be a very pretty vase from their country. He thanks them again. He senses some awkwardness and realizes that he has not offered them anything to drink. ―Would you like coffer or tea or a soft drink?‖ he asks. They all refuse. Things seem more awkward now. But he talks a little of their country, about studies at the university, about the cost of living, and eventually the father whispers something to his son. ―I think we must be leaving to return to the hotel,‖ he says. Everybody stands up, shake hands, and they start to leave. ―Please come and visit again,‖ Tom says as he stands and watches the family walk to the door, open it, and disappear down the hall.

Two days later, in a very indirect way, Tom learns from another friend that the visitors thought he was a rude host.

Questions

1. How can you explain the fact that Tom is misunderstood when he actually wants to be kind and friendly to the visitors?

2. Why was Tom considered a rude host by his visitors? Try to figure out at least three things among the following Tom did that were regarded to be impolite.

A. Tom invites them to visit his home but does not invite them for dinner with him. B. Tom opens the gift as soon as he is presented with it. C. Tom thanks them only twice for the gift.

D. Tom thanks them not make a second offer of drinks when they refuse the first. E. Tom talks about the cost of living in the U.S.A.

F. Tom does not ask them to stay longer when they refuse the first. G. Tom does not go out to see them off.

H. Tom does not promise to return them a visit later.

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Ⅱ. First identify the ethnocentric attitudes (the attitude that one race, nationality, religion or culture is superior ) in the sentences, and then change some of the statements so that they are no longer ethnocentric

1. Mentonia (a fictitious country) has produced the finest works of art in the world. 2. Mentonia is a superior country because it has produced the greatest technology in

the world.

3. Non-Mentonians do everything the wrong way round. 4. The Mentonian language is the best language for poetry.

5. The Mentonian people have been very generous in teaching people in other

countries how to do things the right way.

6. If everyone did things the Mentonian way, the world would be a better place.

7. Example: Mentonia has produced the world‘s greatest literature. –Mentonia has

many writers who have produced well-known works of literature.

Ⅲ. Read the following statements. Indicate whether you agree or disagree with them. Then reword each of them in such a way that everyone in the group agrees with it. 1. Foreigners who go to live in a new country should give up their foreign habits

and adapt to the new country as soon as possible.

2. Many of the world‘s populations do not take enough initiatives to develop, so

they stay underdeveloped.

3. English should be accepted as the universal language of the world.

4. Some of the world‘s populations have not yet reached the higher stages of

civilization.

5. Minority members of any population should conform to the customs and values

of the majority.

三、思考题

Ⅰ. Imagine that the situations below take place in an English-speaking country. …… 此处隐藏：2435字，全部文档内容请下载后查看。喜欢就下载吧 ……