Thomson Heinle Publishing Taboos And Issues - Past 3

- Nationalstereotypes "Heavenis where the police are British,the cooks are French,the mechanics are German,the lovers are ltalianand it's all organisedby the Swiss Hell is where the police are German, the cooks are English, the mechanics are French,the lovers are Swiss, and it's all organisedby the ltalians." Discussion Discuss in pairs or small groups: 1.Did you find the joke above amusing?If you did, is it becauseof what you know about these nationalitiespersonally,or what you know of their reputations? Would you like to charnge the joke in someway? Can you improve it by changingsomc of rhe nationalitiesor some of the jobs? Do you hirvetourists from other countrieswhere you live?\7hich nationalities?What are they like? Reading Readthis articleand underlineanythingthat surprisesyou or that you think is not fair BRAZILIANS VOTED BEST TOURISTS,GERMANSWORST In a recent survey conductedby the American Board of Tourism, professionals in various areas of the tourism industry have rated Brazilians as the world's best tourists The survey gave points for things like 'politeness,''willingness to understandand speak English' and'cultural sensitivity.'Peopleworking in jobs ranging from taxi-drivers to hotel receptionists and airline flight attendants almost unanimously rated the Braziliansas being 'friendly'and 'polite.' The opposite seemed true of the Germans "The Germans just don't seem to get it," said one The best tippers are the Japanese,according to the survey A travel agent representativeexplains: "The Japaneseare afraid of 'losing face' They'll what they think is expectedof them in the country they're visiting, so they're usually extremely polite They rate very high in the cultural sensitivity category." The French scoredextremely low in the 'willingness to understand and speak English' category "It's amazing They can be so rude and snobby," said a manager of a hotel chain, based in New Orleans "They're rude and impatient yet they expect service ticket agent at Chicago O'Hare International "You Airyort try to explain things to them and they answer you back in French Not only that, they smoke too much - even where it's not allowed - with a smile They travel outside Germany yet want to have things just like at home Plus, they never and they're generally messy, leaving cigarettes and other rubbish on the floor It's unbelievable." A tip." summary of the Board's survey is given below: Friendliestnationalities: l Brazilians Japanese Koreans Canadians Portuguese Most polite: Willingnessto understand and speakEnglish: Most culturallysensitive: Japanese Brazllians British Spanish Swiss Hungarians Egyptians Koreans Poles Koreans l Brazilians Dutch l Brazilians Japanese Romanians Discusswith your partnerwhat you underlinedin the text 22 Nationalstereotypes Taboosand /ssues True or false? Read the text again and mark the statements below true (T) or false (F): l Peopleall over the world think Braziliansare the besttourists The Jirpaneseare often afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing when travelling The Frenchilre generallynot very happy to speakEnglish The Gcrmans wanr to get a real feel for the local lifestylewhen they travel -5.Thc Germans are happy to show their appreciationfor good service The French don't seemto be very tidy when they travel lf your nationalityis not mentionedin the four categoriesin the survey,do you think it should be? Language Discussion The article describesthe Braziliansas 'polite'and the Germans as 'rude.' Below are some more words from the article and some other ones to describe character Match the words on the left with their oppositeson the right: Work in pairs or small groups Which nationalities you think are being describedbelow? They're always in big groups They talk too loud L politc e.quiet The men xre womanisers friendly b mean They're good dancers loud c rude They smoke too much generous d unfriendly They're all fat open-minded e messy They think they're the best ticly f intolerant They're violent peoplc,I think Do the same with these: honest g impatient gentle h warm patient i boring 10 fun j dishonest 1l e x c i t a b l e k aggressive 12 distant l calm How you think people from other countries see people from your country? Would they use any of the adjectives above? Taboosand /ssues They're so mean They cor.rntevery penny 10 They talk with their hands I l T h e y ' r eb a d d r i v e r s 12 They're all rich 13 They always want things done their way 14 The women are beautiful 15 They're all blonde-hairedand blue-eyed Do you think your discussionwould have offended people from any of the countries you have been talking about? Do you mind if your country is talked about in the same way? Nationalstereotypes 22 Cheatingon your partner Discussion Work in pairs or small groups Which of the following you considerto be cheating? Your partner flirting with another person Your partner having fantasiesabout a friend of yours Your partner having fantasiesabout a celebrity Your partner kissing another person after a few drinks at a party -5.Your partner going to bed with another person after a fcw drinks at a party Your partner frequentlyhaving coffeewith another personand sharingintimate thoughtsand dreamswith this person What you think of internet chatrooms? Are they just fantasy or are they part reality? Reading Readthe articleand answer this question: tMould you stdy with your husband/wife/partner if this happened to you? CYBER-CHEATS BEWARE Soon after getting the computer, Jennifer'shusband, " l w a s d e v a s t a t e d ,s" h e a d m i t s " l n e v e r i m a g i n e dm y Simon, (not their real names) started using the h u s b a n dw o u l d e v e r c h e a t o n m e " i n t e r n e tn i g h t l y A t f i r s t ,s h e d i d n ' t w o r r y B u t s o o n h e B u t i s ' c y b e r - c h e a t i n gs' t i l l c h e a t i n g ? was spending more and more time in the home o f f i c e ,s i t t i n ga t h i s c o m p u t e r l o n g i n t o t h e n i g h t H e "Yes, definitely," says one marriage guidance c o u n s e l l o r " F r o m a p s y c h o l o g i c a lp o i n t o f v i e w , i t stopped coming to bed with her and sometimes d o e s n ' t m a t t e r i f i t w a s r e a l o r i m a g i n e d- i n b o t h would even sleep on the office sofa.A few times sne casesthe marriage has been damaged in the same e v e n c a u g h th i m s n e a k i n gs i l e n t l yo u t o f t h e i r b e d i n way." the middle of the night to go to the office computer N o t a l l p r o f e s s i o n a lisn t h e f i e l d o f f a m i l y p s y c h o l o g y a g r e e " l t ' s r i d i c u l o u s a n d d a n g e r o u st o t r y a n d A t f i r s t s h e t h o u g h t h e w a s s i m p l y a d d i c t e dt o t h e internet or even browsing through on-line p o r n o g r a p h yB u t w h e n S i m o n s t a r t e dt u r n i n g d o w n s e x ,J e n n i f e rg o t s u s p i c i o u s "He'd never not wanted to have sex before," says "Thatwas new a t h i n g A n d I d i d n ' t t h i n k i t Jennifer w a s b e c a u s eh e w a s u p a l l n i g h t v i s i t i n gn e w s s i t e s I k n e w s o m e t h i n gw a s w r o n g " 23 monitor the thoughts and fantasiesof your partner," warns one psychologist."We are bombarded with images of attractivepeople by the media on a daily b a s i s l t ' s i m o o s s i b l en o t t o f a n t a s i s eT h e i n t e r n e ti s a place for people to carry out those fantasiesin a safe and unharmful way lf, as a result, there is a c r i s i si n t h e m a r r i a g ef o l l o w i n g a n e p i s o d eo f i n t e r n e t i n f i d e l i t y t, h e n i t i s o n l y a s y m p t o mo f s o m e t h i n gt h a t With suspicionson full alert she started going w a s a l r e a d y w r o n g i n t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p ,a n d n o t through Simon's drawers and trouser pockets She necessarilya direct result of the cyber affair." found nothing Then she went to the computer, looked through his files and found the answer: This is, of course, of no comfort to Jennifer,who is f i l i n g f o r d i v o r c e " l a c t u a l l ys a w t h e i n t i m a t et h i n g s S i m o n w a s h a v i n g a n e - m a i l a f f a i rw i t h a w o m a n i n he wrote to her He really hurt me and I know that I another part of the country w i l l n e v e rb e a b l e t o t r u s th i m a s a i n " Cheatingon your parTner Taboosand /ssues True or false? Read the text again and mark the following statementstrue (T) or false (F): l.Jennifer got suspiciousbecauseSimon startedcoming home late Jenr-rifer discoveredSimon's internet affair by accident Psychologistsagreethat an internet affair is damaging to any relationship Jenniferand Simon are divorcing 5.Jenniferknows what Simon and his lover'said'to eachother Did Simon cheat on Jennifer?Discussthis question in small groups Then take a class vote Language ln English we often use expressions to describe serious or taboo matters in an indirect way These expressionsare called 'euphemisms.'lnthe text below,underlinethe five euphemismsthat really mean to have sex with someone "l've always been more or lessfaithful to my girlfriend OK, OK, once I had a one-night stand with a girl at the office But we were both drunk I'm not the kind of guy to sleeparound I mean, kissinganotherpersonis one thing, but actually going to bed with them is another story I don't know how I could look myself in the mirror knowing I had been intimate with another woman The same goes for my girlfriend If I knew she had been with another man, I couldn't let the relationship go on A very important trust would have been broken." you lf are a man, you have a similar view to the man above? you lf are a woman, would you be happy to have this man as your partner or not? Give your reasons Discussion You and your partner,Chris, live together.One night you come home and find the following accidentally left on the computer: I really love chattingwith you Me too When are you going to send me your picture? I'll have to scanone I'm not very photogenic It doesn't matter I like you for you You make me feel special Yeah,you make me feel special,too I had a dream about you last night You did? What about? Hmmm I think I'd better not say What would you next? a sit down at the computer and seeif there are more e-mails like this? b confront your partner straightaway? 'the silent treatment' until they ask what is wrong? c give them d pack your bagsand leave? e have a good laugh about it and tell your partner to grow up? Or would you somethingelse? Does this e-mail interactiontell you anything about the state of your relationshipwith Chris? What about the state of this internet relationship? (How serious is it? How long has it probably been going on?) Taboosand /ssues Cheatingon your paftner 23 Are you happywith your body? Discussion You bump into a woman friend in town You knew she was thinking of having breast implants and you can see that she has obviously had the operation.What you say to her? rl Nothing It's too embarrassing b "\7ow Those look great! How much did they cost?" c "Wow I'n"rsurprisedyou can stand up straight!" d Somethingelse ls plastic surgery popular in your country? ls it expensive? Do you think peoplewho have plasticsurgery are too concernedabout their looks? Reading Readthrough the articleand answerthis question: Is there tt similar trend in your country? YOUNGER PLASTIC SURGERY PATIENTS Surgeonsat clinics specialisingin plasticsurgery are reporting increasingly younger patients, according to a report releasedrecently by the National Association of Plastic Surgery in the United States "They want to look like the people they see in films or the models they see in magazines.It's becoming an obsession,"said one doctor in a beautyclinic in California."Last week we had a woman in here who, at 30, said she was looking too old and wanted a facelift I told her to come back and seeme in 15 years." The averageage for patientsundergoingplastic surgeryover the last year was 32, down from 34 just the year before.In Englandrecently,a 15year-oldgirl was in the news for announcingthat her parents were going to pay for breast enlargementsas her 16th birthday present Her mother said, "If it makes her happy and gives her more chance of successin life, then what is the problem?" Though women still dominate the plastic surgery scene, men are growing increasingly concerned with their physical appearanceand are doing something about it According to the report,men now make 39Vaof all surgeriesperformed - that's an increaseof nearly 20Vofrom last year One man, who wished to remain anonymous, said he got his liposuction - removal of excess fat - after pressurefrom his wife "She's a very athleticwoman and, well,I enjoy a good steak." Liposuction tops the list of plastic surgery performed on men, followed by hair implants and breastreduction.For women the top order is still breastenlargement,followed by liposuction and facelifts Readthrough the articleagain and answer these questions: l Why Why Why Whv arc younger peopleturning to plasticsurgery? did the cloctorrefuseplasticsurgeryto one patienr? is plasticsurgerynow more popular with men? c-lidthc man have liposuction? Discussion Do you think the number of men who want plastic surgery will eventuallyequal, or even surpass, the number of women? Read again what the mother of the 1S-year-old girl said Do you agreewith her? 24 Are you happy with your body? Taboosand /ssues Language Match these types of plastic surgery solutions to the problems below: rhinoplasty (nosejob) breast enlargement bair impldnt uaricoseuein remctudl "This thing on my faceis an atrocity.I'm surprisedbirds don't sit on it or that lightning doesn'tstrike it in thunderstorms." "1 hirtethem I can't wear shortsor a bikini becausethey stick olrt, especiallyon the back of my tl-righs They're the ugliestthings I've ever seenand they'regettingworse everyyear bccauscI havc bad circulation." "l startedrecedingreally badly at the age of 23 My wife saysshe doesn'tmind, but I hate it I meirn,I'm not completelybald or anything, but I constantlywear hats and baseballcaps beciruscI'm so self-conscious about it I could ncvcr wcar a wlg facelift tummy tuck The boys at school "l hate being flat-chested 'ironing-board' Imagine! usedto call me I think I have a pretty face but I don't feel confident about myself from the chin down I would like to feel good about wearing a tight sweateror a low-cut dress." "l usedto have such a youthful, vibrantlooking face.Now my skin just sags.I think I look twice my age." "No matter what I do, my belly sticksout I think it has somethingto with my posturc If I could just get a flat stomach,I wouldn't feel so bad about looking at myselfsidewaysin the mirror." Which of the above treatments are most popular in your country? Are there any other ones that were not mentioned? lf you had the problems above and plenty of money, would you have the surgery? Tell your partner what you would for each problem Discussion ln a survey of 37,500girls aged 12 to 15, more than half listed appearanceas their biggestworry What you think is the reason for this? ls it a worrying statistic? Are you happy with your size and weight? ls there a part of your body that you would like to change (i.e.make smaller,make bigger)? Here is an alternativepoint of view from a culture where people take a different view of size: " l m u s t e a t s o l ' l l b e f a t a n d p e o p l ew o n ' t l a u g t m y f i g u r e , "e x p l a i n so n e o f t h e " N o b o d y w i l l m a r r ym e i f w o m e n i n a f a t t e n i n gr o o m i n C a l a b a rS , o u t h e r nN i g e r i a I don't get fatter."Women come from all over Nigeriato put on extra poundsat these "They will fatteningrooms "We can make any woman obese," boaststhe owner g e t a h u s b a n da f t e rt h e i r s t a yh e r e ,n o p r o b l e m "T h e w o m e n e a t a l l d a y a n d a v o i d m o v i n gs o t h e y d o n ' t b u r n o f f a n y c a l o r i e s " l t ' s a b i t t i r i n g e a t i n ga l l t h e t i m e , b u t I k n o w w h e n l c o m e o u t l w i l l b e a t t r a c t i v eh, e a l t h va n d b e a u t i f u l , "s a i dt h e w o m a n we spoketo you Do think it will be fashionableto be fat one day? Taboosand /ssues Are you happy with your body? lmmigrationand racism Discussion Discussthese questionsin small groups: What different ethnic groups are there in your town / regloni \Whereh:rvethey come from and why? Does your country offer help to refugees? If so, are you happy that your taxes help to support them? Reading Read the article and decide if these sentences are true (T) or false (F): The villagersdon't mind that the refugeesare living nearby t-ittle Hurling was the only placethe refugeescould go ASYLUM SEEKERS provided accommodationfor seekers.They are afraid that There was trouble yesterday them But Little Hurling is if they returnhome,they will in the village of Little not the placethey shouldbe be killed or persecuted.After H u r l i n g i n K e n t a s It would be betterif they were the terrible time they have had in their own country,they Kosovar refugeesarrived to in a largetown or city." stay in the Hurling Business Amanda Parker-White, 52, needsomepeaceand quietto the village help them recover." Centre just outside the leader of "Thereis no "Unfortunately, village Local people,upset committee,said: there was no that no one had spoken to entertainment here, no them before sending the cinema,no library, and only refugeesthere, held a protest one small village shop The point is: what are these meetingin the villagehall "We are a tolerant group of peoplegoing to do?" peoplein Little Hurling," said Basil Lloga, a spokesmanfor Major Ronald Smythe, who the refugees,said:"I am sure has lived in the village for 25 the villagers are not "We years are happy that the discriminatingagainst these government has offered people Most of them have time to talk to the villagers", said Kim Thompson of the government'sRefugeeAction Group "We only found out the refugeeswere arriving this morning and there was nowhereelse for them to go We very much hope the villagerswill welcome them and accept them into the assistance to thesepeopleand come hereas genuineasylum community." Readthe articleagain and answerthese questions: 1.Vhy the villagersthink Little Hurling is nor a good place for refugees? Why might it be a good place for refugees,according to Basil Lloga? Why did nobody talk to the villagersfirst? Discussion Do you think the villagersare being honest about their reasonsfor wanting the refugeeselsewhere? If not, what you think the real reasonsare? How you think the villagersin a small village in your country would react i{ 150 refugeeswere sentto live nearby? How would you personallyreact? lmmigration and racism Taboosand /ssues Ir F Language1 Language2 lFf.f Match the words on the left with the words on the right: fH a migrants asylr"rm b immigrants border c controls cconotnic d officials illegal e seekers -5 irnmigration Complete this text with expressions from the exerciseabove: Folkrwing the discoveryof fifty (6) in the back of a lorry at Calais thc government has ordered stricter ,vesterday, and has at (7) secr.rrity t o b e w a r n e d ( 8.) "Sfe ilre very willing to help genuine vigilant ,"saida ( ) "but thesepeopleare just ministeq govcrnment Now look at this sentence from the text: The point is: wbat are tbesepeople going to do? Look at these other expressions with point Decide if you would use them to agree (A)' to disagree (D) or to partially agree (P) ltr IF FI 'F H rF hl - FI ts Ll F rl Fr bf F hl + Fl l Y e s ,I s e ey o u r p o i n t 2.I takeyour point but I a g r e eu p t o e p o i n t That's a good point No, you're missingthe point That's not the point 7.I can't seeyour point at all T h a r ' se x a c t l yt h e p o i n t .\we ( ) cannot allolv just anyone into the country'" F rf +r Fl - Ll Discussion Work in pairs To what extent you agree or disagree with the points of view below? The expressions in Language2 may be helPful H E F -t lF FI I dctn't see tt,hy my taxes should supl)ort people irctttrotber countries I'll nerer gct anl,thing from t h e i r c o u n t r y ,u i l l I ? 'We shctuld be proud that sct many lteople would like to liue in our country I don't mind the refugees Tbey really need helP, but I don't seewby we sh