大学英语A（Ⅳ）

柳睿

目录

  • 1 Chapter 1 Culture
    • 1.1 Course Lead-in
    • 1.2 Chapter Lead-in
    • 1.3 Text A The Nature of Culture
    • 1.4 Text B Definitions of Culture
    • 1.5 Text C Characteristics of Culture
    • 1.6 Text D Cultural Identity
    • 1.7 Text E Cultures Within Culture
    • 1.8 Extended Reading and Translation​
    • 1.9 Summary
  • 2 Chapter 2 Communication & IC
    • 2.1 Chapter Lead-in
    • 2.2 Text D Intercultural Communication
    • 2.3 Texts A&C Communication
    • 2.4 Text B Charateristics of Communication
    • 2.5 Summary
    • 2.6 Extended Reading and Translation​
    • 2.7 Extended Reading on Confucianism
  • 3 Chapter 3 Culture's Influence on Perception
    • 3.1 WORD STUDY CH3
    • 3.2 Chapter Lead-in
    • 3.3 Text A Overview: Human Perception
    • 3.4 Text B Cross-cultural Differences in Sensation and Perception
    • 3.5 Text C Barriers to Accurate Perception in IC
    • 3.6 Summary
    • 3.7 Extended Reading and Translation​
  • 4 Chapter 4 IC Barriers
    • 4.1 Chapter Lead-in
    • 4.2 Text A Emotional Problems as Barriers to IC
    • 4.3 Text B Attitudinal Problems as Barriers to IC
    • 4.4 Text C Translation Problems as Language Barriers
    • 4.5 Summary
    • 4.6 Extended Reading and Translation​
  • 5 Chapter 5 Verbal IC
    • 5.1 Chapter Lead-in
    • 5.2 Text A & Text B Language and Culture
    • 5.3 Text C Verbal Communication Styles
      • 5.3.1 Text C Edward T. Hall's Context—Culture Theory
    • 5.4 Text D Language Diversity
    • 5.5 Summary
    • 5.6 Extended Reading and Translation​
  • 6 Chapter 6 Nonverbal IC
    • 6.1 Chapter Lead-in
    • 6.2 Text A & Text B Significance and Functions of Nonverbal Communication
    • 6.3 Text C Paralanguage and Silence
    • 6.4 Text D Time and Space
    • 6.5 Text E Other Categories of Nonverbal Communication
    • 6.6 Summary
    • 6.7 Extended Reading and Translation
  • 7 Chapter 7 Cultural Patterns
    • 7.1 Chapter Lead-in
    • 7.2 Texts A&B Cultural Patterns
    • 7.3 Text D Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck's Value Orientation
    • 7.4 Text E Hofstede's Dimensions of Cultural Variability
    • 7.5 Summary
    • 7.6 Extended Reading and Translation
  • 8 Chapter 8 Cultural Influences on Context
    • 8.1 Chapter Lead-in
    • 8.2 Text A Communication and Context
    • 8.3 Text B The Business Context
    • 8.4 Summary
    • 8.5 Extended Reading and Translation
  • 9 Chapter 9 Intercultural Adaptation
    • 9.1 Chapter Lead-in
    • 9.2 Text A Acculturation
    • 9.3 Text B Culture Shock
    • 9.4 Text C Intercultural Adaptation
    • 9.5 Summary
  • 10 Chapter 10 IC Competence
    • 10.1 Course Introduction
      • 10.1.1 Western and Eastern Sharp Contrast
      • 10.1.2 Course Assignment
    • 10.2 Chapter 10 IC Competence
Text A & Text B Language and Culture

Texts A&B Significance of VC Vs Language and Culture

Pre-reading Activity

In the Amazon area it never snows; therefore, in the region there is no word for snow in the native vocabulary. It simply does not exist. However, there are more than one hundred Eskimo words for “snow”, and the number of Eskimo words for snow is approximately as large as the number of English sentences that can contain the word “snow”. Form groups of 4 or 5 to

1. Discuss what makes this sharp difference?

2. Can you find out as many examples in English and as many examples in Chinese as you can? 

Get ready to report your findings to the class. 


Funny Fact






Texts A&B Study

Read Text A through Page 134 to Page 135, and Text B through Page 138 to Page 140 to get the key points of the text. Below is the text audio for you to follow. 



After reading the texts, try to find out the answers to the following questions:

1. What is the title of Text A? How do you understand it?

2. Read Text A, and underline the content that you think are important.

3. What is verbal intercultural communication? 

4. How important is language? And what are the functions of language?

5. What is the title of Text B? How do you understand it?

6. Please write down the subtitles of Text B and make clear the structure in the text.

7. Read Text B, and underline the content that you think are important.

8. How do you understand the sentence "The relation between word and its meaning is arbitary."?

9. What is the relation between language and culture? How do you understand their relation?

Now, study the text via watching the following mini-lecture which aims to help you better understand Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis.


After-reading Check:


Now you've finished studying Text A and Text B, have you mastered the key points in the texts? If the answer is YES, then you are ready to study the next text. Congratulations!