Extended Reading and Translation

Culture is a particular way to satisfy human needs. Human beings are basically the same, with similar needs to be met. Abraham Maslow (1908 ~ 1970, American psychologist) has proposed the theory of a five-type hierarchy of human needs. One of the basic axioms of his theory is that once the lower needs are satisfied, higher needs materialize to take their place. Though we have basically the same needs, ours are satisfied in different ways. For example, all people need food. But how to eat food is modified by culture. Some use chopsticks, others knives and forks, still others their fingers or hands. In all human history, there are love stories. But how love is expressed differs from culture to culture. Therefore, culture provides us with a way to satisfy our needs. 

I. Reading Tasks

1. Reading for Chinese culture Read the following passage and the questions after it. Then finish the reading comprehension tasks.

                                   Chinese Tea

1 China is known as the homeland of tea. A legend goes that Shennong was once affected by 72 poisonous weeds within one day. It was tea that served as the antidote to the poison. The latest research proves that China is the earliest tea-producing country in the world. Tea was sometimes used as medicine in China. The development from tea as medicine to tea as a beverage began in the Zhou Dynasty and tea-drinking rose in popularity in the Tang Dynasty. The famed physician and surgeon Hua Tuo of the Eastern Han Dynasty said, "The bitter tea, if taken for a long time, can do benefit to people's mental activity." Lu Yu, the Sage of Tea, wrote the first known monograph on tea in the world, The Classic of Tea, providing a detailed account of tea making, tea brewing, tea drinking as well as other related knowledge of tea. For Lu Yu, tea symbolized harmony and the mysterious unity of the universe.

2 Today, tea has become so popular in China that even a simple meal can be finished with a cup of tea. As a Chinese saying goes, "Firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea are the seven necessities to begin a day." However, people in different regions may prefer different types of tea. Chinese tea mainly falls into six categories in terms of their processing procedures.

Green tea

3 As one of the earliest teas, green tea is characterized by unfermented tea leaves. It is known for its rich aroma, good taste and elegant shape, and gives a long-lasting sense of strength. The traditional green tea is very popular both at home and abroad. The famous green tea varieties include Xihu Longjing, Dongting Biluochun, Huangshan Maofeng, and Lu'an Guapian, etc.

Oolong tea

4 Oolong tea, literally black dragon tea, is a traditional Chinese tea somewhere between green tea and black tea in oxidation. Oolong tea has a taste more akin to green tea than to black tea. It lacks the rosy, sweet aroma of black tea but it likewise does not have the stridently grassy vegetal notes that typify green tea. Oolong tea is thought to aid in fat decomposition and help lose weight and keep fit. It is commonly brewed to be strong, leaving a sweet aftertaste. Oolong tea is usually preferred by people from Fujian Province and those from the Chaoshan area of Guangdong province. Dahongpao, Tieguanyin and Dongding Oolong tea are some exemplary kinds of oolong tea.  

White tea

5 White tea is characterized by leaves that are processed with minimal oxidation. As slightly fermented tea, white tea features a delicate fresh fragrance and presents a pale yellow colour when brewed. White tea is made with the youngest and most tender hand-picked leaf tips and buds. As one of the rarest and most spectacular teas, white tea is a local specialty from Fujian Province. With a history of over 200 years, white tea had its place of origin in the city of Fuding, where a large-leaf variety of tea trees called Fuding Dabai (福鼎大白) is grown. The most popular white tea varieties include Baihao Yinzhen (白毫银针) and Baimudan.

Black tea

6 Black tea is a type of tea that is more oxidized than green tea, oolongtea and white tea. It is generally stronger in flavour and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized types of tea. In Chinese, black tea is known as crimson tea (hongcha), an accurate description of the colour of the liquid. The term "black tea" indicates the colour of the oxidized leaves. In China, black tea is typically drunk without milk or sugar. Popular brands of Chinese black tea include Qimen and Dianhong black tea.

Yellow tea

7 Yellow tea usually implies a special tea processed similarly to green tea, but with a slower drying phase. The tea generally has a very yellow-green appearance and a smell different from both white tea and green tea. Yellow tea buds are tender, and offer an intriguing flavour. Precious varieties of yellow tea include Junshan Yinzhen from Hunan Province and Mengding Yellow Buds from Sichuan Province.

Dark tea

8 As a post-fermented tea produced only in China, dark tea was first produced in Sichuan Province over 400 years ago. For the convenience of transportation, the tea was steamed and pressed into bricks. The tea was then allowed to slowly oxidize and undergo a period of "aging" in the open air, turning previously astringent tea into product that has a unique flavour among all types of tea. Important varieties of dark tea include Anhua dark tea, Liupu dark tea, and Pu'er tea.

9 Chinese people not only drink tea as a beverage to quench thirst, but also appreciate its colour and fragrance, the water quality and even the tea set. When drinking, they also pay attention to the environment, atmosphere, music, infusing techniques and interpersonal relationships. Philosophy, ethics and morality are integrated into tea drinking activities. When drinking tea, people cultivate their morality and mind and savour life, thereby attaining joy of the spirit.

2. Read the following passage carefully and discuss the questions.

提示：打开PDF完成阅读任务，记下所需要填入的五个单词后，再打开下面的测验任务完成题目填空作答。

II. Translation Task

Read the following carefully and translate it into Chinese.

Recognize the Elements to Which You Attribute Meaning     

The perception process involves attributing meaning to what we perceive. We do this so automatically that we often fail to realize that we have attributed meaning to something. Therefore, we also fail to recognize the effect it might have on what we do and say. Try to become aware of the stimuli to which you attribute meaning. Take an inventory of your own perceptual tendencies. When you become more aware of what you attend to and when you are attributing meaning, you can then decide whether you are giving proper weight to the elements you perceive.

Check Your Perceptions

You can check out the accuracy of your perceptions and attributions indirectly and directly. Indirect perception checking involves seeking additional information through passive perception to either confirm or refute your interpretations. Direct perception checking involves asking straight out whether your interpretations of a perception are correct. This is often not easy to do for several reasons: we don't like to admit uncertainty or suspicions to others; we might not trust that they will respond honestly; if our interpretations are wrong, we might suffer embarrassment or anger. But asking someone to confirm a perception shows that you are committed to understanding his or her behavior. 

III. Culture in Movie

Watch the movie The Treatment (Gua Sha), and try to figure out the intercultural conflicts from it? Get ready to report your findings to the class.