蓝鸽听力 

Everyone is Culturally Ignorant About Something

Marco: I suppose you speak Japanese? Fang: No, I'm Chinese.

Marco: Yeah, but you look Japanese! Do you speak Korean? You look Korean too. Fang: (Sigh) Well, do you speak German?

Marco: No, I'm Italian. What does Italy have to do with Germany? They are culturally and philosophically different. Besides, we don't look alike at all!

Fang: To me you do. I've lived here long enough to know, but my mother wouldn't be able to tell you and David apart.

Marco: That's ridiculous. David's got light brown hair and I've got jet-black hair. And he has brown eyes and mine are green.

Fang: Yes, but those are not features we look for. We all have black hair and dark brown eyes, so we aren't used to using hair and eye color to distinguish people. We speak about skin-tone and the size of people's eyes. So, you are all pale and have big eyes, so you all look the same. Marco: That's amazing! And we think all Asians look alike. So you don't look alike to each other? I wonder if Africans use different features to distinguish each other.

Fang: For sure they do. As our own societies are special to ourselves, so are others to themselves. It's pure ignorance to think that other races, societies and nations are less intelligent or refined than our own. Each has developed intelligence for its own environment.

Marco: Yeah, I heard that Australian Aborigines can orient themselves in the desert by the sun and stars alone and tell where underground yams are growing. I can't even go to my aunt's house without getting totally disoriented! But instead of yams I can make a great cheese! Fang: That stuff's disgusting! How can you stand the smell of cheese? Marco: Ah! Look who's making culturally ignorant statements here!

Dialogue 2

Transportation Possibilities

Tom: What can we take? I suppose it's too far to walk there.

Lee: What do you think? We have the bus, taxi, jeepney or rickshaw. Tom: What's a jeepney? Is it like a rickshaw?

Lee: No, rickshaws are those two-wheeled contraptions pulled by a person. Nowadays, they could be a tricycle with a person pedaling rather than running and pulling. Jeepneys are old jeeps that have the sides cut out and long benches put in lengthwise so more passengers can sit in the back of it.

Tom: So jeepneys are public?

Lee: Kind of. You tell the driver where you want to go and if it coincides with where the other customers want to go, then they let you on.

Tom: Which is more expensive? I mean a taxi must be the most expensive. But how about the bus, is it cheaper than a jeepney or a rickshaw?

Lee: No, actually buses are more expensive because they are air-conditioned and the standing room is limited. Rickshaws are the next most expensive because you're the only customer and

now it's a tourist attraction. And with rickshaws, you have to settle the price before getting on, otherwise they can rip you off once you get where you want to go.

Tom: What about luggage? We have to get to the hotel with these two suitcases. Will a jeepney work?

Lee: Jeepneys probably won't like suitcases since you take up room so the driver has fewer passengers and gets paid less. They have a fixed price, you know. But I don't know if a rickshaw can handle two suitcases. They have a luggage rack on the back, but I'm not sure there's enough room for two suitcases.

Tom: What if we take a jeepney and pay for luggage as if it were a person. So we can pay for four, two people and two pieces of luggage. Would they do it?

Prejudice Against Jobs

Li Hao: Andrews, a letter just came in from American Express for you. Andrews: Thanks. Oh man... another circular letter. They drive me mad! Li Hao: What are you talking about?

Andrews: All these circular letters that are sent to my work address. They're all addressed to Mr S Andrews.

Li Hao: Mr? Obviously they've made a mistake.

Andrews: Yeah, they've found my name on some list of our company staff and assumed that I'm a man because I'm not a secretary.

Li Hao: How stupid! But doesn't the company put Mr or Ms in front of names on its departmental lists?

Andrews: Yeah, I think so.

But perhaps because they think I must be a man, they just ignore the Ms. That kind of thinking is so outdated though.

I mean, I'm not the only woman who's a head of department. Li Hao: It really shows prejudice against women, doesn't it? Andrews: Sure does.

There are so many people who think women aren't suited for leadership jobs. You might not believe this, but when I tell some people I'm a head of a department, they laugh at me!

Li Hao: I think they're probably just surprised.

You have to admit there are so many more men than women who are leaders. Guess it's because boys are brought up to be more ambitious. Andrews: Yeah, you may be right. Dialogue 2

Chances of Promotion for Women Teachers

Zhang: I recently read an article which said that in primary schools women teachers have less of a chance of promotion than their male colleagues.

Do you think it's true or is it just some women's perception of the situation? Nancy: It's pretty true.

Men are definitely getting promotions more quickly than women.

In primary schools there are far more women teachers than men but there are more headmasters than headmistresses.

Zhang: So, what are your chances of promotion like?

At the moment you're in charge of a section of the school, aren't you?

Nancy: Yes, I'm in charge of the infants department which is for children aged three to seven.

Zhang: And do you have any higher ambitions for your job? I mean, would you like to be a headmistress one day? Nancy: No, definitely not.

Being a headmistress is not something I would want to do even for a million dollars a year. It may be the next step up the ladder for me but I basically enjoy being a classroom teacher.

Maybe this is one reason why there aren't so many women heads.

I was a deputy head before I got this post but I prefer to be in the classroom with the children, instead of sitting at a desk doing administration which is what being a head is all about.

Zhang: Are you pleased that you chose primary teaching as a career?

I mean, if someone came up to you who was about to leave school and wanted some career advice, would you recommend teaching to them?

Nancy: Maybe. I'm glad I went into it... most of the time, anyway. It must be because at one stage I left teaching but I got back into it. I think that shows that I'm committed to this profession.

New Words

ad

n. =advertisement 广告

advertiser n. 广告商

advertising n. 广告业

affect

v. influence 影响

attractive

a. arousing interest or pleasure 吸引人的

belongings

n. things that one owns 财物

▲ closet

n. 壁橱

◆ clutter

v. cover or fill something with lots of objects in an untidy way 胡乱地填满

concerned

a. having an active personal interest 关注的

consumption

n. the act of consuming or an amount consumed 消费

cool

a. very attractive, fashionable in a way that people admire 酷的;有派头的

◆ curvy a. 曲线美的

define

v. show the nature of 显示…特征

despite

prep. in spite of 不管

fascination

n. the state of being greatly attracted 着迷

fashion

n. the way of dressing or behaving that is usual or popular at a certain time 时尚

▲ foster

v. help to grow or develop 培养

◆ glamorous

a. attractive or full of charm 迷人的

hand-me-down

n. a garment used by one person after belonging to another usually older person 旧衣服

hot

a. very popular 流行的;热销的

image

n. a picture formed in the mind 形象

insecurity

n. feelings of inferiority or inadequacy 不安全感

item

n. a single thing on a list or among a set 一件(产品)

jeans n. 牛仔裤

means

n. method 方式,方法

name-brand n. 名牌

necessity

n. thing that is essential or needed 必需品

◆ preppy

a. 不成熟的;傻的

▲ quest

n. a long search 寻求

◆ snobby a. 虚荣的

statement

n. something that is expressed formally 声明

▲ underlying

a. being a hidden cause or meaning of 潜在的

◆ upcoming

a. about to happen 即将来临的

victim

n. a person or animal that is injured, killed or hurt 牺牲品,受害者

Phrases and Expressions

dress up

put on formal clothes or one's best clothes 穿戴,打扮

feed off

take advantage of 利用

identify... with

consider similar in some way 认同为

in fashion

popular and approved 跟上潮流

look to

depend on to provide help, advice, etc. 向…求助

step back

think about as if not involved 置身事外

turn to

go to... for help, advice, sympathy, comfort, etc.

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