Unit 12: Culture Shock

A. Complete the sentences. Use the words in the box.

1. In many countries, people remove their shoes before entering a home, so they don’t bring dust and mud into the house.

2. In Japan, business people exchange cards, and it’s polite to comment on the cards.

3. In the United States, it’s not unusual to order a pizza on the phone and have it delivered to your house. And just like in a restaurant, it’s polite to tip the person who delivers the pizza to your house.

4. In Germany, it’s important to be punctual for business meetings. Being late or rushing makes a bad impression.

5. In England, people often comment about the weather while they’re waiting in line for a bus.

6. Armando Vasquez went to college in Mexico. It is customary to call him “Licenciado” because he is a university graduate and a lawyer.

B. Complete the paragraph with a verb + infinitive. Use the simple past of the verbs in the box and the infinitives in parentheses.

When I went to the United States last summer on a business trip, my 5-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son asked me to take them.

I wasn’t sure about the idea, so in the beginning I refused to take (take) them.

But they kept asking, and they promised to be (1. be) good, so finally I decided to take (2. take) them with me.

I expected to do (3. do) some work on the flight.

But my children had other ideas. They ran up and down the airplane, hitting each other, and making a lot of noise.

I wasn’t able to do any work, and I was very angry with them. They really managed to upset (4. upset) me.

But when they saw that I was upset, they remembered to be (5. be) good for the rest of the trip.

C. Make the sentences. Use verb + noun/pronoun + infinitive.

1. in Japan / business people / expect / you / read their business cards

In Japan, business people expect you to read their business cards.

2. in the United States / waiters / expect / you / tip after a meal

In the United States, waiters expect you to tip after a meal.

3. my parents / never allow / us / eat dessert before dinner

My parents never allow us to eat dessert before dinner.

4. some business people / learn / English / do business in the United States

Some business people learn English to do business in the United States.

5. in France / restaurants / expect / customers / eat the salad after the main course

In France, restaurants expect customer to eat the salad after the main course.

6. in India / hosts / expect / their guests / remove their shoes

In India, hosts expect their guests to remove their shoes.

D. Complete the sentences. Use infinitives. Use it’s where necessary.

1. It's wrong to believe.

2. It's important to read.

3. It's a good idea to learn.

4. It's advisable to look.

5. It's rude to point.

6. It's not polite to refuse.

7. It's a good idea to avoid.

E. Rewrite the sentences in D. Make expressions of advice with infinitives.

1. Try not to believe that only your cultures do things the ''right'' way.

2. Be sure to read about place before you travel there.

3. Try to earn a little of the language.

4. Don’t forget to look at what people from the country are doing and not doing.

5. Try not to point at people in any country.

6. Try not to refuse an offer for coffee or tea from business colleague.

7. Make sure to avoid jokes that people in other country might not understand.

A. friend from the United States is going to visit you in your country. Write five expressions of advice for your friend about your country and culture.

1. Be Sure to bring light clothes.

2. Remember to say ''hello'' when you enter a store.

3. Don't forget to change the time on your watch.

4. Make sure to try all the different kinds of food here.

5. Be sure to have fun while you're here.

G. Make sentences. Use infinitives. Add It’s where necessary.

1. wrong / expect / the same customs in foreign countries

It's wrong to expect the same customs in foreign countries.

2. don’t forget / watch out / for thieves

Don't forget to watch out for thieves.

3. a good idea / hide / your money

It's a good idea to hide your money.

4. remember / call / us every day so we know you’re OK

Remember to call us every day so we know you’re OK .

5. try not / get lost / in the big cities

Try not to get lost in the big cities.

6. not rude / refuse / food that looks strange

It's not rude to refuse food that looks strange.

7. make sure / pack / some medicine for stomach problems

Make sure to pack some medicine for stomach problems.

8. important / take / your doctor’s telephone number with you

It's important to take your doctor’s telephone number with you.

9. be sure / have / great time

Be sure to have great time.

H. Complete Michael’s story. Use gerunds and infinitives.

going (1. go) to Spain as an exchange student in high school was one of my big dreams. I hoped to learn (2. learn) Spanish while I was there.

But I learned much more than Spanish. living (3. live) in Spain gave me the chance to learn another culture.

My parents took me to the airport, and I promised to send (4. send) emails every day.

flying (5. fly) to Spain was a very exciting day for me. But after I arrived, I refused to write (6. write) to my parents for several weeks.

I didn’t write because I was so unhappy. Nothing was the way I expected it to be (7. be). I missed my friends at home.

I thought about how great things were at home. In the United States before my trip to Spain, I meant to learn (9. learn) Spanish, but now I refused to talk (10. talk) to anyone in Spanish.

I even pretended not to understand (11. understand) what people were saying to me.

Then a student who was my age invited me to the beach and introduced me to a lot of his friends. Going (12. go) to the beach with others was really important.

I remembered to have (13. have) fun!

I READING

Write T for True and F for False.

1. T Words sometimes have more than one meaning.

2. F In Japanese, hai always means ''yes.''

3. T Waving one’s hand in China means ''come here.''

4. T In Bulgaria, nodding the head up and down means ''no.''

5. F Shaking the head from side to side in Bulgaria means ''I don’t understand.''

J What things are unique to your culture? Complete the chart with your ideas.

1. What actions are considered polite in your culture?

In my culture, it's polite to shake hands look at someone when talking and listening them, and open a door for others.

2. What is the food like in your culture?
What are typical dishes or ingredients?

the food is salty and often fried. Typical ingredients are chicken, potatoes, beans, onions, tomatoes.

3. What gestures do people make with their hands or head or eyes? What do the different gestures mean?

People give a quick nod to say ''hello'' people roll their eyes to say that they don't believe you. People turn a thumb up to show that you did a great job.

4. What pastimes are part of your culture?

Football is a very big part of the culture, especially on weekends during football season. People get together to watch games either stadiums or on television.

5. What words or expressions make up part of your culture?

Dude? can be said in such a way to mean ''Are you crazy? what were you thinking!? people also say, I hear that ''to mean that agree with what you just said.

K WRITING

Imagine you are having an exchange student from another culture stay with you. This student has never been to your country. Write a paragraph about things that are unique to your culture. Use some of your ideas from the chart above.

You're going to love the culture here in the south-eastern part of the United States. There are actually a lot of differences.

You will probably notice that people are very polite here. They hold doors open for others. They shake hands and smile a lot.

You will also see people nod their head very quickly and just one time as you walk past them.

This means ''hello''. You should nod to them in the same way. The food is really good—if you like fried food. And since you'll be here during football season, you 're going to have fun on the weekend.

You 'll also here people talk English in a very different way than you are learning it.

One of the more useful expressions to know is '' I hear that.''

Say it when you agree with what a person is telling you in a friendly conversation.