Online Class Notes (Lily) [R]

Pronunciation

smile: letter I sound
smell: short e sound

Vocabulary

1.transparent >>> translucent半透明 >>>opaque 不透明
ex: I like my showerglass to be translucent.
ex: if you buy milk in a glass or translucent containers, you may not be getting all the nutrients you should be.

2. wrinkles= fine lines on the face 皱纹
ex: Wrinkles are women’s greatest fear.
ex: When you have too much facial expression, you may have more wrinkles.

3. show courtesy: show your manners
ex: French people kiss each other on the cheek to show their courtesy. 
ex: Japanese people bow to show their courtesy.
ex: The knight kissed the queen on the hand to show his courtesy.

4. experiment= 实验
ex: In science class, we did many many experiments.
ex: Let’s try the experiment! 

5. appropriate= 适当的
ex: It’s not appropriate to wear a mini skirt and low V shirt to SE for teaching.
ex: it’s not appropriate to ask for people’s salary/ monthly income.

6. funeral= a ceremonly for the dead 葬礼
ex: It’s not appropriate to wear red at a funeral. 
ex: We must dress appropriately at a funeral. 

7. embarrassed = 尴尬的 (人)
embarrassing=尴尬的(事)
ex: I am embarrassed when my mom’s friend say I’m pretty.
ex: I am embarrassed when I have to talk in English in front of many people.

8. disastrous (adj)= adective of the word “disaster”, more than horrible
ex: This dinner was disastrous, my ex boyfriend and my ex ex boyfriend were sitting together.
ex: It would be disastrous if I eat with my boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend.

9. consequence= result 结果
ex: I used to date a gangster混混, I knew i would break up with him, but I accepted the consequences.
ex: everything you do in life, every choice you make, has a consequence.

Reading

https://english-magazine.org/english-reading/learn-language-articles/919-body-language

When we communicate with others, we express our thoughts and feelings not only through the words we choose, but also through our tone of voice, facial expression and body language. In fact, many communications experts believe that far more information is communicated non-verbally (without words) than verbally (with words). “Body language” is an important part of non-verbal communication.

Body language includes many different aspects of our every day physical behaviour: the way we greet one another; how we stand, how we sit or walk; the way we position our arms and legs or use our hands and eyes are some of the most basic.

To learn another language is more than just learning words and grammar, it involves learning about another culture, too. We learn much of our own culture’s body language before we learn to speak, from the time we are children, usually without even being aware of it.  And that body language varies from culture to culture, so it’s something to which second language learners should pay attention.

So, how attuned are you to other people’s body language?  Try this little experiment.  Turn the volume on the television right down while you watch people interact on the screen. You may find it is more difficult to understand what’s happening between people from unfamiliar cultures.

Sometimes, cultural differences in appropriate body language can cause discomfort or misunderstandings too. For example, there are definite cultural differences in how much distance should be kept between two people who are speaking together. If you are used to people keeping their distance, you will feel very uncomfortable, and probably move away repeatedly, if someone keeps trying to stand closer to you at a party!  We call this the “personal comfort zone”.

Another common example of misunderstanding is the use of a smile. In some Asian cultures, a smile can show embarrassment or apology. However, smiling back at a teacher who is unhappy with you, or a stranger whose foot you accidentally stepped upon is probably not a good idea in most English speaking cultures! Also, you should not assume that nodding your head means “yes” or that shaking your head means “no” or vice versa.  Yes, you can even get that wrong, with potentially disastrous consequences.