“New good men” vs “big men” survey

 

Did you read recent news reports on the “new good men” survey done in Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing? What do you know about this survey and its results? What was your reaction? 

available : able to be obtained, used, or reached  • breadth : when something includes many different items, features, subjects or qualities  • career : the job or series of jobs that you do during your working life, especially if you continue to get better jobs and earn more money  • contemporary : existing or happening now  • define : to say what the meaning of something, especially a word, is  • disgrace : to be so bad or unacceptable that you make people lose respect for the group or activity you are connected to  • distinguish : to notice or understand the difference between two things, or to make one person or thing seem different from another  • double standard : a rule or standard of good behavior which, unfairly, some people are expected to follow or achieve but other people are not  • equality : the right of different groups of people to have a similar social position and receive the same treatment  • fortunate : lucky  • harm : to hurt someone or damage something  • keep something to yourself : to keep something secret  • liberated : not following traditional ways of behaving or old ideas  • male chauvinist : a man who believes that women are naturally less important, intelligent or able than men, and so does not treat men and women equally  • mark of : a quality or action which is understood to represent or show a characteristic of a person or thing or feeling  • material: relating to physical objects or money rather than emotions or the spiritual world  • no wonder : it is not surprising  • prerogative : something which some people are able or allowed to do or have, but which is not possible or allowed for everyone  • retain : to keep or continue to have something  • spouse : a person’s husband or wife  • virtue : advantage or benefit  • wealth : a large amount of money or valuable possessions that someone has  • whine : If you whine, especially as a child, you complain or express dissatisfaction continually  • worthy : deserving respect, admiration or support

 

 

 

 

Women in Taipei should not forget how fortunate they are. According to survey conducted in Taipei, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai, Taipei men are the least chauvinistic. It appears that Taiwan’s efforts over the last few years to educate people about gender equality have reduced male chauvinism. Of course, this does not mean that male chauvinism has disappeared. If men are not careful, they reveal the male chauvinist thinking that remains.

 

How surprised are you at the results of the survey? Do you think male chauvinism has really been reduced? If so, do you think the education in gender equality has been the reason? What are examples of male chauvinist thinking that remains? Do you think women in Taipei really are fortunate compared to women in the other cities surveyed? What about compared to women in Japan? In Western countries?

01 A worthy man must be successful in his career.  

T = 55.2%  |  H = 59.7%  |  B = 53.7%  |  S = 57.2%

How successful would you say you have been so far in your career? How do you define success for yourself? What level of success would completely satisfy you? If you were not successful in your career, could you still be satisfied? Do you find anything surprising about the survey results for this item? Do you think the percentage of Taipei men who said they agreed with the statement in the survey accurately reflects the percentage of men who truly agree with it?

 

 

 

 

02 A man should make more money and be more successful in his career than his wife.

T = 45.9%  |  H = 66.3%  |  B = 55.9%  |  S = 65.4%

If you’re married, do you make more money than your spouse? Would you be considered more successful than your spouse is? If you’re not married, how much difference do you think it would make if you made more money and were more successful than your spouse? What if you made less money and were less successful? Do you find anything surprising about the survey results for this item? Do you think the percentage of Taipei men who said they agreed with the statement in the survey accurately reflects the percentage of men who truly agree with it?

 

 

 

 

03 Men should have certain prerogatives that are not available to women.

T = 26.7%  |  H = 36.3%  |  B = 26.4%  |  S = 26.1%

What are some prerogatives that men enjoy that women do not? What about prerogatives that women enjoy that men do not? Overall, how close do you think men and women are to enjoying equal rights? Do you think it would be a good thing if they enjoyed exactly the same rights? Do you think it is possible for this situation to come about? Do you find anything surprising about the survey results for this item? Do you think the percentage of Taipei men who said they agreed with the statement in the survey accurately reflects the percentage of men who truly agree with it?

 

 

 

 

04 A real man should be strong, and keep his troubles to himself.

T = 25.6%  |  H = 31.5%  |  B = 35.2%  |  S = 36.6%

Do you tend to keep your troubles to yourself? Whom do you most often tell your troubles to? Would you agree that men tend to keep their troubles to themselves more than do women? If so, why do you think men are like this? Do you prefer that your friends or romantic partner share their troubles with you or keep their troubles to themselves for the most part? How do you distinguish between sharing troubles and whining? Have you ever known someone whom you thought complained too much? Do you find anything surprising about the survey results for this item? Do you think the percentage of Taipei men who said they agreed with the statement in the survey accurately reflects how many men truly agree with it?

05 A man should solve his problems by himself.

T = 21.4%  |  H = 31.5%  |  B = 54.2%  |  S = 57.2%

Would you agree that men tend to try to solve their problems on their own more than do women? If so, what do you think is the reason? Do you generally try to solve your problems on your own? What would you say was the most difficult problem you have ever faced? How did you deal with this problem? Do you find anything surprising about the survey results for this item? Do you think the percentage of Taipei men who said they agreed with the statement in the survey accurately reflects the percentage of men who truly agree with it?

 

 

 

 

06 The most important mark of a successful man is material wealth.

T = 17.4%  |  H = 38.5%  |  B = 20.7%  |  S = 26.5%

What do you think is the most important mark of a successful man? What about the mark of a successful woman? How much material wealth would you need to have before you were satisfied? How do you define success for yourself? Do you find anything surprising about the survey results for this item? Do you think the percentage of Taipei men who said they agreed with the statement in the survey accurately reflects the percentage of men who truly agree with it?

07 It is best if a man does not do work that is traditionally done by women.

T = 15.3%  |  H = 21.2%  |  B = 26.9%  |  S = 31.5%

What jobs do you think men should avoid? Do you think women should avoid some jobs that are traditionally done by men? Have you ever done work that is traditionally by someone of the opposite sex? Do you find anything surprising about the survey results for this item? Do you think the percentage of Taipei men who said they agreed with the statement in the survey accurately reflects the percentage of men who truly agree with it?

 

 

 

 

08 The most important mark of a successful man is a great breadth and depth of knowledge.

T = 5.7%  |  H = 12.8%  |  B = 22.5%  |  S = 16.7%

Why do you agree or disagree with this statement? Do you think in general that men have a greater breadth and depth of knowledge than do women? If so, why do you think this happens? Would you say that your knowledge is greater in depth or breadth? About what subject is your knowledge deepest? Do you find anything surprising about the survey results for this item? Do you think the percentage of Taipei men who said they agreed with the statement in the survey accurately reflects the percentage of men who truly agree with it?

 

 

 

 

09 The demands put on men by society are too great, harming men.

T = 5.7%  |  H = 8.4%  |  B = 6.2%  |  S = 4.7%

Why do you agree or disagree with this statement? Do you believe that the demands that society puts on men are greater than on women? Do you think there are fewer demands placed on men than before, or more? What about the demands on women? How often do you feel social pressure to do things or behave in ways that you dislike? Do you find anything surprising about the survey results for this item? Do you think the percentage of Taipei men who said they agreed with the statement in the survey accurately reflects the percentage of men who truly agree with it?

 

 

 

 

10 A man who stays at home while his wife works is a disgrace.

T = 3.6%  |  H = 5.5%  |  B = 5.3%  |  S = 4.7%

Why do you agree or disagree with this statement? Have you known any “househusbands”? If so, what were the circumstances under which they became househusbands? How did it work out? Would you like to stay at home while your spouse works outside the home? Why or why not? Do you find anything surprising about the survey results for this item? Do you think the percentage of Taipei men who said they agreed with the statement in the survey accurately reflects the percentage of men who truly agree with it?

 

 

 

 

While Taipei men are more contemporary in their outlook than men in the other three cities surveyed, women’s double standard confuses them. On the one hand, women want men to be more liberated, but on the other, they want men to retain traditional male virtues—like strength, the ability to earn much money, be successful in the eyes of society, and not seek to be a househusband. With such a double standard, it is no wonder that men cannot figure out what women really want.

Do you agree that women do have a double standard for men? If not, can you explain why there is no double standard? If you’re a woman, do you want the things from men that are mentioned? If you are a man, do you often feel confused about what women really want?

 

 

How gullible are you?

 

Do you have a favorite advertisement? How much do advertisements influence what you buy? What do you think makes a good advertisement?

background · your family and your experience of education, living conditions, wealth, etc  •  bring up · to care for a child until it is an adult, often giving it particular beliefs  •  choke · (usually in sports) to fail to do something at a time when it is urgent, usually because you suddenly lose confidence  •  circle of acquaintances · the group of people that you know casually  •  conceal · to prevent something from being seen or known about; to hide something  •  count · to have value or importance; to matter  •  designer · made by a famous or fashionable designer  •  discount coupon · a piece of paper which can be used to obtain something at a reduced price  •  favorable · giving you an advantage or more chance of success  •  feel guilty · to feel anxiety or unhappiness because you have done something wrong, such as causing harm to another person  •  fiction · the type of book or story which is written about imaginary characters and events and not based on real people and facts  •  genre · a style, especially in the arts, that involves a particular set of characteristics  •  gullible · easily deceived or tricked, and too willing to believe everything that other people say  •  horoscope · a description of what is going to happen to you, based on the position of the stars and planets at the time of your birth  •  hula hoop · a large ring, usually made of plastic, which children play with by putting it around their waist and moving their body so that it spins  •  indulge · to allow yourself or another person to have something enjoyable, especially more than is good for you  •  irritable · becoming annoyed very easily  •  luxurious · very comfortable and expensive  •  neat · tidy, with everything in its place  •  organized · arranged according to a particular system  •  outgoing · (of a person) friendly and energetic and finding it easy and enjoyable to be with others  •  packaging · the materials in which objects are wrapped before being sold  •  rebellious · If someone is rebellious, they are difficult to control and do not behave in the way they are expected to  •  regular · happening or doing something often  •  script · a set of letters used for writing a particular language  •  standardize · to make things of the same type all have the same basic features  •  strict · greatly limiting someone’s freedom to behave as they wish, and likely to severely punish them if they disobey  •  tidy up · to make a place or a collection of things clean and organized  •  typical · showing all the characteristics that you would usually expect from a particular group of things  •  version · particular form of something which varies slightly from other forms of the same thing  •  working class · a social group that consists of people who earn little money, often being paid only for the hours or days that they work, and who usually do physical work

 

 

 

 

01 Which of these words better describes your lifestyle?

A Working-class.

B Luxurious.

 

Why did you choose the answer you did? How typical is your lifestyle for someone of your age, gender, and background? What is most unusual about your lifestyle? What do you think is the biggest regular indulgence in your lifestyle?

 

 

 

 

02 If you had to choose, which kind of book would you rather read?

A Fiction.

B Nonfiction.

 

What was the last book that you read? What is your favorite work of fiction? How about of nonfiction? What is your favorite genre? Who is your favorite author? What is usually your purpose when you read a book–gain knowledge, find entertainment, or something else? How do you choose a book to read?

 

 

 

 

03 What usually happens when you’re playing a game or sport and know you’re being watched?

A I almost always choke.

B I play better than normal.

C It doesn’t make any difference in how I play.

 

In what game or sport do you feel most confident about your abilities? Do you like to be watched when you are doing something you are good at? Have you ever competed in a contest in front of a large number of people? How did you feel and how did you do?

 

 

 

 

04 When you are in a social situation like a dinner party where you don’t know everybody, do you find it easy to make conversation?

A Yes.

B No.

 

When was the last time you were in such a social situation? What was it like, and did you enjoy it? When you start a conversation, what topics do you tend to use? How good a conversationalist do you think you are in general?

 

 

 

 

05 Do you often feel guilty about many of the things you do?

A Yes.

B No.

 

What are some examples of things that you make you feel guilty? Does lying make you feel guilty, and if so, in what situations? What is usually the reason for your doing things that make you feel guilty? Why do they make you feel guilty? Is there anything that you did as a child or many years ago that you still feel guilty about?

 

 

 

 

06 Do you daydream a lot, imagining things you’d like to do and places you’d like to go?

A Yes.

B No.

 

What types of things do you daydream about most often? In what situations do you most often find yourself daydreaming? Has daydreaming ever caused problems for you? What kind of life do you think would be ideal for you?

 

 

 

 

07 Would you be more likely to agree or disagree with these two proverbs: “Neatness counts” and “A place for everything and everything in its place”?

A Agree.

B Disagree.

 

How neat is your room at home right now? Is it neater or messier than it usually is? How often do you tidy up your room? How long do you spend on it? How organized are you in other areas of your life?

 

 

 

 

08 Would you say that you’re more irritable than most people?

A Yes.

B No.

 

Can other people easily notice when you are irritated, or do you make an effort to conceal the way you feel? What are some things in your daily life that often irritate you? Is there anyone in your family or circle of acquaintances who often irritates you? What do you do when that happens?

 

 

 

 

09 Are you basically shy compared with other people of your age and background?

A Yes.

B No.

 

Do you wish you were more outgoing? Was there a time when you either much more or much less shy than you are now? What happened to make you change? Who is the shyest person you know, and just how shy is he or she?

 

 

 

 

10 Would you say that you were more rebellious as a teenager than most kids?

A Yes.

B No.

 

What were you like as a teenager? How did you show your rebelliousness? What were some of your hobbies at that time? Do you still have any of the same hobbies? If you met yourself as a teenager now, how would you probably get along?

 

 

 

 

11 Would you say your parents were easygoing in the way they brought you up?

A Yes.

B No.

 

Which of your parents was stricter? Was the way your parents brought you up different from what is typical? How difficult do you think it was to bring you up? What do you think your parents should have done differently?

 

 

 

 

12 Are two or more of the following true about you: more likely to buy a food product if it has Japanese script on the packaging; often use discount coupons to buy things that you probably wouldn’t have bought otherwise; believe in horoscopes or fortunetelling; own a T-shirt advertising the name of the manufacturer, product, or musical group; often wait in line to eat at a restaurant that you have never tried; own a hula hoop; own a “designer” version of a product with a highly standardized design; find your taste in music, movies, food, and fashion almost always matches what is popular?

A Yes.

B No.

 

Which of the descriptions are true about you? Why do you do each of them? Which of the descriptions do you consider favorable? Which do you think are unfavorable? 

 

 

 

 

RESULTS : Here are the answers most likely to have been chosen by highly persuasible people:

01:B  •  02:A  •  03:A  •  04:B  • 05:A  •  06:A  •  07:A  •  08:A  •  09:A  •  10:B  •  11:B  •  12:A

Give yourself a point for each of your answers that coincides with those listed above. 7~12 : gullible • 0~6 : not gullible

 

 

Unusual expressions

 

What have you eaten today? Where did you eat? What are you planning to eat before you go to bed tonight?

 

 

appetite : a strong desire or need  •  capable : able to do things effectively and skillfully, and to achieve results  •  chew : to crush food into smaller, softer pieces with the teeth so that it can be swallowed  •  contemptuous : expressing a strong feeling of combined dislike and lack of respect  •  conversationalist : someone who enjoys or is good at talking with people  •  cope : to deal successfully with a difficult situation  •  endeavor : an attempt to do something  •  envy : the feeling that you wish you had something that someone else has  •  expertise : a high level of knowledge or skill  •  fickle : likely to change your opinion or your feelings suddenly and without a good reason  •  fond : having a great liking for someone or something  •  foolish : unwise, ridiculous or lacking in judgment  •  forgiving : willing to tolerate errors  •  fulfill : to do something that is expected, hoped for or promised or to cause it to happen  •  impractical : Impractical arrangements, ideas or methods cannot be done or used easily or effectively  •  instant messaging : a type of service available on the Internet that allows you to exchange written messages with someone else who is using the service at the same time  •  margin for error : an additional amount of something, such as time or money, which you allow because there might be a mistake in your calculations  •  miserable : very unhappy  •  mustard : a thick yellow or brown sauce that tastes spicy and is eaten cold in small amounts, especially with meat  •  obsolete : not in use any more, having been replaced by something newer and better or more fashionable  •  pie : a type of food made with meat, vegetables or fruit covered in pastry and baked  •  resource : a useful or valuable possession or quality of a country, organization or person  •  show off : to show something or someone you are proud of to other people, so that they will admire them  •  standard : a level of quality  •  stingy : unwilling to spend money  •  utterly : completely or extremely

 

 

 

 

01 Apple of your eye

 

Actual meaning: Something or someone that you are especially fond of

 

What, or who, is the apple of your eye these days? How did this thing or person come to become the apple of your eye? What do you find most appealing about this thing or person? How fickle are you in your affections?

 

 

 

 

02 Bigger fish to fry

 

Actual meaning: Plans for doing more important things than you are doing now

 

Do you think you are now doing what you were meant to do in life, or do you think you have bigger fish to fry? When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How close is your life now to what you thought you would be doing when you were growing up?

 

 

 

 

03 By the skin of your teeth

 

Actual meaning: Barely succeed after almost failing

 

Have you ever done something important only by the skin of your teeth? Do you tend to approach things so that you only do just enough to succeed, or do you try to leave yourself a large margin for error? Have you ever failed at something important to you because you didn’t put in the necessary effort?

 

 

 

 

04 Chew the fat

 

Actual meaning: Talk in a relaxed way

 

Do you enjoy chewing the fat? What are some of your favorite topics to talk about with friends? Do you think you spend either too much, or not enough, time just chewing the fat? How good a conversationalist do you think you are? What’s the best thing about talking to you? In what kind of conversation are you at your best—face-to-face, phone, or instant messaging?

 

 

 

 

05 Cut the mustard

 

Actual meaning: Reach a required standard

 

Have you ever not been able to cut the mustard? Do you tend to avoid endeavors where you might not cut the mustard, or do you tend to simply follow your interests, regardless of how capable you might be? Are there many people around you whom you think don’t cut the mustard? What do you think about them? Do you tend to be forgiving, or contemptuous, of things or people that don’t cut the mustard?

 

 

 

 

06 Eat your heart out

 

Actual meaning: Feel miserable because of envy

 

What can you do better than someone who is famous for doing the same thing? What do you consider to be your greatest skill or area of expertise? How do you feel when you discover someone can do something better than you can? Is there anything in which you think you may be the best in the world?

 

 

 

 

07 Egg on your face

 

Actual meaning: Looking foolish or embarrassed

 

When was the last time you felt you really had egg on your face? How do you react when you are embarrassed? How hard do you work to avoid being embarrassed?

 

 

 

 

08 Living hand to mouth

 

Actual meaning: Having only enough money to survive with nothing left over

 

Has there ever been a time in your life when you were living hand to mouth? If you suddenly became very poor, how well do you think you would be able to cope? What would you miss most about your present lifestyle if you suddenly had to live hand to mouth?

 

 

 

 

09 Long in the tooth

 

Actual meaning: Becoming old or obsolete

 

What belongings of yours are getting long in the tooth? Do you plan to replace them soon? Do you tend to keep things even after they have worn out and should be thrown out? What sorts of things—for example, clothes—do you do this with?

 

 

 

 

10 Pie in the sky

 

Actual meaning: Utterly impractical

 

Have you ever had any plans that turned out to be pie in the sky? In general, do you tend to be very practical? What dreams or plans did you have in the past that you have now given up on? Which ones are you still hoping to fulfill? Which have you already fulfilled?

 

 

Shopping facts quiz

 

 

What would you say are your main hobbies? How much time do you spend on each of these hobbies? How and when did you become interested in these hobbies? Would you count shopping as one of your hobbies?

 

 

 

 

advertising : the business of trying to persuade people to buy products or services  • aisle : a long narrow space between the rows of shelves in a large shop  • annoyed : angry and irritated  • anthropology : the study of the human race, its culture and society and its physical development  • bargain : something on sale at a lower price than its true value  • brand : the name given to a particular product by the company that makes it  • comparison shop : to compare the same or similar products at two or more shops before making a buying decision  • compete : to try to be more successful than someone or something else  • decor : the color, style and arrangement of the objects in a room  • disposable income : the money which you can spend as you want and not the money which you spend on taxes, food and other basic needs  • district : an area of a country or town which has fixed borders that are used for official purposes, or which has a particular feature that makes it different from surrounding areas  • escalator : a set of stairs moved up or down by electric power on which people can stand and be taken from one level of a building to another, especially in shops, railway stations and airports  • identical : exactly the same, or very similar  • impulsive : showing behavior in which you do things suddenly without any planning and without considering the effects they may have  • layout : the way that something is arranged  • marketing : a job that involves encouraging people to buy a product or service  • merchandise : goods that are bought and sold  • obese : extremely fat  • psychology : the scientific study of the way the human mind works and how it influences behaviour, or the influence of a particular person’s character on their behaviour  • research : a detailed study of a subject, especially in order to discover (new) information or reach a (new) understanding  • retail : the activity of selling goods to the public, usually in small quantities  • shelf : long flat board fixed horizontally, usually against a wall or inside a cupboard so that objects can be stored on it  • signature item : the product that a company or shop is best known for  • survey : an examination of opinions, behavior, etc, made by asking people questions  • turn you off : to cause you to feel displeasure or dislike

 

 

 

1 Which of the following fields studies how a retail store “works” or “doesn’t work”? 

A Retail anthropology.

B Retail psychology.

C Marketing.

D Market research.

 

What sort of stores do you like shopping at? What factors most influence whether or not you shop at a particular store—for example, price, store decor, or service? Can you describe a retail store that you especially like or enjoy shopping at? When was the last time you went shopping? How often do you go shopping? Do you enjoy window shopping? If so, what are some of your favorite places to do this? If not, why not?

 

 

 

 

2 Which of these colors makes customers feel like spending money? 

A Red.

B Dark green.

C Light purple.

 

Can you think of a possible explanation for the reason why the color that you chose might make people more likely to spend money? What do you spend most of your disposable income on? Where do you buy most of your clothes? In what situations are you more likely to spend money—for example, when you are depressed, bored, happy? Are you an impulsive shopper? What is the biggest impulse buy you have ever made?

 

 

 

 

3 Which is the worst location for a retail store? 

A Next to a competitor.

B Next to a bank.

C In a shopping mall.

D On a major shopping street.

 

What are your favorite shopping districts in Taipei? Why? Do you generally have a certain shop that you go to buy a certain kind of product—for example, one bakery for bread, or one bookstore for books? Do you often comparison shop? Why or why not? What sort of retail store do you favor—one that has an independent location, one in a shopping mall, or a department store? Why?

 

 

 

 

4 Upon entering a store, in which direction do most shoppers go? 

A Left.

B Right.

C Straight ahead.

D It depends on the type of product sold at the store.

 

5 What is the best layout for a retail store? 

A Placing the best bargains at the front of the store.

B Placing the most expensive items at the front of the store.

C Placing the store’s signature item at the front of the store.

D Placing the store’s signature item at the back of the store.

 

6 How wide should aisles in a retail store be? 

A People should be able to pass each other going in opposite directions without their butts getting touched by the other person or the shelves on either side if they turn sideways to get past.

B The aisles should be just wide enough for one moderately obese person to pass easily, with the layout of the aisles forcing shoppers to move in one direction.

C A person standing in the middle of the aisle should be able to reach merchandise on either side by extending his or her arms fully.

 

When you go into a store, do you usually go in one particular direction? Do store arrangements that force you to walk past many items that you may not be interested in—for example, escalators placed so that you have to walk through each floor in order to get to the next escalator up or down—annoy you? When you go into a store to buy something particular, do you often find that you end up buying other things? Do you own many things that you never use? Recently have you been in a store where you had such a bad experience that you decided never to return? If you’ve had such an experience, what was the reason you don’t plan on returning?

 

 

 

 

7 Which side of the brain does the best advertising appeal to? 

A Left (rational, analytical, practical).

B Right (emotional, intuitive).

C Both.

 

What sort of advertising appeals to you? Why? Is there an advertisement you’ve seen recently that particularly appealed to you, or one that especially turned you off? Do you think you are often persuaded to buy certain products because of persuasive advertising? Stan Shih (施振榮) claims that it will take fifty years to develop international marketing and advertising talent in Taiwan—do you think he is probably right? Why or why not?

 

 

 

 

8 According to a recent survey, what percentage of Taiwanese 20 to 29 would be willing to pay more for a product with a famous brand even if there were an identical product at a lower price?

A 23%.

B 54%.

C 82%.

 

How about yourself? What are some of your favorite brands? What gives them special appeal to you? For what types of products are brands more important for you—for example, clothing, high-tech devices, or cars? For which types of products are brands less important for you? What accounts for the difference in how important brands are for different types of products? Is the country where a product was made more important to you than the particular brand under which it is sold? Which countries’ products do you most like to buy? Why?

 

 

 

 

ANSWERS : 1 A  • 2 C : According to market research.  • 3 B : It takes consumers 25 feet to slow down from a quick walk. Because there is nothing to look at in a bank’s window, consumers pick up speed and don’t slow down fast enough to notice the store directly next to it.  • 4 B  • 5 D : According to experts. Clients come to the store to buy the signature item and have to walk past all the other items before reaching what they want/need. This way the client can pick up extra items on the way in or out of the store.  • 6 A : If shoppers are touched from behind (the “butt-brush factor”), they become irritated and move on, without returning to buy. Aisles must be wide enough for people to pass without being touched.  • 7 B : According to experts. The right side of the brain is where the emotions and unconscious mind reside. This side is more susceptible to images and suggestions.  • 8 C : Second-highest in Asia, where the average is 54%.

 

 

 

Facts about divorce

 

Are you married? If so, how long have you been married? If not, when do you plan to get married?What is your attitude toward divorce? Why do you think divorce is becoming more and more common?

 

 

 

 

better off : to be in a better situation, if or after something happens  • cohabit : If two people, especially a man and woman who are not married, cohabit, they live together and have a sexual relationship.  • counselor : someone who is trained to listen to people and give them advice about their problems  • eventually : in the end, especially after a long time or a lot of effort, problems, etc  • heaven forbid : a way of saying that you hope something does not happen  • initiate : to cause something to begin  • intact : complete and in the original state

opposed : to disagree with a principle or plan  • overcome : to defeat or succeed in controlling or dealing with something  • prevent : to stop something from happening or someone from doing something

proceedings : legal action  • rate : to judge the value or character of someone or something  • reduce : to make something smaller in size, amount, degree, importance, etc  • seek : to try to find or get something, especially something which is not a physical object  • step- : being of the stated relationship to someone through the previous marriage of their husband or wife, or through their mother or father marrying again  • temporary : not lasting or needed for very long  • tip : a useful piece of information, especially about how to do something or about the likely winner of a race or competition

 

 

 

 

Source: http://marriage.rutgers.edu/Publications/pubtoptenmyths.htm

 

 

 

 

1 Do second marriages tend to be more successful than first marriages?

 

What do you personally think? Do you know anyone who has divorced and re-married? How is their second marriage different from their first? If your first marriage were not successful, would you probably want to try again? If, heaven forbid, you got divorced and married again, would you do anything differently in your next marriage?

 

 

 

 

2 Is living together before marriage a good way to reduce the chances of eventually divorcing?

 

Have you ever cohabited with a lover? Under what conditions would you live with a partner whom you were not married to? Do you know any married couples who lived together before they got married? What influence, if any, do you think it had on their marriage? If your child wanted to live together with his or her girlfriend or boyfriend, would you be opposed?

 

 

 

 

3 Are the problems for children caused by divorce truly long-lasting and not just temporary?

 

What do you think is the biggest problems that divorce causes for children? What long-lasting effects do you think divorce has on children? Do you know anyone whose parents divorced? What problems did it cause for them that you know of?

 

 

 

 

4 Does having a child together help a couple improve marital satisfaction and prevent divorce?

 

How many children do you have? How many (more) children do you plan to have? Why did you decide to have children? Besides having children, what are some other factors or things that a couple can do to reduce the risk of getting divorced? What tips do you have for improving marital satisfaction? How satisfied are you with your marriage or other personal relationships?

5 When parents don’t get along, are children really better off if their parents stay together rather than just get divorced?

 

Would you stay in an unhappy marriage for the sake of your children? What would it take for you to divorce, even if you had children? How well did your parents get along when you were growing up? What kinds of problems did they have, that you know of?

 

 

 

 

6 Do people who grew up in a home broken by divorce have less chance of success in their own marriages than those from intact homes?

 

Did you grow up in a broken home? If you did, how old were you when your parents divorced? How did their parents’ divorce affect any friends you knew that grew up in broken homes? Would you rate your chances of success in marriage high or low? What factors are favorable, and what are unfavorable? What personal qualities make you well suited for marriage? What qualities make you less well suited for marriage?

 

 

 

 

7 After their biological parents have divorced, are children better off in stepfamilies than in single-parent families?

 

Do you know anybody who grew up in a stepfamily? If you had had to grow up in a single-parent family, do you think you would have been better off living with your father or mother? Do you think your children would be better off with you or your spouse? How well could you accept stepchildren if you got married to someone with children from a previous marriage?

 

 

 

 

8 Is a couple being very unhappy a good predictor than the marriage will eventually end in divorce?

 

Have you ever experienced a period of great unhappiness in your marriage or other personal relationships? What did you do to overcome the problems that were causing this unhappiness? Can you think of other things that might predict that a marriage will eventually end in divorce? If there were problems in your marriage, how would you go about trying to solve them? Would you seek somebody else’s help—for example, a marriage counselor?

 

 

 

 

9 Is it the wife, rather than the husband, who more often initiates divorce proceedings?

 

Of the divorced couples you know, who initiated the divorce proceedings? What do you think is the most common reason that men seek divorce? How about the most common reason for women?

 

 

 

 

1a Although many people who divorce have successful subsequent marriages, the divorce rate of remarriages is in fact higher than that of first marriages.

 

 

 

 

2a Many studies have found that those who live together before marriage have a considerably higher chance of eventually divorcing.  The reasons for this are not well understood.  In part, the type of people who are willing to cohabit may also be those who are more willing to divorce.  There is some evidence that the act of cohabitation itself generates attitudes in people that are more conducive to divorce, for example the attitude that relationships are temporary and easily can be ended.

 

 

 

 

3a Divorce increases the risk of interpersonal problems in children. There is evidence, both from small qualitative studies and from large-scale, long-term empirical studies, that many of these problems are long lasting.  In fact, they may even become worse in adulthood.

 

 

 

 

4a Many studies have shown that the most stressful time in a marriage is after the first child is born.  Couples who have a child together have a slightly decreased risk of divorce compared to couples without children, but the decreased risk is far less than it used to be when parents with marital problems were more likely to stay together “for the sake of the children.”

 

 

 

 

5a A recent large-scale, long-term study suggests so.  While it found that parents’ marital unhappiness and discord have a broad negative impact on virtually every dimension of their children’s well-being, so does the fact of going through a divorce. In examining the negative impacts on children more closely, the study discovered that it was only the children in very high conflict homes who benefited from the conflict removal that divorce may bring.  In lower-conflict marriages that end in divorce—and the study found that perhaps as many as two thirds of the divorces were of this type—the situation of the children was made much worse following a divorce. Based on the findings of this study, therefore, except in the minority of high-conflict marriages it is better for the children if their parents stay together and work out their problems than if they divorce.

 

 

 

 

6a Marriages of the children of divorce actually have a much higher rate of divorce than the marriages of children from intact families.  A major reason for this, according to a recent study, is that children learn about marital commitment or permanence by observing their parents. In the children of divorce, the sense of commitment to a lifelong marriage has been undermined.

 

 

 

 

7a The evidence suggests that stepfamilies are no improvement over single-parent families, even though typically income levels are higher and there is a father figure in the home.  Stepfamilies tend to have their own set of problems, including interpersonal conflicts with new parent figures and a very high risk of family breakup.

 

 

 

 

8a All marriages have their ups and downs.  Recent research using a large national sample found that eighty-six percent of people who were unhappily married in the late 1980s, and stayed with the marriage, indicated when interviewed five years later that they were happier. Indeed, three fifths of the formerly unhappily married couples rated their marriages as either “very happy” or “quite happy.”

 

 

 

9a Two-thirds of all divorces are initiated by women.  One recent study found that many of the reasons for this have to do with the nature of our divorce laws.  For example, in most states women have a good chance of receiving custody of their children.  Because women more strongly want to keep their children with them, in states where there is a presumption of shared custody with the husband the percentage of women who initiate divorces is much lower. Also, the higher rate of women initiators is probably due to the fact that men are more likely to be “badly behaved.” Husbands, for example, are more likely than wives to have problems with drinking, drug abuse, and infidelity.

 

 

 

What type of lover are you?

 

admire : to respect and approve of someone or their behavior, or to find someone or something attractive and pleasant to look at  • advisor : someone whose job is to give an opinion about what to do in a particular situation  • approach : to come near or nearer to something or someone in space, time, quality or amount  • argue : to speak angrily to someone, telling them that you disagree with them  • articulate : able to express thoughts and feelings easily and clearly, or showing this quality  • assistant : someone who helps someone else to do a job  • athlete : a person who is very good at sports or physical exercise, especially one who competes in organized events  • avoid : to stay away from someone or something, or prevent something from happening or not allow yourself to do something  • candid : truthful and honest, especially about something difficult or painful  • circle : a group of people with family, work or social connections  • compliment : to praise or express admiration for someone  • confident : having the quality of being certain of your abilities or of having trust in people, plans, or the future  • design : the way in which something is planned and made  • diligent : careful and using a lot of effort  • dress : to wear a particular type of clothes  • effect : the result of a particular influence  • emotional : having and expressing strong feelings  • energetic : having the power and ability to be physically and mentally active  • exaggerate : to make something seem larger, more important, better or worse than it really is  • excel : to be extremely good at something  • facial expression : the look on someone’s face, showing what they feel or think  • handicraft : a skilled activity in which something is made in a traditional way with the hands rather than being produced by machines in a factory, or an object made by such an activity  • make a judgment : to form, give or have as an opinion, or to decide about something or someone, especially after thinking carefully  • ordinary : not different or special or unexpected in any way; usual  • outstanding : excellent; clearly very much better than what is usual  • participate : to take part in or become involved in an activity  • practical : relating to experience, reality or action rather than ideas or imagination  • prove : to show a particular result after a period of time  • refuse : to say that you will not do or accept something  • regret : a feeling of sadness about something sad or wrong or about a mistake that you have made, and a wish that it could have been different and better  • variety show : a type of entertainment which includes several separate short performances, such as singing, dancing, magic tricks and telling jokes

 

 

 

 

01 Do you usually enjoy meeting new people?

 

Why or why not? What kinds of people are you most interested in meeting? How often do you approach a stranger and start up a conversation? How do you usually start a conversation with someone you don’t know?

 

 

 

 

02 In your circle of friends, are you usually the person whom others usually ask when they need some kind of information?

 

What would you say you are most knowledgeable about? What subject would you most like to know more about? Why?

 

 

 

 

03 Are you usually candid about what you are thinking when asked?

 

Why or why not? What kinds of things would you never tell anyone? Do you know anyone who is very candid—maybe too candid?

04 Do you often say things without thinking about what effect they might have?

 

Have you ever said something that you really regretted later? Why did you say it?

 

 

 

 

05 Do you avoid doing things when you don’t feel confident about your ability?

 

What is an example of something you do that you don’t feel confident about? What do you feel most confident about?

 

 

 

 

06 Do you often get very emotional trying to prove you’re right?

 

Do you feel upset when other people think you are wrong? How about if they prove you are wrong? How often do you get into arguments? What do you most often argue about?

 

 

 

 

07 Do many people like to talk to you about their feelings and problems?

 

How good a listener do you think you are? Do you think you can usually give good advice to people? When you have your own problems, whom do you like to talk to? Why?

 

 

 

 

08 Do you enjoy playing sports or exercising?

 

How often do you exercise? What are your favorite sports to play? How about to watch? Do you have any favorite athletes? How good an athlete are you? What sports are you best at?

 

 

 

 

09 Do you dislike people who ask too many questions?

 

Are you this type of person? Can you describe a person like this, and how you felt about him or her? When somebody asks you many questions, will you answer all of them?

 

 

 

 

10 Are variety shows your favorite type of TV program?

 

How often do you watch variety shows? Do you have a favorite variety show host? What type of TV program is your favorite?

11 In a group of people, do you enjoy playing the role of advisor or assistant, rather than the leader?

 

Why? Can you describe the role you play in your circle of friends? Who do you think is the leader? Have you ever been the leader in a group of people at school or work?

 

 

 

 

12 Do you refuse to give up trying to do something if you really like it, even if it’s very difficult?

 

What’s an example of something that you either gave up doing because it was too difficult, or refused to give up doing even though it was very difficult? Is there anything that would make you give up trying to improve your English?

 

 

 

 

13 Do you like participating in group activities?

 

Why or why not? What type of group activities do you most enjoy? What activities do you prefer to do with just one friend? How about on your own? Why?

 

 

 

 

14 Are you usually very careful to avoid causing problems?

 

Have you ever caused a big problem because you were not careful enough? How careful a person do you think you are in general?

 

 

 

 

15 Are you careful to avoid making judgments about people?

 

Have you ever judged a person wrongly? Has anyone ever judged you wrongly?

 

 

 

 

16 Do you pay little attention to how you dress?

 

How would you describe the way you dress? Where do you get most of your clothes? 

 

 

 

 

17 Do you find handicrafts boring?

 

Do you know how to do any handicrafts? What are some of your hobbies? Do your friends share your hobbies?

18 Do you often misunderstand people because you don’t pay close enough attention?

 

Has anything serious happened because you didn’t listen carefully?

 

 

 

 

19 Do you prefer designs that use many different colors together, rather than just one or two?

 

What is your favorite color? What colors do you dislike? What designs—for example, a building or a product—do you admire?

 

 

 

 

20 Do you easily cry when you hear about or see something sad?

 

When was the last time you cried? Do you enjoy watching sad movies or TV programs?

 

 

 

 

21 Do you usually sleep so deeply that it is difficult to wake you up?

 

How do you usually wake up? Can you usually remember what you dreamed about when you wake up?

 

 

 

 

22 Are you a loud, energetic talker?

 

Has anyone ever told you that you talk too loudly? What conversation topics do you most enjoy talking about?

 

 

 

 

23 Are your facial expressions often exaggerated?

 

Do you think people can usually understand how you are feeling by looking at your facial expressions? Has anyone ever complimented you on the way you smile? Do people think you look scary when you are angry?

 

 

 

 

24 Are you very practical about your future?

 

What are some of the things you are doing now to prepare for your future? What are your biggest hopes for your future?

 

 

 

 

25 Do you usually keep a smile on your face even when you feel unhappy?

 

Do you usually try to keep your true feelings hidden? Why? When you are in a bad mood, how do you usually show it?

26 In your circle of friends, are you considered ordinary, rather than outstanding?

 

In your circle of friends, who is considered the most outstanding? What do you consider to be the most outstanding thing about you? Do your friends agree? Is it important to you to stand out from other people?

 

 

 

 

27 Are you usually satisfied to do tasks just well enough to be acceptable without really excelling?

 

Why or why not? Was this true when you were a student? Are there some things that you try to do perfectly?

 

 

 

 

28 Do you think you are an articulate person?

 

Why do you think so? Do you hope to become more articulate? Do you know anybody who is very articulate?

 

 

 

 

29 Do you avoid crying in front of other people, no matter what?

 

When was the last time someone else saw you crying? Do you often cry when you are alone? Do you think it is all right for guys to cry in front of other people? How would you feel if your lover cried in front of you?

 

 

 

 

30 Are you more diligent than most people?

 

If you are, where do you think you learned to do this? Do you ever think you work too hard? Has anyone ever called you lazy?

 

 

 

 

Type A : Type As are ambitious, and unwilling to fall behind. Others often think that Type As enjoy bullying others because of their aggressiveness. The most compatible partner for Type As is someone who can continually provide direction and advice, and who is highly intelligent.

 

Type B : Type Bs have highly aggressive personalities, and pursue their ideals with great determination and willingness to struggle heroically to attain those ideals. The most compatible lover for Type Bs is someone who is kind and considerate, and who is willing to make his or her lover the center of his or her world.

 

Type C : Type Cs are generally men, with a heroic air, in addition to being frank and straightforward. A person who also speak directly what’s on their mind is most suited to being a Type C person’s lover.

 

Type D : Since Type Ds are very cheerful and energetic, they are very popular and well-liked by everyone. The best lover for Type Ds is someone from their circle of friends who they know well and have come to trust. This lover should be someone who is easygoing and lets Type Ds keep their personal freedom.

 

Type E : Type Es seek balance in their lives, and are hesitant to take risks. They are highly practical. The most ideal partner for Type Es is someone who cheerful and physically active.

Type F : Type Fs are kind people who are still very demanding and apt to complain when wronged. When Fs fall in love, they do so with all their heart, and are not likely to fall out of love. A person who is casual and not too stubborn is best suited to Fs.

 

Type G : Type Gs are gentle and warm-hearted, and often willing to make great sacrifices to help a friend in need, or even strangers. Because of this kind of personality, Type Gs are most happy with a person who is weaker and need to be taken care of by others.

 

Type H : Type Hs are much more persistent and patient than others, and usually are strongly ambitious. Type Hs are very conscientious and pay close attention to details when doing any kind of work. Partners who are not too talkative, but are similarly conscientious and serious are most suitable for Type Hs.

 

Type I : Type Is are usually women. They often behave like spoiled children, getting angry easily and refusing to listen to their partner. However, they are very kind. The best type of partner for Type Is is someone very strong, who won’t be discouraged by the way Type Is act.

 

Type J : Although Type Js don’t appear to be, they are extremely passionate. They often seem eccentric, and aren’t very talkative. However, in their innermost heart, they are very romantic and full of wild dreams. Kind and passionate partners are most compatible with Type Js, and only this kind of person can bring out the “real” personality of Type Js.

 

Type K : Type Ks are highly talented, and have strong personalities that make them stand out from other people. Partners who also have strong personalities are most compatible with Type Ks. Although Type Ks often argue over trivial matters, in the end they are usually able to find happiness in their love relationships.

 

 

Effects of praise on children

 

What kind of a student were you in the fifth grade? What was your best subject? Do you honestly think you were smarter than most of your classmates? Do you think you studied harder, or less hard, than most of your classmates?

 

Source of article: http://www.nymag.com/news/features/27840

Source of video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVlIQpleZr8

 

 

 

 

assume : to accept something to be true without question or proof  • attempt : when you try to do something, especially something difficult  • backfire : (of a plan) to have the opposite result from the one you intended  • control : to order, limit, instruct or rule something, or someone’s actions or behavior  • cop-out : a way of avoiding doing something difficult or unpleasant that you should do, or the excuse that you use to do this  • design : to have as a plan or purpose  • discount : to decide that something or someone is not worth consideration or attention  • effect : the result of a particular influence  • emphasize : to show or state that something is particularly important or worth giving attention to  • focus : to give a lot of attention to one particular person, subject or thing  • intelligence : the ability to learn, understand and make judgments or have opinions that are based on reason  • involve : to include someone or something in something, or to make them take part in or feel part of it  • miserable : very unhappy  • praise : to express admiration or approval about the achievements or characteristics of a person or thing  • research : a detailed study of a subject, especially in order to discover (new) information or reach a (new) understanding  • respond : to say or do something as a reaction to something that has been said or done  • risk : to do something although there is a chance of a bad result  • significantly : noticeably  • stigmatize : to treat someone or something unfairly by disapproving of them  • suspect : to think or believe something to be true or probable  • sweat : to excrete a salty colorless liquid through the skin because you are hot, ill or frightened  • valid : based on truth or reason; able to be accepted

 

 

 

 

The researchers took a single child out of a fifth-grade class and gave him a test. Once the child had finished the test, the researchers told each student his score, and then gave him some praise. Some children were praised for their intelligence. They were told, “You must be smart at this.” Other students were praised for their effort: “You must have worked really hard.”

 

How do you think the effect of the two kinds of praise might have been different? Which kind of praise do you think is probably better? As a child, were you more often praised for being smart or for your effort? Which kind of praise do you, or would you, offer more often to your children?

 

 

 

 

Then the students were given a choice for the second test. One choice was a test that would be more difficult than the first, but the researchers told the kids that they would learn a lot from attempting it. The other choice, the researchers explained, was an easy test, just like the first. Of the children the researchers had praised for their effort, 90 percent chose the harder test. Of those the researchers had praised for their intelligence, most chose the easy test. The “smart” kids took the cop-out.

 

Why do you think there was such a big difference between the two groups of children? Can you explain why there is this difference? Which test do you think you would probably have chosen?

 

 

 

 

Why did this happen? When we praise children for their intelligence, we are giving them the message that it’s important to seem smart and not risk making mistakes. And that’s what the fifth-graders had done: They had chosen to look smart and avoid the risk of being embarrassed.

For the third test, none of the fifth-graders had a choice. The test was difficult, designed for kids two years ahead of their grade level. Predictably, everyone failed. But again, the two groups of children responded differently. Those who had been praised for their effort on the first test assumed they simply had not focused hard enough on this test. They got very involved, willing to try every solution to the test questions. Many of them told the researchers, “This is my favorite test.” Not so for those who had been praised for their smarts. They assumed their failure showed that they were not really smart at all. During the test, they were sweating and looked miserable.

 

Which test do you think you probably would have chosen? Do you often avoid risking mistakes so you won’t look stupid? How much pressure do you feel to do well at work, at school, and among your friends and family? How much pressure do you feel during this class? Do you prefer if people around you do not have high expectations for how well you can do?

 

 

 

 

Having made the students suffer a failure, the researchers then gave all the fifth-graders a final test that was designed to be as easy as the first one. Those whom the researchers had praised for their effort significantly improved on their first score—by about 30 percent. Those whom the researchers had told were smart did worse than they had done at the very beginning—by about 20 percent.

The researchers had suspected that praise could backfire, but even they were surprised at how large the effect was. Effort is something that a child can control, and so children who are praised for effort come to see themselves as in control of their success. Emphasizing natural intelligence takes it out of the child’s control, and does not give children a good way to respond to a failure.

 

The researchers also found that children who think that intelligence is the key to success begin to discount the importance of effort. I am smart, the kids’ thinking goes, so I don’t need to put out effort. Making an effort becomes stigmatized—it just shows that you can’t succeed using your natural abilities.

 

Are you surprised by the results of the research? Do you think the results are probably valid? Do you feel that effort is more important than intelligence to success? Do you ever try to hide the effort you are making—for example, to learn English—to make it seem you are just using your natural abilities?

 

 

 

 

B+  |  knock out  |  report card  |  time-out

 

How would you describe the way this “mother” is encouraging her son to learn—is she praising his intelligence, praising his effort, or doing something else? Does she remind you of your own parents at all? Did your parents look at all of your report cards? How did they usually respond if they were good? How about if they were bad? Do you think there are many mothers like this one in Taiwan? Do you think her way of encouraging her son to learn is good?

 

 

Recent knowledge quiz

How much do you keep up with the current state of knowledge in the field in which you work? How about the field you studied in school? In general, how familiar are you with recent additions to our knowledge?

 

 

 

aggressive : behaving in an angry and violent way towards another person  • birthmark : a brownish or reddish mark which is on a person’s skin from when they are born  • chew : to bite something with your teeth, usually in order to taste its flavor  •  conceive : to become pregnant, or to cause a baby to begin to form  • designer : made by a famous or fashionable designer  • director : a person who is in charge of a film and tells the actors how to play their parts  •  district : an area of a country or town which has fixed borders that are used for official purposes, or which has a particular feature that makes it different from surrounding areas  •  enforce : to make people obey a law, or to make a particular situation happen or be accepted  •  equivalent : something having the same amount, value, purpose, qualities, etc as something else  •  feature : a typical quality or an important part of something  • furnishings : the furniture, curtains and other decorations in a room or building  • genre : a style, especially in the arts, that involves a particular set of characteristics  • kidney : either of a pair of small organs in the body which take away waste matter from the blood to produce urine  •  lack : to not have or not have enough of something that is needed or wanted  •  likely : describes something that will probably happen or is expected  •  manicure : treatment for the hands which involves softening the skin and making the fingernails look better by cutting, smoothing and possibly painting them  • mane : the long thick hair that grows along the top of a horse’s neck or around the face and neck of a lion  •  mate : an animal’s sexual partner  • nipple : the dark part of the skin which sticks out from the breast of a mammal and through which milk is supplied to the young  •  overall : in general rather than in particular, or including all the people or things in a particular group or situation  •  penis : the part of a male’s body which is used for urinating and in sexual activity  •   pest : an insect or small animal which is harmful or which damages crops  •  profit : money which is earned in trade or business, especially after paying the costs of producing and selling goods and services  •  promiscuous : having a lot of different sexual partners or sexual relationships, or (of sexual habits) involving a lot of different partners  •  prone : tending to show a particular negative characteristic  • raw materials : materials that have not been processed or are in a natural state  • relative : being judged or measured in comparison with something else  •  reveal : to make known or show something that is surprising or that was previously secret  • search engine : a computer program which finds information on the Internet by looking for words which you have typed in  •  sidewalk : a path with a hard surface beside one or both sides of a road, that people walk on  • specific : relating to one thing and not others; particular  •  spit : to force out the contents of the mouth, especially saliva  • user interface : way of showing information to a user  • worthless : unimportant or useless

01 What proportion of Europeans was conceived in an Ikea bed?

A Around 2 or 3 out of 100.

B About 1 in 10.

C Roughly a third.

 

What kind of bed do you sleep in? Do you own any home furnishings from Ikea? How often do you go to Ikea? What do you think of Ikea’s design sense? How is your home furnished?

02 What preference do female lions have about their mates?

A That the male be able to run fast.

B That the male have a dark brown mane.

C That the male be smaller in size than they are.

 

Do you like a mate who is athletic? What preferences do you have about hair color? What about height or weight? What other specific preferences do you have in a potential mate?

03 “I jump out of planes, I could be covered in cockroaches, I do all sorts of things, but I just don’t like the feel of ________’ bodies,” says Nicole Kidman, explaining why she is afraid of ________. What is she scared of?

A Black guys.

B Butterflies.

C Cats.

Which of the things mentioned are you scared of? Would you be willing to jump out of plane? What are some other things that frighten you? 

04 What does the length of a man’s fingers relative to his overall body size reveal?

A His intelligence.

B The length of his penis.

C How physically aggressive he is.

 

May I see your fingers, please? What do you think of the way your hands look? Have you ever gotten a manicure? Do you pay much attention to the way other people’s fingers or hands look? Do you think fingers or hands can be sexy? What kinds of fingers or hands are sexiest?

05 What does one in every 18 people have?

A A third eye.

B A third nipple.

C A third kidney.

Is there anything unusual about your body—for example, an interesting-looking birthmark? If you had to have one of the extra body parts, which would you choose and why? If you could choose, where would you put it?

06 How many pieces of chewing gum are there for every square meter of sidewalk in the London district of Westminster?

A 3.

B 20.

C 76.

 

Do you think there should be a law against spitting out gum onto sidewalks and that it should be strictly enforced? How often do you chew gum? When you do chew gum, what flavor, brand, or type do you prefer? Do you chew gum mostly for the taste, to freshen your breath, or for some other reason? During the day, do you pay attention to keeping your breath fresh? What do you do to keep it fresh?

07 What word is most often misspelled when Internet search engines are used?

A Foreign.

B Restaurant.

C Separate.

 

Do you have any trouble spelling any of these words? What English words’ spellings give you trouble? What Chinese characters do you find hard to remember how to write? What search engine do you use when you want to find something on the Internet? Why do you use this search engine? What tricks do you know for finding the information you need easily and quickly? What kinds of information do you most often use search engines to find? Do you ever use the Internet to find a restaurant to try or find out more about a restaurant? How do you usually find new restaurants to try?

 

 

 

 

08 How do the chances of being bitten by a human and by a rat compare?

A You are 10 times more likely to be bitten by a human.

B You are 10 times more likely to be bitten by a rat.

C You are about equally likely to be bitten by either.

 

Have you ever been bitten by an animal? How about by a human? Have you ever bitten anyone? Have you ever had rats in your home? What did you do to get rid of them? What pest problems do you have in your home now?

09 How much in raw materials is needed to make one mobile phone?

A 1.5 kilograms.

B 75 kilograms.

C 250 kilograms.

 

What kind of mobile phone do you use? How long have you been using it? Why did you choose it? What do you think of its features? What about its appearance? How about its user interface? Would you recommend it? What other phones have you used in the past, and how do they compare to your current phone? What mobile phone network do you use? Do you use any special services? What do you think overall of this network?

10 What is the most profitable film ever made?

A Deep Throat (深喉嚨).

B Gone With The Wind (亂世佳人).

C Shrek 2 (史瑞克2).

 

Which of the movies have you seen? What did you think of them? What was the last movie that you saw? What are a few of your favorite movies? Do you have any favorite directors, actors/actresses, or genres? How do you generally choose a movie to watch? 

11 What does research on first- and last-born children reveal?

A The former are less creative but more stable, while the latter are more promiscuous.

B The former are less prone to psychological problems and enjoy better overall health, while the latter tend to achieve more in their careers.

C The former are more self-confident but lacking in social skills, while the latter are more intelligent.

 

Were you either the first- and last-born child in your family? How are the first- and last-born in your family most different? Which of the descriptions mentioned in the answer choices describes you best? If you had to choose between the being the first-born and last-born child described in each of the answer choices, which would you choose and why?

 

 

 

 

12 What does the Japanese word chokuegambo mean?

A The act of describing something as worthless.  

B A situation where two people are waiting for the other to do what neither person wants to do.

C The wish that there were more designer-brand shops on a given street.

 

Which of the answer choices define a word that you would probably find most useful? How often do you find yourself in the situation described by answer choice B? How often do you have the wish described in answer choice C? Do you know any English words with unusual meanings, or that don’t have a good equivalent in Chinese? Do you have any favorite words (in any language)?

 

 

 

 

ANSWERS : 01-B | 02-B | 03-B | 04-C | 05-B | 06-B | 07-B | 08-A | 09-B | 10-A | 11-A | 12-C

 

 

Expert advice on learning English

 

Have you ever received any especially good advice about learning English? If so, what? If not, how did you come to have your current approach for learning English? When you have a question about learning English who, if anyone, do you ask?

accurate : correct, exact and without any mistakes  • attitude : a feeling or opinion about something or someone, or a way of behaving that is caused by this  • communicate : to share information with others by speaking, writing, moving your body or using other signals  • comprehension : the ability to understand completely and be aware of a situation, facts, etc  • consultant : someone who advises people on a particular subject  • contrasting : very different  • demand : to ask for something forcefully, in a way that shows that a refusal is not expected  • distinguish : to notice or understand the difference between two things  • encourage : to make someone more likely to do something, or to make something more likely to happen  • environment : the conditions that you live or work in and the way that they influence how you feel or how effectively you can work  • expert : a person with a high level of knowledge or skill; a specialist  • express : to show a feeling, opinion or fact  • factor : a fact or situation which influences the result of something  • focus : the main or central point of something, especially of attention or interest  • force : to make something happen or make someone do something difficult, unpleasant or unusual, especially by threatening or not offering the possibility of choice  • goal : an aim or purpose  • ideal : without fault; perfect, or the best possible  • infant : a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk  • influence : to affect or change how someone or something develops, behaves or thinks  • long-term : a long period of time  • minimize : to reduce something to the least possible level or amount  • native speaker : someone who has spoken a particular language since they were a baby, rather than having learned it as a child or adult  • predict : to say that an event or action will happen in the future, especially as a result of knowledge or experience  • proficient : skilled and experienced  • source : the place something comes from or starts at  • unpleasant : not enjoyable

1 It’s a good idea for Taiwanese mothers to speak only English to their infants.

If you have a baby, how and when will you teach him or her English, if at all? If you were living in an English-speaking country and had children, would you teach your children Chinese? Why or why not? How about Taiwanese (if you yourself can speak it)? When and how did you begin learning English? How were your first experiences with English? What was your parents’ attitude about your learning English when you were growing up? Did they encourage you to do it, force you to do it, or not really care? Do you think this was the right attitude?

2 When listening to English, you should try to distinguish each word that is used.

When listening to English, do you try to distinguish each word that is used? What types of things in English do you listen to on your own? What do you do when you hear words whose meaning you don’t know? Can you think of any other good advice for improving English listening comprehension?

3 A high-pressure classroom environment, while unpleasant, is better for improving students’ English over the long term.

Do you think you learn better in a high-pressure classroom environment? If so, would you like this class to be more highly pressured? Were the English classes you have taken before this one very high-pressure? Could you describe what you think is the ideal classroom environment for learning English?

4 A language teacher’s focus should be on encouraging communication rather than demanding accuracy.

Were most of the English classes you have taken before this one focused on communication or accuracy? Is there anything else that you think English classes should be focused on?

5 Public schools in Taiwan should use American-style teaching methods and more foreign teachers for their English classes.

What do you think are the biggest differences between American-style teaching methods and Taiwanese-style teaching methods? What other ideas do you have for improving English education in Taiwan?

6 You can’t improve your writing unless someone corrects your mistakes.

Is writing well in English very important to you? Why or why not? How about writing well in Chinese? What sorts of things do you write in English? How much reading do you do in English? What do you usually read? Do you have any other suggestions for improving writing in English?

7 The main reason grammar is taught is that it’s the most important factor in how well you can communicate in English.

What do you think is the best way to improve your grammar in English? How good is your grammar in Chinese? How did you learn to use correct grammar in Chinese? How important do you think correct grammar is for communicating in English? Do you think there are any other things that are more important—for example, pronunciation, vocabulary, etc?

8 Women generally learn foreign languages more quickly and to a higher level of proficiency than men do.

Is your opinion different from what you predict the expert’s opinion is? If so, why? Do you know anybody who is good at learning foreign languages very quickly? If so, why do you think this person is able to do this? How good do you think you are learning foreign languages? Besides English, what foreign languages have you studied? Could you compare your experience with learning them and learning English?

9 With the right study methods, it is possible for adult learners to learn to speak English exactly like native speakers.

Is your opinion different from what you predict the expert’s opinion is? If so, why? If you could never speak or write English like a native speaker, would it make you upset? Why or why not? When you speak English, are you generally “translating from Chinese”? What advice would you give to someone who was trying to break such a habit? Do you have any suggestions for minimizing the influence of Chinese when you speak English? Do you have a final goal for how good you would like your English to become?

1 : LG Alexander disagrees : Mothers communicating naturally is more important than teaching English to their infants.  • 2 : LG Alexander disagrees : When listening to English, you should try to listen for meaning as a whole, not individual words.  • 3 : Stephen Krashen disagrees : A high-pressure classroom environment is only good for short-term learning, and then only for tests.  • 4 : Stephen Krashen agrees : A language teacher’s focus should be on encouraging communication rather than demanding accuracy.  • 5 : Japanese consultant agrees : Public schools in Taiwan should use American-style teaching methods and more foreign teachers for their English classes.  • 6 : LG Alexander disagrees : You can improve your writing through reading.  • 7 : LG Alexander disagrees : The main reason that grammar is taught is that students want to know about it.  • 8 : Paul Meara agrees : Women generally learn foreign languages more quickly and to a higher level of proficiency than do men.  • 9 : LG Alexander disagrees : To learn to speak English exactly like native speakers, you must be in effect a native speaker, mastering the language at an early age. 

Experts : LG Alexander, author of many books for learners of English  • Stephen Krashen, foreign language education researcher  • Japanese consultant to the government on English education  • Paul Meara, second-language acquisition researcher