Unit FourUnit Four

The Multicultural

Society

Students should be able to Grasp the main idea and structure of

the text Practice critical thinking ability

through in-depth discussions on issues mentioned in the text

Master the key language points and grammatical structures in the text

Learn how to make a detailed outline

Teaching Objectives

Term Introduction

collage

mosaic

a melting pot

pluralism

multiculturalism

A collage

collage : a picture made by sticking other pictures, photographs, cloth etc onto a surface

Why is America compared to a collage?

Because it consists of many races with different cultures.

mosaic

mosaic

mosaic: a pattern or picture made by fitting together small pieces of colored stone, glass etc.

Why is America compared to a mosaic?

Because it consists of many races with different cultures.

Map of the USA (50 states)

melting pot : a container in which a substance is melted.

Why is America compared to a melting pot?

Because it is a place where immigrants of different cultures or races form an integrated society.

The Great Melting Pot

Anonymous

My grandmother came from Russia, a satchel on her knee.My grandfather had his father's capHe brought from Italy.They'd heard about a countryWhere life might let them win.They paid the fare to America and there they melted in.You simply melt right inIt doesn't matter what your skinIt doesn't matter where you're fromOr your religion, you jump right inTo the great American melting pot.

• Traditionally the United States has been described as a melting pot, a place where the previous identities of each immigrant group are melted down to create an integrated, uniform society. Since 1960s, many Americans have rejected the melting pot metaphor in favor of the images of mosaic, a picture created by assembling many small stones of tiles. In a mosaic, each piece retains its own distinctive identity, while contributing to a large design.

• Advocates of the mosaic metaphor assert that it better represents the diverse multicultural society of the United States. Today, many Americans value their immigrant heritage as an important part of their identity. More recent immigrants have established communities alongside those populated by the descendants of European immigrants, such as French Americans, German Americans, Irish Americans, and Italian Americans.

Pluralism: referring to the acceptance of

many different groups in society or many

different schools of thought in an

intellectual or cultural discipline.

Although America’s culture is becoming

more uniform, its society remains a

diverse mix of ethnic, racial, and religious

groups. The US is a pluralistic society,

meaning it is composed of many

nationalities, races, religions, and creeds.

Multiculturalism is a concept with many meanings. But it often refers to acceptance of immigrant and minority groups as distinct communities, distinguishable from the majority population. Advocates of multiculturalism believe that members of minority groups should enjoy equal rights in American society without giving up their diverse ethnic cultures. Multiculturalists reject the idea of a melting pot and assimilation.

Immigrants of American Population

Immigrants take the oath of U.S. citizenship in Gilbert, Arizona

Listen to the news and fill in the blanks.The U.S. population has reached

according to the Census Bureau.One baby is born every seconds,

one person dies every seconds,

and a new immigrant arrives in the United States every seconds,

adding up to one new American every seconds.

300 million

seven

13

3111

Listening Practice

( )

( )( )

( ) ( )

In 1915, the United States reached the

mark.  In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson

held a news conference to the million arrival. 

Hispanics are the fastest segment of America's population

100-million

200th

growing

( )

( )

( )

America as a CollageRyszard Kapuscinski

Contents Background information Text Organization Language Points Text Analysis Useful Expressions Word Study Reading Skills Writing Strategy

1. Background information

About the author: Ryszard Kapuscinski: Born 1932 in Pinsk, th

e preeminent Polish journalist and essayist, was for many years the Polish Press Agency’s only foreign correspondent, reporting on wars, coups and revolutions in America, Asia and Africa. He has created his own exciting style of reportage and reflection in books such as The Emperor,

The Soccer War and Imperium.

2. Text Organization

Parts Para. Main Ideas

America is not declining, but is in the process of creating a new collage-like civilization.

Los Angeles is a good example of such a collage-like civilization.

The common gain that harmonizes competing cultures in one place is “the chance to try”

1-5

6-21

22-24

I

II

III

Questions for Understanding the Text

Part I1. Why is it hard to think of America in

decline?

2. What thesis does Paul Kennedy advance in his book? Does the author agree with him?

3. Why does the author think that America will not follow historical precedent that all powerful nations declined?

4. What is the main idea of Part1?

Questions for Understanding the Text

Part II1. In what way is the city Los Angeles differen

t from other cities? 2. What can you infer from the example of a P

C company in Orange County? 3. What is the difference in the relations betwe

en developed and underdeveloped worlds now and before?

4. Who was Jose Vasconcelos? What did he write about in the book mentioned in this section?

5. What is the main idea of this part?

Questions for Understanding the Text

Part III

1. What makes the diverse races and cultures exist in America harmoniously?

2. In what way is the combination of culture and space important to immigrants to America?

3. What is the main of this part?

3. Language Points

Para. 3 (Line13) — all powerful nations declined and gave way t

o other empires. give way to:

(1) to be replaced by something else

e.g. Stone has given way to glass and concrete.

(2) to agree to do what someone else wants

e.g. We will not give way to those who believe that power grows out of the barrel of a gun.

我们不会向那些认为枪杆子中出权利的人让路。

3. Language PointsPara. 4 (Line 18) fuse: （ with, into ） to become mixed or u

nited by or as if by melting together e.g. There was no separation between joy a

nd sorrow: they fused into one. 痛苦与欢乐之间没有界限：它们融为了一体 . melt: to gradually change into something el

se or to gradually become hidden by something

e.g. Here individuals of all races are melted into a new race of men.

在这里，各种族的成员融合在一起形成一个新的人类 .

3. Language Points merge: if two things merge, or if one thing

merges into another, you cannot clearly see them, hear them as separate things

[merge into] e.g. She avoided reporters at the airport by

merging into the crowds. [merge with] e.g. Memories seemed to merge with reality. blend: to combine different things in a way

that produces an effective or pleasant result, or to become combined in this way

e.g. a story that blends fact and legend mix: to combine, to blend

3. Language PointsPara.8 (Line 37) facility ： (1) a natural ability to do sth. easily and well

ￚ syn. talent

e.g. She has an amazing facility for languages.

(2) plu. rooms, equipment, or services that are provided for a particular purpose

e.g. All rooms have private facilities (=private bathroom and toilet 卫生设施 ) .

The hotel has its own pool and leisure facilities .

3. Language PointsPara. 10 (Line 51 ）Ninety percent of the immigrants to this city is ...

immigrant ： someone who enters another country to live there permanently

emigrant: someone who leaves their own country to live in another

migrant: (1) someone who goes to live in another area or country, especially in order to find work

(2) a bird or animal that travels regularly from one part of the world to another

3. Language PointsPara. 21 (Line 99)

This type of man is being borne in Los Angeles.

Cf.

born and borne

“be born” 表示“出生，出身” “be borne” 表示“生育，生产” e.g He was born in Jinan in 1990.

A fine prince was borne by the queen.

3. Language PointsPara.23 (Line 109)

The culture allows you to try to be somebody.

be someone/somebody: to be or feel important

e.g. Gerber was determined to be someone.

I'd always wanted to be someone.

be (really/quite) something: (spoken) used to say that something is very good and impressive 了不起 , 很重要

e.g. Running your own company at 21 is

really something.

That was really something, wasn't it?

4. Text Analysis

Critical Thinking

• Compare the three terms which are often used to describe American culture, “a melting pot”, “a collage of cultures”, “a mosaic of cultures”, and see if there are any differences between them.

4. Text Analysis

Writing Strategy: Symbolism

Symbolism is the representation of something in a symbolic form. In the text, Los Angeles symbolizes a new civilization. Other things of symbolic value found in the text are listed below. Now write down what they stand for.

Symbolism

Things of Symbolic Value

Standing for

Los Angeles

A PC company in orange County

A person born in Los Angeles

America in the eyes of immigrants

A new civilization

A fusion of Third World cultures with the modern mentalities and technologies

A citizen of the world

A place where you always have a chance to try

4. Text Analysis

The author stresses in different ways that the Pacific civilization is completely NEW in history. Find the synonyms or synonymous expressions

Line 22. for the first time since….

Line 24. now is the first chance…

Line 25. unprecedented

Line 32. there is no previous example of …..

Line 34. completely unknown in the history

Writing Strategy: Synonyms

5. Useful Expressions重蹈历史覆辙

从另一个角度看待正在发生的一切

从历史角度来看

以一个多民族多文化的社会进入二十一世纪

人类历史上前所未有的

follow historical precedent

another way to look at what is happening

historically speaking

enter the twenty-first century as a multiracial and multiracial society

completely unknown in the history of mankind

5. Useful Expressions人类构成的普遍趋势

高科技园

时间观念

停滞不前的社会

融洽的合作

生活水准 / 生活水平

the general trend in the composition of mankind

high-technology parks

a conception of time

a stagnant / paralyzed society

a harmonious cooperation

living standard

6. Word Study

aggressive

paralyze

offend

submerge

stagnant

aggressive:

(1) to be strong and forceful toward something

or toward someone. 咄咄逼人 e.g. It's not polite to be aggressive with

customers.

(2) very determined to succeed or get what you want 积极进取

e.g. A successful businessman has to be

aggressive.

an aggressive marketing campaign

aggressively adv.

aggressiveness n. [uncountable]

paralyze:

(1) lose the ability to move part or all of one’s

body, or to feel it

e.g. Her legs were partly paralysed in the crash.

(2) to make something unable to operate normally

e.g. Fear of unemployment is paralysing the economy.

Motor traffic was paralysed in much of the city.

be paralyzed with fear by 被…吓瘫 , 被…所吓倒。 paralyze one's efforts 使努力尽成泡影。

offend:(1) to make someone angry or upset by doin

g or saying something that they think is rude, unkind etc 冒犯，触犯，得罪；激怒

e.g. His remarks deeply offended many Scottish people.

[be offended by/at something] e.g. Liddy was offended by such a perso

nal question. offend the ear /eye 刺耳 ( 眼 ) ，逆耳 ( 难

看 ) e.g. Some of these new buildings really of

fend the eye (=look very ugly) .

(2) v.i. formal to commit a crime or crimes

犯罪，犯过错 e.g. Many of the young men here are like

ly to offend again.

(3) formal to be against people's feelings of what is morally acceptable 违犯，违背 ( 礼仪等 )

[offend against]

e.g. Broadcasters have a responsibility not to offend against good taste and decency.

submerge: (1) to cover something completely with water

or another liquid e.g. The tunnel entrance was submerged b

y rising sea water.(2) to go under the surface of the water and b

e completely covered by it e.g. The submarine submerged.(3) to hide feelings, ideas, or opinions and ma

ke yourself stop thinking about them —syn. suppress e.g. Feelings she thought she'd submerged

were surfacing again.

(4) to make yourself very busy doing something, especially in order to forget about something else

[submerge yourself in something]

e.g. Alice submerged herself in work to try and forget about Tom.

stagnant:(1) stagnant water or air does not move or flow and often smells bad e.g. a stagnant pond 死水潭(2) not changing or making progress, and conti

nuing to be in a bad condition e.g. a government plan to revive the stagn

ant economy 停滞的经济(3) lacking vitality or briskness; sluggish or du

ll e.g. a stagnant mind 愚笨的头脑 Cf. stable: consistently dependable. 稳定 e.g. a stable economy 稳固的经济

7. Reading Skills Making an Outline The outline lets you see a whole essay at a glan

ce. It not only records the main ideas but also shows their relative importance and their relationships with each other.

Two common forms of outline: The topic outline The sentence outline

Your success in outlining depends on your logic in choosing and arranging items.

7. Reading SkillsMaking an Outline

The following points are worthy of note:

A. The main divisions of the author’s thought are the major sections into which the lesser points are grouped. You must break down a whole into its main parts and then break each of these parts into its own smaller parts, and so on.

B. You must make the main points comparable. The material of each should have about the same level of importance as that of the others.

7. Reading SkillsMaking an Outline

C. You must omit everything irrelevant to the main plan. Rhetorical questions, figures of speech, elaborate descriptions, repetitions for effects — reduce them all to the basic points they illustrate or emphasize.

Look at Text A again and try to make a detailed outline of it.

7. Reading Skills Sentence Outline of the Text(1-5) Part I. America is not declining, but is

in the process of creating a new collage-like civilization.

(2) 1. It is not absolutely paralyzed, incapable of any improvement like other nations.

(3) 2. It may not follow the historical precedent.

(4) 3. Instead of declining, it may fuse with the Pacific culture to create a collage of cultures.

(5) 4. Instead of a history of nations, it is creating a history of civilization.

(6-21) Part II. Los Angeles is a good example

of such a collage-like civilization.

(7-9) 1. Los Angeles will enter the 21 century as

a multiracial, multicultural society.

(10) 2. This transformation of American culture

anticipates the general trend in the

composition of mankind.

(11-14) 3. Traditional Third Word cultures are

fusing with the most modern mentalities

and technologies.

(15-16) 4. The general character of the relationship

between developed and underdeveloped

worlds is cooperation and construction, not

exploitation and destruction.

(17-20) 5. Los Angeles’ potential of development

lies in that the Third World mentality merges

with an open sense of possibility, a culture

of organization, a western conception of

time.

( 21) 6. Los Angeles is giving birth to a new type

of man, a man of all races on the planet.

(22-24) Part III. The common gain that harmonizes competing cultures in one place is “the chance to try”

Exercises for Unit 4Directions: For each of the following sentences Directions: For each of the following sentences

there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the ONE answer that best completes Choose the ONE answer that best completes the sentence.the sentence.

1. Charles Darwin, the famous biologist, was deeply interested in the _____ of animals and plants.

A) specific B) characteristic

C) peculiar D) particular

B

2. Many of the earliest _____ into the United States established large plantations.A) emigrants B) emigrations

C) immigrants D) migrants

3. These goods are _____ for export, though a few of them may be sold on the home market.A) essentially B) completely C) necessarily D) remarkably

4. Failure usually comes in _____ with misfortunes.A) combination B) relation

C) connection D) association

C

A

A

5. High interest rates _____ people from borrowing money.A) dissuade B) disturb

C) distract D) discourage

6. He finished his _____for master’s degree last month.A) thesis B) treatise

C) discourse D) disquisition

7. Mr. Thompson gave all the _____ papers of his grandfather to the public library according to this grandfather’s will.A) history B) historic

C) historical D) historically

D

A

C

8. It’s very difficult to understand the _____of people who say such things.A) heart B) mind

C) head D) mentality

9. Hurricanes are killer winds, and their _____ power lies in the physical damage they can do.A. cumulative B. destructive

C. turbulent D. prevalent

10. Someday software will translate both written and spoken language so well that the need for any common second language could _____ .A. descend B. decline

C. deteriorate D. depress

D

B

B

11. We must learn to see things in their right _____ and avoid making mistakes.

A. prospective B. prosperity

C. perspective D. permissive

12. The talk dwells too much _____ the economic aspects of the problem.

A. on B. in C. to D. for

13. _____ popular belief that classical music is too complex, it achieves a simplicity that only a genius can create.

A. Subject to B. Contrary to

C. Familiar to D. Similar to

C

A

B

14.The residents in the neighborhood all _____ the council’s decision to close the small dye factory.

A. certified B. accredited

C. applauded D. ratified

15. My memory of the devastating earthquake is only a _____.

A. shady B. shadowy

C. obscure D. blur

16. I don’t want to lend any money to him; he’s already in debt _____ me.

A. to B. for C. of D. with

C

D

A

17. The use of steam _____ many other reforms.A. originate B. originate in

C. originate from D. originate to

18. Many English words are _____ from Latin.A. got B. obtained

C. acquired D. derived

19. There is a _____ of cruelty in his character.A. characteristic B. quality

C. feature D. streak

20. I don’t think it is wise of you to _____ your greater knowledge in front of the director, for it may offend him.A. show up B. show out

C. show off D. show in

A

D

D

C