Unit 4
The Language Puzzle
Vocabulary skills: Then use dictionary to complete the chart.
1)
Read the text .Then use your dictionary to complete the chart.
Last year, I went to China. I study Chinese and I wanted to practice. While I was there, I got sick .I
went to a local hospital and asked to see a doctor .I said, “I want to see „neiyi.”I was confident this
was right; however, the nurse looked at me in confusion. This made me a little mad .I repeated in my
best Chinese, “I want to see‟neiyi.”Finally, she seemed to understand .She smiled and took me to a
doctor. That evening at the hotel, I looked in my dictionary .I wanted to translate what I said. I found
that “neiyi” means “underwear” in Chinese. The word for “doctor “are “neigeyi sheng”
Part of speech
Example sentence
nurse
______________________
____________________________________
confident
______________________
____________________________________
confusion
______________________
____________________________________
mad
______________________
____________________________________
2)
Check these words in your dictionary. Then complete the text.
co-workers
embarrassed
ice international
weather
a
I am a truck driver. I work for an ___________________company, so I drive all over Europe. Last
b
January, I went to Spain .The ___________________ was very cold. I wanted to ask if there was any
c
___________________on the road, but my Spanish isn‟t very good .Spanish for “ice “is “hielo.”I
used the word “helado.”However, this means “ice-cream.”I asked, “Is there any ice cream on the
road?”Everyone
laughed
.I
felt
very
d
___________________.Even
___________________tell me, “There is no ice cream on the road today, Peter!”
1|P age
now,
all
my
e
Predicting
You’re going to read a letter from an American teenager to his partners. With a partner, look at
these words and try to guess the story.
Ben
Mexico City
learn
Spanish
problems
stay friendly
embarrassed
Reading fluently
Read the text quickly .Time yourself, and record your time in the chart on page 6.
June 29
Dear Mom and Dad,
Hi. Here‟s a photo of Zocalo in Mexico City. I‟m having a great time here. The weather is really
good, and Ana Maria, my host mother, is a fantastic cook! The only problem is the language .Spanish
is not as easy as you said, Dad. You told me Spanish is like English, but you put “a” or “o” after every
word. Well, when I wanted some more soap, I asked Ana Maria for “sopa.”Five minutes later, she
came to my room with a bowl of soup! At least now I know that “sopa” means “soap”. We laughed
about it. I apologized and said I was very “embarzado.” Then she laughed even more and I ran to tell
Carlos, my host father. He speaks a little English .He told me “embarazado” means “pregnant” in
Spanish. I felt terrible!
And that‟s not the only langue problem! Yesterday in town, I had a sandwich at a café. When I
wanted to pay, I tried to speak Spanish .I know that “como” is “how,” so I said “Como mucho” again
a few times , but then he brought me another sandwich! When I checked in my phrase back, I
discovered that “Como mucho” means “I eat a lot.” “How much” is something completely different.
The most embarrassing mistake I made was in my Spanish class. We had to ask each other, “What‟s
your name?” In Spanish, this is “Como te llamas?” but I got confused. I said to my partner Eric,”
Como tea mo,” which means “How I love you!” Everyone laughed .I felt really bad!
Anyway, I‟m learning Spanish –slowly! The people here are great, and I love México. Thanks so
much for this trip. See you next month.
Lots of love,
Ben
2|P age
Host noun
Someone who is invites people to a meal or a party,
or to stay for a short time in their home.
Apologize verb
To tell someone that you are sorry for doing
something wrong
Phrase book noun a small book that contains useful
words and phrases in a particular foreign language.
Understanding the text
1)
Choose the correct answer to each question.
a. Where is Ben staying?
1
in a hotel
2 with a friend
3
with a host family
b. Why is Ben in Mexico?
1
He‟s working there.
2
He‟s learning Spanish.
3
It‟s his home.
4
He‟s visiting friends.
c. What problem does he have with Spanish?
1. He doesn‟t like the language.
2. He makes a lot of mistakes.
3. The class is too difficult for him.
4. He doesn‟t like his teacher.
d. Why did the waiter bring Ben another sandwich?
1. He though Ben was hungry.
2. Ben asked for another sandwich.
3. He wanted Ben to stay.
4. He made a mistake.
e. When did Ben‟s father tell him about Mexico?
1. Mexican food is great.
2. It‟s great place to go on vacation.
3. Mexican people are very friendly.
4. The language is similar to English.
3|P age
4
with his friend
2)
Write T (true), F (false), or N (not in the text) for each statement.
a. This is Ben‟s first time away from home.
___________
b. His parents paid for the trip.
___________
c. He‟s making a lot of progress in Spanish.
___________
d. There are a lot of students in his class.
___________
e. He likes the people in Mexico.
___________
3)
Compete the chart.
Spanish
English
A______________
What‟s your name?
Como teamo.
B_______________
C______________
soup
Embarazado
D______________
E______________
I eat a lot.
Reading skills: Scanning
Read these questions. Then scan the text below and write the answers. You have two minutes.
a. What are gestures?
_____________________________________________________________________________
b. How do people in Greece say “no”?
_____________________________________________________________________________
c. What does Americans say “yes”?
_____________________________________________________________________________
d. What does the American “ok” gesture mean in France?
_____________________________________________________________________________
e. What does it mean in China?
_____________________________________________________________________________
f.
Why should you not use the gesture in Russia?
_____________________________________________________________________________
4|P age
Gestures
Gestures are ways we use our bodies to
communicate.
communicate
Gestures
without
help
us
speaking
.The
meanings of the gestures we use, however,
can be very different in different parts of the
world .Sometimes this can cause confusion.
For example, in many parts of the world, to
say “yes”, people move their heads up and
down. In Greece, however people move
their heads back to say “no”. These two
gestures can look very similar!
How do you say “ok” without speaking?
Americans make a circle with the thumb and forefinger of one head of one hand. Be careful! In
Singapore, Russia, and some South American countries, this is very rude .I you use this gesture,
you will offend people. In the south of France, it means “worthless,” and in Japan and China, it
means “money.” It seems we can have problems communicating .Even when we don‟t open our
mouths!
5|P age