III. Listening In
Task 1: Competition in America
Script
Alan: What are you reading, Eliza?
Eliza: An article on American competition.
Alan: Competition is everywhere and constant. Why so much fuss about it, Miss Knowledge?
Eliza: Don’t make fun of me. According to the author, competition is especially important in American life. They’re taught to compete from early childhood. When children play games, they learn how to beat others.
Alan: And many girls want to look more attractive than the girls sitting next to them in class. Do you think that way?
Eliza: Don’t be silly. Let’s get back to the point. When children are growing up, they compete with one another in their studies.
Alan: Isn’t that also true of students in other nations? As we all know, many Asian students kill for a high test score and grab every opportunity to sharpen their competitive edge over others.
Eliza: American boys find great pleasure in competing with each other in sports, according to the author.
Alan: I do like sports. When our football team beats the other team, I feel great. Makes me want to shout out loud. But isn’t that normal throughout the world?
Eliza: American people also compete with each other at work and at climbing the social ladder.
Alan: But there’s competition in other countries as well.
Eliza: You’re right in a sense, but the author says the idea of competing is more deeply rooted in the minds of Americans. They’re even taught that if you lose and don’t feel hurt, there must be something wrong with you.
Alan: I hear that some Asians put emphasis on cooperation. Which approach do you think makes more sense?
Eliza: It’s hard to say. Anyway, there’s no accounting for different cultures.
1. What is the dialog mainly about?
2. What is the woman doing?
3. What do children learn from playing games according to the woman?
4. What does the man say about students’ studies?
5. What does the woman say when asked which makes more sense, competition or cooperation?
Keys: 1.C 2.A 3.C 4.B 5.D
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