七年级上册Unit1-12文化背景.doc

七年级上册Unit1-12文化背景介绍汇总Unit 1 My names Gina! 文化背景知识介绍1. In the United States, it is common for a man to shake hands with another man when they are being introduced or when greeting a male friend. Women tend to do less hand-shaking.2. In some cultures it is OK to call a person by his or her last name only. In fact, it is the usual way to address people in some places. In the United States, however, people dont generally use a person last name unless they add a title such as Ms, Miss, Mrs or Mr.3. Unlike Chinese names, English names are listed with the given name first and the family name or surname second. Many people have two given names, e. g. Sarah Ann Smith. The second name is called the middle name and has no real significance. English family names are inherited form the father and a women family name changes to the family name of her husband when she marries. Most Chinese women do not necessarily take their husbands family name when they marry. Many English names have an old meaning, but the meaning is not usually a consideration when choosing a name, the way the name sounds is more important. 4. Telephone numbers can be written in several ways. In the United States, telephone numbers include a 3-digit area code followed by a 7-digit number.(760) 431-2022(Area Code) Telephone numberBecause telephone numbers can be difficult to remember, people sometimes break them up when they say them or write them down. It is quite common for people to write a number as 431-2022 rather than 4312022.Unit 2 Is this your pencil? 文化背景知识介绍In China, if we find something valuable in the street we usually would give it to the police. In the United States, it always depends on where you find it. The general rules is to contact the person in authority at the place you find the item. The person in authority (such as shop clerk) will follow the appropriate lost and found procedures (of the store).In a store: Contact a shop clerk.On the street: Contact the police if the item is valuable.In a restaurant: Contact the waiter.On a bus,: Contact the bus driver.In a classroom: Contact the teacher.In a hotel: Contact the hotel clerk.Some places, such as railway stations or airports, have a lost and found office where all lost property is kept. If you have lost something in the station or airport, you would probably first look in the lost and found office.Unit 3 This is my sister. 文化背景知识介绍 1. There are many nontraditional families in the United States. Currently, children are being raised by single or divorced parents, guardians, parents of different religions or races, adoptive parents and so on. Almost one half of all marriages end in divorce and almost one third of families with children under 18 are single parent families. 4 children out of 100 do not live with either parent.2. In a traditional family, children often call their parents Dad and Mom. They may talk to others about their parents using my father, my mother, my dad, or my mom. Children call their siblings by their first (given) names. They may talk to others about their siblings using their first (given) names or by my (little / big or younger / older) brother / sister. There is just one word in English for sibling (brother or sister) and just one word for brother and sister. In Chinese, of course, we have many different words for older sister, younger sister, etc. In the same way, there is just one English word for grandmother and grandfather. If we want to clarify that we mean our mothers mother (and not our fathers mother), we might say maternal grandmother (or paternal grandmother for fathers mother). However, this is a little bit formal and not very common.3. Traditionally, children will leave home when they go to college and live in a dormitory on campus or in apartment housing located near the college. In order to save money, however, some young adults live at home with their parents while attending a local college. At the time that the young person wants more independence and has enough money, he moves away from home. It is quite unusual for someone to only move out of their parent home when they get married. As Americans do not usually live in extended families, most parents do not live with their children when they become senior citizens. Senior citizens sometimes live in retirement communities for people of similar age. Many retirement communities organize activities for senior citizens and can provide security.Unit 4 Wheres my backpack? 文化背景知识介绍1. Although the students pictured in this book have a great many possessions, not all Americans do. Although most families can afford a television, many do not have computers, computer games or CD and video tape collections. It is not uncommon for young people in the United States to work after school in order to help with family expenses or to save money to buy things they want for themselves.2. There are many different types of housing available to Americans depending on whether they live in the city, a suburb, or the country. Some wealthy people have second homes where they stay on vacation. The following are some types of housing. housing in the city: apartment, townhousehousing in the suburbs: house, duplex / two-family house, mobile homehousing in the country / mountains / seaside: house, farmhouse, ranch, cabin, cottageA typical American home includes the following rooms: the kitchen, dining room, living room, bathrooms and bedrooms. There is usually one kitchen, one dining room, and one living room. However, there is often more than one bedroom and bathroom. The parents usually have the master bedroom, which is the largest bedroom and often includes a bathroom and a large, walk-in closet.In many cases, young people have their own bedrooms, which they decorate in various ways. It is popular to put posters and pictures on the walls of places, people, or things they like.Additionally, many young people post awards they receive from school. If children have collections of stuffed animals, dolls, models, and so on, these are often placed on shelves in their rooms.Unit 5 Do you have a soccer ball? 文化背景知识介绍There are many original and interesting collections around the world. Some of these collections include the following.2,549 weighing scales (Australia)11,650 different ties (England)24,810 different key chains (USA)69,384 golf balls (USA)32,287 different pairs of earrings (USA)16,321 beer bottles (USA)1,397 valid credit cards (USA)3,728 airline sickness bags (Netherlands)Unit 6 Do you like bananas? 文化背景知识介绍 1. In some cultures it is impolite for a guest to accept food the first time it is offered. For this reason, visitors to the United States sometimes say no the first time their host offers them something to eat. They expect the host to repeat the offer. However, in the United States, the host may think that the guest really does not want the food.2. When you are invited to someones house for dinner and you dont like some of the food served, it is all right not to eat it. However, you should try not to draw attention to the fact that you are avoiding certain foods. If possible, try to eat at least a little of everything offered. It is also OK to eat one or two servings of the foods you like, and leave the others on your plate.3. Although magazines, movies and textbooks often show Americans eating bacon, eggs, toast, and coffee for breakfast, very few people actually eat that much. Some people are worried about their health disease. But theres a more likely reason people dont eat big breakfasts any more: they would rather skip breakfast and sleep fifteen minutes later.4. The three main meals of the day are breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In most American families, dinner is the main meal because everyone is too busy getting ready for school and work in the morning to have a big breakfast. Also, there is limited time for lunch during the day. Therefore, dinner is usually the biggest meal of the day.Breakfast (during the week)Cereal, milk, toast, pastries, coffee, juice, pancakes, eggs, fruitLunch (during the week)Kids: sandwiches, potato chips, fruit, milk, a hot meal in the school cafeteriaAdults: sandwiches from home or a hot lunch prepared in a microwave or eaten at a restaurantDinner (during the week)a hot balanced meal including a meat dish, bread / pasta / rice, hot vegetables, and a sweet dessert (ice cream, fruit, cookies)Dinner (during the weekend)Families will have meals at home, go out to a restaurant, or barbecue at home or elsewhere (such as the beach, depending on the season and weather conditions) 5. Most people eat most meals with a knife, fork and spoon. Spoons are usually used for desserts or for soups. However, it is becoming more common for westerners to learn how to use chopsticks in Chinese or other Asian restaurants. In western cuisine, soup is often eaten as a starter, unlike Chinese meals in which soup is often taken last. Westerners usually talk about eating soup, not drinking it.6. Vegetarianism is much more common in western countries than in China. At least 10% of British and American people are now vegetarians, and the number is increasing. Sometimes people choose to become vegetarians for health reasons, but most people do so because they do not feel it is correct to kill animals for food.7. Some traditional holiday foods include the following.Thanksgiving Day: turkey, corn, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauceChristmas: eggnog, gingerbread, roast beef, plum pudding, Christmas cookiesUnit 7 How much are these pants? 文化背景知识介绍 1. In some parts of the world, sales people greet and work with several customers at the same time. In the United States, however, salespeople usually work with only one customer at one time. When you approach a salesperson who is helping another customer, it is considered impolite to interrupt their conversation.2. There are some differences between Thanks, Thank you, and Thank you very much. Thanks is used in informal situations or in situations when the person helped you in a not very important way. Thank you is the standard form, which is acceptable in all situations. Thank you very much is used only when someone has done something special to help you. The tone of voice can also add meaning to a statement of thanks. A warm, meaningful Thanks sometimes means a lot more to the listener than a more formal Thank you.Unit 8 When is your birthday? 文化背景知识介绍 1. Ask students about which age groups in their culture like to talk about how old they are and which age groups dont. In the United States, young children like to tell how old they are. Teenagers are sometimes sensitive about age questions because they want people to think they are older than they really are. After age 25, it is not considered polite to ask someones age, except for business reasons. Many people in the United States think its good to be young and bad to be old. How is it in the students culture? Do teenagers like to tell their ages? Do younger or older adults get more respect?2. Most American children celebrate birthdays with a cake with lighted candles on top, one candle for each year of their age. The birthday boy (or girl) is supposed to make a wish (without telling anyone what it is) and blow out the candles. If he blows out all of the candles with one breath, the wish will come true. Singing Happy Birthday to You is also a tradition on birthdays.Some birthdays are more important than other birthdays, especially in the life of a teenager and young adult.Age 13: becomes a teenagerAge 16: can obtain a drivers license in the United States (for an automobile)Age 18: can register to voteAge 21: can legally drink alcoholIn regard to astrology, many Americans know their sign (of the Zodiac) but most people do not seriously believe in astrology. In China, people sometimes celebrate their lunar birthday rather than their solar birthday. Chinese people also use twelve animals to symbolize the year in which one is born. The animals represent the twelve Earthly Branches, and they are the rat, the cattle, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the pig. Unit 9 Do you want to go to a movie? 文化背景知识介绍An Oscar is a golden statuette which is presented to outstanding performers and filmmakers during the Academy Awards. The practice of giving Oscars started in 1929, and the award ceremony is televised.Some of the top movies and movie stars include the following.Top Movies: Titanic, Gone with the Wind, West Side Story, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the KingTop Actors: Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman, Tom Hanks, Tom CruiseTop Actresses: Meryl Streep, Katharine Hepburn, Jane FondaUnit 10 Can you play the guitar? 文化背景知识美国的课外俱乐部在美国的初中（junior）和高中（senior high），老师常鼓励学生们参加课外俱乐部（join a club）。这些俱乐部大部分都在放学后对学生开放。学生们不必交钱就可以参加各种各样的俱乐部。如果俱乐部需要资金来搞一些活动或购买设备，他们经常通过其他的方式来筹钱（raise money）。例如：烹饪俱乐部（cooking club）可以做一些甜点（cookies）卖给其他同学。音乐俱乐部可以在周末去街头演出。很多学生的家长会把他们的车开到学校，让俱乐部的成员帮忙洗车（wash cars），并付给学生费用。Unit 11 What time do you go to school? 文化背景知识介绍Girls often end their letters to other girls with love, . Boys do not do this when writing to other boys. Boys will usually end their letters with a phrase such as Best wishes, .Unit 12 My favorite subject is science. 文化背景知识介绍In the United States, regarding the public education system, there is not a national education system or a national curriculum. Each state has a Department of Education. However, each local school district has the most power. The school districts located in the wealthiest residential areas tend to have the best facilitates since public schools are funded by tax and not by tuition fees.Private schools are an alternative to public schoo