TOPIC PREVIEW

Discuss the following questions with a

partner or your classmates.

1. How would you describe a typical

U.S. family?
2. Are single-parent families common in
your culture?

Family in the 3. Is it common for parents in your culture to

leave children in day care while they are
United States away at work?
BEFORE LISTENING

VOCABULARY PREVIEW
o Read through the sentences below, which are missing vocabulary from the
lecture. As you read, try to imagine which words would fit in the blanks. Then
listen to the sentences and write the missing words in the blanks.
1. Although many social scientists are concerned about the decrease in marriage and
its possible negative effects on the family, others say it is wrong to assume that
marriage in the United States is "on the _

2. In any society, economic and cultural elements with each

other and bring change.

3. This was the period after World War II, a period by a very
strong economy, a rising of living, and a growing middle class.

4. The typical of the family in these years was the

traditional one: a married couple with children.

5. Culturally, three characteristics stand out in this period:

________ to social norms, greater male domination of the
family than in the later periods, and very clear gender roles.
6. The women's liberation movement was an of the
struggle for civil rights.
7. Women's liberation challenged against women in
the home, in the work place, and in society in general.
8. Three movements-the sexual revolution, women's liberation, and the
antiwar movement-were typical of the nature of
these decades.
9. With more women having careers and making money, there was less
economic pressure for them to stay in an marriage.
10. Many experts that children have paid a high price
for the social changes that took place in the second period.

o Check the spelling of the vocabulary words with your teacher. Discuss
the meanings of these words and any other unfamiliar words in
the sentences.

PREDICTIONS
Think about the questions in the Topic Preview on page 34 and the
sentences you heard in the Vocabulary Preview. Write three questions
that you think will be answered in the lecture. Share your questions
with your classmates.

Chapter 4 • Family in the United States 35

 NOTETAKING PREPARATION

Listening for Key Content Words

Use key words to write down the essential information in a lecture. It is neither
possible nor necessary to write every word you hear. Here are some tips for choosing
key words .
• Concentrate on content words: nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
• Choose the most important words to convey the meaning in the fewest words
possible. For example, you hear
Culturally, three characteristics stand out in this period: conformity to social
norms, greater male domination of the family than in the later periods, and
very clear gender roles, that is, clear and separate roles for men and women at
home and at work.
You write
3 d1aYCl&teY'i~tiu;: ~oc..ialCAlnfoY'mitj- male clomination & vleaY' jencleY'
Y'ole~ e home & wOY'/:::.
• You may also choose to put some information in your own words. For example,
instead of writing CAlnfoY'mitj to ~oc..ialnOY'm~,you might write ~oc..ialCAlnfoY'mitj.

••'»
CD2.TR2
o Practice reducing information to key words as you listen to sentences from the
lecture. Then compare what you wrote with a classmate.
1. _
2. _
3. _

o Discourse Cues Number the following excerpts from the lecture from 1 to 5 in
the order that you think you will probably hear them. Discuss with a partner or
as a class the discourse cues that helped you figure out the order.

__ The third period is harder to see because we are living in this period now.
__ So, let's begin with the first period, the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s.
__ In addition to the cultural changes during this period of individualism, there were also
economic changes that affected families.
__ The second period that I want to talk about today, the period of individualism, lasted
from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s.
__ Let me begin today's lecture by saying that many people today are concerned about the
decline in the number of people who are married in the United States.

36 Unit 2 • The American Character

 - .

LISTENING

FIRST LISTENING
o Listen to the beginning of the lecture. Circle the set of notes below that best
records the information you hear.

a. b.
-rewer- peopl mawied in US .J- mawia3e in US
19W toda~ 55-71% wh~
wh~ 71% 55% 1B-T2-% hi~p
hi~p. T2-% 1B% 31-h1% blk.~
blk.~ h1% 31% 15 -9%~out1J
1B-2.1 15% 9% Ne3~ impad- on fam'?
Cult c.hat1Je~- diff. idea~ maw & fam Diff. idea~ about maw & fam'?
eum -+- ~{t "" c.hat1Je C-hat1Jehappeni~ in US
vieW<;c.h over- -time Wa~ Am ~ee fam
3 -time per-i. (~oG-.5aror-a Dafoe Whitehead) /tow vieW<;have c.ha~ed
1. mid-1D~ to mid-W~: tr-ad. fam ex: rradt fam, indlvid, new fam
2.. mid-hD~ to mid-BD~: individuali~m
3. pr-e~ent: new fam

o Now listen to the whole lecture and take notes. Look at the lecturer's visual aids
as you listen. These may help you understand parts of the lecture.

Subtopic 1: 191DS-19WS: Tr-adi-tionalf"amilj

Traditional Family
• Conformity to social roles
• Male domination
• Clear gender roles

Subtopic 2: 19W5-19BDS: Individualism

Individualism

Cultural developments
• Focus on career and work
• Self-expression/fulfillment

Economic changes
• Women work outside the home

Chapter 4. Family in the United States 37

 Subtopic 3: Pvesent The New ramll!j

Age of Marriage

40

.1960
20
• Today

0
Male Female

I~~ SECOND LISTENING

CD2,IRS
Listen to the lecture again and make your notes as complete as possible.

THIRD LISTENING
I~'»
CD2,IR6
e You will hear part of the lecture again. Listen and complete the notes by adding
the information from the box.

dill mid WWII

mid 1910~ - mid 19hO~ = Tr-adtr ram

Aftev -t- ~n

l' ~tandavd of 1Iv;l' &ra~~

• ram = mavv e-ouple -t- e-hild: hU~DWOVK, wife home
• low vate, -t- Divth vaTe
.3&1(lt _
1. e-onfovmitj
2, male dominanon of fam
3, (,feav 3endev vole~

o Compare your answers with a partner. Then compare the notes in A with the
notes you took for this part of the lecture.

38 Unit 2 • The American Character

 AFTER LISTENING

ACCURACY CHECK
I.)~ o Listen to the following questions, and write short answers. Use your notes. You
CD2.TR7
will hear each question one time only.
1. _

2.
3.
4.
5. _
6. _

7.
8. _

9. _

10. _

o Check your answers with your teacher. If your score is less than 70 percent, you
may need to listen to the lecture again and rewrite some of your notes.

ORAL SUMMARY
Use your notes to create an oral summary of the lecture with your partner. As
you work together, add details to your notes that your partner included but you
had missed.

DISCUSSION
Discuss the following statements with a classmate or in a small group.

1. What similarities are there between what you've learned about typical U.S. families
and families in your culture?
2. What effects have economic and cultural changes in the last 20 years or so had on
the family in your culture?
3. Is divorce always a bad idea? Can it ever have positive consequences for the family?

Chapter 4. Family in the United States 39

 -

EXPANSION

PRE-READING
The following Reading is about changes in family size in Brazil. Before you read,
answer the following questions. Share your answers with a classmate.
1. Was there a women's movement in your country? If so, how was that movement
similar to the women's movement in the 1970s in the United States?
2. Look at the title of the article. What does "female empowerment" mean? How do
you think changes in family size might be related to female empowerment?

READING
Now read the article.

Female Empowerment in Brazil and its Effect on the

Fertility Rate

Eighty-eight-year-old Brazilian Dona Maria family. However, what has happened in Brazil since
Ribeiro de Carvalho had just finished telling me the 1960s provides a fascinating case study.
about her 16 pregnancies. Then she looked at Jose "What took 120 years in England took 40 years
Alberto, her oldest son, who had come for a Sunday here:' Carvalho told me one day. "Something hap-
visit. "With the number of children 1 had," Dona pened:' At that moment he was talking about what
Maria said, "I should have more than a hundred happened in Siio Vicente de Minas, the town of his
grandchildren right now:' childhood, where nobody under 45 has large fam-
Dona Maria's son Jose Alberto Carvalho, one of ilies anymore. But he could have been describing
the most important Brazilian demographers of the the entire female population of Brazil. For although
past 50 years, smiled. He knew the total number of there are many reasons Brazil's fertility rate has
grandchildren, of course: 26. For much of his working dropped so far and so fast, central to them all are
life, he has been studying the remarkable Brazilian Brazil's women.
demographic phenomenon that is illustrated by Brazilian women's overall position in society was
his own family, which within two generations had deeply affected by the women's movement of the
crashed its fertility rate to 2.36 children per family, 1970s and '80s. Today, Brazil is led by its first female
close to the national average of 1.9.
That new Brazilian fertility rate is below replace-
president, Dilma Rousseff; during the campaign, one
of Rousseff's strongest competitors was a female sen-
:
ment level-the level at which a population replaces ator. Brazil has high-ranking female military officers, I
itself. It is lower than the two-children-per-woman special police stations run by and for women, and the
1
fertility rate in the United States. And it's not simply world's most famous female soccer player, the one-
wealthy and professional women who have stopped name-only Marta. JI
having multiple children in Brazil-every class and Anibal Faundes, a Chilean professor who l,
immigrated years ago to Brazil and has helped lead
region of Brazil has experienced a drop.
This sudden fertility drop is not just a Brazilian national studies of reproductive health, explains l
"I
phenomenon. Close to half the world's population what he regards as a primary reason for the changes
lives in countries where the fertility rates have fallen in birthrate in his adopted country. "The fertility
to below replacement rate, just over two children per rate dropped because women decided they didn't

1
40 Unit 2 • The American Character
J
L
 want more children," he said. "Brazilian women are
tremendously strong:'
Keeping the family small is what Brazilian women
of all ages now seem to expect of themselves-and
what contemporary Brazil, in turn, appears to expect
from them. "Look at the apartments;' said a 31-year-
old Rio de Janeiro marketing executive named
Andiara Petterle. "They're designed for a maximum
of four people. Two bedrooms. In the supermar-
kets, even the labels on frozen foods-always for
four people:'
The company Petterle founded specializes in
sales research on Brazilian women, whose buying
habits and life priorities seem to have changed
completely in the years since Petterle was born. It
wasn't until 1977, she reminded me, that the nation
legalized divorce. "We've changed so fast," she said.
"We've found that for many young women, their
first priority now is their education. The second is
Brazilians are now having
their profession. And the third is children and a sta-
much smaller families.
ble relationship:'

DISCUSSION
Discuss these questions with a classmate.
1. What are some of the similarities in how Brazilian and American attitudes toward
the family have changed over time?
2. How did the women's movement of the 1970sand 1980saffect Brazilian society?
Compare its impact to the impact of the women's movement on American culture
described in the lecture.
3. In what ways are Brazilian families today similar to American families? How are
they different?

PURSUING THE TOPIC

Explore the topic of this chapter further by doing the following.
The Web site for the United States Census Bureau has a large amount of information
about American families. Individually or with a partner, research the most recent
statistical information available on family size, relationships, and living arrangements.
Write up the details for a short presentation to the class.

www.census.gov/hhes/families/

Chapter 4. Family in the United States 41

 TOPIC PREVIEW
Discuss the following questions with a
partner or your classmates.

1. What do you think the expression "freedom

of religion" means?
2. Do people in your culture practice many
different religions in your culture?

Religion 3. In what country other than the United

States do you think you might find all
of these religions: Hinduism, Islam,
Sikhism, Christianity, Judaism, Jainism,
Zoroastrianism, and Buddhism?
BEFORE LISTENING

VOCABULARY PREVIEW
o Read through the sentences below, which are missing vocabulary from the
lecture. As you read, try to imagine which words would fit in the blanks. Then
listen to the sentences and write the missing words in the blanks.

1. These churches generally represent the two major Christian traditions, Catholic and
Protestant, but often include several different Protestant _

2. Larger towns and big cities will also have other places of _
including synagogues, mosques, and temples representing other religious traditions.

3. The U.S. government cannot ask for information on religious in

any official capacity, for example, on the census.
4. Statistical information must be gathered from of the population
done by nongovernmental agencies or from organizational reports from religious
groups themselves.

5. A 2009 Gallup asked, "Is religion an important part

of your life?"

6. Most writers and scholars agree that Europeans are generally more
________ than Americans.

7. They may believe in God, but they to stay away from

religious except on certain formal occasions like
weddings, baptisms, and funerals and a few very important religious days.
8. It's important to remember that freedom of worship is guaranteed by the
First to the Constitution, which also establishes the
separation of church and state.
9. Recently, however, there has been a toward an
increase in the influence of religion on American political life.

10. Although religion in America seemed to be in decline during most of the

last century, in the 1970s,there was a religious that
surprised many people.

o Check the spelling of the vocabulary words with your teacher. Discuss
the meanings of these words and any other unfamiliar words in
the sentences.

PREDICTIONS
Think about the questions in the Topic Preview on page 42 and the
sentences you heard in the Vocabulary Preview. Write three questions
that you think will be answered in the lecture. Share your questions
with your classmates.

Chapter 5 • Religion 43
 NOTETAKING PREPARATION

U_si.."_9_1_"_d_e_"_t_at_io" _to_O_r9_a_"_i,z_e_N_otes ~1 _

Organizing your notes in a visual pattern will help you understand the relationship
between the main ideas and the details or examples that support those ideas,
One way to organize your notes visually is by writing a main idea and then indenting
the details and indicating them with bullets, Here are two examples,

f.<;timatinq people in diff. Y'eljion<; diffilAilt

• LIS. 30vf e.-Qn't a<;k. foY' Y'el affiliation
• Stati<;tiu; c..ome fY'om t1O~Ov <;uY'v'ej<;and Y'eporl<;
2007 <;uY'v'ej qive<; "/0 Dj ml
• 7B"/o C:.}lI'l<;tian
• 51"/0 {..ath
• 24"/0 ..
1.7"/0 ...
• 0.7"/0 Budd
• O.b"/o ...
• 0.4"/0 rtIndu

() The following are lines of notes from a lecture titled "Effective Notetaking:' Find
three main ideas and circle them.

Put a ? foY' mi<;<;edinfo

A<;k. pY'of (<; if nee.-

Be on time & find 300d <;eat

Review note<; a<;ap

Q Now find three supporting details for each main idea. Draw lines from the
details to the main idea they support.

44 Unit 2 • The American Character

G Using your ideas from A, write an outline of the lecture "Effective Notetaking:'
Use indentation and bullets for the supporting details.

a Discourse Cues Number the following excerpts from the lecture from 1 to 5 in
the order that you think you will probably hear them. Discusswith a partner or
as a classthe discourse cues that helped you figure out the order.
Now let's look at two major ways that religion in the United States differs from religion
in other modernized Western nations.
Let's start today with facts and figures.

One major survey conducted in 2007 reported that 78 percent of Americans identified
themselves as Christians.
Finally, ]' d like to briefly focus on religious diversity in the States.
__ To sum up, then, the importance of religion and belonging to a church or religious
organization seem greater to Americans than to Europeans.

Chapter 5 • Religion 45
 .- . _ .. - -

LISTENING

FIRST LISTENING
.4'» 0 Listen to the beginning of the lecture. Circle the set of notes below that best
CD2,TR9 records the information you hear.

a, b.
Reli3 in VS Ulmplic.- Reli3ion in VS
• not IAndeve;tood 0.1 peop other- WAnt • Compl topic.- mi~undeve;t bee.- otheY" £Al1~
- know Am £Al1t fY" ~ film, video expo~ed to Am £AlIt thY"W~ film video on
• don't ~how imp of Y"el'3 In VS 'nteY"l1et
• ~m toWl1~ manj dif c-huY"c-he~ • InteY"l1t vi~it to ~m town~ ~u7Y"i~ed bee.-
- C.yll'i~ian: Cath & PY"ot~t (~ev' dif) C-ath & PY"ote~t c-huY"c-h(diff denom) & 13
• Iq toWl1~ & e-itie~ ar~o ~jna3" m~~ue~, toWl1~ ~jna3" mo~~ue, temple~
femple~ ""otheY" Y"elrrad • P eapl manj diff Ulunrrle~ & Y"eI ba~
• people dif Ulunt & Y"eli3 immiy to VS immi3 not ~u7Y"i~ed man1 dif Y"eI VS
- ~ numb. dif Y"eli3 • Talk about todaj: 1~t hc.-~ and fi3' yaY"
1 rad~ & fi3uY"e~ yaY" Y"eli3 3Y"ou~ in VS Y"elyou~, 2-nd Ulmp VS-modeY"l1 We~t
2- Comp VS w otheY" mod W nation~ na1; 3Y"d import of Y"el inc.-Y"ea~ein VS poli1;
3 Imp of Y"ele~p l' Y"eliJ US po/it Y"eC--entjve; final inC--Y"ea~e diveY" Y"el in US
1- InC--Y"diveve;itj of Y"eI'3 in VS

'4'» 0 Now listen to the whole lecture and take notes. Look at the lecturer's visual aids
CD2,TR10 as you listen. These may help you understand parts of the lecture.

Subtopic 1:

Americans' Religious Affiliation, 2007

• Catholic
• Protestant
• Other Christian
• Jewish
• Buddhist
• Musiim
Hindu

46 Unit 2 • The American Character

Subtopic 2: _

Is religion an important part of

your life?

Subtopic 3:

Rise of the Religious Right

(197o-present)
• Oppose abortion
• Favor prayer in schools

Chapter 5. Religion 47
 Subtopic 4: _

Religious Diversity
• 1965: Immigration quotas
eliminated
More religious diversity
• Work of Harvard professor
Diana Eck

The Future

'4'~ SECOND LISTENING

co 2,TR 11
Listen to the lecture again and make your notes as complete as possible.

THIRD LISTENING
'4'~
C02,IR12
e You will hear part of the lecture again. Listen and complete the notes by adding
the information from the box.

~r free indiru-t influ ~ep & ex.

Modm, nat
no ~ep of rei J0vt.
us
____ of rei - 1~t A-mendto Con~t
____ of e-hure-h & ~tate
____ reI not part of J0vt or PUD~e-hool~
ReI. Delie~, v'alue~ pof & ed,
DUt influ

o Compare your answers with a partner. Then compare the notes in A with the
notes you took for this part of the lecture.
J
48 Unit 2 • The American Character
 AFTER LISTENING

ACCURACY CHECK
I.)~ o Listen to the following questions, and write short answers. Use your notes. You
CD 2, 'R 13
will hear each question one time only.
1. _
2. _

3. _

4. _

5. _

6. _

7. _

8. _

9. _
10. _

o Check your answers with your teacher. If your score is less than 70 percent, you
may need to listen to the lecture again and rewrite some of your notes.

ORAL SUMMARY
Use your notes to create an oral summary of the lecture with your partner. As
you work together, add details to your notes that your partner included but you
had missed.

DISCUSSION
Discuss the following statements with a classmate or in a small group.

1. Do you believe that religious freedom is always a good thing? Why?

2. Should religion and government be totally separate? Why or why not?

3. Why might it be good for people learn about other people's religions?

Chapter 5 • Religion 49
f -- - - - - -- - -- -- -- -- ---
I

EXPANSION

PRE-READING
The following Reading is about religious beliefs around the world. Before you
read, answer the following questions. Share your answers with a classmate.

,. What are the major religions in your country of origin? Are most people in your
country religious?
2. Which areas of the world do you think have the highest number of people who are
nonreligious or do not believe in God? Do you think there is a difference between
someone who is nonreligious and an atheist who does not believe in God?

READING
Now read the article.

The Geography of Religion J

The meaning of religious belief varies in different

places, among different people. In general, religion
refers to a set of beliefs and practices about what is
World Christian Database (WCD), which, despite its
name, tracks data on hundreds of world religions in
238 political entities.
I
sacred or spiritual-beliefs and practices held in An atheist is someone who actively claims
common by a group. Religion usually involves beliefs disbelief in the existence of God or any other deity.
about the origin and meaning of the world and of Nonreligious is a broader category that includes
human life as well as guidelines for moral behavior. people who do not have a religion and also includes
those who aren't opposed to religion, but who
Counting Adherents aren't interested in the question. Not surprisingly,
There are many ways to approach the geography the only country with no atheists or nonreligious
of religion, the simplest being to count numbers of citizens at all is Vatican City-home of the Roman
believers by location. The data here came from the Catholic Church. Afghanistan is next with a 99 per-
cent Muslim population and a 99.99
percent religious-believer rate. Some
other countries with at least a 99.90
1
percent religious-believer rate are:
Bhutan (Buddhism); Bangladesh,
Chad, Pakistan, and Somalia (Islam);
Botswana,
(Christianity).
Burundi, and Kenya

There are very few countries in

:
which more than 10 percent of the
population claims to be atheist. They
include North Korea (15.6 percent)
and Sweden (11.7 percent). When
you add the nonreligious and athe-
ist populations together, however,
the list of countries with significant percentages of of religious belief. However, exact information about
nonbelievers grows. Here is a sampling of countries religious belief is among the hardest sociological data
by region with nonbeliever populations of over to collect. Religions count their members in a variety
15 percent: of ways, making comparisons difficult. Some include
only those who regularly attend religious services;
The Far East South America and others count all known members, whether they attend
North Korea (71.3%) the Caribbean services or not. Some count children from birth; oth-
Mainland China (49.8%) Uruguay (32.8%) ers require some sort of ceremony before counting
Central Asia Cuba (24.5%) people as members. Polls, such as those collected by
Mongolia (39.1 %) Western Europe the Association of Religious Data Archives or the Pew
Kazakhstan (35.7%) Sweden (29.8%) Forum on Religion & Public Life, are frequently used
Kyrgyzstan (27.4%) Netherlands (20.8%) to count believers, but results can vary widely.
Eastern Europe Germany (20.4%) Other approaches to understanding religion
Czech Republic (35.6%) Australasia through geography include looking at sacred places
Estonia (34.4%) New Zealand (21.4%) and examining why some points on a map are con-
Russia (32.1 %) Australia (16.9%) sidered so special to one or more religions that they
become destinations for pilgrims. Another approach
is to ask what direct physical impact a religion has
The Problem of Numbers had on a particular place: for example, cathedrals
The vast majority of the world's people-almost in Europe or the use of less-modern technology in
86 percent, according to the WCD-hold some sort Amish farming practices in North America.

DISCUSSION
Discuss these questions with a classmate.
1. What ideas presented in the lecture are given some support by information in
the article?

2. Why is it difficult to collect exact data on people's religious beliefs, according to the
lecture and the article? Make a list.

3. Look at the list of countries by region in the article. Using information from the
lecture and your own ideas, can you think of reasons why these particular places
might have so many nonbelievers?

PURSUING THE TOPIC

Explore the topic of this chapter further by doing the following.
Read an online interview with Professor Diana Eck in which she discusses her book,
A New Religious America: How a Christian Country Has Become the World's Most
Religiously Diverse Nation. Take notes and be prepared to discuss what you learned
with your classmates.

www. pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/april-26-2002/diana-eck-extended-
interview/11617/

Chapter 5 • Religion 51
 TOPIC PREVIEW
Discuss the following questions with a
partner or your classmates.

1. Have you been to a big American wedding?

What was it like? Are weddings in your
culture similar?
2. How do you think a couple in the United
States would celebrate the birth of
Birth, Marriage, their baby?
and Death 3. What are some rituals people might carry
out after the death of a loved one?
BEFORE LISTENING

VOCABULARY PREVIEW
() Read through the sentences below, which are missing vocabulary from the
lecture. As you read, try to imagine which words would fit in the blanks. Then
listen to the sentences and write the missing words in the blanks.

1. Customs vary so much from culture to culture that it's often for
someone trying to understand the traditions and customs of a new place.
2. The birth of a baby is a occasion in most families and is
celebrated in some way or another.
3. Traditionally, Christian babies are in a ceremony involving
washing the baby's head with water.

4. The traditional reception that follows the ceremony can be as simple as

cookies and punch in the house of worship where the ceremony took
place or as as a large sit-down dinner at a local hotel.

5. Traditionally, most wedding ceremonies have been _

in houses of worship.

6. All traditions and religions have to cope with one basic issue: how to
deal with the body of the person.

7. Some religions such as Judaism and Islam require that the body be very
quickly , or put into the ground.

8. This event, sometimes called a , usually takes place

at a funeral home for a day or two before the funeral ceremony.
9. At the , it is customary for a religious leader to speak
some words of comfort to the friends and family of the deceased. In
addition, a is usually given by someone close to the
deceased person.
10. If the body is , the ashes are placed in a special jar,
called an urn.

o Check the spelling of the vocabulary words with your teacher. Discuss
the meanings of these words and any other unfamiliar words in
the sentences.

PREDICTIONS
Think about the questions in the Topic Preview on page 52 and the
sentences you heard in the Vocabulary Preview. Write three questions
that you think will be answered in the lecture. Share your questions
with your classmates.

Chapter 6 • Birth, Marriage, and Death 53

 NOTETAKING PREPARATION

Using Symbols and Abbreviations 2

Here are some additional tips to save writing time when you take notes.
Use as few vowels as possible Use these abbreviations
bewildering bewld~ someone <;10
ceremony mnj
e-e•.... something <;/t
cremated e.-YemtCl with wi
reassured •....
ea<;<;
•....
d without wiD
Omit the final letters of the word Use other conventional symbols
elaborate dab -7 causes, leads to
reception ee-ep
•.... ~ is the result of
significance <;i9nif

e Listen to the sentences. As you listen, write the sentences in notetaking

form below. Use symbols and abbreviations. Then use your notes to read the
sentences to a classmate.
1. _

2. _

3. _

4. _

«) Discourse Cues Number the following excerpts from the lecture from 1 to 5 in
the order that you think you will probably hear them. Discuss with a partner or
as a class the discourse cues that helped you figure out the order.

__ After the baby is born, most families participate in some kind of spiritual ceremony ...

__ Today I want to talk about customs in the United States, not all customs of course, but
customs surrounding certain important events in almost everyone's life.
__ The last passage I'm going to talk about today is the passage from life to death.
__ As [ said before, in a society so large and diverse as the United States, customs can
vary greatly.
__ Today let's look at some widely accepted customs and traditions of most Americans
concerning three of life's most important events, or passages: birth, marriage,
and death.

54 Unit 2. The American Character

 LISTENING

I.)~
CD1,IR16
FIRST LISTENING
Listen to the lecture and take notes. Look at the lecturer's visual aids as you
listen. These may help you understand parts of the lecture.

InfYO<::Iudion

Customs and Traditions

Introduction
Birth
Marriage
Death

Subtopic 1: _

Birth
• Baby shower before
• Spiritual ceremony after

Subtopic 2: _

Marriage
• Engagement
• Shower
• Wedding ceremony

Chapter 6 • Birth, Marriage, and Death 55

 Subtopic 3: _

Death
• The deceased
• Funeral service / religious ceremony
• Memorial service

'4'» SECOND LISTENING

CD2,TRI?
Listen to the lecture again and make your notes as complete as possible.

THIRD LISTENING
'4~ 0 You will hear part of the lecture again. Listen and complete the notes by adding
CD 2, TR 18 the information from the box.

fath'~ ppl e wi 100~

MarY. -r-re-«~tm& tvacii, e~p fo!'" weciciJ

• Not nu- fo!'" man to a~k. pe!'"mi~~.
- m~t jllJ want parnft;' app!'"ov
• Tr-acii manJive~ ciiamnciellJaJmnt !'"illJ
• WecicillJ
- 5!'"icie'~fam paj~

• ~imple few frnci~ & fam OR.

• elabl'"t wl of ppl
- Rec-ept: follo~ C-eo!'"emonj
• ~imple: e-ook.ie~ OR.
• elab: ciinn!'" hotl wlmw~ & cianUTJ

o Compare your answers with a partner. Then compare the notes in A with the
notes you took for this part of the lecture.

S6 Unit 2 • The American Character

. .,

AFTER LISTENING

ACCURACY CHECK
I.)~ e Listen to the following questions, and write short answers. Use your notes. You
CD2,1,19
will hear each question one time only.
1. _

2. _

3. _

4. _

5. _
6. _

7. _

8. _

9. _

10. _

o Check your answers with your teacher. If your score is less than 70 percent, you
may need to listen to the lecture again and rewrite some of your notes.

ORAL SUMMARY
Use your notes to create an oral summary of the lecture with your partner. As
you work together, add details to your notes that your partner included but you
had missed.

DISCUSSION
Discuss the following statements with a classmate or in a small group.

1. Is it surprising that people in the United States, with its great racial and ethnic
diversity, celebrate birth, marriage, and death in similar ways? Why?
2. Death is a topic that is very difficult for most Americans to talk about. What reasons
might there be for this?
3. It is considered bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress before
the ceremony. What might be a reason for this superstition? Does your culture have
superstitions connected to weddings?

Chapter 6. Birth. Marriage. and Death 57

 - - -

EXPANSION

PRE-READING
The following Reading is about traditional marriage customs in parts of rural
Africa. Before you read, answer the following questions. Share your answers with
a classmate.

1. Which of the marriage customs described in the lecture would be most likely to
exist in a variety of other countries, including traditional rural cultures in Africa?
2. What is a ritual? Describe one marriage ritual that is widely practiced in
your culture.

READING
Now read the article.

African Marriage Rituals

Morocco - Berber the wedding ceremony, the young bride travels by

In Morocco's High Atlas mountains, a young mule to her new husband's home. Once there, one
woman may catch the eye of an admirer at the yearly of his female relatives will lift her off the mule so that
bride's fair in the village of Imilchil. If the young her feet don't touch the ground and risk evil spirits
woman's parents' approve, a courtship begins. This entering her body.
is the period of time during which the couple and Days of parties followed by nights of singing and
their families develop a relationship, in preparation dancing come next for the bride, who has captured
for marriage. For widows and divorced women, the the liver-the Berber symbol oflove-ofthe man who
Imilchil fair is an open market, with marriages per- has promised to protect her.
formed right then and there.
Before a young bride's wedding, her mother Ethiopia - Karo
rubs her legs with henna, a flowering plant that is The beauty of Ethiopia's Orno River Valley is
used to dye the skin a reddish brown color. This is a matched by its people, who decorate their bodies
ritual that her people believe keeps evil spirits away. to improve their physical appearance. The 500 or
On the wedding day, the mother says a bittersweet so Karo have very few possessions, so they rely on
good-bye to her daughter by kissing her knee. After nature and trade for decoration. When a Karo girl
reaches puberty, razorlike cuts are made in the skin
of her stomach. Ashes are then rubbed into the cuts
to make them heal in a raised pattern. This, Karo men
told us, increases her beauty.
Karo women also apply face paint to attract a
mate, often copying the colors and patterns that
are found on local birds' feathers. In addition, they
wear necklaces made of banana seeds that they have
collected, or glass beads that they get from trading
at small markets a three-days' walk away from
their homes.

58 Unit 2. The American Character

 paid over time, in the form of both money and live
animals, particularly cattle.
A two-week separation of the bride from her
family marks the second stage, when other women
teach her how to be a good Ndebele wife. When this
period of separation ends, the Ndebele bride emerges
wearing colorful beaded hoops around her waist and
legs. These imitate the female form that the Ndebele
so greatly admire. The Ndebele bride is also given
a marriage blanket, which she will wear to special
events for the rest of her life.
The third stage of Ndebele marriage is completed
only after the woman has given birth to her first child.
Up until then, she is not considered truly married.

When the summer has passed and the harvest is

complete, courtship season begins. Unmarried Karo
youth, decorated with face paint, beaded necklaces,
and many bracelets, join in joyful dances. A man
signals his interest to a woman during the singing
and dancing. For many the excitement will lead to
engagement, marriage, and a lifetime together.

South Africa-Ndebele
Ndebele weddings are celebrated in three stages,
which can take years to conclude. They begin with
the negotiation of lohola, or bride price, which is

DISCUSSION
Discuss these questions with a classmate.

1. What similarities can you see between marriage customs in the United States and in
parts of rural Africa-courtship and engagement, the marriage ceremony, gift giving,
and so on?
2. Of the three cultures mentioned in the reading, which one has marriage customs
that are most different from those in the United States? Explain.
3. Which of the marriage customs mentioned in the lecture and the reading were the
most interesting or surprising to you?

PURSUING THE TOPIC

Explore the topic of this chapter further by doing the following.
Watch the movie The Father of the Bride, a 1991 comedy about a father whose beloved
daughter is about to be married. Be prepared to discuss the movie with your classmates.

Chapter 6 • Birth, Marriage, and Death 59

TOPIC PREVIEW
Who is an artist's most honest critic? Rank the following people from 1 to 5
(5 = the best or most honest critic and 1 = the worst or least honest critic).
Discuss your order with a partner.

a. the artist's mother or father

b. the artist's husband or wife

c. the artist's young son or daughter

__ d. a stranger

__ e. an art expert or specialist

VOCABULARY PREVIEW
o Read the definitions
the video.
of these key words and phrases that you will hear during

missing out on not able to enjoy something because of other responsibilities

hugged put one's arms around someone
never mind that don't worry about that; forget that
the surface the top or outside part of something that you can see or touch
curious wanting to learn more about someone or something
illuminating shining light on something
took me ages took me a very long time
idiot a stupid or foolish person
a high five a gesture where two people slap each other's hand above their heads in a
show of greeting, pleasure, or victory
 o Work with a partner and write vocabulary from A in the blanks in the sentences.

1. It to complete my research paper. I stayed up all night!

2. I know my son thinks I'm a(n) whenever I ask him a question
about my cell phone.
3. It helps for a photojournalist to be _
4. If you don't go to the club, you'll be a good time.
5. After the blackout, people started their homes with candles.
6. We won the game and everyone in the room gave each other _
7. Janet cried when she broke her father's favorite sunglasses. But he just
_______ her and said, " _
8. Whales come to of the ocean to breathe.

I!;I FIRST VIEWING

Watch the video, and then compare your first impressions with a partner. Talk
about what you remember, what surprised you, and what interested you.

I!;I SECOND VIEWING

Watch the video again. Listen for the missing words and write them in
the blanks.

1. And then I felt a little bit for myself. It's like I'm
_______ so much.
2. So I was sitting down with a showing him this land iguana with
this Galapagos mockingbird, talking about this very interesting sort of collaborative

3. It's a nice symbiotic

_______ . And he was
like _ by this.
4. And when there's a big predator,
they will get very
_______ . And they will
hover. And the big orca will
_______ up perhaps.
5. This is a _ iguana.
And, yeah, I was sneaking up to it.
I!;I THIRD VIEWING
Complete these notes as you watch the video. Write only important words, not
full sentences, and abbreviate common words.

MK: Come~ home fvom 0alap fyip

It: Pad, You've home' /tow wa~ ?
MK: _
3d pip;?
It: Artj
MK: Yeah
It: _

MK: Sho~ piv of mkirIJbd on top of liz.

nat' d
It: -ra~c..I
MK: Sho~ piv of ~ea lion~and bivd~ oVev ovva~
It: _

MK: Sho~ la~t ~et of pip;

It: Be~t _
MK: Whj?
It: _

AFTER VIEWING

ORAL SUMMARY
Use your notes to create an oral summary of the video with your partner. As
you work together, add details to your notes that your partner included but you
had missed.

DISCUSSION
Discuss the following questions with a classmate or in a small group.

1. Why do you think Mattias Klum came home "feeling sorry" for himself?
2. What reaction do you think the father expected when Anskar first walked into the
kitchen and saw his Dad? What was Anskar interested in instead?
3. Why did the audience find the son's questions and comments so funny?
4. What does the title of the video mean?