Listening task 1: Is it OK?
A Listen. What situations are the people talking about? Number the pictures from 1 to 5. (There is one extra picture.)
Answer & Audioscripts
(top row) 3, 2
(middle row) 1, X
(bottom row) 5, 4
Audioscripts in B below
B Listen again. How do they feel about the situations? Circle the correct answers.
1 The man feels uncomfortable because
a. he doesn’t know Amy well.
b. he doesn’t like Amy.
2 The woman thinks the man
a. stands too close.
b. makes too much eye contact.
3 The woman thinks the people are not
a. polite.
b. in love.
4 The woman feels strange because the man
a. touches her.
b. stands too close.
5 The husband thinks
a. his son will feel uncomfortable.
b. his wife will feel uncomfortable.
Answer & Audioscripts
1 (a) The man feels uncomfortable because he doesn’t know Amy well.
2 (b) The woman thinks the man makes too much eye contact.
3 (a) The woman thinks the people are not polite.
4 (b) The woman feels strange because the man stands too close.
5 (a) The husband thinks his son will feel uncomfortable.
Audioscripts
1
Man: Oh, no. Amy’s coming over here. I don’t want to talk to her.
Woman: Why not?
Man: Well, she’s nice and everything, but I just don’t like the way she always touches me when she talks. You know, always putting her hand on mine, or touching my arm or my shoulder.
Woman: Really? Oh, come on! She’s just being friendly.
Man: Well, I don’t know her very well, and it makes me uncomfortable.
2
Man: So, how do you like your new neighbor?
Woman: Well, he seems like a nice guy, but…
Man: But what?
Woman: Well, whenever I talk to him, he looks right at me, I mean, right into my eyes. It’s awful; I get so nervous.
Man: Really? I think that’s a good thing. It means you can trust him.
Woman: Hmm. I’m not sure.
3
Woman: Oh, look at that. Can you believe it?
Man: What?
Woman: That couple over there, the man and woman holding hands. Ugh.
Man: Wow! That’s great. They’re really in love.
Woman: Well, isn’t it a little impolite?
Man: Hmm, I guess you’re right.
4
Woman: Phew! I’m tired! I took the stairs up to the office this morning.
Man: Fifteen floors?
Woman: Well, there’s this man who always takes the elevator at the same time as I do. Usually we’re the only two people in there, but he always stands really close to me, almost touching me.
Man: Yeah, that would make me feel strange, too. But, can’t you just move?
Woman: Well, I don’t want to be impolite. Besides, the stairs are good exercise!
5
Wife: Come on! We have to hurry up or we’ll miss Andrew’s soccer game!
Husband: Uh, yeah… um, honey, after today’s game, you shouldn’t hug Andrew in front of the team like you did last time.
Wife: What? Why not? He’s my son, and I’m proud of him.
Husband: Yes, I know. But he’s twelve years old now. It’ll make him feel uncomfortable in front of his friends.
Wife: Oh, that’s silly. I don’t think so.
Listening task 2: What does it mean?
A Listen. People are comparing gestures from around the world. Which two countries are they talking about? Circle the correct answers.
a. Brazil
b. France
c. Greece
a. Peru
b. Spain
c. Tonga
a. Argentina
b. Canada
c. Turkey
a. Nigeria
b. South Korea
c. the U.S.
Answer & Audioscripts
1 a, c 2 a, c
3 a, b 4 b, c
Audioscripts in B below
B Listen again. Write the correct information.
|
Where does the gesture mean…? |
country |
|
1 no |
_______________ |
|
2 money |
_______________ |
|
3 someone is crazy |
_______________ |
|
4 come here |
_______________ |
Answer & Audioscripts
1 Greece 2 Peru
3 Canada 4 South Korea
Audioscripts
1
Woman: You know, nodding your head – moving your head up and down – means “yes” in most places, but in one place I know of, it means “no.”
Man: Well, in Brazil, where I’m from, it means “yes.” Where does nodding your head mean “no”?
Woman: In Greece.
Man: Hmm
2
Man: I didn’t know raising your eyebrows means “yes” in Tonga. It means something very different in Peru.
Woman: Yeah? What does it mean in Peru?
Man: “Money.” Raising your eyebrows is a gesture for “money” in Peru.
3
Woman: Um, Ramon, you said that tapping your head means “I’m thinking” in Argentina.
Ramon: Yes, that’s right.
Woman: You’d better be careful about using that gesture in Canada. It means “someone is crazy.”
Ramon: It means “someone is crazy” in Canada? I didn’t know that. I’ll be careful.
4
Jun Ho: Hey, Kelly!
Kelly: Huh? You’re leaving already, Jun Ho? But, you just got here.
Jun Ho: What? I’m not leaving yet.
Kelly: Oh, I thought you were waving good-bye.
Jun Ho: Ah, no – sorry. I know waving your fingers means “good-bye” in the U.S., but in South Korea, this gesture means “Come here.”
Kelly: Oh!
Jun Ho: So, come here. I want to show you something.
Listening task 3
Listen. Circle the correct answers.
1 The people are talking about
a. a friend.
b. their professor.
c. someone they don’t know.
2 The man is Ramon’s
a. roommate.
b. classmate.
c. brother.
3 The woman thinks Ramon
a. stands too close.
b. makes too much eye contact.
c. hugs her too much.
4 The man thinks Ramon doesn’t
a. know about the problem.
b. like the woman.
c. enjoy living in the U.S.
5 The people will probably
a. stop talking to Ramon.
b. not look at Ramon.
c. tell Ramon the problem.
Answer & Audioscripts
1 a 2 b 3 a 4 a 5 c
Audioscripts
Woman: Hey, can I ask you something?
Man: Sure. What is it?
Woman: Well, it’s about Ramon. He’s a friend of yours, right?
Man: Yeah. He’s is a few of my classes.
Woman: Well, have you ever noticed that he stands really close when he’s talking to you? I mean, I really like talking to him, but it makes me feel a little strange.
Man: Yeah, I have noticed that, but Ramon is from Mexico. In Mexican culture, people stand a little closer together than we’re used to here in the U.S. I don’t think Ramon knows it’s a problem.
Woman: Do you think we should say something?
Man: That’s a hard thing to talk about with someone. But I think we have to…
Listening task 4
A Listen. People are talking about body language. What are the topics? Check (✓) the correct answers.
1 ◻ nodding
◻ hugging
◻ waving
2 ◻ shaking hands
◻ holding hands
◻ standing close together
3 ◻ tapping your head
◻ nodding your head
◻ making eye contact
4 ◻ raising your eyebrows
◻ tapping your head
◻ waving your fingers
5 ◻ holding hands
◻ standing close together
◻ making eye contact
Answer & Audioscripts
1 hugging
2 standing close together
3 tapping your head
4 waving your fingers
5 making eye contact
Audioscripts in B below.
B Listen again. Circle the correct information.
1 The woman didn’t know Pablo very well / like Pablo very much.
2 The people are in Peru / Mexico.
3 The people are probably talking at around noon / 6:00 P.M.
4 In the U.S., the gesture means “Come here.” / “good-bye.”
5 Children in Saudi Arabia probably make / don’t make eye contact with their teachers.
Answer & Audioscripts
1 know Pablo very well
2 Mexico
3 noon
4 “good-bye”
5 make
Audioscripts
1
Woman: I met Cristina’s brother Pablo the other night. He was really nice, but he did something strange.
Man: What did he do?
Woman: When we were saying good-bye, he gave me a big hug. I was surprised. I hardly knew him.
Man: Oh, don’t worry. In Pablo’s culture, hugging is a good thing. It’s part of making friends.
2
Woman: Have you noticed that people here in Mexico stand very close together?
Man: Yes. It’s the same in Peru, and some other Latin countries, too.
Woman: I was a little uncomfortable at first. But after a few days here, I’m getting used to it.
3
Woman: You’re tapping your head. Are you saying that someone is crazy?
Man: No. Why?
Woman: When a person taps his head that way, it means someone’s crazy.
Man: Not here. We use the gesture when we’re thinking. I was just thinking about what to have for lunch!
4
Man: I’m confused. After class, Sehoon was leaving so I said good-bye, but instead of leaving, he walked over to me, and just looked at me – like he was waiting for me to say something.
Woman: Hmm. How exactly did you say good-bye to Sehoon?
Man: I did this – I waved my fingers.
Woman: Oh! That makes sense. Waving your fingers like that means “Good-bye” in the U.S., but in South Korea, it means you’re saying “Come here” to the person.
Man: No wonder Sehoon did that.
5
Woman: I’ve heard that in some cultures, it’s impolite to look someone directly in the eye.
Man: That’s true. In many Asian countries, for example, children are taught never to look directly at an adult. But in Saudi Arabia, it’s the opposite.
Woman: It is?
Man: Yes. In Saudi Arabia, making eye contact shows respect.
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