高级时事英语第1.docVIP

《高级时事英语》第1、2单元辅导材料（3） Reading tips: It’s always very useful to use tables to rearrange the information in a text, which will help you a lot with comprehension. The following passage is chosen from English Language Learning (2000, 2) TASKS: Read the following passage and try to complete the following table with the information provided in the passage. Friendship in Chinese Culture Friendship in American Culture What can you expect from your friend? How long can friendship last? How much can you depend on your friend? How much can you expect from you friend? Friendship in different cultures By Linell Davis In writing assignments in English classes my students frequently raise the topic of friendship. Reading what they write, I start to understand Chinese friendship obligations. For instance, once a student wrote that she understood that her friend wanted to go shopping. My student was busy and really had no time to do that, but she kept silent, put her work aside and went shopping with her friend, sometimes they write about middle school friends and describe the closeness they feel when they are together. Sometimes they write with great sadness when they feel they are no longer close to someone they considered a friend. All this is quite different from what American young people would say about friendship. In the United States you can certainly ask a friend to do something with you, but you would not expect a friend to recognize and respond to your wishes without stating them. Nor would you expect a friend to drop everything to respond to a non-urgent need such as going shopping. In fact an American friend would feel that they had imposed too much if the friend gave up a real need to study to go shopping. There are limits to what you can expect from a friend. In the U.S. you feel free to ask your friend for help, but you recognize that the friend may say no, if they give you a reason. A friend in China is someone who, sensing that you are in need in some way, offe