In nearly every culture, proverbs-
communicated in colourful and vivid language- offer an important set of values
for members of a society. Proverbs are so important to the learning process
that there is even a German proverb that notes “A country can be judged by the
quality of its proverbs.”
Proverbs
are learned easily and repeated with great regularity. Because they are
brief (a line or two), their power as a teacher is often overlooked. Yet many
great Chinese philosophers such as Confucius, Mencius, Chung
Tzu used proverbs to express their thoughts to their disciples. These
words of wisdom survive so that each generation learns what a culture deems
significant. As Sellers tells you, “Proverbs reunite the listener with his
or her ancestors.”
Because
all people, regardless of their culture, share common experiences, many of the
same proverbs appear throughout the world. For example, in nearly every culture
some degree of thrift and hard work is stressed. Hence, in
Researchers
state that proverbs are of great importance in every culture. As Mieder notes, “Studying proverbs can offer insights into a
culture’s worldview regarding such matters as education, law, business, and
marriage.” They are, as Mieder adds, “the true voice of the people.”
Adapted from Larry A. Samovar,
Richard E. Porter, Edwin R. McDaniel. Communication
Between Cultures. Sixth Edition.
2007. Thomson Learning, Inc.
1. Which
one would be the best title for the text? (Tick the appropriate choice)
o Cultural Misunderstanding.
o The Effects of Stereotypes.
o Learning Culture Through
Proverbs.
o Moroccan Proverbs.
o American Proverbs.
2.
Answer the following questions in your own words as far as possible.
a. Why are proverbs learned easily?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
b. What did Chinese philosophers such as Confucius, Mencius, Chung Tzu use proverbs
for?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3.
Tick the appropriate meaning of the word in bold.
i.
…Their power as a teacher is often overlooked.
(Paragraph 2, Line 2)
q Estimated and evaluated.
q Ignored and not noticed.
q Understood.
ii.
Confucius, Mencius, Chung Tzu used proverbs to
express their thoughts to their disciples. (Paragraph 2, Line 4)
q A woman who makes beautiful
or practical objects using her hands.
q A who makes beautiful or practical objects
using his hands.
q Someone who admires a famous person
such as a political or religious leader and is influenced by them= FOLLOWER;
iii.
“Proverbs reunite the listener with his
or her ancestors.” (Paragraph 2, Line 5)
q To bring people
or groups together again after they have not seen each other for a period of
time, or to be brought together again after a period of time.
q The action of using
something again, sometimes for a different purpose.
q The process of
studying or examining a situation, policy, or idea again in order to decide
whether it is suitable or satisfactory.
iv.
“Proverbs reunite the listener with his or her ancestors.”
(Paragraph 2, Line 6)
q Someone who is
related to you who lived a long time ago.
q A main character in a movie
or story.
q Someone who believed there should
be no government or laws.
v.
in nearly every culture some degree of
thrift and hard work is stressed. (Paragraph 3, Line 3)
q An act of returning to an earlier
state.
q The practice of spending
money carefully so that you don’t waste any.
q The act of asking money from
someone.
vi.
“Studying proverbs can offer insights
into a culture’s worldview (Paragraph 4, Line 2)
q A worried feeling you have because you think
something bad might happen.
q A chance to understand
something or learn more about it.
q A sudden feeling of
enthusiasm, or a new idea that helps you to do or create something.
4.
Find in the text the antonyms of the following words:
a. Die (Paragraph 2) :………………………………………….
b. Disappear (Paragraph 3) :………………………………………….
c. Wasted (Paragraph 3) :………………………………………….
5.
What do the underlined words in the text refer to ?
a. Its (Paragraph 1) :………………………………………….
b. They (Paragraph 2) :………………………………………….
c. Their (Paragraph 2) :………………………………………….
d. His or her (Paragraph 2) :………………………………………….
e. They (Paragraph 4) :………………………………………….