Unit 2 1. American English vs British English 2. Colloquialisms

Read a dialogue Jane is an American who has come to Britain for the first time. Read the dialogue and answer the questions:

Lily : Oh, there you are. Did you have a good flight? Jane : Sure. We flew all the way. Lily: You must be very tired. Jane: Yes. Could I use your bathroom? Lily: Sure, just make yourself at home. It is on the first floor. Let me give you a clean towel.( 毛巾 ) Jane: A Towel? ( after a while) Lily: Have you found it? Jane: Well, I mean no. I can’t find it. Is it on the first floor? Lily: Yes. It’s the second door on the left. Look, it is there. Jane: Oh, it is here. (2 minutes later) Jane: I find the bathroom, but I can’t find what I’ m looking for. Questions: Why can’t Jane find the bathroom at first? What can’t Jane find in the bathroom? Why?

Questions: (1)Why can’t Jane find the bathroom at first? first floor second floorfirst floor ground floor American EnglishBritish English (2)What can’t Jane find in the bathroom? Jane can’t find the toilet. She wants to go to the toilet, but Lily thinks she wants to take a shower. bathroom (AmE) a toliet(BrE) a bath or shower One more question: In which aspect does American English differ from British English from the dialogue above? In vocabulary

1. In what ways does American English differ from British English? Vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, spelling 2. Can you list some examples?

pants AmE trousers BrE candy AmE sweets BrE

toilet/WC BrE restroom/bathroom AmE soccer (ball ) AmE football BrE

living room AmE sitting room BrE

vacation AmE holiday BrE

Difference in vocabulary Differences in Vocabulary fallautumn elevator( 电梯 ) lift rubber eraser movie film American English British English garbage can program dustbin programme

A game: Do you have a good memory? toilet/bathroom vacation/ holiday pants/trousers living room/ sitting room soccer ball / football movie / film program/ programme garbage can/ dustbin eraser/ rubber elevator/lift

garbage can/ dustbin

A game: Do you have a good memory? toilet/bathroom vacation/ holiday pants/trousers living room/ sitting room soccer ball / football movie / film program/ programme garbage/ dustbin eraser/ rubber elevator/lift

A game: Do you have a good memory? toilet/bathroom vacation/ holiday pants/trousers living room/ sitting room soccer ball / football movie / film program/ programme garbage/ dustbin eraser/ rubber elevator/lift

vacation/ holiday

Differences in Spelling center---centre theater---theatre centimeter---centimetre Kilometer---kilometre -er vs -re

color---colour humor---humour behavior---behaviour neighbor---neighbour honor---honour favorite---favourite -or vs -our

traveler---traveller woolen---woollen jeweler---jeweller organize---organise realize---realise -l- vs -ll- -ze vs -se program---programme kilogram---kilogramme -gram vs -gramme

Differences in Grammar the differences in tense Do you have a book? ______ Have you (got) a book? ______ Sam just went home. ______ Sam has just gone home.______ Am.E Br.E

the differences in preposition I live in Zhengning Road. ______ I live on Zhengning Road. ______ I’ll see you Sunday. ______ I’ll see you on Sunday. ______ Call me at ______ Call me on ______ Am.E Br.E

Differences in Pronunciation Am.EBr.E again[ә’gein][ә’gen ] clerk[klə:k][klα:k ] dance[dæns ][ dα:ns]

Brain-storm: How much do you know? 1) Thanksgiving is observed only in _______. 2) People usually walk on the ______ side in the USA while in the UK people usually walk on the ______ side. 3) __________ behave in a more casual （随意 的） way while in _______ people are a bit more formal or traditional. America right left Americans Britain

colloquialisms

What’s a colloquialism? A colloquialism is an informal expression used in spoken English. Colloquialisms are never used in formal English or in writing, but are often used in conversations.

Guess the meaning of cost an arm and a leg Bai: Your new car is really nice. Kevin: It should be. It cost me an arm and a leg. Bai: Really? I’m sorry to hear that. When did the car accident happen? Kevin: Come on, friend. I’m fine. I mean the car costs a lot of money.

A wet blanket This is an early 19 th -century expression. （词语） Native （本地的） Americans and others often put out their campfires( 营火，营火会 ) with blankets they had dipped( 浸、泡 ) in the nearest river. If fire represents( 代 表 ) excitement and joy, then the wet blanket that puts out the fire stands for （代表） a person who always expects bad things will happen. 27

Meaning Meaning ： A wet blanket: a person who spoils ( 损坏、破坏 ) other people’s fun by being boring Boring/ afraid to have fun 28

All ears This expression has been used for three centuries. The ear is the organ( 器官 ) by which a person hears. So, if we say you are all ears, it means that at that moment you’re carefully listening to whatever is being said. It is as if no other organs of your body mattered( 要紧、有关系 v.) except your ears. 29

Meaning Meaning: All ears: eager to listen; listening carefully 30

Pull my leg By the late 1800s people sometimes tripped( 绊倒 ) other people by catching their legs with a cane( 拐杖、 藤条 ) or running a string( 绳子 ) across the sidewalk. Sometimes it was just for fun; at other times robbers( 强盗 ) did it to steal from the victim( 受害者 ) after he or she had fallen. 31

Meaning Meaning: Pull my leg: to fool someone; to joke with someone 32 Finish part A on page 27

Don’t worry. It’s a piece of cake! _______________________________________________________ something easy to do

Don’t be a wet blanket. Have some fun! ____________________________________________ boring/ afraid to have fun

Go on, tell me. I’m all ears. ________________________________ listening carefully

Are you serious? Don’t pull my leg. ________________________________ joke with someone

More about the colloquialisms 1. lend me an ear Origin( 起源 ): In William Shakespeare’s time, around 1600, it was a common way of asking other person to listen to you carefully. Shakespeare used this expression in his play “Julius Caesar”. Meaning: to listen and pay attention to Example: I know you are busy, but could you just lend me an ear for a minute? 37

2. eat my hat Origin: Many great writers, including Charles Dickens, have this expression. Meaning: a saying used when you are 100 percent certain that something will happen Example: If we don’t win this basketball game, I will eat my hat. 38

some proverbs （谚语） about the animals a busy bee 忙碌的人 an early bird 早起的人 lead a cat-and-dog life 过着吵吵闹闹的生活 39

do the donkey work 呆板的例常工作 a cold fish 冷酷无情的人 a dark horse 实力难猜的竞争者 40

Finish Part B on page Mrs Black’s garden is the best in our town. She really has green fingers. _______________________________ 2. He makes every decision in our company. He is the top dog. ________________________________ be good at gardening An important person in an organization

3. Why did you give her cold shoulder? You are good friends, aren’t you. ________________________________ 4. I wish I had brought my umbrella. It’s raining cats and dogs. _______________________________ be not friendly with her raining heavily.

5. Football is just not my cup of tea. I like playing volleyball. ___________________________ not really to my taste.

Homework 1.Try your best to keep the examples of American English and British English in your mind. 2. Find more colloquialisms on the Internet.