1. 牛津高中英语
(模块一 ·高一上学期)

2. American English VS British English
Unit
Book 10_课件_U1_Reading2-8 2
Word power
American English VS British English
&
Colloquialisms
Ma Jingying 2

3. Teaching aims
After learning this section, the students will be able to:
1. know and recognize differences between American and British English;
2. know differences between American and British cultures；
3. learn and remember some colloquialisms;

4. American English VS
British English

5. (an American) (an Englishman)
Joe & Nancy
(an American) (an Englishman)
At Nancy’s home.
Joe asked, “ Could I use your bathroom?”
Nancy said, “ OK. It was was upstairs.” Then he gave Joe a clean towel.
However, Joe didn’t find the bathroom.

6. What actually did Joe want to find in the bathroom
What actually did Joe want to find in the bathroom? Why can’t he find it?
(1) Joe wanted to find a toilet.
(2) Joe is an American, he says bathroom and means a place where there is a toilet.
In Nancy’s eye, it’s a place where people can only have a bath.

7. Differences between British English and American English

8. British English VS American English
Grammar
Spelling
Vocabulary
Pronunciation

9. Grammar
American
British
Sam just went home.
Sam’s just gone home.
That skirt fit badly.
That skirt fitted badly.
Hello, is this Wang Li?
Hello, is that Wang Li?
I live on Zhenning Road.
I live in Zhenning Road.
Call me at
Call me on
Do you have a pen?
Have you (got) a pen?
I don’t have a pen.
I haven’t (got) a pen.

10. Spelling
American
British
center
centre
color
colour
traveler
traveller
behavior
behaviour
favor
favour
program
programme

11. Vocabulary
American
British
candy
sweets
movie
film
soccer
football
vacation
holiday
gas
petrol
restroom/bathroom
toilet/WC

12. Vocabulary
American
British
first floor
ground floor
second floor
mail
post
apartment
flat
subway
underground

13. Pronunciation
American
British
answer [æ]
answer [ɑ:]
God [gad]
God [gɒd]
box [bɑːks]
box [bɒks]
either [iðɚ]
either [aiðə ]
not [nat]
not [nɔt ]

14. Besides language, can you name any other differences between the cultures of the USA and the UK?

15. 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 way while in _______ people are a bit more formal or traditional.
America
right
left
Americans
Britain

16. Brain-storm: How much do you know?
4) Americans select ________ as the top leader of the country, while in the UK, the ______ or ______ is always the representative of the country.
5) Football has its origin in ______, but in America, where it is called ______, it is not so popular as American football, or rugby.
president
King
Queen
Britain
soccer

17. Finish the exercise on Page 26.
Answers: 1.__________ 2.___________ 3.__________ 4.___________ 5.__________ 6.___________ 7.___________________ 8._____
is that
centre
fitted
toilet
programme
colour
She’s just gone home on

18. Discussion
As a matter of fact, despite such differences, nearly all English speakers, Americans or Englishmen, can understand each other.
Therefore, we can use both American English and British English in our daily life.

19. Colloquialisms

20. Definition (P27)
A colloquialism is an informal expression used in spoken English. Colloquialisms are often used in conversations.

21. This is a colloquialism. Do you know what does it mean?
Colloquialisms
You are telling me I’m lazy. Ha, look what a mess your room is! That is like the pot calling the kettle black !
This is a colloquialism. Do you know what does it mean?

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

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

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

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

26. 1. a piece of cake 小菜一碟 容易的事
e.g. No sweat. This project will be a piece of cake.
We needn't have worried about the math exam. It was a piece of cake.

27. 2. a wet blanket 令人扫兴的人
I’m sorry to be such a wet blanket, but I’m afraid I have to go home now.

28. 3. all ears 形容很专心地倾听,全神贯注
When someone is all ears, he or she is listening with complete attention．
e.g. Whenever you tell Johnny some gossip, he’s all ears.

29. 4. to pull one’s leg 逗别人，开别人玩笑
e.g. My roommate said this girl had told him she wouldn’t mind going out with me. But when I invited her to a movie, I learned he was just pulling my leg.

30. Read the sentences and express what the colloquialisms under-lined mean.
1. Though you are busy, could you just
lend me an ear for a moment?
to listen and pay attention to

31. 2. If Huston rockets can win this basketball game by twenty points, I will eat my hat. be 100 percent certain that something will happen 拓展： eat (one’s) words: to retract something that one has said

32. 3. I have never expected Lily to act as cool as a cucumber in the traffic accident. very calm in difficult situations

33. 4. All the family members come to persuade Jim to change his idea, but he is as stubborn as a mule.
refusing to change one’s opinion

34. 5. As a green hand, Robert nearly drove into the grocery on roadside.
one who is new in a certain field

35. 6. Because Tod failed in his maths exam, he was as quiet as a mouse when his father scolded him.
making very little noise

36. Guess what the expressions mean.
1.Mrs Black’s garden is the best in our town. She has real green fingers.
_____________________________
2. He makes every decision in our company. He is the top dog.
__________________________________
be good at gardening (园艺能手）
an important person in an organization

37. 3. Why did you give her the cold shoulder
3.Why did you give her the cold shoulder? You are good friends, aren’t you?
_____________________
4. I wish I had brought my umbrella. It’s raining cats and dogs.
__________________________
5. Football is just not my cup of tea —I like playing volleyball. ____________________
be not friendly to her
raining heavily
not really to my taste

38. Translate the following colloquialisms .
1. a piece of cake
2. a wet blanket
3. be all ears
4. pull one's leg
5. lend sb. an ear
6. eat my hat
小菜一碟；容易的事
令人扫兴的人或事
全神贯注，专心听
逗别人，开玩笑
听；注意
情愿受罚（表示很确定）

39. Translate the following colloquialisms
7. a green hand
8. green fingers
9. the top dog
10. rain cats and dogs
11. be not sb.'s cup of tea
12. give sb. the cold shoulder
新手；没经验的人
园艺能手
领头羊；最有权的人
大雨倾盆
不合某人口味
冷落某人

40. Homework
1. Keep the examples of American English and British English in your mind. 2. Review the colloquialisms learnt today. 3. Preview Grammar and Usage.

41. Thank you for your
attention~