Unit 4 Psychology / Sociology

Teaching Objectives

After this unit, students will be able to:

· identify connotative language
· recognize bias
· use maps to analyze arguments
· evaluate generalizations, claims and arguments
· understand key concepts related to racial and gender discrimination
· think critically the complicated social problems from different perspectives
· appreciate the genre features of sociology and psychology literature

Background Knowledge

1. Stereotypes1

1) Definition of Stereotype: A stereotype is “a fixed, over generalized belief about a

particular group or class of people.” (Cardwell, 1996).

2) Pros and Cons of Stereotype: One advantage of a stereotype is that it enables us to
respond rapidly to situations because we may have had a similar experience before.
One disadvantage is that it makes us ignore differences between individuals;
therefore we think things about people that might not be true (i.e. make
generalizations). The use of stereotypes is a major way in which we simplify our
social world; since they reduce the amount of processing (i.e. thinking) we have to
do when we meet a new person. By stereotyping we infer that a person has a whole
range of characteristics and abilities that we assume all members of that group have.
Stereotypes lead to social categorization, which is one of the reasons for prejudice
attitudes (i.e. “them” and “us” mentality) which lead to in-groups and out-groups.
3) Positive and Negative Stereotype:
Most stereotypes probably tend to convey a negative impression. Positive examples
would include judges (the phrase “sober as a judge” would suggest this is a stereotype
with a very respectable set of characteristics), overweight people (who are often seen

1 https://www.simplypsychology.org/katz-braly.html
as “jolly”) and television news readers (usually seen as highly dependable, respectable
and impartial). Negative stereotypes seem far more common, however.
4) Racial Stereotype:
Researchers have found that stereotypes exist of different races, cultures or ethnic
groups. The most famous study of racial stereotyping was published by Katz and Braly
in 1933 when they reported the results of a questionnaire completed by students at
Princeton University in the USA. They found that students held clear, negative
stereotypes – few students expressed any difficulty in responding to the questionnaire.
Most students at that time would have been white Americans and the pictures of other
ethnic groups included Jews as shrewd and mercenary, Japanese as shrewd and sly,
Negroes as lazy and happy-go-lucky and Americans as industrious and intelligent.
Not surprisingly, racial stereotypes always seem to favor the race of the holder and
belittle other races. It is probably true to say that every ethnic group has racial
stereotypes of other groups.
5) Gender Stereotype2:
Definition: Gender stereotyping is defined as overgeneralization of characteristics,
differences and attributes of a certain group based on their gender. Gender stereotypes
create a widely accepted judgment or bias about certain characteristics or traits that
apply to each gender. If a man or a woman acts differently from how their gender is
assumed to behave, then they don’t conform to the norm. For example: assertive women
are called “bitches” and “whores”, while men who don’t appear or act masculine are
called “sissies” or “wimps” or assumed to be gay, which is a very offensive stereotype
in the LGBT community. Gender stereotypes are dangerous because they might create
unequal or unfair treatments to a certain person who chooses to defy people’s
assumptions about his/her gender. When gender inequality occurs on the background
of gender stereotyping, this is called sexism.
Common Types and Examples of Gender Stereotype:
A. Personality Traits: Women are supposed to be shy, passive and submissive.
Women are organized and clean. Men are expected to be tough, aggressive,
dominant and self-confident. Men are lazy and messy.
B. Domestic Behaviors: Women are supposed to cook and do housework.
Women are better at raising children. Stay-at-home mothers are better than
working mothers. On the other hand: Men are better at household repairs. Men
cannot cook, sew or care for their children. Men always tell their wives what
to do.

2 https://nobullying.com/gender-stereotypes/
 C. Occupations: Women are supposed to have “clean” jobs such as teachers,
nurses, secretaries and librarians. Women are not good at math. Women are
supposed to make less money than men. Women are not politicians. Women
cannot be presidential candidates. On the other hand: Men are supposed to
have “dirty jobs” like mechanics, construction workers, plumbers and
engineering. Men are all good at math. Men are better doctors. Men are
supposed to be in charge at work and should make more money than women.
Men are better politicians.
D. Physical Appearance: Generally speaking, women are expected to be short
and slender, small and delicate while men are supposed to be tall with broad
shoulders. However, physical appearance gender stereotyping varies from
culture to culture. In cultures where men are small in size, masculinity is
determined by acting macho. Acting macho for men would mean getting
involved in fights, drinking alcohol, smoking unfiltered cigarettes and getting
into fights. Female gender stereotype occurs for women who act “macho” in
some cultures. Women who smoke, drink, and swear often are considered
“masculine”.

Female gender stereotypes always play on the notion of women’s inequality to

men. Women are weaker, less competitive, and less adaptable to harsh environments

outside the house. Male gender stereotypes pressed on the facts that men were more

tolerant and they expressed their feelings differently from women. Men should act in a

certain, acceptable “manly” way: other than that men are not worthy of their natural

“superior” role.

2. Prejudice & Discrimination12

1) Definition: Prejudice is an unjustified or incorrect attitude (usually negative)

towards an individual based solely on the individual’s membership of a social group.

For example, a person may hold prejudiced views towards a certain race or gender

etc. (e.g. sexist). Discrimination is the behavior or actions, usually negative, towards

an individual or group of people, especially on the basis of sex/race/social class, etc.

2) The Difference Between Prejudice and Discrimination: A prejudiced person may

not act on their attitude. Therefore, someone can be prejudiced towards a certain
group but not discriminate against them. Also, prejudice includes all three
 components of an attitude (affective, behavioral and cognitive), whereas
discrimination just involves behavior.
3) Examples of Discrimination:
A. Racial Discrimination
Apartheid (literally "separateness") was a system of racial segregation that was
enforced in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. Non-white people were prevented from
voting and lived in separate communities.
World War II - In Germany and German-controlled lands, Jewish people had to wear
yellow stars to identify themselves as Jews. Later, the Jews were placed in
concentration camps by the Nazis.
B. Age Discrimination
This is a type of discrimination against a person or group on the grounds of age.
C. Gender Discrimination
In Western societies while women are often discriminated against in the workplace,
men are often discriminated against in the home and family environments. For instance
after a divorce women receive primary custody of the children far more often than men.
Women on average earn less pay than men for doing the same job.

Reading A The Psychology of How We Learn Prejudice: Are We

Natural-Born Racists?

Useful Words & Expressions

cognitive adj. of the mental process of perception, memory, judgment and reasoning 认知的
neuroscientist n. people who study the science discipline dealing with the structure,
development, function, chemistry and pathology of nervous system 神经系统科学家 spotless
adj. completely clean 一尘不染的 nestle v. to naturally and pleasantly located or situated in 处
于，坐落于（隐蔽之处） diagnosis n. the determining by examination the nature of the
diseased condition 诊断 a blob of 一团，一摊，一堆
depict v. represent or characterize in words, describe 描述，形容 IAT
(Implicit Association Test) 内隐联想测试
moderate adj. of medium quantity, extent or amount 中等的
categorize v.to put people or things into groups according to the type of person or thing they are,
                                                                                 
12 https://www.simplypsychology.org/prejudice.html
classify 把进行分类，把……列作
strive v. make a great effort to achieve something 努力，奋斗 split
second 一刹那，瞬间
tally v. if the numbers tally, they match exactly, to calculate a total number 完全吻合，计算
filing cabinet 档案柜，文件柜
nuanced adj. delicate, subtle 细致入微的
stereotype v. to decide unfairly that a type of person has particular qualities or abilities because
they belong to a particular race, sex or social class.存成见，模式化
essentialize v. to extract the essence from or express the essence of 使精炼，说明本质 boil
down to 归结为
underlie v.to show something is important, highlight 强调，使突出
inherent adj. being a natural part of something and cannot be separated from it.内在的，固有的
immutable adj. never changing or impossible to change 永恒的，不能改变的 sexual
orientation 性取向
dubious adj. probably not honest, true or right 靠不住的 feebleminded adj.
mentally deficient 痴呆的，
（智力）迟钝的 innately adv. Coming as if
being born with something 与生俱来地 debunk v.to show that an idea or
belief is false 证明（思想或观念）错误 pervasive adj. existing
everywhere 遍布的，到处存在的
favoritism n. unfair treatment of a person or group on the basis of prejudice 偏袒，偏爱
randomly adv. not following a certain patter or plan 随机地，任意地 comply v. act in
accordance with someone’s rules, commands, or wishes 服从，遵守 marauding adj.
wandering around and looking for opportunities to steal or kill 四处劫掠的 amygdala n. an
almond-shaped neural structure in the brain which plays an important role in
motivation and emotional behavior 扁桃体（人脑内负责掌管情绪反应的）
notorious adj. famous or well-known for something bad 臭名昭著的
fight-or-flight 战或逃（人体应对危险的机制）
trigger v. make something happen very quickly especially a series of events 引发，激发（一系列
事件）
vigilance n. careful attention that you give to what is happening so that you will notice any danger
警戒，警惕
innovative adj. new and original 创新的
constraint n. something that limits or controls what you can do 限制
think outside the box 跳出固有的思维模式
construct n. an idea formed by combining pieces of information 构想，概念
skin-deep adj. involving a surface only 肤浅的，表面的 mean score 平均
分
stagnation n. a state of inactivity 停滞
attribute n. a quality or feature especially one that is considered to be good or useful 特性，属性
savanna n. a large flat area of grassy land especially in Africa (尤指非洲的)稀疏草原 upshot
n. the final result of a situation(某事的)结果
snuff out 扼杀，消灭
overt adj. open and obvious 公开的，显然的
intervention n. the act of being involved in an argument, fight or other difficult situation in order
to change what happens 干涉，介入
scenario n. a situation that could possibly happen 可能发生的事或情况
ally n. someone who helps and supports you when other people are trying to oppose you 盟友，支
持者
evocative adj. making people remember something by producing a feeling or memory in them 引
起记忆的，唤起感情的
narrative n. a story or an account of a series of events 故事，叙事
assault v. attack somebody physically and emotionally 袭击，抨击
instinct n. a natural tendency that a person has to behave or react in a particular way 本能
presumably adv. by reasonable assumption 可能，大概
perspective n. a way of thinking about something especially one which is influenced by the type of
person you are or by your experience ( 思考问题的)角度，观点
endorse v. to say publicly that you support or approve something 公开支持，赞同
discriminatory adj. being biased or having a belief formed beforehand and showing prejudice 歧视
的，区别对待的
arbitrary adj. based on individual preference or sometimes impulse 任意，武断的

Getting Started

Questions for Discussion

Supplementary Readings:
http://www.nationalstereotype.com/31-maps-mocking-national-stereotypes-around-
the-world/ Some Assumptions/ Stereotypes/ Discriminations:
Americans are all loud, fat and obnoxious.
British people are all snobs and have bad teeth.
French people are all frog-eating, onion-lovers called Pierre.
Jews are all money-grabbing masterminds trying to take over the world.
Irish people are all alcoholics who love scoffing potatoes and beating up their peers./
eat potatoes. Muslims are all out to kill “Civilized People” by blowing themselves up
by plane, bus or train.

Part I Before Reading

( Student’s Book) Vocabulary Exercise

Directions: Guess the meaning of the italicized word with the help of information
provided in the context. And write down your definition in the box.
 When it comes to racial equality, most people know what their opinions are. But
what about unconscious attitudes and associations? Would you be surprised to learn that
you unconsciously favor one racial group over another? The Implicit Association Test
is designed by cognitive scientists to measure hidden racial prejudice. In the test you
will be presented with words or images and asked to categorize them as quickly as
possible. As words and images keep 1) flashing by, you will struggle not to make too
many sorting mistakes. At the end, your responses will be 2) tallied so that you can
see how your score compares to others and to your expectations. The test results reveal
that half of the online test takers show 3) moderate to strong bias against certain racial
groups. And it further suggests that no matter how you 4) strive to control your prejudice,
you actually can’t control them as these racially biased messages from the culture
around you have shaped the very 5) wiring of your brain.
But how does this happen? First, you have to understand the psychological
pathways leading to your prejudices so as to train your brains to move in the opposite
direction. In fact, your brain is similar to a filing cabinet, which automatically
categorizes information and put them into different folders inside it. Such a process
fulfills the evolutionary purpose of the human being. For example, your assumption
that all tigers want to eat you will 6) prompt you to run away at the first sight of them
in the wilderness, thus helping you better cope with your surroundings.
However, a particular way of categorizing can be inaccurate and those false
categories can lead to prejudice and stereotype. Lots of psychological research into bias
has shown that people tend to 7) essentialize certain human categories which mean the
8) attributes or qualities of those categories are inherent. For example, All Asian
Americans are born with a talent at math while black Americans are all good basketball
players by nature. Secondly, humans are herb animals or 9) tribal creatures, showing
strong bias against those we perceive as different from us and 10) favoritism towards
those we perceive as similar. In fact, we frequently divide ourselves into in-groups and
out-groups even the difference is sometimes 11) arbitrary. One simple explanation for
such tendency towards tribalism is safety in numbers. We are more likely to survive an
attack if we join forces with our buddies. So if race is the basis on which tribes are 12)
identified, we will surely expect serious problems.
1) move quickly 2) counted 3) of medium extent 4) try hard
5) network 6) urge 7) biased opinion 8) characristic
9) group 10) partiality 11) unreasonable 12) recognized
Directions: Read the following passage about stereotype and fill out the blanks with
the most appropriate words from the table. Change the form where necessary.

evaluate identified independently

emotional racial characteristics
 conscious behavioral collective categorization

Stereotype, prejudice and discrimination are understood as related but different

concepts.
Stereotype is regarded as the most cognitive component and often occurs without 1)
_conscious awareness, whereas prejudice is the affective component of stereotyping
and discrimination is one of the 2) behavioral components of prejudicial reactions. In
this view of intergroup attitudes, stereotypes reflect expectations and beliefs about the
3) characteristics of members of groups perceived as different from one’s own,
prejudice represents the 4) emotional response, and discrimination refers to
actions.

Although related, the three concepts can exist 5) evaluate of each other. Stereotyping
leads to 6) independently prejudice when people emotionally react to the name
of a group, ascribe characteristics to members of that group, and then 7) racial those
characteristics.

Early studies suggested that stereotypes were only used by rigid, repressed, and
authoritarian people. This idea has been refuted by contemporary studies that suggested
that stereotypes are 8) collective_ group beliefs, meaning that people who belong to
the same social group share the same set of stereotypes.

Stereotypes can help make sense of the world. They are a form of 9) categorization
that helps to simplify and systematize information. Thus, information is more easily 10)
identified , recalled, predicted, and reacted to. Stereotypes are categories of objects or
people. Between stereotypes, objects or people are as different from each other as
possible. Within stereotypes, objects or people are as similar to each other as possible.

( Student’s Book) Word Association3

Directions: Make free association and write down at least three words that come to
your mind immediately after you look at the given word in the center. The more free
associations you make, the better results you get.

3 https://wordassociations.net/en/games
 d d

d
b

inherent

innate

intrinsic inborn

Part II While Reading

( Student’s Book) Skimming & Scanning

Directions: In Reading A, the author cites the research findings of several psychologists
to support his argument. You will find the names of those psychologists in the table
below. Scan the passage and find their corresponding positions and research findings.

Psychologists Who Do Research on Racism

Name Job/Position Research Findings

Brian Psychologist at the 1) Quick classification about what is good and

Nosek University of Virginia what is bad may fulfill the evolutionary
purpose. However, the trouble may come
when the brain uses similar processes to form
negative views about groups of people,
 2) It is possible to get rid of the prejudice by

changing or interfering with people’s

behavior.

3) It appears that our tribal instincts can actually

be co-opted to decrease racial prejudice if we
are made to see those of other races as part of
our team.

David Psychologist at New 1) He finds that the amygdala in the brain is

Amodio York University related to prejudice and amygdala firing may
lead to racial fear or hatred.

Carmit Psychologist at Tel 1) Do a research on how prejudice affect our

Tadmor Aviv University creativity and find that people who
essentialized racial categories tended to have
fewer innovative ideas.

2) He also finds that essentialism has negative

effects on creativity not through what people

think but how they think.

( Student’s Book) Comprehension Check

Directions: Reading the text carefully and decide whether the following statements are
True or False.
1. T/ F White people tend to have uncontrolled prejudice toward black people. (T)
2. T/ F The more you take IAT, the lese prejudice you will have. (F)
3. T/ F When Black faces and negative words are paired, IAT participants tend to find
themselves doing a faster job in categorizing, which suggests that two are more
easily linked in their minds. (T)
4. T/ F Racially biased messages from the culture around you have shaped the very
wiring of your brain. (T)
5. T/ F We have to always remind ourselves of categorizing things into different
folders in our brain and such a process is a conscious effort. (F)
6. T/ F False category can lead to prejudice and stereotype against people. (T)
7. T/ F Whenever certain categories are essentialized, the nature of such a category
becomes inherent and immutable. (T)
8. T/ F Human attributes such as gender, race, age are seldom essentialized and open
to changes.
(F)
9. T/ F If Americans realized it is wrong to essesntialize race, they could certainly
refute the stereotype which is pervasive in the States. (F)
10. T/ F If we perceive others as different from us, we tend to hold bias against them
even though the difference is not completely based on reason. (T)
11. T/ F Because we tend to rely too much on the existing category attributes to make
judgement, we can’t help falling into the trap of stereotyping and creative
stagnation. (T) ( Student’s Book) Discussion
Directions: Work in pairs. Discuss and answer the following essay questions based on
the text.
1. Do you agree that categorization fulfills the evolutionary purpose and is an
effective way of coping with our environment? Could you give more examples to
support or refute such a statement?
Example: The categorization that all Sichuan people like spicy food helps you better
prepare a dinner for a group of guests from Sichuan.
2. How do you understand the “flight-or-fight” response? Have you ever had such
experience in your personal life? How you usually respond to the crisis?4

The fight-or-flight response is a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a

perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival. This theory states that animals
react to threats with a general discharge of the sympathetic nervous system, preparing
the animal for fighting or fleeing. This response is recognized as the first stage of the
general adaptation syndrome that regulates stress responses. Personal answers may vary.

3. What is creativity stagnation? How do you understand “think outside the box”?
Please support your argument with evidence from your own experiences.

Thinking outside the box (also thinking out of the box or thinking beyond the box) is a
metaphor that means to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective.
This phrase often refers to novel or creative thinking. Personal answers may vary.

4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking_outside_the_box
Part III After Reading

Supplementary Application Task: Research on Detecting Bias in the Media

Prompt for Discussion

1. Why news is particularly important when it comes to bias or prejudice?
2. What choices might writers, editors, producers make that would lead to a biased view
of the information they are covering?
3. What are the ways in which bias might occur in the news?
4. Which forms of bias might be difficult for people to notice if they are not aware of
them? For your news sources, list all examples you can find of each form of bias,
along with a quote or other evidence that shows bias is there.

Bias Worksheet
Forms of Bias Evidences
Bias by omission
Bias by emphasis
Bias by use of language
(word choice and tone)
Bias in photos and
captions
Bias in the source
Bias by headlines
Bias by repetition
Bias in numbers and
statistics
 
Reading B The Asian Advantage

Useful Words & Expressions

disproportionately adv. Out of portion as in size or number 不成比列地
census n. an official count of the population, with details as to age, sex, occupation, etc.普查
heritage n. any attribute that is inherited from ancestors 传承，传统 whine v. to
complain in a sad annoying voice about something 哀诉，嘀咕着说 head-on
adv. in direct opposition 迎面，迎头
firepower n. the amount of something important or necessary 力量，实力
harness v. to control and use the power of something 控制，利用
Confucian adj. relating to Confucianism 儒家的
literacy n. the state of being able to read and write 识字，有文化，有读写能力
sacrifice n. the act of giving up something valuable to obtain something else for other people 舍
弃，牺牲
at random 随意地，任意地
Pygmalion effect a phenomenon in which the greater the expectation placed upon people, the
better they perform 皮格玛利翁效应
impair v. to damage something or make it not as good as it should be 损害
testament n. proving that something exists or is true 是……的证据，证明 tribute
n. the result of something and showing how good something is 有效的结果 ditto
adv. used to say what is true of one thing is also true of another 同样，一样
exaggerate v.to make something seem better, larger, worse etc. than it really is 夸大，言过其实
nurture v. to feed and take care of a child while it is growing 养育，培育 reassuring adj.
making you feel less worried 令人安心的
menace n. someone or something that is dangerous 危险的人或事物
compound v. to make a difficult situation worse by adding more problems 使恶化，
加重 emulate v.to do something as someone else, especially because you admire them
因仰慕而效仿 pat on the back 鼓励，表扬

Part I Before Reading

( Student’s Book) Vocabulary Exercise

Directions: Fill out the following sentences with the most appropriate words and
phrases from the box. Make necessary changes to the forms of some words if needed.
1) DC is creating a lot of high-paying jobs for highly educated professionals, who
disproportionately tend to be white.
2) According to a 2011 census, 28% of black kids are raised in a single family
environment.
3) There is no shortage of financial firepower to fund atomic research.
4) We can harness the power of the wind to generate electricity.
5) Many adults in the remote countryside have problems with literacy and numeracy.
6) She made the supreme sacrifice to get her kids a better education. 7) The illness
has impaired his ability to think and concentrate. 8) His success has been a tribute
to hard work and professionalism 9) Where should she go? Mississippi? Too hot.
Ditto Alabama.
10) His problem is compounded by his lack of concentration.
11) Sons are traditionally expected to emulate their fathers.
12) You deserve a hug, pat on the back for what you’ve done.

( Student’s Book) Exercise

Directions: In each of the following sentences, the italicized word has a fairly neutral
connotation. For each word in italics, list two synonyms (words with similar denotations):
one with a negative connotation and the other with a positive connotation.
1. I recognized the familiar smell of my roommate's cooking.
negative connotation:
stench positive
connotation: aroma

2. Kevin's interest in model cars has turned into a hobby.

negative connotation:

obsession positive

connotation: avocation

3. Uncle Henry lives in a hut deep in the woods.

negative connotation:

shack positive

connotation: cabin

4. Phileas Fogg was an adventurous traveler.

negative connotation:

foolhardy positive

connotation: courageous

5. My parents are committed conservationists.

negative connotation: tree

huggers positive connotation:

environmentalists

6. My old laptop has finally died. negative connotation: decrepit positive connotation:

venerable

7. In a quiet and stealthy way, Bartleby moved into the lawyer's chambers.

negative connotation:

sneaky positive

connotation: cunning

8. The teacher was mildly intimated by Merdine's assertive behavior.

negative connotation:

bossy positive

connotation: confident

9. Scrapple is an inexpensive meal.

negative connotation:

cheap positive

connotation: thrifty

Part II While Reading

( Student’s Book) Scanning

Directions: Scan the first six paragraphs of Reading B and fill out the following table.
 The Success of Asian Americans
Financial Success ·Asian Americans________than other racial groups, including whites.
Academic Success ·Asian Americans have higher________than any other group.
Career Success ·Asian Americans are disproportionately ________,________ and other
highly educated professional.
Directions: Scan the rest of the paragraphs (Para10- Para24) of Reading B and fill out
the following table for the reasons why Asian Americans are so successful.

 
Emphasis on education

Strong two-parent families

Teachers’ expectations

Positive stereotyping 

( Student’s Book) Comprehension Check

Directions: Reading the text carefully again and decide whether the following
statements are True or False.
1. Some white people think the reason why the black people are not successful is T
that they complain too much instead of working hard.
2. The kids of working-class Asian-Americans fail to thrive in American society F
because of their poor family backgrounds.
3. East Asians and Jews have something in common---emphasis on education, T
strong family and hard work.

4. Americans tend to believe if kids get A at school, it’s probably because those
kids T are really smart, while Asians tend to think only those students who work
hard will get A.
5. Asian kids tend to have higher intellectual firepower, which contributes a lot to
F their academic success.
6. Asian Americans may encounter invisible barriers through which they can see T
higher career positions, but cannot reach them.
7. Positive stereotypes do no harm to Asian children. F
8. Negative stereotypes will result in anxiety, thus preventing individuals from T
doing a better job.
9. The successful story of Asian Americans can serve as a good example for other
F racial groups to follow and will definitely help them to achieve equal success
in American society.

10. The author thinks that racial discrimination still exists in the States despite the

T Asian American’s success.

( Student’s Book) Table Completion

Directions: Complete the following time-table for the scholars’ arguments or findings
with information from Reading B.

Scholars Arguments/Findings

Asian advantage isn’t intellectual firepower as such, but how it is

Richard Nisbett,
harnessed.

Robert Rosenthal
Teachers had higher expectations for the special students and made them
and Lenore
feel capable — and so that’s what they became.
Jacobson

blacks sometimes suffer from “stereotype threat”: Anxiety from negative

Claude Steele
stereotypes impairs performance

Part III After Reading

( Student’s Book) Integrated Reading & Writing Task

References:

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/18/opinion/sunday/asian-americans-and-
stereotypes.html

How to write reader’s response? http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-

Reader-Response
Readers discuss a column asking, “Why are Asian-Americans so successful in America?”
The following paragraphs are witten by readers from Op-Ed columnist from around the
world. Have a close reading of these commentaries and then write your own feedback
on the essay by columnist Nicholas Kristof. (CF Asian-Americans and Stereotypes.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/18/opinion/sunday/asian-americans-and-
stereotypes.html)

Reading C Racial Bias, Even When We Have Good Intentions

Useful Words & Expressions

reignite v. to catch fire or cause to catch fire again；rekindle 重新点燃，激起
the tip of iceberg 冰山一角
highlight v. emphasize or make more visible or prominent 强调，使注意
anecdotal adj. based on individual accounts rather than on reliable research or statistics 轶闻
的 empirical adj. derived from experiment and observation rather than theory 根据经验的
identical adj. being the exact same one , exactly alike 完全相同的 attribute to 归功于
manipulate v. influence or control shrewdly 操纵 sobering adj. making more
serious and thoughtful 使人清醒的，令人深思的 concession n. the act of
yielding 让步
identical to 与一致
elicit v. call forth emotions, feelings and responses 引出，导致
legislator n. someone who makes or enacts laws 立法者，议会成员
constituent n. a citizen who is represented in a government by officials for whom he or she votes
选民
auction n. the public sale of something to the highest bidder 拍卖
immune adj. secure against 不受影响的，有免疫力的
jury n. the group of people who have been chosen from the general public to listen to the facts
about a crime and to decide whether the person accused is guilty or not 陪审团 convict v.
find someone guilty of a crime in the court 宣告/证明……有罪
defendant n. the person being sued or accused 被告
counterexample n. an example that is used to refutes or disproves a proposition or theory 反例
preclude v. prevent from happening or arising 排除，阻止
shove n. the act of giving a push to someone or something 猛推，挤压
deliberately adv. With intention, on purpose 故意地
intuitive adj. obtained through intuition rather than from reasoning or observation 凭直觉的
creep v. begin to occur or become part of something without people realizing or wanting it 悄悄
出现
snap adj. taken suddenly without careful thought 仓促的 repulsive adj. horrible
and disgusting 令人厌恶的 articulate v. express something clearly and with
certainty 明确有力地表达 distraught adj. being so worried and upset and failing
to think clearly 心烦意乱的 crisply adv. definitely 清楚地
implicit adj. implied though not directly expressed 含蓄的，暗示的 bigotry n. strong,
unreasonable prejudices or opinions 偏执 insidious adj. spreading gradually without being
noticed, and causing serious harm 阴险，狡猾 off the hook 摆脱困境

Part I Before Reading

( Student’s Book) Words in Context

Directions: Fill out the following sentences with the most appropriate words or phrases
from the box. Make changes where necessary.

sobering elicit insidious

deliberately empirical anecdotal
preclude convict creep in
reignite distraught concession
bigotry highlight off the hook
1. There remains a list of dangers that could reignite violence or even civil war in Iraq.
2. Last year Collins wrote a moving poem which highlighted the plight of the homeless.
3. This book is full of amusing anecdotal stories about his life in China.
4. There is no empirical evidence to support his thesis.
5. Regardless of what happens next, today’s events are a sobering reminder that the
two Koreans remain officially at war.
6. I am prepared to make some concession on minor details, but I cannot compromise
on fundamentals.
7. Women who cry in front of their husbands or lovers may elicit sympathy, but they
will make themselves less attractive to them.
8. In 1977 he was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.
9. A constitutional amendment precludes any president from serving more than two
terms.
10. All these environmental disasters were caused either deliberately or because of
neglect by large corporations.
11. A mistake has crept in somewhere between sections D and E.
12. The president had been accused of failing to articulate an overall vision in foreign
affairs.
13. I was reading on the crowded subway when a distraught-looking woman stumbled
into me.
14. This is an international gathering of students which is dedicated to combating
bigotry and hate.
15. Perhaps the most insidious barrier to women’s equal participation in leadership roles
is the persistence of stereotypes of women, which perpetuates the discrimination.
( Student’s Book) Antonyms & Synonyms
Directions: Work in pairs and write down at least three synonyms and three antonyms
for the given word.

Word Synonym Antonym

Bigot Extremist Moderate
Dogmatist Humanitarian
Enthusiast Liberal
Intuitive Emotional Calculated
Innate Reasoned
Spontaneous Meditated
Perceptive
Insidious Dangerous Fair
Tricky Honest
Foxy Sincere
Deceitful
Empirical Practical Theoretic
factual Hypothetical
observational
experimental

distraught Upset Calm

Anxious Collected
Confused Unconcerned
Hysterical Peaceful

Part II While Reading

( Student’s Book) Scanning

Directions: Reading C presents the readers with enormous researches on Racial Bias.
Scan the paragraph 4-16 and fill out the following table for those researches and their
findings.

        Researchs on Racial Bias 
 
 Researches  Findnings

Job Application  •Resumes with black names are less likely to get  a callback 

or interview.. 

Illness Treatment   •Black patients are less likely to get helpful  medical 

procedure.

•Black consumers are offered higher price and less 
Shopping  
confession.

Renting or Buying House    •Black customers are given limited offer of houses for rent 
or sale.

Looking for Research Opportunities  •Black people are less likely to get a response  from falculty. 

Communication with Government 
•Legislators are reluctant to respond to black constituents.
Officials  

Online Transaction    •Black sellers    are less    liketly to

get an offer.

Minority    applicantstend to gain more favor than the white 
College Applicaiton  
applicants .

•The all white jury  a  re more likely to convict a black 
Criminal Justice  
defendant than a white one

Vedio Game    •Black people are more likely to be t argeted and shot in the 

vedio game .. 

( Student’s Book) Comprehension Check

Directions: Paraphrase the difficult sentences below in your own words and pay
attention to the usage of the underlined words or phrases.
1. I could go on, but hopefully the sheer breadth of these findings impresses you, as it
did me.

I could continue to give examples, but the racial bias exists in such a broad range of life
situations that did leave a deep impression on me as well as you readers.
2. But this evidence underlies that a helping hand in one area does not preclude harmful
shoves in many other areas.

It is true that minority groups are favored in the application for elite colleges, but this
fact doesn’t help eliminate prejudice or discrimination that minority groups suffer in
many other life situations.
3. Good intentions do not guarantee immunity.
Even though we desire to avoid any kind of discrimination in daily life, we won’t feel
sure that we will actually stay away from any biased behaviors.
4. Ugly pockets of conscious bigotry remain in this country, but most discrimination is
more insidious.
Although there are small and isolated groups of people with overt racial prejudice, most
people in the country harbor hidden or implicit discrimination.

Part III After Reading

Supplementary Readings:
Connotation & Denotation
https://www.thoughtco.com/denotation-and-connotation-exercise-
1692649 The connotative-power-of-words
https://www.thoughtco.com/connotative-power-of-words-
1692688 Choosing the best words: denotation and connotation
https://www.thoughtco.com/denotations-and-connotations-1692726
Reading D Barbie for Boys? The Gendered Tyranny of the Toy Store

Useful Words & Expressions

flouncy adj. decorated with flounce 以荷叶边装饰的
gravitate v. feel attracted to 被吸引到
substantial adj. large in amount or number 大量的，多的
innate adj. being born with 天生的，与生俱来的
predisposition n. a tendency to behave in a particular way（行为方式）的倾向
dismiss as 对……不予考虑，摒弃……
mark off 划分出，划线分割
delusion n. a false belief about yourself or the situation you are in 错觉，妄想
franchise n. permission given by a company to someone who wants to sell its goods or services 特
许经营权
deftly adv. in quick and neat movement 灵巧地 bizarre
adj. very unusual and strange 奇怪，怪异
artificial adj. made without regard to the particular needs of a situation, person, etc. unnatural 人为
的
intermingle v. to mix with each other 混合，交织
render v. cause someone or something to be in a particular condition 使成为，使变得
innocuous adj. not offensive, dangerous, or harmful 无冒犯之意的，无恶意的，无害的 pram
n. baby carriage 婴儿车
budge v. to change opinion or make someone change their opinion（使）改变主意，让步
disparity n. a difference between two or more things, especially an unfair one （不公正的）不
同，差异
romp v. to play in a noisy way, especially by running, jumping etc.（尤指又跑又跳地）嬉闹
( Student’s Book) Words in Context
Directions: Fill out the following sentences with the most appropriate words from the
box. Make changes where necessary.

substantial dismiss franchises

bizarre innocuous intermingle

disparity predisposition romp

render budge artificial
delusion mark off gravitate
1. You naturally gravitate toward people with shared values.
2. A substantial number of mothers with young children are deterred from undertaking
paid work because of lack of access to childcare.
3. If females have a biological predisposition to favor colors such as pink, this
preference should be evident regardless of experience of acquisition of gender
concepts
4. Although he tried to persuade his boss with his expertise, she flatly dismissed his
idea as impossible.
5. Life often seems to be marked off into different periods: childhood, schooldays,
marriage, and old age, for example.
6. He is under the delusion that I am going to cheat him.
7. McDonald has obtained fast-food franchises and set up a chain of restaurants in
China.
8. Fulong used the word “bizarre” to describe the weather on Cypress Mountain for
this time of the year, and added that safety comes first.
9. In response, the CIA commissioned the “Glass Ceiling Study” to see if artificial
barriers against promotion existed.
10. This allows the two cultures to intermingle without losing their separate identities.
11. The blow to his head was strong enough to render him unconscious.
12. Both mushrooms look innocuous but are in fact deadly.
13. Tracy refuses to budge from her principles.
14. There is a great disparity between the rates of ay for men and women.
15. They could hear the children romping around upstairs.

Part II While Reading

( Student’s Book) Skimming & Scanning

Directions: Skim and scan the paragraphs 1-5 and identify the different points of views
concerning the kids’ toy preference. Fill out the following table with the information
you get from this section.
 Kids' Toy Preference
  Culturally Shaped and Reinforced   
Natural

"No Gender
Primie    Minister December"  "Let    Toys be 
. Many Parent s Toys" 
Tony Abbott Campaign
Campaign 

 
Directions: Skim and scan the paragraphs 6-19 and find out the arguments and
evidences against the statement that toy preference is rooted in biology and should be
viewed as innate predisposition.

Toy    •Very young boys seem equally attracted to dolls 

and only begin to reject dolls around the age when they 

Preference   can be taught that dolls are only for girls.   
•Many boys would continue to show an interest in dolls 

  Starts    beyond infancy.Cordelia Fine’s Delusions of Gender   

Toy    •1Toy preference changes according to what our 

Preference  c ulture believes appropriate for children. 
•2: Toy preference changes according to what the toy  Shifts industry 
finds profitable.   

 
 
( Student’s Book) Comprehension Check
Directions: Read the text carefully and decide whether the following statements are
True or False. If it’s false, write the correct answer on the right of the item.

Many parents think that children have an innate predisposition to particular kinds T
of toys or colors.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott supports the “No Gender December” Campaign F
and regards it as “politically correct”.

The “Let Toys Be Toys” Campaign points out that separation of toys for girls and T
boys contributes to gender inequality.
International media report about the catalogue of Top Toy shows a support for T
the gender segregation in toy stores and a refusal of the gender neutrality.

Lego toys used to have a reputation of boys’ toys. F

It is generally believed that the toys children play with help to determine whether T
they will become masculine or feminine as adults.
We may totally correct gender inequality by erasing the gender stereotypes in the F
toy business.
Directions: Read paragraphs 6-19 carefully and try to calculate and answer the
following essay questions.
1. What did Top Toy do in Sweden to combat the effect gender segregation in toy stores?

First, it produced a catalogue showing a girl playing a Nerf gun and a small boy
taking care of a baby doll, and both a boy and girl playing with a doll’s house.
Second, it changed the physical layout so that masculine and feminine toys are mixed
together throughout the aisles.

2. Could you list two examples of shifting the toy preferences for the profit of business?

Example one: decorate the girls' toys in the color of pink

Example two: Lego toys intended for girls become a best seller

3. How is the situation in Australia in terms of gender equality?

There are still lots of practices of gender inequality in Australia. Women are still
responsible for the majority of the housework and childcare. Although more women
get paid job, they are trapped into the low-paying jobs. High paying jobs and
positions are still dominated by men.
Part III After Reading

Supplementary Readings
No Gender December Campaign
http://www.nogenderdecember.com/
What the research says about gender-typed toys http://www.naeyc.org/content/what-
research-says-gender-typed-toys

What the Research Says: Impact of Specific Toys on Play

http://www.naeyc.org/content/what-research-says-toys-and-play

The pink verse blue gender myth

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20141117-the-pink-vs-blue-gender-myth

Reading E Is This Family Gender-Biased?

Useful Words & Expressions

fanfare n. a lot of activity, advertising, or discussion relating to an event （与某事有关的）喧
闹，广告，热议
arbitrary adj. decided without any reason or plan, often unfairly 任意的，专横的，武断的
adorable adj. extremely attractive, and making you feel affection for it 讨人喜欢的
gravitate v. be attracted to something and therefore move towards it 被吸引到
crush v. press something so hard that it breaks or is damaged 压碎，压扁
man v. work at, use or operate a system 工作，操纵，使用
combat v. try to stop something bad from happening or getting worse 防止，抑制 innate
adj. inborn 天生的，先天的
internalize v. incorporate within oneself, make subjective or personal 使内化
reinforce v. give support to an idea or feeling and make it stronger 加强
rotate v. take turns to do a job 轮流，轮换 affirmatively adv. definitely 肯
定地，断言地
inclination n. a tendency to think or behave in a particular way 意向，倾向
vacuum n. a situation in which someone or something is missing or lacking 空白
( Student’s Book) Vocabulary Exercise
Directions: Read the following definitions and find the corresponding word or phrase
which matches the illustration in the following essay. The location of word or phrase is
indicated in the bracket.
Pile of something (Para 3 ): Pyramid of
To yield to or to become unrestrained and Give way to
uninhibited (Para 3)
To perform to or to be performed to the end Play out
(Para4)
Come upon suddenly, surprise or detect, as in Catch myself doing sth
some action (Para 4)
Being used to do sth. (Para6) Accustomed to
Leave a space not filled, emptiness (Para 14) Create a vacuum
To make a path, opening etc by clearing a space Sweep in
with or as if with a broom (Para14)

Working with Hyphenated Compound Words

Two-word Compound Three-word Compound Four-word-compound

mass –produce Merry-go-round Up-to-the-minute

high-speed Over-the-counter Jack-in-the-box

well-being all- Mother-in-law Live-and-let-live

city first-rate Next-in-age Jack-of-all-trades

high-level Do-it-yourself State-of-the-art

English-speaking Down-in-the-mouth

Girl-craft Cock-of-the-rock

Blue-green

Part II While Reading

( Student’s Book) Skimming & Scanning

Directions: Skim the paragraphs 1-7 and match the corresponding paragraphs with
their main ideas.

Main Idea Paragraph

We may give implicit gender-biased guidance in our home when Para 3
we raise our kids.
Gender bias is deeply rooted in our mind and research findings Para 2
prove that gender-bias exerts implicit influence on our thinking.
Although Target put the gender-biased sign to an end, the Para 1
consumers may still make gender-biased the shopping decisions.
Although gender bias is seldom talked in public, but it hasn’t gone Para 6
away.
Teenagers preferred to assign men and women to their Para 5
traditionally roles even though they grow up in an environment
of offered the option of having no preference.

A research on gender stereotype in teenagers finds that Para 4

teenagers’ preferences still fit into the traditional male-female
role.
Directions: Scan the paragraphs 8-14 and fill out the table with the information you get
from the text.
Ways to help Children Recognize and Resist Gender Stereotype 

A. Examine your family and yourselves in terms of gender bias by asking questions and checking
chores assignments.

B. Counting the traditional roles of men and women represented in the media and appreciate those
media program which challenge the gender stereotype.

C. Be bold to defend against gender bias which is common in casual conversations.

D. Parents should take an active part in protecting their kids from sexist and stereotypical messages
which surround them.

( Student’s Book) Comprehension Check

Directions: Read the text carefully and decide whether the following statements are
True or False. If it’s false, write the correct answer on the right of the item.

The author thinks that the removal of gender-biased signs from Target shops T
won’t solve the problem.
Implicit ender stereotype has a great influence on how we choose the gift for T
boys or girls.
The author thinks that her eldest son does more physical work at home than F
other kids simply because of his age.
We are not born with gender bias, but learned it from the environment in T
which we grew up.
We seldom feel the existence of gender bias in our casual interaction with F
others.
The media messages all set up and reinforce the gender stereotype. F
We should avoid talking about gender stereotype in front of kids even though F
we encounter gender-biased communication in daily life.
 

Part III After Reading

Supplementary Readings
https://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/17/truth-in-signage-in-the-toy-aisle-
after-target-remo ves-gender-labels-whats-next/
http://sites.gse.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/making-caring-
common/files/mcc_leanout_report.pd f