Do Ex 2c
Vocabulary
Questions:
unorthodox: /ʌnˈɔːθədɒks/ different from what is usual or accepted. Unconventional. Sp. Poco convencional.
E.g.
Unorthodox methods.
self-effacing adjective /ˌself ɪˈfeɪsɪŋ/ not wanting to attract attention to yourself or your abilities. Synonym modest /ˈmɒdɪst/.
E.g.
He was a shy, self-effacing man.
Script:
insight: noun /ˈɪnsaɪt/ [countable, uncountable] an understanding of what something is like. Sp. conocimiento.
E.g.
There are many valuable insights in her book.
His work offers several useful insights.
The book gives us fascinating insights into life in Mexico.
I hope you have gained some insight into the difficulties we face.
mixed bag noun /ˌmɪkst ˈbæɡ/ [singular] a collection of things or people of very different types.
E.g.
We have a mixed bag of destinations and holiday choices for you.
The concert was a mixed bag of classical and modern music.
Club-goers are a mixed bag these days, and so are the places they go clubbing to.
go back: to have existed since a particular time or for a particular period.
E.g.
Their family goes back to the time of the Pilgrim Fathers.
caber noun /ˈkeɪbə(r)/ a long heavy straight piece of wood that is thrown into the air as a test of strength in the traditional Scottish sport of tossing (throwing) the caber. Sp. tronco.
E.g.
John tossed the caber farther than all the other competitors.
cling to something | cling on to something to be unwilling to lose something or stop doing something. Sp. aferrarse.
E.g.
Throughout the trial she had clung to the belief that he was innocent.
He had one last hope to cling on to.
She managed to cling on to life for another couple of years.
cling: to hold on tightly to somebody/something.
E.g.
cling to somebody/something survivors clinging to a raft. Leaves still clung to the branches.
cling on to somebody/something She clung on to her baby.
bygone adjective /ˈbaɪɡɒn/ [only before noun] happening or existing a long time ago. Sp. pasado.
E.g.
a bygone age/era
The family story was that, in bygone days, he had been a rich farmer in Australia.
The horse and cart belongs to a bygone era.
let bygones be bygones used to tell someone that they should forget about unpleasant things that happened in the past, and especially to forgive and forget something bad that someone has done to them. Sp. lo pasado, pasado está.
E.g.
Just let bygones be bygones and be friends again.
alienate: /ˈeɪliəneɪt/
alienate somebody (from something/somebody) to make somebody feel that they do not belong in a particular group. Sp. apartar, alejar.
E.g.
Very talented children may feel alienated from the others in their class.
accommodating /əˈkɒmədeɪtɪŋ/ willing to help and do things for other people.
E.g.
David was gentle, generous and accommodating.
accommodating to somebody
They are very accommodating to foreign visitors.
They are very accommodating to people with special needs.
splinter group /ˈsplɪntə ɡruːp/ a small group of people that has separated from a larger one, especially in politics.
E.g.
a radical splinter group of the organization
The extreme left wing of the party broke away into a splinter group.
splinter noun /ˈsplɪntə(r)/ a small, thin, sharp piece of wood, metal, glass, etc. that has broken off a larger piece. Synonym: shard. Sp. astilla.
E.g.
splinters of glass
to remove a splinter from your finger.
interloping /ˌɪntəˈləʊpɪŋ/ Involved in a place or situation where one is not wanted or is considered not to belong. Sp. entrometido.
E.g.
the company's position was undermined by interloping English traders.
Other leaders demonized interloping migrants as bearers of an alien disease.
give and take
to be willing, in a relationship, to accept what somebody else wants and to give up some of what you want.
E.g.
You're going to have to learn to give and take.
symbiotic: /ˌsɪmbaɪˈɒtɪk/ used to describe a relationship between people, companies, etc. that is to the advantage of both.
E.g.
The two formed a close friendship and a symbiotic working relationship that lasted half a century
A passionate, symbiotic love affair.
translate: to be used in a new situation, or to make something do this SYN adapt
E.g. translate something to something It’s amazing how well the play has been translated to film.
idiosyncrasy noun /ˌɪdiəˈsɪŋkrəsi/
1 an unusual habit or way of behaving that someone has
E.g.
My uncle’s idiosyncrasies
It's one of her idiosyncrasies. Sp. es una de sus peculiaridades.
2 an unusual or unexpected feature that something has
E.g.
One of the many idiosyncrasies of English spelling.
ease: lack of difficulty.
E.g.
with ease He passed the exam with ease.
The ease with which she learns languages is astonishing
Script:
Interviewer: Hello listeners and welcome to the programme. Later we’ll be speaking to community leader Jaqueline Epping about efforts to incorporate the wide diversity of residents in her area, but up first we have psychologist Colin Fraser who is going to give us an insight into why this incorporation is both necessary and beneficial. Welcome Colin.
Colin: Thank you, I’m happy to be here.
Interviewer: Now Colin, you’re a bit of a mixed bag aren’t you? You were born in Canada, grew up in Scotland and now you reside in the States. So, if we’re talking about cultural identity, what identity do you relate to?
Colin: I’ve also lived in England and France, and you’re right that I wasn’t born in Scotland but my parents and my siblings were. In fact, my heritage goes back a number of years in that country, so, even though I’m not Scottish by birth, I would have to say that I identify predominantly with the Scottish culture. Having said that though, I think I’ve managed to incorporate aspects of each of the cultures I’ve been exposed to.
Interviewer: So what makes you predominantly Scottish?
Colin: Ooh, that’s not an easy question to answer. There are so many facets that make up a person’s identity that I don’t think there’s one physical factor that I could point to and it’s difficult to categorise culture. Some might say it’s determined by birth, but I think that’s too simplistic. There’s more to it than that but without going to particulars, I would have to say I just feel Scottish. And that, to me, is what’s important. I feel a sense of belonging, even when I’m not there. I went to a highland games recently, in America. You know, the outdoor event with lots of kilts and caber tossing. It was great. Watching all the athletic events and dancing was an amazing sensation. Even though it was a long way from Scotland, while I was there I just felt at home. As soon as the mass pipe band started playing I was transported to what I consider my homeland. And that’s key. Home is where the heart is as they say.
Interviewer: But how can a highland games in America make you feel at home if home is thousands of miles away?
Colin: Because it’s not about the country, it’s the culture. Some of the biggest games are in Canada and America and they’re a testimony to the importance of cultural identity. They were born of the people who emigrated from Scotland to those countries, people who kept their cultural roots alive and passed them down through the generations. The strength of their ties stayed with them even as they were absorbed into another culture. Some people might suggest that clinging to a bygone practice of cultural heritage is obsolete in today’s global society but I think it is now in particular, with the interconnectedness of society, that the importance of knowing who you are and where you come from becomes paramount. There must be a way of discerning oneself from the masses.
Interviewer: But wouldn’t that alienate a person from the culture they reside in?
Colin: On the contrary. In the global community, culture has to be accommodating. If it excludes newcomers they will separate themselves from the indigenous population and that’s when you get fractures in society, splinter groups of isolated people which can lead to conflict. In order to avoid this, both the interloping and the native culture have to accept each other. There’s give and take as with any symbiotic relationship. But that doesn’t mean abandoning your roots. It’s not just about how you see yourself but how the rest of the world views your culture. If your culture translates well, you’re in luck. You can go anywhere just being yourself and when you know yourself, the ability to accept others for who they are becomes much simpler. You can appreciate their idiosyncrasies with greater ease.
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