-
CAMPUS CONVERSATION
CD 1 Track
2
PAGE 6, FIRST LISTENING
Student: Professor Babcock, can I, uh,
can I talk to you for a minute?
Professor: Sure, Lisa, this is my
office hour. What's up?
S: Well, OK,
I'm working on that paper you
assigned
—
the one on drug
addiction
—
and, well, I
was wondering... You said the paper
should be two to three pages, but could I write
one that's, like,
six pages?
P: That's a request I don't get too
often.
S:
It's
just
that
I've
done
all
this
Internet
research
and
I've
found
so
much
stuff
—
all
these
interesting
details
—
and, you know, I'd
just hate to leave any of them out of my paper.
P: But this paper is supposed to be an
overview of the topic, Lisa, not a description of
every
drug addiction that ever existed.
S: I know. But I've spent so much time
looking up stuff...
P: How much time
are you talking about?
S: Well, let's
see... I started two days ago and, uh, I think I
spent about a couple of hours that
day.
Then, yesterday, I really started finding some
good websites, so it was probably about five
hours. It's just amazing how much stuff
there is out there.
P:
That's
a
lot
of
time.
You
know,
the
Internet
is
a
wonderful
tool
—
I
use
it
for
my
own
research
—
but you
have to be careful that you don't become addicted
to it. You don't want it to
start doing
your thinking for you.
S: But you can
learn so much
—
there are so
many websites
—
P:
And some of them are a lot more reliable than
others
—
so, you need to be
discriminating in
your
research.
But
apart
from
the
reliability
issue,
there's
just
a
point
where
you
need
to
stop
accumulating information... where you
need to start understanding it. This paper will be
a good
exercise for
you
—
you'll need to take all
that information you've gathered, and summarize it
in
two to three pages. You can't just
copy over every detail that turns up.
S: Well, I would never just copy
material. I know it needs to be in my own words.
P: I'm sorry, Lisa, I wasn't suggesting
you'd do anything unethical. In fact, it's obvious
you're
very
hardworking.
What
I'm
trying
to
get
at...
Look,
I'd
like
every
student
to
know
how
to
do
research, but what really
matters is this: can you communicate the
information you uncover
—
in a
genuinely
meaningful
way?
Being
able
to
grasp...
being
able
to
describe
the
key
points
is
a
lot
more important than knowing a bunch of
facts and details.
S: So, I can't write
a longer paper. You're saying I just have to throw
out all these interesting
details.
P: Not all of
them
—
select a few to
illustrate your paper's main themes. Tell you
what, why
don't you plan a little talk
for the class
—
say, about
five minutes
—
and you can
share some of what
you've
learned
—
after everyone's
turned in their papers.
S: OK. I wonder
if anyone else spent as much time on the Internet
as I did.
P: Honestly... As I said,
it's a great tool, but I don't want to create a
bunch of Internet addicts in
this
class.
S: I'll remember that. Thanks,
professor.
ACADEMIC LISTENING
4
PAGE 7, FIRST LISTENING
Warren Levinson:
It
’
s Newsweek on Air, I'm
Warren Levinson of the Associated Press.
David Alpern: I'm David Alpern of
Newsweek.
WL: David Brooks, you argue
that we already live in an overcommunicated world
that will
only become more so in the
next tech era. What exactly do you mean by that?
David
Brooks:
The
problem
is
that
we've
developed
technology
that
gets
us
so
much
information
that
we've
got
cell
phones
ringing
every
second,
we've
got
computers
and
laptops,
we've got personal
organizers and it's
just
—
we're just being
bombarded with communication and
every
advance and technology seems to create more and
more communications at us. I do believe
at
the
end
of
the
day
it
shapes
our
personality
because
we
are
sort
of
overwhelmed
by
the
information flow.
DA:
Seriously
though,
just
last
week
we
reported
on
research
suggesting
that
all
the
multi-
tasking may actually make our brains work better
and faster, producing, as it's been reported,
a world-wide increase in IQ up to 20
points and more in recent decades. Can you see any
benefit
in all these mental gymnastics
we now have to go through?
DB: Yeah, I,
I don't think we're becoming a race of global
idiots, uh, but I think certain skills
are enhanced and certain are not. You
know, the ability to make fast decisions, to
answer a dozen
e-mails in five minutes,
uh, to fill out maybe big SAT-type tests. That's
enhanced. But creativity is
something
that happens slowly. It happens when your brain is
just noodling around, just playing.
When it puts together ideas which you
hadn't thought of or maybe you have time, say, to
read a
book. You are a businessperson,
but you have time to read a book about history or
time to read a
book
about
a
philosopher
and
something
that
happened
long
ago
or
something
or
some
idea
somebody thought of long ago. Actually,
you know, it occurs to you that you can think of
your
own
business
in
that
way,
and
so
it's
this
mixture
of
unrelated
ideas,
ah,
that
feeds
your
productivity, feeds
your creativity, and if
your
mind is
disciplined to
answer every e-mail, then
you
don't
have
time
for
that
playful
noodling.
You
don't
have
time
for
those
unexpected
conjunctions, so
I think maybe we're getting smarter in some
senses, but I think it is a threat to our
creativity and to our reflection.
DA: So how wired or wirelessly are you
tied into the new technology?
DB: A
total addict. When I'm out there with my kids
playing in our little league or something
like
that,
I've
got
my
cell
phone
in
my
pocket.
Fm
always
wondering,
did
I
get
a
voicemail?
”
uh
and that's why I think I
’
m
sort of driven to write about this because I do
see the
negative effects it's having on
my own brain patterns.
DA: Could be
Newsweek on Air calling... David Brooks thanks a
lot.
DB: Thank you.
INTEGRATED TASK PAGE 14, LISTENING
7
Teresa: Hi. I
’
m
Teresa. I became a compulsive shopper almost
overnight. My job had become
just too
stressful. So, to unwind after work, I'd head off
to the mall. I started buying small things I
really didn't need, but then I started
spending more and more, and coming home later and
later. It
was
Olivia: Sounds
familiar, Teresa. Hi, everyone. I'm Olivia. For
me, work was not problematic at
all.
Rather, my personal life was a mess. The guy I had
been dating for twelve years suddenly left
me
for
another
woman.
So
I
ended
up
feeling
nervous
and
unsettled;
I
started
having
sudden
anxiety attacks.
Maria: You mean headaches, rapid
heartbeat, and sweaty palms?
Olivia:
Yeah, those were the symptoms. But as soon as I
pulled out my credit card, my best
friend, I felt better, kind of
energized. I felt strangely satisfied and
enhanced.
Maria: I feel the same when I
hold that little piece of plastic. Oh... sorry...
I forgot to introduce
myself.
I
’
m Maria. Whenever I feel
sad or depressed, charging a hundred bucks on my
card just
cheers me up. I've tried a
bunch of different strategies to try to kick the
habit, but so far I haven't
found a way
to do it. So, now here I am... hoping you all will
help.
UNIT 2: Communities
8
CAMPUS CONVERSATION
PAGE 24, FIRST LISTENING
Student 1: Hey, Sam.
Student
2: Hi, Tamara. How's it going? Have you found a
roommate yet?
SI:
Yeah.
Jen
and
I
have
decided
to
live
together.
We
want
to
live
off
campus,
but
it's
so
difficult
finding decent housing that isn't too expensive.
S2:
How
about
looking
in
the
Museum
district? There are
tons
of
reasons
to
live
there:
It's
close to campus. You
wouldn't even have to take a bus. I've seen a lot
of for-rent signs. There's
also so much
to do there
—
museums nearby,
and great shopping. And there's a twenty-four-hour
supermarket and video store right in
the center. And it's very safe. I always see
people walking
around late at night.
SI:
Do
you
know
how
much
apartments'
in
the
Museum
district
go
for?
It's
ridiculous!
A
couple
of
my
professors
live
around
there.
As
a
matter
of
fact,
I
already
checked
into
a
few
apartments around there, and the rents
are sky high. When you add utilities, well,
they're way out
of my league.
S2: Hmmm, let's see, what other options
are there? I know. What about Fairmont? The rents
are cheap, but
I
’
m not so sure about that
neighborhood.
SI: I definitely don't
want to live there. Parties on every corner: They
go on all night long.
S2: You know,
Tamara, I live in Lawndale. I like it a
lot
—
everyone is very
friendly. And it's
a pretty safe
neighborhood. And the rent is reasonable, even
with utilities. But it's really far from
campus. I take two buses to get
here
—
at the bus stop no
later than 7:20, rain or shine!... an hour
and a half on crowded buses, and I
still have to run to make my 9:00 class!
I
’
d take my own car,
but the parking fees are
outrageous
—
sixty dollars a
term! And you know how plentiful parking
spaces are at 8:45 in the morning!
SI:
I
know
what
you
mean.
We
considered
Lawndale,
but
—
you're
right
—
it's
too
far
from
everything. Both of us work downtown,
so it would be a real pain to figure out the bus
routes from
home to school and then to
work. Fm about to give up!
S2: Hey,
what about using an apartment locator?
SI:
No
way.
One
company
kept
my
friend's
$$200
deposit
even
though
they
didn't
end
up
finding him a decent apartment.
S2:
Well,
what
can
I
say?
I've
run
out
of
ideas.
The
Museum
district
is
too
expensive,
Fairmont is too noisy. Lawndale is too
far, and using an apartment locator is a waste of
money!
S1: Hmmm… Maybe we could rent
a huge house, large enough for all of
our friends!
S2: Great idea! So...
where is this ideal house?
SI:
It
would
be
one
block
from
campus
—
only
a
short
walk
away.
A
big
brick
house,
two
stories. With six huge bedrooms, a big,
modern kitchen, a pool....
S2:
Right
—
keep
dreaming.
Let's
go
get
some
lunch
and
we'll
look
at
the
classifieds
in
the
campus newspaper. Maybe
we'll even find your dream house!
ACADEMIC LISTENING
12
Page 26, first
listening
Douglas Frantz, co-author:
You know, they've tried to look backward at small-
town America
and take the best of those
planning elements
—
you know,
houses close together, sidewalks, front
porches, tree-lined streets, easy, non-
automobile-dependent access to the town center and
to your
neighbors and to the school and
the other institutions that are vital. And they've
tried to take some
of those ideas and
update them and come up with a livable, workable
place where people can go
and rekindle
the sense of community that seems to be missing
from suburbs all across the country.
Terry Gross, host: So give us a sense
of how this new town, Celebration, was designed.
DF:
Houses
are
all
very
close
together.
We
were
just
10
feet
apart
from
our
neighbors
on
either side of us, and that's pretty
much the standard for the town. So, you have
houses that are
close together, houses
that surround open areas. They have a lot of big
parks, a lot of common
areas.
The
theory
is
that
you're
willing
to
sacrifice
your
private
yard
space
—
you
don't
need
a
quarter
of
an
acre
or
half
an
acre
—
if
you
have
a
public
area
where
you
can
go
and
enjoy
the
facilities there importantly, you can
interact with your neighbors, That helps to create
this sense of
community that's so
important to many of these
TG: You
know, this whole sense of, like,
with a
sense of nostalgia for the past so nothing can be
designed past what existed in the
1940s
—
it
seems
—
it just seems a little
contradictory, and some of the designs from the
1940s
didn't really transfer that well
into the '90s. Like, a lot of the houses had
porches.
DF:... what Disney expected
with these front porches, what the planners
envisioned was it would
create a
—
that people would be out on
their porches talking to their
neighbors next door and to people
walking down the street or people riding their
bikes, and there
would be this culture
that, you know, either existed or existed in
somebody's imagination, you
know, 30,
40, 50 years ago.
But that really has
been one of the failures that we observed during
our two years in
Celebration, and
people don't spend very much time at all on their
front porches. There are a
couple of
things going on. One is it's central Florida, and
it's hotter than hell a good part of the
year, and sitting on your front porch,
even if you have a fan going, can be a very
uncomfortable
thing. People prefer to
be inside in the air-conditioning.
Page 33, listening
Professor:
OK,
today
we're
going
to
continue
to
discuss
urbanization,
focusing
on
urban
sprawl. So, can anyone define urban
sprawl? Matt?
Student 1: When cities
keep spreading out, getting bigger?
P:
Yes.
This
is
part
of
urban
sprawl.
Most
people
define
it
as
the
growth
of
cities
in
an
unplanned manner.
Urban sprawl is low density, outward
growth
—
mostly single-family
residences
—
not upward,
like a city with multi-family
residences.
Many
consider
urban
sprawl
to
be
very
harmful,
including
environmental
groups
like
the
Sierra Club, which calls sprawl
land that should be preserved for
wildlife, parks, farmland, and it's robbing us of
our nature, they
say.
Traffic
is
another
negative
effect
of
sprawl...
traffic
jams
between
cities
and
suburbs..
especially during morning and evening
commutes.
But some people see benefits
to sprawl. Let's see... real estate development,
home construction,
new businesses,
better schools, less noise and crime... all are
considered positive features.
Now,
which U.S. cities have the greatest sprawl? Any
guesses? Let's see... Emily?
Student 2:
Los Angeles? Maybe Houston, Texas? It's amazing
how spread-out those cities are.
P: OK,
good guesses! In the 1990s, big California cities
like L.A. were booming and sprawling.
But recently, southern cities have had
the greatest sprawl. Atlanta, Georgia, is number
one, with
Houston, Texas, next.
So... many see sprawl as a problem. And
is anything being done to stop it? Actually,
several
major anti-sprawl movements
have emerged, including New Urbanism.
New Urbanism's first principle says
that regionally we must create transportation
systems and
environment
protections
—
like
forbidding
tree
removal,
water
pollution,
or
animal
habitat
destruction.
And next,
cities should provide housing and jobs that are
close together.
And finally,
neighborhoods should have single and multi-family
housing where residents can
walk
to
stores,
or
they
need
public
transportation,
parks.
New
Urbanists
believe
that
parks
and
walking
will make people actually connect socially.
So you know... New Urbanism may bring
some changes to cities in years to come.
UNIT 3: Personality
15
CAMPUS CONVERSATION
Page 44,
first listening
Student: Professor
Boukhlif? Do you have a minute?
Professor: Hi, Katy. Yes, come on in...
I've got a few minutes. Take a seat.
I
’
m just grading
this week's test. I didn't see yours.
Wait, you weren't in class on Monday, were you?
S: No. I... urn... wasn't. I thought...
Well, to tell the truth, I didn't feel ready for
the test. I
’
m
really feeling overwhelmed by Arabic
class.
P: Really? You always seem so
enthusiastic, so willing to learn. Let's see. Your
class grade is
a C. Hmmm, you didn't do
that well on the first test, did you? You got a
fifty-five. But you can
drop the lowest
test grade. And we'll have at least ten more
exams. You'll have lots of chances to
bring up your grade. Why don't we make
an appointment for you to make up the test? How
about
today at...
S:
Professor Boukhlif, I feel really bad about this,
but I think I should drop the class. I don't
know
how
well
I
can
do
on
this
test.
The
problem
is,
I
just
don't
understand
it.
Arabic
is
a
lot
harder
than
I
thought.
I
mean,
this
is
only
beginning Arabic
and
I
find
it
really
hard.
It's
me,
I
know. Maybe
I just can't learn it. It takes me hours just to
memorize the vocabulary. And...
P:
Katy, if it were someone else, I might agree, but
you're a good student. You obviously have
a gift for learning languages. You've
studied Spanish and French and done well. What
makes you
think you can't learn Arabic,
too?
S: My schedule is really tough
this semester. When I realized how many projects
and papers
and tests were coming in
such a short time, I got really nervous. I know I
haven't spent enough
time on Arabic and
I feel as if I
’
m falling
further and further behind.
P: Hmm...
Let me think. If you got a tutor, maybe you
wouldn't find it so difficult. As a matter
of
fact,
there's
a
really
good
Arabic
tutor
in
the
Learning
Lab
this
term.
I
know
his
hours
are
flexible. You could make
a standing appointment with him once or twice a
week. And you can fit
it into your
schedule when it's convenient. And there's a great
website
—
an Arabic online
school.
It's free for students. Here's
the website. Try it. I really don't want you to
drop. It's only the third
week of
classes. Katy, just give it another try.
I've got a meeting in ten minutes. Can
you come back at two and we'll go over Chapters 1
and
2?
Maybe
I
can
help
you
with
some
of
the
material
that's
giving
you
trouble
and
you
can
get
caught
up. Then, we can reschedule the test.
S: I don't know... Well, I guess I
could try.
P: Good!! You know, there
are a couple of things I always tell my freshmen.
It's important to
have a positive
attitude. Be confident. Tell yourself
ask for help.
S: Okay. I
won't drop. I'll see you
later
—
at two, right? And
could you write down the name of
that
tutor? I'll drop by now and see if I can make an
appointment.
P: Here. I'm glad you're
willing to stick it out. I know you can do this.
S: Thanks for your support, Professor
Boukhlif.
ACADEMIC LISTENING
18
PAGE 46, FIRST LISTENING
Host: If you're the sort to divide
people into two groups, consider the division
between those
who always see the bright
side and those who'd rather wallow in their
misery.
Julie Danis tackles the
Pollyanna syndrome in today's
Tale from
the Workplace,
Julie Danis:
I
’
m Julie Danis with
Tales from the Workplace.
Arriving at the office after a visit to
the eye doctor with no diagnosis for my blurred
vision,
I
was in a grouchy
mood.
”
a co-worker said,
every two
hours.
She'd done it again, I realized.
She has made lemons out of lemons. We all know
people like
this. They find that the
silver lining inside the darkest cloud... all the
time ...
without
fail…
driving
others to
distraction with their bright side
“Oh
well
“a
stop-and-
go commute is perfect for listening to language
tapes while
doing relaxation exercises,
mais oui(may we)?
They may emit an
occasional,
“oh, no,” when the computer
crashes and the hold time on the
1-800-HELP line promises to be hours.
But that is soon replaced by an,
the
files.
This optimistic outlook does have
its merits. When you're snowed in with no hope of
flying for
24 hours or more, take it as
a sign you should catch up on some movies.
But don't get carried away. Nothing
will take away the ache in your mouth or fill the
void in
your pocketbook from two root
canals not covered by your company's health plan.
So, the next time someone says,
yourself in the face of their sunny-
side-up point of view. State firmly,
just that.
I'm Julie Danis
with Tales from the Workplace.
INTEGRATED TASK
22
PAGE 53, LISTENING
Student 1: Hi! Melissa, right?
Student 2: Yes, Chris.
SI: How did you know my name? We've
never talked.
S2: Well, the
professor... um, everybody knows you.
S1: Yeah, Dr. J's great. I really like
our classmates, too. So... our assignment:
from the personality chapter that
applies to both of us. Write our own personal case
studies.
about
Zimbardo's
theory
about
types
of
shyness?
That one
resonates
with
me.
I
’
ve
never
really
been
shy, hut I could write about situations that make
me a little shy, like giving a speech in class.
S2:1 could certainly describe shyness.
SI: Really? That profile sounds pretty
depressing. I mean, well...
S2: No.
It's okay.
SI: Please. Tell me why you
said that.
S2: Well, I guess I've
always been shy. I'm scared to say something
stupid. That's why I sit by
myself.
It's not rational, but ever since I was eight...
SI: What happened?
S2:I
really don't like to talk about it.
SI:
Please?
S2: Well, I was in a school
play... I was on stage in front of
everyone
—
teachers, students,
parents
—
and I
completely forgot my lines. I just stood there
frozen, and then ran off, crying. They
laughed! Ever since, I've been afraid
to socialize, afraid to make friends. I'm not like
you...
SI:
I'm really sorry
about the school play and all, but you could try
to make a friend, or say
something in
class.
S2: I know...
SI:
Remember what our textbook says? Half
the people out there are just as shy as you are.
S2: Yeah, still, it does make a good
topic for me.
S1: For now, maybe. But
don't be shy with me anymore. Let's meet for lunch
tomorrow, and
then type our case
studies in the computer lab.
UNIT 4:
Trends
26
CAMPUS
CONVERSATION
PAGE 64, FIRST LISTENING 4
Student: Dr. Baird, excuse me, but do
you have a minute? I just have a quick question.
Professor: Sure, Rezaan, I know the
discussion today was challenging...
S:
Well,
actually
I
was
able
to
follow
today's
discussion.
But,
I
have
another,
um, personal
matter I'd like
your opinion on. It's sort of related to our
marketing course, though.
P: What's on
your mind?
S:
Well,
I've
been
looking
all
over
for
a
decent
used
car
—
the
bulletin
boards,
the
student
government
office,
the
newspaper
—
but
I
haven't
come
across
anything
good. And
then
I
heard
from a friend who's in
one of your other classes that you just bought a
used car.
P: So, you heard about the
car I bought on eBay?
S: Yeah. If you
don't mind my asking, are you satisfied with it?
P: Oh, absolutely. It's a super little
car... fairly low mileage, in pretty good shape. I
got a great
price.
S: But
weren't you worried about buying a car online? I
mean, I don't even like to buy books
online because using a credit card can
be so risky.
P:
Sure,
I
know
some
people
feel
that
way,
but
you
know,
online
shopping
has
become
so
popular,
so
easy,
and
it's
much
safer
than
it
ever
used
to
be.
eBay
offers
a
bunch
of
different
payment methods,
so you don't necessarily need to use a credit
card.
S: But what about the car? How
did you know what you were buying without seeing
it? What
happens if what you buy turns
out to be a lemon?
P: You get all kinds
of information
—
vehicle
history reports, photos,
mileage
—
and a load of
guarantees.
S: Well, I know
that eBay is really reliable when you buy other
things. Tons of my friends buy
books,
movies, CDs ... And they're usually really happy
with what they get, but I never heard of
anyone buying a car online.
P: Listen. Do you remember the basic
principles of marketing from our class last
semester?
S:
How
could
I
forget?
The
four
essential
principles
of
marketing
—
creating,
distributing,
pricing, and promoting products...
P: Exactly. Well, eBay has caught on so
fast because it simply follows those basic
principles.
So, first, the buyers and
sellers create the products. It's really the
users deciding what products to offer.
S: OK...
P: Then, there's
pricing. Price competition is what the auctions
and bidding are all about. And
eBay
does a great job of promoting. Not only are there
advertisements all over----in magazines,
newspapers
—
but
when
you
get
right
down
to
it,
their most
valuable
promotion
tool
is
word
of
mouth,
Everybody
tells
everybody
else
what
a
great
experience
they
had
buying
or
selling
on
eBay.
Did you know that eBay has something like 125
million users worldwide?
S: Wow! That's
incredible.
P: Yeah, and then,
distributing
—
getting
products from the sellers to the buyers as quickly
as
possible has been a key to eBay's
phenomenal success.
S: Hey, this was
really helpful, Professor Baird. I'm gonna check
out what cars eBay has.
P: Good luck.
I'll see you in class Friday.
Page 66, first listening
Todd Mundt, host: Let's talk about a
social condition that you wrote about then, there
are a few
that I want to touch on but
the first one is the one I mentioned in the
introduction, crime in New
York
City.
Crime
was
a
problem
for
a
very
long
time
in
New York
City
and
it
was
rising
and
rising
and
rising
and
then
it
started
dropping
and
um,
I
suppose
there
could
be
a
number
of
different
reasons
for
it,
but
I
can't
really
find
that
anybody
really
knows
exactly
for
sure
what
caused it
Malcolm Gladwell, author: Crime is
so
—
is such a fundamentally
contagious thing that once
we reached a
kind of tipping point and once certain influential
people in communities hard hit by
crime
stopped behaving in that way, it was contagious,
and there was a kind of sea change that
happens all at once.
TM:
Maybe we can go into those little triggers,
because I find this really interesting because
we're talking about such a big change
that takes place uh, being triggered by very small
things, uh,
what do you think some of
those were?
MG: Well,
I
’
m very impressed by this
idea called
idea George (Celling has
put forth in New England. He's argued for some
time that criminals and
criminal
behavior is acutely sensitive to environmental
cues and he uses the example, the broken
window
—
that
if
you
—
if
there
is
a
car
sitting
on
the
street
with
a
broken
window,
it
is
an
invitation to someone to vandalize the
car. Why? Because a broken window on a car
symbolizes
the fact no one cares about
the car. No one's in charge, no one's watching, no
one's... and if you
think about it,
this is a fundamentally different idea about crime
than the kind of ideas that we've
been
carrying for the last 25 years. We have been told
by conservatives over and over again that
crime is the result of moral failure,
of something deep and intrinsic within the hearts
and souls and
brains of criminals, that
a criminal is by definition in the sort of
conservative topology, someone
who is
insensitive to their environment, right? They just
go out and commit crimes because that's
who they are, they're criminals. Well,
Kelling came along and said well no, a criminal is
like all of
us, someone who is acutely
sensitive to what's going on in the environment,
and by making subtle
changes
in
the
environment,
you
can
encourage
and
induce
much
more
socially
responsible
behavior.
INTEGRATED TASK
32
Page 74, listening
Professor:
We've
covered
the
basics
about
the
U.S.
Revolutionary
War,
so
today
I
thought
we'd
delve a little deeper into the lives of some
notable patriots. Let's begin with Paul Revere.
His
story is well-known... Surely
someone recalls the poem about him...
Student: Oh, yeah the midnight ride of
Paul Revere ...
P: Don't feel bad. OK,
Revere rode from Boston to Lexington,
Massachusetts, right, in 1775 to
warn
citizens about the British battle plans.
Now, of course you know that our
textbook tells us the result of
Revere
’
s ride, but what I
think
is
really
interesting
is
the
cause
of
Revere's
success.
You
know,
I've
been
reading
a
book
by
Malcolm
Gladwell about trends and, um, what causes them.
Gladwell thinks that new ideas catch
on
partly
because
socially
connected
people
spread
them.
And,
of
course,
this
made
me
think
about
Revere...
Revere is what Gladwell calls
a
network
of
social
connections
—
the
type
you
always
go
to
for
the
latest
news.
In
fact,
Revere
learned
about
the
British
attack
from
several
sources.
After
so
many
rumors
came
his
way,
naturally he jumped on his horse and
took his legendary ride to Lexington. And the rest
is history,
literally.
His
news
gave
the
colonial
army
time
to
organize
and
meet
the
enemy
with
fierce
resistance.
OK, so why was
Revere's ride successful? Well, Revere lived his
entire life in Boston, so he
knew
everybody. He had a social network from childhood,
from business, from community work.
Revere made friends among his business
patrons. He owned a silver shop, he owned a
printing
press,
an
arms
factory,
even
a
dentistry.
He
belonged
to
almost
every
club
and
organization
around
—
he was an
officer in the Revolutionary Army... he was a
member of the Freemasons... the
Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics
Association, so you can probably see that he
connected with
people everywhere. He
was even a grand juror. Needless to say, Revere
was very popular. In fact,
when he
died, it's reported that thousands of Bostonians
attended his funeral.
So, as you can
see, Revere had built such a wide circle of
friends that he was the ideal person
to
spread
a
piece
of
critical
news
as
far
as
possible.
Consequently,
Revere's
tale,
his
word-of-mouth epidemic,
if you will, is a legend told in every American
history textbook today.
UNIT 5: Cross-Cultural Insights
33
CAMPUS
CONVERSATION
Page 86, first listening
Student: Uh, excuse me, are you Mr.
Vernon?
Counselor: Yes, you
must be Luc.
S: Um, yes, I'm a little
early for our appointment, so I can come back
later if you're busy...
C: No, no.
Please come in.
S: I've never been to
the counseling center before. A friend of mine
suggested I come.
C: Please, have a
seat. You look a little stressed. Why don't you
tell me what's on your mind?
S: Well,
I'm really worried about my family. They're in
Haiti ... That's where I'm from.
C:
Haiti, I see. Isn't that one of the places the
recent hurricane hit? Is your family OK? I mean,
were they affected by the hurricane at
all?
S: No, no. I mean, no one was
injured. I know that my parents and sisters are
okay
—
I've been
in
touch
with
them
—
they're
not
in
danger
now.
Their
home
was
flooded,
but
they've
already
begun
cleaning
up.
They're
staying
with
my
aunt
temporarily.
But
I
just
feel
so
helpless,
so
irresponsible.
I
’
m
a
wreck,
being
here
so
far
away.
I'm
so
upset
that
I
haven't
been
attending
classes this week. If this continues, I
may flunk out!
C: Luc, what would you
do If you could go home?
S: I'm not
sure, but you see, I'm the oldest son. I'm
supposed to take care of them.
C:
But
you
said
everyone
is
staying
with
your
aunt.
They're
all
in
good
health,
and
your
parents
are starting to repair the damage, right?
S: Yes, yes. But I still feel like I
need to be there!
C: Luc, that's a
normal reaction. Do they want you to go home?
S: Oh no, not at all. Well, maybe they
do. I don't know. I know they're proud of
me
—
that I'm
here,
in the U.S. studying, doing well. But, you see, in
Haiti, families are very close. And parents
can be kind of... well... strict. When
I was in high school, my parents were always
asking where I
was going, who my
friends' parents were... I knew that I wanted to
come to the United States to
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