eng8-u4-time-to-watch· UNIT 4. MANNERS AND RULES· ~16 min

Unit 4 Time to Watch: Social norms and faux pas

Read the printed prewatch passage and learn six useful words.

Social norms are unwritten rules about behaviour within a group. They help people understand which actions a group considers appropriate. People begin learning them early, although some norms may remain unfamiliar later. The French phrase faux pas literally means 'false step' and describes a social mistake. The passage gives three reasons for such mistakes: not knowing a rule, learning a rule incorrectly, or knowing a rule but continuing the behaviour. Its author considers the third case the worst. Vocabulary on the page helps you describe everyday objects, actions, and feelings.

Key terms

cart — a small wheeled vehicle used to carry goods
stare — look directly at someone or something for a long time
embarrassed — nervous or worried about what other people think of you
include — make someone or something part of a group or set
scroll — move text or pictures up or down on a screen
chewing gum — a sweet substance that is chewed but not eaten
Three reasons for a faux pas
ReasonWhat it means
IgnoranceThe person does not know the rule.
Mistaken learningThe person has learned an incorrect rule.
Knowing continuationThe person knows the action is wrong but continues it.
✎Classify a cause
  1. 1Read the context: Sam believes an unasked-for suggestion is always polite.
  2. 2Locate the reason: He has learned the social rule incorrectly.
  3. 3Choose the category: This is mistaken learning, not ignorance or deliberate continuation.
💡Separate the passage from the video

Answer these questions from the supplied printed summary and vocabulary.

💡Check the exact clue

A screen clue suggests scroll; a long direct look suggests stare.

Rules

  1. 1Use the supplied passage summary when answering reading questions.
  2. 2Keep the three causes separate: ignorance, a mistaken rule, and deliberate continuation.
  3. 3Treat the judgement about the worst cause as the passage author’s opinion.
  4. 4Use cart for a small wheeled vehicle used to carry goods.
  5. 5Use stare for looking directly for a long time and scroll for moving screen content.
  6. 6Distinguish embarrassed, a feeling, from actions such as staring or scrolling.

Practice

4 easy · 4 medium · 4 hard

Up to 10 random questions per test

EasyMediumHardMixed