comprehension questions
Feng Shui [ Back to Documents ]
Feng Shui Hair1. Who is Bill Yamaguchi?
2. What information does he have to have about a client before he can give his advice?
3. What answer does the interviewer give when asked about the two colors that describe her?
4. What is the interpretation that Mr. Yamaguchi gives for her choice of colors?
5. What is his final recommendation for the interviewer's hair color?
6. What color has the interviewer always fantasized about putting in her hair?
7. What is Mr. Yamaguchi's reaction to her fantasy?
Feng Shui in California
1. How were the results of one election about a new police and fire station in California affected by feng shui?
2. What does the term "soft pedalling" mean?
3. What does the interviewer mean when he says that the residents of Marin County in California are "still living down the George Bush factor"?
4. What are some of the disasters mentioned by the commentator, Dan Burnstein?
5. Why does he suggest that residents of California turn to feng shui for help?
6. What is the tone of the commentator? Do you think he is being serious or sarcastic?
Fixer Chao: A Novel about a Feng Shui Con Artist
1. From whose point of view is this novel told?
2. What is the motivation of the main character?
3. Explain: "They were nothing more than blind lemmings."
4. Does the author of this novel have anything against feng shui? Why does he choose a feng shui con artist as the main character in his novel?
5. What experience has the author had when he's told Americans that he's from the Phillipines?
6. How does he sometimes respond when people (usually strangers) ask him what his race or ethnicity is?
7. Fixer Chao, the main character in the author's book, is a street hustler. What does this mean?
8. The author says that he made a "180 degree swing from what he had been taught at home". Give an example of this in his life.
9. What are some of the things that the author says his parents learned about him from the plays he has written?
10.. What are some of the issues the author was determined to talk about in his writings?
11. What is the paradox that his parents face regarding their son's writing?
12. What does the author mean by his "writing voice"?
Sexual Harassment [ Back to Documents ]
Mitsubishi and Sexual Harassment
Answer the following questions based on the information contained in the NPR report about Mitsubishi and sexual harassment.1. What was the result of a lawsuit against Mitsubishi Motors?
2. Who had filed the lawsuit? Who was this lawsuit designed to protect?
3. What do you think that "zero tolerance policy" means?
4. What is one change that has taken place at the plant regarding making complaints about sexual harassment?
5. What are some examples of the sexual harassment that took place at Mitsubishi?
6. What is one way in which line supervisors can help reduce the incidence of sexual harassment at Mitsubishi?
7. What is the punishment for those found guilty of sexual harassment at Mitsubishi?
8. What was the dollar amount of the lawsuit that Mitsubishi lost?
9. Mitsubishi Motors has been warned "not to let its guard down". What do you think this means in the context of this story?
Dating and Relationships [ Back to Documents ]
Dating Survey
Answer the following questions based on the NPR broadcast entitled "Dating Survey".1. List some of the characteristics of dating for people in the following age groups:
-20's
-30's
-40's
-50's2. Which is more difficult: dating when a person is younger or dating when a person is older? Why?
3. Internet dating can be risky. In what ways can internet dating be made safer?
4. Do men still court women? What does "court" mean?
5. How do women feel about pursuing men? How does a woman's age influence this?
6. What is one reason that some people postpone marriage?
7. In what ways does dating change after a person has been married and divorced?
8. Is it easier for a successful man or for a successful woman to find dates? Explain.
9. What is the result of the interviewee's informal study of celibacy in relationships?
10. Give two rules of dating etiquette.
11. At what age are women and men ready to "settle down"? What does "settle down" mean? Do you agree with the answer given?
Bad Language: TV Trash Talk [ Back to Documents ]
Reading Comprehension Directions: Answer the following questions based on the information contained in the reading.1. What are some of the examples of how bad language is being aired on TV program?
2. What is one of the fears that some child and family experts have about the effect of profanity on TV?
3. According to a clinical psychologist, what do words represent and what is the effect of profanity?
4. What change has taken place in the use of profanity on TV in the past ten years?
5. According to Dixie Crase, how can hearing a lot of profanity affect children?
6. Why do teenagers often use foul language?
7. Explain: "It's not just psychologists, educators and clergy who want to slide a bar of soap across the tongue of prime time."
8. What is the viewpoint of Peggy Charren, president of Action for Children's Television, regarding censorship?
9. What is her opinion of people who are worried about the use of bad language on TV?10. What is the job of the Federal Communications Commission? What makes its job so difficult?
11. When did moral values in America begin to change? What other social changes took place during this period of time?
12. How does Dr. Parrish describe the style of parenting seen today? What does he mean by this?
13. What are the major problems facing teachers and mental health professionals? What is the effect of TV on these problems?
14. Why does Reverend Charles Britt oppose the use of casual profanity?
Linguistic Profiling [ Back to Documents ]
Answer the following questions based on the information in the first NPR boradcast listed in the Linguistic Profiling folder in External Links.1. According to this report, how do the majority of Americans determine a person's race?
2. What happened to Mr. Johnson when he called a landlord about the possibility of renting an apartment?
3. What happened when white people called the same landlord about the possibility of renting the same apartment?
4. What was the landlord's reaction when Mr. Johnson accused him of racial profiling?
5. Explain: "Is it a touchy subject?"
6. What judgments do people make by listening to a person's voice?
7. According to a Stanford University study, what percent of all apartment search telephone calls are returned to callers whose voice sounds stereotypically black?
8. What is usually the result of legal action taken against people who are accused of linguistic profiling?
9. How accurate is the correlation between ethnicity and accent?
10. How does the report say that Mr. Johnson feels about this blatant discrimination?
Body Modification [ Back to Documents ]
BODY ART
1. What made this art exhibit by Gunther Von Hagens so unusual?2. What is "Plastination"?
3. How long does it take for an entire body to be polymerized?
4. Von Hagens describes this exhibit as "edutainment". What does this mean?
5. How did Von Hagens get his subjects for this exhibit?
6. What is the cost of admission to this exhibit?
7. What has been the response of the public to this exhibit? Has it been a popular or an unpopular exhibit?
8. What group has expressed opposition to this exhibit? Why?
9. How does Von Hagens say he feels about his subjects once they have been plastinated?
10. How difficult is it for Von Hagens to find people who are willing to volunteer to be plastinated once they've died?
11. What is Von Hagen's new challenge?
Physical Appearance [ Back to Documents ]
The Nose
Answer the following questions based on the information in the first listening.1. Where did the author of this book grow up?
2. What set her apart from others in her native town (List two things)?
3. What is the location of the only brain cells that have contact with the outside world?
4. What happened in the 1940's if a woman with sinus problems went to a doctor ?
5. What's the meaning of psychosomatic illness?
6. What motivated the author to write her book about the nose?
7. What types of noses does the author like?
Crime [ Back to Documents ]
The Central Park Jogger
Answer the following questions based on the information contained in the NPR broadcast.1. When did the attack of the jogger in Central Park occur?
2. How many people were accused of having committed this crime?
3. What does "wilding" mean?
4. What evidence does the attorney, Michael Warren, have that a man who was not accused of this crime is actually guilty?
5. What can't the admitted rapist be tried for his crime?
6. Why did this man admit to having committed this crime now instead of sooner?
7. Where are the five boys who were originally convicted of this crime?
8. According to the attorney, why did these boys all sign confessions admitting that they were guilty?
9. What did these boys tell their lawyer had actually happened on the night that the jogger was attacked?
Age Discrimination [ Back to Documents ]
Exploring Attitudes about Age and Aging1. When is a person "old"?
2. When will you be "old"?
3. How should you refer to a person who is "old"? How will you want to be referred to when you are "old"?
4. List some common stereotypes about "old" people.
5. What special entitlements, if any, should an "old" person receive just because of their age?
6. What are some changes we will all experience as we become "old"?
7. What is the worst and best part of growing older?
8. Define "aging well." List some factors which contribute to "aging well."
9. Define "aging poorly." List some factors which contribute to "aging poorly."
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