Unit 2

1. American English vs British English2. Colloquialisms

Read a dialogue

Jane is an American who has come to Britain for the first time. Read the dialogue and answer the questions:

Lily : Oh, there you are. Did you have a good flight? Jane : Sure. We flew all the way .Lily: You must be very tired. Jane: Yes. Could I use your bathroom? Lily: Sure, just make yourself at home. It is on the first floor. Let me give you a clean towel.(毛巾 )Jane: A Towel?( after a while)Lily: Have you found it?Jane: Well, I mean no. I can’t find it. Is it on the first floor?Lily: Yes. It’s the second door on the left. Look, it is there.Jane: Oh, it is here.(2 minutes later)Jane: I find the bathroom, but I can’t find what I’ m looking for.

Questions: Why can’t Jane find the bathroom at first?

What can’t Jane find in the bathroom? Why?

Questions:(1) Why can’t Jane find the bathroom at first?

first floor

second floor first floor

ground floor

American English British English

(2)What can’t Jane find in the bathroom? Jane can’t find the toilet. She wants to go to the toilet,

but Lily thinks she wants to take a shower.

bathroom(AmE) a toliet (BrE) a bath or shower

One more question:In which aspect does American English differ from British English from the dialogue above? In vocabulary

1. In what ways does American English differ from British English?

Vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, spelling

2. Can you list some examples?

pants AmE

trousers BrE

candy AmE

sweets BrE

toilet/WC BrE

restroom/bathroom AmE

soccer (ball ) AmE

football BrE

living room AmE

sitting room BrE

vacation AmE holiday BrE

Difference in vocabulary Differences in Vocabulary

fall autumn

elevator(电梯 )

lift rubbereraser

movie film

American English

British English

garbage can

program

dustbin

programme

A game: Do you have a good memory?

toilet/bathroom

vacation/holiday

pants/trousers

living room/sitting room

soccer ball/football

movie/

film

program/programme

garbage can/dustbin

eraser/rubber

elevator/lift

garbage can/dustbin

A game: Do you have a good memory?

toilet/bathroom

vacation/holiday

pants/trousers

living room/sitting room

soccer ball/football

movie/

film

program/programme

garbage/dustbin

eraser/rubber

elevator/lift

elevator/lift

A game: Do you have a good memory?

toilet/bathroom

vacation/holiday

pants/trousers

living room/sitting room

soccer ball/football

movie/

film

program/programme

garbage/dustbin

eraser/rubber

elevator/lift

vacation/holiday

Differences in Spelling

center---centre

theater---theatre

centimeter---centimetre

Kilometer---kilometre

-er

vs

-re

color---colourhumor---humourbehavior---behaviourneighbor---neighbourhonor---honourfavorite---favourite

-or vs -our

traveler---travellerwoolen---woollenjeweler---jeweller

organize---organiserealize---realise

-l- vs -ll-

-ze vs -se

program---programmekilogram---kilogramme

-gram vs -gramme

Differences in Grammar

the differences in tense

Do you have a book? ______

Have you (got) a book? ______

Sam just went home. ______

Sam has just gone home.______

Am.E

Am.E

Br.E

Br.E

the differences in preposition

I live in Zhengning Road. ______

I live on Zhengning Road. ______

I’ll see you Sunday. ______

I’ll see you on Sunday. ______

Call me at 5555 5678. ______

Call me on 5555 5678 . ______

Am.E

Am.E

Am.E

Br.E

Br.E

Br.E

Differences in Pronunciation

Am.E Br.E

again [ә’gein] [ә’gen ]

clerk [klə:k] [klα:k ]

dance [dæns ] [ dα:ns]

Brain-storm: How much do you know?

1) Thanksgiving is observed only in _______.

2) People usually walk on the ______ side in the USA while in the UK people usually walk on the ______ side.

3) __________ behave in a more casual （随意的） way while in _______ people are a bit more formal or traditional.

America

right

left

AmericansBritain

colloquialisms

What’s a colloquialism?

A colloquialism is an informal expression used in spoken English. Colloquialisms are never used in formal English or in writing, but are often used in conversations.

Guess the meaning of cost an arm and a leg

• Bai: Your new car is really nice.• Kevin: It should be. It cost me an arm and a

leg.• Bai: Really? I’m sorry to hear that. When did

the car accident happen?•Kevin: Come on, friend. I’m fine. I mean

the car costs a lot of money.

A wet blanketA wet blanket• This is an early 19th-century expression.

（词语） Native （本地的） Americans and others often put out their campfires( 营火，营火会 ) with blankets they had dipped( 浸、泡 ) in the nearest river. If fire represents( 代表 ) excitement and joy, then the wet blanket that puts out the fire stands for（代表） a person who always expects bad things will happen.

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Meaning Meaning ：A wet blanket:A wet blanket:

• a person who spoils( 损坏、破坏 )

other people’s fun by being boring

• Boring/ afraid to have fun

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All earsAll ears• This expression has been used for

three centuries. The ear is the organ( 器官 ) by which a person hears. So, if we say you are all ears, it means that at that moment you’re carefully listening to whatever is being said. It is as if no other organs of your body mattered( 要紧、有关系 v.) except your ears.

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MeaningMeaning:

All ears:

• eager to listen; listening carefully

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Pull my legPull my leg• By the late 1800s people sometimes

tripped( 绊倒 ) other people by catching their legs with a cane( 拐杖、藤条 ) or running a string( 绳子 ) across the sidewalk. Sometimes it was just for fun; at other times robbers( 强盗 ) did it to steal from the victim( 受害者 ) after he or she had fallen.

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MeaningMeaning:

Pull my leg:

• to fool someone; to joke with someone

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Finish part A on page 27Finish part A on page 27

Don’t worry. It’s a piece of cake!

_______________________________________________________something easy to do

Don’t be a wet blanket. Have some fun!

____________________________________________boring/ afraid to have fun

Go on, tell me. I’m all ears.

________________________________listening carefully

Are you serious? Don’t pull my leg.

________________________________joke with someone

More about the colloquialismsMore about the colloquialisms• 1. lend me an ear 

• Origin(起源 ): In William Shakespeare’s time, around 1600, it was a common way of asking other person to listen to you carefully. Shakespeare used this expression in his play “Julius Caesar”.

• Meaning: to listen and pay attention to• Example: I know you are busy, but could you

just lend me an ear for a minute?37

• 2. eat my hat • Origin: Many great writers, including

Charles Dickens, have this expression.• Meaning: a saying used when you are 100

percent certain that something will happen• Example: If we don’t win this basketball

game , I will eat my hat.

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some proverbs some proverbs （谚语）（谚语） about the animalsabout the animals

• a busy bee 　忙碌的人• an early bird 　早起的人

• lead a cat-and-dog life  

过着吵吵闹闹的生活

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• do the donkey work 　呆板的例常工作• a cold fish 　冷酷无情的人• a dark horse 　实力难猜的竞争者

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Finish Part B on page 27

1. Mrs Black’s garden is the best in

our town. She really has green

fingers.

_______________________________

2. He makes every decision in our

company. He is the top dog.

________________________________

be good at gardening

An important person in an organization

3. Why did you give her cold

shoulder? You are good friends,

aren’t you.

_______________________________

_

4. I wish I had brought my umbrella.

It’s raining cats and dogs.

_______________________________

be not friendly with her

raining heavily.

5. Football is just not my cup of

tea. I like playing volleyball.

___________________________not really to my taste.

Homework

1.Try your best to keep the examples of American English and British English in your mind.

2. Find more colloquialisms on the Internet.