Q2e Listening & Speaking 2: Audio Script

UNIT 3
Unit 3, Behavioral Science, The Q Classroom
Page 39

Teacher: The Unit 3 question is: “Why are good manners important?” So let’s talk about
that. First of all, do you agree? Are good manners important? Yuna?
Yuna: Yes, they are.
Teacher: Why?
Yuna: They make people feel good.
Teacher: OK. Anything to add to that? Marcus? Why are good manners important?
Marcus: We show respect with good manners. You can offend people when you don’t
use good manners.
Teacher: What do you think, Felix? Why are good manners important?
Felix: I agree with Yuna and Marcus. When you go to dinner at someone’s house, you
compliment the food, maybe you bring some chocolates. They feel good, you
feel good. Good manners make everyone happy.
Teacher: Anything to add, Sophy, about why good manners are important?
Sophy: Good manners unite people. Maybe we don’t like the same things or have the
same interests, but good manners help us get along anyway.

Unit 3, Listening skill, Activity E, Part 1

Page 42

Scott Webber: Good evening everyone. I’m Scott Webber, your host on Book Talk. Tonight,
Lynn Hancock is here with us. Lynn is a journalist and regularly writes book reviews
for the Sunday Nation. So, Lynn, tell us what book you have for us today.
Lynn Hancock: Thanks, Scott. I have a little book here called The Civility Solution: What to
Do When People are Rude. It’s by P. M. Forni, a professor of Italian literature at
Johns Hopkins University. Professor Forni believes that there is an increase in
rudeness in our society today.
Scott: Does he really think that people are ruder now than in the past?

Unit 3, Listening skill, Activity E, Part 2

Page 42

Lynn: Yes, he does. And he thinks that this is a serious problem. It's not just that people
don't obey the rules of etiquette. Rudeness and bad manners actually hurt us. For
one thing, they cause stress, which is bad for our health. And in the worst cases,
rudeness can even result in violence.
Scott: Violence?
Lynn: Yes. What we call road rage is just one example. Drivers get very angry and scream
at each other. Sometimes, they even get into fights. This is becoming more common.

© Copyright Oxford University Press Page 1 of 6

Q2e Listening & Speaking 2: Audio Script

Scott: So what does Professor Forni think we should do about it?

Lynn: Well, that’s where the “civility solution” comes in. When someone is rude to us, it’s
natural, or normal, to be rude to them. You’re rude to me, so I’m rude to you. It’s a
circle of rudeness. But, when we’re polite to someone who is rude, it breaks the
circle. In other words, you’re rude to me, but I’m polite to you. If people can learn to
do this, our society will be better.
Scott: Hmm. It sounds very nice, but it isn’t easy. How can I be polite if someone’s rude to
me?

Unit 3, Listening skill, Activity E, Part 3

Page 42

Lynn: Forni admits that it isn’t easy, but he has some ideas about how to do it. Here's an
example of something that happened to me last week. I accidentally bumped into a
man on a crowded bus. The man yelled at me, “Look where you’re going!” So I
decided to try the civility solution. I calmly and politely said, “I'm sorry, sir, but the
bus is crowded. You don’t need to yell.” At first the man looked surprised, but then
he said, "Sorry! I guess I'm just tired today!"
Scott: So, in other words, you can tell people that you don’t like their behavior and be
polite at the same time.
Lynn: Exactly. That’s the idea. And sometimes—not always, of course, but sometimes—
when you’re polite, the other person becomes more polite as well and uses common
courtesy. Also you feel better. You’re not getting angry and stressed about the
situation.
Scott: Hmm, I guess I can try it the next time someone is rude to me. Hey, maybe we should
practice. Say something rude to me and let me try. . .

Unit 3, Listening 1, Activity A, C

Page 42, 43

Scott Webber: Good evening, everyone. I’m Scott Webber, your host on Book Talk.
Tonight, Lynn Hancock is here with us. Lynn is a journalist and regularly writes
book reviews for the Sunday Nation. So, Lynn, tell us what book you have for us
today.
Lynn Hancock: Thanks, Scott. I have a little book here called The Civility Solution: What to
Do When People Are Rude. It’s by P. M. Forni, a professor of Italian literature at Johns
Hopkins University. Professor Forni believes that there is an increase in rudeness
in our society today.
Scott: Does he really think that people are ruder now than in the past?
Lynn: Yes, he does. And he thinks that this is a serious problem. It's not just that people
don't obey the rules of etiquette. Rudeness and bad manners actually hurt us. For
one thing, they cause stress, which is bad for our health. And in the worst cases,
rudeness can even result in violence.
Scott: Violence?
© Copyright Oxford University Press Page 2 of 6
Q2e Listening & Speaking 2: Audio Script

Lynn: Yes. What we call road rage is just one example. Drivers get very angry and scream
at each other. Sometimes, they even get into fights. This is becoming more common.
Scott: So what does Professor Forni think we should do about it?
Lynn: Well, that’s where the “civility solution” comes in. When someone is rude to us, it’s
natural, or normal, to be rude to them. You’re rude to me, so I’m rude to you. It’s a
circle of rudeness. But, when we’re polite to someone who is rude, it breaks the
circle. In other words, you’re rude to me, but I’m polite to you. If people can learn to
do this, our society will be better.
Scott: Hmm. It sounds very nice, but it isn’t easy. How can I be polite if someone’s rude to
me?
Lynn: Forni admits that it isn’t easy, but he has some ideas about how to do it. Here's an
example of something that happened to me last week. I accidentally bumped into a
man on a crowded bus. The man yelled at me, “Look where you’re going!” So I
decided to try the civility solution. I calmly and politely said, “I'm sorry, sir, but the
bus is crowded. You don’t need to yell.” At first the man looked surprised, but then
he said, "Sorry! I guess I'm just tired today!"
Scott: So, in other words, you can tell people that you don’t like their behavior and be
polite at the same time.
Lynn: Exactly. That’s the idea. And sometimes—not always, of course, but sometimes—
when you’re polite, the other person becomes more polite as well and uses common
courtesy. Also you feel better. You’re not getting angry and stressed about the
situation.
Scott: Hmm, I guess I can try it the next time someone is rude to me. Hey, maybe we should
practice. Say something rude to me and let me try. . .

Unit 3, Listening 1, Activity E

Page 44

Lynn: Well, that’s where the “civility solution” comes in. When someone is rude to us, it’s
natural, or normal, to be rude to them. You’re rude to me, so I’m rude to you. It’s a
circle of rudeness. But, when we’re polite to someone who is rude, it breaks the
circle. In other words, you’re rude to me, but I’m polite to you. If people can learn to
do this, our society will be better.

Unit 3, Note-taking Skill, Activity A

Page 45

Professor: We often hear that people today are not as polite as they were in the past. But it
is also true that ideas about polite behavior change over time. Things that we think
are rude today were considered polite in the past. Some of these things will surprise
or even shock you. First, we'll look at table manners from Roman times to the
present. Is it really bad manners to eat with your fingers? Second, we will examine
people's behavior at public events such as concerts. Today talking during a concert

© Copyright Oxford University Press Page 3 of 6

Q2e Listening & Speaking 2: Audio Script

is definitely a "no-no." But in 1840, people criticized one pianist because he played
so loudly that it was difficult for the ladies to talk!

Unit 3, Listening 2, Activity A

Page 47

Kate Collins: And finally tonight we have this report from Larry Stark. We frequently hear
that children don’t have good manners. In today’s society, parents are too busy to
teach their children manners. For example, families don’t sit down at the table to eat
together. As a result, children don’t learn good table manners. Also, children don’t
know how to behave politely around adults—when, for example, they should use
titles like Mr., Mrs., or Ms. So, here's Larry. He'll first tell us what schools are doing
about this and what the results are. Then he'll answer the important question: How
do teachers and parents feel about it?

Unit 3, Listening 2, Activity B

Page 47

Larry Stark: Thanks, Katie. Schools are giving their students classes in etiquette and polite
behavior. But, the teachers aren’t teaching these classes. In one school, the principal
asked a company called Polite Children to teach the classes. Marjorie Lucas is the
owner of the company. Polite Children offers courses in manners to the schools. This
is how Ms. Lucas explains it.
Marjorie Lucas: Teachers spend a lot of valuable class time dealing with bad behavior. A
lot of this is just bad manners. We teach manners for many different situations.
Children learn both table manners and classroom manners. They also learn how to
relate to adults. In the end, manners are all about having respect for others. That’s
why it’s important to use words like please, thank you, and excuse me. That’s why
kids in the classroom should raise their hands and not shout out answers. When
children learn to be courteous in these small ways, they learn to respect other
people.
Larry S.: We asked Tom Saunders, a school principal, about the effect of these classes at
his school.
Tom Saunders: You know, Larry, they’re having a good influence on our students. After
we started the classes, students’ grades went up by 10 to 13 percent in one year.
Teachers say that students are more attentive in the classroom. This saves a lot of
time—time teachers can spend teaching instead of correcting bad behavior. There’s
less violence in the school, too. For example, we have fewer fights in the hallways.
This improves the quality of the school.
Larry S.: Parents also like the etiquette classes. Here’s Jenny Miranda, whose son Marcos is
in the third grade.
Jenny Miranda: Marcos came home and said he wanted to “practice being polite.” I was
amazed. Now we’re practicing things like calling adults Mr., Mrs., or Ms. and saying
please and thank you. These little things make a big difference.
© Copyright Oxford University Press Page 4 of 6
Q2e Listening & Speaking 2: Audio Script

Kate C.: Thanks for that report, Larry. That’s all for tonight, so I will now politely wish all of
you a very good evening.

Unit 3, Listening 2, Activity D

Page 48

Kate Collins: And finally tonight we have this report from Larry Stark. We frequently hear
that children don’t have good manners. In today’s society, parents are too busy to
teach their children manners. For example, families don’t sit down at the table to eat
together. As a result, children don’t learn good table manners. Also, children don’t
know how to behave politely around adults—when, for example, they should use
titles like Mr., Mrs., or Ms. So, here's Larry. He'll first tell us what schools are doing
about this and what the results are. Then he'll answer the important question: How
do teachers and parents feel about it?
Larry Stark: Thanks, Katie. Schools are giving their students classes in etiquette and polite
behavior. But, the teachers aren’t teaching these classes. In one school, the principal
asked a company called Polite Children to teach the classes. Marjorie Lucas is the
owner of the company. Polite Children offers courses in manners to the schools. This
is how Ms. Lucas explains it.
Marjorie Lucas: Teachers spend a lot of valuable class time dealing with bad behavior. A
lot of this is just bad manners. We teach manners for many different situations.
Children learn both table manners and classroom manners. They also learn how to
relate to adults. In the end, manners are all about having respect for others. That’s
why it’s important to use words like please, thank you, and excuse me. That’s why
kids in the classroom should raise their hands and not shout out answers. When
children learn to be courteous in these small ways, they learn to respect other
people.
Larry S.: We asked Tom Saunders, a school principal, about the effect of these classes at
his school.
Tom Saunders: You know, Larry, they’re having a good influence on our students. After
we started the classes, students’ grades went up by 10 to 13 percent in one year.
Teachers say that students are more attentive in the classroom. This saves a lot of
time—time teachers can spend teaching instead of correcting bad behavior. There’s
less violence in the school, too. For example, we have fewer fights in the hallways.
This improves the quality of the school.
Larry S.: Parents also like the etiquette classes. Here’s Jenny Miranda, whose son Marcos is
in the third grade.
Jenny Miranda: Marcos came home and said he wanted to “practice being polite.” I was
amazed. Now we’re practicing things like calling adults Mr., Mrs., or Ms. and saying
please and thank you. These little things make a big difference.
Kate C.: Thanks for that report, Larry. That’s all for tonight, so I will now politely wish all of
you a very good evening.

© Copyright Oxford University Press Page 5 of 6

Q2e Listening & Speaking 2: Audio Script

Unit 3, Listening 2, Activity E

Page 48

1. Teachers spend a lot of valuable class time dealing with bad behavior.

2. When children learn to be courteous in these small ways, they learn to respect other
people.

3. After we started the classes, students' grades went up by 10 to 13 percent in one year.

4. Teachers say that students are more attentive in the classroom.

Unit 3, Pronunciation, Examples

Page 53

It’s easy to learn to play chess.

The man was mad at the other drivers around him.

Unit 3, Pronunciation, Activity B

Page 53

1. The students admitted they made a mistake.

2. Parents are too busy to teach their children manners.
3. The book talks about different ways to deal with problems.
4. Bad manners are a problem in our office.
5. I was amazed by my visit to the Great Wall.
6. Is it possible for them to deal with the problem today?

Unit 3, Pronunciation, Activity C

Page 53

The Etiquette of Hats

Speaker: There are a lot of rules about hats in etiquette books. Long ago, men and women
always wore hats outdoors. It was bad manners to go out without a hat. Men
took off their hats indoors. It was a sign of respect for a man to take off his hat.
These rules started to change in the 1960s. John F. Kennedy was the first U.S.
president to appear in public without a hat.

© Copyright Oxford University Press Page 6 of 6