An Integrated English Course An Integrated English Course Book 3Book 3

Unit Eleven

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

By the end of this unit, you are supposed to

understand the main idea, structure of the text and the author’s writing style

master the key language points and grammatical structures in the text

consider the dilemma whether people should sometimes tell lies or always tell the truth

Teaching ProcedureTeaching Procedure

Pre-reading QuestionsText I. The Real Truth about Lies ● Passage● Structural analysis● Main idea of the passage● Language points ● sentence studies ● vocabulary studies

Text II. To Lie or Not to Lie-- the Doctor’s Dilemma

Pre-readingPre-reading

1. If your friend is in a new dress or buys a new mobile phone which you dislike intensely, and asks for your opinion about it, what will you say? Why do you think people lie?

2. If somebody lies to you for your own good, how would you feel?

Text I. Text I. The Real Truth about The Real Truth about

LiesLies

At the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, psychology professor Bella DePaulo got 77 students and 70 townspeople to volunteer for an unusual project. All kept diaries for a week, recording the numbers and details of the lies they told.

One student and six Charlottesville residents professed to have told no falsehoods. The other 140 participants told 1535.

The lies were most often not what most of us would call earth-shattering. Someone would pretend to be more positive or supportive of a spouse or friend than he or she really was, or feign agreement with a relative's opinion. According to DePaulo, women in their interactions with other women lied mostly to spare the other's feelings. Men lied to other men generally for self-promoting reasons.

Most strikingly, these tellers-of-a-thousand-lies reported that their deceptions caused them "little preoccupation or regret." Might that, too, be a lie? Perhaps. But there is evidence that this attitude towards casual use of prevarication is common.

For example, 20,000 middle-and high-schoolers were surveyed by the Josephson Institute of Ethics — a nonprofit organization in Marina del Rey, California, devoted to character education. Ninety-two per cent of the teenagers admitted having lied to their parents in the previous year, and 73 per cent characterized themselves as "serial liars," meaning they told lies weekly. Despite these admissions, 91 per cent of all respondents said they were "satisfied with my own ethics and character."

Think how often we hear the expressions "I'll call you" or "The check is in the mail" or "I'm sorry, but he stepped out." And then there are professions — lawyers, pundits, public relations consultants — whose members seem to specialize in shaping or spinning the truth to suit clients' needs.

Little white lies have become ubiquitous, and the reasons we give each other for telling fibs are familiar. Consider, for example, a corporate executive whom I'll call Tom. He goes with his wife and son to his mother-in-law's home for a holiday dinner every year. Tom dislikes her "special" pumpkin pie intensely. Invariably he tells her how wonderful it is, to avoid hurting her feelings.

"What's wrong with that?" Tom asked Michael Josephson, president of the Josephson Institute. It's a question we might all ask.

Josephson replied by asking Tom to consider the lie from his mother-in-law's point of view. Suppose that one day Tom's child blurts out the truth, and she discovers the deceit. Will she tell her son-in-law, "Thank you for caring so much"? Or is she more likely to feel hurt and say, "How could you have misled me all these years? And what else have you lied to me about?"

And what might Tom's mother-in-law now suspect about her own daughter? And will Tom's boy lie to his parents and yet be satisfied with his own character?   

How often do we compliment people on how well they look, or express our appreciation for gifts, when we don't really mean it? Surely, these "nice lies" are harmless and well-intended, a necessary social lubricant. But, like Tom, we should remember the words of English novelist Sir Walter Scott, who wrote, "What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.“

Even seemingly harmless falsehoods can have unforeseen consequences. Philosopher Sissela Bok warns us that they can put us on a slippery slope. "After the first lies, others can come more easily," she wrote in her book Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life. "Psychological barriers wear down; the ability to make more distinctions can coarsen; the liar's perception of his chances of being caught may warp."

Take the pumpkin-pie lies. In the first place, it wasn't just that he wanted his mother-in-law to feel good. Whether he realized it or not, he really wanted her to think highly of him. And after the initial deceit he needed to tell more lies to cover up the first one.

Who believes it anymore when they're told that the person they want to reach by phone is "in a meeting"? By itself, that kind of lie is of no great consequence. Still, the endless proliferation of these little prevarications does matter.

Once they've become common enough, even the small untruths that are not meant to hurt encourage a certain cynicism and loss of trust. "When [trust] is damaged," warns Bok, "the community as a whole suffers; and when it is destroyed, societies falter and collapse."

Are all white lies to be avoided at all costs? Not necessarily. The most understandable and forgivable lies are an exchange of what ethicists refer to as the principle of trust for the principle of caring, "like telling children about the tooth fairy, or deceiving someone to set them up for a surprise party," Josephson says. "Still, we must ask ourselves if we are willing to give our friends and associates the authority to lie to us whenever they think it is for our own good."

Josephson suggests a simple test. If someone you lie to finds out the truth, will he thank you for caring? Or will he feel his long-term trust in you has been undermined?

And if you're not sure, Mark Twain has given us a good rule of thumb. "When in doubt, tell the truth. It will confound your enemies and astound your friends."

Structural analysisStructural analysis

The text can be divided into four parts.

Part One: (Paragraphs 1-6) The writer introduces the topic by

reporting two survey results.

Part Two: (Paragraphs 7-11) By citing an example in this part, the

writer goes on to explain that telling little white lies is a common practice and the reasons for telling such lies are familiar - we do not want to hurt others.

Part Three: (Para. 12-15): This part deals with the consequences of telling lies. What is the grave consequence of telling

Part Four (Paragraphs 16-18)In this part, the writer discusses

whether lies should be avoided at all costs.

Main Idea of the passage

In this text, the author author, in a objective way, tries his best to convince the reader of “the real truth”. The author argues that in most cases, lies, even some white lies are harmful and will make things become complex. By quoting some famous persons’ suggestions or words, the author tries to give the reader a way to decide when we should tell the truth or tell a lie.

Comprehension questions

1. What does Professor Bella DePaulo’s study indicate about lying? What do most people think about lying?

Professor DePaulo's study suggests that lying is a common phenomenon and most of the lies we tell are small, insignificant. She also points out that different sexes lie for different reasons, but nobody that lies suffers from a guilty conscience.

2.Why do people tell white lies? Do you think the lies will be well received once they are exposed?

According to the passage, the nature of white lies is to seek self-interest: People tell white lies basically for self-promoting purposes. White lies may have different receptions in different cultures. In western cultures as is illustrated by the example, white lies may not be well received as the people value honesty and integrity more than caring and face value; but in the eastern cultures, they may be received as a sign of concern and respect for each other's face.

3. What, according to the author, would be the consequeces of lying?

The consequences of lying fall into three aspects: The deceived may feel cheated and won't trust the liar any more; the liar will lose trust from the deceived and get entangled in the lies he fabricates; and the society as a whole would falter and collapse as its members do not trust each other any more.

4. Are all white lies unacceptable? What is the yardstick of acceptable lies?

Not all white lies are unacceptable. Some falsehoods like setting somebody up for a surprise party or telling children about the tooth fairy can be justified. However, you have to consider the attitude of the deceived towards lying and the consequences, i. e. , whether your act will undermine his trust in you.

Language points

profess : to make a claim (of / about)

James professed to know everything about sculpture.

He professed the greatest respect for the law.

earth-shattering : of the greatest importance to the whole world

After years of hard work, they finally made an earth-shattering discovery.

The new invention is of earth-shattering importance.

feign: to pretend to have or be; to put on a false air of

She feigned to be ill in order not to do the exercises.

He feigned surprise and they aU believed him.

spare one's feelings: to avoid doing something that would upset somebody

He simply wished to minimize the fuss and to spare her feelings.

We carefully avoided mentioning the news to spare his feelings.

preoccupation: the state of constantly thinking or worrying about something

Because of his preoccupation with his books, he didn't realize we were already back.

Such preoccupation with your work isn't healthy.

might that, too, be a lie? : Is it possible to consider that a lie?

.. Might" here means "possibility. " Note that "may," when used to mean "possibility," is normally not used in a question.

devote ... to: to give all or a large part of one's time or resources to (a person, activity, or cause) I want to devote more time to my family.

He devotes himself to philanthropy.

profession: a form of employment, especially one that is possible only for an educated person and that is respected in society as honorable

She intends to make teacher her profession.

According to the report, forty percent of the lawyers entering the profession are women.

pundit: a person who is an authority on a particular subject; an expert

Mr. Johnson is a well-known political pundit.

We've invited a foreign-policy pundit to give us a lecture.

shape or spin the truth: to modify the truth

client: somebody who pays for services or advice from a person or organization a solicitor and his client

cf a shopkeeper and his customer

ubiquitous: seeming to be everywhere

By the end of last century, the computer had become ubiquitous.

We are now confronted with the ubiquitous spread of English.

fib: a small unimportant lie Have you ever told fibs?

She told innocent fibs like anyone else.

invariably: always

It's invariably wet when I take my holidays.

She invariably forgets to take her keys.

blurt out: to say something suddenly and without thinking, usually because one is nervous or excited

To our surprise, he blurted his secret out at table.

John blurted out that he dreamed of becoming a computer programmer.

tangled: complicated or made up of many confusing parts

After listening to his speech I thought his ideas and opinions were so tangled that I could not vote for him.

The floor of the forest was covered with tangled growth.

wear down : to reduce or become weaker until useless

Heavy traffic and variable weather can wear down the surface of the road.

I' our back tyres are badly wom down; you should fit new ones.

warp: to (cause to) turn or twist out of shape

Left in the garage where it was damp, the wooden frame had warped.

The door must be warped. It won't close properly.

think highly of : to have a good opinion of

We think highly of your suggestion.

I can assure you that the management thinks very highly of you.

proliferation: a rapid increase in the amount or number of something

Smoking triggers off cell proliferation.

Over the past two years, we have witnessed the proliferation of TV channels.

associate: somebody whom you work or do business with

He is not a friend, but a business associate.

George's party was boring - it was full of his business associates.

undemine: to gradually make somebody or something less strong or effective

She jealously tried to undennine our friendship.

Lack of food has undennined his health.

rule of thumb: a rough method of calculation, based on practical experience

I never weigh anything when I'm cooking - I just do it by rule of thumb.

As a rule of thumb, a cup of filter coffee contains about 89mg caffeine.

confound: to confuse and surprise people, causing them to be unable to explain or deal with a situation

His choice may confound us all. The dancer confounded the critics who said

she was finished by giving the best performance of her life.

astound: to make somebody very surprised or shocked

It astounds me that anyone could ever consider declaring war.

He used to astound his friends with feats of physical endurance.

Text II.Text II. To LIE OR NOT TO LIE--- THE DOCTOR'S DULEMMA

Sissela BokSissela Bok Should doctors ever lie to benefit their patients -- to speed recovery or t

o conceal the approach of death? In medicine as in law, government, and other lines of work, the requirements of honesty oftem seem dwarfed by greater needs: the need to shelter from brutal news or to uphold a promise of secrecy; to expose corruption or to promote the public interest.

What should doctors say,for example, to a 46-year-old man coming in for a routine physical checkup just before going on vacation with his family who, though he feels in perfect health, is found to have a form of cancer that will cause him to die within six months? Is it best to tell him the truth? If he asks, should the doctors deny that he is ill, or minimize the gravity of the illness? Should they at least conceal the truth until after the family vacation?

Doctors confront such choices often and urgently. At times, they see important reasons to lie for the patient's own sake; in their eyes, such lies differ sharply from self-serving ones.

Studies show that most doctors sincerely believe that the seriously ill do not want to know the truth about their condition, and that informing them risks destroying their hope, so that they may recover more slowly, or deteriorate faster, perhaps even commit suicide. As one physician wrote: "Ours is a profession which traditionally has been guided by a precept that transcends the virtue of uttering the truth for truth's sake, and that is `as far as possible do no harm. "'

Armed with such a precept, a number of doctors may slip into deceptive practices that they assume will "do no harm" and may well help their patients. They may prescribe innumerable placebos, sound more encouraging than the facts warrant, and distort grave news, especially to the incurably ill and the dying.

But the illusory nature of the benefits such deception is meant to produce is now coming to be documented. Studies show that, contrary to the belief of many physicians, an overwhelming majority of patients do want to be told the truth, even about grave illness, and feel betrayed

when they learn that they have been misled. We are also learning that truthful information, humanely conveyed, helps patients cope with illness : helps them tolerate pain better, need less medicine, and even recover faste after surgery.

Not only do lies not provide the "help" hoped for by advocates of benevohnt deception; they invade the autonomy of patients and render them unable to make informed choices concerning their own health, including the choice of whether to be a patient in the first place. We are becoming increasingly aware of all that can befall patients in the course of their illness when information is derued or distorted.

Dying patients especially -- who are easiest to mislead and most often kept in the dark -- can then not make decisions about the end of life: about whether or not they should enter a hospital, or have surgery; about where and with whom they should spend their remaining time;about how they should bring their affairs to a close and take leave.

Lies also do harm to those who tell them: harm to their integrity and, in the long run, to their credibility: Lies hurt their colleagues as well. The suspicfon of deceit undercuts the work of the many doctors who are scrupulously honest with their patients; it contributes to the spiral of lawsuits and of "defensive medicine, " and thus it injures, in turn; the entire medical profession.

Sharp conflicts are now arising. Patients are learning to press for answers. Patients'bills of rights require that they be informed about their condition and about alternatives for treatment. Many doctors go to great lengths to provide such information: Yet even in hospitals with the most eloquent bill of rights, believers in benevolent deception continue their ageold practices. Colleagues may disapprove but refrain from objecting. Nurses may bitterly resent having to take part, day after day, in deceiving 60 patients, but feel powerless to take a stand.

There is urgent need to debate this issue openly. Not only in medicine, but in other professions as well, practitioners may find themselves repeatedly in difficulty where serious consequences seem avoidable only through deception. Yet the public has every reason to be wary of professional deception; for such practices are peculiarly likely to become deeply rooted, spread, and to erode trust. Neither in medicine, nor in law, government, or the social sciences can there be comfort in the old saying, "What you don't know can't hurt you."

Main idea of Text II

In this text, the author discusses the dilemma doctors have to face—to lie or not to lie. Many doctors choose to lie for patient’s sake, but patients have different opinion because they don’t want to be deceived and they think they have the right to know the information about their illness. The author advocates that there should be a debate on this issue, not only in medicine, but also in other professions such as in law, government, and other lines of work as well.

Topics for discussion:

1.According to the author, in what line of work is honesty sacrificed for “greater needs”?

In medicine, law, politics, journalism, tec., is deception practiced for “greater needs”.

2. What, according to some doctors, is the fundametnal principle of the medical profession?

“ As far as possible do no harm.”

3. What are the negative effects of “benevolent deception” on patients?

The patients may feel betrayed, and their autonomy is intruded. And they cannot make informed decisions about their health and life; and it can also prolong recovery and affect treatment.

4. How will the medical profession and its staff be affected by “benevolent deception”?

"Benevolent deception" may cause the erosion of integrity of the medical profession and affect those that do not tell lies to their patients. It may even induce lawsuits and the endless process of litigation.

5. If you were a patient, would you like to know the truth that you would have only a few months to live? And if you were a doctor, how would you break the news to your patient?

Open for discussion.

Words and Expressions for Text Ivolunteer

v. to give or offer (one's help, a suggestion, etc.) willingly or without being paid

professv. to make a claim

feignv. to pretend to have or be

preoccupationn. the state of constantly thinking or worrying about something

prevaricationn. the state of avoiding giving a direct answer or making a firm decision

seriala. of, in or forming a number of things, events, etc. of a similar kind, especially placed or occurring one after another

ethicsn. moral correctness; moral principles

punditn. a person who is an authority on a particular subject; an expert

consultantn. a person who gives specialist professional advice to others

fibn. a small unimportant lie

deceitn. dishonest act or statement

lubricantn. a substance such as oil which cause a machine to operate more easily

tanglev. to make or become a mass of disordered and twisted threads

wear downto reduce or become weaker until useless

perceptionn. the ability to see, hear and understand; the quality of understanding

warpv. to (cause to) turn or twist out of shape

proliferationn. a rapid increase in the amount or number of something

cynicismn. the belief that people always act selfishly

falterv. to lose power or strength in an uneven way, thus no longer making much progress

associaten. a person who is connected to another person as a business partner, colleague, or companion

underminev. to gradually make somebody or something less strong or effective

confoundv. to confuse and greatly surprise people, causing them to be unable to explain or deal with a situation

astoundv. to make somebody very surprised or shocked, especially with (news of) something completely unexpected 　

Notes for Text I1. For example, 20, 0oo middle- and high-sch

oolers ... (Paragraph 5): Here, "middle-schoolers" refer to students from a school including grades 5 - 3 or 6 - 3, which is similar to a junior high school, while" high-schoolers" refer to those in a school including grades 9 -12 or 10 -12 (especially in the U. S. ), similar to a senior high school in China.

2. But, like Tom, we should remember the words of English novelist Sir Walter Scott ... (Paragraph 11 ): Sir Walter Scott (1771 -1832) , Scottish novelist and poet. He established the form of the historical novel in Britain and his notable novels are: Waverley (1814) , Ivanhoe ( 1820) and Kenilworth (1821).

3. Philosopher Sissel? Bok (Paragraph 12): Sissela Bok (1934 - ), Swedish writer, philosopher, and educator. Among her works are: Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life (1978), Secrets: On the Ethics of Concealment and Revelation (1983), and Alva Myrdal: A Daughter's Memoir (1991).

4. ... like telling children about the tooth fairy... (Paragraph 16): The tooth fairy is a figure in Western fairy tales that is said to take children's milk teeth after they fall out and leave a coin under their pillow.

Notes for Text II1. To Lie or Not to Lie? - The Doctor's Dilem

ma:The phrase "to lie or not to lie" onglnates from the famous soliloquy of Hamlet: "To be or not to be, that is the question. " And the way this phrase is created is called parody ( 仿似 ).

2. But the illusory nature of the benefits such deception is meant to bestow is now coming to be documented. (Paragraph 6) : The subject of the sentence is "the illusory nature" and the predicate, "is now coming to be documented" and the whole sentence means that the benefits lying is supposed to have are now proving to be unreal and imagined.

3. ... it contributes to the spirai of lawsuits and of "defensive medicine, " ... (Paragraph 9): “The spiral of lawsuits" means two opposing parties in a lawsuit are involved in an endless process of litigation which is getting higher and higher in level. The phrase "defensive medicine" refers to the alterations of modes of medical practice for the purposes of avoiding lawsuits by patients as well as providing good legal defense if such lawsuits are instituted.

4. Patients' bills of rights require that... (Paragraph 10):'' Bills of rights" are statements of the rights of a class of people, in particular the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the US, ratified in 1791.

5. "What you don't know can't hurt you." (Paragraph 11): This proverb means if you do not know about a problem, you do not worry. The whole sentence means people won't be comforted by not knowing the truth in medicine, law, government, or the social science; on the contrary, they will be hurt or greatly affected by lying.