学术英语社科 Academic English for Social Sciences. Unit 1 Decision-Making Behaviors in Economic Activities Lead-in Text A Text B Listening Speaking Writing

学术英语社科Academic English for Social Sciences

Unit 1 Decision-Making Behaviors in Economic Activities

• Lead-in• Text A • Text B• Listening • Speaking• Writing

Unit Contents

• Lead-in

– Reading critically:

questions for discussion


Lead-inReading critically: questions for discussion

Reading critically:Every text is written on a purpose, some are supposed to make you believe. It is important to learn to read critically to get the point. One way of training critical reading is to ask yourself the following questions:

Do you agree with the author?


What is the author assuming I will agree with?

What is the author trying to prove?

Lead-in

Reading critically: questions for discussion

Does the author adequately defend their argument?

What kind of proof do they use?


Is there something they leave out that you would put in?

Does putting it in hurt their argument?

Lead-inReading critically: questions for discussion

Discuss the following questions:

How do you make the decision that you take this course?

What do you consider when you make this decision?


• Text A

– Key terms

– Critical reading and thinking

– Difficult sentences

– English language for

academic purpose• Specialized vocabulary• Collocations• Formal and informal English• Signpost language


Text AKey terms

rational people: 理性人 Those people who systematically and purposefully do the best they can to achieve their objectives, given the available opportunities.


marginal change: 边际变化 small incremental adjustments to a plan of action

marginal benefit: 边际效益 the additional benefit from an increase in an activity

Text AKey terms


marginal cost: 边际成本 the additional cost from an increase in an activity

marginal decision-making: 边际决策 the additional cost from an increase in an activity

incentive: 激励 something that induces a person to act

How People Make Decisions

Economists’ explanation about decision making: There are rules behind people’s decision-making behaviors.

Text ACritical reading and thinking


Rational people think at the margin.



Example 1: standby ticketsWhat a rational airline can do?

Situation: Flying a 200-seat plane across the U.S. costs the airline $100,000.

Cost of each seat: $500 (That’s to say, never sell a ticket for less than $500.)

Suppose: A plane is about to take off with 10 empty seats. A standby passenger will pay $300 for a seat.

Question: should the airline sell the ticket?

Answer: Yes.Reason: If the plane has empty seat, the cost of adding one more passenger is tiny. Here the marginal cost is merely the cost of something to eat, like peanuts, coco, etc.

Conclusion: As long as the standby passenger pays more than the marginal cost, selling the ticket is profitable.



Example 2: water vs. diamond

Why is water so cheap, while diamonds are so

expensive?

water diamond

Necessary for survival

The marginal benefit of an extra cup is small because water is plentiful.

Unnecessary for survival

The marginal benefit of an extra diamond is large because diamonds are rare.





Conclusion: Rational people think at the margin. (They make decisions by comparing costs and benefits.) Are you a rational person?

Example 1: the price of an appleHow people respond to incentives?

When the price rises: It provides an incentive for buyers to consume less; It provides an incentive for sellers to produce more.



Rational people respond to incentives.

Example 2: a tax on gasoline How people respond to incentives? Encourage people to □ drive small, more fuel-efficient cars; □ carpool □ take public transportation; □ live closer to where they work; □ drive hybrid cars; □ drive electric cars.



Example 3: a seat belt law

American laws require seat belts as standard equipment on new cars.

How a seat belt law alters a driver’s cost-benefit calculation (Peltzman’s analysis):Seat belts reduce the likelihood of injury or death → make accidents less costly → drive faster and less carefully → a large number of accidents



Result: These laws produce both fewer deaths per accident and more accidents. Conclusion 1: The net result is little change in the number of driver deaths and an increase in the number of pedestrian deaths.

Conclusion 2: When analyzing any policy, consider both the direct effects and less obvious indirect effects.

If the policy changes incentives, it will cause people to alter their behavior.



→ Rational people know that when they make a decision, it is often not a yes-or-no choice, but requires deliberate consideration of the pros and cons.

Text ADifficult sentences


Rational people know that decisions in life are rarely black and white but usually involve shades of gray. (Para. 2)

→ The most important theory in economic study concerns itself with incentives. Other theories are not as important. “The rest is commentary” is a phrase used in American English to mean “the rest is trivial or less important”.



“People respond to incentives. The rest is commentary.” (Para. 6)

→ At first, this discussion of incentives and seat belts might seem like random talk not supported by evidence.



At first, this discussion of incentives and seat belts might seem like idle speculation. (Para. 12)

Specialized vocabulary

rational people

marginal decision-making

marginal change

marginal benefit

marginal cost

net result

Text AEnglish language for academic purpose


Collocations



achieve the high level of satisfaction maximize profits achieve objectives be black and white roll round blow off fly standby puzzling economic phenomena take an action allocate scarce resources end up with unintended consequences idle speculation

Formal and informal English

See Page 9, and do Task 3.



Signpost language

Show connections between sentences and paragraphs. See Page 9, and do Task 2



Signpost language



Signal important parts of academic writing, such as structure, writer’s position, arguments, conclusion

Reporting someone’s view: Some people/researcher(s) maintain(s) / argue(s) / assert(s) / claim(s) / point(s) out…

Signpost language

Disagreeing with someone’s view:

I disagree with… that

The view is open to doubt / not necessarily true /

highly debatable…

One of the main argument against… is that



Signpost language

Pointing out a gap in research:

However little information…

These studies have emphasized…, as opposed

to…

Although considerable research has focused on…,

less attention has been given to…



Signpost language

Agreeing with someone’s view:

I agree with… when he writes that…

X is certainly correct in saying that…

Another point in favour of… is…

A further argument supporting… is…

NB: In the following units of study, more examples will be given.



Task 1 The tree diagram below illustrates the main points of the text. Fill in the blanks according to the text.

Text ASuggested answers


Decision-making behaviors in economic activities

Thinking at the margincomparing marginal ________ and marginal __________

Responding to __________

Example 1standby tickets

Critical reading and thinking

Example 2______ vs. _________

Example 1the price of

an apple

Example 2a tax on

_________

Example 3_________

____

costbenefits

waterdiamonds

incentives

gasolineseat belts

law

Task 2 Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).


Unit 1 Decision-Making Behaviors in Economic ActivitiesCritical reading and thinking

F___ 1 When rational people make decisions in life, they are

very certain of the choice.

___ 2 At the time of examination, students have to decide

how to use all their time studying.

___ 3 Marginal changes are small gradual changes of the

present plan of action.

___ 4 The example of the standby fly is told to show how cost

can be ignored.

___ 5 Diamonds are more expensive than water because

people are more attracted to them.

F

F

F

T

Task 2 Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).


Unit 1 Decision-Making Behaviors in Economic ActivitiesCritical reading and thinking

T___ 6 The quotation of one economist “People respond to

incentives. The rest is commentary.” is given to show

the importance of incentives.

___ 7 The example of the apple shows how food prices vary

according to market needs.

___ 8 The gasoline tax has an effect on people’s choice of

cars.

___ 9 When the seat belt is made compulsory, people drive

more carefully.

___ 10 Policymakers need to take into consideration the less

obvious indirect effects of a policy.

F

F

F

T

Task 1 Specialized vocabulary


Unit 1 Decision-Making Behaviors in Economic ActivitiesLanguage building-up

1 Match the words in Column A with those in Column B and then translate the phrases you have got into Chinese.

Column A Column B

1 marginal a resource

2 scarce b result

3 maximize c change

4 net d satisfaction

5 level of e people

6 rational f profit




1 Match the words in Column A with those in Column B and then translate the phrases you have got into Chinese.

1 ____________________________________________

2 ____________________________________________

3 ____________________________________________

4 ____________________________________________

5 ____________________________________________

6 ____________________________________________

marginal change 边际变化scarce resources 稀缺资源maximize profits 最大化利润

net result 净结果level of satisfaction 满意度

rational people 理性人




2 Translate the following sentences into English, using some of the phrases above.

1 我们明年的目标是获得利润最大化。 _______________________________________________

2 时间是一种稀缺资源，因此如果工人失业，他们的时间就浪费了。 _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________

We aim to maximize profits over the next year.

Time is a scarce resource, so if workers are unemployed their time is wasted.




2 Translate the following sentences into English, using some of the phrases above.

3 理性人有非理性的想法吗？ _______________________________________________

4 满意度调查结果表明游客对某些服务不满意。 _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________

Do rational people have irrational thoughts?

Research into satisfaction level has found that tourists are not satisfied with some of the services.

Task 2 Signpost language



1 Match the signpost language from Text A with the purpose each of them serves.

Signpost language Purposes

1 as we will see a explanation

2 at the same time b time sequence

3 by contrast c giving examples

4 for example d comparison and contrast

5 in other words e coherence

6 in this case

1 __ 2 __ 3 __ 4 __ 5 __ 6 __e b d c a e




2 Complete the following sentences using the signpost language listed above.

1 He is not well-known for his respect for factual accuracy,

_____________, he was lying.

2 Offices can easily become more environmentally-friendly

by, ___________, using recycled paper.

3 We don’t like the situation. But _______________, we

have to deal with this problem.

in other words

for example

at the same time




2 Complete the following sentences using the signpost language listed above.

4 Their economy has expanded enormously, while ours,

___________, has declined.

5 _____________, in this chapter there is no general

formula for the solution to this question.

6 The whole team don’t want to lose him. ___________,

he needs to realize that company regulations must be

obeyed.

by contrast

As we will see

In this case

Task 3 Formal English



1 Replace the underlined words in the following sentences with the more formal ones from Text A.

1 As you study economics, you will come across firms that

decide how many workers to hire and how much of their

product to manufacture and sell to maximize profits.

Key: ___________

2 The reason is that a person’s willingness to pay for any

good is based on the marginal benefit that an extra unit

of the good would produce.

Key: ____________

encounter

yield





3 An incentive is something that persuades a person to

act,

such as the prospect of a punishment or a reward.

Key: ___________

4 Many policies change the costs or benefits that people

face and, therefore, change their behavior.

Key: ____________

5 For example, consider public policy about auto safety.

Key: ____________

induces

alter

regarding





6 The decline in safe driving has a clear, bad impact on pedestrians. Key: ___________

7 At first, this discussion of incentives and seat belts might seem like an idle guess. Key: ____________

8 When a person wears a seat belt, the likelihood of surviving an auto accident rises. Key: ____________

adverse

speculation

probability




2 Complete the sentences with some of the answers you have got in the above exercise.

1 Stress can have a(n) ________ effect on people’s health.

2 This doesn’t _____ the fact that what you did was wrong.

3 He warned us that we might __________ a lot of

opposition at the very beginning.

4 Some believe that surgery could _______ a heart attack.

5 He has very little to say _________ the new EU

regulations.

6 Knowing about the past doesn’t necessarily _____

solutions to current problems.

adverse

alter

encounter

induce

regarding

yield

• Text B

– Critical reading

– Difficult sentences

– English language for academic purpose


New Airport Landing Fees Delayed

See Page 14, and do Task 1 and Task 2

Text BCritical reading


A new federal policy: allowing airports to charge higher landing fees during peak periods

Reason for formulating this policy: encourage airlines to arrange flights more evenly throughout the day, thus reducing flight delays



Costs Benefits

Airports

Airlines



Your reflections on this policy:

It will work:

It won’t work:

…, which last month called the proposal “congestion pricing disguised as an airport fee”. (Para. 13)

Text BDifficult sentences


→ …, which claimed that the proposal was actually charging fee for congestion rather than for the airport.

“Because the central policy issue at stake here – influencing airline market decisions through airport pricing – is inherently complex and historically has been controversial, we believe that it merits additional time to fully develop comments reflecting the views of industry stakeholders,” (Para. 14)

Text BDifficult sentences


→ “The central policy issue which is how to influence airline market decisions through airport pricing has always been complex and controversial. Hence it is necessary to allow more time for the parties involved in the industry to phrase their opinions that most clearly express their views.”

Collocations

reduce / address congestion

charge higher landing fees

peak periods

reduce delays

take effect

implement measures

Text BEnglish language for academic purpose


Collocations

traffic volume

on-time arrival rate

be supportive of

accommodate requests

clear up ambiguity

go into effect

Text BEnglish language for academic purpose


• Listening

– Prediction strategies

– Listening tasks


Prediction strategies

Prediction

Instead of relying on the actual words or

sounds, you use background information and

common world knowledge to develop

expectations about what you will hear and

then confirm or reject them as you listen.

ListeningUnit 1 Decision-Making Behaviors in Economic Activities




Use visual information including titles on the board, on slides, or in a PowerPoint presentation.

Think about what you already know about the topic.

Ask yourself questions that you think the speaker might answer.

Listen for specific phrases.

Task 1 Before listening, look at the first sentence of the lecture you are going to hear and predict what will follow. Write down your expectation.


Businesses are structured in different ways to meet different needs.

The simplest form of business is called an individual

or sole proprietorship. The proprietor owns all of the

property of the business and is responsible for

everything.

Listening tasks

Task 2 Listen to the lecture again and complete the following table according to what you have heard.


Listening tasks

Forms of business

Ownership Responsibility for debts

Length of existence

______________________Proprietorship

____________ owner fully responsible

________________________________________________________________

Partnership _______________________________________

________________________

________________________________________________________________

___________ _______________________________________

____________________________________

an unlimited lifetime

Individual / sole

Corporation

sole owner

limited liability partnership

shares of ownership by stock holders

partly responsible

share holders not responsible

exist only for as long as the owners remain alive

exist only for as long as the partners remain alive

Task 3 Listen to the lecture a third time and choose the correct answer to each of the following questions.


1 Which of the following descriptions fits an individual

proprietorship?

A The owner has to pay any debts alone.

B The company goes bankrupt when the owner dies.

C The owner keeps all the profits with his family.

D The owner cannot borrow money.

Key: ___

Listening tasks

A



2 What is a must when two people go into business together?

A They must share equal responsibility.

B They must not be husband and wife.

C They must decide how to share the partnership.

D They must be doctors, lawyers or accountants.

Key: ___

Listening tasks

C



3 What is true of a corporation?

A It is owned by directors.

B It always sells stocks.

C It pays its shareholders rewards every year.

D It is an independent legal being.

Key: ___

Listening tasks

D

• Speaking

– Useful expressions

– Researching


Useful expressions

1. Can you go over the bit about… again? Could you go over the bit about… again?

2. Could you repeat…? I wonder if you could repeat…?

See more on Page 19, and do Task 1 and Task 2.

SpeakingUnit 1 Decision-Making Behaviors in Economic Activities

Researching

Form groups of 4-5 and research the policies concerning traffic jam in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, London, Tokyo, and New York.

Write a summary of your findings and present it to the class.

SpeakingUnit 1 Decision-Making Behaviors in Economic Activities

SpeakingUnit 2

Economist

Ask Ss to discuss criteria of an effective presentation, then decide on the criteria to evaluate each other’s presentations. You can consider the following:

• The message Remember the ultimate end of a presentation is the

message. • Structure Organize your talk in a clear way and indicating or

showing the structure to the audience is very important and helpful to make an effective presentation because that makes comprehension easier.

Making an effective presentation

SpeakingUnit 2

EconomistMaking an effective presentation

• Timing

Learn to put how much into whatever a time slot is always an important skill for a speaker.

• Communication with audience

Are you having eye contact with the audience? Are you just reading out your writing?

SpeakingUnit 2

EconomistMaking an effective presentation

• Visual Aids

Are the PPT slides too fancy, distracting? Are they meaningful?

• Signpost Language

Do you use signpost language to help the audience?

• Language

Do you use the language precisely?

• Writing

– Choosing a topic


Choosing a topic

Learn the writing strategies on Page 20.

Do Task 1 on Page 20.

Find some topics from academic journals and make comments after class.

WritingUnit 1 Decision-Making Behaviors in Economic Activities

Do the following tasks:

1. Find out the main points of Text A.

2. Make comparison between economists and scientists in terms of how they work.

3. Mark the specialized vocabulary and explain them.

4. Underline the collocations you think important.

Get ready for Unit 2Unit 1 Decision-Making Behaviors in Economic Activities

Documents

学术英语 社科 Academic English for Social Sciences. Unit 1 Decision-Making Behaviors in Economic Activities Lead-in Text A Text B Listening Speaking Writing

学术英语社科 Academic English for Social Sciences. Unit 1 Decision-Making Behaviors in Economic Activities Lead-in Text A Text B Listening Speaking Writing