英语单词大师：Teaching Students How to Use

 AA: I'm Avi Arditti with Rosanne Skirble, and this week on WORDMASTER: we talk with Kelly Maxwell, co-director of the Program on Intergroup Relations at the University of Michigan. The program began about twenty years ago as a way to promote dialogue and understanding across race and gender¹, and has since expanded to religion, social class and national identity.

RS: At least eight other universities in the United States now have similar programs, and interest is spreading. Kelly Maxwell says the University of Michigan offers a two-credit class called "Intergroup Dialogues," led by trained peer facilitators rather than professors. KELLY MAXWELL: "Dialogues encompass² kind of a four stage model, and later in the term, in what we would term stage three, there's something called 'hot topics.' So, for example, at the University of Michigan, you may be aware of the Supreme³ Court action around affirmative action.

"There was a legal case regarding whether or not race or gender should be used as a criterion for admission into the university. The courts have kind of resolved that and said that, indeed, if you look at a whole picture of a portfolio⁴ of a student, that could be one particular area that you might consider in addition to all of the other things, like grade point average and where they are in their class ranking."RS: "So how would this play into a conversation or a dialogue?"KELLY MAXWELL: "So then affirmative action becomes a topic, one of the hot topics for a particular day in a race and ethnicity or in a gender dialogue, for example. And so students, in advance, would do some readings kind of on both sides, both supporting affirmative action and opposing affirmative action. They would kind of talk to some of their friends and kind of think about some of their own ideas about affirmative action. And then they would come in and dialogue about it. "So they would wrestle⁵ together with those questions -- not in a debate format⁶, where there's one side trying to convince the other of what is right, but really trying to get at some of the complexities⁷ that sometimes on the surface, it looks like, 'Well, I'm for it or I'm against it,' you know? Well, could I be for it in these particular cases, but over all I feel this way about it?"AA: "Well, you mentioned there are four stages. What exactly are the other three?"KELLY MAXWELL: "In stage one, it's kind of group formation, so developing 'what is this thing called dialogue,' how does it differ from a debate where we're trying to win or lose around particular topics. Or how does it differ from discussion, which is oftentimes just a kind of friendly conversation but that doesn't lead to any kind of deeper understanding.

"It also is the place where we talk about what we might call the guidelines for dialogue. How are we going to talk about these potentially hot issues as the semester progresses? And what are we going to do when, or if, we find ourselves upset with what someone else has said, or kind of excited about what someone else has said? What are the norms in the group? And they develop those during stage one."AA: "And then stage two is?"KELLY MAXWELL: "Really, they start stage two with something called testimonials, where that is where each student in the dialogue tells their story about being whatever the identity is. How is it to be white where they grew up in their community, or what is it like for them on the campus being a woman, for example.

"During that stage we also talk about socialization and what is that, and the process of how we learn how to be a particular identity. Or what we learn about ourselves and others' identities just from our families, from being in school, from listening to music, that sort of thing. We also start talking about issues of social inequality during that second stage. What is prejudice, what is stereotyping⁸, that sort of thing."AA: "And then, so we move on to stage three is the hot topics."KELLY MAXWELL: "Hot topics."AA: "And the fourth stage?"KELLY MAXWELL: "Is really kind of wrapping up and potentially coalition⁹ building, or how to be an ally to one another as they go forward and move outside of the class."RS: We'll talk more next time with Kelly Maxwell from the Program on Intergroup Relations at the University of Michigan. And that's WORDMASTER for this week.

AA: With Rosanne Skirble, I'm Avi Arditti.

1 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

2 encompass   

vt.围绕，包围；包含，包括；完成

参考例句：

• The course will encompass physics,chemistry and biology.课程将包括物理、化学和生物学。
• The project will encompass rural and underdeveloped areas in China.这项工程将覆盖中国的农村和不发达地区。

3 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

4 portfolio   

n.公事包；文件夹；大臣及部长职位

参考例句：

• He remembered her because she was carrying a large portfolio.他因为她带着一个大公文包而记住了她。
• He resigned his portfolio.他辞去了大臣职务。

5 wrestle   

vi.摔跤，角力；搏斗；全力对付

参考例句：

• He taught his little brother how to wrestle.他教他小弟弟如何摔跤。
• We have to wrestle with difficulties.我们必须同困难作斗争。

6 format   

n.设计，版式；[计算机]格式，DOS命令:格式化(磁盘)，用于空盘或使用过的磁盘建立新空盘来存储数据；v.使格式化，设计，安排

参考例句：

• Please format this floppy disc.请将这张软盘格式化。
• The format of the figure is very tasteful.该图表的格式很雅致。

7 complexities   

复杂性(complexity的名词复数)； 复杂的事物

参考例句：

• The complexities of life bothered him. 生活的复杂使他困惑。
• The complexities of life bothered me. 生活的杂乱事儿使我心烦。

8 stereotyping   

v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I realize that I'm stereotyping. 我认识到我搞的是老一套。 来自辞典例句
• There is none of the gender stereotyping usually evident in school uniforms. 有没有人的性别刻板印象通常是显而易见的。 来自互联网

9 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。