Published: Psychology Today; (psychologytoday.com)
Level of Difficulty: ***
This article comes out
of “Psychology Today” and is a well written and balanced advantages and
disadvantages text. Being an article written specifically for publication in a
magazine, it has a more conversational and less formal tone in parts but
students need to be exposed to this style as well; not just academic stuff. On
the plus side, it provides both the down sides and the up sides (surprise,
surprise!) of gossip providing scope for writing. The reading task is followed
by an advantages and disadvantages essay. As usual, should you wish to use the
text, you will need to access it yourselves due to copyright issues.
QUESTIONS
Read as far as “Gossip is Bad”; then, answer
the questions:
1.
Which
sentences serve as what we would normally call the thesis statement?
2.
Why
does the writer start with the Tiger Woods story?
Vocabulary in this
section:
Paragraph 2: Explain the phrase “Tabloid
bloodhounds smelt a fox on the green”
Paragraph 3: Explain the phrase “Pouring fuel
on this media fire”
Paragraph 3: Find a word meaning “plenty of”
Paragraph 3: Find a word meaning “appearing
everywhere”
Read “Gossip is Bad”; then, answer the
questions:
3.
Which
sentence best summarizes what this section is about?
4.
What
are the three reasons why gossip is bad?
5.
Would
you have these three reasons in the order they are presented in the text or
differently? Explain.
6.
What
is “relational aggression”?
7.
What
does “it” refer to in the sentence beginning “The Talmund”
8.
How
does the writer reach the conclusion that “Spreading negative gossip about
others is thus a cheap way of boosting estimation of yourself”.
Vocabulary in this section:
Paragraph 6: Find a word meaning “to say bad things about”
Paragraph 7: Find a word meaning “marked by unpleasantness and shameful
qualities”
Paragraph7: Did you look up “preys upon” and “foibles”? If you did, were
you right or wrong to do so? If not, why didn’t you? Explain.
Paragraph8: What is meant by the phrase “a squeaky clean image”?
Read “The Gossip Paradox”; then, answer the questions:
9.
Which
sentence best summarizes this section?
10.
What
is the function of the last sentence of paragraph 9?
11.
What
are the three advantages of gossip provided in this section?
12.
Despite
these advantages, there is a downside of obtaining information through gossip.
What is it?
Vocabulary in this section:
Paragraph 9: Find a word meaning “mixed up in”
Read “Gossip as Moral Instruction”; then answer the questions:
13.
What
is the advantage of introducing the concept of moral instruction at the end of
the previous section?
14.
How
exactly does gossip inform us about how to act properly in a given social
context?
15.
The
case of Tiger Woods is mentioned once again in this section to support the
writer’s contention that………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Vocabulary in this section:
Paragraph 12: Find a word meaning “effective”.
Paragraph 13: Find a word meaning “ordinary”
Paragraph 13: Find a word meaning “adapted or suited to”
Read “Gossip as Moral Motivation”; then, answer the questions:
16.
What
does “this” in paragraph 15, the first paragraph of this section, refer to?
17.
Read
the first sentence of paragraph 15. How does the writer qualify this statement?
18.
What
does the following statement at the end of paragraph 17 mean? Explain in your
own words. “There was, indeed, a large white elephant in the limousine.”
Read “The Dread of Exposure”; then, answer the questions:
19.
How
does gossip teach us what behavior is acceptable?
20.
What
does “this” in the phrase “this is a social good” in paragraph 21 refer to?
Vocabulary in this section:
Paragraph 19: Explain what the phrase “a serious falling out” means.
Paragraph 19: Did you look up the words “scrutiny” and “ostracism”.
Explain your motives.
Read “Good from Gossip Words”; then, answer the questions:
21.
There
are five lessons to be learnt from the Tiger Woods story. They are:
22.
What
is the function of paragraph 27? Where else in the section could it have been
placed?
Vocabulary in this section:
Paragraph23: Provide a synonym for the word “disseminated”
Read “An Unintended Consequence”; then, answer the questions:
23.
What
is the function of this section of the text? Analyze the structure.
24.
Do
you agree with the writers view concerning gossip? Explain.
The Gossip Paradox: Writing task
Write an essay discussing the
advantages and disadvantages of gossip using the points provided in the text.
Write an introduction introducing the concept of gossip as a major social
activity and end with the following thesis statement:
Thesis statement: Gossip, contrary to popular belief, has certain advantages along with
certain disadvantages.
In the first paragraph of the development, discuss the advantages. Consult answers
you’ve given to relevant questions and the text. Provide examples and
explanations of your own. End with a reference to accuracy to provide
transition to the next paragraph.
In the second paragraph of the development, discuss the disadvantages. Consult answers
you’ve given to relevant questions and the text. Provide examples and
explanations of your own.
Last of all,
write a conclusion.
THE GOSSIP PARADOX / KEY
The Introduction
1.
The
last little paragraph
2.
To
capture the readers’ attention; everyone is familiar with it
Vocabulary
P.2: The paparazzi knew there was something for them to get their teeth
into
P.3: Making things worse
P.3: A dearth
p.3: Ubiquitous
Gossip is bad
3.
Gossip
is bad or Gossip has a bad reputation and deservedly so
4.
It
is often used to exclude, slander or attack another person; characteristically
in an underhand way / Gossip, especially celebrity gossip, appeals to preys upon
and intensifies a voyeuristic impulse in
our nature/ Moral rationalization; that feeling of glee that someone else is
worse than we are.
5.
The
order in the text is more affective
6.
Victimization
at the hand of vicious rumors
7.
Gossiping
about another’s vocation
8.
First
two sentences of paragraph 8
Vocabulary
P.6: Slander
P.7: Sordid
P.7: No.
P.8: Spotless
The Gossip Paradox
9.
The
flipside of these negatives is that gossip serves as a useful warning about
harmful people
10.
Concluding
statement
11.
A
useful warning about harmful people/ An effective way about detecting bad
behavior/ Gossip serves as moral instruction
12.
Accuracy
is sacrificed
Vocabulary
P. 9: Embroiled
Gossip as Moral Instruction
13.
It
provides transition
14.
Informally
or tacitly through our local network of friends and acquaintances
15.
Gossip
informally, powerfully regulates behavior through the desire to avoid strong
social punishment
Vocabulary
P.12: Potent
P.13: Mundane
P.13: Attuned
Gossip as Moral Motivation
16.
The
previous sentence
17.
Knowledge
that one is the subject of evaluative discussion is, therefore, important to
us.
18.
Avery
uncomfortable atmosphere
The Dread of Exposure
19.
By
exposing us to the powerful public eye…
20.
It
has the effect of…
Vocabulary
P.19: A serious disagreement or difference of opinion
P. 19: No
Good from Gossip Words
21.
The
value of marital faithfulness was reinforced/ Money and fame don’t exempt one
from vows taken on the wedding day / Don’t present to the world a rather
wholesome family man image while all the while engaging in a whole lot of
rather lascivious affairs / Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned /Be careful
who you hang around with.
22.
Main
ideas / The beginning
Vocabulary
P.23: Distributed
An Unintended Consequence
23.
Conclusion:
one paragraph of bad sides, one of good, pulls it together with his views.
24.
Open
ended
No comments:
Post a Comment