it’s not surprising when it happens. But what about here, on this lovely beach? There’s plenty of room for everyone to sit comfortably, enjoy the sun, and look at the ocean.
Let’s say you’re sitting on the beach, it’s not too crowded, and someone comes up and put their stuff right in front of you. What would you do?
A:”I’d be very angry and go over to them and tell them to move.”
B:” Maybe throw a little sand in their face and make them to move, I don’t know.”
C:” If someone came and sat down in front of me on the beach, I would probably move my towel next to them and start a conversation.”
Now that’s take Jack out to the street. This is South beach in Miami. Getting a parking place in this neighbourhood can be really difficult. That’s because there’re too many cars and not enough space. And when space is limited, people can get a lot more aggressive. Our producer is parked here in this very desirable parking spot. She’s going to wait until someone wants her parking space. There’s a lot of traffic, so she won’t have to wait too long. Yes! There’s someone now.
Part B
A:” Leaving?”
B:” Yeah, I’m leaving.” A:” Oh, great!”
She pulls out, and the minute she pulls out, Jack pulls in. What do you think the driver will do? Drive away? Or stop and confront Jack? C:” Hey! Hey! Come on, pal! That’s my spot, my parking spot!”
B:” Oh yeah? I didn’t see you in it. Well, looks like it’s my space now!
Sorry!”
C:” What’re you talking about , man ?You saw me, I was right there!” B:” You know, have you considered anger management counselling?” C:”I was right there! What’re you talking about?”
B:” Ah, it’s now time for the sunny tunes of South Florida.” C:”I was right there. You saw me!”
B:” What? I’m sorry I can’t hear what you’re saying.”
C:” You saw me, come on! Do you like it when people do that crap to you?” B:” Great song, isn’t it？ I love this song. Do you have a hearing problem?
You scream a lot.”
C:” No! You have… problem !” B:” Yeah. Whew!”
If you’re waiting to pull into a parking space and someone else sneaks right into it, what would you do?
D:”I would beep my horn, I would roll down the window, and I would shout very rude things at them.”
E:” I would yell out the window and tell them to move!”
Aggression, it’s part of survival. Animals and humans need to be aggressive in order to survive. But how aggressive do we need to be? When do we fight? When do we give up and walk away? Those are the decisions that we all make everyday.
? Listening in 1
Today we’ll focus on two aspects of group behavior. Firstly, how groups develop, and secondly, the roles individuals play within a group. It’s widely acknowledged that the performance of effective groups is often greater than the sum of the individuals in the group. This is due to what we call synergy-in other words, the extra energy and effevtiveness that people create when they work together.
Early research in this field carried out in the 1930s by Elton Mayo discovered something that he called the “Hawthorne effect”. The idea is that when individual know they are part of a study, their productivity automatically increases regardless of other factors, such as how much time or money they are given, for example. The research suggests that things like personal identity, self-esteem(自负) and the social context（社会背景） in which a group is working are really very important factors in improving the performance of individuals.
If we move on to look at the nature of groups more closely, we find that groups have natural phases that can help us understand their effectiveness. You have probably all had experience of working with other people in a group that, at first, wasn’t very productive. This phenomenon was studied by Tuckman in the 1960s, and he created a model to describe the stages of a group.
The first stage is known as \get to know each other. This is followed by \start to share their ideas and creative energy. The third phase is \where a group identity begins to form. The final stage is \when individuals within the group work together. And it is at this stage that the group achieves results. Understanding these phases can help us ensure that members of a group work together to overcome early problems and begin performing as quickly as possible.
2
Today I'm reporting from Phuket in Southern Thailand. Parts of the island were devastated by the tsunami in 2004, and over 250 people lost their lives here. I've come back to see how one community has recovered. Here in the village of The Chat Chai, the rebuilding of the destroyed homes has been led by the international organization Habitat for Humanity. About a year after the tsunami occurred, volunteers began building 36 new homes for local families.
One villager , Somwang, is certainly very happy with the results. He used to live in a small hut on his two square metre plot of land near the sea. The local community wanted him to have a bigger home and despite the small size of his plot of land, they built him a three-storey house, which is now the tallest in the village. A happy ending to such a horrific tragedy.
The rebuilding here has also had a positive effect on the local economy, because the earth bricks that were used to build the homes were produced in Khao Lak, another tsunami hit island——all part of a post-tsunami livelihood development project.
Talking to people here, I've discovered that the project not only provided them with much needed shelter, but also the process has helped rebuild a spirit of community amongst them. A host of foreign as well as local volunteers joined together to work in rebuilding the villagers' homes and lives, and even an American TV celebrity volunteered.
The project has also been visited by former US president Jimmy Carter, who is an active supporter of Habitat for Humanity. He and his wife offer one week of their time every year to volunteer on construction projects around the world.
It's certainly encouraging to see the strength of the human spirit and
generosity of people who help others in times of need.
Habitat for Humanity is continuing their work in the south of Thailand, helping poor local families and communities to improve their lives. Their \ save 30 per cent of the cost of building or rebuilding their home. The charity then lends the family the rest of the money they need, and helps in the building of their new home. It's then paid for in monthly repayments of under ＄30,which supports those who want to build a better life for themselves. This is Marianne Harper reporting from Southern Thailand.
Unit 6
? Inside View
Janet: So tell me about Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, Joe. It looks really old. Joe: In fact, it was only built in 1997, but it's on the site of the original Globe Theatre which was the home of Shakespeare's theatre company when he came to London in 1599. Janet: So what's the Globe made of? Joe: Well, the walls are made of wood, and it's got a thatched roof. Janet: Is that the kind of dried grass instead of tiles? Joe: That's right. In fact, it's the first thatched building in London since the Great Fire of London in 1666. Janet: That's amazing. Joe: And inside it's just like the original stage. The audience stands in front of the stage. Janet: Are you serious? Aren't there any seats? Joe: Yes, there are some seats, but most people stand while they watch the play. So they get soaking wet when it rains. Actually, the strangest thing is when you're watching Romeo and Juliet in 16th century Verona, and suddenly, there's a plane passing over. Janet: That's extraordinary! Joe: Yes, blows me away.