What is American Sign Language?

American Sign Language （ASL）is a complete, complex language that employs signs made by moving the hands combined with facial expressions and postures of the body. 【小题1】 It is also one of several communication options used by people who are  deaf or hard of hearing.

Is sign language the same in other countries?

No one form of sign language is universal. 【小题2】 For example, British Sign Language（BSL）is a different language from ASL, and Americans who know ASL may not understand BSL.

【小题3】

The exact beginnings of ASL are not clear, but some suggest that it arose more than 200 years ago from the intermixing of local sign languages and French Sign Language （LSF）. Today's ASL includes some parts of LSF plus the original local sign languages , which over the years have combined and changed into a rich,complex, and mature language. Modern ASL and modern LSF are distinct languages. 【小题4】

How does ASL compare with spoken language?

【小题5】 But for people who are deaf （particularly those who are profoundly deaf）, the sounds of speech are often not heard, and only some speech sounds can be seen on the lips. Sign languages are based on the idea that vision is the most useful tool a deaf person has to communicate and receive information.

Thank you for listening！

Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to this class 【小题1】 English words. I am Professor John Morris ; I 【小题2】 ( be) your teacher for the next thirteen weeks. As you can 【小题3】 ( probable) tell, this is one of the most popular — and crowded — classes; indeed, every time this course 【小题4】 ( offer), this room is very full. Why is that? Well, in order to use the English language, it is very important to have at least a basic 【小题5】( understand) of how words are formed. Just to mention one figure — and there are many — there are about one million words in English. If you are an English learner, you might wonder 【小题6】 you can possibly remember all of these words. Well, you know, there are shortcuts. For example,【小题7】 you know how words are formed by using parts of words from other 【小题8】 (language), such as Greek and French, you’ll understand a good number of English words when you first come across 【小题9】 ( they) . Let me put it this way,【小题10】 (know) the rules will help you to master a large number of words. This is probably the number one reason why this class is so popular.

   You may know the difference between an American accent and a British accent. But do you know what a “posh（上流社会的）” British is _______? The difference between British accents may be less important than you think.

There are many different accents in the UK, some of which are very _______ for foreigners to understand. In the south, many people speak with what is _______ as a “posh” accent, an accent that makes people _______ the British royal family and the high-class people in the UK. In this accent, “grass” sounds more like “gr-ar-ss”. And _______ “bath” sounds more like “barth”. Often, British people who take jobs on TV on elsewhere have to _______ their own accents and make them “posher” to be _______.

So, do accents still _______? Last year Alexander Baratta, PhD, from the UK’s University of Manchester spoke about “accentism” — people being treated worse _______ how they speak — and ________ it to racism（种族歧视）, according to The Guardian. In a study, he asked people why they changed their accents and how it made them _________

It’s not hard to see why they do it — everyone wants to do well in life, and the best way to do that is to fit in.________, there is a price to pay. Facing the world with a（n）________ that is not your own can hurt your sense of ________. This was shown when a third of those questioned said they were ________ of changing their accents.

Is it necessary to stop people changing how they ________? Well, times may be changing, too. The Guardian’s lead writer Hugh Muir has a ________, “The listener must adapt when ________. The speakers must make themselves ________, whatever accent they choose.”

So as you’re learning English, don’t worry too much about how your accent makes you sound — _______it’s clear what you’re saying!

   Communication is part of our everyday life. Humans are social beings and we need to _______ other people. When we communicate, we can _______ both spoken and written language. But are they _______? The answer is “No”. Sometimes we have to communicate by using body movements instead of _______. This is called body language. Body language is very important in our life for several _______.

Firstly, it makes our communication more colorful. It’s really _______ to imagine a conversation without any body language _______. How dull and boring it will be to just talk without any gestures, facial expressions _______ any other body movements! Body language makes our talking more _______ and interesting.

Secondly, it makes our communication more ________. Sometimes a gesture or a facial expression can make us more easily and quickly understood. ________ a good speaker for example: his or her body movements will help him or her leave a deeper and stronger impression on ________.

Finally, sometimes we have to use body language. On some occasions, we are not allowed to speak ________. Examples of this are in the library or in the ________ classroom. Then body language will be quite ________. Also, when we meet someone in the street, there is no need for us to ________ for a chat, so a nod or wave of the hand may be OK.

Your body language sends a strong message to others, so be aware（意识到）that ________ you have your arms folded across your chest while you talk, you are ________ others out, for example. If you land an interview, mind your body language, ask good questions, and convey ________ and enthusiasm. Your body language indicates your level of self-esteem. So ________ body language is a crucial（关键性的）part of meeting someone new and cannot be overlooked.