My 1,000
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My 1,000
Ideas
e-Book
 

Date: May 23, 2005

Level: Easier (Try the harder lesson.)

Downloads: Word Doc | PDF Doc | Listening

Audio: (1:27 - 172 KB - 16kbps)

THE ARTICLE

The Chinese government has banned a sushi restaurant from serving fish dishes on the bodies of naked women. The restaurant, in southwest China, employed female university students to lie unclothed on its food counter. The chef placed sushi and sashimi on their bare bodies. China’s Department of Commerce stated this practice was indecent, unhygienic and insulting to women. It was also worried that a business trend might start. A spokesperson said: “We wish to discourage other businesses from using nudity to sell their products.” The restaurant owner is furious with the new law. He said all of his customers are sophisticated people of both sexes. He also said that not a single diner has ever complained about the “naked sushi platters”. However, local residents disapproved of the restaurant. They said it attracted “strange” men to their neighborhood.

WARM-UPS

1. HEADLINE: In pairs / groups, make your own news report from the words “naked”, “sushi” and “China”. Develop the story, complete with characters and facts, and tell it to another partner / group. Decide whose story is the best, funniest, strangest, most probable, etc.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics are most interesting and which are most boring.

Restaurants / sushi / sashimi / nudity / morality / women’s rights / hygiene / strange food / strange restaurants

Have a chat about the topics you liked. For more conversation, change topics and partners frequently.

3. SUSHI: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with sushi. Share your words with your partner / group and talk about them.

4. “NAKED SUSHI” OPINIONS: In pairs / groups, decide which of these opinion you agree with. Discuss how much truth there is in each one.

  1. The Chinese government is totally correct to ban the restaurant.
  2. Only strange people would eat sushi from a naked body.
  3. Eating sushi off of someone’s body is dirty.
  4. The restaurant was just providing a service for paying customers.
  5. The Chinese government should also ban pornography.
  6. The Chinese government wants to look good before the 2008 Olympics.
  7. I feel sorry for the university students who lost their jobs.
  8. The restaurant’s actions are insulting to women.
  9. I don’t understand why people want to eat sushi in this way.

5. NUDITY: Which items from this list would you ban and why?

  • Nudist beaches
  • Models in swimsuits at Formula 1 races
  • Pornographic magazines and videos
  • Cheerleaders in skimpy costumes
  • Striptease performers
  • Sexy Jennifer Lopez music videos
  • TV advertising
  • Beauty pageants

 
 

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

a.

Fish in China can no longer be served raw.

T / F

b.

People can no longer eat sushi from naked women’s bodies.

T / F

c.

Authorities said eating sushi off of someone’s body was unclean.

T / F

d.

Naked hamburger restaurants have also been banned.

T / F

e.

The government is worried nudity may become a business trend.

T / F

f.

The restaurant owner agrees with the ban.

T / F

g.

Many customers complained about the naked women.

T / F

h.

Local residents said strange men went to the restaurant.

T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

a.

banned

put

b.

naked

offensive

c.

employed

community

d.

placed

nude

e.

indecent

citizens

f.

unhygienic

barred

g.

insulting

improper

h.

complained

unclean

i.

residents

hired

j.

neighborhood

beefed

3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):
 

a.

sushi

disapproved

b.

serving fish

trend

c.

employed

dishes

d.

bare

both sexes

e.

insulting

restaurant

f.

business

has ever complained

g.

The restaurant owner is furious

to women

h.

sophisticated people of

with the new law

i.

not a single diner

bodies

j.

local residents

female university students

WHILE READING / LISTENING

WHICH WORD? Circle the word that is correct from the pairs in italics.

“Naked sushi” banned in China

The Chinese government has banned / burned a sushi restaurant from serving fish dishes on the bodies of naked women. The restaurant, in southwest China, employed / rented female university students to lie unclothed on its food counter. The chef placed sushi and sashimi on their bare / bear bodies. China’s Department of Commerce stated this try / practice was indecent, unhygienic / hygienic and insulting to women. It was also worried that a business trend might start. A spokesperson said: “We wish to encourage / discourage other businesses from using nudity to sell their products.” The restaurant owner is fury / furious with the new law. He said all of his customers are sophisticated people of both sexes. He also said that not a single diner / dinner has ever complained about the “naked sushi platters”. However, local residents / residence disapproved of the restaurant. They said it attracted “strange” men to their neighboring / neighborhood.


 
 

AFTER READING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘fish’ and ‘dish’.

  • Share your findings with your partners.
  • Make questions using the words you found.
  • Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

  • Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
  • Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. WHICH WORD?: In pairs / groups, compare and talk about your answers to this exercise. After you agree, check your answers against the text. What is the connection between the words in italics?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. STUDENT NUDITY SURVEY: In pairs / groups write down questions about nudity in public places.

  • Ask other classmates your questions and note down their answers.
  • Go back to your original partner / group and compare your findings.
  • Make a mini-presentation to another group / the class on your findings.

6. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall exactly how these were used in the text:

  • banned
  • dishes
  • lie
  • practice
  • insulting
  • trend
  • sell
  • sophisticated
  • platters
  • strange

 DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

  1. What did you think when you saw this headline?
  2. Did the headline make you read the article?
  3. Do you like sushi and sashimi?
  4. What is the strangest restaurant you’ve eaten in?
  5. Would you like to eat in a “naked sushi” restaurant?
  6. Would such a restaurant be popular in your country?
  7. Is nudity OK in your country?
  8. Is public nudity a bad thing?
  9. Would you be a “naked sushi” worker if the money was good?
  10. What do you think about nude models (either sex) in stores?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

  1. Did you like reading the article?
  2. What did you think of this news?
  3. What do you think of the Chinese government’s actions?
  4. Is this practice insulting to women?
  5. Is this practice insulting to women if the customers are female?
  6. Is this practice insulting to women if the naked female employee loves her job?
  7. Would the restaurant be more shocking if naked men were used as food platters?
  8. Do you think it’s dirty to serve raw fish on someone’s body?
  9. Should the Chinese government should focus on more important areas of women’s rights?
  10. Did you like this discussion?

AFTER DISCUSSION: Join another partner / group and tell them what you talked about.

  1. What question would you like to ask about this topic?
  2. What was the most interesting thing you heard?
  3. Was there a question you didn’t like?
  4. Was there something you totally disagreed with?
  5. What did you like talking about?
  6. Do you want to know how anyone else answered the questions?
  7. Which was the most difficult question?

SPEAKING 1

ROLE PLAY: This role play is to discuss whether or not the “naked sushi” restaurant should be allowed to continue. Team up with classmates who have been assigned the same role to develop your roles and discuss ideas and “strategies” before the role play begins.

Introduce yourself to the other role players before the role play begins.

Role A

You are the restaurant owner. You studied the art of “naked sushi” in Japan for 25 years. There is nothing wrong about the idea of naked bodies and food. Your restaurant is high class. Your customers are sophisticated and well mannered. Your female employees love their jobs and are well paid.
 

Role B

You are a top official in China’s government. You need to clean up China’s image before the 2008 Olympics. You must have a zero tolerance to nudity in public. You strongly believe the “naked sushi” restaurant is highly degrading to women. You also think a new virus might start there.
 

Role C

You are a university student working in the “naked sushi” restaurant. You love your job. You feel there is nothing to be ashamed of. You need the money for your studies. You are proud to do this job. You do not understand how it is insulting to women.
 

Role D

You are a longtime customer of the restaurant. You are angry with the new law. You believe the restaurant offers a sophisticated eating experience. You think the owner should open a chain of restaurants. You are angry that your favorite restaurant has been shut while prostitution is common in your society.
 

Role E

You are a local resident. You live next to the restaurant. The value of your house has gone down a lot because of the restaurant. There are always strange men outside the restaurant. You have an 18-year-old daughter. You have heard reports that the restaurant owner is a gangster and is running a prostitution business.

Change roles and repeat the role play. Comment in groups about the differences between the two role plays.

SPEAKING 2

PUBLIC NUDITY: You are in charge of the “social education” of the people in your country. In pairs / groups, make rules that control the following areas:

AREA

RULE
 

Nudist beaches

 

Models in swimsuits at publicity events

 

Pornography in magazines and
videos

 

Cheerleaders in skimpy uniforms

 

Striptease performers

 

Sexy music videos of pop stars

 

TV advertising

 

Beauty pageants

 

Show your guidelines to your classmates. Compare who has the strictest rules

LANGUAGE

“UN-”: In the text you will find the word “unhygienic”, which means “unclean”. Match these other words prefixed by “un” with their correct meanings.

1.

unfit

(a)

Not right; not equal.

2.

unpaid

(b)

Not in good physical shape.

3.

uncork

(c)

False.

4.

unfair

(d)

To reverse an action already taken.

5.

unsure

(e)

Take the top off of a wine bottle.

6.

unveil

(f)

Odorless; without a smell.

7.

undo

(g)

Not flat.

8.

uneven

(h)

Being uncertain of the facts.

9.

unscented

(i)

Get no money for working.

10.

untrue

(j)

Take the cover off.

Try to make one question for each of the “un-“ words and ask your questions to your partner(s).

LISTENING

Listen and fill in the spaces.

“Naked sushi” banned in China

The Chinese government ____ ______ __ sushi restaurant from serving fish dishes on the bodies of naked women. The restaurant, in southwest China, employed female university students __ ____ __________ on its food counter. The chef placed sushi and sashimi on their bare bodies. China’s Department of Commerce stated this practice ____ ________, unhygienic and insulting to women. It was also worried that a _________ _____ might start. A spokesperson said: “We wish to discourage other businesses from _____ _______ to sell their products.” The restaurant owner __ _______ ____ the new law. He said all of his customers are sophisticated people of both sexes. He also said ____ ____ __ ______ diner has ever complained about the “naked sushi platters”. However, local residents ____________ ___ the restaurant. They said it attracted “strange” men to their neighborhood.

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find information on sushi. Share your findings with your class in the next lesson.

3. SOCIETY PROBLEMS: Write a list of the things (at least five) that you think are wrong with your society. Explain what is necessary to correct these wrongs. Show your lists to your classmates in the next lesson. Compare what you think is wrong with your own cultures.

4. LETTER: Write a letter to the Chinese Department of Commerce. Explain what you think about its decision to ban the “naked sushi” restaurant. Show your letter to your classmates in the next lesson. Compare the things you wrote about.

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a. F

b. T

c. T

d. F

e. T

f. F

g. F

h. T

SYNONYM MATCH:

a.

banned

barred

b.

naked

nude

c.

employed

hired

d.

placed

put

e.

indecent

improper

f.

unhygienic

unclean

g.

insulting

offensive

h.

complained

beefed

i.

residents

citizens

j.

neighborhood

community

PHRASE MATCH:

a.

sushi

restaurant

b.

serving fish

dishes

c.

employed

female university students

d.

bare

bodies

e.

insulting

to women

f.

business

trend

g.

The restaurant owner is furious

with the new law

h.

sophisticated people of

both sexes

i.

not a single diner

has ever complained

j.

local residents

disapproved

WHICH WORD?

“Naked sushi” banned in China

The Chinese government has banned a sushi restaurant from serving fish dishes on the bodies of naked women. The restaurant, in southwest China, employed female university students to lie unclothed on its food counter. The chef placed sushi and sashimi on their bare bodies. China’s Department of Commerce stated this practice was indecent, unhygienic and insulting to women. It was also worried that a business trend might start. A spokesperson said: “We wish to discourage other businesses from using nudity to sell their products.” The restaurant owner is furious with the new law. He said all of his customers are sophisticated people of both sexes. He also said that not a single diner has ever complained about the “naked sushi platters”. However, local residents disapproved of the restaurant. They said it attracted “strange” men to their neighborhood.

LANGUAGE:

1. (b)

2. (i)

3. (e)

4. (a)

5. (h)

6. (j)

7. (g)

8. (d)

9. (f)

10. (c)

 

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