Comprehension-check Questions of Text B:
Question1. What are the ways we always use to address people?
Question 2. When is “Ms” used nowadays?
Question 3. Why do Chinese people seldom use the given names to address people they are not quite familiar with?
Question 4. How is a teacher in the university teacher usually addressed in Britain?

Reference Answers to Comprehension-check Questions:

Text B

Directions: please read this section before you come to class.

Addressing People

When we talk directly to people (i.e. talk to them, not about them), it is possible to address them in the following ways: by their given name; by a title followed by their surname; and by a title on its own.
When addressing people by their given names, we often use a shortened form of the name. For example, Timothy may be called Tim, or Jennifer may be called Jenny. Some common ways in which given names can be shortened are as follows: by using the first syllable of the name, e.g. Christopher — Chris, Edward —Ed; or by using the first syllable of the name + ‘y’, e.g. Andrew—Andy, Jennifer — Jenny.
However, not all short forms can be worked out in this way Sometimes another part of the name is used, as in Anthony—Tony, and in other cases there does not seem to be any logical origin to the short form, for example, Richard—Dick. Occasionally the 'short' form is even longer than the original name, as in James——Jimmie. So it is probably wiser not to try and work out a short form, but to keep to the form which a foreigner uses.
Another way of addressing people, apart from using their given name, is to use a title + their surname. There are a number of different titles that can be used in English, but the most common are“Mr.”，“Mrs.”and“Miss.” In most cases "Mr." is used .for men, "Mrs." for married women and 'Miss' for unmarried women. They are used together with the surname and are placed in front of it, for example, Mr. Roland, Miss Webster. 
When a woman marries, she usually takes her husband's surname and no longer uses her own, which is now referred to as her maiden name. So if a woman called Sheila Webster marries a man called Peter Roland, she will normally be called Mrs. Roland after her wedding. However, in recent years, the situation has begun to change because some women feel that by taking their husband's surname they lose their own identity. Some women solve this problem by simply changing their middle name; after marriage they use their maiden name as their middle name. So Sheila Mary Webster might become Sheila Webster Roland, but she would still be addressed as Mrs. Roland. Other women join their surname to their husband's with a hyphen, and so in this case Sheila Webster would be called Mrs. Webster-Roland Still other women object to taking their husband's name at all and prefer just to keep their own. Another title, "Ms." is usually used for addressing them. So Sheila Webster could also be called Ms. Webster if she did not want to use her husband's name.
Nowadays the title "Ms." is used for any woman (single or married) who objects to the use of "Miss" and "Mrs.", and it can also be used for addressing any woman when it is uncertain whether she is married or not. This form of address is frequently used in writing, but in Britain it is not often heard in speech. However, in the United States its use is much more widespread.
Some professions can also function as titles, though not as many as in Chinese. Some common examples are Professor, Doctor, Nurse and ranks in the armed forces    like Captain. If people have such positions they should normally be addressed with    these titles, unless of course the situation is informal and relationship is close. So such a person may be called Professor Lewis or' Captain Simmonds, for example. These professional titles can also be used on their own, in other words, without the surname. So a patient, for instance, can call his doctor either Dr. Bennett or Doctor.
So it is possible to address people either by using their given name, or by using a title + their surname. Which form is used depends mainly on the relationship between the people, and also on .the formality of the situation. Generally speaking, we can divide situations into three broad types: Formal relationship/situation, such as at a lecture when you are introduced to a visiting professor; informal situation/close relationship, such as .at your home, meeting .with 'close ,friends;-and neutral relationship/situation, such as-in a shop when you happen to meet a colleague whom you do not know Very well. (This neutral type of situation is probably the most common, and ties between the two extremes of formal and informal situations,)
The relationship between the type of situation and the way in which a person is    addressed in English can be summarized as follows:  

 
In very formal and very informal situations and relationships, there is little difficulty deciding which form of address to use. But in all situations apart from these two extremes, it can often be difficult to know which is the most appropriate to use. Individuals vary in how they prefer to be addressed: some prefer to be called by their given name, others by their title+ surname. On the whole, British tend to be more conservative in this respect than Americans, and also older people than younger. It is probably safer to use the title + surname at first; if people prefer to be addressed by their given name, they will usually say so. And if they only give: their given name, it indicates a desire to be addressed in this Way. In fact there is an increasing tendency among Western young people to use' their given name in all but the most formal situations.  
In Chinese, addressing people by their given names indicates a much closer   relationship than in English. So Chinese often feel uncomfortable calling Westerners by their given name. As has been explained, though; in English this does not necessarily mean great intimacy. In fact, Westerners may feel offended at not being called by their given name, feeling that it shows an unwillingness' t0 be friendly and maintains a gap between them. As a result, it is often difficult for Westerners and Chinese to know what to call each other. Often neither form of address is acceptable to .the other Perhaps the use of the surname on its own, which is often heard in China, has arisen as a kind of compromise, although this form of address is not usually acceptable in either English or Chinese.
There seems to be particular confusion in China as to how teachers should be    addressed in English. Many Chinese textbooks train pupils from an early age to use    phrases like "Good morning, Teacher." In doing this, they are just translating from    Chinese and in fact it is unacceptable English. 'Teacher" is not a title in English and so cannot be used as a form of address. In Britain teachers are normally addressed as, follows:

 
In British primary and secondary schools, female teachers are often called Miss," no matter whether they are single or married. However, this form of address 9o becomes less common as the pupils become older. "Sir" can be used for male teachers throughout primary and secondary schools, and indicates respect. Normally, though, teachers are called by their title + surname. In most parts of the United States, teachers are addressed by their title + surname, but in the South "Sir" and "Ma'am" are also used quite open.
At universities and colleges in Britain it is normal to address people by their     professional title + surname, such as Doctor Williams, Professor Robbers, and this is     also true for many universities and colleges in the United States. (In some American     colleges, though, professional titles are not used -- "Mr." or "Ms." are used instead.)     Given names are also sometimes used in both countries, particularly to younger lecturers, but it is probably safer to use their title + surname unless people make it very clear that they prefer to be called by their given name.
In shops, offices and other public places in the West, "Sir" and "Madam" are     common forms of address, and in Britain young ladies in their teens or early twenties can be addressed as "Miss." Sometimes, though, seemingly intimate forms of address such as "love," "dear," "pet," "honey" can be used between' strangers. This is particularly common in Britain in certain informal situations, such as in markets between market vendors and customers, and on buses between bus conductors and passengers. Nowadays, though, some women (especially in the United States) object to being addressed by men in this way.

                      Total words: 1400
Total reading time:           minutes          seconds        
             
The text is from The Customs and Language of Social Interaction in English, by Helen Oatey.

◆Reading Comprehension
Decide whether each of the following statements is true or false.

      1. When we talk directly to people, we address them by their whole name.
       2. Given names can be shortened by using the first syllable of the name plus "y."
   3. The title "Ms" can be applied to both single and married women.
   4. We can address people by their professional titles such as "Doctor," "Captain," and "Teacher."
   5. In Britain, it might be better to address a man by his title plus his surname in any situation.
   6. Nowadays, young people would like to use their surnames in all but the most formal situations.
   7. Addressing people by their surnames is not acceptable in either English or Chinese.
   8. Students in many Western universities often address their teachers by using Sir or Ms. + his (her) surname.

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