Good Taste, Bad Taste

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Good Taste, Bad Taste
Postgraduate English Intensive Reading (I)
Unit Seven
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Unit 7

• About the Author
• Words Study
• Phrases
• Language Points
• Exercises
• Assignment

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About the Author
Stephen Bayley (1951 ) British design
consultant, writer, exhibition organizer and
museum administrator born on October 13, 1951,
at Cardiff. He attended Quarry Bank School,
Liverpool, Manchester University and Liverpool
School of Architecture, and graduated with an
M.A. He worked as Lecturer in History of Art at
the Open University in 1974-1976 and the
University of Kent in 19761980 director of
Conran Foundation and subsequently the
Boilerhouse Project and the Design Museum in
19801990 principal of Eye-Q Ltd . (design
consultancy, now Redwood and Bayley Ltd.) in 1990
onwards contributing editor of GQ in 1991
onwards. He lectured throughout the UK and
abroad. Periodical Publishers Association
Magazine granted him Columnist of the Year 1995,
and France gave him Chevalier des Arts et des
Lettres. His publications include In Good Shape
(1979), The Albert Memorial (1981), Conran
Directory of Design (1985), Sex, Drink and Fast
Cars (1986), Commerce and Culture (1989), Taste
(1991), General Knowledge (1996), and many
contributions to newspapers and magazines. His
leisure interests include travel-related
services, solitary sports, books. This
passage deals with the subject of taste.
Individuals differ in their tastes as well as in
their accepts of what constitutes good taste. The
passage provides a basis on which further
discussions can be conducted and readers are
encouraged to air their own views.
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Words Study
sketch n. 1) a simple, rough drawing done quickly
without much detail e.g. He has done a new
sketch of Lady Gregory. The artists made
several sketches before beginning the final
painting. 2) a brief written or spoken
description an outline e.g. The book began
with a sketch of the authors life. I will give
you a sketch of what has happened.
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Words Study
enchant v. fill with delight charm The
beautiful house enchanted everyone who saw
it. He was enchanted by / with the idea. We
were enchanted with the performance of opera.
(The performance of the opera enchanted
us.) enchanting adj. She is an enchanting
girl. I have long thought of it as the most
enchanting village in England. enchanted
adj. The musicians were given a standing
ovation (enthusiastic, prolonged applause) by the
enchanted audience.
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Words Study
recurrent adj. happening again and again
repeated e.g. He suffers from recurrent pains
in his head. Inflation will be the recurrent
problem we must face. She tried to rid herself
of the recurrent memories of her unhappy
childhood.
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Words Study
restraint n. quality of being calm or
controlled, of not showing strong
feelings e.g. I think you showed great
restraint in not hitting him after what he
said. The wise man exercises restraint in his
behavior and enjoyments. A work of art should
show just the right amount of restraint.
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Words Study
alternative n. a chance to choose or decide
between two or more possible things, courses of
action, etc. something that may be taken or
chosen instead of one or more others e.g. Im
afraid I have no alternative but to cancel the
project. There is but one alternative, we must
leave. The judge offered the criminal the
alternative of a fine or six months in prison.
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Words Study
excess n. something more than is reasonable
lack of moderation e.g. His excesses in
drinking shortened his life. An excess of rain
may cause disastrous consequences. to
excess e.g. It is harmful to eat to
excess. She is generous to excess. Dont
carry your grief to excess.
More to learn
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Words Study
-ation ?probation / prE5beiFEn / n.
1.?(?)?,(?????)??2.??(?),??(?) ?specification /
7spesifi5keiFEn / n. 1.(?pl.)??,??2.????3.(????)
??? ?complication / 7kCmpli5keiF(E)n / n.
1.(????)??,??2.??? ?irrigation / 7iri5eiFEn /
n. ?? ?reconciliation / 7rekEnsili5eiFEn / n.
??,?? ?aviation / 7eivi5eiFEn / n.
1.??,???2.????? ?abbreviation / E7brivi5eiFEn /
n. ??? ?revelation / 7revi5leiFEn / n.
1.??????,(???)???2.??,??,?? ?circulation /
7sEkju5leiFEn / n. 1.(???)??,(??????)??2.??,??,?
?3.??? 4.(????)?? ?automation / CtE5meiFEn
/ n. ???(??),???? ?indignation / 7indi5neiFEn /
n. ??,??,?? ?discrimination / dis7krimi5neiFEn /
n. 1.??2.???,??? ?assassination / E7sAsi5neiFEn
/ n. ??,?? ?ration / 5rAFEn / n.
1.???,??2.(?pl.)??,?? vt. ????,???? ?federatio
n / 7fedE5reiFEn / n. 1.???2.?? ?collaboration /
kE7lAbE5reiFEn / n. 1.(with) ???,???2.??? ?con
figuration / kEn7fiju5reiFEn / n.
??,??,?? ?sensation / sen5seiFEn / n.
1.(???)????2.??,??3.??,???????(???) ?vegetation
/ 7vedVi5teiFEn / n. ??,?? ?meditation /
medi5teiFEn / n. 1.??,??2.??,??,??? ?imitation /
imi5teiFEn / n. 1.??2.??,???3.?? ?sanitation /
sAni5teiFEn / n. ????,???? ?orientation /
7Crien5teiFEn / n. 1.??,??,??2.????,??,???? ?not
ation / nEu5teiFEn / n. ??,??? ?dissertation /
7disE()5teiFEn / n. ????,???? ?salvation /
sAl5veiFEn / n. 1.??,??2.???? ?innovation /
7inEu5veiFEn / n. 1.???,???2.??,??
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Words Study
-eous ?hideous / 5hidiEs / adj. ?????,??? ?gorgeo
us / 5CdVEs / adj. 1.???,???,???2.?
??????,??? ?simultaneous / 7saimEl5teiniEs,
7simEl5teinjEs / adj. ???? ?,?????,??? ?instan
taneous / 7instEn5teinjEs / adj.
???,??? ?homogeneous / 7hCmEu5dVinjEs / adj.
????,??? ?,?????? ?erroneous / i5rEunjEs /
adj. ???,???? ?courteous / 5kEtjEs / adj.
?????,???
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Words Study
re- ?reassure / riE5FuE / vt. ??? ?reclaim /
ri5kleim / vt. ??,??(??),?? ?reconciliation /
7rekEnsili5eiFEn / n. ??,?? ?recur / ri5kE / vi.
???,?? ?refreshment / ri5freFmEnt / n.
1.(pl.)??,??2.(???)??,? ??? ?refund /
ri5fQnd / n. ?? vt. ??(??) ?rehabilitate /
7rihE5biliteit / vt. 1.??(???),???????2.
?????,??3.????? ?renovate / 5renEuveit / vt.
??,???? ?repay / ri5pei / vt.
1.??(??)2.?? ?repel / ri5pel / vt.
1.???2.??,??,??3.?? ?reprisal / ri5praizEl / n.
??,???? ?retrieve / ri5triv / vt.
1.????,??,??2.??,??3.?? ?revenge / ri5vendV /
n. ??,?? vt. ???,??? ?revision / ri5viVEn /
n. 1.??,??,??2.???,???3.? ?,?? ?revive /
ri5vaiv / vt. ??? vi. ??
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Words Study
-ive (n.) ?olive / 5Cliv / n. ??,??? adhesive
/ Ed5hisiv / n. ??? adj. ????,??? ?indicative
/ in5dikEtiv / adj. 1.(of)???,???,???2.???,?
?? n. ???? ?imperative / im5perEtiv / adj.
1.???,???,????2.??? n. 1.????,??????2.????(?
??) ?cooperative / kEu5CpErEtiv / n.
1.???2.????(????) adj. 1.
??????,?????2.???,??? ?derivative / di5rivEtiv /
n. ???,??? adj. ????,????? ?additive / 5Aditiv
/ n. ??? ?fugitive / 5fjudVitiv / n. ???,???
adj. 1.(??)???,??? 2.???,??? ?incentive /
in5sentiv / n. ??,?? ?locomotive / 7lEukE5mEutiv,
5lEukE7mEutiv / n. ?? ?captive / 5kAptiv / n. ??
adj. ????,????
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Phrases
keep up with remain level with, be fully
informed of e.g. Tom worked hard to keep up
with the other students. How do you keep up
with the latest styles in fashion? It is
extremely important for us to keep up with the
changes in the international situation.
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Phrases
(may / might) as well (do sth.) without
loss and possibly with gain e.g. You may as
well wait upstairs. I may as well tell you
straight away that I really cannot do much about
it. After the dog ran away, father thought he
might as well sell the dog house.
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Phrases
be better off be in a better position be
wise to choose (doing something) e.g. Youd be
better off leaving the country. Because of his
asthma, he would be better off in a different
climate. be well / badly off have (not) a
lot of money or supplies of something e.g. Jim
is not rich, but hes not badly off. It doesnt
matter if your husband isnt well off, if he can
make you happy.
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Language Points
Para. 2 Before the age of mass production,
taste used to be the province of an educated
elite. Here province means a branch of
thought, knowledge, or study considered as having
fixed limits. the province of an educated
elite ????????
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Language Points
Para. 3 it is rather as the novelist Arnold
Bennett put it good taste might be better than
bad, but bad taste is certainly better than no
taste at all. Here as the novelist Arnold
Bennett put it is a parenthesis good taste
no taste at all is a predicative clause with the
connective word that omitted.
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Language Points
Para. 5 Since the 18th century when taste
was first discussed, people have believed that it
was an endowment of an elite, handed down to
those poor souls below who wanted to better
themselves. Here handed down to better
themselves is a participial phrase which
functions as an adverbial and gives an
accompanying state. The adverb below in this
participial phrase modifies its antecedent
souls.
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Language Points
Para. 7 Learn these and youre in there
with the tastemakers. Here be in with
means to be friendly with. More examples 1) As
he was in with the management, he got to know
things before the other employees did. 2) They
are in with the junior executive set.
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Language Points
Para. 9 Underpinning what is always
thought to be good taste are recurrent ideas such
as refinement, restraint, appropriateness and
good manners. Here in the sentence there is
an inversion of subject and verb Underpinning
are recurrent it ideas The clause what is
always thought to be good taste is an object
clause. It is the object of the verb underpin.
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Language Points
Para. 18 It cannot be long before it is
generally realized that perfect proportions and
understated elegance are superior to meretricious
ornament, flashy standing only for the degree of
social pretentiousness (which) they exude.
This is a complex sentence. The principal clause
is It cannot be long. It here is used with
expression of time. The subordinate clause is
before it is generally realized that they
exude. It is an adverbial clause of time. Notice
here it is used as a formal subject, the real
subject is the following that-clause. And in this
that-clause an attributive clause they exude
is introduced, qualifying the antecedent
pretentiousness.
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Translation
A. ??????????????????????????????,??????????????
???????????????????????,?????????????,??????????
???????????????????????????????????
????????????,?????????????????????????,???????????
?? I??????????????????????????????????????????????
?????????,????????????????????????????
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Translation
B. 1. One of the unhealthy trends today is that
many people spend too much money just trying to
keep up with the Joneses. 2. Since he doesnt
give you a chance to make a choice, you might as
well refuse his offer. 3. Imagine what stories
the things you have bought will tell and you will
be careful about taste next time when you buy.
4. Anything we put into the market sells well
because people have convictions trust in
quality of our companys products.
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Translation
5. Youd not be better off just acquiescing like
this. 6. In old times, the design of furniture
got out of touch with real life. Needless
ornamentation (decorations) made us forget what
furniture was really for. Modern design aims at
simplicity and efficiency, getting rid of all
that is inessential, but providing what is
pleasing and useful. A piece of fine modern
furniture should never be seen in isolation, but
as part of a setting. Only then can we judge its
shape, color and utility, and say whether it is
in good taste or not.
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Writing
On Buying Clothes Clothes play two major
roles functional (or practical), and
decorational (or esthetical). When we buy
clothes, there are more factors to take into
consideration size, price and durability.
Functional considerations in buying clothes are
obvious because we wear different clothes for
different seasons and different occasions. So is
the dictating factor of size. We rule out any
possibility of buying an article unless it fits
us perfectly. For most of us, price and
durability still greatly influence our buying.
But as peoples pockets become more and more
bulging nowadays, these two factors carry less
and less weight when people make their decisions
at a fashion shop.
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Writing
Perhaps the most difficult decision to
make in buying a piece of clothing is about its
style on esthetical grounds its shape, its
color, the texture of its material, and its
workmanship. As what we wear tells stories about
us, showing to others what kind of people we are
and what kind of taste we have, we can not afford
to be careless about this. We try a coat on and
stand before a mirror, turning this way and that,
imagining how others would think of us in it.
When finally we decide to take it, it is because
we are convinced that we have properly exercised
our taste in addition to other practical
consideration.
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Assignment
1. Revision of Text A Vocabulary p. Word
Building p. Cloze
p. Translation p. 2. Reading
Activity Reading Passage p. 3. Guided
Writing p.