Name: 黃暐婷(Ann),白庭瑜(Tammy)
Major: Accounting,Business Administration
ID #:93115110,93112024
Date:12/21/2005

Topic-Visiting a Japanese Public Bath
Nate by Ann Phil by Tammy

Nate: Hey Phil. Have you ever been to a Japanese public bath? I hear it's quite an experience.

Phil: Yes, and what an experience.

Nate: What do you mean? I’m curious that there are differences between Japanese public bath and Taiwan’s.

Phil: Yeah, they are a little bit different.

Nate: Really? So what do you do when you go to a public bath? Can you describe that?

Phil: First, you take off your shoes before you enter.

Nate: Okay.

Phil: Then, you pay an entrance fee to the man or woman at the front counter. [Um-huh]. Next, you get undressed in the dressing room. And I was very surprised . . . and a little embarrassed to see that the woman who took my money was sitting on a platform where she had a clear view of the men's side of the dressing room. [Really?] This allows the workers to keep an eye on the patrons' belongings while they are in the bath.

Nate: Wow. And do you wear a swimming suit or something?

Phil: Oh no! You don't wear anything. Then you go into the main bathing area and wash your body while sitting on a small stool about 40 centimeters high.

Nate: Do not wear anything? Wow, that’s cool but embarrassing. In Taiwan, we always worry others’ looking at us, so we wear swimming suits when we enter the main bathing area. By the way, we don’t wash our body and sit on a small stool.

Phil: Yeah. It was really hard getting used to bathing in that position. Sometimes, people wash each other's back.

Nate: Oh really. But it’s impossible in Taiwan because everyone takes shower in separate space. And what do you do after that?

Phil: Well, after you've rinsed off all the soap, they usually have two or three large baths where you can soak for a while.

Nate: Do you actually share the bath with other people?

Phil: Yeah. Traditionally, the bath played an important role in the community. It gave neighbors an opportunity to socialize while bathing.

Nate: Huh. Interesting. I think it really helped people to open their mind and develop interpersonal skills. So, what can we do after we’ve done bathing?

Phil: When you're all done bathing, people relax in the dressing room by watching TV, drinking tea or juice, or talking to friends. It's quite an experience.


Reference:http://www.esl-lab.com/bath1/bath1.htm<修改>

Questions:
1.What is the first thing you do when visiting a Japanese public bath?
A. pay the entrance fee
B. take off your shoes
C. put your clothes in a locker

2. What surprised Phil when he went to the bath?
A. The entrance fee was expensive.
B. People sit down when they bathe.
C. The attendant could see him undressing.

3. What do you wear when bathing?
A. a swimming suit
B. shorts
C. nothing