Listening audioscript

WHAT IS THE STUDENT’S ATTITUDE ABOUT THE PROFESSOR’S 
ADVICE? 
PASSAGE THREE 
 
Page 182 [ mp3 051-052] 
 
 
Questions 5 and 6. 
Listen to part of a lecture in a Native American Studies 
class. 
(Professor) 
Our topic for today is the organization of Native American villages. Let 
me just start by telling you what I am going to ask you to do after the 
lecture, so you can take the proper notes. The topic for the assignment, 
which is due for the next class, involves Iroquois villages, and this is a 
rather unusual thing that I want you to do, so you need to listen carefully 
to the information. First of all, I’ll be describing an Iroquois village, and 
then, for your assignment, I want you to draw one. 
(Student) 
Excuse me, Dr. Thomas. You want us to draw an Iroquois village? 
(Professor)
Yes, that’s exactly what I want you to do. I think this will help you to 
understand the efficient simplicity of the design of an Iroquois village. 
Later, we’re going to discuss some comparisons of the Iroquois villages 
and those of other Native American tribes to see what this shows us 
about their culture and the environment they lived in. So, I want you to 
have an appreciation of the Iroquois village as a basis of comparison. 
Now, let me describe an Iroquois village and what made it so special. It 
consisted of a number of longhouses. Iroquois longhouses were long, 

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single-story houses with U-shaped roofs, and they were really elegant in 
their simplicity. Iroquois villages were also well defended. Around an 
Iroquois village, there was usually a stockade. Um, that’s a defensive 
wall or barrier made of wooden posts. The stockade around an Iroquois 
village was typically hexagonal in shape. I probably don’t have to tell you 
that that means that it was six-sided. It had vertical wood posts around 
the outside of the stockade, and these posts had sharpened ends 
pointing upward for further protection. 
Now, for the assignment … your assignment is to create a pencil drawing 
of an Iroquois village. You can use the information I just provided, and 
you can find more information in Chapter 22 of the text. 
(Student) 
But, Dr. Thomas, what if I can’t draw? I’m not very good at drawing. Can 
I do it on the computer? 
(Professor) 
Even if you can’t really draw, I’d really prefer that you not do this on the 
computer. If it’s done on the computer it loses its organic nature … I 
mean, it’s harder to appreciate what I want you to. Playing around with 
buttons and a mouse doesn’t feel as simple and elegant as hand-drawing 
lines. Plus I don’t like getting artificially perfect pictures that all look the 
same. 
(Student) 
Are you expecting just a simple drawing, or does the drawing need to be 
complicated? 
(Professor) 
The point is that it is not terribly complicated. Look, if you can’t draw the 
village freehand, then use a ruler and trace some things. I honestly don’t 
think you’ll need a great deal of skill. And I expect that most of you will 
find it a welcome break from the usual assignments. The bottom line is 
that I’m not going to penalize you for a lack of artistic talent … I will, 
however, lower your grade for a lack of effort. I’d like you to do the best 
you can do and make a good effort.