海南省农垦实验中学-道德模范事迹材料

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Unit 1 Lifestyles
Lesson 1 A Perfect Day?
A couch potato
When I wake up I don’t get up immediately. I turn on the television and watch the
children’s programs and old movies until about half-past ten. Then I get up, go
downstairs and switch on the TV in the living room. For lunch, I have biscuits and a
glass of milk, and I watch the news. In the afternoon, I often watch another old film –
they’re showing some good ones at the moment. In the evenings, I often watch TV series
or sport and the news again. I like the main news at six o’clock. At nine thirty, if there is
a good play on BBC 2, I switch over and watch it. Then at night, I watch more films and
I usually switch off the TV at about two o’clock. I never watch TV at night.
I watch TV for sixteen or seventeen hours a day. I also do some exercise every day. I
take Tina, the dog, for a walk every afternoon. I don’t go far, of course. I walk to the wall
outside my house. I always take my portable TV and I sit on the stone wall while the dog
walks round in a circle.
Of course, I couldn’t live this lifestyle without a good wife. She’s not here now
because she’s working, but she always makes my meals. We haven’t got much money,
you know, but we’re happy. Sit down and watch TV. Here’s the remote control. You’ve
got the world at your feet. And in your hand. Great!
A workaholic
I normally wake up about five minutes before my alarm clock goes off. As soon as I
hear my alarm clock, I jump out of my bed. It takes me less than fifteen minutes to wash,
get changed, have breakfast, leave home and get on a bus.
I am always the first person to get to the office. The mornings are always very busy
and the afternoons are even busier! Meetings and phone calls take up a large part of the
day. Every minute of the day is filled with urgent matters. By around eight o’clock, I
usually find some time to do my own paperwork and answer some personal e-mails.
When I get home at about ten, I look at some documents that I bring back from the
office so that I can be ready for the next day’s work. I get to bed around midnight when
my wife and children are already asleep.
I seldom have time for fun and other activities with my family. My family complains
about it. But I try to work hard so that I can make more money for them. Besides, I get
bored if there’s nothing to do. I like being busy.
Lesson 4
City and country
Debbie is an accountant in a large company in the centre of London.
I need to be in my office by nine o’clock so I usually get up at seven o’clock. I travel
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to work on “the tube”. That’s what people call the underground in London. It takes about
fifty minutes. Usually, it’s so crowded that I can’t find anywhere to sit. I just stand. I’m
always tired before I arrive at work. I don’t like the underground!
I spend all morning checking numbers. Lunch is always simple. I often get a
sandwich in a nearby sandwich shop or I just have some biscuits and a cup of coffee.
Then in the afternoon, I return to the paperwork in the office.
On Monday nights, I have dance classes, and on Wednesday nights, I go to the gym.
I need to do that because I don’t get enough exercise otherwise. On Tuesday and
Thursday nights, I have French classes. I work for a French company so I think studying
French will help me in my job.
I go to the cinema almost every weekend. Sometimes, if the weather forecast is good,
my friends and I drive to the countryside for a weekend break. We like to visit nice, quiet
places far away from the city and go walking where there are no shops, crowds or the
tube. That fresh air is so good for my lungs. I love it.
Paul lives in a small village in the north of England.
I usually get up at four o’clock every morning when it’s still dark. I live and work on
the farm so I don’t need to travel. After a big breakfast in my house, I walk out of the
front door and I’m already at work.
There are many things to do on the farm all day. We don’t have the same work hours
that office workers in the city have. We do jobs when they need to be done and that
could be early in the morning or late at night. I have cows, sheep, pigs and chickens on
my farm. I have to make sure they are free of sickness. I also grow wheat and vegetables
so there are many things to look after.
In the evening, I like to play with my children. I have two children, a boy and a girl.
They are six and eight years old. I also like to study. Right now I am studying Chinese by
distance learning. I am very interested in China and it’s my dream to see the Great Wall
one day.
I love movies. My wife calls me a “movie fan”. But there isn’t a cinema in my
village so I don’t get the chance to go very often. I go about twice a year, usually when I
go to London with my family. We take a weekend break there when I am not too busy on
the farm. My wife loves looking in the clothes shops and I like all the crowds and the
noise. I also like to buy a few cigars. Unfortunately, my wife isn’t as fond of them as I
am. My son and daughter love to ride on London’s red buses and they especially love to
go on the tube!
Culture Corner
English Tea and Coffee Culture
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One thing that British and Chinese cultures share is a love for fine tea. Today, when
we think of Western tea culture, we often think of the English and beautiful china tea
cups.
Afternoon tea
People believe that an English lady, Anna, first introduced
the idea of afternoon tea. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the
English ate only two main meals each day: breakfast and a heavy
supper that would last for several hours in the evening. As a result,
people often got very hungry during the long wait between these
two meals. To solve this problem, Anna came up with the clever
idea of inviting some friends to join her for an afternoon meal
between four and five o’clock. This meal included cakes and
sandwiches. And tea was served(供应) to wash down the food. In
order to make this afternoon meal important, fine china cups and
plates and silver teapots, knives, forks and spoons were used.
Soon, afternoon tea parties became popular social occasions.
Today, afternoon tea parties continue to play an important part
in the social life in modern Britain.
Will you come for coffee?
Coffee also has an important role in British culture. People
often use the words “Will you come for coffee” to mean “Would
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you like to come to my home for a chat?” Normally, several
different drinks such as tea, hot chocolate or a soft drink like
orange juice will be served as well as coffee, and you will be
asked what you would like. However, you will not normally be
offered wine at a “coffee” party.
Coffeehouses and the London Stock Exchange
In the 17th century London, coffeehouses were busy and
noisy places. Businessmen and bankers went to coffeehouses to
do their business, as well as to drink coffee. In fact, the London
Stock Exchange(伦敦股票交易所) is believed to have started
from these coffeehouses.
Focus on reading
Too far away from it all?
A new TV series in England, Away from it all, has surprised everyone by becoming a
huge success with young people across the country. Its success is surprising because the
main character in the series is a shepherd, and the series is about the relaxing lifestyles of
people who live in the country. There is none of the action that we usually see on TV
today. There are also no stressful moments, busy offices or crowded cities. Away from it
all is set in the peaceful English countryside and tells simple stories about people’s
kindness.
The director of the TV series says that its success is a sign of teenagers suffering
from stress. They say that watching Away from it all helps teenagers forget about the
pressures of exams and homework, and the troubles that fill the world today. They also
say that it’s a good sign of today’s young people switching to happier TV series as it
shows they would like a happier and healthier world.
Although the series’ success might have a good side, many teachers and parents are
worried, however. They say that some of their students and children are becoming couch
potatoes and are using Away from it all as an excuse for not completing homework. Some
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children have even refused to learn for exams because they say that they can only achieve
personal happiness by avoiding stressful situations completely.
One mother, Lucy Linney, talks about her son Patrick. “Because he started watching
Away from it all he loved challenges and did volunteer work every afternoon. But now he
has become a couch potato. He switches on TV when he gets home from school and only
switches it off when he goes to bed at midnight. His grades have dropped and he no
longer volunteers but he says it doesn’t matter as he wants his life to ‘get away from it
all’.”
And what do the experts say? Paula Ray, a doctor of education, says that TV can
influence children’s lifestyles. But she says that if a child reacts as strongly as Patrick,
it’s likely that there are other reasons for his change in behavior. She says that there is
nothing wrong with watching Away from it all but suggests that parents should make
sure their children know TV is not the same as real life.
Unit 2 Heroes
Lesson 1 National Hero
Chin’s first manned spaceship lifted off at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, October 15
th
, 2019
in Jiuquan, Gansu Province. The spaceship, called ShenzhouV, was carrying China’s first
astronaut, Yang Liwei. Yang, who was a pilot in the army, was chosen from 1,500 other
army pilots and started training for his space flight in 2019.
The launch was very successful. “When the spaceship was lifting off, I could really
feel the high gravity”, said Yang Liwei. “When the spaceship separated from the rocket, I
suddenly got a feeling of soaring into the sky because of the zero gravity.”
During the 21-hour space flight, the Shenzhou V circled the earth 14 times. While the
spaceship was circling the earth for the sixth time, Yang Liwei spoke with ground control
in Gansu. He was also able to speak with his wife and 8-year-old son. Yang Liwei had
several tasks to complete during the flight and only slept in the spaceship for about 3
hours. While he was sleeping, the spaceship circled the earth twice.
When the spaceship was doing its seventh circle, Yang Liwei showed the flags of
China and the United Nations, expressing the wishes of the Chinese people to explore
and use space peacefully.
At 6:23 a.m. on October 16
th
, Yang Liwei landed in Inner Mongolia safely. He told
reporters later, “The surface of the spaceship was glowing red when it came back into the
earth’s atmosphere. When ShenzhouV let out its parachute, I felt the ship was shaking.”
As Yang Liwei returned into the earth’s atmosphere, helicopters were flying to where he
would land, ready to collect him.
Millions of people all over China were watching TV when the spaceship landed
safely. When Yang Liwei climbed out of the spaceship, he smiled and waved to the
crowds waiting for him. Yang Liwei was happy to be home but he said, “I thought 21
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hours was too short to stay in space.”
Lesson 3 Sports Stars
VENUS AND SERENA WILLIAMS are sisters. They are also both tennis
champions who often have to play each other! Venus is now eleventh in the world, and
her younger sister Serena has moved up to third.
The two sisters were born in a poor and dangerous area of California. It was full of
drugs and violence. In a recent interview, Venus spoke about the time when she and
Serena were practising tennis and they had to run and hide as bullets started flying
through the air. Finally, in 1991, the sisters and their family moved to a safer area and
since then they have never looked back.
The sisters’ father, Richard, started to train Venus and Serena when they were young
children. He has always been very strict with his daughters, training them hard to
compete against each other. Brandi, the sisters’ mother taught her daughters at home so
that they completed their high school while developing their tennis careers. Today, both
sisters are studying design at college. They have already expressed a keen interest in
working in design after their tennis careers come to an end.
The sisters’ road to success has been amazing. The first time Venus played in a big
event was in 2019. Since then, she has won Wimbledon and the US Open twice. Serena
has continued to improve and make fantastic progress. In 2019 and 2019, she won the US
Open, and in 2019 and 2019, she was the women’s singles champion at Wimbledon. Has
tennis ever caused problems between the sisters? Fortunately, no. “We’ve played each
other before and it hasn’t worried us yet!” says Venus. “If she wins,” Serena jokes,
“Mama says she has to do the dishes!”
Lesson 4 Superhero Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve was born in September, 1952. He was in his first school play
when he was eight and he started to act in TV shows and films while he was still in
college. He made many successful films and TV shows but he is most famous for his
Superman films.
Unfortunately, disaster came in 2019 when he fell from his horse and broke his back.
The doctors did not expect him to live. However, he made amazing progress. At first, he
couldn’t breathe without a machine, but he learnt to breathe on his own. He would never
walk again but he started a new life with great courage.
The second year after his accident, Christopher returned to film making. He also
raised a lot of money to promote medical research into back injuries. He made speeches
all over the USA about his experiences. This not only drew public attention to research
into back injuries but also encouraged a lot of people living with all kinds of problems.
From their home, Christopher and his wife Dana spoke about their life after the
accident.
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Have you thought of giving up after the accident?
“No. Four days after the injury, I came to understand my situation. My wife Dana
and I were in the hospital. The doctor said I was not going to pull through. Dana said:
‘But you’re still you, and I love you.’ And that saved my life. Since that moment I have
never thought of giving up. Of course, I’ve had moments of feeling sorry for myself, but
I’ve never had any thoughts of committing suicide.”
Did you think that your marriage was so strong?
“Yes, because Dana’s so wonderful. We have always got on really well. Our
relationship has always been fantastic.”
How did your parents react to the accident?
“They divorced when I was four. They’ve got closer since the accident.”
How did you get involved with charity work?
“I know a lot of disabled people need my help. This is how I got involved with my
charity work to improve the quality of life for all disabled people.”
“With the progress of new medical research, I’m confident that people like me would
be able to walk again one day. So you can see, I’m far too busy with living to think of
giving up!”
Christopher Reeve died on October 10, 2019. But people all over the world will
always remember him as a superhero.
Focus on reading
Spiderman – a hero just like you and me
Spiderman is one of the most famous comic book heroes of all time. He was created
by Stan Lee in 1963 and was first introduced to the world in the pages of Marvel comic
books. At that time, Marvel was a small company and its competitor was a big company
who’d created Superman. But Spiderman was a hero that people liked because he had
problems just like they did. He was a superhero, but people saw him as one of them. The
success of the Spiderman comics meant that Marvel was soon the biggest cartoon
company in the world.
Spiderman’s story is the story of Peter Parker, a child who lost his parents and lives
with his aunt and uncle. Peter is a shy, quiet boy wearing glasses and has few friends.
One day, on a high school class trip to a science lab, he gets bitten by a special spider.
Soon Peter realises he has amazing powers: he is as strong and quick as a spider and also
has a type of sixth sense. He no longer needs his glasses and he can use his super power
to fly through the city streets!
Remembering something his Uncle Ben has told him, that “with great power, there
must also come great responsibility,” Peter decides to use his powers to fight enemies
who do cruel things to people. And so, Spiderman is born.
Life is not easy for Peter even though he is a superhero. He is in love with Mary
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Jane but cannot tell her about his amazing powers.
Besides, his best friend Harry hates Spiderman! Peter is also short of money and
time. He has to sell photographs of Spiderman (himself!) to a newspaper and he keeps
losing his other jobs because he’s so busy saving people! Yet he has to fight different
kinds of cruel enemies.
The world’s love for Spiderman was shown in 2019 and again in 2019, when
Spiderman and Spiderman 2 became two of the most watched movies of all time. And it’s
unlikely that things will change. All in all, people love Spiderman because he struggles
with, and solves problems just like they do. With an everyday hero like Peter Parker,
Spiderman 3 will no doubt be a huge success too.
Culture Corner Space Heroes
In the course of space exploration, 434 astronauts have made the journey into
space.……
They served all of us.
Unit 3 Celebration
Lesson 1 Festivals
A: Autumn
Every year in September or October, the Mid- Autumn Festival is celebrated by the
Chinese people all over the world. On this day, the moon is said to be its biggest and
brightest. People like to meet in the evening and watch the moon.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is important because it is a special occasion for family. It
is also a day for special foods like moon cakes. There are all kinds of moon cakes.
Traditional moon cakes are usually made with bean paste, but nowadays, there are many
different kinds of moon cakes including fruit, coffee, chocolate and even ice-cream moon
cakes.
B: Winter
The Lantern Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. It marks the
end of the Chinese New Year celebrations.
There are many stories about how the Lantern Festival started. In one story, lanterns
were lit to celebrate the power of light over darkness. In another story, a town was almost
destroyed but the light from many lanterns saved it. The story was about a god who
wanted to burn down the town. He was fooled when he saw thousands of lanterns. He
thought the town was already burning.
In the past, lanterns were usually lit by candles and decorated with pictures of birds,
animals and flowers, etc. Nowadays, most lanterns are made with light bulbs and
batteries, and they come in many shapes and sizes. In the north-eastern part of China,
there are even ice-lanterns.
The special food for the Lantern Festival is the sweet dumpling. Sweet dumplings
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are boiled and served in hot water.
C: Summer
The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar year,
As it is in early summer, it marks the beginning of the hottest season of the year.
The tradition of the Dragon Boat Festival started more than 2,000 years ago. In the
old days, dragon boat races were organized only by Chinese people. However, in recent
years, people from other cultures have also taken part in races and enjoyed the fun.
There is a special food for the festival. It is called zongzi, which is sticky rice in
fresh bamboo leaves
Lesson 3 Weddings.
Weddings in Indonesia
If a friend gets an invitation to a wedding, you can go with himher, even if you
don’t receive an invitation yourself.
The times of the wedding ceremony and the reception are both on the invitation.
However, you ought not to go to the invitation. However, you ought not to go to the
ceremony because it is only for close family. If you really want to see it, you ought to ask
first. Everyone can attend the reception afterwards.
Nowadays, Indonesian women don’t have to cover their heads, but they unusually
wear traditional clothes.
There is a box at the entrance to the reception and you ought to put money into it!
But don’t worry, you don’t have to contribute a lot of money.
And remember- at most wedding receptions you can’t drink alcohol.
Greek Weddings
On the day of a Greek wedding ceremony, the bridge-groom has to ask the bride’s
father for his daughter’s hand in marriage. The bridge-groom’s best man then goes with
the couple to the church, to be married.
During the church ceremony, the best man should help put crowns made of flowers
on the heads of the bride and bridegroom. A long silk ribbon that links the crowns is a
symbol of a long and happy life for the couple.
After the ceremony, the guests can attend a wedding a wedding reception, which is
usually a huge party and can last through the night. There is a lot of eating, drinking and
dancing, including the famous Greek circle dance, where everyone joins in. During the
reception, guests can throw dishes on the floor and put money on the bride’s wedding
dress for good luck.
Lesson 4 Christmas Memories of Christmas
For me, Christmas always began in the middle of the cold, windy month of
November. My sister, Alison, and I sat down in front of the fire and wrote a letter to
Father Christmas telling him about all the presents we wanted. We seriously wrote
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“Father Christmas, the North Pole” on the envelope, before giving them to our mother to
post.
With December our excitement grew each day——as we opened the new year
calendar, Christmas cards arrived in the post, Christmas lights course, there was snow
everywhere. Enough snow to make snowmen, and to have exciting snowball fights in the
school playground.
On Christmas Eve, the whole family helped to decorate the house, put up the
Christmas tree, the decorations and the balloons. Then, in the afternoon, when Auntie
Kathleen and my two cousins arrived, everything was ready. Before we went to bed, we
left some wine and biscuits for Father Christmas and then put our stockings at the end of
our beds. We tried to stay awake as long as possible to see Father Christmas but the next
thing we knew it was morning. Christmas morning!
At the bottom of the bed was the stocking, now full of all kinds of small presents
and sweets. Christmas morning was bright and sunny and , after church, my cousin
David and I went out into the garden to play with our new presents. Lunch was always
late, but what a lunch! A big turkey with all the vegetables followed by Christmas
pudding. I like turkey breast the best. I put so much food in my mouth sometimes that it
was hard to swallow. We sang Christmas carols happily, laughed at jokes, put on silly
paper hats and laughed again.
After lunch, the adults slept on the sofas in front of the Queen’s speech on
television while we all played cards. Then we had tea, with a huge Christmas cake
covered with snowmen. It didn’t seem possible, but we carried on eating. By bedtime all
of the children were very tired. As soon as we turned off the light, we all fell into a deep,
happy sleep.
Culture Corner Happy Halloween!
Halloween is celebrated by Western cultures every year on the night of 31 October. But
did you know that it is one of the oldest holidays in history?
Over 2019 years ago, people known as the Celts lived in Northern Europe. They
worshipped the sun god and believed the god made their crops grow. On the night of 31
October, after their crops had been harvested and stored for winter, the Celts began a
3-day New Year holiday. During this time, they offered crops and dead animals to thank
the god and danced in costumes made from animal heads and skin.
Later, when the Romans invaded Europe, they adopted the Celts' New Year customs and
used them in their own festivals. After 835 AD, the Catholic Church in Europe invented a
holiday on 1 November, All Hallows' Day, to honor saints. Later, it invented another
holiday on 2 November, All Souls' Day, to honor dead people.
To celebrate All Souls Day, people made big bonfires and dressed up as angels, devils,
saints and witches. They lit candles in lanterns made of hollowed-out turnip or pumpkin
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to frighten away ghosts. On this night, people also travelled from village to village to ask
for food. It was believed that any village that did not give food would have bad luck.
Gradually, over the years, the Celtic, Roman and Catholic customs and holidays got
mixed together, and finally 31 October became known as Halloween,
In the nineteenth century, Irish immigrants took Halloween customs from Europe to the
USA. Today, in the USA and the UK in particular, Halloween has become a special
occasion for young people, In these countries, children wear spooky costumes and go
from door to door saying
Language Spot1 A CHRISTMAS CAROL
It was Christmas Eve. Ebenezer Scrooge was in his office, the office of Scrooge and
Marley. His clerk, poor Bob Cratchit, was working. Suddenly, Scrooge's young nephew
came into the office.
come and have Christmas dinner with us tomorrow?Scrooge replied.
Humbug!Scrooge hated Christmas and he refused his nephew's invitation for
dinner on Christmas Day. His nephew went away. Later two men came to the office,
asking for money for the poor.

Then, when it was time to close the office, Bob Cratchit asked for the day off, because it
was Christmas.

That evening Scrooge was sitting in front of his fire at home when, suddenly, he saw a
ghost in front of him.

in peace, because when I lived, I only though about money. But I am here to help you.
You have a chanmce to escape my terrible destiny. Tonight three ghosts will visit you.
Then the ghost of Marley disappeared.
Scrooge went to bed and fell asleep, but in the night he woke up.
The figure of a strange old man appeared near his bed.
am the Ghost of Christmas Past. Of your past,it told Scrooge. The ghost took
Scrooge to scenes of Christmases from the past. In one scene Scrooge saw himself as a
boy at school. He was reading a book. All the other boys had gone home for Christmas.
In another scene Scrooge saw himself as a young man. He was talking to his girlfriend,
who he didn't marry because she didn't have any money. Scrooge began to feel sadder
and sadder.
Finally the ghost brought him home and Scrooge
fell asleep again. Later that night, Scrooge woke up again.

was a large man with a beard, wearing a green robe. He took Scrooge to the house of Bob
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Cratchit and his family. It was cold in the house and Bob and his family were sitting
around a very small Christmas pudding.

Scrooge felt sad, because he could see how poor the Cratchits were. Bob's smallest child,
Tiny Tim, was weak and ill. The ghost finally took Scrooge to a very poor area of
London. There were two poor children out in the street.

Scrooge had said before.

Then, the third ghost appeared. He was dressed in black and looked...

The ghost did not answer. It took Scrooge and showed him scenes of the future. In one,
people were talking about Scrooge's death, but not one person was unhappy about it. The
ghost also took him to the Cratchit family. The family was very sad. The little boy, Tiny
Tim, had died.
The next morning, Scrooge opened his window and asked,

Scrooge was very happy. He gave money to the boy to buy an enormous turkey for the
Cratchit family. Then he went out into the street.
Christmas! Merry Christmas!He wished everybody he saw Merry Christmas.
He met the man who had asked for money for the poor and gave him a large sum of
money. Scrooge then went and visited his nephew and had the best Christmas dinner in
his life. The next day he went to his office early. He waited for Bob Cratchit.


From that day, Scrooge was the happiest man in the world. He gave money to the poor.
He helped Bob Cratchit's family. And people always said of him: knew how to
celebrate Christmas.
Focus on Reading
What they think about Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is an important festival in North America. We interviewed several
students from the US and Canada. here is what they have told us about their
Thanksgiving experiences.
Josie from New York, USA
“ In America, Thanksgiving is celebrated every year at the end of November. It is to
remember the first group of people from Europe to live in America. When they first
arrived, they found the environment strange. But they learned to survive after some
native American friends showed them how to grow and find food. Thanksgiving is meant
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to be a traditional celebration.
Todd from California, USA
“ Thanksgiving is the first day of Christmas shopping. That means we have four weeks to
buy Christmas presents for our families and friends. For me and my friends, the most
important part of the festival is the big football game on TV. The match is watched by
millions of people all over America. Thanksgiving is seen as an exciting day for
football!”
Lan from Saskatoon, Canada
In Canada, Thanksgiving is held on the 2
nd
Monday in October. On the Sunday before
Thanksgiving Day, many people go to church. Thanks are given for all the good things
that happened to them during the year. I always give thanks for the nice big turkey I’m
going to have at the family dinner! Like all festivals, Thanksgiving is about food!
Katle from Maritimes, Canada
On Thanksgiving Day, we have dinner with all our cousins, aunts and uncles. It is always
very busy. Sometimes we have two Thanksgiving dinners because we go to both our
grandparents’ houses. The dinner is usually attended by more than twenty people at each
house! My mother and my aunts do all the cooking but the washing-up is done by me and
my cousins. And that’s not an easy job! But I don’t mind because Thanksgiving is meant
to be a time to give thanks.
Unit 4 Cyberspace
Lesson1 Tomorrow’s world The Future of Cyberspace
Peter Taylor finds out how computers and the Internet are going to affect our lives.
In the last thirty years, the Internet has grown rapidly. In 1983, there were only 200
computers connected to the internet; now there are around 50 million and this growth is
clearly going to continue.
Some experts are pessimistic about the future. Only worry is crime in cyberspace.
Even now, young hackers can get into the computers of banks and governments. In the
future, terrorists may “attack” the world’s computers, cause chaos, and make planes and
trains crash.
However, many people are optimistic about the future of the Internet. Already,
users can buy books, find out about holiday offers, book tickets, and get all sorts of
information from the Internet. “ In the next few years,” says Angela Rossetto of Cyberia
magazine, “ It is clear that we are going to see a huge growth in shopping on the
Internet.” She also believes that, in the future, we will get entertainment from the Net and
that television will probably disappear. The mail service may also disappear with the
increasing use of e-mail.
Some experts see our future in virtual reality—the use of computers with sounds
and pictures that make you feel as if you are in a real situation. “Personally, I think
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virtual reality will become a part of modern life,” says Australian expert Peter Anderson.
“I see people living and working in a virtual world. We will work in virtual offices,
shop in virtual supermarkets, and we will even study in virtual schools.”
Lesson 3 Virtual Reality
Tom: Hi, Cathy. What are you up to this weekend?
Cathy: Don’t ask, Tom. I have lots of work to do. If I don’t finish my project on the
history of the Internet for next Monday’s lesson, the science teacher will be angry. What
about you? Do you have anything planned for Saturday and Sunday?
Tome: It depends on the weather. If it’s good, Dad, Mum and I will probably go
camping. But we won’t go if it rains. Hey, if I stay home, I’ll help you with your project
if you like.
Cathy: Thanks for the offer. Tom, can you suggest any good books for my projects? If
you tell me some titles, I’ll look for them in the library.
Tome: Use the library computer. If you go to the Science Museum website, you’ll find
lots of good information. I’ll send you the website address when I get home.
Cathy: Thanks. Just think, if we had virtual reality holidays, we wouldn’t have any
problems with the weather. What’s more, we wouldn’t have to spend a long time
travelling on planes to get to our holiday destinations.
Tome: What do you mean?
Cathy: Well, in the future, we’ll be able to use modern technology to go anywhere we
like. We won’t have to go there in the flesh at all! Wouldn’t that be great? I feel excited
just thinking about it.
Tome: I don’t understand. Cathy, do you mean we’ll use the computer to travel around
the world, entering and exiting countries in seconds and visiting all the historical sites!
Cathy: That’s right! Just imagine never having to pack a suitcase! We would not only be
able to travel around the world, but also go to study in any world famous universities we
wanted to .
Tome: That could be really exciting! But I still find it hard to imagine. You would see it
but you couldn’t dip your toes in the sea or eat the foods you saw. You would not
experience it.
Cathy: Well, if they invented virtual reality holidays, I’d go on an around-the-world tour.
Tom, what would you like to do if someone gave you the chance?
Tom: I don’t really know. Personally, I’m more interested in virtual universities than
virtual reality holidays. I’d like to go to a world-famous university like Stanford. But I
guess, a virtual university just wouldn’t be the same, would it?
Cathy: True, but just think—you would be able to study in such a world- famous
university without going out of your room!
Lesson 4 Virtual Tourism
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Auckland* New Zealand A guide
Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand. It has a population of just under a
million people and is located on North Island. This seaside city is an important centre for
business and industry. It is also the most exciting city in New Zealand with people of
many different cultures living there.
The history of the city goes back 650 years when the Maoris settled in the area.
European settlement began in 1840 when the British arrived. Auckland was the capital of
New Zealand for some time. Later, the capital moved to Wellington, because it was more
central. Since 1945, the city of Auckland has grown and it now has large modern suburbs.
In 1985, the New Zealand government made the whole country a nuclear-free zone and
since then Auckland has been a centre for protest against nuclear testing in Asia Pacific.
Famous sights include Mt Eden, one of many large volcanoes, as well as the
Auckland Harbour Bridge. At the Parnell Village, you can enjoy an amazing view from
the Sky Tower, which is the city’s tallest Tower. You can also see Maori traditional
dances at the Auckland Museum.
From anywhere in the city, you can see the sea. Auckland is called “the city of sails”
because it has more boats than anywhere else in average in January (summer) is 23.4℃
and in July (winter) it is 7.8℃. It has some of the best beaches in New Zealand for doing
water sports: swimming, diving, fishing, sailing and surfing.
It is easy to travel between Auckland and the rest of New Zealand. There are regular
international flights, too. However, flights from Europe take over twenty-four hours and
are expensive.
Culture Corner New Zealand Fact File
Government
New Zealand has its own government, but it is also part of the British
Commenwealth, and therefore the official head of state is Elizabeth Ⅱ, the Queen of
England, Scotland and Wales. New Zealand was the first country in the world to give the
vote to women in 1893, to have old age pensions and the eight-hour working day.
Geography
New Zealand, in the South Pacific, consists of two large islands plus other smaller
islands with an area of 270,000 sq km. North Island has a warm climate and there is quite
a lot of volcanic activity. South Island is cooler and has a higher rainfall. In the South
Island, there are the Southern Alps with Mount Cook (3,754), the highest mountain in
New Zealand.
Economy
New Zealand has some industry but agriculture is more important- there are 55
million sheep, 8 million cows and 1 million goats in New Zealand!
Wildlife
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New Zealand was cut off from the rest of the land on Earth for 80 million years and
has some unique animals and plants. For example, the kiwi (the symbol of New Zealand)
is a large bird which cannot fly.
The People
Over 80% of the 3.6 million people are of European (mainly British) origin. Around
9% of the population are Maoris who came to New Zealand from other Pacific islands in
the thirteenth centuries. The two official languages in the country are English and Maori.
Lifestyle
New Zealanders, who are also known as “Kiwis”, are relaxed people who love
outdoor life. It is not surprising that New Zealand is successful at many sports. Its
national sport is rugby and its team, “The All Blacks”, are often the best in the world.
Places to visit
New Zealand has beautiful scenery. In North Island, the Bay of Islands has lovely
old forests and beautiful beaches and the Coromandel is perfect for sailing and
watersports. Rotorua is the centre of Maori culture and has wonderful hot springs. In
South Island, the Southern Alps, the West Coast region and the national park of Fiordland
all have beautiful scenery.
Focus on Reading
A new way of communicating
Our need to communicate with each other has been a driving force in the
development of technology. In the 20
th
century we have seen the invention of the radio,
television and fax, and today, the Internet has opened up a whole new way of
communicating. We now have instant messaging services such as ICQ or China’s QQ and
chat rooms where people can join group discussions. They mean increasing choices for
when, where and how to communicate, and more importantly, with whom.
While most people use the Internet to keep in touch with friends and family, a
growing number of people use QQ and chat rooms to meet and chat with strangers.
Because the Internet allows a certain amount of anonymity, users can be more open
making it easier to make new friends. One user said that everyone is equal online, and
age and appearance to communicate with each other.
Finding new friends is not the only reason people use chat rooms. The Internet can
bring together like-minded people who want to discuss their favourite topics. There are
chat rooms for certain sports, types of music, styles of art, in fact, just about any interest
you can imagine, and many that you can’t! Whatever unusual interest you might have, if
you search on the Internet, there is a good chance that you will find someone, somewhere
in cyberspace, willing to talk to you about it—right now.
However, there are problems with going online. It is possible for cyber-criminals to
steal information, such as credit card details while you are online, and there is always the
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chance that a new friend is not who he or she claims to be. One girl was really
disappointed when she discovered that her new cyber-friend who wrote poems for her,
was actually copying all the poems from magazines. But for all the problems that might
come up, instant messaging services and chat rooms are here to say, putting in touch with
friends, family and strangers of similar interests.
Unit 5 Rhythm
Lesson 1 Performance
Alanis—A True Performer
Canadian singer and song writer, Alanis Morissette, is used to being in the public eye.
Her most famous album Jagged Little Pill, came out in 2019 when she was only
twenty—one years old. It sold 15 million copies and made her world famous. Since then
she has made several more albums and she has continued giving great performances on
stage.
Last Thursday night, hundreds of fans went to the Corn Exchange in Cambridge, England
to see Alanis Morissette performing in concert. It was Morissette’s first performance in
England since her song “Uninvited” won this year’s Grammy Award for the best rock
song. The 30—year—old singer has a strong fan base in England. There was not an
empty seat anywhere in the concert hall at last Thursday’s event, although it was an
extremely cold night.” Sure it’s cold outside, but I hope we’ll warm it up in here for
you,” Morissette said to the large crowd before she started to play.
During the 3-hour concert, Morissette used a lot of material from her award—winning
album “Jagged Little Pill”. She also played a few songs from her new album, such as
“Everything But …”, which tells the story of someone looking for love in the wrong
places. Morissette gave a creative and powerful performance in another song “Utopia”.
Her singing was full of feeling; the first part of the song was filled with anger, while the
last part expressed love and joy.
Although the concert hall was cold and the sound system caused a few problems, the
audience could still enjoy the concert. Many people in the crowd were obviously
long—time fans and they knew the words and sang along to nearly every song.
Throughout the concert, the atmosphere inside the concert hall was extremely exciting.
Everyone agreed that they were greatly impressed by Morissette’s brilliant music and
singing.
At the end of the three hours, Morissette showed that she was a true performer, singing a
well—known song “heartache”. She finished the evening with a new song about the life
of a superstar. While I watched and listened, I knew that I was seeing the performance of
a real superstar.
Lesson 3 Kong goes for folk!
The famous classical pianist, Kong Xiangdong, surprised his fans last week by giving a
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concert combining classical music with Chinese folk music. Kong explained that he
tried this because he wanted to create something new. “As a musician, playing the same
music in different cities of the world is very boring,” says Kong. He also feels that
playing Chinese folk music on the piano can help bring it to the rest of the world.
Music has always been part of Kong’s world. As his mother was a great music lover, he
lived with music from birth. But it wasn’t always easy for the young Kong Xiangdong.
His mother couldn’t buy him a piano until he was seven. She had to draw piano keys on a
piece of paper so that he could learn to play as early as possible. The 5-year-old Kong
would practise on the paper piano as his mother clapped the rhythm. He was made to
practise the piano so much that, at times, he thought about giving up. However, he didn’t
quit, and he became a great pianist. In 1986, at the age of 18, he became the youngest
prize winner in Moscow’s Tchaikovsky International Competition. He went on to win
awards in competitions across the world.
Because of Kong’s talent and hard work, he became famous worldwide. But after years
of performing, he felt the in some ways he had lost his identity. This is way he went back
to his roots and rediscovered the beauty in Chinese folk music. He began experimenting
with different styles and his Dream Tour Concert is the result.
Kong’s new experiment in Chinese folk music is so important to him that he even
changed his appearance. When he arrived at his concert last week, he had shaved off all
his hair! Since his music style was new, he decided his hairstyle had to be new too!
Whether Kong is changing his appearance or transforming his music, he is a pioneer in
music today. The concern last week was such a success that Kong’s Dream Tour Concert
is expected to run for the next two years in Beijing, Shanghai, and other main cities
before going to Paris and New York.
Lesson 4 Let’s Dance
Ballet
Ballet began in Italy and France during the 15
th
century and is still an important art form
in Western culture. Ballet tells a story with music and actions but no words. (1) One of
the most famous ballets is called “Swan Lake”.Another famous Russian ballet is called
“Sleeping Beauty”. Many countries have produced ballets, including China. One
well—known Chinese ballet is called “The White—haired Girl”.
Folk Dance
Folk dances are traditional styles of dancing that come from ordinary people. They are
usually group dances that are taught from one generation to another. China is famous for
many different types of folk dances, including the dragon dance and the lion dance,
which are performed during the Spring Festival…(2) Other kinds of fold dances are the
sword dance and the colourful peacock dance.
Another well- known folk dance is the Yangge, which is often performed on special
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occasions. In many parts of the country, you can see people of all ages dancing in the
street during festivals. They are dressed in beautiful costumes, skipping back and forth
to the rhythm of loud drums. People like to watch performances of this unique folk
dance.
Popular Dance
Popular or special dances often come from folk dances, although they are usually popular
for only a short time…(3) They are easy to learn and are usually danced in couples.
Until the eighteenth century, social dances were only held in palaces or the homes of
noble families. However, in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, social dancing
became more popular. Ballroom dancing, which was a formal dance in a large room,
became popular in Europe and North America. Central European folk dances, such as the
waltz, changed and became the most popular examples of ballroom dances.
In the United States, the mixing of immigrant cultures produced new forms of dance,
such as tap dancing. Before the First World War, new ballroom dances came to Europe
and America, for example the Tango and the Cha—Cha. The Argentine Tango was made
internationally popular by Carlos Gardel through his songs and films.
After the Second World War, African—American rhythm and movements became part of
popular social dance. Rock ‘n’ roll dances were popular during the 1950s….In the 1960s,
people danced without touching their partner.…(4) Dancing in couples returned in the
1970s and 1980s with “disco” music…(5) In the mid-1980s, breakdancing became
form of dancing is almost like acrobatics. It began in the poorer parts of
large American cities.
Culture Corner Styles of Music
Classical
Classical music was the music of European courts and big concert halls. Specially,
classical music refers to orchestral music of the 18
th
and early 19
th
century. Classical
music is played with traditional European instruments, often in large orchestras.
Beethoven and Mozart are two of the most famous classical composers. Classical music
is enjoyed by many for its rich and beautiful melodies.
Blues
Blues started off as the music of Africa slaves brought to the United Stated. It is closely
related to the music of West Africa. It became well-known throughout the world through
such musicians as Muddy Waters and B.B. King. In many ways, blues music remains an
important element in many of today’s popular tunes.
Jazz
Jazz grew out of blues. As with blues, one of the important elements of Jazz is
improvisation. Improvisation happens when a musician plays unwritten music to fit the
mood of the occasion.
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One of the most famous names in jazz is Miles Davis. He was famous for always finding
new ways of playing jazz, and for many people this represented the spirit of jazz. Jazz
has been called “the classical music of black America”.
Rock ‘n’ Roll and Rock
Rock ‘n’ roll developed from fast blues. Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley were the big
names in rock ‘n’ roll and the Beatles in England took the music and made their own
sounds from it. When the guitars got louder and the guitar solos got longer, rock ‘n’ roll
became just rock. Now rock is one of the most popular forms of music in the world and
its fans can be seen from Beijing to Boston and all the places in between.
Creating new music
Today these names of music styles are less important to musicians. Radio, television and
the Internet have made it easier for sounds to travel across cultures and styles have
become more and more mixed. If there is one thing the history of popular music has
shown, it is that good musicians will always create new music from the different styles
they hear.
Unit 6 Design
Lesson 1 A Matter of Taste
Xu Beihong (12895-1953) was important in modern Chi9nese folk art. During his
lifetime, he developed the tradition of combining poetry with painting. Between 1933
and 1940, he held several exhibitions in Asia and Europe to promote Chinese art. Across
this painting, named Racing Horse, we can see a horse running at a high speed like a
missile across the sky. On the left and right side of the painting, Xu cleverly drew in
black ink to show the moving hair on the horse’s mane and tail. He also used different
shades of grey in a creative way to show the sweat along the horse’s body. The painting
of dark and light colours is a favourite of many art lovers.
Qi Baishi (1863-1957) was one of China’s greatest painters. He worked with wood
during his early youth. Then between 1902 and 1909, he travelled across the country and
painted many pictures of scenery. His interest changed later to simple pictures from
everyday life, such as vegetables, flowers, birds, and insects. Cabbage is a well—known
example of QI’s work. The tiny insect near the cabbage has some red on its back. Its
black eyes, which are fixed on the cabbage, show the creature’s interest in the vegetable.
Qi Baishi’s style of painting often leaves the audience guessing and makes them use their
imagination.
Chen Yifei(1946-2019) was a very successful artist. His soft portraits of beautiful women
are very valuable. In 2019, one of his paintings sold for US$$503,000. The painting,
named poppy, is a typical example of Chen’s style. In the painting, a young woman sits
alone and is deep in thought. Her hand holding the fan is elegantly positioned above her
knees. To emphasize the woman even more, Chen adds a lot of detail to the fan and the
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cloth of her dress, and chooses to paint the background behind the woman black. The
folds of her dress are very beautifully painted.
Lesson 3 Chinese Paper Art The Art of Paper
Chen Zijiang is a paper-cutting expert whom I interviewed for my article on Chinese Art.
Paper—cutting is something that he learned to do from an early age.
“It is a Chinese folk art with a long history,” Mr. Chen told me, ‘Paper cuts of animals
have been found in tombs which date back to the time of the Northern and Southern
Dynasty!” He added that by the Southern Song Dynasty, paper-cutting had become an
important part of everyday life.” A young farmer who wanted a wife would look at a
young woman’s paper- cutting skills before marrying her!” explained Mr. Chen, laughing
at the look of surprise on my face.
Mr. Chen went on to explain that there are three types of paper cuts which people still
make today: paper cuts for decoration, for religious purposes and for design patterns.
Paper cuts used for decoration are often seen on windows and gates. They are usually put
up during holidays to bring good luck. They are also used on presents. A present for
parents whose child has recently been born might show a paper cut of children, for
example. Paper cuts which show the Chinese character for double happiness are often
used to celebrate weddings.
Paper cuts used for religious purposes are often found in temples. They are also used as
offerings to the dead. People to whom the dead person was related would make these
offerings on special days and during festivals.
The third kind of paper cuts are those used to make patterns on clothing. They are also
sometimes used to decorate jewellery boxes. Dragons are very popular patterns for these
designs.
The interview was very useful as I got a lot of interesting information for my article. I
was also ready to try out paper—cutting for myself. “See you next week,” I said as I
waved goodbye to Mr. Chen. I was going to meet him again so that he could help me
make my first paper cut!
Lesson 4 Dream Houses
The House on Mango Street
We didn’t always live on Mango Street. Before that we lived on Loomis on the third floor,
and before that we lived on Keeler Street. Before Keeler Street it was Paulina Street, and
before that I can’t remember. But what I remembered most is moving a lot. Each time it
seemed there’d be one more of us. By the time we got to Mango Street we were
six—Mama, Papa, Carlos, Kiki, my sister Nenny and me.
The house on Mango Street is ours, and we don’t have to pay rent to anybody, or share
the yard with the people downstairs, or be careful not to make too much noise, and
worried about the landlord being angry. But even so, it’s not the house we thought we’d
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get.
We had to leave the flat on Loomis quick. There were worms in the wooden walls. Then
the water pipes broke and the landlord wouldn’t fix them because the house was too old.
He had no mercy so we had to leave fast. We were using the washroom next door and
carrying water over. And everything in the flat was damp. That’s why Mama and Papa
looked for a house, and that’s why we moved into the house on Mango Street, far away,
on the other side of town.
They always told us that one day we would move into a house, a real house that would be
ours so we wouldn’t have to move each year. And our house would have running water
and a bathtub and pipes that worked. And inside it would have real stairs, like the houses
on TV. And we’d have a basement and at least three washrooms so when we wanted to
bathe we wouldn’t have to tell everybody. Our house would be white with trees around it,
a great big yard and grass growing without a fence. This was the house Papa talked about
when he dreamed of being rich and this was the house Mama dreamed up in the stories
she told us before we went to bed.
But the house on Mango Street is not the way they described it at all. It’s small and red
with narrow steps in front and windows so small that you’d think they were holding
their breath. There is no front yard, only four little trees the city planted on the side of
the street. Out back is a small garage for the car we don’t own yet and a small yard that
look smaller between the two buildings on either side. There are stairs in the house, but
they’re ordinary stairs, and the house has only one washroom. Everybody has to share a
bedroom—Mama and Papa, Carlos and Kiki, me and Nenny.
Adapted from the house on Mango street
By Sandra Cisneros
Culture Corner World Heritage Sites in China
The official title of “World Heritage Site” is given by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) committee to places in the world that
are outstanding examples of cultural or natural history. There are 29 world heritage sites
in China, more than any other country except Italy and Spain. Here are 3 of them.
The Temple and Mansion of Confucius
This site is located in Qufu, Shandong Province, and is a memorial to Confucius, the
Chinese great educator. The site is huge. On the grounds, there are more than 900 halls
and rooms. But the building that people visit most is the Temple of Confucius. Although
it was originally built in 478 B.C., the temple has been rebuilt many times. Besides the
temple, visitors can enjoy the grounds outside, where there are more than 1,000 stone
tablets and over 100,000 tombs.
The Old Town of Lijiang
This site is a few hours bus-ride away from the ancient city of Dali in Yunnan Province.
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Surrounded by fields, mountains and rivers, the Old Town of Lijiang looks like a jade ink
stone in spring and summer. This is why the local people proudly call their town “Dayan”,
meaning the Town of the Big Ink Stone.
Each year, many foreign tourists visit the Old Town and the place is like “Venice in the
East” to them. There are narrow alleys, pretty streams, small stone bridges, and brick and
tile houses with carved doors and painted windows.
Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area
This area, north of Sichuan Province, is a unique natural wonder. Every year, visitors
from all over the world come to admire the mountains, lakes, streams, trees, underground
springs and waterfalls wich make Jiuzhaigou Valley an area of outstanding natural
beauty.
The water in the valley’s lakes, streams and waterfalls is famous for being very clear. The
valley is also home to many protected species of plants including bamboo. Endangered
animals, such as pandas, also live in the valley.
Literature Spot 2 The Picture of Dorian Gray
Basil Hayward was a successful artist. He had nearly finished a portrait of a very
handsome young man called Dorian Gray. One day a friend of his, Lord Henry Wotton,
sow the picture Basil was painting and wanted to meet this young man. A few days later,
Lord Henry and Dorian met at Basil’s house and went for a walk in the garden.
‘Ah, how lucky you are to be so young. There’s nothing in the world as important as
youth!’ Said Lord Henry to Dorian. “But time is your enemy.’
They went inside to see the portrait and Dorian looked at his own picture intensely. ‘I
wish I could always stay young and the picture could grow old. Oh, why did you paint
this picture, Basil? Why should it stay young and I grow old? I wish the picture could
change, and I could stay as I am.’ Dorian was beginning to fall in love with his own
picture.
A few weeks later, Dorian told Lord Henry that he was in love with an actress, called
Sybil Vane. She was seventeen and very beautiful. Dorian didn’t tell Sybil his name but
she called him Prince Charming. He told her that he was in love with her and that he
wanted to marry her. Sybil’s brother was worried about her and this mysterious young
man. ‘If that man harms my sister, I’ll kill him,’ he said to a friend
But Sybil’s brother was a sailor and had to go off to Australia.
One night, Dorian took his friends to see Sybil acting as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. She
acted badly and after the performance Dorian spoke to Sybil. He was very angry with her.
‘But how can I pretend to be Juliet now that I know what real love is? She said to him.
Dorian said that he had loved her because she was a good actress. Now he didn’t love her
any more and so he left her.
When he got back home, he looked at his portrait again. Somehow it was different. The
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face in the picture now had a cruel smile. Then Dorian remembered his wish. He realised
that he had been cruel to Sybil. Tomorrow he would see her and be good to her and make
up for what he had done. But the next day Lord Henry brought Dorian some terrible
news. Sybil had killed herself! Lord Henry told him not to worry, that it would have been
impossible to marry her anyway – she was just an actress. When Lord Henry left, Dorian
looked at the picture of himself again. He realised that he would stay young and
handsome forever and that the face in the picture would become ugly, old and cruel.
The years went by, but Dorian stayed young and handsome. He enjoyed all the pleasures
there were in life. However, his portrait changed and showed all the terrible secrets of his
life. With time he became more and more obsessed with the picture as the face in it
became old and ugly. On Dorian’s thirty- eighth birthday, Basil Hayward, the painter,
came to see him and tell that he was going away to Paris. Basil also told him that people
were saying terrible things about Dorian’s life. Dorian decided to show him the portrait
and to tell him his secret. Basil was horrified when he saw the face and he suggested that
Dorian should change his life. Suddenly Dorian became very angry with Basil. He took a
knife ... and stabbed Basil several times. The next day he got rid of the body. Nobody
would ever miss Basil Hayward. They would think he had gone to France.
Later that night Dorian was in a bar talking to two women. One of them said to him: ‘Ah,
I remember who you are. You are prince Charming, aren’t you?’
A sailor heard this. It was Sybil’s brother. He realised that this was the man who had been
cruel to his sister eighteen years ago. Dorian was very afraid, but said that it couldn’t
have been him. He showed the sailor his face, the face of a young man of twenty. Then
he went away.
‘I nearly killed that boy,’ said the sailor.
‘Boy?, said the woman. ‘I first met him eighteen years ago, but his face hasn’t changed
in all that time.’
A week later Dorian was in the country staying with some friends, when he realised that
the sailor was following him. He became very afraid. The next day he went out walking
with some of his friends who were shooting. His friend shot at an animal and there was
the cry of a man. He killed the sailor who had been following Dorian. Dorian decided to
change his life. ‘Maybe if I have a better life, the face in the picture will not be so ugly
and horrible.’
But when he looked at the portrait it was even more terrible than before. He decided to
destroy the painting. He picked up a knife and stabbed the painting. There was a loud cry
and a crash.
The servants were very afraid. They went into the room and as they walked in they saw a
picture of Dorian as a young man. On the floor was a dead man with a knife in his heart.
It was the other Dorian Gray, his face old, ugly and horrible.
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Unit7 THE SEA
Lesson1 The Spirit of Explorers
VIKING VOYAGES TO AMERICA
The Vikings were the first Europeans to reach America. They achieved this long before
Columbus ever set sail. The Vikings were a group of people whose ancestors came from
Scandinavia. They controlled the seas and coasts of Northern Europe between the 8
th
and
10
th
centuries AD. By around 900AD, there were many places in NORTHERN Europe
where the Vikings chose to live. In 982 AD, when a man called Eric the Red decided to
set sail further west, there as many as 10,000Vikings living in Iceland.
According to the old stories of Iceland and Norway, Eric the Red was forced to leave
Iceland because he had committed a murder, for which he got into trouble. Eric reached
Greenland and discovered that people could live in the place where he landed. He
returned to Iceland and told people there about Greenland. He persuaded some people to
go back with him to Greenland. Eric set sail once again, this time with 25ships, of which
only 14 made it to Greenland.
Not long after Eric the Red had landed in Greenland, a man called Biarni set sail from
Iceland in search of Eric’s party. Biarni was hoping to join his father who was with Eric,
but he was blown off course and found himself in an unknown land, from where he
eventually reached Greenland.
In the year 1002, when Eric the Red’s son Leif was planning a trip further west, Biarni
was the man with whom Leif discussed his plans. Leif followed Biarni’s directions and
sailed to what is believed to be the coast of present-day Canada. He then sailed further
south to an island which is now known as Newfoundland.
We know about Eric the Red and Leif’s deeds through stories which were written
down centuries later in Norway and Iceland. They are the first records we have of
European sailing to the Americas.
Lesson3 UNDERWATER WORLD
THE BEST PLACE TO SEE SEA CREATURES
Polar world
We have polar bears and a real iceberg too! You can only see a small part of it above the
water. It’s three times as big underwater. Watch the acrobatic seals at feeding time. Meet
our less energetic but more friendly penguins. You’ll love them!
Ocean floor
See some of the most beautiful coral and the most unusual fish in the world. Watch some
fish “flying” through the water. They are less colourful than some other fish but they
move beautifully.
Sea theatre
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See our intelligent dolphins. There are fantastic shows every two hours
Discovery pool
Especially for younger children. They can touch crabs and other smaller creatures. They
can be educated about daily life on the beach in this exciting area.
Virtual reality voyage
Our most up-to-date attraction. Come with us on a “virtual reality” trip to the ocean
floor and see some of the strangest fish in the world.
Noisiest fish
Some fish can produce sounds almost twice as loud as your speaking voice! You
certainly can’t find a noisier fish
Prettiest fish
Some fish attract other fish with a light on their body and then eat them! They have a
huge mouth and can eat fish as big as themselves. Watch out!
Tiniest fish
Look carefully for the tiniest fish in the world. It is not as big as a fly in your house!
Swim with dolphins’ and face and attack by the most dangerous creature in the sea-the
great white shark!
Lesson 4
SEA STORIES
It may seem strange, but at that moment, when we were on the edge of the whirlpool, I
felt calmer than when we were moving towards it. We went round and round, nearer and
nearer to the horrible edge of the whirlpool. Suddenly, we went over the edge. I thought
my life was over. But moment after moment passed, and I was still safe. The boat was on
the inside of the huge whirlpool and we were going round in circles at great speed. I saw
clearly that there were other objects in the whirlpool –trees and barrels. I noticed that the
heavier objects went down more quickly than the smaller, lighter ones. So I tied myself
to a barrel to help me float. I tried to make my brother understand, but he was terrified
and stayed in the heavy boat. Without waiting, I dived into the sea to try and escape.
About three years ago, something terrible happened to me. Those six hours of terror have
broken my body and soul. You think I am a very old man –but I am not. It took less than
a single day to change my hair from black to white. One day, my two brothers and I were
coming back from the islands, our boat full of fish. All at once, the sky was covered
with dark clouds and in less than a minute we were in a terrible storm. An enormous
wave covered our boat and my younger brother fell into the sea .Our boat survived, and I
was trying to recover when my elder brother put his mouth close to my ear, and screamed
out the terrifying word” whirlpool!”. With the wind and waves we were going in the
direction of the whirlpool, and nothing could save us!
As you can see, I did escape. I will bring my story quickly to a conclusion. Some time
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after I left the boat, with my brother in it, it sank into the bottom of the whirlpool; soon
afterwards, the whirlpool became less violent. Then the sky was clear, the wind calmer
and the moon was shining. I was still tied to the barrel and the waves soon carried me to
an area where the other fishermen were. In the end, a boat picked me up. I was very tired.
The fishermen were my old friends, but they were unable to recognize me. When I told
them my story, they did not believe it. Nor I have told you, and I cannot expect you to
believe me more than the fishermen did.
Culture Corner Zheng He and His Seven Voyages
Zheng He (1371-1435) was one of China's most famous explorers. Towards the end of
the fourteenth century, his fleet sailed to countries very far away. Zheng He had over 300
ships, some of which were over 150 metres long and could carry up to 1000 people. In
addition to the supplies for the long journeys, the ships carried gold, silver, silk, china
and other treasures to give as gifts to the rulers of the neighbouring countries. Some of
the ships even had earth on board so that the sailors could grow their won crops for food.
On Zheng He's first voyage, he set sail across the Indian Ocean. His fleet traveled for
many days far away from land. One day, they were hit by a storm. All the sailors thought
the fleet was going to sink. Then a strange light appeared at the top of the ships' masts,
and after that, the storm passed. The strange light that appeared on the masts was
probably electricity from the thunderstorm. Many sailors today see such lightning on the
masts of their ships during a storm. But the sailors in Zheng He's fleet believed it was a
sign of protection from the gods. From then on, they were happy to follow Zheng He
where he led them.
Zheng He completed seven famous voyages between 1405 and 1433. He visited many
countries in Asia and Africa. Zheng He also brought back many gifts from the countries
he visited, such as medicines, pearls and strange animals. The most famous of these gifts
were a giraffe and a zebra.
When Zheng He came back from his seventh voyage in 1433, he was sixty-two years old.
In 28 years of travelling, he had managed to share the glory of China with many
different countries. When he died in 1435, the stories of his travels made him one of
China’s most famous sailors.
QUALITIES OF FISH
There are a variety of creatures living under the sea, but not all of them are fish, and so
do whales, but neither are fish because they cannot breathe under water. They have to
come up to the surface to breathe. In fact, they are simply mammals living in water.
Octopuses and squids are also sea creatures, but they are not fish either since they do not
have backbones.
So what are the characteristics of fish? Generally speaking, fish are cold-blooded,
water-living creatures with backbones and gills. Being cold-blooded means that their
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body temperature changes with the surrounding environment, so that they do not have to
waste a lot energy keeping them warm under the water where sunlight hardly goes
through. There are exceptions, however. For example some tuna fish have a slightly
higher body temperature than the surrounding sea water’ and the great white shark is too
big to be cold- blooded.
All fish breathe oxygen through gills, swim with fins, and have scales to protect their
bodies. However, different living environments and have scales to protect their bodies.
However, different living environments and feeding habits make them look completely
different from each other. There are colorful fishes and dull fishes’ huge fishes and tiny
fishes; dangerous fishes and lovely fishes. There are fishes that do not even look like fish
at all! The seahorse is one of them. There are, of course, male fish and female fish, but
believe it or not they do not always stay the same! Some fishes can change sex in order to
reproduce.
Fish have a lot of interesting qualities, and the great variety of fishes makes them suitable
for scientific study and research. If you want to learn more, the best place to start is an
aquarium, where fish are specially bred and kept for educational purposes. But for many
people, there are only two important qualities them it comes to fish-those that can be
eaten and those that cannot.
Unit 8 ADVENTURE
Lesson 1
ADVENTURE IN THE HIMALAYAS
Just imagine. You are walking along a mountain path in the Himalayas. You are feeling
tired. You are thinking about how far there is to go. Then, suddenly you are there! And the
amazing Mount Qomolangma is on the horizon. It looks great. A few minutes later, you
arrive at the camp. The food cooking on the fire smells great and while you are having a
hot cup of tea, you relax and watch the sun go down. At dinner, the food tastes fantastic.
You talk with other people in the group about everything you have seen and done during
your day’s hiking. If you are looking for experiences like this, Adventure 2019 is the
organization for you.
A lot of hiking holidays sound exciting, but the reality is often very different. Hiking trips
can be uncomfortable and even dangerous. However, at Adventure 2019 we feel that we
understand the needs of hikers. All our guides have several years of experience in leading
hiking trips in the Himalayas. They know all the best routes and best places to camp. We
also realize that hiking can be hard work and believe that hikers need all our help. As
well as the group guide, all teams have cooks and porters. While on a hiking trip, our
cooks prepare delicious meals. And our porters carry your luggage, which means that you
can simply enjoy the experience.
At Adventure 2019 we also think that good travel arrangements are important. We
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organize all the flights for you, from London to Beijing, from Beijing to Lhasa and bus
travel in Tibet.
Accommodation is in comfortable hotels in Beijing and Lhasa, hostels on the hiking trip,
one–or two-person tents for camping.
There are also special offers for people who don’t want to go straight home afterwards.
Of you like history, there is a trip to Western China. For people who prefer to spend
some time on the coast, we can organize your travel and accommodation too.
This is a Class A hike- you have to be fit. There are walks of 6-8hours most days, with a
maximum altitude for 5545 meters. Class B and C hikes are easier, so you don’t need to
be so fit.
The hike costs￡2500 including all flights an accommodation. Maximum, group size is
15 people. Hikes are between October and May.
Lesson 3
MARCO POLO AND HIS TRAVELS
Marco Polo was born in Italy in 1254. When he was 17 years old, he traveled across
Europe and Asia with his father, who wanted to do trade with the Chinese. Eventually,
they arrived in Beijing. At that time, China was ruled by the Yuan Dynasty Emperor,
Kublai Khan.
Kublai Khan welcomed Marco and his father. He was very happy to meet two foreigners
and wanted to learn all about Europe. Marco and his father were guests at the Emperor’s
Palace. Although Marco was young, he was very clever and could already speak four
languages. The Emperor was impressed by him and they became friends he asked Marco
to serve in his court and sent him to do many important tasks across the country.
Marco, in turn, was amazed by how beautiful and powerful China was. He was very
impressed by Beijing and the Emperor’s Palace, especially the Summer Palace which he
described as “the greatest palace that ever was… The walls were covered in gold and
silver and the Hall was so large it could easily seat 6000 people for dinner”
There were inventions and developments in China which were not available in Europe at
that time. Marco was surprised to see Chinese people using paper money in the markets.
In Europe, people paid for goods with gold or silver. He could not understand how
people could pay for food and valuable things with paper! He was also confused by the
black stones people used to burn for fuel. The black stones were coal, but Marco had
never seen coal before!
In 1291, after 17 years of service to the Emperor, Marco returned to Italy. He was now a
very wealthy man. Not long after his return,, a local war broke out near his town. During
the war, Marco was the captain of a warship but was caught by the enemy and put into
prison. However, Marco was lucky enough to meet another prisoner who enjoyed
listening to his stories about China. The prisoner was an author and he took dictation
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while Marco told all his stories to him. The prisoner then wrote the stories in a book
called The Description of the World, which became one of the best-selling books in
Europe.
Although people enjoyed reading his book, many of them thought that Marco’s stories
about China were too fantastic to be true. But Marco always stood by his tales. Just
before he died, aged 70, Marco was asked the question, “Was it all true?”, to which he
replied, “I have only told a half of what I saw!”
Lesson 4
THE RACE TO THE POLE
On 1June, 1910, Captain Scott left London to begin his journey to the Antarctic. On his
way, he received a message from the Norwegian explorer Ronald Amundsen” I’m going
South” .So the race to the South Pole was on!
During the polar summer of 1910-1911, both teams organized food bases in preparation
for their journeys

the next year. Then came the total darkness of the polar winter. Scott
and Amundsen waited anxiously for spring.
Amundsen was the first to leave, on 15 October, had teams of dogs pulling the
sledges and all his men were on skis. Because of this, he makes rapid progress. Scott left
on 1 November and soon had problems. First, his two sledges broke down, and then the
horses began to have serious difficulties with the snow and the cold. After a while, Scott
and his men had to push the sledges themselves.
Amundsen reached the Pole on 14December and put a Norwegian flag them. Then he
prepared for the return journey. Scott finally arrived at the pole with four team members
on 17 January. They were shocked when they saw the Norwegian flag. Scott wrote sadly
in his diary:
“Well, we have now lost the goal of our ambition and must face 800miles of hard
pushing-and goodbye to most of our dreams.”
The return journey was one the worst in the history of exploration. The men were soon
exhausted and were running out of food. The weather conditions were terrible. Scott
started to realize their hopeless situation:
“…we are very cheerful, but what each man feels in his heart I can only guess. Putting on
our shoes in the morning is getting slower and slower.”
However, on their way back they found time to look for rocks. They carried 20kilos of
rocks all the way with them. Later these rocks proved that at one time in the distant past
the Antarctic was covered by plants.
Then, disaster soon came. Edgar Evans had a terrible disease and died after a bad fall.
The next to go was Captain Oates, who was having great difficulty walking. Scott
recorded his death.
“He said, ‘I am just going outside and I may be some time’ we knew that poor Oates was
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walking to his death but though we tried to stop him, we knew that it was the act of a
brave man and an English gentleman. We all hope to meet the end with a similar spirit,
and certainly the end is not far.”
Scott and two of his team members carried on and got within eleven miles of one of
their food bases. But the terrible storm started and they could not leave their tent. Scott
spent some of his last hours writing. He wrote a letter full of sadness to his wife
Kathleen:
“I could tell you lots and lots about this journey. What stories you would have for the
boy…but what a price to pay.”
Scott’s diary also told the story of their end: we are getting weaker and weaker and that
can’t be far. It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more.” The news of Scott’s
death shocked the world. He had failed to win the race to the Pole, but the extraordinary
courage, shown by Captain Scott and his men made them into heroes.

Culture Corner The Silk Road
The routes
For centuries, the Silk Road was the most important line of communication connecting
East and West. Although the Silk Road covered a huge distance linking modern day Xi'an
with the Middle East and Europe, today one area in particular is associated most closely
with the name of the Silk Road. This area is Xinjiang in Northwest China, through which
two major routes of the Silk Road passed on the northern and southern side of the
Taklamakan desert.
The name
The Silk Road got its name in the 19th century when a German geographer identified it
as the route through which the Romans got their silk from China. However, silk wasn't
the only thing that passed along the Silk Road; anything that had buyers was traded along
the road. Goods were traded from market to market passing through many hands before
they reached their final destinations.
Trade in precious stones, food, drinks, crafts, art, and of course, silk continues, too.
BREAKING THE ICE
Later this month, China plans to carry out its 21
st
Antarctica scientific expedition in
which about 130 scientists and researchers are going to take part. Before they set sail for
the Earth’s coldest continent, our reporter talked to DrYuan, the captain of the ship that is
going to carry them across the ocean.
Reporter: Dr Yuan, this ship is huge! What’s it called? -
Dr. Yuan: she’s called Xuelong, meaning snow dragon. As you know, moving through
ice-covered oceans can be extremely challenging, especially in the Antarctic. An ordinary
ship weighing thousands of tones can sink if she hits an iceberg, so we need to sail in an
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ice-breaker.
Reporter: so can you tell us more about Xuelong?
Dr. Yuan: sure. She’s China’s only polar ice-breaker. We bought her from Ukraine in
1993 and made changes to her to fit our needs. We added rooms and scientific equipment
so that we could carry out our research on board. But as our need for new equipment is
growing, we are planning to give her a refit again some time next year.
Reporter: and what about life on board? I’ve always wondered about that.
Dr. Yuan: well, it can be boring and tit can be fun. It’s quite dull when all you can see is
an endless horizon for six months. And it’s hard, too, because it’s uncomfortable to travel
on the open sea: the ship can roll even in light seas. We also have to bear high level of
noise, and shaking caused by the ship banging against the ice. But we make friends with
the wild animals along the way, and we entertain ourselves by making the most of all the
things on board: the mini swimming pool, the gym, the library, the basketball court, the
karaoke, the internet cafe. Among those, our favorite place is the post office and of
course, the last place anyone would want to visit is the clinic!
Unit 9 Wheels
Lesson1 On You Bike
Return of the white bikes!
People have been enjoying the benefits of cycling in Amsterdam for years. It is a good
city for cycling because it is flat and therefore is convenient for bikes. There are also
plenty of places for bicycle parking and most streets in the city centre have a bicycle path.
Today some people call Amsterdam the “City Of Bicycle” because of the convenience for
bicycle there.
In the 1960s, a group of cycling fans had an idea. They believed that it would be better
for everybody if cars weren’t allowed in the city centre and only bicycles were. They are
hopeful that this would help to save energy, reduce pollution and provide free public
transport. The group painted hundreds of bicycles white and placed them in lots of
neighborhoods around Amsterdam for people to use. Anyone was allowed to take them
and use them for short journeys. Wherever someone finished a journey, they would leave
the bike there for someone else to use. The problem was that it didn’t work-thieves took
all the bicycles within weeks!
However, more than thirty years later, the “white bike” is back in town this time with a
computer chip to record its every move! To take a bicycle, you have to insert a special
card. The new “white bike” is not actually white but is an unusual design with bright
colours. The bikes are parked at special parking places and people who want to use them
have to take them to another special parking place that has enough room.
There is already less traffic in central Amsterdam, because both locals and tourists have
been using the white bikes. Indeed, thanks to the good ideas of lots of people, like the
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cycling fans in the 1960s, many people around the world have been enjoying city centre
streets without cars for many years.
Did you know?
The Netherlands has 14 million bicycles among 15 million people!
Lesson3. Clean Machine
Solar Car Racing
Solar racers have been coming to Australia for years for the World Solar Car Challenge.
We interviewed Marie Logan from Brisbane.
Q: Well, the first question I have for you is simple. What is a solar car?
A: Solar cars are cars that use the sun’s energy for power. That means they don’t use
petrol, gas or any other fuel, just the sunlight.
Q: And why are people interested in solar cars?
A: People have been worried about pollution caused by fuels like petrol and gas for a
long time now. Solar cars are clean and safe, so there is a lot of interest in them.
Q: You have been designing solar racing cars for a long time. When did you start?
A: Well, I’ve been interested in cars since kindergarten. When I was at university, I
started designing my cars. I’ve designed five or six different cars so far. And I’ve been
taking part in races for about four years.
Q: How many races have you taken part in?
A: Let me think. Six. We’ve won two of them!
Q: Where do these races take place?
A: Well, the one I like best crosses the whole of Australia from northwest to southeast.
It’s about 4,500 km long!
Q: Wow! How long does that take?
A: These days the fastest cars can do it in six days.
Q: And what have you been doing recently?
A: I’ve been building a new car with a team from Queensland University. We’ve done a
lot of work on it, but we haven’t finished yet.
Q: And you’ve been writing a book about solar cars.
A: Well, so far I’ve only written the first few chapters! I want people to have a good
impression of solar cars.
Q: But a lot of people think that solar cars are too slow or not very reliable. How can you
persuade them of the advantages of solar cars?
A: Solar cars are getting better all the time. They have reached speeds of nearly 80 k.p.h.
In tests, one car we built has averaged over 40 k.p.h., even in cloudy weather.
Q: You’ve been working hard – good luck in the race!
A: Thanks a lot.
Lesson 4. Car Culture
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The Road to Destruction
“This morning it took me forty minutes to get to work. More road construction works on
the A10!” “Oh, really? It took me over one hour. There was an accident on the M11.”
“You’re both lucky. It took me two hours! You don't have to use M25.”
How often have you heard these conversations? How often do we get stuck in traffic
jams? How often do we arrive at work or school stressed out, tired and angry? For many
people in Britain, the answer is every day. But anger and stress are nothing compared to
the real costs of the motor car. Here are some figures:
In the last ten years, the number of cars on the roads in Britain has gone up by 30%.
There are now 25 million cars in this country.
Over three thousand people die every year in road accidents in Britain.
In London, car engines produce 99% of all carbon monoxide in the atmosphere.
Twenty-five thousand deaths per year are caused by air pollution.
Some types of cancer are related to traffic pollution.
Traffic is one of the major causes of global warming and climate change. The average
global warming and climate change. The global average temperature is about 0.5 degrees
centigrade higher than it was 100 years ago.
We know that cars are bad for us. So why do we carry on using our cars so much? We all
make excuses: “The buses are terrible.” “The trains are always late.” “I haven’t got time
to walk.” I’m talking myself too. I admit: I’m addicted to my cars. When I asked Jenny
Tower of Greenpeace for advice about how to give up, she told me six things:
1 Use your legs. Over 25% of car journeys are under two miles – short journeys we could
easily walk or cycle. Leg power can save your money, keep you fit and keep you live
longer. And regular exercise cuts the risk of heart disease by 50%!
2 Use public transport. On average, about forty people travel in one bus, while the same
number occupy thirty – three cars. Sometimes it can take a little bit longer, but so what?
You can relax on the bus or train, read a book, talk to someone, meet the love of your life
– who knows?
3 Think before you go. Do you really have to go to that shopping centre on the other side
of town? What about the shops around the corner? Before you get into your car, think
about whether you really need to make that journey.
4 Share cars. If you’ve really got to use a car, share journeys with someone else. It is
much cheaper and kinder to the environment.
5 Don’t believe advertisements! Nearly a quarter of advertisements on TV are about cars.
You see an attractive man or woman driving a fast car through beautiful countryside. It’s
not true! That new car won’t make you more attractive. And you won’t be driving on an
empty country road. You’ll be stuck in a traffic jam in a city or on a highway!
6 Take action somehow! We often think there is nothing we can do about the noise,
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pollution and danger of traffic. There is. If your street’s full of heavy traffic, talk to your
neighbors about it. Write to the papers. Go to the city government. Ask for a speed limit.
Ask for a pedestrian area. Do whichever of these things that suit you. Don’t just sit
around and complain!
All quite simple, isn’t it? Six easy ways to improve our environment. Well, I’m sorry I
must finish this article. I’ve got to pick up my daughter from school at four o’clock. Then
I’ve got to drive to take my son to a party. And tomorrow we’re driving over to see my
mother. The traffic is going to be awful, but what can we do?
Culture Corner American on the Wheel
Although the motor car was invented in 1889 by a German man called Gottlieb Daimler,
it was an American man called Henry Ford who created the motor car as we know it
today. In 1908, Ford began production of the Model T Ford, the motor car that would
change the world forever. The Model T Ford was the first mass production car in the
world. Before 1908, when Ford's cars became available to the public, it was only the very
rich who could afford to own a car. Ford found a way to mass-produce the motor car
cheaply, making it possible for many more people to own one. The Model T Ford was
simple, practical and cheap. It was a huge success. Between 1908 and 1927, Ford made
and sold over 18 million Model T cars. By the 1930s, people in America wanted
something more then the Model T Ford. They didn't want cars to just be practical; they
wanted them to look beautiful too. Soon car companies, like Ford, were forced to change
their car production to suit the public's needs. Stylish cars became popular in Amerca.
And it all began with the American Model T Ford.
Literature Spot 3 Frankenstein
“My dear caption, how shall I begin? I grew up near Geneva.
Focus on reading
“Everybody in this city wants a car, and I’m on exception. A car brings with it the
freedom to travel”, said a friend of mine while reading a car magazine. I might not agree
with him, but no doubt he was speaking for a rapidly growing number of middle-class
Chinese. While it is true that all the waiting, walking, being part of a crowd, and
sweating, are somewhat unpleasant, there are many problems which can arise when our
lives rely too much on this invention.
First of all, in terms of pollution the environment, driving a car is the worst act an
average person can commit. Beijing now finds itself at the top of the list of the most
polluted capital cities in the world with Mexico City in the second place. Research also
shows that by 2019 around 90% of total pollutants in Shanghai will have come from cars.
These pollutants are extremely dangerous to our health. They can damage the lungs,
cause cancer, and damage the brain.
Apart from environmental problems, relying too much on cars also creates social
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problems such as traffic jams, road accidents, and noise pollution. The jeeps that proudly
drive through the narrow H2utongs in Beijing as if they are in a race often annoy me, and
to make it worse, these drivers seldom respect cyclists.
Of course, we cannot forget the convenience that cars bring us when we need to
travel far, but I often find it faster to cycle from one place to another within the city of
Beijing, especially with the growing traffic jams.
Since people travel further and more frequently than before, cares will certainly be
important in the future. At the same time, however, let us work hard to make sure that
this invention brings us a more convenient lifestyle rather than trouble and disease. Let
us make good use of cars.
模块 4
Unit 10 Money
Lesson 1 A Material World
Angus Deayton interviews ex-millionaire Charles Gray
A lot of people are determined to become a millionaire. They spend half their time
dreaming up ways of getting rich, and the rest of their time thinking about all the
enjoyable things they would do once they got rich. But do all millionaires find the
happiness that they thought they would get when they achieve their goals? Some
millionaires continue to be concerned about money when they become millionaires. They
are hardworking to make sure they never lose it.
But there are people who have turned their backs on their millions and found
different ways to be happy in their lives. Charles Gray is one example.
Sixteen years ago, Charles was a college professor with a huge six-bedroom house
and $$2million. Today he lives in a small dormitory room where there is only second-hand
furniture. There are certainly no signs that Charles was a rich man! There is a small
garden outside with a few fruit trees. Charles grows some vegetables and a few flowers.
He gets his clothes and a lot of other things from charity shops.
But Charles appreciates this change. He was pleased to give up the lifestyle of a rich
man. He was tired of being a person who had everything in a world where many people
had nothing. He made the choice to give all his money away. And this, he said, brought
him happiness.
“A few years ago,” says Charles, “I was a millionaire, but was aware there were a
lot of hungry people in the world.” Therefore he gave away all his money to charities.
When he had two thousand dollars left, he gave away small bank notes in the streets of
local poor areas. Did he feel like Father Christmas? “It was a lot of fun,” says Charles.
Charles believes that many people want to earn a lot of money so that they will not
have any worries. However, most people never make much money. Charles Gray decides
to drop out and has discovered that having only a little money makes you free. Are there
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any things he misses? “No, I’m much happier now. I wouldn’t go back to being rich for
anything-no way.”
Lesson 3 Your Money
When less is more
What can you do with 5 Yuan? Not a lot, you may think. Well, if buying a bag of
candies or cookies doesn’t appeal to you, how about buying a tree instead? Yes, a tree
along the banks of the Yellow River to be exact.
Every year, approximately 1.6 billion tons of soil flows into the Yellow River,
China’s second river. The soil contains materials to keep the natural balance of the area.
Over time, a lot of soil has been removed, which has caused serious erosion of the land
along the River. In some areas in Shanxi Province, this has destroyed almost all the land,
and has forced many local farmers to move to other areas.
It is a huge job to control Yellow River erosion. Many people believe this kind of
work is best done by government or international organizations. You may agree with this
point of view. If so, it is time for you to think again.
In fact, it is you who have the most important roles to play in stopping Yellow River
erosion. Did you know the importance of your 5 Yuan? For a start, it can buy you a tree,
which will help make soil stay on the land. On land with rich soil, local farmers can grow
crops to make a living. With the money they earn from their crops, farmers buy goods or
services. This helps to develop local economics.
Still puzzled how your 5yuan can have so much effect? Well, just take a look at the
fact below. Since 2019, a tree-planting program has changed the Jiuchengong Valley in
Inner Mongolia into a green homeland. Visitors from all over the world now come to
admire this great achievement. What is more, the success of the program has greatly
improved the lives of the local people. Just think: all this started with 5yuan! So when
you have 5yuan in your pocket next time, think twice about how to use the money.
Remember you can use it to buy a tree and create a green future for our motherland, our
people and yourself.
Lesson 4 Advertisements
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Mini Camera
Interested in photography? Fujiko has produced an amazing new mini camera- the
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advanced 1001ix. It is no bigger than a credit card! It is convenient and very reliable. It is
really easy to use too. It has an automatic focus and flash, so made from an attractive and
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Special Jewellery For Your Ears
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Feline Floor Cleaners
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ADS ALL AROUND
Advertisement can be seen everywhere in this modern world. It is estimated that
Americans view an average of 1,500 ads every day! With the rapid economic growth in
China, you can expect a number doubling that in the future.
If you think you know all the ad tricks in the book and will never be talked into
buying something you don’t really want, wait till you finish reading this article.
While “hard-sell” ads are easy to detect---- such as those with cheerful Olympic
champions or film stars holding products and feeding you reasons why they are bargains
----- we are less clever when faced with “soft-sell’ methods. The most common technique
of this kind is to make customers think there is an immediate need to buy the product. So
next time you see words like hurry, act now, last chance, now or never etc., think twice.
Most of the chances aren’t as short-lived as they seem to be.
Is that the only type of soft-sell advertising? Of course not. Soft-sell advertising
includes give-away samples and concert sponsorships.
Different types of advertising work in different places and for different product.
“There’s never a one-size- fits-all technique. It has to be tailor made for each situation,”
says Gillian Greene, Creative Director of Cheesy Bee, an advertising company in
London.
Other than speaking directly to customers, some ads are also made for investors and
shop owners. Why? Because when the investors see the expensive, well-made ads, they
believe that the company is running a good business. Then they’re happy to invest more
money in it, even though the ad itself does not appeal to anyone in the street. In the same
way, shop owner prefer to stock well- advertised goods because they know that customers
are more likely to buy them.
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Therefore, advertising can help sell goods even when it’s not directed at the
customers. Ads work in every stage of a business, and that perhaps is the best ad for the
industry itself.
Culture Corner The Euro- the Second Biggest Currency in the World
On 1
st
January 2019, twelve European countries started using the new euro as their
official currency. The euro soon became the second biggest currency in the world.
Introducing the euro was not a simple matter. There were many things to consider.
One problem was the design of the coins and notes. Usually, a currency is associated
with one country only so it is easier to find images and symbols to put on the coins and
notes. However, for the euro, the twelve different countries were involved, and each
country was as keen as the other to be represented.
The notes were designed by Robert Kalina of Austria and he developed an
interesting solution to the problem. His designs show seven different periods in European
architecture. However, instead of showing real, existing structure, he used photographs
to make up imaginary structures that best represented the different architectural styles.
The fronts of the notes show windows or gates while bhe backs show bridges. This is to
represent communication between the people Europe.
All euro notes show the European flag and a map of Europe. The 12 stars on the
European flag represent the 12 countries with the European Union, including Austria,
Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,
Portugal, and Spain.
The coins were easier to design. Each country was allowed to design their own euro
coins which could be used in any of the participating countries. For example, Spain put
one of their famous writers, called Cervantes, on one of their coins and Austria made a
coin with Mozart’s face on it.
Unit 11 The Media
Lesson 1 World News
Africa on G8 Agenda
July5,2019 Scotland
The Group of Eight, or G8, was formed by eight of the world's wealthiest nations in
2019. The G8 is made up of political leaders from France, the United States, Britain,
Germany,Japan, Italy, Canada and Russia. They meet every summer to discuss major
problems that concern the whole world.
It is gong to be remembered as a historical meeting this year as the topic of Africa
will be discussed in detail. Widespread poverty in Africa means that many people there
cannot get the water, clothing. housing, electricity or education they need. AIDS is
another problem of great concern so sex education and health care administration are
extremely important.
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Reforms have been demanded by people from all over the world. They want the
leaders to cancel the debt of Africa's poorest countries so that the problem there can be
prevented from getting any worse. Their belief is that this is the only way for many of
these nations to escape their painful pasts.
London Wins
July 6, 2019 London
At 12:45 UK time today, the name of the host city for the 2019 Olympic Games was
being announced by the International Olympics Committee (IOC) in Singapore. It was
London. London's name had been announced twice before, in 1908 and 1948, so it now
has the distinction of being the first city to host the event three times
Applications to host the games had also been made by Moscow, Madrid, New York
and Paris. In the end, it came down to a choice between Paris and London.
The news is being celebrated by the crowds in the streets. Cheering people can also
be seen everywhere: in pubs, homes and offices all over London. Prince William, who is
now in New Zealand, said he was delighted that the 2019 Olympic Games would be held
in London and he was looking forward to the Games.
Lesson 3
The Advertising Game
The classic advertisement is one that gives information about finding certain
products. It is likely to be just the name of a company, part of which may be general
location. For example, it could be Sewing Machineor Tao Beer
Corporation
the brand names.
However, this kind of advertising may be not suitable when there are products and
services in direct competition with each other in the market place. In such situations,
advertisements need to attract, and hold the attention of the public. Some advertisements
consist of pictures or words of experts to show people how good the products are. Others
try to create advertisements that people simply enjoy looking at. As present-day
advertisers often have large budgets, a lot of money is spent on applying modern
techniques of design to make these advertisements as visually attractive as possible.
However, even this is often not enough to be noticed in a modern city. Because of
the advertising boom, people are used to seeing high standards for visual design. Modern
advertisement must stand out in a world full of competition by combining the highest
standards of design with ideas linked to the products to make them more attractive. For
example, some advertisements may suggest that buying a car may make you free. That is,
they use the concept of freedom to sell the car. Other common ideas include happiness,
wealth and success. In fact, in the world of advertisements, such content is as old as
advertising itself.
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For many of today's advertisers, repeating old ideas is not a successful approach.
They realise that it does not matter how attractive the idea linked with the product
is-most people know that the main purpose of the advertisement is making customers
spend money. Instead, these advertisers look for other ways to make people notice their
products. The top advertisers of today believe that using humor as well as new and
unusual ideas to surprise people is important in modern advertisements. Their aim is to
create something that has never been seen before and is fascinating for people to look at.
By doing this, they hope to make people forget that someone is trying to sell them
something!
However, not all advertising is about selling products and services for a profit. Some
contemporary advertisements mainly aim to make contributions to society. There are
public advertisements which encourage citizens to participate in improving their
neighbourhood, protecting the environment, and helping other people. Over the last
decade, the government has worked hard at using advertisements to educate the public on
fighting AIDS, saving water, helping the poor, giving up smoking, etc. These
advertisements have helped to increase public knowledge, which has made our society a
better place for everyone.
Lesson 4 What’s in the Papers?
According to a research published by Leeds University yesterday, people don’t mind
bad language on television as long as it is not used in programs watched by children.
The study found there was “amazing agreement” about when bad language was
serious and when it was not. Even a group of mothers agreed that a certain amount of bad
language in the well-known film Pulp Fiction was “OK” because the dialogue and
situation made it “funny”. Some people said they found the use of drugs in the film more
worrying than the bad language.
People are asked to comment on scenes from films like Pulp Fiction, TV series like
Channel 4’s Brookside and cartoons like South Park. Leeds University concluded that
people made a distinction between bad language used in programs for adults, and those
meant for children.
Peter Moore, a writer at the BBC, said, “The result does not surprise us at all. We
have always tried to keep bad language away from innocent ears and this is a very
important consideration when deciding at what times of day certain programs are
shown.” Sussan Bold, director of programs at ITV, said, “The report gives interesting
information about attitudes to bad language on screen. But it doesn’t mean that we can
increase the amount of bad language used on television.”
More than 30 astronomers on a sightseeing trip to the museum of science had an
amazing escape, after their trolleybus crashed into a greengrocer’s truck on Park Avenue.
The accident, which took place in Kingston, a town southwest of London, happened
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because of the fog. The 60-year-old driver of the truck did not know that he was parked
in the way of the trolleybus. When the driver finally discovered the trolleybus coming
towards him through the fog, he tried to move but his tyres got stuck in the muddy
ground. At the last minute, he jumped out of the truck, hurting his ankle, before the
trolleybus crashed into the truck, pushing it 20 yards. “ I would have been killed if I’d
stayed in the truck,” he said afterwards.
A spokesman for the police said, “It’s amazing that no one was badly hurt. When we
arrived at the scene, we called an ambulance as we saw blood everywhere. We soon
realised, however, that the blood was really strawberry juice! The greengrocer’s truck
had been carrying a load of fresh strawberries.” He praised the bravery of the
astronomers who were helped out of the windows of the trolleybus by firemen.
Mum Lillian Derbyshire is going to see her four daughters again – after 31- year
holiday!
Shonda (now 38), Shelley (37), Sherri(36) and Shirin (34) went on holiday to America
with Lillian’s ex- husband – and never came back, Sherri wrote a letter to local paper
asking her mother to contact her.
Now Lillian, of West Gorton, Manchester, is making the 3,000- mile journey to
California to see her daughters. ‘ I can’t stop crying with happiness,’ she said.
Culture Corner British Newspapers
The most popular newspapers are the tabloids. and also convenient to read.
Focus on reading
Reading Between the Rings
The Olympic Games is always a big event but when the Games returned to its
birthplace in Athens, Greece, in 2019, there was even more excitement than usual. This
explains why the city was packed with more journalists than sportsmen, all of them
competing not for medals, but for the best pictures and the most news worthy stories.
Because every person sees things in their own way, the stories coming out of Athens
were often every different, even when the facts they covered were exactly the same.
For example, when the Chinese team won a record-high of 62 medals, the Chinese
journalists recorded China’s reaction as one of “pleasant surprises”. On the other side of
the world, journalists wrote about people’s “stunned” actions to China’s success.
When it came to the reasons behind China’s success, the Xinhus News Agency said
it was the fruit of “years of effort”. The Observer, a UK magazine, however, put China’s
success down to “the vast sum of money” that the Chinese government had put into
creating medal winners. “They have money, they have people, they have pride; and what
they don’t have, they can either copy to perfection or just buy.” wrote Tracey Holmes for
CNN.
Some journalists described China as a “sports tsar”- a country to be feared by the
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traditional sports super-states like the US-and Filip Bondy of NBC Sports wrote, “The
joke in Athens is that there is no reason to show up at the Beijing Olympics in 2019
because there will be no medals left – even the medal stands are being built to fit the
locals.” And in the Chinese reports? The media remained modest. “China will perform
even better in the Beijing Games but isn’t ready to compete with the United States for the
top place,” wrote China Daily. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Unit 12 Culture Shock
Lesson 1 Visiting Britain
Dear Aunt Mei,
I can’t believe I’ve been in London for 6 months already! I certainly own you an apology
for not writing more often. I’ve just been so busy studying and trying to absorb all the
new things around me ——I think I’m still experiencing culture shock. There is so much
here that is different from home. But you’ll soon experiencing it all yourself! I wish your
visit wasn’t going to be so brief but there’s a lot we can do and see in a week. I’m just so
glad you can afford to visit me and I refuse to let you pay for anything while you’re here!
I don’t know what your expectations are of London, but knowing that you’ve never
travelled outside of Asia thought I’d tell you a bit about what you can expect you find.
First of all, the food. When I first got here, I was amazed to find that London is such an
international city. There are people from all over the world living here and as a result,
there are many international restaurants. Do you know that almost every town in Britain
has at least one Chinese restaurant? But British people hardly ever eat Chinese food for
breakfast. You’re going to have get used to bacon and eggs with a few slices of toast for
breakfast over here, Aunt Mei!
And a word of advice. To avoid getting confused about the British tipping system, you
need to check your bill to see if a tip is included or not. If it isn’t, I suggest leaving 10%
of the bill for the waiter or waitress-even a bit more if the service is good. Taking of
money —— it’s really easy to exchange traveler’s cheques at banks or hotels so I advice
you to get some of those before you come.
I think we should consider staying in the English countryside for a few nights as I know
you enjoy hiking. We can wander through the fields and even pick a few mushrooms to
have with our breakfast! I have learnt which ones are tasty and safe to eat so we won’t
risk getting sick! And don’t forget a warm coat! It can get pretty cold and foggy in this
country.
One last thing, I didn’t understand English humor at all when I first got here. The British
find the strangest thing funny! We’re certainly more used to Chinese humor so don’t be
surprised if you hear laughter when you don’t think anything’s funny. They’re not
laughing at you! But even though some British people are quiet strange, the majority of
them are really friendly and I’ve made some good friends.
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Anyhow, I’d better get back to work. I am so looking forward to your visit, Aunt Mei!
Love Xiaojin
Lesson 3 Living Abroad
When I first arrived in San Francisco, I had a difficult time understanding certain
aspects of the American way of doing things. Once I went to visit an American friend.
After a splendid evening, I finished my cocoa and got ready to leave. As soon as we said
goodbye, my friend went back to his room closing the door behind him. It made me feel
that I was not really welcome.
Jin Li
I’ve always been outgoing but since an embarrassing experience in a New York
restaurant I’ve been much more cautious. I was enjoying my dessert and talking to my
American friend Janice at the table when I noticed people staring at us. I asked Janice
what was wrong and she told me that I was talking too loudly. She said that to some
American people, it sounded like I was shouting. I whispered for the rest of the evening.
Wang Lei
What did I learn about Chinese customs from my exciting exchange to China?
Well, the Chinese are extremely welcoming. One evening, I was invited to a Chinese
family dinner. I had a good appetite and the food was yummy. But my host kept on
putting more food in my rice bowl. They didn’t seem to hear me saying “No, thank
you” in my poor spoken Chinese. This was a very special experience I had in China.
In my culture, you don’t get more food if you don’t ask for more.

Martin
I had a similar experience the last time I visited China. The Chinese are the
friendliest people have ever met. After my visit to a Chinese family, my friend’s
grandfather wouldn’t le me go to the bus station alone. He insisted on walking me to the
station to see me off. I kept saying that I knew the way myself, but it just did not work.
What he did was amazing. This will not happen in many other cultures. I guess.
Tom
Chinese people are very modest too. Last time, when I visited China, we saw the tour
guide wearing pretty fur coat on the day we left. I told her the coat suited her, but she
looked very embarrassed, saying that it was a cheap one she had bought a long time ago.
I was surprised. In my culture, when people say nice things about us, we feel very happy
and say thanks.
Tina
Lesson 4 The New Australians
Is it all kangaroos and surfing?
Host: Welcome to “Countries of the World”. Today we’re talking about Australia, the
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land of sunshine and surfing. George and Fiona are two Australians who have joined us
for today’s show. So first of all, tell us a bit about yourselves.
George: Hi. Well, I live on an acre of land outside Melbourne but my family actually
came here from Greece in the 1980s---- in fact, Melbourne is the city with the largest
number of Greek people outside Athens! At first, we didn’t feel we belong here, but now
we are attached to the land we live on.
Host: Thanks, George. Now here’s Fiona from Sydney.
Fiona: Hello. Australia is my birthplace but my mum came from Scotland and my dad
came from France. That’s the great thing about Australian culture ---- it’s such a mix of
different cultures. The early settlers were mostly English and Irish, but since 1945, the
population has become more and more mixed with people from Southern Europe and
Asia
Host: Wow! How do these different cultures affect different aspects of Australian culture?
Fiona: Well, for example, we see all these influences in modern Australian cooking.
Chefs call it “fusion food” ---- a brilliant mixture of delicious Southern European food
mixed with Southeast Asian food. The desserts are the best ---- they’re so yummy!
Host: Sounds tasty!
George: And kangaroos are tasty too! In Melbourne, the only place we ever see
kangaroos is on the menu in a restaurant. You mainly see kangaroos in the vast area of
desert in the middle of Australia. This is a great place for camping but you have to look
out for snakes and spiders ---- Australia has some of the most dangerous in the world.
Host: So do many people live in the desert?
George: Not really. There are people who work in the mines, of course. Australia actually
exports the most diamonds and coal in the world! And there are also a lot of sheep farms
in the desert areas ----- in fact; I’ve heard that there are seven sheep for every person. But
most Australians live on the coast. That’s why surfing is such a popular sport.
Fiona: But it’s not the only sport Australians are fond of. Because the weather’s so good,
Australians like being outdoors. Walking, fishing, horse- riding, tennis, golf and sailing
are all popular. We take sport very seriously and sailings are all popular. We take sport
very seriously and sailings are all popular. We take sport very seriously and have
produced great Olympic swimmers and top cyclists.
Host: So is Australia all about beach barbecues and surfing? What about art and
literature?
George: Contrary to popular belief, Australia is not a dull place at all for people wanting
culture. There’s a really lively cultural scene here. Australia has produced some famous
painters and world-class writers.
Fiona: And in Sydney, you’ll find a broad choice of opera, drama, classical concerts, and
rock concerts ---- there’s too much choice really! Of course, things are more limited if
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you live in a small town.
Host: Now, is there anything you don’t like about Australia?
Fiona: I can’t bear the way the native Australians have been treated. They are now a
minority group and most of them live in terrible conditions while the rest of us are quiet
well-off. I think that’s unfair. The government is trying to improve things, but is seems a
bit late. I wonder if they’ll ever forgive the way they’ve been treated.
George: I agree with Fiona. The only other thing I’d complain is the roads outside the
cities. Most of them are in pretty poor condition.
Host: Well, you’ve given me a great preview of Australia. Now I need to see it myself.
Fiona: Of course! There are loads of great places to see in Australia. You have to visit the
Great Barrier Reef ----- it’s just amazing! V
George: And the most interesting place of all is Ayers Rock ---- the huge red rock in the
desert that changes color at dusk.
Host: are all Australians as proud of their country as you are?
Fiona and George: They are!
Culture Corner Australia Aborigines – the Native Australians
Aborigines probably came to Australia from Indonesia 50,000 years ago. art and
craft as well as musical instruments.
Literature Spot 4 The Pearl
KINO WAS A POOR PEARL DIVER. One day his baby was stung by a scorpion, so he
took the baby to the doctor. But Kino didn’t have any money. He only had some very
poor quality pearls. The doctor didn’t want to treat the baby ,so the doctor’s servant lied
to Kino:
That day, Kino went diving for pearls. When he was diving he saw a very large oyster.
He swam down and down and picked up the oyster. Then he came to the surface. He took
his knife and opened the shell of the oyster .Inside, there was an enormous and beautiful
pearl-the greatest pearl in the world!
Kino and his wife Juana were very happy. Now they would have enough money to
educate their son and maybe buy new clothes and even a rifle. The news of the pearl
spread through the town very quickly. That evening, lots of neighbours came to their
house and they talked about what Kino and Juana could do with the money.
The doctor and his servant also came to the house, because they also heard about the
pearl. The doctor made Kino and Juana afraid about the scorpion sting. He gave the baby
medicine, which he said would save him. The doctor looked around the house, because
he knew that the pearl would be hidden somewhere there.
In the middle of the night, while Kino and his family were sleeping, Kino suddenly heard
a noise. Someone was trying to get the pearl! In the darkness, Kino jumped up with his
knife but someone hit him on the head and ran away. The next morning he took the pearl
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to the pearl dealers in the main square of the town. There were many dealers but they all
worked for one man and they always gave the divers the lowest possible price for their
pearls. Kino went to different dealers but they all said that the pearl was too big and ugly
and that it wasn’t worth more than 1500 pesos.
Kino was very angry. He decided to go to the capital city because he knew that the pearl
was very valuable. But that night someone attacked him outside his house. Juana said
that the pearl was evil and that it was going to destroy them. She tried to throw the pearl
into the sea, but Kino stopped her. Soon afterwards, he was attacked in the darkness by a
group of men. He defended himself with his knife and killed one of the men.
Kino and Juana knew that they had to get away from the town but someone had made a
hole in the bottom of their canoe, so they couldn’t go by sea. When they went back to
their house they found it in flames. That day ,they hid in Kino’s brother’s house. When
night came, Juana and Kino started to walk towards the mountains. They carried the baby
with them. Kino was still determined to sell the pearl and kept making plans about the
future. During the day, they found a place to hide. They were resting when they saw that
three hunters were following them. They hid and stayed very quiet until the hunters had
gone past. Then they ran to the mountains.
High in the mountains, they found a stream and a waterfall. They drank water and
decided to hide in one of the caves under the waterfall. That evening, the hunters arrived
and camped next to the waterfall. Juana had difficulty keeping the baby quiet, so Kino
decided to go down and try to kill the men. He was just about to attack them, when the
hunters heard the baby. They thought that was a coyote.
A man fired his rifle just as Kino attacked. Kino then took the man’s rifle and killed the
other men. But suddenly everything went very quiet and Kino knew that something was
wrong. He went back to the cave. The baby was dead! He had been hit by the first rifle
shot. Kino and Juana walked back to the town carrying the body of their dead baby. They
walked slowly. The people came out to meet them but Kino and Juana ignored everybody.
They walked towards the sea. Kino took out the pearl. It was grey and ugly, and in the
pearl he could see evil faces. He offered the pearl to Juana but she said softly:
Kino took the pearl and threw it into the water. It dropped to the bottom and settle near
some plants. A crab climbed over it was covered with sands. The pearl had disappeared.
Living with Differences
Living in a foreign country is fun but it isn’t always easy. There are many
differences between cultures and although some of these differences are unimportant,
some can cause a lot of embarrassment. In addition to the obvious language problems of
living in a foreign country, I certainly experienced culture shock when I was living in
Paris I know I’m not the only one so, I spoke to a few foreign friends about how they
experienced culture shock in China.
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Aubin arrived two months ago from Europe to take part in a language program in
Shanghai. Before he left, he was actually taught the differences between European and
Chinese cultures, including everything from table manners to classroom behavior.
However some things have still taken him by surprise.
For example, he couldn’t understand why waiters did not want to accept the tips he
gave them after meals in restaurants. He said that in Europe waiters got angry if you
didn’t leave them a tip! I had to explain to him that people don’t usually tip in china and
that this comes from the Confucian idea that one must avoid accepting any undue
income.
Another friend, Julia, came to Guangzhou from London to teach at a language
school. After a month, she told me that she was really let down by her students. I asked
her why and she told me that they were so quiet, that she was the only person talking in
class and it felt like the children were punishing her by making her talk to her walls! I
explained to her that the children were simply being respectful but she said that it would
be more respectful if they answered her questions. I think we should be proud of the
Chinese tradition that stresses politeness but I do think that Julia has a good point.
And it is not only the West and the East that have cultural differences. Even Korea
and China, two countries that are very close to each other, have differences too. “I
thought Chinese and Korean people were the same,” said my friend Ji-Hyun in perfect
Chinese used to take their shoes off. They don’t do that anymore, but Korean people still
do! I keep getting that wrong even though I’ve been here for five years.”
Luckily, whether we take our shoes off or not, or leave unnecessary tips, the world
still runs perfectly. In my opinion, cultural differences should simply be seen as a way of
making life interesting. Imagine how boring it would be if we all did everything exactly
the same way! Learning to understand and respect differences is, after all, what life is all
about.
模块五
UNIT 13 People
Lesson 1 EQ:IQ
Success comes with a high EQ
Most students do an IQ test early in their school career. Even if they never see their
results, they feel that their IQ is what determines how well they are going to do in life.
When they see other students have a higher IQ and that there is nothing they can do to
change facts. However, new research into EQ suggests that success is not simply the
result of a high IQ.
While your IQ tells you how intelligent you are, your EQ tells you how well you use
your intelligence. Professor Salovey, who invented the term EQ, gives the following
description: At work, it is IQ that gets you hired but it is EQ that gets you promoted.
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Supported by his academic research, Professor Salovey suggests that when predicting
someone’s future success, their character, as measured by EQ tests, might actually
matter more than their IQ.
Professor Salovey may be correct. For example, have you ever wondered why some
of the smartest students in your class, who you think deserve good grades, sometimes
end up failing exams? Perhaps their failure is because of their low EQ. People are often
mistaken in thinking that those with high IQs always have high EQs as well. This
association can exist, but it is just as possible for someone with a low IQ to have a high
EQ or someone with a high IQ to have a low EQ.
It is generally believed that people with high EQs are open to new ideas and have
positive attitudes toward life. They are also less likely to be troubled by problems. On the
other hand, there is little doubt that people with low EQs often have problems getting on
with other people and dealing with difficult situations; thus they have a harder time
surviving in life.
People generally believe that a person’s IQ is determined by birth. However, most
social scientists agree that EQ has a lot to do with education. Some are trying to study the
possibility of improving a person’s EQ, especially in terms of “people skills”, such as
understanding and communication.
Professor Mayer, recognized by many as a leading expert in the study of changes to
people’s EQs, recently announced the result of a study on senior high school students.
When normal students were introduced to students with disabilities, they found that,
afterwards, the normal students were more willing to help people with difficulties. They
also showed a better understanding of the disabled students’ feelings compared to
students who had not been involved in the study. There was also an obvious change in the
disabled students’ attitudes. They became more positive about life and more willing to try
new things.
The results of studies such as these show that EQs is as important, if not more
important than IQ. To get ahead in the world and lead a happy successful life means
getting on with other people and being able to understand and react to situations in the
best way possible. This requires a high EQ — the higher the better. And the fact that it
might be possible to raise EQs means that schools need to make sure that their students
are receiving the education they really need, and know that their futures are not entirely
determined by their IQs.
The Future and Us
During the twentieth century, cars, electric lights, space travel and amazing
advances in medicine changed people’s lives. So what might this new century being?
There are hundreds of predictions flying around — let’s have a light- hearted look at some
of them.
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In a recent UK survey, teenagers were asked to make predictions about the year
2019. One of the most common predictions was that school uniforms won’t be around.
They also predicted that both girls and boys will wear make-up more often, and more
than 75% of men will wear skirts regularly. My dad is 65 next Saturday — I think I’ll
buy him a skirt as a birthday present and tell him he’ll soon be in fashion!
Other predictions involve changing roles of men and women. By 2019, some people
say that single men of working age will form more than 10% of all families. It is also
predicted that washing powder advertisements will include more men because more of
them will do housework. I’ll tell that that to my husband when he gets home and see how
keen he is to wash the dishes!
Many predictions are about crime and safety problems. Some people think that
crime will improve and the world will become a more peaceful place. Others believe that
crime is going to worsen and that people will stay at home becoming completely
dependent on the Internet for shopping and work. It is also predicted that you will need
an electronic card to get into parks as parents demand safe play areas for their children.
This is old news of me — our local government is going to introduce one this summer.
Technology is predicted to play an even more important role in our lives in the
future. Some parents might have cameras at home so they can keep an eye on their
children while they are out. Quick, kids, turn off the TV and do your homework!
Here’s another prediction. Researchers have concluded that cultural activity may
add years to your life. The cinema, theatre and concerts may give us a longer life because
they encourage strong feelings. Well, we’re watching Bridget Jones’ Diary this Friday
night. Will that help us live longer?
Let’s finish up with my favorite prediction. In the future, elderly people are going to
make up a larger proportion of the world’s population than ever before. In Britain, an
estimated 100,000 people now in their thirties may live to be 100. And that includes me!
I’ll have a big, big party. I promise!
Lesson 4
First impressions
The day that I met my best friend for the first time, I was full of anxiety. I was trying
to do some revision for an important oral exam in the local library and people kept
disturbing me. I was getting more and more annoyed and of course, the more upset I got,
the less I was able to concentrate. The last straw was when I heard someone behind me.
The singing was so loud that I could even recognize the song! I turned around and glared
at the person who was singing. It was a tall girl about the same age as me and she had a
big smile on her face. She was standing with a book in her hands near the “English
Literature” section. She looked like a literary type and seemed very interested in what she
was reading. I glanced at the book’s cover. It was a book of Tennyson’s poems.
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The fact that she looked like a sensitive, friendly girl didn’t matter. If anything, it
made me even angrily. In fact, I’m surprised there wasn’t steam coming out of my ears!
I picked up my books, glared at her and whispered angrily, “Thanks to your noise,
I’ve been unable to study. You’re so selfish!”
I still hate thinking of that moment. Let me tell you the rest of the story though.
Because I left the library in such a hurry, I left my most important textbook behind.
It was only when I got home two hours later that I realized I’d forgotten it and there was
nothing I could do as the library was closed. I was so upset that I almost cried. Just then,
the phone rang. I answered it and a gentle voice introduced the speaker as Jenny and
asked if I was Jane. After confirming that I was, Jenny said that she had noticed I’d left
my book in the library and as my name was in it, she’d asked a librarian to get my phone
number from their files. She said that she didn’t live far away and could bring it around
for me if I needed it.
I sighed with relief and agreed to meet her at the convenience store down the road. I
was so grateful! Of course you’ve guessed who Jenny was. She was the girl I had
shouted at for singing. When I recognized her in the convenience store, I was filled with
shame and apologized several times for my rude behavior. I felt so guilty, but Jenny just
laughed and told me she was glad to see that I’d also left my glare in the library! I
couldn’t help laughing at this and I invited her back to my apartment for a quick cup of
tea.
We got along really well and ever since then we’ve been best friends. We’re very
much alike and we tell each other everything. To be honest, I trust her more than anyone
else. I often think how lucky I am. If Jenny hadn’t been a kind person who was willing to
forgive my shortcomings, I would never have experienced such true friendship.
Culture Corner Personalities and National Types
Some people believe that your nationality can influence your personality!
Germans are sometimes of accused of not having a sense of humour.
Unit 14 Careers
Lesson 1 Everybody’s good at something!
Do this personality test and find the right job for you.
1. A friend is having problems writing a plot summary for a book report. She asks you to
help her. What would you do?
a. Help her after school. Tell her to phone you if she needs any more guidance.
b. Give her a model paragraph and tell her the names of some helpful books.
c. Suggest ways to write a clear, accurate summary.
d. Ask her to make a timetable so she can finish the plot summary and book report
on time.
2. You are working for an institute that gives aid to the poor in a small village. Your boss
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tells your team to repair an old pump near a river. What would you do?
a. Ask the villagers what they want. Ask them to give you advice.
b. Choose a certain job that you think you could do well, such as collecting data.
Then plan how you could do the job well.
c. Try to improve the design of the pump. Look at the river and see if there is a
better place to build the pump.
d. Ask everybody in your team to do certain jobs. Make sure they know what to do.
Choose one of the hardest jobs for yourself to set an example.
3. You are on a school trip and the coach has an accident when a deer runs across the
road. No one is hurt, but you are stuck on a forest road with no traffic. It is getting
dark and it has started to snow. What would you do?
a. Talk to anybody who looks afraid or worried. Tell them not to worry.
b. Keep calm. You know that the situation is not really dangerous and somebody is
going to help.
c. Tell your friends a story, while you are waiting for help.
d. Take charge of the situation. Ask a small group to go to the nearest village to get
help. Tell everybody on the bus to put on more clothes to keep warm.
4. Last week your teacher asked your class to perform a short play for the school. So far,
nothing has been done and there are only ten days before the performance. What
would you do?
a. Offer to take part and ask others to do the same. Help people to learn their lines.
b. Organise some of the practical things, such as costumes, scenery and sound
effects.
c. Think of topics for the play. Write the dialogue and show it to the class.
d. Offer to direct the performance. Choose people for different roles.
Lesson 3
The Road to Success
As a child, Wang Junyan never dreamed of becoming a famous person on TV. “I
never thought about going on TV because my family didn’t even have one until I was in
junior high school！” she explained. Now Wang Junyan is the presenter for Universe TV’s
news programmes. I asked her how she had achieved success and she told me that being
curious, working hard, and believing in what was true made her the success she is today.
“It was my mother who taught me to be curious. She had a great love of everything in
the universe and she taught me to be interested in mankind and nature, everything from
plants to insects,” Junyan told me. “We would look in old nests to find birds’ feathers and
we would even turn over stones to look at the little creatures there. I loved doing that,”
remembered Junyan. She said, “My mother was a strong character. Although there were
lots of difficulties to overcome, she never let her problems defeat her. She worked
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extremely hard to support me through school and during my time at Fudan University in
Shanghai. ” Her attitude towards life will never stop influencing my thoughts and
actions.
After graduating from university, Wand Junyan became a reporter for a local
newspaper. She said she chose to be a journalist because it is important that people grasp
what is going on around them. I asked her if there was any special moment that made her
realize this and she replied that it was after she was asked to inspect an illegal business.
Her report helped the people who had been affected and it also helped the government
inspect the company and catch the guilty people. “That is when I realized the importance
of being a journalist, ” said Junyan.
“Writing that report wasn’t easy, but I realized that people needed to know and so I
didn’t give up,” Junyan told me. This paid off because she won an award for the report.
“I discovered then that as long as I am committed and never give up I will be able to
produce high quality reports.” That’s exactly what Wang Junyan has been doing as the
face of Universe TV.
I asked Junyan what she liked most about her job and she said that although there
wasn’t much glory in a reporter’s existence, she found it interesting and challenging.
“I’m never bored with this job!” She added that as a reporter she needed many different
skills and was constantly challenged to learn new things. Finally, I asked her if after
many years she still felt curious. Smiling brightly, she told me, “Nothing that I learned
from my mother has ever left me. Today when I’m looking for stories, I still feel like I’m
turning over stones to see what might be hiding beneath!”
Lesson 4
Survival of the Fittest
“Between now and the 21
st
century, citizens of the world’s richest and most advanced
nations will find it more and more difficult to keep up with the demand for change. For
them, the future will arrive too soon.” So begins Alvin Toffler’s book Future Shock,
written back in 1970.
Now people are beginning to pay attention to Toffler’s ideas because the speed of
change is becoming increasingly fast. It is sometimes difficult to work out the patterns of
change. What should you do? (1)_____________________. Take a deep breath and try to
get a sense of the good things the future has to offer.
You don’t need to be Einstein to predict the job areas which will be most affected by
such change. Jobs in farming, coal mining and heavy industry are decreasing rapidly. (2)
_____________________.
Without doubt, the number of jobs in information technology will multiply. There are
currently over 100,000,000 computers in the world and by 2020 there will be 10 times
more. (3) _____________________.
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There are also many other important changes taking place. First, fewer and fewer
people will have a “job for life”. (4) _____________________. According to Mark
Hastings of the Institute of Management, in the future, people will organize their working
life around a variety of jobs, instead of working just for one division of branch of a
company.
Similarly, companies will operate in different ways. People will move around to do
different jobs, rather than moving up in the company as before. Many more people will
work for small, dynamic companies which can respond quickly to changes in the market.
Other people will give up working for a boss and start their own business. All this means
that companies will require people who are flexible and can work on their own. (5)
_____________________.
Good communication skills will be extremely important. According to Dr Laurence
Lyons of Future Work, women will be envied because they have an advantage in this area.
James Traeger, spokesman of a government training organization, explains that many
men will have to be retrained. “It’s not about making men more like women, but helping
them to communicate as well.”
Businesses will certainly become more international. English will probably remain the
international business language, so don’t bother learning Russian or Spanish. (6)
_____________________. Above all, a manager will need to feel comfortable working
with people from other countries and continents.
New technology is the driving force behind these rapid changes, so don’t get left
behind. You don’t need to become a computer expert, but you must consider improving
your computer skills. Work with more than one program in case you have to use them at
work, and try to read about new technology.
There is no doubt that all this new technology is changing the way we work and
offering many other ways of working. Rather than going into an office, a lot of people are
connected to the Internet and now work from home. Working like this allows you to live
where you want, to continue your studies and to enjoy the comfort of having a lot more
free time. However, with all this change, let’s hope that it also helps the people in poor
countries where slave labour still happens. For the citizens of these nations, the future
can’t arrive soon enough.
Working for a Foreign Company
Globalization has caused companies worldwide to become huge international networks.
A truly successful business has offices in most of the world’s major cities. This means
that working for many people even if they are living in their country of birth. But what is
it like to work for a foreign company? Elaine and Kevin share their experiences.
Elaine
I got my present job thanks to my English major background. I work as an accountant
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for an international accounting firm and I need English to deal with many of my clients
every day.
Getting the job wasn’t easy. Every year there are as many as 30,000 applicants
competing for 150 jobs but I was one of the lucky ones.
The job itself is challenging. Sometimes I have to work till midnight to meet deadlines,
especially when we’re dealing with overseas clients who are in different time zones!
There are alt of differences between foreign companies and local firms. For example,
foreign companies seem to give equal opportunities to graduates regardless of their
degree. They put more emphasis on the applicant’s abilities. They also seem to be more
serious about their company image. For example, I always wear a suit to work and make
sure my hair and make-up is done. I’ve also traveled a lot as part of my job. I wouldn’t
have been able to do that with a local firm.
Kevin
I studied engineering and getting a job in the car industry was my main goal after
graduation. I’m now working for an Austrian company that develops car engines. It is
one of the biggest of its kind in the world.
I joined this company because I thought a western working environment would suit me
better. I think people are more straightforward in the west.
Getting into the company wasn’t as hard as I had imagined because I had applied for a
position that was only open to graduates. Of course, they expected me to speak good
English as well.
I am now in Austria on an eighteen- mouth exchange programme. It’s fun about the
disadvantage is that I miss my family. I might even have to stay here for longer if I get
promoted. I’ll have to think hard about what I want.
Back in China, I thought my career was everything; but in Austria, I see people
enjoying their time with their families. This job has changed me. I now believe that my
family is more important than money or my career, because after all, a job is only a job.
Culture Corner Today’s Job Requirements
The job market has changed and our approach to finding work must change as well.
Good job candidates must show a flexible approach to problems.
Unit 15 Learning
Lesson 1
The importance of life- long learning
Nowadays, more and more people of various ages and backgrounds are continuing
to study to improve themselves. Here’s what they have to say about their life-long
learning experience.
Sun Wen – 28 years old
“It’s never too late to learn.” That was the advice I got after I failed my college
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entrance exam. Now I’m about to graduate from the School of Continuing Education at
Qinghua University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering by distance
learning. Because of my new qualification, I’m getting promoted at work.
In the past, if someone like me had failed to get into university through the college
exam, he would have had no chance of getting a degree. But it’s different now. I decided
to give myself a second chance by studying for a degree in the evenings and on weekends
while keeping a secure full-time job. Frankly speaking, the last four years have been hard
work, but it’s been worth it!
Ms Tang – 45 years old
Three months age, when my manager told me that I would be laid off, my mind
went blank and my heart swelled with anger. In the past, if someone had worked for a
company for over 20 years, they would have stayed there until retirement! I suspect that
they laid me off because the company was not doing that well but it still brought a lump
to my throat and made me want to cry. I felt as if I had done something wrong! I know
this isn’t true though. It’s just the status of the job market at the moment.
At first, I enjoyed being a full-time housewife and called myself “CHO” or “chief
home officer”. But soon I got bored and decided to do a business course. I have learn so
many new skills and have already prepared a business plan for setting up my own export
company! I think that getting laid off will prove to be the best thing that ever happened to
me.
Grandpa Chen -75 years old
I’m sure you all know the saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Well, it’s
certainly not true! I’m an old dog, and I’m teaching myself new tricks every day!
It all started a few months ago when postage went up. I’d been sending letters by
airmail to my daughter in the US once a week, but, suddenly, it was too expensive. I
decided that it was time I became an Internet user. I got my grandson to instruct me on
how to email and use the Internet and I really enjoy the speed at which my messages get
sent and answered. And aside from emailing, it’s fun to see and talk to my grandchildren
in the US on the i-Cam. In the past, if I’d wanted to see them, I would have had to visit
them in person.
So many people think that after you retire, all you can do is switch off your brain
and bury everything you’ve ever learnt. This is so wrong!
Anyway, it’s time for me to go now. I have to practice the alphabet! I’m doing an
English course on the Internet.
Lesson 3 Teachers
My teacher
Graham Lawrence, 29, science author who gives presentations on TV, went to
Overton School, 1981-1989.
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I haven't seen Mr. Jenkins since I left school but I often think about him. I wasn’t
very good at most school subjects. I suppose I was a bit lazy and now I wish I’d dome
more work, especially in maths. The only thing I can remember from school maths is that
the angles of a triangle add up to 180 degrees! But when I was 15 and went into Mr.
Jenkins’ class, I really became interested in a subject for the first time.
Before Mr. Jenkins, science had simply been a subject full of strange words to me. I
had no idea what an atom was and I didn’t really want to know either! I found it all so
boring and difficult. But Mr. Jenkins made everything interesting. He used to explain
things with lots of practical examples and simplified things that seemed difficult. One
day, he took us outside and we built a rocket! I remember that he let me pour some
powder into the rocket and then another student lit a flame to set it off. It was great fun.
I know that I wasn’t a willing student and I shouldn’t have been so difficult at
school, but it was probably because I lacked confidence in myself. Mr. Jenkins made me
feel that I could do things. I was interested in astronomy and he asked me to give a
presentation to the class. That was really the first time I ever tried to explain science to an
audience an now it’s my job! Often when I’m preparing a programme, I think about how
Mr. Jenkins would have done it. Sometimes I wish I could phone him and ask for his
opinion.
My student
Brian Jenkins, science teacher at Overton School.
Before Graham came into my class, he was very difficult. I had heard stories about
his bad behavior. Once I caught him and a friend seeing who could spit the furthest off
the school stage! But when he got interested, he changed. The first day he walked into
my class, he was dragging his school bag behind him and looking bored, but as soon as I
set up an experiment to show how the human stomach works using acid and an onion, he
gave me his full attention. He loved science! He was very bright and should have done
much better in all his other subjects. I’ve read a couple of his books and seen him on TV.
I always say to my wife, “Oh look, I used to teach him.”
I wish I was as successful with all my students as I was with Graham. It’s difficult
teaching nowadays. There are lots of problems and not enough money. The government
should have put more money towards science education. And I wish they would decrease
the size of classes – it’s not easy doing lessons in laboratories with big groups and it must
be even worse in the poorer schools! At least with schools like ours, we have
laboratories!
My wife often wishes that I had chosen a job with less stress but I love what I do.
The thing about being a teacher is that you have access to children’s minds when they are
open and eager to learn. And if what I do as a teacher can help turn a child like Graham
into such a successful adult, then I know what I’m doing is worthwhile.
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Lesson 4
Understanding
“Who questions much, shall learn much, shall learn much, and remember much.”
– Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
It seems obvious now how we acquire knowledge and understanding. To start with,
you need questions. Then, to find answers, you observe the world around you and study
the facts. After that you consider possible answers and test each to find the right ones.
Although today we are more accustomed to typing a few key words into a search engine
and waiting for the Internet to spit the answer out for us, modern scientists and thinkers
are still solving the world’s problems with this type of analysis – luckily for us.
However, in the 17
th
century when Francis Bacon suggested that this type of
thinking was the way to gain knowledge, he was going against the views of the day.
Bacon held an important rank under King James(1566-1625) of England but his true
interest was not the day to day bureaucratic details of the government, but the worthy
search for knowledge. This was certainly not the interest of most people in his day. At
that time, people believed more in religion than in facts and people like Galileo Galilei
(1564-1642), who proved scientific ideas such as “the Earth is not centre of the universe”,
were often punished by the church with no one coming to their defense. The church and
many people tended to ignore the facts and were unwilling to challenge what they had
always comfortably believed. They preferred to make assumptions about the world based
on the experience of others. In fact, when Galilei proved that the Earth was not the centre
of the universe, instead of believing him, people chose to believe views that were almost
2019 years old!
It is not surprising that people wanted to believe these ancient views as they had
been put forward by the great philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC). He said that the Earth
must be the centre of the universe because it felt like the Earth was standing still. Galilei
disagreed. At first, people approved of his studies and urged him to continue, but later
when he proved Aristotle wrong, they grew angry and put him in prison. They didn’t
want to challenge what they’d always thought was true.
This also shows how people didn’t want to search for their own understanding or
educate themselves. And this is still often true today. People feel that if someone
important and respected says that something is right, then it must be so. But even though
Aristotle was a great man who inspired many great scientists and philosophers after him,
he was wrong at times. And Galilei too made mistakes. He is now known as the father of
astronomy but he believed that the earth moved round the sun in a perfect circle. He was
wrong. Therefore our understanding of the world around us is constantly growing and
changing. In other words, we learn more every day and none of us can ever sit back and
say, “we know it all”.
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We need to thank the great men of the past for the wisdom to know that we don’t
know it all and probably never will, for that would mean a world without questions. So
much of our knowledge and understanding of the world today is due to people like Bacon
and Galilei, who were brave enough to step out from the shadows of conventional though
in order to find the kingdom of knowledge that today’s civilization is built upon.
These men knew that knowledge and understanding are things to fight for; more
vital to a man, and more beneficial to mankind, dome might say, than all the money in
the world.
“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover
them.”
– Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
Culture Corner The Education System in the UK
Education in the UK is compulsory for everyone between the ages of five and
sixteen.
Finishing their studies after completing their degree.
Literature Spot 5
SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT
It was New Year at the court of King Arthur. The King, Queen and all the knights of
the Round Table were celebrating. that I am not a perfect knight.
Unit 16 Stories
Lesson 1 Stories from History
Pompeii: the city that became a time capsule
Around the end of the first century AD, a Roman writer called Pliny wrote about a
terrible volcanic eruption that he had witnessed as a young man. The eruption had
occurred on August 24
th
, 79 AD. The earth began to tremble and a volcano named
Vesuvius, near Pompeii, Italy, eruption. Pliny described a cloud coming down the
mountain, blocking out [挡住] the sun and burying everything in its path, including
whole villages and towns.
This particularly sad event left a deep impression on Pliny who had lost an uncle
in the eruption. Yet, over the centuries, there was a greater loss. The people, towns and
villages that had disappeared under the ashes were entirely forgotten by the world.
However, more than 1,600 years later, some scientists found the lost towns that
had been buried under the ashes. By 1748, they had found an awesome[令人恐惧的]
historical site. They had started to dig out the ancient city of Pompeii.
In a way, Pompeii is like a “time capsule”[时代文化密藏器] preserving a frozen
moment in history. Before the eruption occurred, it had been a booming Roman city[新兴
城市] with temples, markets, restaurants and theatres. Now as you walk along the streets
of the city, time rewinds[倒回]. You can admire the ancient architecture, statues,
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decorated walls and authentic objects characteristic of the time.
However, much more than buildings and objects, it is the forms of the people who
were caught in the disaster that have made the city a monument to human history.
The bodies of people who had died in Pompeii left impressions in the ash that
showed their exact shapes. As you walk, you will pass people gathered together for
protection in their last hours of life. One person, sitting alone, looks like he is praying.
Another man, lying on his side, looks as if he is trying to get up. One can only feel
sorrow and deep sympathy for these once-living statues.
Today, more than 250years after scientists found the city, thousands of tourists
and hundreds of scientists visit Pompeii every year to learn more about the ancient world.
In this way, the city, which the world had once forgotten, lives on nearly 2,000 years
after its loss.
Lesson 3 Life Stories
Helen Keller
Helen Keller was a very special girl who needed a superb[极好的] teacher. By the
time she is seven years old; she still couldn’t speak, read or write. This was because
Helen couldn’t see or hear. With these severe restrictions on her communication, Helen’s
behavior was often unbearable. She was stubborn and angry, and often broke things when
she wasn’t understood.
Anne Sulliven was brought in to help Helen. Anne was a teacher and former
student at a school for the blind in Boston. She had had eyesight problems early in life as
well so she could relate to Helen’s difficulties. Her first goal was to stop Helen’s
troublesome[麻烦的, 讨厌的, 棘手的] behavior. Helen would need this valuable
preparation in order to learn language. She would also need lots of love. When Anne and
Helen first met, Anne gave Helen a big hug.
Helen would have to learn to understand words spelled on her hand. Ann’s
technique was simple and straightforward. She would put an object one of Helen’s hands
and spell the word into her other hand. She started with dolls. She would let Helen play
with the doll, and then spell the letters “D-O-L-L” into her hand. Helen thought this was
a game. She had a precise description of her excitement in her book, The Story of My
Life: “Running downstairs to my mother, I held up my hand and made the letters for doll.
I did not know that I was spelling a word or even that words existed; I was simply
making my fingers go in monkey-like imitation.”
Then one day, Anne took Helen out to the well. Anne put Helen’s hand under the
water. As the water flowed over one hand, Anne spelled “w-a-t-e-r” into the other hand.
Then suddenly, Helen had a burst of understanding; the movement of the fingers meant
the cool water flowing over her hand. This precious knowledge gave her hope and joy.
Finally, the world of words was opening up to her.
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Now that Helen understood the key to language, she was very eager to learn more
and use it as much as she could. Children who can see and hear learn language easily but
for Helen, it was a gradual and sometimes painful process. However, the results were
amazing.
As Helen’s knowledge and vocabulary expanded, she asked more and more
questions. This soon led her to discover more complex words and changed her thinking
processes. Trying to learn the word “love” was an experience that she remembered well.
This is how she described it in her book, The Story of My Life:
“I remember the morning that I first asked the meaning of the word, “love”. This
was before I knew many words. I had found a few early violets[紫罗兰] in the garden
and brought them to my teacher…Miss Sullivan put her arm gently round me and spelled
into my hand, “I love Helen”. “What is love?” I asked. She drew me closer to her and
said; “it is here,” pointing to my heart…her words puzzled me very much because I did
not then understand anything unless I touched it.”
The meaning of love was still not apparent to Helen but she kept on trying to
understand. “I smelt the violets in her hand and asked, half in words, half in signs, a
question which meant, “is love the sweetness of flowers?” “No,” said my teacher.
Helen then felt the warmth of the sun shining on them. She pointed up and asked
if that was love. When her teacher said that it wasn’t, she was confused and disappointed.
“I thought it strange that my teacher could not show me love.”
The word “think” was also a difficult one for Helen but she had a breakthrough
while working on a simple task. She was making necklaces with the help of Miss
Sullivan when she noticed that she had made some mistakes. Uncertain about how to fix
them, she stopped to think carefully. As she did this, Miss Sullivan touched Helen’s head
and spelled the word “think” into her hand. “In a flash[立刻, 一瞬间] I knew that the
word was the name of the process that was going on in my head.
It was the first time Helen had understood such a complex word—a word for
something she couldn’t touch. At that moment, her mind returned to the word “love”. As
she thought about its meaning again, the sun came out. She pointed to the sun and asked
her teacher again if that was love. Anne answered Helen by explaining that love was like
the sun and clouds in a way.
“You can not touch the clouds, you know; but you feel the rain…you cannot
touch love either; but you feel the sweetness that it pours into everything. Without love
you would not be happy or want to play.” In that vivid moment, Helen understood the
beautiful truth of the word love.”
Language Awareness1
Shock Tactics[策略]
Although most advertisers use humor or fantasy to attract our attention, others try
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to shock us so that we remember their message.
Some adverts present us with a puzzle: they show an unusual image which at first
doesn’t make sense. For example, in the Micra advert, when we see a half-shaved head,
we want to know why the man has had his hair cut like that. In the end, we discover that
a woman has shaved the man’s head because he borrowed her car! Because we have had
to work out the solution, we will probably remember the product better.
Other adverts play with words rather than images. When we understand the joke,
we feel very pleased with ourselves. Take the advert with the words: “last year 400,000
women killed their husbands with a frying pan.” At first, the words seem to refer to
domestic violence, but then we realize the advert is a warning about eating high-fat food!
Charities have also started advertising in this way. There is so much suffering in
the real world that it is often difficult to hold people’s attention. Because of this charity
advertisers have developed ways of shocking the public. They use serious and frightening
images. In this case, such hard-hitting tactics are surely justified.
On the other hand, some adverts go too far when they are deliberately offensive.
Justified? The advertisers would say yes if the adverts sell the product.
Culture Corner
The origins of English surnames
The Chinese were the first nation of people to use surnames about 2,500 years
ago. Western countries did not start to use them until about 1,000 years ago. Until that
time, people were simply known only by their given names.
In England, this was not a problem until the French invaded in the 11
th
century.
During this period, most English names became unpopular and only a few popular names
were available, such as William, Henry, John, Robert, Richard and Thomas. Eventually,
people had to start taking a surname to distinguish themselves from each other. Today
everyone in English-speaking countries has a surname, but where did they come from?
Father’s name
Often a son got his surname from his father by adding “s” or “son” to his father’s
given name. Robertson, Williamson, Jackson, Thomson, Richardson, Roberts, Williams
and Richards are all common surnames.
Occupation
Other surnames were formed from a person’s job such as Cook, Smith, Gardener,
Baker, Shepherd, Taylor, Butcher or Carpenter. So, the local baker may have been called
Henry Baker, the local carpenter William Carpenter and the local smith Henry Smith.
Location
Sometimes people took place names, perhaps the name of their village, for example,
for a surname. Often people were given the name of a physical feature near their home
such as Hill, Field, Wood, Brown or Green. The man who lived by the wood might be
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called Jack Wood and the man who lived on the top of a nearby hill might be called John
Hill.
Characteristics
Often, the other people in the village gave a person his surname. If a person had an
unusual physical characteristic, it became part of his name. So, a man who was unusually
short might be called John Short or John Little. If he was tall, he may have been called
William Tall or William Long. Other common nicknames were, White (for grey hair),
Red (for red hair) and Stout (meaning far). A son or daughter might inherit a nickname as
a surname even if they themselves did not share the particular characteristic. They
probably didn’t like it but they just had to put up with it! Of course, over the years many
of these surnames have changed slightly but many are still used today even though most
people have forgotten their meanings.
Focus on reading
Zhuge Liang was one of the greatest military strategists of the Three Kingdoms
and over the centuries, he has been considered the most popular general in Chinese
history. He was known as The Hidden Dragon due to the fact that people did not notice
his talent because of his quietness. He was orphaned at a young age and was living alone
in the country when Liu Bei heard of his great wisdom. Zhuge Liang became Liu Ber’s
military advisor and together they found the Shu Han kingdom. Zhuge Liang died at the
age of 54 during a military campaign. Even his enemies had admired his great talent and
devotion to his country.
The story below, which comes from a famous classic novel, illustrates Zhuge
Liang’s insight as a military strategist. Zhou Yu, Commander-in-Chief of the Southern
Kingdom is at war with Cao Cao, a general of the Northern Kingdom, who is camped
with his army on the opposite riverbank. Zhou Yu is suspicious of Zhuge Liang because
he sees him as a threat. So he sets him a test he thinks he will surely fall.
1 Lu Su found Zhuge Liang seated by the river. “Zhou Yu would like to see you,” he
said and Zhuge Liang nodded his head. They walked to the camp and entered the main
tent where all the officers were gathered. When all were seated, Zhou Yu turned to Zhuge
Liang and asked him。“what weapons are the best when attacking an enemy on the
water?” “On a great river, arrows are best,” replied Zhuge Liang. Zhou Yu agreed and
cunningly asked Zhuge Liang promised to obtain 100,000 arrows, giving him ten days to
complete the task. Zhuge Liang promised to deliver the arrows but said he would only
need three days to complete the mission. This pleased ZhouYu as he knew it was
impossible and it would give him the opportunity to kill Zhuge Liang as punishment
when he failed.
2 As Zhuge Liang left, Lu Su followed him saying, “You have brought this
misfortune on yourself, and how can I save you?” Zhuge Liang answered him calmly, “I
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would like you to lend me twenty ships, each with thirty men. I want blue cotton screens
and bundles of straw tied to the sides of the boats. On the third day, I will deliver the
arrows.”
3 early on the third day, while it was still dark, Zhuge Liang sent for Lu Su. “I want
you to come with me to get those arrows,” he told the young man. “Where ate we
going?” Lu Su asked. “wait and see,” was the reply. Then the twenty boats were fastened
together with long ropes and they took them over to the north bank.
4 the night was very foggy and one person could hardly see another. Zhuge Liang
suddenly ordered the men to shout and beat the drums. “but what will we do if they
attack us?” Lu Su shouted, confused at this strange behavior. Zhuge Liang replied with a
smile, “their fleet won’t dare to come out in this fog.” And sure enough, instead of
launching his fleet, Cao Cao ordered his soldiers to lie the banks and shoot into the fog at
their invisible enemy. Thousands of arrows rained down onto the ships appearing as if
out of nowhere, but not a single man was hurt, protected as they were by the screens.
Soon the ships were full of arrows stuck into the screens and bundles of straw. The drums
kept beating until the sun was high and the fog started to disappear. Only then did Zhuge
Liang give the order to sail downstream to Zhou Yu’s camp. Cao Cao saw that he had
been fooled and was very angry.
5 Lu Su looked in admiration at the thousands of arrows and turned to Zhuge Liang,
“you really are superhuman,” he said, “but how did you know there would be a thick fog
today?” Zhuge Liang answered, “you cannot be a leader without knowing the workings
of heaven and the ways of earth. I knew there would be fog today so that’s why I asked
for three days instead of ten.”
6 when the ships arrived, Lu Su went to report that the arrows had been obtained
and explained to Zhou Yu by what means. Zhou Yu was amazed and sighed deeply,
saying, “He is a better man than me.” From that day on, Zhou Yu wanted to seek Zhuge
Liang’s advice on many matters.
The strange tale of rip wan winkle
Once upon a time, there was a farmer called Rip Van Winkle. He lived in a village in
the mountains with his wife and two young children, a daughter and a son. Rip was a
very happy and kind man and h got n very well with all the children in the village. They
loved him because he played games with them and often told them stories while he was
sitting outside the “King George”, the village inn.
He spent a lot of time in the inn because he was, in fact a very lazy man. Rip was
happy to do just enough work to get by. Instead of working on his farm, he would go
fishing or hunting, or sit in the village inn talking to his friends. His family was very poor
and his wife used to get at him. “What kind of farmer are you?” she would say. “Why
don’t you get down to some work, you lazy man!”
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After arguments with his wife, Rip always went off bunting with his dog, Wolf. One
day, after another argument, Rip went further than usual in the woods and came to a
beautiful valley, high in the mountains. Suddenly, he heard a strange voice calling his
name. An old man, dressed in old-fashioned clothes, was trying to carry a barrel and
asked Rip to help him. Rip agreed. They took the barrel to a cave, where there were more
people, all dressed in the same strange clothes. After that, the old man gave Rip a drink
form the battle. Rip immediately fell into a deep sleep.
Some time later, he woke up under a tree in the same valley. He was alone. He was
worried about his dog and he knew he was going to get into more trouble with his wife.
Then he noticed a curious thing- his hair was over his shoulders and his beard was over a
foot long! Rip could not understand what had happened. He decided to get back to the
village. As soon as he got there, he realized that everything was different, and there were
lots of new houses. The people in the village stared at him with his long hair and beard
and old clothes. Rip thought their clothes were strange, and he did not recognize anybody
at all.
When he got into his house, he saw that it was old and abandoned. He went to the
centre of the village and everything there had changed completely. The old King George
Inn was now called the Union Hotel. Before he went in, he listened at the window. The
people were talking about things he hadn’t heard of-the elections, the president, and the
war. Rip went in and described his wife, family and friends and asked the people where
they were. Apparently, his wife had died two years before and all of his friends had either
died or left the village. But his children were still there. They pointed to a young man
sleeping under a tee. Rip realized it was his son! Then a young woman carrying a baby
came towards him. It was his daughter!
In the end, Rip went to live with his daughter. He still didn’t get round to doing
much work though. He spent his time as before, fishing and hunting and telling storied to
children outside the village inn. He told stories about life before the war, how he had met
some strange people in the mountains-and how he had gone to sleep for twenty years!
Unit 17 Laughter
Lesson 3 My favorite comedy
Text one
Mr. Bean is an internationally recognized comedy character on TV and in films. He
constantly gets into awkward and absurd situations, which greatly amuses audiences
regardless of their nationality or culture. The humour is always made clear through a
series of simple and funny acts that rely purely on body language, which is universal.
One of my favorite shows has Mr. Bean in a fancy restaurant. After being seated at
his table, Mr Bean takes out a card, writes a few words on it, seals it in an envelope and
places it on the table. After a moment, he looks back at the envelope but this time he
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looks surprised, as if he did not know it was there. He opens it to find a birthday card and
delightedly puts it on the table for everyone to see.
When he looks at the menu, an astonished look swiftly appears on his face. He takes
all the money out of his wallet, counts it and puts it in a saucer. He then looks from the
menu to the money with concern[关切地] until he finds one thing that makes him smile.
Then he orders a dish called “steak tartar” . When the dish arrives, he is shocked to
discover that the “steak tartare” is actually raw hamburger. He makes an attempt to eat it,
but it is clear from the look on his face that he finds the taste truly disgusting[令人厌恶
的]. He cannot hide his feelings, except when the waiters ask if everything is all right.
When this happens, he smiles and nods, indicating that everything is fine. When the
waiters are not looking, however, he busies himself hiding the raw meat[生肉] anywhere
he can reach–the sugar bowl[糖罐], the tiny flower vase, inside a bun and under a plate.
He becomes so desperate[不顾一切的, 拚死的, 令人绝望的] in the end that he even
hides some inside the purse of a woman sitting near him and throws some down the
trousers of the restaurant’s violinist!
I like to watch Mr. Bean on TV but I wouldn’t want to meet someone like him in
real life and I certainly wouldn’t want to have dinner with him!
Text 2
Rowan Atkinson is the actor who plays Mr. Bean. In Britain, Mr. Atkinson is quite
famous for many other wonderful characters that he has created but internationally, he is
best known for the dizzy, awkward, clumsy but always amusing Mr. Bean. If you think
that Rowan Atkinson is anything like[象...那样的东西] his famous creation, then you are
in for[要遭到, 参加] a surprise.
Rowan was born on January 6, 1955, and spent his early years on the family farm
with his mother, three older brothers and his strict father, who did not believe in the
value of television. For a time, he attended the same school as Tony Blair, who was two
years older than him. At 13, Rowan earned a scholarship to a boarding school. Later, he
studied at Newcastle University where he had the highest marks in his year. At oxford, he
obtained his Master’s degree in electrical engineering. This might explain his interest in
fast cars, of which he has a vast collection.
Rowan’s career change from an electrical engineer to a famous comedian was partly
due to some speaking problems he had in his childhood. He compensated for this by
talking very deliberately. This may have inspired the abnormal speech patterns of many
of his characters.
While still at primary school, Rowan had already shown admirable[令人倾佩的, 值
的赞美的, 绝妙的, 极好的] acting talent. Although his teachers predicted a career in
acting, Rowan was not convinced himself, until he met a group of talented people at
university, who were involved in[涉及, 专心] theatre, and he realized this could be a
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career for him. Another key event occurred when, one day in 1976, he was playing
around and pulling faces in the mirror. He realized something. “I discovered my face,” he
said later. John Lloyd, who works for the BBC, says, “it was one of those things which
happen very rarely in your life, when you realize you are in the presence of[在面前]
genius. I was convinced he would be more famous than Chaplin.”
Language Awareness 2
Grock
This story is about a middle-aged man who was feeling very down. Everything had
been going wrong for him. He had had problems at work and his wife had left him to go
off with a lion tamer. So, after he had been feeling depressed for over a month, he
decided to go to the doctor. He had to wait for what seemed like aged in the doctor’s
surgery. The man next to him was looking at his watch nervously, a woman was
coughing badly and a baby was screaming. Finally, after he had been waiting for about
half an hour, he was called in.
The doctor was writing a note at her desk when he came in. “sorry, I’m just
finishing something. I am afraid we have been very busy this morning.”
She then turned to the man. “So, what is the problem?” she asked. “Well, I have
been having a bit of a crisis. You know, lots of problems,” replied the man. “And I have
been doing a lot of work.”
“Mmm, you are looking very pale.” The doctor started to examine him. “Well,
everything is working OK,” she announced afterwards. “you have slightly high blood
pressure and you are breathing quite heavily, but otherwise, everything’s fine.”
“So what can I do?” asked the man. “I am going on a trip soon. I am working in the
stated for three months. This time next week, I will be arriving in New York.”
The doctor thought for a while. “I think what you need is a good laugh. That would
do you a lot of good. A circus is performing in town. Why don’t you go to see it? I hear
there is an amazing clown who will really make you laugh. His name is Grock.”
“I am Grock,” replied the man sadly.
Focus on Reading
A comic novel
Mr. Pickwick, his friends and his servant, Sam, visit Mr. Wardle in the country at
Christmas.
“Now,” said Wardle, “what do you say to an hour on the ice?”
“Perfect” exclaimed Mr. Bob Sawyer.
“You skate of course, Winkle?” said Wardle.
“Ye-yes, oh yes,” replied Mr. Winkle. “I-i-am rather out of practice.”
“Oh, it is so elegant,” said another young lady.
“I would love to,” said Mr. Winkle, “but I have no skates.”
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When some one announced that there were plenty of skates, Mr. Winkle expressed
delight, but suddenly looked uncomfortable.
Everyone went outside to the frozen pond and Bob Sawyer started skating
brilliantly.
All this time, Mr. Winkle had been putting his skates on. At last, with the assistance
of Sam, Winkle was raised to his feet.
“Now sir,” said Sam, “off you go.”
“Stop, Sam, stop,” said Mr. Winkle trembling violently and taking hold of Sam’s
arms with the grapes of a drowning man. “How slippery it is, Sam!”
“Not an uncommon thing upon ice, sir,” replied Sam.
“Now, Mr. Winkle,” cried Mr. Pickwick, who didn’t notice that there was anything
the matter. “Come, the ladies are all waiting.”
“Yes, yes,” replied Mr. Winkle with a rigid smile. “I am coming.”
“Now sir starts off,” said Sam.
“Stop a moment, Sam,” gasped Mr. Winkle, still holding Sam. “I have got a couple
of coats at home, Sam. You may have them, Sam.”
“Thank you, sir,” replied Sam.
“You needn’t take your hand away,” said Mr. Winkle quickly. “I meant to give you
five shillings this morning for Christmas. I will give it to you this afternoon, Sam.”
“You are very good, sir,” replied Sam.
“Just holds me are first, Sam, will you?” said Winkle.
“There-that is right. Not too fast, Sam, not too fast.”
At that moment, Mr. Pickwick innocently shouted, “Sam! Come here.”
“Let’s go, sit,” said Sam, “Don’t you hear Mr. Pickwick calling? Let go, sir.”
“With a violent effort, Sam moved away, and in doing so, gave a strong push to the
unhappy Mr. Winkle. That unfortunate gentleman went quickly towards the centre of
thrice where he hit Bob Sawyer and with a loud crash they both fell heavily down.
After this incident, some of the people started to slide on the ice without skates and
Wardle persuaded Mr. Pickwick to try it.
Mr. Pickwick took two or three short runs and then stopped. At last, he took another
run and went slowly across the ice, to the surface.
The sport was at its height, where a crack was heard. A large piece of ice
disappeared and Mr. Pickwick’s hat was floating on the surface.
The men turned pale and the ladies fainted.
At that very moment, a face, head and shoulders came up from beneath the water,
and after a lot of struggling, Mr. Picwick was finally saved and stood on dry land.
Unit 18 BEAUTY
Lesson 1 What Is Beauty?
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Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
In 1878, when Margaret Wolfe Hungerford wrote “Beauty is in the eye of the
beholder”, she was stating that there was no consistent[一致的, 调和的, 坚固的] view
on beauty. Standards of beauty change across time and cultural groups.
Traditions and fashions, like society itself, change and adapt with time, so it is
reasonable that our ideas of beauty change as well. In 19
th
-century Europe, women used
to wear corsets[束腹, 妇女的胸衣] to achieve a body shape that is no longer considered
healthy. Men would wear woolen shawls across their shoulders. It is hard to imagine that
they would be seen as attractive in the 21
st
century. Nowadays, in the Western world, one
in every ten people has a tattoo[纹身] or a form of body art. In the past, some cultures
used tattoos as an addition to costumes[装束, 服装], to show family associations or to
mark criminals so that they could easily be recognized.
In contemporary society, culture remains a major part in determining our ideas of
beauty. In some countries, young women follow slimming[减食疗法] diets to lose extra
kilos in preparation for their wedding day. In other cultures, looking thin for a
husband-to-be is not what a woman desires for at all –overweight is considered more
attractive.
With the influence of history, society and culture, there are no precise criteria which
can be used to judge what is beautiful. Life-long commitment and, indeed, the survival of
society itself rely on people seeing beauty in difference and depth. The human race
would soon die out if we could only see beauty within a set of limited criteria.
Physical beauty must also be accompanied by an attraction to something deeper
within a person. This particular kind of attraction is found in a wide range of personal
qualities, e.g. kindness, warmth, a healthy conscience, etc. Judging the appeal[吸引力] of
a person’s inner beauty is much more subjective. It takes more than a casual[偶然的, 不
经意的] glance to appreciate and it is much more important than physical beauty.
Beauty, therefore, has more than one dimension. We are influenced by our culture,
our biology and our time in history to notice physical beauty quickly and easily，but it is
inner beauty that requires us to truly see. Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder.
Focus on Reading
The Beauty of Poetry
One of the most commonly asked questions in the English language is “How are
you?”, and whether a person is feeling happy or sad, excited or lonely, fantastic or
heartbroken, they will just about always answer “Fine”. Why is this? Is it because
humans are not good at expressing their emotions? Or is it because the person asking is
not really interested in the answer? Maybe it is just that emotions are often too personal
or too complex to be shared in a casual conversation. However, emotions are not meant
to be suppressed and luckily they do not have to be expressed orally. For centuries,
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people have often expressed their emotions on paper, in the form of poetry.
The beauty of poetry is that the emotions the poet is trying to convey are often
disguised in images so that the poet can maintain a feeling of privacy. This means that,
when writing the poem, the poet can express his private feelings by creating a work of
beauty that can comfort him. For example, in Li Bai’s poem, Seeing Meng Haoran Off at
Yellow Crane Tower, the poet describes the sail of his friend’s boat disappearing into the
poem, you can sense the deep sadness and loneliness that his friend’s leaving has
expressed his inner-most feelings, or in other words, released his emotional tension. In
the meantime, he has also created some beautiful literary works.
Poetry is also written to celebrate positive human emotions like joy, love and
happiness. Throughout history, men and women have written poems to their loved ones
to express their deep feelings. Poems about nature, which express the poet’s appreciation
of the beauty in the world around him or her, are also common. Sadly, many poems have
also been written to express anger at the destruction of nature and relations to horrific
events like war and death.
The interesting thing about poetry is that although a poet writes a poem with certain
idea or emotion in mind, once the words are on paper, the poem takes on a life of its own.
Anyone reading a poem can have their own view or feelings about it and heated
discussion can often arise in classrooms and lecture halls over what the poet was
originally trying to say or express. Poetry can be interpreted in many different ways and
often, a poem that one person loves, another hates, and equally, a poem that one person
understands and relates to, may turn another person off. For example, I love William
Wordsworth’s Daffodils. I think it is a beautiful poem about how memories (like seeing a
field of bright daffodils) can make you happy when you remember them at a sad time.
However, my English lecturer at university disagreed. He thought that Wordsworth was
saying that humans are foolish creatures who only appreciate things (like the daffodils)
after they are gone. Arguing about a poet’s intentions is partly what makes poetry so
beautiful – they are not always explicit, and intellect are involved in interpreting the
meaning behind the words.
However, poetry is not something that is restricted to textbooks and classroom
discussions. Poetry is all around us all the time. “I never read poetry!” you might be
thinking, but do you listen to music? I’m sure your answer is “yes”. Many musicians are
poets and they express their songs using the beauty of music to enhance the meaning of
the words. For example, when John Lennon sang “Imagine no possessions, I wonder if
you can, No need for greed or hunger, A brotherhood of man,” he was hopeful that the
world could one day be a better place.
What a pity we cannot all be poets. It seems like such a handy way of expressing
ourselves. But is it true that we cannot all be poets? Not necessarily. The beauty of poetry
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is that it is for everyone and anyone can write it. To be a poet, all you need is a pen and a
piece of paper, and everything inside you that makes you human.
Unit 19 Language
Lesson 1 Get ahead with your English
It was predicted as early as the 1700s that English would one day be the global language
and that has proved to be the case in the last few decades. The growth of international
companies and the great advances in communications have started the trend for learning
English as a foreign language. In today’s world, being able to speak more than one
language, including English, is how you stand out and get ahead.
However, learning English as a foreign language is very difficult in the absence of a
native language environment. Some respected theories on language acquisition believe
that to attain a high level of fluency and accuracy in a foreign language, you need to be
surrounded by it. But sadly, the chances that we will all have the opportunity to live in an
English-speaking country are small. Therefore, most of us have to rely on what we can
learn at school as part of the school curriculum.
Our latest English curriculum encourages teachers to create a rich language environment
in the classroom. What this means is that they make sure that there is an adequate amount
of input in English conveyed to the students through various mediums. This can take the
form of reading and listening materials which must be of the highest quality. Quality
input ensures quality output, whether it is speaking or writing.
To really get ahead, however, means putting in extra work outside of the classroom.
Experts say that just 15 minutes of extra-curricular study a day can really accelerate
foreign language learning. Here are what they recommend:
☆Setting achievable targets. For example, enlarge your vocabulary by 10 new
words---five times a week---then revise the words on the weekend. 50 new words a week
means 200 new words a month.
☆Watching the news in your own language and then reading an English newspaper or
news website. Knowing the main stories before reading will guarantee greater
comprehension when reading in English.
☆Watching a favorite DVD, but adjusting the language to English in parts you know
well.
☆Studying with friends. Test each other and share learning strategies---this makes
learning more enjoyable.
☆Rewarding yourself. If you reach a target, treat yourself. Inform. a friend of your
targets so they can help motivate you as well.
These recommendations are easily achieved and are well worth the extra effort. However,
putting in those extra 15 minutes a day does take dedication. To stay dedicated, you need
to keep in mind why you are learning English. Quite simply, in today’s world, English
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holds the key to a brighter future and a world of possibilities.
Lesson 3 Body Language
Body Language Speaks for Itself
If you saw a father patting his son on the back while smiling happily, what would you
think was going on? You would probably think that the father was congratulating his
son on doing something well, maybe passing an exam or winning a race. You would
know what was going on because you understood the message conveyed by the father’s
body language. Across the world, a pat on the back and a smile usually means, “Well
done”.
Body language is used every single day by people of different nationalities all over the
world. It is a language without words that consists of gestures, facial expressions and
body movements that greatly add to – and sometimes even replace – spoken language.
Body language is used to communicate both attitudes and feelings from affection to
anger just like any other language, but it differs from spoken language as it is not always
explicit. Somebody jumping for joy is easy to see while a raised eyebrow conveying
doubt is easier to miss.
People often use body language on purpose. Someone who does not know the answer
to a question will move their shoulders upwards away from their upper body and then let
them fall, meaning “I don’t know”. However, body language can be unconscious as well.
A person who is feeling uncomfortable or nervous will often hold their body in a very
rigid manner and have a tight look about their mouths. They might also cross their arms
and move in an abrupt way resembling a robot more than a human. They might not even
realize how they are acting but their body language will tell anyone who cares to look
closely enough how they are feeling. Body language can therefore make people’s feelings
more transparent as although we can lie with words, it is not as easy to do so with our
bodies.
Learning to be aware of your body language can be a very useful tool. For example, in
a job interview, you will probably be feeling nervous but you won’t want to appear to be
in a state of unrest. You will want to appear calm with as much dignity as possible.
Merely by uncrossing your arms, you will look more confident.
Body language can be very useful when people do not share a common spoken
language. For example, in foreign countries, it is very easy to purchase something simply
by smiling and pointing at what you want. On the other hand, you can also easily show
what you don’t like by shaking your head. You can negotiate the price by using your
fingers and even ask questions by using your hands to outline the shapes of things you
want – although this can cause confusion and a few laughs too!
However, body language can sometimes be ambiguous. Although every culture around
the world uses the same gestures and expressions, they use them in different ways. For
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example, an American tourist at a German hotel might give an “OK” sign by making a
circle with his fingers. Unlike in America where this sign means everything is fine, in
Germany, this gesture can cause offence. Another example is that in most cultures to nod
one’s head means “Yes” and to shake one’s hands “NO” while in some cultures the
opposite is true!
Regardless of these differences, experts agree that across the globe there is one form
of body language that receives universal approval – the smile. Smiling has a high success
rate so never be afraid to use it – even when you’re nervous – and especially in foreign
countries!
Culture Corner English Around the World
Nowadays, there are around 400 million speakers of English as a first language in
countries such as
particularly for the names of flowers and trees.
Focus On Reading
The Good and the Bad of Online Communication
Our need to communicate with each other is a constant driving force for new
inventions. The twentieth century was shaped by inventions in communication such as
the telegraph, radio, television, telephone and fax. Today, online services and products
are where most development in communication is happening. Now there are increasing
options for when, where and how to communicate, and perhaps most importantly, with
whom.
People love the freedom of the Internet. Nobody can see who they are or what they
look like. Many people who are shy feel confident online. One user noted that everyone
is equal online and this cannot be found in face-to-face meetings. When you meet
someone in person, you immediately make judgments based on appearance. Even a
person’s accent or choice of shoes forms a certain impression. Online, however,
appearance, age and status all become unimportant, and this encourages users to be open
and honest, which makes it a lot easier for people to make friends. Because they can be
open with their emotions and ideas, online-friends can even get to know each other
quicker and on a deeper level than they might have, had they met in ordinary situations.
Apart from making friends online, the Internet can bring together like-minded
people who want to discuss favorite topics. There are forums and chat rooms for just
about any hobby, interest, special abilities or unusual taste you can imagine. Fascinated
by mushrooms? Well there are plenty of clubs for mushroom lovers online. And what
about knitting? You’ll find hundreds of other knitting fans simply by hitting a few keys.
Whatever unusual interest you might have, if you search on the Internet, there is a good
chance that you will find someone, somewhere in cyberspace, willing to talk to you about
it – right now.
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However, going online also has a dark side. Some people spend so much time on the
Internet that they become totally dependent on it. Psychologists and social scientists
worry that if people spend more time with computers than with other people, they will
forget how to get on with people face to face. There are rules of polite behaviors in
face-to-face meetings and a whole other set of rules in cyberspace. What happens if
Internet addicts forget the rules for normal social behavior simply from lack of practice?
Studies have not shown any definite results yet, but if young people are becoming more
nervous when it comes to face-to-face meetings, there are good reasons to be concerned.
Apart from dependency, there are other objections and worries about the Internet.
Not all people seeking relationships online have innocent intentions. Being open and
honest with complete strangers, then arranging to meet them without friends or family
knowing about it is very dangerous for young children and it is increasingly important
that parents take note of their children’s activities on the Internet.
Even when the worst dangers do not happen, simple lies can leave people
disappointed. One girl spent half a year chatting online with a girl who wrote beautiful
stories. She thought of this girl as her best friend. However, she found out later that the
girl was actually a lonely, sixty-year-old woman who was copying all her stories from
magazines. She learned the hard way that some people are untruthful on the Internet.
Then there is the problem of information being stolen. The Internet has led to a new
type of criminal, cyber-criminals, and as you reveal your heart and soul, and name and
number, to some trusted chat room friend, there could easily be a hacker taking your
information. Some hackers could even be using your identity and password. Whenever or
however you use the Internet, hackers will be a constant threat.
With all these dangers, is going online to communicate really worthwhile? Most
users seem to think it is. In a survey conducted by the Chinese Academy for Social
Sciences in 2019, most interviewees said that going online, whether for chatting or
surfing the web, had improved their lives. Either way, for better or for worse, it seems
likely that website chat rooms are here to stay in one form or another, putting in touch
friends, family, and strangers alike.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
The English Language
The story of English began a long time ago, in fifth century AD.
Who knows what the future holds for it in the twenty-first century?
Unit 20 New Frontiers
Lesson1 Futurology
Hannah Jones Looks Into the Future.
I love talking about the future – and I am not the only one. Over the centuries, people
have always wondered about the future. Some like to read fantasy stories and imagine
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what the world will be like in 10,50 or even 1,000 years’ time. Others write about the
future themselves. In the 18
th
and 19
th
centuries, especially the latter, the most common
theme in science fiction novels was the future. Some authors even predicted things that
have since happened, for example, landing on the moon! But for some people, thinking
about the future is not just for fun. They plan the future of the world for a living. These
people are called futurologists.
This weekend, hundreds of futurologists are meeting at Newcastle University. The
seminar starts on Friday and the experts will be discussing the endless possibilities of the
future. The future is now big business and many people will attend the seminar with
dreams of starting new enterprises based on the predictions they will hear this weekend. I
clicked into the websites of a few futurologists and here’s what they’re predicting:
·In the next few years, computers will become handier. Shortly all of us are going to
use our voices to give instructions to computers. We will be able to download any file or
update our computers just by saying a few words.
·By the year 2019, the clothing industry will have produced new types of material that
will remain stainless no matter what you spill on them. Red wine stains will no longer
ruin clothes. Garments will also be so strong that they will never get old and worn.
·By the year 2025, no one will die of starvation because there will be food for
everyone. No one will have to live on welfare as everyone will have jobs and
discrimination will be a part of the past. There will therefore no longer be any conflict
and people will be able to live together in peace and equality.
· By the year 2030, development in biochemistry and medical science will have made
it theoretically possible for us to live for at least 150 years. Tiny, insect- like robots may
be sent around the cells of our bodies to assess our health and carry out repairs to keep us
healthy.
·By the middle of the century, computers that are millions of times smarter than us will
have been developed. We will be linking our brains to these computers and a huge
database. A new type of electronic human might have developed!
·By the end of the century, we will have discovered other places in our solar system
suitable for living and we will have discovered ways to go further into space.
I’ll be there in Newcastle this weekend. At nine o’clock on Saturday morning, I’ll be
sitting in the front row and listening to the great Professor Willard talking about the
future of my brain. If you can’t beat the future, join it – it’s the dawn of a new world.
Lesson3 Scientific Breakthroughs
Pioneers of Science
If you had to choose the single most important discovery of the 20
th
century, you
would have a real dilemma on your hands. In just 100 years, the world changed
completely. Amazing discoveries were made in medicine, communications and transport,
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not to mention our knowledge of the world and space. Medical advances ranged from
discovering the causes of diseases under microscopes to surgical procedures replacing
diseased organs with donated ones.
Communications changed with the introduction of mobile phones and the way we
correspond went from writing letters to emailing. We started flying around the world and
meanwhile, scientists figured out how to split the atom, previously thought to be the
smallest particle of matter in the universe.
Although it is impossible to choose the most important discovery, it is possible to
single out a few pioneers of the 20
th
century. Here are five of them.
One of the 20
th
century’s premier scientists was Albert Einstein. In the summer of
1905, this outspoken young man was rocking his one-year-old baby when he was
suddenly inspired. “E=mc2” was born. E=mc2 showed how a small piece of mass could
produce an unbelievable amount of energy. Einstein then showed in his “theory of
relativity” that not even time, mass or length are constant – they change according to our
experience of them.
Einstein had already become world-famous when a young ex-lawyer, returning from
the First World War, started work in California. Using the most high-powered telescope
of the time, he began the long, slow process of exploring our galaxy. Edwin Hubble was
about to make astronomy’s greatest breakthrough of the century. He discovered small
areas of mist which were in fact galaxies like our own, millions of light years away from
us, which proved that the universe was vastly larger than had previously been thought.
In 1929, another far-reaching finding was made by the son of a Scotish shepherd.
Before he went on holiday, biologist Alexander Fleming left a dish with bacteria in it in
his laboratory. When he came back, he noticed something strange. He double-checked
and saw a blue mould in the dish around which the bacteria had been destroyed. This
blue mould was in fact the natural form of penicillin, which Fleming realized could be
used to kill bacteria.
A few years later, penicillin was being mass- produced and helping to save the lives
of millions. Fleming remained modest about the amazing outcome of his discovery.
“Nature made penicillin,” he said, “I just found it.”
During the Second World War, when Fleming’s discovery was first helping to cure
people, the US Navy was looking for ways of improving the accuracy of their missiles.
The navy turned to Eckert, an engineer, and Mauchly, a physicist, to wrestle with the
problem and produce a machine to do the job. Although they only finished after the war
in 1946, it did not matter. This huge machine was the world’s first computer, but it was
nothing like our computers today. It measured 100 feet long by over 10 feet high and
weighed over 30 tones. With 18,000 tubes, thousands of circuits and 6,000 switches, it
used so much energy that when it was turned on, the lights in the local town went out!
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These pioneers of the 20
th
century were all dedicated to improving the quality of
human life on earth, but sometimes breakthrough discoveries that have affected our lives
today happened by mistake! For example, we are all grateful for the handy microwave
oven that allows us to prepare meals in minutes and we have Percy Spencer to thank.
This inventor, with 120 patents to his name, discovered microwaves when he was
experimenting with radars and noticed a chocolate melting in his pocket.
There is no doubt about it. Without the breakthroughs of these pioneers in science
and technology, whether lucky or planned, the world as we know it today would have
been a completely different place.
Language Awareness 5 The countryside of South Shropshire
Looking for somewhere to go away for a long weekend?
Ludlow is only 150 miles from London, which makes it a great place for a weekend.
Culture Corner Ancient Chinese Inventions
The ancient Chinese are associated with many important inventions, some of which
have changed the world, and many of which, we still use today.
Until this time, European sailors were still navigating by the stars.
Focus On Reading
Simple Inventions that Changed the World
There are many inventions in the world that have changed people’s lives. To
illustrate this, let’s have a look at three simple inventions: the clock, the refrigerator and
the elevator. One regulates almost everything we do, another affects the way we eat and
the last was has changed the very look of our cities.
Over the centuries, people have designed clocks that measure time in many different
ways. The ancient Egyptians, for example, made a clock that was simply a stone,
bowl-shaped container with a hole in the bottom. The container would be filled with
water which would drip from the bottom at a constant rate. Markings on the inside of the
bowl showed how much time had passed.
Mechanical clocks are a relatively new invention. European inventors developed the
first accurate mechanical clocks in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. These clocks
and watches were designed to measure time in seconds.
In today’s busy, modern world almost every part of our day-to-day lives are
governed by time and our ability to measure it accurately. Without watches and clocks,
even simple tasks like catching a train, meeting a friend or even boiling an egg would be
very difficult indeed.
Time may govern our lives, but food keeps us alive. Therefore, preserving food has
always been an important consideration for people.
Thousands of years ago people realized that they could preserve meat by burying it
in snow. The Chinese were among the first people to begin collecting and storing ice
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specifically for the purpose of preserving their food.
Early refrigerators were actually ice-boxes – containers filled with ice. This method
required fresh ice to be delivered to homes daily. Refrigerators as we know them today
work very differently: they use gases to cool the inside of the container. Oliver Evans
invented the first refrigeration machine in 1805. Modern refrigerators work much the
same way as Evan’s original. Compressed gases in a metal coil inside the refrigerator
suck the heat out of the surrounding air as the gases expand.
In China, 20 years ago refrigerators were on the list of “New Three Big Things” for
people to buy to improve their lives. Now it is a common object found in most homes
and people would find it difficult to imagine living without it.
Unlike refrigerators, elevators are generally not found in people’s homes, but they
have helped change the environment that millions of people live in.
Scientists and engineers from ancient civilizations used ropes to lift heavy objects
but it wasn’t until 1857 that a man called Elisha Otis designed and built a machine that
used hydraulics to carry people between the floors of a building. In 1880, German
inventor Werner von Siemens introduced the first electric powered elevator – and the lift
as we know it today was born.
Elevators have changed not only our lives by making it possible to live in bigger
and taller buildings, they have also changed the city skylines. Modern Chinese cities like
Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong would look very different indeed if the elevator
hadn’t been invented.
The next time you rely on any of these inventions, don’t forget to think about the
science and imagination that have gone into them and how much they have changed our
everyday life.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
Space tourism
Many people still think that to get the chance to go to space you’ve got to try to be
an astronaut.
or maybe you should change jobs to get to work in an orbiting hotel!
模块七
Unit 21
Lesson 1
100 Metres in 8 Seconds?
Many contemporary amateur athletes would have broken world records if they had
taken part in the first Olympic Games. Since then, records have fallen in track and field
year after year as athletic performances have continually improved.
If records fall, it is usually due to better equipment, training and diet, but recently,
improvements have begun to slow down. At the 2019 Olympics, only three runners
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achieved Olympic bests with no world records. Some experts predict a ceiling for many
events, such as 9.5 seconds for the 100 metres – Maurice Greene’s current record is 9.79
seconds. However, past predictions have nearly always been proved wrong.
When we talk about breaking records, we come across the issue of
performance-enhancing drugs. These drugs are originally developed to help people with
illnesses, but in the wrong hands, they create supreme beings. Taking these drugs is
known as “doping” and although they enhance performance, they also cause serious
health problems in later life for those who abuse them.
The sports world does not tolerate doping as it is a fundamental form of cheating.
Ben Johnson would still be the 100 metres world record holder if he had not been caught
taking drugs in the 1988 Olympics. Other records remain doubtful, like Florence
Griffith’s 100 metres record back in 1988. Did she take drugs? If American athlete
Marion Jones, hadn’t taken drugs, would she made it to the Olympics at all?
Doping is not only a problem in athletics, it is part of every sport where athletes
seek to achieve beyond their natural limits and are prepared to cheat to do so. In 2019
cycling fans worldwide were shocked when the winner of the annual cycling race, the
Tour de France, was caught doping. Floyd Landis made several lame excuses blaming
medicine he bad been taking for an injury but these were all in vain. He failed two drug
tests.
Unfortunately, it is not easy to catch athletes using illegal drugs. It is compulsory for
winners to be tested but other participants are only tested at random. New drugs are
developed all the time and drug tests for sporting events are often one step behind.
However, doping is not the only thing we need to worry about. Unless we are
careful, “gene- therapy” will be the next big threat. For medical purposes, scientists have
already found ways to build muscle and increase strength by changing people’s genes.
Gene-therapy is very controversial and many people oppose further research into it. If
gene-therapy were used now, it would be almost impossible to find out. In the future,
athletes who have their genes changed might be able to do the 100 metres dash in just 8
seconds or the marathon in less than two hours. However, if a generation of sports stars
with enhanced genes were created, it would contradict the whole spirit of sport.
The Olympic spirit – the spirit of competition which emphases taking part rather
than winning – has been violated by the desire to succeed at all cost. In today’s world,
winners are celebrated and treated as heroes, but if doping and gene-therapy continue to
affect the outcomes of major sporting events, the word “hero” will have lost all meaning.
Lesson 3
Epidemics Through History
With recent press reports drawing parallels between Bird Flu and a killer epidemic
in the past, Jim Smith looks through the history of epidemics for clues about what
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the future might hold.
Since Bird Flu first appeared in 2019, it has taken more than a hundred lives. Many
people fear it could be the next global epidemic, especially as scientists who studied
tissue from the bodies of people who died of the 1918 Spanish Flu proved that Bird Flu is
a modern adaptation of the same virus.
Bacteria and viruses have been around since the beginning of life on Earth and
many of today’s diseases have existed as long as humans have. It is important to look at
the spread of diseases throughout history to discover the causes and effects of epidemics,
and hopefully, foresee and prevent them in the future.
One of the earliest epidemics on record happened about 500-550 AD when the
Roman emperor at the time was attempting to rebuild the Roman Empire. This epidemic
swept through North Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
Scientists now guess that up to 50% of the area’s population died from this epidemic
making it one of the main causes of the fall of the Roman Empire.
In the 1330’s, the epidemic returned, this time in Asia. It spread rapidly and became
known as “The Black Death” as one symptom was black spots on the body. The
conditions in much of Asia and Europe – war, crowded cities and a lack of basic health
routines – provided the perfect conditions for the disease to spread worldwide.
In urban areas all over Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, up to one half of
the population was lost to the Black Death.
Another epidemic that spread in similar conditions was the Great Flu Epidemic of
1918, also called the Spanish Flu. It struck near the end of the First World War and left
families mourning worldwide.
Having killed up to 50 million people in 18 months, with a tendency to strike the
young and fit rather than the old, the Spanish Flu is believed to have been the most acute
epidemic in history. More people died of the flu than died in the war. Yet, somehow, it
was forgotten by history until very recently when SARS became a cause for concern.
The SARS epidemic began in 2019 with a lung disease in Guangdong Province and
spread quickly after Dr Liu Jianjun, the carrier, came to Hong Kong and passed the virus
to people who carried it to Canada, Vietnam and Singapore.
Over nine months, the number of global cases passed 8,000 and 774 people died.
Although these statistics are much less impressive than those for the Spanish Flu, SARS
was still very alarming for a few key reasons.
No one really knew much about SARS as it was completely new. This meant that
there were no prescription drugs or tablets to treat it and doctors were not sure how to
prevent it either. Since most people had no natural defenses against the disease, it was
also harmful to the doctors and nurses treating SARS patients.
Since the SARS epidemic ended, scientists have been doing trials on treatments to
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prohibit any future outbreaks. Modern communication technology and medical research
techniques allow health experts all over the world to unite, share knowledge, and work
together without pause to help put SARS behind us.
Meanwhile, governments worldwide have also underlined the fact that thorough and
systematic medical research on Bird Flu needs to lead to a cure as soon as possible.
Countries will need to work together to do this as the SARS epidemic proved how
teamwork among nations can save lives. With all the international effort being made, we
have to have faith that there will be solutions in time to stop a Bird Flu epidemic in its
tracks.
Focus on Reading
Health and the Myth of Ideal Body Shapes
Obesity is a problem that is growing worldwide. But being too thin can be just as
dangerous as being too fat. Exercise and diet are important parts of health and fitness and
are crucial to fighting the war on obesity. Yet many experts now recognise that a lot of
people are driven to exercise and diet by an obsession with an idealised body image, and
the result for many people is illness and a deep dissatisfaction with themselves.
In the case of women, the idealised body shape is thin – thinner than average and
some health experts would say, thinner than is healthy. For men, the ideal is a muscular
body – not just strong, but strong-looking. Slim-looking women and muscular men may
look like the picture of health, but they aren’t when their looks have come at a cost to real
health and represent obsessive hehaviour.
Idealised body forms are not the creations of the imaginations of weight watchers
and body builders. They are common images visible almost everywhere, often seen on
TV, in magazines and newspapers, in advertisements, in the cinema and on the Internet.
These images have a huge influence on people, especially young people. They provide a
model that people want to be like.
Perhaps we all need role-models but when people are seeing these idealised body
images, often they are looking at unreal body forms. Using the latest technology to
improve the look of a photograph has always been common in magazine publishing.
Today the technology is better than ever. It’s getting harder to believe that a photo in a
magazine is not a faithful representation of how a person looks, but a product edited
according to how that person ought to look.
If people are comparing themselves to unrealistic representations of the human body,
it is not surprising that health problems arise. However, in recent years, methods dealing
with weight problems and negative body image have developed and improved.
In the past, there was more focus on finding the best way to achieve ideal body
shapes, and diets were a key part of the strategy. But problems caused by diets are now
better understood. Many diets leave people lacking nutrition and even if that sometimes
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causes rapid weight loss, it certainly doesn’t lead to improved health. Research has
shown that up to 95 percent of diets don’t work at all. Instead, they get people obsessed
with food and regularly cause psychological problems.
These problems are more widely recognised these days and as a result, extreme or
unusual diets are less likely to be encouraged by doctors. Instead, the focus is turned
toward healthy and balanced eating, and toward attitudes. A new idea – the concept of
“healthy weight” – has come to replace the concept of the “ideal weight”. Included in this
new concept is a better understanding of the variety of human forms and an acceptance of
different body types.
Nowadays doctors and advisers know that when a person shows dissatisfaction with
their body shape, it isn’t because their body is necessarily the wrong shape – it’s often
because they have a problem with their self-confidence. Helping that person get their
ideal body shape isn’t the most helpful thing to do. Rather, helping them to build up
self-confidence and encouraging them to live a healthy lifestyle is more likely to lead
to positive results.
At the end of the day, with major health problems arising from obesity and from
unhealthy obsessions with ideal body shapes, it is crucially important that health
becomes people’s focus. In a world full of fake images and unrealistic role-models, it’s
easy to forget that our bodies are not just something to look at – they have a job to do. It’s
very simple really. To lead a healthy, active life, you need a healthy, active body.
Language Awareness 6 THE COURAGE OF A WINNER
Many people will know about Lance Armstrong’s seven wins in the Tour de France, but
fewer people will have heard of his battle with cancer.
In the summer of 2019, everything must have been going perfectly for the
twenty-five-year- old Texan cyclist. But young, strong men must realise
that this can happen to them too.” ( Lance Armstrong has written an autobiography, “It’s
Not About The Bike.”)
Culture Corner Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine has been practiced in Asia for the last 2,500 years. It treats
the body as a whole and it is effective.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is finally getting the chance it deserves to help create a
healthier world.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
A PICTURE OF HEALTH?
Is John healthy? He thinks so, but actually, although John is a grocer,
And you’re able to enjoy it your whole, long, healthy life through.
Literature Spot 7 MARTIAN CHRONICLES
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They had a house of crystal pillars on the planet Mars by the edge
of an empty sea, and every morning you could see Mrs K eating
the golden fruits that grew from the crystal walls, or cleaning the
house with handfuls of magnetic dust which, taking all dirty with
it, blew away on the hot wind. Afternoons, when the fossil sea
was warm and motionless, and the wine trees stood stiff in the
yard, and the little Martian bone town was all enclosed, and no
one drifted out their doors, you could see Mr K himself in his
room, reading from a metal book with raised hieroglyphs over
which he brushed his hand, as one might play a harp. And from
the book, as his fingers stroked, a voice sang, a soft ancient voice,
which told tales of when the sea was red steam on the shore and
ancient men had carried clouds of metal insects and electric
spiders into battle.
Mr and Mrs K had lived by the dead sea for twenty years and
their ancestors had lived in the same house, which turned and
followed the sun, flower-like, for ten centuries.
Mr and Mrs K were not old. They had the fair, brownish skin of
the true Martian, the yellow coin eyes, the soft musical voices.
Once they had liked painting pictures with chemical fire,
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swimming in the canals in the seasons when the wine trees filled
them with green liquors, and talking into the dawn together by
the blue phosphorous portraits in the speaking-room.
They were not happy now.
This morning Mrs K stood between the pillars, listening to the
desert sands heart, melt into yellow wax, and seemingly run on
the horizon.
Ylla, you know how I hate this emotional wailing. Let’s get on with our work.
模块八
UNIT 22 Environmental Protection
Lesson 1 Global Warming
Can we take the heat?
In the last few decades, scientists have reached consensus and reported that human
beings are causing changes in the earth’s climate---something previously seen as beyond
our control. They claim that in the last 50 years, gases pumped into the Earth’s
atmosphere by the factories and vehicles have been speeding up the process of global
warming and affecting our climate. Looking ahead, scientists believe that global warming
could be one of the biggest environmental problems facing the 21st century. But what
exactly is global warming, why is it seen as a danger, and how is it relevant to our lives?
Global warming refers to an average increase in the Earth’s temperature that, in turn,
leads to climate change. Scientists found that the temperature of the Earth is controlled
by greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide which trap heat from the sun in the Earth’s
atmosphere. Without these naturally occurring gases, the sun’s rays would bounce back
into space leaving the Earth cold and impossible to live on. When the presence of these
gases in the atmosphere increases, however, more heat is trapped and the Earth’s
temperature rises.
Over the last 100 years, the global average temperature has increased by 1℉ and many
experts insist that the blame for this global warming can mostly be pinned on human
activities. As a result of increased industry, agriculture, the cutting down of forests, the
increase in transport and the burning of fuels, nearly 6 tonnes of carbon dioxide goes into
the atmosphere every year for every one of the Earth’s 6 billion people. The amount of
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carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has risen by more than 30% in the last 250 years with
half of this increase occurring since 1960. Given this data, it seems that the link between
human activities and rising global temperatures is not merely a coincidence.
A temperature increase of 1℉ may not sound like a lot, but if we continue to produce
carbon dioxide and other gases in such huge quantities, we are condemning life on Earth
and should expect severe consequences. Recent reports warned that global warming will
cause terrible climate changes including more frequent flooding, heat waves and
droughts. Serious diseases will spread and industries that rely on nature such as fishing
will be badly affected. Increased temperatures will also cause the polar ice to melt,
raising sea levels and flooding many islands and cities. How can we stop these disasters
from happening?
Governments all over the world have a responsibility to reduce the amount of carbon
dioxide which their countries are producing. If less carbon dioxide goes into the
atmosphere, global warming will slow down. This is no easy task, however, and some
governments, for example, the US’s federal government, express reservations about
whether global warming is really caused by human activities. Many people believe that
they are simply not prepared to sacrifice the amount of money they make from industry
to save the Earth. But why wait around for governments to take action? Experts advocate
that each person play their part. They suggest making small changes like taking public
transport, recycling, using low- flow shower heads, and buying light bulbs that use less
energy. Even simple things like using recycled paper or switching off the lights when you
leave a room can help. If we add up all these small changes made by everyone worldwide,
they won’t be such small changes. They could be the changes that save our future. After
all, there’s no substitute for our Earth. It’s all we’ve got to live on.
Lesson 3 Natural Disasters
Nature is turning on us
The last few years have seen environmental disasters on a grand scale, and experts
are predicting far worse to come. Jin Li reports on our Earth's changeable weather
patterns.
In the last decade, thunderstorms, floods, earthquakes, typhoons, volcanic eruptions,
tsunamis and forest fires have become increasingly common. There has been terrible
flooding in Asia, Africa, America and Oceania. (1) Even Europe has suffered and large
areas have been underwater. Storms have been getting worse everywhere too, with a
growing number of hurricanes hitting the US, and Central America. Reduced rainfall has
affected large areas of Africa for years leaving irrigation canals dry and many other zones
are becoming drier.
(2) For example, the Yellow River, once famous for flooding, failed to reach the sea
at all for 226 days in 2019. A number of nations have already been in armed conflict over
water, and reduced rainfall in the west of the US has resulted in huge forest fires.
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Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes have always been a threat in certain parts of the
world. A volcanic eruption nearly wiped out the small island of Montserrat in 2019, and
there have been serious earthquakes in many parts of Asia, Europe and South America. In
the last three years, Indonesia has had a rough time, suffering several killer quakes and it
is still recovering from the Asian tsunami caused by an offshore earthquake on December
26th, tsunami killed 132,000 Indonesians and another 100,000 people of other
nationalities. This catastrophe is still very fresh in the minds of people worldwide who
have not yet got over their separation from loved ones lost in the tsunami.
So why is nature beginning to turn on us? (3)One answer is overpopulation. The
population of the world is growing at the disturbing rate of 10,000 people an hour, nearly
90 million a year, with most of the growth in the developing world. People in agricultural
areas, without any means to earn their living, move to the cities, and then construct
shabby homes from whatever materials they can find on poor clay soil. These homes,
seldom made of bricks, can easily fall down in earthquakes or slip and slide downhill in
landslides, especially in mountainous areas. (4) On top of that add global warming. This
has mainly been caused by the huge amounts of carbon dioxide produced by factories
and vehicles, and the destruction of the world's forests. As a result, a hotter ocean causes
more powerful ic hurricanes – their howling winds with speeds of over 300
kilometres an hour – are 40% stronger now than they were 30 years ago.
Volcanoes and earthquakes are even more dangerous than in the past as around half
the world's population now lives in cities. There are more than 300 active volcanoes,
about fifty of which erupt each year, and more than 500 million people now live within
the range of a volcanic eruption. Because these natural disasters occur at random times, it
is difficult to warn people in advance. In May 2019, thousands of Indonesians living near
Mt Merapi (which means mountain of fire) had to flee as they thought it was about to
erupt. An even greater number of people live at risk, to some degree, from earthquakes
which have claimed more than 1.6 million lives in the last hundred years.
Most disaster experts believe there is the potential that things could get a lot worse.
Professor Hou Ming, of Beijing University studies volcanoes and he warns that the world
has not seen the worst nature can do. The worst eruption in human history was probably
Mt Tambora in 1815, in Indonesia. Dust from the volcano rolled across the Earth's skies
and pretty much cancelled the following summer in Europe and America. (5)But
evidence shows that 73,000 years ago there was a much greater eruption. “It reduced
temperatures by maybe 6C in some places and the whole planet was sent into winter for
years. And there are about two of these events every 100,000 years ...”
Culture Corner The World Wildlife Fund
The World Wildlife Fund(WWF) was founded by Sir Peter Scott in 1961.
more and more have a chance to survive.
Focus on Reading
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The link between food chains and extinction
Today, many species of animals and plants are endangered. This means they are
and animals could eventually mean our own extinction.
UNIT 23 Conflict
Lesson 1 Living in a Community
Yang Ming, drummer for the rock band “Storm”, has packed his bags. He's bid his
furnished apartment goodbye after complaints from his neighbours about loss of sleep.
Being a bachelor, Yang Ming held parties every night but the biggest problem was his
late-night drumming.
Seldom has drumming caused such conflict. Yang Ming's neighbours say they were
being driven mad being exposed to such noise. Had they known their neighbour was a
drummer, they wouldn't have moved into the building. No sooner had they moved in than
the noise began and rarely did they get a full night's sleep. Neither could they relax or
read a book without plugging their ears. One neighbour also claims that Yang Ming is an
alcoholic and was a bad influence on his adolescent son.
In the end, the local council took action. “It was only after careful consideration that
we gave Yang Ming a warning,” a council member said. “Getting enough sleep is
important for people's health and after such a chorus of complaints, we had to take
action.”
Yang Ming's departure has pleased his neighbours. “Life will go back to normal
now,” they say.
For Yang Ming's version of the story, we found him in the lounge of his suite at
Shanghai's Holiday Inn Hotel. Yang Ming feels that his rights have been ignored. Yang
Ming hates being called an alcoholic, but it is the fact that people have classified his
music as “noise” that upsets him most. Otherwise he doesn't really mind having to leave
his apartment. “Living in a hotel means a maid makes my bed every day and I don't have
to do my own laundry!” But how long will the hotel tolerate him? We wonder.
Grandpa jailed after one shower too many
Eighty-year-old retired tailor, James McKay, spent Saturday night in jail after hitting
thirty-year-old Keith Smith over the head with his walking stick. McKay's wife, Laurene
told us that while McKay is usually a peaceful person, he had been driven to this act of
violence by getting wet just once too often.
Smith lives above the McKays and it appears that not only is he a keen gardener, he
is also a fish collector. Unfortunately for him, the water he sent over his balcony every
day ended up on the McKay's, or too often, on the McKays themselves.
“For the last fortnight, since Smith moved into the flat above us, we have hardly
dared go onto our balcony,” said Laurene. She added that it wasn't so much the water
falling onto their balcony from Smith watering his plants that bothered them, it was more
the way he cleaned his fish tanks. “We'd be sitting there happily reading our newspapers,
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when suddenly so much water would come from above that we'd be as wet as if we'd
showered with our clothes on! Neither could we get rid of the smell of fish!”
And on Saturday evening it was just too much. “It was James' birthday,” explained
Laurene, “and I'd made him a birthday cake. The candles were a great sight as you can
imagine, but James didn't get to blow them out.” Instead, Smith emptied one of his larger
tanks over his balcony and both the McKays and the cake were wet through. Rarely had
Laurene seen McKay move so fast. “I couldn't stop him. He was up there in a flash. It
was the fastest I'd seen him move since 1964.”
Smith is not going to take things further with the police. He has also promised to
change his ways from now on. And what of James McKay? As he left the police station a
large crowd of supporters sang him, “Happy Birthday”. “Definitely the most exciting
birthday ever!” said the cheerful old man. “The best since my adolescence I'd say!”
Lesson 2 Conflict Resolution
DO YOU STAND UP FOR YOURSELF?
1 You’re angry with your neighbours because their children wake you up early on
Sunday morning playing rugby in their garden. Do you:
a) talk it over with them and put forward a solution?
b) do the same to them by making a lot of noise late at night?
c) plug your ears with cotton wool when you go to bed?
2 A new shop assistant in the bakery you always go to is rude to you. Do you:
a) calmly explain that you are a customer and so you expect good manners?
b) make a scene and ask to see the manager?
c) put up with it but never go back there again?
3 Your sister is always going off with your things and never giving them back. She asks
to borrow your new sneakers for a party. Do you:
a) refuse to give them to her and explain why?
b) say no and tell her to get out and never ask for anything from then on?
c) give in and lend them to hear?
4 You’re in a restaurant and instead of bringing you the food you ordered, the waiter
gives you something else. Do you:
a) tell him politely that it is not what you ordered?
b) shout at the water, send for the manager and refuse to pay your bill?
c) eat the food and decide never to go back to that restaurant?
5 You subscribe to a magazine and you keep getting it late. You’re sure your neighbour is
reading it before you. Do you:
a) go to your neighbour and ask if she’d like to read your magazine after you have
finished with it each month?
b) accuse your neighbour of stealing and tell her you’ll call in the police next time?
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c) do nothing and keep getting your magazine two weeks late every month?
Lesson3
War Memories
Do Chuc is a forty-eight-year-old Vietnamese farmer whose two daughters and an aunt
were killed by American soldiers in My Lai that day. He and his family were eating
breakfast when the American soldiers entered the village and ordered them from their
homes. Together with other villagers they were marched a few hundred metres into the
village square where they were told to sit. “Still we had no reason to be afraid,” Chuc
remembers. “Everyone was calm. We'd seen it all before.” Then, in surprise he watched
as the soldiers set up a machine gun. The calm ended. The people began weeping and
begging. One man showed his identification papers to a soldier, but the American simply
said, “Sorry.” Then the shooting started. Chuc was wounded in the leg and almost
unconscious, but he was covered by a pile of dead bodies and thus saved. After waiting
an hour, he fled the village.
(Adapted from My Lai by Seymour Hersh)
We were on the frontier and on Christmas morning we stuck up a board with “A
Merry Christmas” on it. (1) The enemy had stuck up a similar one. Two of our men then
threw their equipment off and climbed out of the trench with their hands above their
heads as our representatives. Two of the Germans did the same. They greeted each other
and shook hands. (2) Then we all got out of the trench. Bill (our officer) tried to prevent
it but it was too late so he and the other officers climbed out too. We and the Germans
walked through the mud and met in the middle of no-man's-land.
We spent all day with one another. Some of them could speak English. By the look
of them, their trenches were in as bad a state as our own. One of their men, speaking in
English, remarked that he had worked in England for some years and that he was fed up
to the neck with this war and would be glad when it was over. (3) We told him he wasn’t
the only one who was fed up with it. The German officer asked Bill if we would like a
couple of barrels of beer and they brought them over to us. Bill distributed the beer
among us and we consumed the lot. The officers came to an understanding that we would
celebrate Christmas in peace until midnight.
(4) Just before midnight we all decided not to start firing before they did. We'd
formed a bond and during the whole of Boxing Day we never fired a shot and they the
same; each side seemed to be waiting for the other to set the ball rolling. One of their
men shouted across in English and asked how we had enjoyed the beer. We replied that
we were very grateful and spent the whole day chatting with them. That evening we were
replaced by other soldiers.
(Adapted from Old Soldiers Never Die by Frank Richards)
I got a phone call from the chief nurse, saying, “You've got a patient there that is
going to get an award. Make sure that the ward looks good.” This really turned me off to
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begin with: “Let's clean up the ward because we've got VIPs coming in.” Well, the VIPs
happened to be a general and a group of about twelve people. This patient still had fresh
scars from his first visit to us and this time he'd had both his legs blown off – he was all
of about twenty years old. When he was waking up after the surgeon had finished putting
bandages on what was left of his legs, he whispered: “Don't you remember me, ma'am?”
I said, “Oh yeah!” But really I didn't because there were so many of them. The general
was coming to give him the award because he happened to be number twenty thousand to
come through this hospital. They had this little ceremony, saluted him, and then gave him
a Purple Heart and a watch. As the general handed him the watch, “from the army, to
show our appreciation,” the kid more or less threw the watch back at him. He said
something like, “I can't accept this, sir; it's not going to help me walk.” After this little
incident, I went over and took him in my arms. If I remember correctly, I started sobbing
and I think he was crying too. I really admired him for that. I swear that it was the only
time I let somebody see what I felt. It took a lot for him to do that, and it sort of said what
this war was all about to me.
(Adapted from A Piece of My Heart by Keith Walker)
ME AND AN ACQUAINTANCE WERE WALKING behind an English pub once,
going back to our base, and we saw one of our planes come over heading westwards for
an American base just across the valley.
One of its engines was on fire and we saw it hit the ground. We didn't know if it still
had its bombs aboard or if it was coming back from Germany, so we didn't dare go near it.
I tried to phone the American base, but I couldn't get through. The line just didn't work. A
handful of fire fighters came, but nobody dared to go near the plane because it was on
fire and we couldn't find out if it still had its bombs and tanks full of petrol.
We were scared the whole thing would go up like fireworks and take us with it. The
crew couldn't get out and we could hear the men screaming and shouting and there was
nothing we could do because of the bombs. They died, five of them. Then we found out
later they had just been out for a training session.
(Adapted from Six War Years by Barry Broadfoot)
Communication Workshop Tour de France
I am writing to you about the imported Tour de France exercise like bike
He helped me draft this letter and has copies of the guarantee and receipt.
Language Awareness 8
Hi Clare,
How are things? Why haven’t you been in touch? You’ve had my email for ages!
whose sheep have been getting into the garden and eating his plants.
Culture Corner School counselors
Counselors offer help, advice and support to people who find it difficult to help
themselves. In the West
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also helps students to plan their professional careers after college.
FOCUS ON READING Star Wars
Star Wars is the most successful series of science fiction movies ever made. Over the last
28 years,
But who knows, a man like George Lucas is full of surprises.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
Growing up with brothers and sisters
Probably nothing upsets parents more on a daily basis than constant fighting between
children.
This inner security enhances their capacity for brotherly and sisterly love.
UNIT 24 Society
L1 Consumer Society
Spend, Spend, Spend
Many of us in developed societies are trapped in a spending circle. We work hard so that
we can earn more money. When we have more money, we spend more and because we
spend more, we have to work even harder. Sometimes we try to deposit a little or change
our money into different countries' currencies in the hope that we can make even more
money. But strangely enough, the more money we earn, the less often we see it. Instead,
we start putting our signatures on credit cards and spending money we don't even have.
Besides, we're all taxpayers so the more we earn the more tax we have to pay to those
who govern us. Thus, the circle goes round and round and gets more and more
complicated.
In this spending circle, on the one hand, we accumulate possessions but never feel
like we have enough. On the other hand, we work towards the ownership of bigger and
better houses and cars and never have time to enjoy them. Instead, they feel like a burden
because every month we have to hand over most of the money we earn to pay for them.
And the result of all this? Not increased happiness, but stress and less free time to be
ourselves and enjoy being with our friends and families.
Surely we're still better off than those who wear rags and sleep on the streets or in
vacant buildings, but there is a growing resistance to this consumer society which is
especially affecting the youth of today with their computers, i-pods, designer clothes and
mobile phones. Protest groups are insisting that some of our money be given to the third
world. Trade unions demand that the government shorten the working week. They are
also suggesting that people should share work and thus reduce unemployment. If laws
such as these came into being, a huge adjustment would be required and there would
certainly be diverse reactions. But many feel it would be worth it.
As a society, it's high time that we took these issues more seriously. We should insist
that advertising is more controlled, especially advertising aimed at children. We should
also make sure that there are better ways for young people to use their free time apart
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from spending money. On a personal level, we ought to visit the shops less and worry
less about all, we should remember that “being” and “doing” are much
more important than “having”.
Lesson 3
A Changing World
A Every year thousands of tourists flock to China with the latest edition of China's
“Lonely Planet” guidebook in their hands. They come to see the grand sights of the Great
Wall and the Forbidden City but often it is the hutongs that leave the strongest impression,
as they offer travellers a rare view into China's past. Hutongs – the many little alleys that
connect the rectangular courtyards of traditional houses – are a feature of ancient Chinese
architecture and are still found in the old quarters of a few Chinese cities. Beijing's
hutongs are particularly famous, however, as there are thousands of them. Nowadays, the
word “hutong” has come to mean more than just the alleys that connect the courtyards. It
also refers to the courtyards themselves and even to the communities that live there.
B The majority of Beijing's hutongs were built between the 13th and 19th centuries
during the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. To help them keep control over the city, the
Emperors during these periods arranged different areas of Beijing in neat blocks of
houses built around courtyards. They were then able to place guards at the entrances of
the various hutongs, which made it easier to keep an eye on people's movements. The
Emperor's home, the Forbidden City, was in the centre of Beijing and the homes of the
nobles and wealthy citizens were in the hutongs closest to the royal palace. Ordinary
citizens lived in the hutongs further away from the palace.
C By connecting people's homes, the hutongs in fact connected people's lives,
whether the lives of the rich or the lives of the ordinary citizens. Because the houses were
built facing each other around courtyards, the families who lived there were an important
part of each other's lives. They supported each other when help was needed and shared
the joy and sadness of everyday life, no doubt sharing recipes, borrowing mops, and
burning fragrant incense together. The children played in the courtyards and because of
the hutongs, courtyards were joined together for miles around creating a network of
people working, playing and living together – a real community.
D Towards the end of the Qing Dynasty, the conditions in Beijing's hutongs went
down as the political situation cast a dark cloud on China's economy. Many new hutongs
were quickly built to house the increasing population but these were poorly made. The
turning point came when the People's Republic of China was set up. Conditions
improved a great deal and the government undertook the preservation of many of the
oldest hutongs.
E Hutongs are still an important part of Beijing life and it is not surprising that
tourists love the hutongs. They can walk up Sanmiao Street, which dates back 900 years,
wander down Rongxian – the longest hutong at 2 km or squeeze through Qianshi – the
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narrowest at only 40 cm wide! They can also stop under a stone arch and watch the
hutong world go by while enjoying a plate of Beijing's best “Peking Duck” or satisfying
their thirst with a cold Tsingtao beer. The hutongs not only link Beijing's streets and
communities after all, but also its past and present, showing that Beijing is truly an
ancient yet modern city.
Language Awareness 9 Are Societies Ageing Too Fast?
An ageing society is one which the population of people over the age of 60 is increasing.
and started playing our parts in securing the future of our ageing
societies.
Culture Corner Golden Ages
Although we often consider the modern world to be a time of opportunities, freedom and
advanced technology, there have been some periods
This was why the theatres became so popular.
FOCUS ON READING
The English Class System
“What class do you belong to?” is a question you will never hear. Class divisions are
determined by obvious factors
and it’s unlikely that they will ever truly disappear.
Literature Spot 8 No Crime in the Mountain
The letter came just before noon, special delivery, a dime-store envelope with the return
address F.S. Lacey, Puma Point, California. Inside was a check for
The name on the license was Frederick Shield Lacey.
模块九
UNIT 25 Going Global
A Changing City
For centuries, Beijing has been one of China’s most important cities. Originally a place
for emperors and officials, today it is a wealthy, international city and a popular tourist
destination in Asia. It is a popular destination within China too. People from all over the
country are moving to Beijing in search of jobs and opportunities as this exciting city is
a place where dreams can come true. New businesses, restaurants and shops open every
day and there is sort of energy about the place that is infectious. Throughout the city,
smartly dressed business people head for their offices or the nearest department stores,
mobile phones held to their ears and visitors can only watch and imagine the deals and
fortunes being made at that very second.
Beijing streets provide a fascinating mix of the past and the present. In beautiful parks,
old couples in colourful clothing dance to music from a radio while youngsters in the
latest fashions stroll by listening to rock music on their headsets. In tea houses, groups of
old men play chess while the MacDonald’s next door is filled with laughing teenagers
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sipping milkshakes. Walking through the broad streets lined with designer stores and
multi-storey skyscrapers, you can take a turn and suddenly find yourself in a century’s
old lane where a fruit seller chats happily to an old woman sitting in the sun, stroking her
cat. But then a voice will call and the old woman will move inside to watch the latest
episode of her favourite program on TV.
Beijing has changed rapidly in the last twenty years or so. Travellers of the 1920s
remember it mainly as a city of busy lanes with homes built around courtyards, but these
have given way to the high rise apartment blocks of the 21
st
century. TV sets and
washing machines- unimaginable luxuries in the 1970s- are now commonplace and the
bicycles that were the main from of transport a few decades ago are now prohibited on
the highways that circle the city. Luxury products that were not even imagined 30 years
ago, are now available to anyone who has the desire and spare cash to buy them.
The Beijing of today is still changing, so rapidly, in fact, that maps of the city go out of
date almost as soon as they are published! A street that had two restaurants last month
may have four or more this month! Construction cranes and 24-hour work crews are seen
all over the city working to build the dreams of the Chinese nation. Elegant shopping
malls and five-star hotels reach for the skies and many of the road signs and advertising
billboards are now in English, making Beijing more accessible to foreigners. Public
transport is efficient, new businesses are growing, and every modern convenience and
international brand is available in this booming global city.
Foreigners enjoy Beijing as the city offers much to see and do. It is definitely one of the
most fascinating places in China and has some of China’s most stunning sights, including
the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Great Wall. In addition to these cultural
sights, the shopping centres and hotels are magnificent and the restaurants are superb.
Visitors often come to Beijing with the single desire to see the Great Wall, one of the
ancient wonders of the world, but once they’ve arrived, they realise that this is only one
of the city’s attractions. In fact, the only complaint that visitors ever seem to have about
Beijing, is that they simply run out of time before seeing it all.
How the mobile phone changed the world
Last month, the mobile telecoms industry had several good reasons to celebrate. The
number of global phone users had doubled in two years to pass the 1 billion mark, China
had just overtaken America as the world’s largest market, and across Africa, the number
of mobile phone users was doubling.
Across the world the mobile phone has leapt from being an impossible luxury in the early
1980s to what most people would now call a necessity. The mobile, once considered a
toy for the rich, has today crossed social and geographical boundaries to find its way into
the hands of the young, the old, the rich and the poor, even in communities largely
untouched by new technologies.
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It is amazing to see how fast and how far the mobile phone has spread. Because it
extends a basic human quality – the ability to communicate – there are few aspects of life
that it fails to touch.
Students in Beijing who are the only children in their families explain the importance of
maintaining contact with their parents. South African miners tell how their mobiles
enable them to stay in touch with their families who live hours away, often in huts with
no telephone lines. Traders on their boats in Dubai explain how their mobiles allow them
to keep up with the movements of goods around the Middle East.
Teenagers have become the channel through which mobile phones have found their way
into the dider society. For the young throughout the world, the sense of freedom of
movement they get with a mobile are highly valued. In spite of many cases of phone theft
in the UK, they value the security of knowing that assistance – often a lift home – is only
a call away.
The young were also the first to see the potential of text messaging. More than 2 billion
text messages were sent around the world in 2019 alone, and the World Wireless Forum
expects that this will grow to nearly 8 billion messages in 2019, with much of this growth
coming from users under the age of 25. In Japan the teenage generation has become
known as “the thumb tribe” because of the speed and accuracy with which they text.
But teenagers and text messaging are only part of the mobile story. Historians of
technology have noted that the telephone arrived the exact period when it was needed for
the reorganization of great cities and the unification of nations. The mobile arrived to suit
a time of mobility. Never before have so many people been on the move, whether as
commuters, workers, travelers, freelancers or migrants.
Mobile phones encourage and respond to this mobility. In China, which is witnessing
vast movements of people, the mobile has become a crucial part of life: a way to keep in
touch with families back home and also a means of establishing oneself in a new social
environment. In Thailand, many students say that their parents would only let them move
to Bangkok when they were sure they could keep in touch by mobile phone.
Even in the West, where phone ownership once depended on a fixed address and a high
salary, almost anyone can now buy a mobile phone off the shelf.
Connecting people rather than locations, the mobile phone changes the way people
organize their lives. Plans can be made or changed at any moment and while organizing
in advance used to be crucial to any social gathering, now only the vaguest plans are
necessary. Mobiles even change the experience of being alone as they provide countless
ways to pass the time.
It is ridiculous to compare a mobile to a body part, but carried on the person, often all the
time, they are something to which people have grown attached. We have almost come to
see our mobiles as indispensable extensions of our bodies and I, for one, feel as if
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something is missing if I ever leave home without it. There are those that complain about
mobiles and long for the days when a phone ringing on a bus was unheard of, but even
these people cannot deny that mobiles have changed the world.
UNIT 26 Emotions
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
While Tom was eating his supper and stealing sugar when no one was looking, Aunt
Polly asked him questions that she thought were very cunning and clever.
She informed him that his two days of holiday were now going to be two days of
hard work!
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非主流爱情-关于女人的经典语句

泰安事业单位考试-会计述职报告范文

奥地利签证中心-元旦由来

红军长征路线图-简爱读后感3000字

父亲节那天-酒店辞职报告范文

体育运动口号-八一建军节的来历

眉山市教育局-杭白菊导游词

雨霖铃翻译-运动会入场式解说词