进修学习总结-职称英语考试成绩

Interviewer: Angela, you were born in Korea but you've been living in Canada for a
long time, haven't you?
Angela: Yes, I was 10 years old when my parents immigrated to Canada and I've
been living here for 20 years now.
Interviewer: Do you think that belonging to two different cultures has affected your
personality?
Angela: Yes, definitely. There are times when I think that I have two personalities.
Depending on where I am and who I'm with, I'm Korean or I'm Canadian.
Interviewer: That sounds complicated. Could you explain what you mean?
Angela: Well, growing up in Canada when I was going to high school, for example, I
was known as Angela to the outside world, and as Sun-Kyung at home. I would wave
hello to my teachers, but bow to my parents' Korean friends when they visited our
home.
Interviewer: Do different cultures have different ideas as to what is polite?
Angela: Yes, definitely. In high school, I was expected to look straight in the eyes of
my teachers and to talk openly with them. But when Koreans spoke to me, I was
expected to look at my feet and to be shy and silent.
Interviewer: Do you think that having two personalities makes you a richer person?
Angela: Yes, but sometimes I don't know who I am.
I am a very sensitive person, and that's good to a point. I feel everyone should be able
to feel or understand what others are going through. But when you hurt, cry, or are
unhappy for people you don't know, or for a movie that is not real, then I think that's a
little too sensitive. That's the way I am.
I am a very independent person. I must do things for myself. I don't like people doing
things for me, or helping me, or giving me things. It's not that I don't appreciate it,
because I do. I just feel that when someone does something for you, you owe them,
and if there is one thing I don't like to feel, it's that I owe anyone anything.
I think I would be a good friend. I would do almost anything for someone I like, and
would share or give anything I have. I'm very caring and understanding. People trust
me with their secrets, and they're right for doing so because I never tell any secret that
is told to me. I'm always there to help in any way that I can. All you have to do is ask.
I enjoy life and people, which makes me feel good. I find fun in almost everything I
do (except housework). I like to watch people, talk to them, and be around them. It

makes no difference whether I agree or disagree with what they feel, or how they live,
or what they look like, or what age they are. I just enjoy learning and being aware of
everything and everyone around me.
Tom: Hey, Bill. Do you have any plans for this weekend?
Bill: Yeah, Tom. Cindy and I are going ice-skating on Saturday.
Tom: Oh.
Bill: Why do you ask?
Tom: Well, I thought you might want to come over and study for next week's
chemistry test.
Bill: Study?! No way. Hey, what if I try to fix you up with Cindy's sister, Kristi. We
could double-date. She's really outgoing, bright, and funny too.
Tom: Hey, I still remember the girl you fixed me up with last time. She was very
moody and self- centered. She couldn't stop talking about how great she was. I'm not
sure if I can trust you,
Bill: Oh come on. So I made a mistake last time. Cindy's sister is really different.
Tom: Well, what does she look like?
Bill: Ah. Looks aren't important. She has a wonderful personality.
Tom: Right.
Bill: Okay. She has long wavy blond hair and blue eyes. She's of medium height, just
a little shorter than you are.
Tom: Go on.
Bill: She has a great figure, a nice complexion, and she has a sexy voice. Oh, and she
has a tattoo of an eagle on her arm.
Tom: A what?
Bill: No, just kidding. By the way, she was the runner-up in the Miss California
Beauty Pageant two years ago. Well, you're probably not interested.
Tom: No, wait!
Bill: Ah, just forget I ever mentioned it.

Tom: No, I'm interested!
David: Barbara, before you go, could you tell me about these students that are coming
into my class?
Barbara: Oh, yes. Now, let me think, well, there's...er...Paul. He's a tall, slim lad with
fair hair. Very friendly face, lovely smile... He's particularly good with group
activities, and he's a very helpful person to have in the class and very helpful with the
other students. He speaks fluently, but does make a lot of mistakes! He doesn't seem
to mind making mistakes. He asks a lot of questions...er...he tends to speak first and
think later. But he's got lots of interesting ideas.
David: Good.
Barbara: Ah...Susan...Susan. Now, she's very lively, quick, and very bright. She talks
all the time but not always in English.
David: What? Is she difficult or anything?
Barbara: No...she's quite young but she does behave in quite a grown- up way really
for her age. It can be a bit difficult to actually shut her up sometimes and make her
listen to you.
David: Ah, right.
Barbara: She's very nice. She has dark hair and dark eyes.
David: Right, well...are there any other girls in the class?
Barbara: Yes, there is Maria. She's Susan's sister.
David: Yes.
Barbara: Actually it's quite difficult to tell them apart although...er... Maria is
slightly older. She's a bit plumper and has longer hair than Susan. She's not quite as
bright as her sister and I think that makes her feel a bit inferior really. Well, you know,
she sulks a bit when she gets things wrong or she misunderstands you. But on the
whole, a very sensible girl.
David: OK.
Barbara: And then there's Peter, who's older than the others. He's got a sort of
moustache, spectacles and wavy dark brown hair. He usually wears a jacket and
sometimes a suit. He's very smart and takes notes all the time. He's also very serious
and determined to learn as much as possible. He asks quite difficult questions but he
doesn't mean to be nasty.

David: Well, thanks, Barbara. It's all up to me now, isn't it? Have a good holiday,
won't you?
Barbara: Thanks.
David: Bye.
1. Pedro sleeps only six hours a night. He goes to school full-time and works
part-time in the afternoons. At night he plays soccer or basketball. He's seldom tired
and his favorite way to relax is to jog two or three miles.
What kind of person is Pedro?
2. Mr. Miller was teaching his fourth grade class how to divide. The students didn't
understand. He had to repeat his lesson and explain the idea more slowly. Over the
next few days he explained and explained the lesson until almost the whole class
understood and knew how to divide.
What kind of teacher is Mr. Miller?
3. People in the High Street neighborhood don't buy their fruits and vegetables in the
supermarket. They buy them from Mr. Smith's truck. You can trust Mr. Smith. He
never tries to sell any bad or unripe fruit. His prices are fair.
What kind of person is Mr. Smith?
4. Jake and Charles ran into the classroom. Each one saw the chair he wanted to sit on.
Unfortunately, it was the same chair. They both sat down at the same time. Each of
them had half a chair. Charles said he was there first and tried to push Jake off the
chair. Jake said he was first. Both boys refused to move.

the whole period.
rang. When they stood up they were stiff and sore.

What kind of person is Jake?
5. Room 46A at Travis High School was always the dirtiest room in the school. Many
of the students threw paper on the floor. One day, Mrs. Duke had an idea. She
fastened a basketball hoop over the wastebasket. Now the students love to practice
throwing their paper into the basket. When they miss, they pick the paper up and try
again. And that was the end of the problem.
What kind of person is Mrs. Duke?

A number of visitors to the UK, who had traveled throughout the British Isles, were
asked by a newspaper reporter what their impressions of the British people were.
Here's a brief summary of what they thought.
There were many different opinions among those interviewed: Some were very
flattering, others very critical. The distinction between the English and the British
wasn't always understood, but, on the whole, it seemed that the Scots were very
popular with visitors. They were thought to be very friendly, even though one Dutch
visitor confessed she'd found it hard to understand their English.
A great number found the British generally reserved, particularly the English,
although one Australian visitor called the English
and most hospitable
help.
Some Asian businessmen, who had traveled widely throughout England, said quite
openly that they found North country people
When asked what exactly they meant by
playful smile on his face,
A few continentals praised
dull.
one explained.
A young student from South Africa had no views on the matter. He hadn't met any
Englishmen, he said. The country appeared to be full of foreigners like himself.
Statements:
1. It was easy to tell the English from the British.
2. Speaking the same language helped one Australian visitor a lot.
3. By
friendly than people of other countries.
4. The majority of continentals thought highly of English manners.
5. To the young student from South Africa, Britain seemed to have a lot of foreign
visitors.
One day, when Mr. Smith came home from work, he found his wife very upset about
something. Mr. Smith always thought that he was more sensible than his wife, so he
started to give her a lecture on the importance of always remaining calm.

Finally he said,
yourself to be patient, like me. Now, look at the fly that has just landed on my nose.
Am I getting excited or annoyed? Am I swearing or waving my arms around? No. I'm
not. I'm perfectly calm.
Just as he had said this, Mr. Smith started shouting. He jumped up and began to wave
his arms around wildly and swear terribly. He couldn't speak for some time, but at last
he was able to tell his wife: The thing on his nose was not a fly, but a bee.
Tom: Oh, that Mr. Taylor. He is so boring!
Mother: What do you mean?
Tom: His lessons put me to sleep. And he's so quick-tempered, Mum.
Mother: Quick- tempered? Mr. Taylor? Are you sure darling?
Tom: Yes, he gets angry very quickly.
Mother: That doesn't sound like Mr. Taylor at all!
Tom: And do you know, he spends all the time looking at his reflection in the
window, admiring himself.
Mother: Really? And why does he do that?
Tom: Because he's vain, that's why! And conceited! He thinks he knows everything.
Mother: Oh, Tom. Be reasonable. I'm sure you're exaggerating. Mr. Taylor seems
such a nice, kind man.
Tom: Well, he isn't. He is mean and cruel.
Mother: Cruel? Now how can a history teacher be cruel?
Tom: Because he only gave me two out of ten points in my history test.
Mother: Oh, now I understand. Tom, I think you'd better get on with your
homework!
(S1 = the first speaker; S2 = the second speaker; S3 = the third speaker; S4 = the
fourth speaker)
S1: In this week's edition of Up with People we went out into the streets and
interviewed a number of people. We asked a question they just didn't expect. We

asked them to be self- critical...to ask themselves exactly what they thought they
lacked or—the other side of the coin—what virtues they had. Here is what we heard.
S2: Well...I...I don't know really...it's not the sort of question you ask yourself directly.
I know I'm good at my job... At least my boss considers me hard-working,
conscientious, and efficient. I'm a secretary by the way. When I look at myself in a
mirror as you sometimes do in the privacy of your own bedroom...or at your reflection
in the shop windows as you walk up the street... Well...then I see someone a bit
different. Yes...I'm different in my private life. And that's probably my main fault I
should say... I suppose I'm not coherent in my behavior. My office is always in
order...but my flat! Well...you'd have to see it to believe it.
S3: Well...I'm retired, you know. Used to be an army officer. And...I think I've kept
myself...yes, I've kept myself respectable the whole of my life. I've tried to help those
who depend on me. I've done my best. I am quite self- disciplined. Basically I'm a
good guy, fond of my wife and family... That's me.
S4: Well...when I was young I was very shy. At times I...I was very
unhappy...especially when I was sent to boarding school at age seven. I didn't make
close friends till later...till I was about...fifteen. Then I became quite good at being by
myself. I had no one to rely on...and no one to ask for advice. That made me
independent. My wife and I have two sons. We...we didn't want an only child because
I felt...well I felt I'd missed a lot of things.
Mike: Hey, guys. Come and look. I've found an interesting Web site on star signs.
(The others come close to the computer and look at the star signs on the screen.)
Ted: Hey, that's interesting! What's your sign, Sam?
Sam: I'm a Scorpio. What's yours, Ted?
Ted: I have no idea. I've never really thought about that. Let's have a look. I was born
on September 5. Oh, I'm a Virgo.
Simon: And I'm a Libra.
Sam: What do they say about Libra, Simon?
Simon: (He reads.) You're a sociable, charming person. You go out of your way to
avoid confrontation and do everything in your power to make your life an easy one.
Although you're generally likeable, you can be changeable, superficial and critical.
But you manage to hide those traits most of the time.
Mike: Do you agree with that? Are you that type of person?

Simon: What do you think? I think there is something in what it says. I am social and
outgoing. But I am not changeable, am I? What's your sign, Mike?
Mike: I'm a Taurus. Ah, what's yours, Lilly?
Lilly: I'm a Cancer.
Ted: Now let's look at Taurus.( He reads.) You're a patient, practical type. Good
points include your affectionate, kind nature, your trustworthiness and strength of
character. Bad points include your possessiveness, self-indulgence and stubbornness.
Do you think your character fits well?
Mike: No, not at all. I'm not patient, and I'm not practical either. I am kind of
quick- tempered and ambitious. That's definitely not me! But one thing is right: I AM
stubborn.
Simon: Sam, let me read yours. (He reads.) You are secretive, and sexy. You have the
worst reputation in the zodiac. Scorpio has a dark side, which includes revengeful
and destructive traits. Yet despite this, you can be the wittiest, kindest and most
entertaining of all the signs.
Sam: Oh, that can't be true! Are you sure you were reading Scorpio?
Simon: Yes, of course! Look for yourself.
Sam: But that's unfair! I have the worst reputation in the zodiac?!
The others: (They all laugh and say.) Ha ha... Poor Sam!
Sam: Who could believe such silly things! Really, I think I'm intelligent, humorous,
and kind-hearted.
Mike: Yes, but those are just your good traits. Don't forget about your bad ones!
Sam: Come on! Oh, Lilly, we haven't looked at your sign yet. Eh, you are a Cancer,
right? You want me to read yours?
Lilly: No, thanks. I'm afraid you'll distort what's written there. Let me read it myself.
(She reads.) To some people, you appear tough and determined, but that's just a

You can be moody, touchy and irritable, but you make up for those negative traits
with your kindness, great intuition and protective nature. That's not bad, is it?
Simon: No. But what counts is not what it says, but how you really are, what you are
actually like.

Lilly: (She is a bit defensive.) What do you mean? What are you trying to say about
me?
Simon: I think you are much nicer than what it describes.
(Lilly smiles.)
The other boys: Oh, Simon, don't sweet-talk her! We know what you are thinking.
Ted: Hey, I haven't seen mine yet. Now it's my turn.
Mike: Go ahead, Ted! Be our guest!
Ted: It says: Virgo people like order in all things and are neat, clean and precise in
their habits. Virgo people are perfectionists and they sometimes can be critical. They
do not like to draw attention to themselves. Virgo people are modest, and careful
about what they eat or drink.
Sam: Do you have any objections to that?
Ted: I think the description matches me quite well. I AM a perfectionist. I like things
to be in order. Erm, I...I'm careful about what I eat and drink. But it doesn't mention
my weak points.
Lilly: Oh! And what are those?
Ted: Well, sometimes I'm so careful I tend to waste a lot of time. I'm not very
sociable, and I don't have many friends.
Sam: I think everyone has some undesirable personality traits that could be improved.
Don't you think we all could improve our personalities?
Mike: I think we can. For example, my little sister was the youngest girl in our family.
My parents loved her very much, but they spoiled her by giving her too much. She
was at that time self-centered, selfish, aggressive, bad-tempered, and rude. Her
personality didn't change any until she entered primary school. In school, she first
acted as she did at home, and she couldn't make a single good friend. For a time, she
was even isolated by her classmates. She complained to us, and finally understood her
problem. From then on, she made every effort to get rid of her undesirable
characteristics both at home and in school. Now she's in middle school and has turned
into a popular girl.
Lilly: In my opinion, our personalities are partly inherited and partly shaped by our
home environment. As we all know, scientists have found that parents' personality
traits can be seen in their children. Most children have some of their parents'
personality traits.

Mike: That's right. And our early home and school environment also has a big
influence on the shaping of our personality. For instance, I've noticed that many
children growing up in rich families may become wasteful, lazy, arrogant or cold. On
the other hand, I've noticed that many children raised in poor families are
hard-working, caring, sympathetic, and helpful.
Sam: Does that mean you think we have to choose our parents wisely?
(The others laugh.)
2
Mart Moody from Tupper Lake used to tell this tale.
was a big flock of ducks out on Tupper Lake. And I had this good dog. I shot at the
ducks, and then I sent the dog out there. She was heavy with pups at the time, and I
didn't know whether I should send her out there. It was a cold day in the fall. Well,
she took right off and away she went. But she didn't show up when it got dark. I
began to worry about her. She was a good dog, a really good retriever. She'd get
anything I shot at.

And I got down to the shoreline of the lake and I looked out. Suddenly I saw
something coming. It was this dog. She came into the shore! She had three ducks in
her mouth. And behind her she had seven pups. And each of the pups had a duck in
his mouth.
There was an old man who had a daughter. He told his daughter that he had invited a
preacher to his house. He said,
Reverend, and I've roasted two ducks and left them there for him in the other room.
Don't you touch them!
went to the train to meet the Reverend, and the girl began to taste the ducks. The
ducks tasted so good that she kept on tasting them until she had eaten them all up,
every bit of them.
After the old man came back, he didn't even look in the place where he had left the
ducks. He went directly into the other room to sharpen his knife on the oilstone so he
could carve the ducks. The preacher was sitting in the room with the girl. She knew
that her papa was going to punish her, and she started crying and shedding tears. The
preacher asked,
fault: He invites preachers to his house and goes to sharpen his knife to cut off both
their ears.

preacher said,
ran out of the door quickly. The daughter called her papa and said,
preacher got both the ducks and has gone.

the preacher,
But the preacher just kept running and shouted back over his shoulder,
you'll get either one of these.
Jack Storm was the local barrel maker and blacksmith of Thebes, Illinois. He had a
cat that stayed around his shop. The cat was the best mouse catcher in the whole
country, Jack said. He kept the shop free of rats and mice. But, one day, the cat got
caught in a piece of machinery and got a paw cut off. After that, he began to grow
weak and thin and didn't take any interest in anything, because he wasn't getting
enough to eat.
So, one day, Jack decided to make a wooden paw for the cat. He made it with his
pocket knife and fastened it on the injured leg. After that, the cat began to grow sleek
and fat again. Jack decided to stay at the shop one night to see how the cat managed
with his wooden paw.
After dark, the cat got down in front of a mouse hole and waited. Pretty soon a mouse
peered out cautiously. Quick as a flash the cat seized it with his good paw and
knocked it on the head with his wooden one. In no time, that cat had eighteen mice
piled up in front of the mouse hole.
Ken: Hey, Josh. Where did you get those comic magazines?
Josh: When I went home last weekend, I found these old Superman magazines that
my older brother had bought many years ago.
Ken: You don't have time to read old comics. Why did you bring them here?
Josh: In my World Literature class we've been talking about the importance of myths,
folk tales, and legends to cultures. We have to write a short paper on which legendary
figure we think is the great American hero. I think it's Superman.
Ken: Superman? Why? I think it's someone like Paul Bunyan, the giant woodsman, or
Johnny Appleseed, who planted early apple trees in the Midwest. Superman is just a
modern comic magazine character.
Josh: When I saw these old comics, I started thinking that Superman represents a
combination of cultural traditions and beliefs that have been told throughout our
American history.
Ken: How?
Josh: Superman is an orphan who comes by rocket to Earth when his native planet
explodes. He lands near a small town and is adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent,
who teach him their American middle-class values of honesty, hard work and

consideration for others. As an adult, he migrates to a large city and defends
Americans against evil.
Ken: What else?
Josh: Well, I was thinking about this and realized that he is a symbol of the American
character because he is an immigrant. We Americans have come from somewhere
else, too. My great grandparents came from Germany, and I know your grandparents
came from Brazil. They all worked hard and succeeded.
Ken: But how does that relate to Superman?
Josh: He goes to the city, just as many immigrants did, works as a newspaper reporter.
But his adopted parents' values of honesty, hard work and helpfulness are a part of
him. He uses his super abilities to fight dishonesty and to help the victims of crime
and injustice, meanwhile working hard at his newspaper job.
Ken: I understand. As an orphan, Superman becomes a new person in a new land, just
as our ancestors did, and succeeds. He also represents our values. Your paper should
be interesting. I'd like to read it when it's finished.
Josh: OK.
At one time animals and people lived together in peace and talked with each other.
But when mankind began to multiply rapidly, the animals were crowded into forests
and deserts.
Man began to destroy many animals for their skins and furs instead of only for food.
Animals became angry at this treatment by man and decided that mankind must be
punished.
The animals held a meeting, but they could not decide how to punish mankind.
Finally the animals agreed that because deer were the animals most often killed by
man, deer should decide how man should be punished.
Deer decided that any Indian hunters who killed deer without asking pardon in a
suitable manner would be made to suffer with painful stiffness in their bodies. After
this decision was made, the leader of the deer sent a message to the nearest people, the
Cherokee Indians.
before killing him. You must ask his pardon, telling the deer you are forced to kill him
only because your people are hungry and need meat. Otherwise, a terrible disease will
come to you.
The spirits of the deer would run to the place where a deer had been killed and these
spirits would ask the dead deer,

answer was
deer spirits would track down the hunter to his house and strike him with the terrible
disease of stiffness in his body, making him crippled so that he could not hunt deer
again.
Soon all of the animals agreed that this was a fair and just punishment. Each type of
animal decided that they would also cause a disease in people who mistreated them.
When the friendly plants of the world heard what the animals had decided as
punishment for mankind, the plants decided that this punishment was too harsh. They
had a meeting of their own. Finally they decided that each type of plant should
provide a cure for one of the diseases which animals had caused for mankind.
This was the beginning of plant medicines from nature among the Cherokee Indians a
long, long time ago.
Every March, a flock of buzzards returns to the town of Hinkley, Ohio. No one really
knows how long this event has taken place, but according to local legend the annual
buzzard migration began nearly 200 years ago with a massacre.

on December 24, Christmas Eve, in 1818. The local settlers deciding that the
township needed to be made safe for their livestock, gathered together about 400 men
and boys, with guns and clubs and completely surrounded the township of Hinkley.
As the story goes, the townsfolk began marching toward the center of town, driving
all the game in front of them, and killing virtually every wild animal they
encountered.

left all of the other dead animals out in the snow. When spring came, the remaining
dead animals attracted many buzzards, and since 1819 they've been coming back here
in March.
Hinkley locals have come to appreciate the buzzards' annual return. In mid-March, on
Buzzard Sunday, they celebrate the birds' arrival with costumes, exhibits and songs.
Almost seven centuries ago, in Central Asia, there lived a great king called Tamerlane.
He was a mighty, powerful, conquering soldier, and his greatest ambition was that one
day he would rule a massive empire stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to
the Pacific Ocean in the east. He made his imperial capital in the oasis city of
Samarkand, which he planned to make the most beautiful city on earth. Many
magnificent mosques were built and they were decorated with exquisite blue ceramic
tiles on the outside, and with pure gold on the inside.

Tamerlane, like the great oriental king that he was, had many wives, including a
Chinese girl called Bibi Khanym. Now Bibi Khanym was the most beautiful of all
Tamerlane's wives, and she was also the youngest. She was his favorite wife and was
deeply in love with him.
In order to demonstrate her great love of Tamerlane, she decided to build a
magnificent mosque to honor him, while he was away fighting in a distant war. She
engaged the best architect, who designed for her the most magnificent mosque you
could imagine. And then she found the best master builder, who began work
immediately. But as the weeks and months passed by, the master builder began to fall
in love with Bibi Khanym. She resisted all his advances, but at last he threatened to
leave the mosque unfinished unless she allowed him to kiss her just once. Bibi
Khanym wanted the beautiful mosque finished more than anything else. She was
expecting Tamerlane to return any day. So at last she agreed to let the master builder
kiss her, just once.
But that was her terrible mistake, for so powerful was the master builder's love for
Bibi Khanym that when he kissed her he left a permanent mark on her face.
King Tamerlane returned and saw the guilty mark on his wife's face. The master
builder was executed immediately, and then, thinking that a woman's beauty can be a
dangerous thing, Tamerlane ordered that from that day on all the women in the
kingdom should never be seen in public without a veil to cover their face.
Long long ago, there was a pretty girl named
always wearing a red hood. One day her mother asked her to take some snacks to her
grandmother because her grandmother was ill. Her mother told her,
around on your way. Don't leave the main road.
On her way, she saw a wolf. The wolf asked her where she was going and she told
him that she was going to her grandmother's house. The wolf thought to himself how
delicious she would taste. Red Riding Hood danced in the woods, picking flowers for
her grandmother and forgetting what her mother had said to her.
The wolf went to the grandmother's house and ate up the poor lady. Then he waited in
the bed for Red Riding Hood.
As Red Riding Hood came into the grandmother's house, she found her grandmother
looked rather strange with very large ears, eyes, hands and mouth. And suddenly the
wolf jumped out of the bed and devoured the little girl.
At that time, a hunter passed the house and heard loud snores made by the wolf. He
went in and carefully cut the wolf's stomach open because he thought the wolf had
probably eaten the grandmother. Then both little Red Riding Hood and her

grandmother escaped from the wolf's stomach. After that, Red Riding Hood
remembered the importance of her mother's words and never left the main road again.
Questions:
1. Why was the girl called
2. What was she asked to take to her grandmother?
3. What did her mother tell her NOT to do on the way?
4. How did the wolf think Red Riding Hood would taste?
5. What did the wolf do to both the girl and her grandmother?
6. Who rescued Red Riding Hood and her grandmother?
Moon was sad. She had spent many years looking at the people on Earth and she saw
that they were afraid. They were afraid of dying. To make them feel better she
decided to call on her friend Spider to take a message to them.

sad. Please tell them that they will all die sooner or later but it is nothing to be scared
of.
So Spider slowly made his way to Earth, carefully picking his way down on
moonbeams and sunbeams. On his way he met Hare.



Hare.


disappeared off to Earth.
Spider gloomily made his way back to Moon and told her what had happened. Moon
was very angry with Hare when she heard what he had said to the people, and hit him
on the nose! That is why, to this day, Hare has a split lip.

And to this day, Spider is still carefully carrying Moon's message and spinning the
web in the corner of our rooms—but how many of us listen?
We don't often know how a word or a legend associated with that word started;
however, in the case of the American
1867 when the first transcontinental railroad was being built across the American
West.
A branch line of the new railroad went to Abilene, Kansas. In Abilene, a 29-year-old
cattle merchant, Joseph McCoy, had a plan that made him a millionaire and put his
name in dictionaries. His plan was simple. He knew that in the high grasslands of
southern Texas there were large herds of cattle. If these cattle could be brought to
Abilene, they could be put on trains and shipped to cities in the North and East, where
they would bring good prices. He bought a lot of land close to the railroad in Abilene,
where cattle could be kept before being shipped, and put his plan into action.
McCoy advertised for ranchers and cow-handlers to bring their herds of cattle to his
new railway cattle yard in Abilene. He offered $$40 for each of the cattle, ten times
more than anyone else did. One hundred days after his offer was made, the first herds
arrived from the South. Each herd had two or three thousand cattle in it. In the next
four years, McCoy shipped more than two million cattle to the North and East. He
soon became a millionaire.
McCoy referred to the men bringing the cows to Abilene as
were at least 5,000 cowboys bringing cattle up to Kansas from Texas. Because the
camera had recently been developed, many photos were taken of the cowboys and
their long trips with the cattle. These photos were published in eastern newspapers
and the cowboy became an American folk hero. Soon writers, such as Zane Gray,
were writing books about the cowboys and their adventures. Thus the legend of the
cowboy grew and developed into the 20th century.
King: What's in your hand?
Noname: The swords that used to belong to Sky, Sword and Snow, Your Majesty.
King: How did you get them?
Noname: I had a fight with Sky. I killed him and took his sword.
King: Who are you?
Noname: My name is Noname. I was born in Qin. I've been practicing with my sword
for more than twenty years, Your Majesty.
King: I heard Sky was a very good swordsman.

Noname: Yes, he was, but not as good as me. We met in a chess house and I knew he
was one of the killers Your Majesty wanted. We fought all day and finally I killed
him, breaking his sword in two pieces.
King: Good. You will get your reward... Then what about Sword and Snow? I heard
they were lovers. They were never apart. I heard they were the best with the sword in
their kingdom. And few people ever saw them and nobody knew them. How did you
find them?
Noname: It took me three years. Three years after they failed to kill you they returned
to their own kingdom and lived in a house where they practiced calligraphy all day
long. They no longer practiced with their swords. I also learned a secret of them.
King: And what was that?
Noname: They had not talked to each other for three years.
King: That's strange. Why not?
Noname: Snow believed Sword had betrayed her. No one else knew it. When I heard
about it and heard where they were, I went to the calligraphy house and asked Sword
to write the word
King: Why did you ask for the word
Noname: If I could find a weakness by the way he wrote the word, I might find a way
to beat him.
King: And did he write the word for you?
Noname: Yes, he did.
King: Did you find his weakness that way?
Noname: No, I didn't find any weakness in his writing, Your Majesty. However, I
realized that the art of swordsmanship lies in a man's heart. Even without a sword, a
true master can make people around him feel that they are facing a man with a sword.
King: How did you manage to kill him then?
Noname: I did not kill him. He was defeated by his own love towards Snow. I made
Snow believe that he had already fallen in love with one of his maids. Snow was very
angry. She killed Sword.
King: And then you killed Snow?

Noname: Nobody could have beaten those two if they had worked together. But, left
alone, Snow was very easy for me to beat. Besides, she was also wounded during a
fight with the maid who wanted revenge for her master's death.
King: Thank you for killing the three people who were the greatest threat to my life.
Your story is beautiful, but you have underestimated one person.
Noname: Who, Your Majesty?
King: Me!
Noname: Why did you say that?
King: I had met those people and I would never believe that they could be so
foolishly jealous. No one with a jealous mind could become the master of the sword. I
would never believe that they could be as narrow-minded as you've described. Now
let me tell you my story. Sky, Sword and Snow were good friends. They wanted us to
meet because they knew you were a better swordsman than any one of them. They
persuaded you that you were the only person who could kill me. Each one of them
fought with you to make you believe that. And that's why you are here with their
broken swords.
Noname: How do you know all this?
King: Your eyes tell me that. You must be the greatest swordsman in the world to
have killed all three of them. Is this to be my last day? Where are you from?
Noname: I was born in Zhao. My parents were killed by your soldiers when I was a
baby. I have not forgotten how they died. I made up my mind long time ago that I
would kill you one day. I've been practicing with my sword for more than twenty
years now, and I know I can kill you if I'm within ten steps of you. However, you
have also underestimated one person.
King: Who's that?
Noname: Sword. Before I killed Sword he told me he had already given up trying to
kill you. He could see that ordinary people suffered most when kingdoms fought.
They lost their homes, their parents, their children and their land. There was no peace
anywhere. And then he wrote another word for me.
King: What was that word?
Noname: WORLD. He wanted me to think of the whole world and peace. He realized
that there could only be peace when the seven kingdoms were united.

King: (He sighs.) I didn't expect the person wanting to kill me would actually know
me better than my own people. But, that's my fate! If my life is to end here today, kill
me now.
Noname: I have to do this, but remember all those people that have died because of
you...
(Noname purposely missed the King because he realized that a united kingdom is
more important than his personal revenge.)
(In 221 BC, the King of Qin united the seven kingdoms in China and became the
Emperor of China. Wars came to an end.)
In August 1975, three men were on their way to rob the Royal Bank
of Scotland at Rothesay when they got stuck in the revolving doors.
They had to be helped free by the staff and, after thanking everyone,
sheepishly left the building. A few minutes later, they returned and
announced their intention of robbing the bank, but none of the staff
believed them. When, at first, they demanded £5,000, the head cashier
laughed at them, convinced that it was a practical joke.
Considerably disheartened by this, the gang leader reduced his
demand first to £500 then to £50 and ultimately to 50 pence. By this
stage the cashier could barely control herself for laughter.
Then one of the men jumped over the counter and fell awkwardly on
the floor, clutching his ankle. The other two made their getaway, but got
trapped in the revolving doors for a second time, desperately pushing
the wrong way.
Man: Yes, I'd like to report a theft.
Police Officer: Okay. Can you tell me exactly what happened?
Man: Well, I was walking home from work two days ago, enjoying the
nature all around me...the birds, the frogs, the flowing stream...[Okay,
Okay] when this woman knocked me right off my feet, grabbed my
stuff[东西], and ran off through the trees. [Hmm.] I was so surprised by
the ordeal that I didn't chase her.
Police Officer: Yeah. Can you describe the woman for me?
Man: Yeah. She was about 190 centimeters tall...
Police Officer: Wait. You said a woman robbed you.

Man: Well, I'm not really sure. [Hmm.] You see, the person was wearing
a white and black polka-dot dress, a light red sweater over it, and
she...or he...was wearing a pair of basketball shoes.
Police Officer: Hmm. What else can you tell me?
Man: Okay. Like I said, the person was about 190 centimeters tall,
heavily built, with long wavy hair. She...or he...was probably about in
her or his late 30s. I didn't get a good look at the person's face, but
well...uh...
Police Officer: What? Was there something else?
Man: Well, the person...had a beard胡须.
Police Officer: Ah! What was, uh, taken...exactly?
Man: Well, just my left shoe. Crazy, isn't it?
Police Officer: Ah hah! The
Man: The
Police Officer: Yeah. It's this man who dresses up like a woman and,
for some unknown reason, removes the left shoe from his victims. He's
really quite harmless, though, and he usually returns the shoe to the
crime scene a couple of days later.
Man: Hey, he can keep my shoe, and I'll just take off my left shoe every
time I walk through the park.

knock sth.(sb.) off one's feet [v] 使...不胜惊奇, 使...极为难过
Melissa Luzzi, a Dallas resident who owns an embroidery business,
thought her home was secure. But in broad daylight a thief got in by
smashing through a floor-to-ceiling window in the back of her house.
Incredibly, no neighbors heard the disturbance—and her home was
robbed of everything of value.
One thing common to every neighborhood I visited: empty streets for
much of the day. Many of us are working, and the kids are in school.
But there's usually someone home in the neighborhood.

I've found that, nationwide, police respond much faster to 911 calls
than to alarms. So keep an eye on your neighbors' property[财产], and
ask them to do the same for you. Call the police if you hear breaking
glass, or see someone lurking about or notice anything suspicious.
You also might consider joining a community crime-watch group.

Sgt. Tony Takats.

veteran of the Dallas police force.
broad daylight n.大白天
floor-to- ceiling window 落地窗户
disturbance [n] 骚乱, 扰乱, 不安, 心神不安
nationwide全国范围的
veteran老手

I took a trip recently into the heart of the Amazon Basin where one of
the big issues facing our planet stands out: the balance between
economic development and the conservation of natural resources.
There is strong pressure in the country to harvest [v] 收割, 收获, 获得
natural riches for short-term financial gains. Then there is intense
international concern about the control of such development. The
problem, of course, is that this is a one-way street. Rapid development,
and wholesale harvesting of timber, oil, and the like, will soon lead to
the Amazon desert, which would mean the extinction of half our
planet's animal and plant species and the depletion of much of the
oxygen we breathe. This clearly impacts every one of us.
The local people of the Amazon understand the delicate balance of
nature. They've survived for thousands of years by making good use of
it, not abusing it----something we can all learn from. And now tourism
is playing a positive role in the equation. Travelers from more developed
countries are increasingly interested in the natural world. As a result,
they are fueling a boom in eco-tourism. This is in turn bringing valuable
income into the region, raising awareness of critical issues and helping
slow down the otherwise uncontrollable development.

basin [n] 盆, 盆地, 菜盆
issue [n] 问题, 流出, 结局, 河口, 结果
stands out突出
conservation [n] 保存, 守恒
intense [adj] 强烈的, 强烈, 紧张的, 热情的
rapid [adj] 快捷, 快的, 快速, 陡的, 快速的
wholesale [adj] 批发, 批发的, 大规模, 大批的
[v] 批发
species [n] 种, 种类
delicate [adj] 精巧, 脆弱, 娇嫩, 敏感, 细腻, 柔和的, 纤细的

abuse [v] 滥用, 虐待, 辱骂
equation [n] 等式, 反应式, 相等
fuel [v] 加燃料, 激起
critical [adj] 关键, 临界, 批判, 评论性, 严重, 批评的
boom [n] 繁荣, 吊杆, 暴涨, 水栅, 隆隆声
It isn't strictly true that one half of the world is rich and the other
half is poor. It is one-third that is very rich and two-thirds that are very
poor. People in the rich third don't realize the enormous difference
between them and the other two-thirds. A very simple example is that a
dog or a cat in North America eats better than a child in many of the
poorer countries. A fisherman in South America may be catching fish
which are processed into pet food and yet his own children are not
getting enough protein for their bodies to develop properly.
Although a lot of the world's natural resources come from these
poorer countries, people in the richer countries are probably using
much more of these resources than people in Asia or Africa. The richer
countries are in a position to dictate to suppliers what kind of prices
they are prepared to pay for these natural resources. In some cases the
prices have gone down. In others they have remained steady. But the
prices the richer countries get for their own exports have continued to
rise. So, they are getting richer and richer, and the poorer countries are
getting poorer and poorer.
process [v] 加工, 对...起诉, 冲洗, 处理
protein [n] 蛋白质
dictate [v] 口授, 口授, 口述, 要求，命令
The news report that night was about a famine in Ethiopia. From the first few seconds
it was clear that this was a really monumental catastrophe. The pictures were of
people who were so thin that they looked like beings from another planet. The camera
focused on one man so that he looked directly at me, sitting in my comfortable living
room. All around was the sound of death.
It was clear that somehow the world had not noticed this tragedy until now. You could
hear the despair, grief and disgust in the voice of the reporter, Michael Buerk. At the
end of the report he was silent. My wife, Paula, started crying, then rushed upstairs to
check our baby, Fifi, who was sleeping peacefully.

I kept seeing the news pictures in my mind. What could I do? I was only a pop
singer—and by now not a very successful pop singer. All I could do was make
records which no one bought. But I would do that, I would give all the profits of the
next Rats record to Oxfam. What good would that do? It would only be a little money
but it was more than I could give just from my bank account. Maybe some people
would buy it because the profits were for Oxfam. And I would be protesting about this
disaster. But that was not enough.
Marsha and Ed Gibson are sitting at the kitchen table. Ed is nervous and upset, and
he's smoking. Marsha's eyes are red. She looks tired. Their children, two boys, eight
and ten, are sitting with them. Tony and George know that their parents are having
problems. Now, their parents are telling the boys that they're going to get a divorce.
Their mother is talking first. She's telling them that she loves them and their father
loves them, too. But she and their father are having problems. They aren't going to
live together as a family anymore. It has nothing to do with the boys. The boys are
going to live with her. They're going to stay in the same house, go to the same school,
and be with all their friends.
Now, their father is talking. He's going to leave the house this weekend. He's not
going to move far away; he's going to be in the next town. Two weekends a month,
the boys are going to stay with him. And, they're going to be with him one month in
the summertime. He'll take his vacation then and they'll go to the beach. The boys can
call him anytime. He's going to be nearby. It'll be better this way.
Tony and George don't really understand what's happening. On the one hand, they
know that their parents aren't happy. On the other hand, they want everyone to stay
together.
Questions:
1. How does the couple feel about their divorce?
2. Why does the couple decide to get a divorce?
3. Where will the husband go after the divorce?
4. What is the children's response to their parents' divorce?
A pensioner was shot to death in front of his wife last night. He had complained about
local drug dealers shortly before his murder. Terry Morgan, 69, had just driven his
wife back from work but was killed by a single shot to the chest as he got out of his
car. His wife was opening the front door when she heard a loud bang and found her
husband lying on the ground. He died without saying anything. The murder happened
at his home in Rugby. It shocked everyone in his town. People said it was really a

cold-blooded killing. As police began a major investigation into this horrible murder,
they found Mr. Morgan had made complaints to a local official about drug dealing in
a nearby street. He had mentioned his concern twice to the local official. A neighbor
of Mr. Morgan said he was against drugs of any kind. Whenever this topic arose he
always expressed strong views about drugs. Last summer, gangs of teenagers in his
neighborhood were found to be drug abusers. He tried to help them stop using drugs,
but it only made them angry. But it's still too early to say this is related to the murder.
A lady who used to live in the same street as Morgan said,
respectable man, a nice man. But it's getting really bad here with gangs of teenagers
abusing drugs and stealing. They should be the ones accused of this murder.
Last month, the Wilsons went to Green Trees Park. Jim and Sally sat under the trees
and talked and read. The children played ball.
Sally decided to take a picture of the children. She took her camera and walked over
to them. She focused her camera. Then, she heard a scream. Sally looked up. A man
was stealing a woman's purse. He was running in her direction.
Sally thought fast. She took three pictures of the man. When the police came, she
gave them the film.
The next day, one of Sally's photographs was in the newspaper. Under it was the story
of the robbery. In a few hours, the police knew the man's name and address. They
went to his house and arrested him. The man is now serving three months in jail.
Questions:
1. Where was the Wilson family when the story happened?
2. What was Sally doing when she heard the scream?
3. What did Sally see?
4. What did Sally give the police?
5. What happened to the man on the photographs?
In many countries in the process of industrialization, overcrowded cities become a
major problem. Poor conditions in these cities, such as lack of housing, inadequate
means of keeping places clean and healthy and lack of employment, bring about an
increase in poverty, disease and crime.
The over- population of towns is mainly caused by the drift of large numbers of people
from the rural areas. These people have become dissatisfied with the traditional life of
farming and have come to the towns hoping for better work and pay.

One possible solution to the problem would be to impose registration on town
residents. Only officially registered inhabitants would be allowed to live in the towns
and the urban population would thus be limited. In practice, however, this causes a
great deal of resentment, which would ultimately lead to violence.
The only long- term solution is to make life in the rural areas more attractive, which
would encourage people to stay there. This could be achieved by rewarding people for
going and working in the villages. Facilities in the rural areas, such as transport,
health and education services, should be improved. Education should include training
in improved methods of farming and other rural industries, so as to foster a more
positive attitude to rural life. The improvement of life in the villages is doubly
important, because the towns themselves cannot be developed without the
development of the rural areas.
Paul: Guys, guys, it's getting late. Some of us are going to work tomorrow. Who
wants to ride back with me?
Donna: No one is going to ride with you. Give me your car keys. I'll drive you home.
Paul: Hey, hey, hey, wait a minute! That's not happening... I know I've been drinking,
but I can still drive.
Donna: No, you can't. We decided when we came that I would be the designated
driver tonight. That's why I've been having soft drinks all evening.
Pete: She's right. And I can also drive. I haven't been drinking either since I'm under
21.
Paul: But, I really don't think that having a few drinks can make a person a dangerous
driver.
Donna: Well, you're wrong about that. I read that even a few drinks can impair
concentration and slow reactions.
Jean: I haven't been drinking that much alcohol tonight, but I would rather drive
home with Donna. I know from first-hand experience...er...how drinking can affect a
driver. My best friend in high school was killed in a drunk driving accident.
Ron: How did it happen?
Jean: Well, it was the night of the senior prom at high school, and my friend had a
date. Er, the date had borrowed a car for the evening, but his older brother had given
him some booze, you know, just to make the evening go with a swing. Well, they,
er...left the prom early with two other couples, and went to the beach, drinking...
Ron: What happened?

Jean: Well, on the way home, my friend's date was driving. He was speeding, lost
control of the car, and drove to a lamppost. Er...my friend and two other students were
killed outright and three others were badly injured. And the driver, he'll never walk
again because his back was broken.
Paul: That's just one incident. That won't happen to me.
Donna: But it's not just one incident, and it could happen to you. I know that almost
two thousand underage drinking drivers are involved in serious injury or death each
year in the state of California alone. And almost 40 percent of high school seniors
admit they have driven after drinking.
Paul: Well, I'm 21 now and a more experienced driver than most high school seniors.
I've driven after drinking plenty of times and I haven't had any crashes.
Ron: Well, then you're lucky. I know I don't want to ride with you. I know when I've
had too much to drink. Besides, Donna is a designated driver. Donna, why were you
willing to do this for us? I know you like to drink sometimes.
Donna: I'm a member of Students Against Drunk Driving, and my mother is a
member of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. We believe in having non-drinking
designated drivers in order to prevent accidents and help save lives. There are many
groups of people of all ages who support programs against drinking and driving. They
all agree that drunk driving is one of the major social problems in the U.S., especially
among young people.
Pete: So that's how you know all those statistics. Don't you ever drink when you go
out? I know I probably will when I'm old enough to do it legally. The bars in this
town are very careful about checking our IDs to see if we're old enough.
Donna: Yes, I drink occasionally, but I never drive afterwards.
Jean: Don't forget that people that are older than we are cause accidents too. That's
what frightens me.
Donna: Me too. Another fact that I remember is that the average drunk driver is
typically male, 25 to 35, with a history of driving while intoxicated. I hate to see you,
Paul, or any of my friends, to be included in that group.
Pete: I guess alcohol is only one of the drugs involved in the Driving While
Intoxicated (DWI) cases. Many people would like to see marijuana and other drugs
become legal in California, but I'm against it because I'm convinced it would increase
the number of accidents even further. I recently read that in the U.S., there is a person
killed every 33 minutes and someone injured every two minutes because of alcohol
and other drug-related accidents. We don't need to add to that.

Paul: What if I drink a quick cup of coffee and then drive?
Jean: No way! Even I know that it won't lower your blood alcohol content, despite
what people say. You just can't drive tonight. We've all seen how much you've drunk
here. We'll be risking our lives driving with you. Donna is being a good friend by
offering to drive your car for you. Anyway, if we didn't take your car keys away from
you, I think the bartender would. He saw how much you drank here tonight. He
wouldn't want to be responsible for an accident.
Ron: Well, please let's decide who is driving. Drinking makes me sleepy and I need
to get back to my room and go to bed. I don't want to fall asleep here. Besides, I have
a Saturday job too.
Donna: OK, let me give you one last statistic and I'll drive us all back. Have you ever
thought how much it would cost you if you are arrested for DWI, even if you're just
stopped in a routine check and you've been drinking, but not even involved in an
accident? Just listen to this: A first-time DWI conviction can cost you $$11,000 in
fines, legal fees, and increased insurance costs. Can you afford that, Paul?
Paul: You know I can't. I'm still trying to pay my college fees for this semester. OK,
Donna, you win. Here are my keys. Be sure to drive carefully.
For many of you this will be your last year at university and now is the time for you to
begin thinking seriously about your future careers. In order to give you as much help
as possible, I have quoted a list of questions that you ought to ask yourself.
First,
honest about your weaknesses as well as your strengths. Take a really good look at
yourself and give real thought to the kind of person you are, and what kind of person
you want to be.
Second,
success and satisfaction?
who are already in the careers that interest you. You can gain some idea of what they
consider to be important and challenging in those careers. Watch these people at
work.
Third,
prospects offered by the jobs I am considering?
you satisfaction in the years to come? Realize now the importance of education in all
fields, technical and professional. Remember that chances of promotion are usually
given to educated persons—other things being equal.
Fourth,
they have a lot of experience that you can benefit from. They can help you think about

the jobs. They can stimulate you to give careful thought to what you really want to do,
and offer useful suggestions about how you might take full advantage of your
personal qualities and qualifications.
Last,
that I want to do? Is the work important to my future happiness? Is it a combination of
both?
The above questions and their answers should give you some better ideas about how
you should start planning your career. Your life-long job cannot be approached in any
kind of haphazard fashion. It must be considered carefully, examined from every
angle, and talked over with those who know you and those who can help you in any
way.
Interviewer: Some people feel that their jobs are misunderstood by others. Is that
very common?
Sociologist: Oh, absolutely. Most jobs or professions have an image or stereotype
attached to them, and some of these are not realistic. The serious point is that young
people choose their careers based on these false images, and they may even avoid
certain careers which have a negative image. This can cause problems for the
economy.
Interviewer: Is there evidence of this problem?
Sociologist: Yes, there was a recent survey of children's attitudes to different
professions.
Interviewer: How was this done? Children don't know much about jobs and
professions.
Sociologist: True. What the investigators wanted to get was children's impressions
and prejudices. They gave the children twelve pairs of statements, one of the pair
positive, and the other negative. Children were asked to say which of the statements
was
Interviewer: For example?
Sociologist: Well, for example,
interesting company.
Interviewer: I see. What professions did they ask about?
Sociologist: The list is long, but it included lawyers, economists, accountants, sales
representatives, scientists and engineers.

Interviewer: And the results?
Sociologist: Well, they are striking, especially for engineers who came out much
worse than one might expect. About 90 percent of the children thought that
engineering was a
take orders than to give them. The only other person they thought more likely to lose
his job was the sales representative. But, there were good points too. Engineering was
seen to be
Interviewer: Hmm, not a rosy picture.
Sociologist: No, but it got better when children were asked what they thought of the
engineer as a person. Most of them chose positive comments, but most thought the
engineer was likely to be badly dressed.
Interviewer: What about other professions? What were the most popular?
Sociologist: Oh, the lawyers by far. Next came accountants and scientists as well as
economists. The engineers and sales representatives were the least popular.
Interviewer: Sounds like a sign of the times.
Sociologist: Yes, but I think the most serious implication was the children's apparent
ignorance of the importance of the engineer's role in society.
(Here's a dialog between a woman whose job is to help people find jobs and a man
looking for a job.)
Woman: Look. Here's a job that might interest you.
Man: What is it? Are you sure? The last job interview you sent me off to was a
disaster.
Woman: Well, look. It says they want a sales manager, and it looks like it's a big
international company. That'd be good. You might get to travel.
Man: What kind of company is it, though?
Woman: Um, let's see. Yes, it's a textile company that seems to import from abroad.
They say the salary is really good. They operate a system of paying you a basic salary
and then offering you a sales commission on top of that. They say it is high. And oh,
look! They give you a car to travel round in. That's not bad, is it?
Man: Um, do they say anything about experience?

Woman: Um, let's see. No, they want someone young with ambition and enthusiasm.
Oh yes, they want graduates, so that's OK. You've been to university. Now what else?
Let's see.
Man: There must be some catch.
Woman: No, the only thing is you have to travel, but then that's what the company
car's for. Oh, and you have to be able to get on well with other people because it says
you have to be good on a team.
Man: Um, perhaps I'll have a closer look at that one.
Womack: Now what do you want to see me about, Janet?
Janet: Well, I have a few questions I'd like to ask you, Mr. Womack. Can you give
me some information about secretarial jobs?
Womack: Yes, of course. First, let me get your file out. Now you're 16, aren't you?
Janet: That's right.
Womack: Well, what would you like to know?
Janet: About the opportunities in general and the basic training, and things like
typing speed and shorthand speed.
Womack: Before we go any further, Janet, when you said secretarial work, did you
only mean typing or more general things?
Janet: Well, I suppose I'd have to start as a word processor operator, wouldn't I?
Womack: If you left school at sixteen, yes. But if you wanted to have a better chance
of getting a more interesting secretarial job more quickly, it would be better if you
stayed on and took A levels. According to your file, your English is good, and you've
done French and economics, haven't you?
Janet: Yes, they're my best subjects. If I stayed, what A levels would I need to be a
secretary?
Womack: That depends, but those three subjects are all very suitable.
Janet: And then I suppose I'd have to do a secretarial course, wouldn't I? Um, what
sort of speed do they expect?
Womack: I've got the typing speed here, I think. Oh, yes, it should be 65 words per
minute.

Janet: And would I have to learn shorthand?
Womack: Yes, you would. You'd need a speed of 90 to 100 words a minute.
Janet: Oh, it sounds a lot, doesn't it? Would I have a chance to use my French?
Womack: Oh, yes, if you were a secretary with languages.
Janet: What sort of work would I have to do?
Womack: Well, you'd have to translate letters, of course, but you'd also have to
answer the phone to foreign callers and interpret if foreign visitors came to the firm. It
would be useful if you learned a second foreign language. That would help a lot.
Janet: I think I'd like a job like that. But I'd better go away and think about it. You
see, well, after all, two more years at school is a long time, isn't it?
Womack: I'm sure it seems so at your age. If you need any more help, please come
back and we'll talk about it again.
Janet: Thanks, Mr. Womack.

Questions:
1. Who is Janet?
2. When will Janet be qualified for a more interesting secretarial job?
3. What subjects has Janet taken?
4. What is Janet's decision finally?
5. What can you infer from the dialog?
David: Hi! You're listening to Radio Southwest, the best in the southwest for music
and up-to-the-minute news. Sue's here. Hello, Sue.
Sue: Hello, David.
David: And we've got the Jobspot for you today. So, if you're looking for a new job,
this could be the spot for you. So, let's have a look, and see what we've got today.
Sue: Well, the first one we've got is a cook. That's in a large, busy restaurant, so it's
very useful to have had experience in cooking. Must be a high school graduate and the

pay is $$12 an hour. So that's not bad, is it? The hours are good too. That's Monday to
Friday, 3:00 p.m. till 6:00 p.m.
David: Great. Thanks, Sue. So that's a cook. Now, how do you fancy working out of
doors? How do you fancy being a gardener? So as long as you're fit and strong, and at
least 16 years old, that'll suit you. The pay is $$8 an hour. And the hours, Tuesday to
Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., you have to work on Sunday once a month, but on
Monday the Garden Center's closed. Now, the sort of work you'd be doing is potting,
watering, things like that. So, how about applying for that? Pay, $$8 an hour. Sue, what
else have you got?
Sue: Right, Dave. Well, from outdoors to indoors. We've got a word processor
operator job here. This job might suit a woman with school-age children, because the
hours are only 15 hours a week. It's a small, friendly office, and they require a high
school graduate with two years' experience operating a computer. Pay is $$9 per hour.
So, there you go. That's a nice job in an office. If you fancy any of those jobs, give us
a ring here on Jobspot at Radio Southwest. And now back to the music.
Interviewer: Do you think anybody can be trained to be a teacher?
Interviewee: Well, I think there are probably some people that can be teachers but I
think it's a gift that you have. And not many people have that internal kind of thing.
Interviewer: Can you define any of that?
Interviewee: Oh...
Interviewer: What sort of specific uh...are there certain personality...
Interviewee: Well, I think that the best teachers are people that are fairly sensitive,
and, er, extroverted, okay?
Interviewer: Uh-huh...
Interviewee: The best teachers I know are kind of extroverted people, and they really
like kids...
Interviewer: Uh-huh.
Interviewee: But, by the same token, I know some teachers who really care about
doing a good job and want those kids to like them and want to do well.
Interviewer: Right...
Interviewee: But for some teachers, they just don't have it. And it's...it's sad when
you see that happening, because there're some teachers who don't care, you

know—they're just in it now because they've been in it so long and it's too late to
move out...and...
Interviewer: Well, aren't there some very definable management skills involved in
teaching that often are neglected in teacher training, maybe? I mean...
Interviewee: I don't know how you train somebody to do that. To be a good teacher, I
think you have to have a high tolerance level for confusion—I think you have...
Interviewer: Um...
Interviewee: To have that when you've got thirty kids... You have to have that. You
have to be a very patient person, and I know it just sounds totally inadequate, but I
don't know how to put my...my finger on it. It just...
Interviewer: But you do believe it is uh...there is a gift of some sort, or there is
something...
Interviewee: Yeah, I do.
There are at least 100 million workers in the Unites States. Most of them are on the
job 35 to 40 hours a week. Their typical day includes seven to eight hours of work.
Usually, they have a 15-minute coffee break in the morning and in the afternoon. But
work schedules vary from job to job.
White-collar workers—office workers and many professionals—usually have
five
Blue-collar workers—mechanics, electricians, and laborers—often work from 8:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. In many factories, blue- collar workers come to work in eight-hour
shifts. Typically, these shifts start at 8:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m., and midnight. Finally, sales
people and managers in retail stores work on Monday and Thursday nights, when the
stores are open. Many retail workers also work on Saturdays, and some work on
Sundays.
These are the normal schedules for most American workers. However, many
businesses now use a new system called
the employees choose their own working hours. Some people work from 8:00 to 4:00
five days a week. Some work from 9:00 to 5:00. Other people work 10 or 12 hours a
day four days a week. Employees and managers are both happy with the system. The
employees like the freedom of choice, so they work hard. The managers, of course,
like the hard-working employees.
What, then, is a typical work schedule? It depends on the job—and on the workers.
Man: How long have you worked for AM-ADMEL, Gill?

Woman: Only for a year. It's May now, isn't it? Yes, I joined last August in fact.
Man: August in 1996.
Woman: Yes.
Man: What did you do before that?
Woman: I used to work for a travel agency in London.
Man: It was interesting, wasn't it?
Woman: Not really. It was just secretarial work, rather like this job. And it wasn't too
well-paid. But I took a secretarial course when I left school and I couldn't think what
else to do.
Man: So you went straight from school into a secretarial course, didn't you?
Woman: Well, not quite. I left school when I was 16, in 1989, I think it was. And
then I went to work in a hotel in Austria for a year, to learn some German.
Man: Austria? Why Austria?
Woman: I don't know really. Well, we used to go there on holiday quite often when
we were younger, and, well, I like Austria actually. Anyway then I went back and did
the secretarial course. That was a year's course.
Man: And then you got the job at the travel agency I suppose.
Woman: Yeah, that's right. That was in 1991.
Man: So you were there for five years!
Woman: Yes, it's awful, isn't it? Actually, I'm thinking of giving it all up to become a
nurse.
Man: Really?
Woman: Well, I worked in a hospital in Twickenham during my last year at school.
Just cleaning and helping to make beds and so on. It was part of our Practical Careers
training.
Man: And you liked it?
Woman: Yes, it was interesting.

Man: Well, now then, one thing I'd like to ask is, er, exactly why you applied for the
job. I mean, just looking at your application form, you're actually over- qualified...
Woman: Yes, I thought you might ask that. Um, the thing is, in my present job,
although I'm actually in charge of a small team and I have a lot of responsibility, it's
largely a desk job with a lot of paperwork...
Man: And you're not too keen on being stuck in an office all day?
Woman: To be honest, no, I'm not. I much prefer being out on site where I can
supervise things, and deal with problems as they occur. And this job should give me
the kind of contact with other engineers, architects, builders and so on.
Man: Mmm. You'd certainly have to do quite a lot of traveling in the local area, you
know, visiting different sites. You do realize, though, that the starting salary isn't as
good as the salary in your present job?
Woman: Yes, I realize that, but um, it does say in the job advertisement that the
promotion prospects are very good.
Man: That's true, and er, as this is a new project that we're working on, we think
there'll be a very good chance of fairly quick promotion, depending on performance,
that is...
Woman: Yes, of course. Well, you see, I've got very little chance of promotion in my
present job. I mean it's a very small company and there's nowhere really for me to go;
that's why I'm looking around for somewhere else.
Questions:
1. What kind of position is the woman applying for?
2. What does the interviewer want to know exactly?
3. Why does the woman want to leave her present job?
4. What is said about the job the woman applies for?
5. What can we say about the woman?
Mr. Davis: Good morning! So you are Li Lei.
Li Lei: Yes. Good morning, Mr. Davis.
Mr. Davis: How are you doing? Ready to begin?

Li Lei: Fine, thank you. Sure.
Mr. Davis: It says in your résumé that your major is computer engineering. What
position are you applying for?
Li Lei: Ah...computer programmer.
Mr. Davis: Can you sell yourself in two minutes?
Li Lei: I hope so. With my qualifications and experience, your organization can
benefit from my analytical and interpersonal skills. I'm hard-working, responsible and
diligent in every project I undertake.
Mr. Davis: All right. Give me a summary of your academic performance in
university.
Li Lei: Well, I worked very hard during my college studies, as well as my graduate
studies. I also won a lot of awards for being an excellent student, first- and
second-level scholarships, etc. I believe if the opportunity knocks, I must be in a
position to take it.
Mr. Davis: How about your English level?
Li Lei: I've passed CET 4 and 6 tests. I also have a CET certificate for spoken
English. I've spent a lot of time on my English because I believe it will be crucial for
my career.
I1: What sort of experience have you had?
Li Lei: Well, I don't have any formal work experience, but I do have some experience.
I had my internship with a big company, worked together on a project. It was mainly
about management information systems.
I2: Li Lei, since you were in the Student Union, did you organize any activities while
in college?
Li Lei: Yes, quite a few. Several of us invited a CEO from a big company to deliver a
lecture. And with the help of the university, we arranged a CAD competition.
Mr. Davis: That sounds good. What hobbies do you have?
Li Lei: I have a wide range of interests ranging from surfing the Internet, and reading
magazines and journals, as well as jogging.
Mr. Davis: Good. Why are you applying to our company?

Li Lei: I believe your company is one of the best companies in its field. It has a good
organizational system, a good working environment, and talented people. And, what's
more, your company has a promising future.
I2: How do you rate yourself as a professional?
Li Lei: Well, with my strong academic background, I am capable and competent.
Mr. Davis: What do you have to offer us?
Li Lei: I think my computer programming skills can help your company.
I1: What makes you think you would be successful in this position?
Li Lei: My graduate school training combined with my internship has given me the
background for this particular job.
Mr. Davis: Do you work well under stress or pressure?
Li Lei: Yes, I think so. I'm very persistent.
Mr. Davis: What are your strongest traits?
Li Lei: I have very good organizational skills and I work hard.
Mr. Davis: What are your weaknesses?
Li Lei: Well, everybody has weaknesses. I am no exception. Sometimes I'm not
patient enough. Especially when I am programming, I don't like to be bothered, and if
people keep interrupting me, sometimes I get impatient.
Mr. Davis: How would your friends or classmates describe you?
Li Lei: (He pauses for a few seconds.) They think of me as being friendly, caring and
determined.
Mr. Davis: What personality traits do you most admire?
Li Lei: I admire someone who is honest, flexible and easy-going.
Mr. Davis: How do you handle criticism?
Li Lei: I think silence is golden. I try not to say anything that'll make things worse.
However, I think I accept constructive criticism quite well.
Mr. Davis: How do you handle failure?

Li Lei: Oh yes, I suppose everyone fails sometimes. I would like to have the
opportunity to correct my mistakes.
I1: Well, what gives you a feeling of accomplishments?
Li Lei: Mm, doing the best I can in any situation.
I2: If you had a lot of money to donate, who would receive it? And why?
Li Lei: I would donate it to the medical research center because I'd like to try and
help others.
Mr. Davis: What is most important in your life right now?
Li Lei: To find my job in my field.
Mr. Davis: What current issues are you concerned with the most?
Li Lei: Mm...the general state of our economy and the impact of China's entry into
the WTO on an industry.
Mr. Davis: How long would you like to stay with this company?
Li Lei: I will stay as long as I can continue to learn and we are happy with one
another.
Mr. Davis: Can you imagine what you would like to be doing five years from now?
Li Lei: I'd hope to be in a management position. That would be exciting.
Mr. Davis: What range of pay scale are you interested in?
Li Lei: Erm...money is important; however, the responsibility that goes with this job
is what interests me.
Mr. Davis: The salary would be ￥3,600 to start, with increases given according to
your performance.
Li Lei: That sounds good to me.
Mr. Davis: Thank you. You should be hearing from us within a few days.
Li Lei: Thank you, Mr. Davis.
...

Every culture has its own way of saying things, its own special expressions. These are
the living speech of a people. The
Soap operas are radio and television plays about the problems and emotions in human
relationships. They are called soap operas because the first programs—years
ago—were paid for by soap-making companies.
Like musical operas, soap operas are not about real people. And critics charge that
they do not represent a balanced picture of real life. They note that almost everyone in
a soap opera has a serious emotional problem, or is guilty of a crime. And there are
several crises in every program.
Yet, soap opera fans do not care about what the critics say. They love the programs
and watch them every day.
Such loyalty has made soap operas very popular in the United States. In fact, a few
programs are so popular that they have been produced with the same actors for many
years.
Another expression that uses the word
There was a time when soap and other products were shipped in wooden boxes. The
boxes were small, but strong. You could stand on one to see over the heads in a crowd
or to be seen in a crowd. Soap boxes were a simple, easy way to make yourself taller
if you wanted to give a public speech.
Such soap box speeches usually were political and one-sided. The speakers shouted
their ideas to anyone who walked by. Many talked for hours, refusing to get off their
soap boxes.
Today, you don't need a wooden box to make a soap box speech. Anyone, anywhere,
who talks endlessly about a cause, is said to be on a soap box.
Another quieter way to win support or gain influence is to
means to use praise or other kind words to get the person to do what you want.
Interviewer: Do you think learners should aim to speak English with a native-speaker
pronunciation?
Interviewee: That's a difficult question to answer. I think the most important thing is
to be understood easily. For most learners, it's not necessary or desirable to speak like
a native speaker. For some learners, for example, those who eventually want to teach
English, or be interpreters perhaps, a native-speaker pronunciation is the ultimate goal.
At least, that's what I think.

Interviewer: Children often do not want to speak English with a native-speaker
pronunciation. Why not?
Interviewee: In general, children are splendid mimics and imitate strange sounds very
easily and well. However, it is true that most children do not want to sound
when they are speaking English. This may be partly due to shyness but I think the
main reason is that most children want to belong to a group—they dress alike, listen
to the same music, share the same opinions and hobbies. Even if a child can speak
English like a native speaker, he or she will usually choose not to—unless, of course,
the rest of the group speaks with a native-speaker pronunciation too.
Interviewer: What is the main reason why adults find pronunciation difficult?
Interviewee: Numerous reasons have been offered for the difficulties which many
adults find with pronunciation and, no doubt, there is some truth in all of these. It
seems to be the case that children are better mimics than adults. But if an adult really
wants to achieve a native-speaker pronunciation, then he or she can. It is NOT the
student's own language that prevents him or her from achieving a native- speaker
pronunciation in English. It is the fact that the adult student has a strong sense of
national identity. In other words, he or she wants to be identified as a German or
Brazilian speaking English. In my opinion, this sense of national identity is more
important than other explanations, such as the greater anxiety of adults or the effect of
their own language habits.
Receptionist: English Language Center. May I help you?
Caller: Yes. I'm calling to find out more information about your program.
Receptionist: Well, first of all, the purpose of our program is to provide
language-learning opportunities for our part of the U.S. [Uh-huh.] For example, some
students need to learn the basic functional language skills for their jobs. Others need
intensive English so that they can enter a U.S. university.
Caller: Okay. I'm calling for a friend interested in attending a U.S. university.
Receptionist: We have a variety of courses that can help her, from basic
communication courses to content-based classes such as computer literacy,
intercultural communication, and business English.
Caller: Great. What are your application deadlines for the next semester?
Receptionist: Well, we ask applicants to apply at least two months before the
semester begins. [Uh-huh.] This gives us time to process the application and issue the
student's I-20.

Caller: What is an I-20?
Receptionist: Oh, an I-20 is a form giving our permission for a student to study in our
program. The student will have to take this form to the U.S. embassy in their home
country to apply for the F-1 student visa.
Caller: I see. What's the tuition for a full- time student in your courses?
Receptionist: It's two thousand thirty dollars.
Caller: How does one apply?
Receptionist: Well, we can mail an application form which can be mailed back to us,
or a person can fill out our application form that's on our Web site.
Caller: And are there other materials my friend would need to send besides the
application form?
Receptionist: Yes. She would need to send in a $$35 non-refundable application fee
[Uh-huh], a sponsorship form indicating who will be responsible financially for her
while studying in our program, and a bank statement showing that she or her sponsor
has sufficient funds to cover tuition expenses and living costs for study.
Caller: And how can she send these materials to you?
Receptionist: She can either send the application packet by regular mail or she can
fax it.
Caller: And the application fee?
Receptionist: We accept money orders, traveler's checks, or credit cards.
Caller: All right. I think that's about it. Thank you for your help.
Receptionist: You're welcome.
Caller: Goodbye.
The ability to speak or write two languages well is called bilingualism. Bilingual
education is generally a matter of public policy. In a country like the United States
that has what may be considered a national language—English—bilingual education
means teaching English to those who were brought up using other native languages.
On the other hand, there are nations such as Belgium, Canada, and Switzerland that
have two or more national languages. This does not mean that all citizens of these
countries speak two or more languages, but they are entitled to government services,
including education, in the language of their choice. Some South American countries,

like Peru and Ecuador, have large populations of Indians who speak various tribal
tongues. There are government programs to teach the Indians Spanish, the national
language in most of Latin America.
Bilingual education in the United States dates back to the first half of the 19th century,
when millions of immigrants who arrived needed to learn English in order to make
economic and social adjustments to the way the majority of the population lived.
In countries like Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Holland, whose languages
are spoken by relatively few foreigners, bilingual education has long been a part of
the school curriculum. Educated persons in these countries normally learn a second
language such as English, German, or French for use in international communication.
Identification of the factors that lead to fast, effective foreign language learning has
become increasingly important because of the large number of people who are
anxious, as adults, to learn a new language for a very specific purpose: travel,
business, study, or international friendship. The requirements for effective language
learning may be examined in terms of the learner, the teacher, and the curriculum.
The learner must be personally committed to investing the time, applying the
concentrated effort, and taking the emotional risks necessary to learn a new language.
In addition to motivation, the learner should have at least minimal language-learning
aptitude. While it is likely that nearly everyone can learn a new language if he or she
is given enough time and effort, the ease with which you are able to acquire the
language is related in part to specific language-learning aptitude. Other psychological
factors that are important in picking up a new language include a sense of curiosity
and a sensitivity to other people. Expectations also play an important role in
determining the ease and speed with which you will learn your second language.
Another factor is the learner's goals. If you are a serious adult language learner you
need to write and clarify your goal in each specific area: understanding, speaking,
reading, and writing.
Clearly, the learner and teacher are far more important than techniques, texts, and
program design. The most crucial factor involved in determining a language teacher's
effectiveness, however, is probably his or her attitude toward the students, toward the
language and toward the program. On the other hand, the language used in the
classroom should be up-to-date and authentic. You need to learn not only words and
structures but how to use them in a way acceptable to people from a different
background. A good language curriculum will include practice in the nonverbal
aspects of communication as well as discussion of cultural differences and
similarities.
Talk Show Host: Welcome to today's program! Our guest is Dr. Charles Adams,
language learning specialist. His book, Learning a Language over Eggs and Toast, is
on the bestseller list. Welcome.

Dr. Adams: Thank you.
Talk Show Host: Tell us about the title of your book.
Dr. Adams: First, it is important to establish a regular study program, like planning a
few minutes every morning around breakfast time.
Talk Show Host: But, I took Spanish for four years, and I didn't become a proficient
speaker of it.
Dr. Adams: Well, we can't become fluent speakers in a matter of a few minutes here
and there. We should follow a regular course of study and remember that there is a
difference between native fluency and proficiency in a language. I propose the latter.
Talk Show Host: What are the basic keys you suggest?
Dr. Adams: People must organize their study by setting realistic and attainable goals.
Some people think they can learn a language in 30 days and become discouraged
when they can't. Small steps are the key. Learning five new words a day and learning
to use them actively is far better than learning 30 and forgetting them the next day.
Talk Show Host: [Um-hum.] You mentioned individual learning styles. Can you
explain what you mean by learning styles?
Dr. Adams: Sure. People have different ways of learning. Some are visual learners
who prefer to see models of the patterns they are expected to learn. Others are
auditory learners who favor hearing instructions over reading them. Our preferences
are determined by factors such as personality, culture, and past experiences.
Talk Show Host: What is your learning style?
Dr. Adams: I learn by doing.
Talk Show Host: What do you mean by that?
Dr. Adams: I know it might sound unusual, but moving around while trying to learn
material helps me. While I cut up tomatoes and onions for my breakfast in the
morning, I might recite aloud vocabulary to the rhythm of the knife.
Talk Show Host: What is my learning style?
Dr. Adams: You're going to have to read my book to find that out.
Talk Show Host: Okay. Thanks for joining us.
Dr. Adams: My pleasure.

Language is the most important development in human history. The arts, sciences,
laws, economic systems and religions of the world could not exist without language.
Humans haven't changed biologically very much for some 40,000 years. However,
our ability to communicate has led us from the cave all the way to the moon.
Little is known about the birth of language. Written records that are more than 4,000
years old have been found, but scientists studying human beings agree that humans
were probably speaking thousands of years before that.
Today, most of us learn to talk by the age of three, and for the rest of our lives we
rarely stop. Even while we are reading or just thinking, we are in a sense
only to ourselves. Language is so much a part of human existence that we will be
talking as long as we inhabit the earth. As linguist David Thompson notes,
language dies, so will man.
Once upon a time there was an old man who had three sons. Calling them together, he
said,
one- third, and to my youngest one-ninth.
Now, the old man had seventeen camels, and the three brothers were puzzled to know
how to share them as their father had said. They thought a long time about the
problem, and it seemed that they must either kill some of the camels and cut them into
pieces, or disobey their father. At last they went to see their father's old friend and
asked his advice. As soon as he heard their story, he said,
your father. I am old. I have only one camel, but take it—it is yours.
Gratefully the three sons took the old man's camel, finding that it was now easy to
divide the camels as their father had wished. The oldest took half—that was nine
camels; the second took one-third, which was six; and the youngest took one-ninth,
which was two.
Only when each had received his share of camels did they discover that there was a
camel to spare. So, out of gratitude to their father's friend, they returned the camel.
Teacher: Before we start our regular lesson today, we're going to take about 20
minutes for a short listening test. (Students all groan.)
Student 1: Dr. Stark, why do we have to do it?
Teacher: That's a good question, and I have a good answer. You see, I belong to the
TESOL organization—organization of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other
Languages. I also occasionally help evaluate possible questions that might be on a
TOEFL test.

Student 2: Do you mean you try to be sure they will be difficult questions? (Students
laugh.)
Teacher: Not at all. We try to be sure that they are fair. And we want the questions
neither too hard nor too easy, and as much like standard English as possible.
Student 1: Well, after we answer the questions, what will you do?
Teacher: I'll look at your answers, note which ones too many of you miss, and then
perhaps give my opinion if I think it's a bad passage or dialog. All of your answers
will go to ETS, the Educational Testing Service and there they'll decide which
questions can possibly be included in a future test. OK, are you ready? Do you have
any questions?
Student 1: Do you get paid for doing this?
Teacher: That's not considered a polite question in the U.S., but I'll answer it. No, I
don't. I do this because I want to help to make good tests for international students.
Now, no more questions. Let's listen.
Questions:
1. Where did this conversation most probably take place?
2. How did the students respond to the teacher's suggestion of a listening test?
3. What does TESOL refer to?
4. What was the purpose of the test?
5. How would the teacher deal with the students' answers?
6. Which of the following is the most appropriate word to describe the students'
attitude towards the test?
Alice: So, each of us has chosen some animals that we believe use language. Peter,
what did you learn about whales and dolphins?
Peter: It was thought that only humans could communicate with people they can't see;
however, whales and dolphins can communicate over long distances.
Alice: How?
Peter: They use high frequencies which can carry over a long distance. And, in fact,
researchers seem to think that these animals seem to have a need to communicate with

each other. And one researcher thinks that one day we'll be able to know what they're
talking about.
Alice: Good. Henry, what did you find about...erm...elephants?
Henry: I found that elephants can communicate over long distances too, but they use
very low frequencies. I don't know whether you could call their communication
language or not, but I'll look into it more.
Alice: OK. Margaret, what about parrots?
Margaret: We've all read about parrots, but I've been reading about a parrot called
Nkisi, who knows 971 words. He isn't counted as knowing a new word unless he's
used it at least five times in a meaningful way. In other words, if he just repeats the
word, it doesn't count.
Alice: Do you have any examples of Nkisi's language use?
Margaret: Yes. It involves Jane Goodall, the famous anthropologist. She went to see
Nkisi. Nkisi's owner had shown him some pictures of Jane and some chimpanzees.
When Jane walked into the room, Nkisi said,
Peter: That's funny.
Alice: Anything else?
Margaret: Well, yes, when his owner broke the necklace she was wearing, he said,

Alice: I would certainly say he was using language.
Margaret: I have another example of a bird- like animal—tamarins, using long calls
to maintain contact with individuals. Scientists have found that they have an
individual identity and a group identity. Individuals in one group all sound quite
different than individuals in another group, something like accents we have.
Henry: Really? That's very surprising!
Margaret: Yes, what's more amazing is they have even a sex-specific identity besides
individual identity and group-level identity, so they can distinguish between males,
females, neighbors, and strangers just like humans.
Henry: Great. Now, Alice, what can you report?
Alice: First of all, do we all agree that American Sign Language is a language?

The others: Yes.
Alice: Well, all the great apes, such as chimpanzees and gorillas, can learn American
Sign Language.
Henry: That would take some real work on their part.
Alice: Right. But what is amazing to me is that each kind of ape can teach the sign
language to others of their own kind.
Peter: Well, that reminds me of the body language of wolves and dogs.
Alice: What do you mean?
Peter: I've found that wolves and dogs communicate through body gestures and facial
expressions. For instance, aggressive wolves and dogs stand tall with their ears raised,
and their head held high. They show their teeth, and raise their fur so that they look
bigger. They may give a loud bark. And when they feel frightened or want to show
obedience, they lower their bodies, flatten their ears, tuck in their tails, and close their
mouths. They may roll over on their back and lie there, belly up.
Margaret: I often see dogs raise their rear and lower their forequarters in a kind of

Peter: That means they want to play.
Henry: Well, did any of us find any information about bees' dancing? That's a very
good example of how insects communicate with each other.
Alice: Yeah, I've got some. There are two typical dances of the bees: the round dance
and the tail-wagging dance.
Henry: Can you explain them in detail?
Alice: Well, the round dance is the simplest dance. Ah...the bee performs it when it
finds food near the beehive. It doesn't provide much information; it's more of
an...awakening signal. So, if the bee finds the food it will start going in a small circle.
Every one or two circles it will suddenly reverse direction. It can go on for seconds
and even minutes.
Henry: What happens next?
Alice: Erm...other bees follow the dancer and then fly off by themselves looking for
food. If they haven't been feeding at that place before, they will look for food in every
direction near the beehive. However, the dancing bee also gives off smells that are

recognized by other bees frequenting the same flowers. They will then fly directly to
them.
Peter: What about the tail-wagging dance?
Alice: Well, in the typical tail-wagging dance the bee flies straight ahead for a short
distance, then returns in a semicircle to the starting point, again goes through the
straight stretch, makes a semicircle in the opposite direction and so on repeatedly. The
straight part of the run is given particular emphasis by wagging the body forcefully. In
addition...er...during the tail-wagging portion of the dance the bee also gives out a
buzzing sound. (She mimics the buzz of bees.)
Peter: Then what's the purpose of the tail-wagging dance?
Alice: It tells the other bees, very accurately, at what distance and in which direction
the food is, so that they can look for it themselves.
Margaret: OK. I think we have a lot of good information here. Let's look for a little
more, then meet again. OK?
The others: OK.
Woman: Why do you think people are afraid of tarantulas?
Man: Well, I guess it's because people are afraid of all spiders, and tarantulas happen
to be the biggest of all the spiders. And maybe it's also because some spiders really
are very poisonous. In California, for example—in most of the garages in
California—you get black widows, which are quite small but certainly more
dangerous than tarantulas.
Woman: But personally you aren't afraid of tarantulas?
Man: Well, I shouldn't be frightened of tarantulas, simply because I know that they
aren't really dangerous—all they can do is give you a small bite, but it's not poisonous.
And yet I must say I don't like to pick them up. But you see, some people keep pet
mice and pet rabbits and, well, they can give you a much worse bite than a tarantula
ever could. And yet people aren't frightened of them.
Woman: Why do you think people are frightened of spiders?
Man: I don't know—it's very strange. People are frightened of spiders and they are
frightened of snakes, and, well, obviously some spiders and some snakes really are
poisonous. But most snakes are harmless, and it's really strange that people are so
frightened of spiders because it's quite difficult to find a spider that's really dangerous.
Shop Assistant: Good afternoon, madam. Can I help you?

Customer: Yes. I'm looking for a pet for my son. Can you suggest anything?
Shop Assistant: What kind of pet does he want? A traditional pet, a cat...or a dog? Or
something unusual?
Customer: Well, he'd like a snake or a crocodile, but he isn't going to get one.
Shop Assistant: We've got a nice Alsatian at the moment.
Customer: An Alsatian? Did you say
the paper. They're very big and savage.
Shop Assistant: Oh, no, madam. They aren't as savage as some dogs.
Customer: Really?
Shop Assistant: Oh, yes. Last week we had a small dog. It was only as big as your
handbag, but it was as savage as a tiger—it bit me three times!
Customer: Perhaps not a dog, then.
Shop Assistant: How about a cat?
Customer: A cat? Hmm...they aren't as friendly as dogs, are they?
Shop Assistant: No, but they don't eat as much as dogs either. And they're very clean.
They wash themselves every day.
Customer: Hmm...
Shop Assistant: Or how about a bird? A parrot or a budgie? We have both.
Customer: Which do you recommend?
Shop Assistant: Well, budgies aren't as easy to train and they never speak as well as
parrots.
Customer: Yes, but budgies don't need as much space as parrots, do they?
Shop Assistant: That's true. Budgies are very popular because they are so easy to
keep.
Customer: Yes...but they're a bit noisy, aren't they? I want a quiet pet.
Shop Assistant: A quiet pet? Well, how about a goldfish? There's nothing as quiet as
a goldfish.

Interviewer: Angela, you were born in Korea but you've been living in Canada for a
long time, haven't you?
Angela: Yes, I was 10 years old when my parents immigrated to Canada and I've
been living here for 20 years now.
Interviewer: Do you think that belonging to two different cultures has affected your
personality?
Angela: Yes, definitely. There are times when I think that I have two personalities.
Depending on where I am and who I'm with, I'm Korean or I'm Canadian.
Interviewer: That sounds complicated. Could you explain what you mean?
Angela: Well, growing up in Canada when I was going to high school, for example, I
was known as Angela to the outside world, and as Sun-Kyung at home. I would wave
hello to my teachers, but bow to my parents' Korean friends when they visited our
home.
Interviewer: Do different cultures have different ideas as to what is polite?
Angela: Yes, definitely. In high school, I was expected to look straight in the eyes of
my teachers and to talk openly with them. But when Koreans spoke to me, I was
expected to look at my feet and to be shy and silent.
Interviewer: Do you think that having two personalities makes you a richer person?
Angela: Yes, but sometimes I don't know who I am.
I am a very sensitive person, and that's good to a point. I feel everyone should be able
to feel or understand what others are going through. But when you hurt, cry, or are
unhappy for people you don't know, or for a movie that is not real, then I think that's a
little too sensitive. That's the way I am.
I am a very independent person. I must do things for myself. I don't like people doing
things for me, or helping me, or giving me things. It's not that I don't appreciate it,
because I do. I just feel that when someone does something for you, you owe them,
and if there is one thing I don't like to feel, it's that I owe anyone anything.
I think I would be a good friend. I would do almost anything for someone I like, and
would share or give anything I have. I'm very caring and understanding. People trust
me with their secrets, and they're right for doing so because I never tell any secret that
is told to me. I'm always there to help in any way that I can. All you have to do is ask.
I enjoy life and people, which makes me feel good. I find fun in almost everything I
do (except housework). I like to watch people, talk to them, and be around them. It

makes no difference whether I agree or disagree with what they feel, or how they live,
or what they look like, or what age they are. I just enjoy learning and being aware of
everything and everyone around me.
Tom: Hey, Bill. Do you have any plans for this weekend?
Bill: Yeah, Tom. Cindy and I are going ice-skating on Saturday.
Tom: Oh.
Bill: Why do you ask?
Tom: Well, I thought you might want to come over and study for next week's
chemistry test.
Bill: Study?! No way. Hey, what if I try to fix you up with Cindy's sister, Kristi. We
could double-date. She's really outgoing, bright, and funny too.
Tom: Hey, I still remember the girl you fixed me up with last time. She was very
moody and self- centered. She couldn't stop talking about how great she was. I'm not
sure if I can trust you,
Bill: Oh come on. So I made a mistake last time. Cindy's sister is really different.
Tom: Well, what does she look like?
Bill: Ah. Looks aren't important. She has a wonderful personality.
Tom: Right.
Bill: Okay. She has long wavy blond hair and blue eyes. She's of medium height, just
a little shorter than you are.
Tom: Go on.
Bill: She has a great figure, a nice complexion, and she has a sexy voice. Oh, and she
has a tattoo of an eagle on her arm.
Tom: A what?
Bill: No, just kidding. By the way, she was the runner-up in the Miss California
Beauty Pageant two years ago. Well, you're probably not interested.
Tom: No, wait!
Bill: Ah, just forget I ever mentioned it.

Tom: No, I'm interested!
David: Barbara, before you go, could you tell me about these students that are coming
into my class?
Barbara: Oh, yes. Now, let me think, well, there's...er...Paul. He's a tall, slim lad with
fair hair. Very friendly face, lovely smile... He's particularly good with group
activities, and he's a very helpful person to have in the class and very helpful with the
other students. He speaks fluently, but does make a lot of mistakes! He doesn't seem
to mind making mistakes. He asks a lot of questions...er...he tends to speak first and
think later. But he's got lots of interesting ideas.
David: Good.
Barbara: Ah...Susan...Susan. Now, she's very lively, quick, and very bright. She talks
all the time but not always in English.
David: What? Is she difficult or anything?
Barbara: No...she's quite young but she does behave in quite a grown- up way really
for her age. It can be a bit difficult to actually shut her up sometimes and make her
listen to you.
David: Ah, right.
Barbara: She's very nice. She has dark hair and dark eyes.
David: Right, well...are there any other girls in the class?
Barbara: Yes, there is Maria. She's Susan's sister.
David: Yes.
Barbara: Actually it's quite difficult to tell them apart although...er... Maria is
slightly older. She's a bit plumper and has longer hair than Susan. She's not quite as
bright as her sister and I think that makes her feel a bit inferior really. Well, you know,
she sulks a bit when she gets things wrong or she misunderstands you. But on the
whole, a very sensible girl.
David: OK.
Barbara: And then there's Peter, who's older than the others. He's got a sort of
moustache, spectacles and wavy dark brown hair. He usually wears a jacket and
sometimes a suit. He's very smart and takes notes all the time. He's also very serious
and determined to learn as much as possible. He asks quite difficult questions but he
doesn't mean to be nasty.

David: Well, thanks, Barbara. It's all up to me now, isn't it? Have a good holiday,
won't you?
Barbara: Thanks.
David: Bye.
1. Pedro sleeps only six hours a night. He goes to school full-time and works
part-time in the afternoons. At night he plays soccer or basketball. He's seldom tired
and his favorite way to relax is to jog two or three miles.
What kind of person is Pedro?
2. Mr. Miller was teaching his fourth grade class how to divide. The students didn't
understand. He had to repeat his lesson and explain the idea more slowly. Over the
next few days he explained and explained the lesson until almost the whole class
understood and knew how to divide.
What kind of teacher is Mr. Miller?
3. People in the High Street neighborhood don't buy their fruits and vegetables in the
supermarket. They buy them from Mr. Smith's truck. You can trust Mr. Smith. He
never tries to sell any bad or unripe fruit. His prices are fair.
What kind of person is Mr. Smith?
4. Jake and Charles ran into the classroom. Each one saw the chair he wanted to sit on.
Unfortunately, it was the same chair. They both sat down at the same time. Each of
them had half a chair. Charles said he was there first and tried to push Jake off the
chair. Jake said he was first. Both boys refused to move.

the whole period.
rang. When they stood up they were stiff and sore.

What kind of person is Jake?
5. Room 46A at Travis High School was always the dirtiest room in the school. Many
of the students threw paper on the floor. One day, Mrs. Duke had an idea. She
fastened a basketball hoop over the wastebasket. Now the students love to practice
throwing their paper into the basket. When they miss, they pick the paper up and try
again. And that was the end of the problem.
What kind of person is Mrs. Duke?

A number of visitors to the UK, who had traveled throughout the British Isles, were
asked by a newspaper reporter what their impressions of the British people were.
Here's a brief summary of what they thought.
There were many different opinions among those interviewed: Some were very
flattering, others very critical. The distinction between the English and the British
wasn't always understood, but, on the whole, it seemed that the Scots were very
popular with visitors. They were thought to be very friendly, even though one Dutch
visitor confessed she'd found it hard to understand their English.
A great number found the British generally reserved, particularly the English,
although one Australian visitor called the English
and most hospitable
help.
Some Asian businessmen, who had traveled widely throughout England, said quite
openly that they found North country people
When asked what exactly they meant by
playful smile on his face,
A few continentals praised
dull.
one explained.
A young student from South Africa had no views on the matter. He hadn't met any
Englishmen, he said. The country appeared to be full of foreigners like himself.
Statements:
1. It was easy to tell the English from the British.
2. Speaking the same language helped one Australian visitor a lot.
3. By
friendly than people of other countries.
4. The majority of continentals thought highly of English manners.
5. To the young student from South Africa, Britain seemed to have a lot of foreign
visitors.
One day, when Mr. Smith came home from work, he found his wife very upset about
something. Mr. Smith always thought that he was more sensible than his wife, so he
started to give her a lecture on the importance of always remaining calm.

Finally he said,
yourself to be patient, like me. Now, look at the fly that has just landed on my nose.
Am I getting excited or annoyed? Am I swearing or waving my arms around? No. I'm
not. I'm perfectly calm.
Just as he had said this, Mr. Smith started shouting. He jumped up and began to wave
his arms around wildly and swear terribly. He couldn't speak for some time, but at last
he was able to tell his wife: The thing on his nose was not a fly, but a bee.
Tom: Oh, that Mr. Taylor. He is so boring!
Mother: What do you mean?
Tom: His lessons put me to sleep. And he's so quick-tempered, Mum.
Mother: Quick- tempered? Mr. Taylor? Are you sure darling?
Tom: Yes, he gets angry very quickly.
Mother: That doesn't sound like Mr. Taylor at all!
Tom: And do you know, he spends all the time looking at his reflection in the
window, admiring himself.
Mother: Really? And why does he do that?
Tom: Because he's vain, that's why! And conceited! He thinks he knows everything.
Mother: Oh, Tom. Be reasonable. I'm sure you're exaggerating. Mr. Taylor seems
such a nice, kind man.
Tom: Well, he isn't. He is mean and cruel.
Mother: Cruel? Now how can a history teacher be cruel?
Tom: Because he only gave me two out of ten points in my history test.
Mother: Oh, now I understand. Tom, I think you'd better get on with your
homework!
(S1 = the first speaker; S2 = the second speaker; S3 = the third speaker; S4 = the
fourth speaker)
S1: In this week's edition of Up with People we went out into the streets and
interviewed a number of people. We asked a question they just didn't expect. We

asked them to be self- critical...to ask themselves exactly what they thought they
lacked or—the other side of the coin—what virtues they had. Here is what we heard.
S2: Well...I...I don't know really...it's not the sort of question you ask yourself directly.
I know I'm good at my job... At least my boss considers me hard-working,
conscientious, and efficient. I'm a secretary by the way. When I look at myself in a
mirror as you sometimes do in the privacy of your own bedroom...or at your reflection
in the shop windows as you walk up the street... Well...then I see someone a bit
different. Yes...I'm different in my private life. And that's probably my main fault I
should say... I suppose I'm not coherent in my behavior. My office is always in
order...but my flat! Well...you'd have to see it to believe it.
S3: Well...I'm retired, you know. Used to be an army officer. And...I think I've kept
myself...yes, I've kept myself respectable the whole of my life. I've tried to help those
who depend on me. I've done my best. I am quite self- disciplined. Basically I'm a
good guy, fond of my wife and family... That's me.
S4: Well...when I was young I was very shy. At times I...I was very
unhappy...especially when I was sent to boarding school at age seven. I didn't make
close friends till later...till I was about...fifteen. Then I became quite good at being by
myself. I had no one to rely on...and no one to ask for advice. That made me
independent. My wife and I have two sons. We...we didn't want an only child because
I felt...well I felt I'd missed a lot of things.
Mike: Hey, guys. Come and look. I've found an interesting Web site on star signs.
(The others come close to the computer and look at the star signs on the screen.)
Ted: Hey, that's interesting! What's your sign, Sam?
Sam: I'm a Scorpio. What's yours, Ted?
Ted: I have no idea. I've never really thought about that. Let's have a look. I was born
on September 5. Oh, I'm a Virgo.
Simon: And I'm a Libra.
Sam: What do they say about Libra, Simon?
Simon: (He reads.) You're a sociable, charming person. You go out of your way to
avoid confrontation and do everything in your power to make your life an easy one.
Although you're generally likeable, you can be changeable, superficial and critical.
But you manage to hide those traits most of the time.
Mike: Do you agree with that? Are you that type of person?

Simon: What do you think? I think there is something in what it says. I am social and
outgoing. But I am not changeable, am I? What's your sign, Mike?
Mike: I'm a Taurus. Ah, what's yours, Lilly?
Lilly: I'm a Cancer.
Ted: Now let's look at Taurus.( He reads.) You're a patient, practical type. Good
points include your affectionate, kind nature, your trustworthiness and strength of
character. Bad points include your possessiveness, self-indulgence and stubbornness.
Do you think your character fits well?
Mike: No, not at all. I'm not patient, and I'm not practical either. I am kind of
quick- tempered and ambitious. That's definitely not me! But one thing is right: I AM
stubborn.
Simon: Sam, let me read yours. (He reads.) You are secretive, and sexy. You have the
worst reputation in the zodiac. Scorpio has a dark side, which includes revengeful
and destructive traits. Yet despite this, you can be the wittiest, kindest and most
entertaining of all the signs.
Sam: Oh, that can't be true! Are you sure you were reading Scorpio?
Simon: Yes, of course! Look for yourself.
Sam: But that's unfair! I have the worst reputation in the zodiac?!
The others: (They all laugh and say.) Ha ha... Poor Sam!
Sam: Who could believe such silly things! Really, I think I'm intelligent, humorous,
and kind-hearted.
Mike: Yes, but those are just your good traits. Don't forget about your bad ones!
Sam: Come on! Oh, Lilly, we haven't looked at your sign yet. Eh, you are a Cancer,
right? You want me to read yours?
Lilly: No, thanks. I'm afraid you'll distort what's written there. Let me read it myself.
(She reads.) To some people, you appear tough and determined, but that's just a

You can be moody, touchy and irritable, but you make up for those negative traits
with your kindness, great intuition and protective nature. That's not bad, is it?
Simon: No. But what counts is not what it says, but how you really are, what you are
actually like.

Lilly: (She is a bit defensive.) What do you mean? What are you trying to say about
me?
Simon: I think you are much nicer than what it describes.
(Lilly smiles.)
The other boys: Oh, Simon, don't sweet-talk her! We know what you are thinking.
Ted: Hey, I haven't seen mine yet. Now it's my turn.
Mike: Go ahead, Ted! Be our guest!
Ted: It says: Virgo people like order in all things and are neat, clean and precise in
their habits. Virgo people are perfectionists and they sometimes can be critical. They
do not like to draw attention to themselves. Virgo people are modest, and careful
about what they eat or drink.
Sam: Do you have any objections to that?
Ted: I think the description matches me quite well. I AM a perfectionist. I like things
to be in order. Erm, I...I'm careful about what I eat and drink. But it doesn't mention
my weak points.
Lilly: Oh! And what are those?
Ted: Well, sometimes I'm so careful I tend to waste a lot of time. I'm not very
sociable, and I don't have many friends.
Sam: I think everyone has some undesirable personality traits that could be improved.
Don't you think we all could improve our personalities?
Mike: I think we can. For example, my little sister was the youngest girl in our family.
My parents loved her very much, but they spoiled her by giving her too much. She
was at that time self-centered, selfish, aggressive, bad-tempered, and rude. Her
personality didn't change any until she entered primary school. In school, she first
acted as she did at home, and she couldn't make a single good friend. For a time, she
was even isolated by her classmates. She complained to us, and finally understood her
problem. From then on, she made every effort to get rid of her undesirable
characteristics both at home and in school. Now she's in middle school and has turned
into a popular girl.
Lilly: In my opinion, our personalities are partly inherited and partly shaped by our
home environment. As we all know, scientists have found that parents' personality
traits can be seen in their children. Most children have some of their parents'
personality traits.

Mike: That's right. And our early home and school environment also has a big
influence on the shaping of our personality. For instance, I've noticed that many
children growing up in rich families may become wasteful, lazy, arrogant or cold. On
the other hand, I've noticed that many children raised in poor families are
hard-working, caring, sympathetic, and helpful.
Sam: Does that mean you think we have to choose our parents wisely?
(The others laugh.)
2
Mart Moody from Tupper Lake used to tell this tale.
was a big flock of ducks out on Tupper Lake. And I had this good dog. I shot at the
ducks, and then I sent the dog out there. She was heavy with pups at the time, and I
didn't know whether I should send her out there. It was a cold day in the fall. Well,
she took right off and away she went. But she didn't show up when it got dark. I
began to worry about her. She was a good dog, a really good retriever. She'd get
anything I shot at.

And I got down to the shoreline of the lake and I looked out. Suddenly I saw
something coming. It was this dog. She came into the shore! She had three ducks in
her mouth. And behind her she had seven pups. And each of the pups had a duck in
his mouth.
There was an old man who had a daughter. He told his daughter that he had invited a
preacher to his house. He said,
Reverend, and I've roasted two ducks and left them there for him in the other room.
Don't you touch them!
went to the train to meet the Reverend, and the girl began to taste the ducks. The
ducks tasted so good that she kept on tasting them until she had eaten them all up,
every bit of them.
After the old man came back, he didn't even look in the place where he had left the
ducks. He went directly into the other room to sharpen his knife on the oilstone so he
could carve the ducks. The preacher was sitting in the room with the girl. She knew
that her papa was going to punish her, and she started crying and shedding tears. The
preacher asked,
fault: He invites preachers to his house and goes to sharpen his knife to cut off both
their ears.

preacher said,
ran out of the door quickly. The daughter called her papa and said,
preacher got both the ducks and has gone.

the preacher,
But the preacher just kept running and shouted back over his shoulder,
you'll get either one of these.
Jack Storm was the local barrel maker and blacksmith of Thebes, Illinois. He had a
cat that stayed around his shop. The cat was the best mouse catcher in the whole
country, Jack said. He kept the shop free of rats and mice. But, one day, the cat got
caught in a piece of machinery and got a paw cut off. After that, he began to grow
weak and thin and didn't take any interest in anything, because he wasn't getting
enough to eat.
So, one day, Jack decided to make a wooden paw for the cat. He made it with his
pocket knife and fastened it on the injured leg. After that, the cat began to grow sleek
and fat again. Jack decided to stay at the shop one night to see how the cat managed
with his wooden paw.
After dark, the cat got down in front of a mouse hole and waited. Pretty soon a mouse
peered out cautiously. Quick as a flash the cat seized it with his good paw and
knocked it on the head with his wooden one. In no time, that cat had eighteen mice
piled up in front of the mouse hole.
Ken: Hey, Josh. Where did you get those comic magazines?
Josh: When I went home last weekend, I found these old Superman magazines that
my older brother had bought many years ago.
Ken: You don't have time to read old comics. Why did you bring them here?
Josh: In my World Literature class we've been talking about the importance of myths,
folk tales, and legends to cultures. We have to write a short paper on which legendary
figure we think is the great American hero. I think it's Superman.
Ken: Superman? Why? I think it's someone like Paul Bunyan, the giant woodsman, or
Johnny Appleseed, who planted early apple trees in the Midwest. Superman is just a
modern comic magazine character.
Josh: When I saw these old comics, I started thinking that Superman represents a
combination of cultural traditions and beliefs that have been told throughout our
American history.
Ken: How?
Josh: Superman is an orphan who comes by rocket to Earth when his native planet
explodes. He lands near a small town and is adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent,
who teach him their American middle-class values of honesty, hard work and

consideration for others. As an adult, he migrates to a large city and defends
Americans against evil.
Ken: What else?
Josh: Well, I was thinking about this and realized that he is a symbol of the American
character because he is an immigrant. We Americans have come from somewhere
else, too. My great grandparents came from Germany, and I know your grandparents
came from Brazil. They all worked hard and succeeded.
Ken: But how does that relate to Superman?
Josh: He goes to the city, just as many immigrants did, works as a newspaper reporter.
But his adopted parents' values of honesty, hard work and helpfulness are a part of
him. He uses his super abilities to fight dishonesty and to help the victims of crime
and injustice, meanwhile working hard at his newspaper job.
Ken: I understand. As an orphan, Superman becomes a new person in a new land, just
as our ancestors did, and succeeds. He also represents our values. Your paper should
be interesting. I'd like to read it when it's finished.
Josh: OK.
At one time animals and people lived together in peace and talked with each other.
But when mankind began to multiply rapidly, the animals were crowded into forests
and deserts.
Man began to destroy many animals for their skins and furs instead of only for food.
Animals became angry at this treatment by man and decided that mankind must be
punished.
The animals held a meeting, but they could not decide how to punish mankind.
Finally the animals agreed that because deer were the animals most often killed by
man, deer should decide how man should be punished.
Deer decided that any Indian hunters who killed deer without asking pardon in a
suitable manner would be made to suffer with painful stiffness in their bodies. After
this decision was made, the leader of the deer sent a message to the nearest people, the
Cherokee Indians.
before killing him. You must ask his pardon, telling the deer you are forced to kill him
only because your people are hungry and need meat. Otherwise, a terrible disease will
come to you.
The spirits of the deer would run to the place where a deer had been killed and these
spirits would ask the dead deer,

answer was
deer spirits would track down the hunter to his house and strike him with the terrible
disease of stiffness in his body, making him crippled so that he could not hunt deer
again.
Soon all of the animals agreed that this was a fair and just punishment. Each type of
animal decided that they would also cause a disease in people who mistreated them.
When the friendly plants of the world heard what the animals had decided as
punishment for mankind, the plants decided that this punishment was too harsh. They
had a meeting of their own. Finally they decided that each type of plant should
provide a cure for one of the diseases which animals had caused for mankind.
This was the beginning of plant medicines from nature among the Cherokee Indians a
long, long time ago.
Every March, a flock of buzzards returns to the town of Hinkley, Ohio. No one really
knows how long this event has taken place, but according to local legend the annual
buzzard migration began nearly 200 years ago with a massacre.

on December 24, Christmas Eve, in 1818. The local settlers deciding that the
township needed to be made safe for their livestock, gathered together about 400 men
and boys, with guns and clubs and completely surrounded the township of Hinkley.
As the story goes, the townsfolk began marching toward the center of town, driving
all the game in front of them, and killing virtually every wild animal they
encountered.

left all of the other dead animals out in the snow. When spring came, the remaining
dead animals attracted many buzzards, and since 1819 they've been coming back here
in March.
Hinkley locals have come to appreciate the buzzards' annual return. In mid-March, on
Buzzard Sunday, they celebrate the birds' arrival with costumes, exhibits and songs.
Almost seven centuries ago, in Central Asia, there lived a great king called Tamerlane.
He was a mighty, powerful, conquering soldier, and his greatest ambition was that one
day he would rule a massive empire stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to
the Pacific Ocean in the east. He made his imperial capital in the oasis city of
Samarkand, which he planned to make the most beautiful city on earth. Many
magnificent mosques were built and they were decorated with exquisite blue ceramic
tiles on the outside, and with pure gold on the inside.

Tamerlane, like the great oriental king that he was, had many wives, including a
Chinese girl called Bibi Khanym. Now Bibi Khanym was the most beautiful of all
Tamerlane's wives, and she was also the youngest. She was his favorite wife and was
deeply in love with him.
In order to demonstrate her great love of Tamerlane, she decided to build a
magnificent mosque to honor him, while he was away fighting in a distant war. She
engaged the best architect, who designed for her the most magnificent mosque you
could imagine. And then she found the best master builder, who began work
immediately. But as the weeks and months passed by, the master builder began to fall
in love with Bibi Khanym. She resisted all his advances, but at last he threatened to
leave the mosque unfinished unless she allowed him to kiss her just once. Bibi
Khanym wanted the beautiful mosque finished more than anything else. She was
expecting Tamerlane to return any day. So at last she agreed to let the master builder
kiss her, just once.
But that was her terrible mistake, for so powerful was the master builder's love for
Bibi Khanym that when he kissed her he left a permanent mark on her face.
King Tamerlane returned and saw the guilty mark on his wife's face. The master
builder was executed immediately, and then, thinking that a woman's beauty can be a
dangerous thing, Tamerlane ordered that from that day on all the women in the
kingdom should never be seen in public without a veil to cover their face.
Long long ago, there was a pretty girl named
always wearing a red hood. One day her mother asked her to take some snacks to her
grandmother because her grandmother was ill. Her mother told her,
around on your way. Don't leave the main road.
On her way, she saw a wolf. The wolf asked her where she was going and she told
him that she was going to her grandmother's house. The wolf thought to himself how
delicious she would taste. Red Riding Hood danced in the woods, picking flowers for
her grandmother and forgetting what her mother had said to her.
The wolf went to the grandmother's house and ate up the poor lady. Then he waited in
the bed for Red Riding Hood.
As Red Riding Hood came into the grandmother's house, she found her grandmother
looked rather strange with very large ears, eyes, hands and mouth. And suddenly the
wolf jumped out of the bed and devoured the little girl.
At that time, a hunter passed the house and heard loud snores made by the wolf. He
went in and carefully cut the wolf's stomach open because he thought the wolf had
probably eaten the grandmother. Then both little Red Riding Hood and her

grandmother escaped from the wolf's stomach. After that, Red Riding Hood
remembered the importance of her mother's words and never left the main road again.
Questions:
1. Why was the girl called
2. What was she asked to take to her grandmother?
3. What did her mother tell her NOT to do on the way?
4. How did the wolf think Red Riding Hood would taste?
5. What did the wolf do to both the girl and her grandmother?
6. Who rescued Red Riding Hood and her grandmother?
Moon was sad. She had spent many years looking at the people on Earth and she saw
that they were afraid. They were afraid of dying. To make them feel better she
decided to call on her friend Spider to take a message to them.

sad. Please tell them that they will all die sooner or later but it is nothing to be scared
of.
So Spider slowly made his way to Earth, carefully picking his way down on
moonbeams and sunbeams. On his way he met Hare.



Hare.


disappeared off to Earth.
Spider gloomily made his way back to Moon and told her what had happened. Moon
was very angry with Hare when she heard what he had said to the people, and hit him
on the nose! That is why, to this day, Hare has a split lip.

And to this day, Spider is still carefully carrying Moon's message and spinning the
web in the corner of our rooms—but how many of us listen?
We don't often know how a word or a legend associated with that word started;
however, in the case of the American
1867 when the first transcontinental railroad was being built across the American
West.
A branch line of the new railroad went to Abilene, Kansas. In Abilene, a 29-year-old
cattle merchant, Joseph McCoy, had a plan that made him a millionaire and put his
name in dictionaries. His plan was simple. He knew that in the high grasslands of
southern Texas there were large herds of cattle. If these cattle could be brought to
Abilene, they could be put on trains and shipped to cities in the North and East, where
they would bring good prices. He bought a lot of land close to the railroad in Abilene,
where cattle could be kept before being shipped, and put his plan into action.
McCoy advertised for ranchers and cow-handlers to bring their herds of cattle to his
new railway cattle yard in Abilene. He offered $$40 for each of the cattle, ten times
more than anyone else did. One hundred days after his offer was made, the first herds
arrived from the South. Each herd had two or three thousand cattle in it. In the next
four years, McCoy shipped more than two million cattle to the North and East. He
soon became a millionaire.
McCoy referred to the men bringing the cows to Abilene as
were at least 5,000 cowboys bringing cattle up to Kansas from Texas. Because the
camera had recently been developed, many photos were taken of the cowboys and
their long trips with the cattle. These photos were published in eastern newspapers
and the cowboy became an American folk hero. Soon writers, such as Zane Gray,
were writing books about the cowboys and their adventures. Thus the legend of the
cowboy grew and developed into the 20th century.
King: What's in your hand?
Noname: The swords that used to belong to Sky, Sword and Snow, Your Majesty.
King: How did you get them?
Noname: I had a fight with Sky. I killed him and took his sword.
King: Who are you?
Noname: My name is Noname. I was born in Qin. I've been practicing with my sword
for more than twenty years, Your Majesty.
King: I heard Sky was a very good swordsman.

Noname: Yes, he was, but not as good as me. We met in a chess house and I knew he
was one of the killers Your Majesty wanted. We fought all day and finally I killed
him, breaking his sword in two pieces.
King: Good. You will get your reward... Then what about Sword and Snow? I heard
they were lovers. They were never apart. I heard they were the best with the sword in
their kingdom. And few people ever saw them and nobody knew them. How did you
find them?
Noname: It took me three years. Three years after they failed to kill you they returned
to their own kingdom and lived in a house where they practiced calligraphy all day
long. They no longer practiced with their swords. I also learned a secret of them.
King: And what was that?
Noname: They had not talked to each other for three years.
King: That's strange. Why not?
Noname: Snow believed Sword had betrayed her. No one else knew it. When I heard
about it and heard where they were, I went to the calligraphy house and asked Sword
to write the word
King: Why did you ask for the word
Noname: If I could find a weakness by the way he wrote the word, I might find a way
to beat him.
King: And did he write the word for you?
Noname: Yes, he did.
King: Did you find his weakness that way?
Noname: No, I didn't find any weakness in his writing, Your Majesty. However, I
realized that the art of swordsmanship lies in a man's heart. Even without a sword, a
true master can make people around him feel that they are facing a man with a sword.
King: How did you manage to kill him then?
Noname: I did not kill him. He was defeated by his own love towards Snow. I made
Snow believe that he had already fallen in love with one of his maids. Snow was very
angry. She killed Sword.
King: And then you killed Snow?

Noname: Nobody could have beaten those two if they had worked together. But, left
alone, Snow was very easy for me to beat. Besides, she was also wounded during a
fight with the maid who wanted revenge for her master's death.
King: Thank you for killing the three people who were the greatest threat to my life.
Your story is beautiful, but you have underestimated one person.
Noname: Who, Your Majesty?
King: Me!
Noname: Why did you say that?
King: I had met those people and I would never believe that they could be so
foolishly jealous. No one with a jealous mind could become the master of the sword. I
would never believe that they could be as narrow-minded as you've described. Now
let me tell you my story. Sky, Sword and Snow were good friends. They wanted us to
meet because they knew you were a better swordsman than any one of them. They
persuaded you that you were the only person who could kill me. Each one of them
fought with you to make you believe that. And that's why you are here with their
broken swords.
Noname: How do you know all this?
King: Your eyes tell me that. You must be the greatest swordsman in the world to
have killed all three of them. Is this to be my last day? Where are you from?
Noname: I was born in Zhao. My parents were killed by your soldiers when I was a
baby. I have not forgotten how they died. I made up my mind long time ago that I
would kill you one day. I've been practicing with my sword for more than twenty
years now, and I know I can kill you if I'm within ten steps of you. However, you
have also underestimated one person.
King: Who's that?
Noname: Sword. Before I killed Sword he told me he had already given up trying to
kill you. He could see that ordinary people suffered most when kingdoms fought.
They lost their homes, their parents, their children and their land. There was no peace
anywhere. And then he wrote another word for me.
King: What was that word?
Noname: WORLD. He wanted me to think of the whole world and peace. He realized
that there could only be peace when the seven kingdoms were united.

King: (He sighs.) I didn't expect the person wanting to kill me would actually know
me better than my own people. But, that's my fate! If my life is to end here today, kill
me now.
Noname: I have to do this, but remember all those people that have died because of
you...
(Noname purposely missed the King because he realized that a united kingdom is
more important than his personal revenge.)
(In 221 BC, the King of Qin united the seven kingdoms in China and became the
Emperor of China. Wars came to an end.)
In August 1975, three men were on their way to rob the Royal Bank
of Scotland at Rothesay when they got stuck in the revolving doors.
They had to be helped free by the staff and, after thanking everyone,
sheepishly left the building. A few minutes later, they returned and
announced their intention of robbing the bank, but none of the staff
believed them. When, at first, they demanded £5,000, the head cashier
laughed at them, convinced that it was a practical joke.
Considerably disheartened by this, the gang leader reduced his
demand first to £500 then to £50 and ultimately to 50 pence. By this
stage the cashier could barely control herself for laughter.
Then one of the men jumped over the counter and fell awkwardly on
the floor, clutching his ankle. The other two made their getaway, but got
trapped in the revolving doors for a second time, desperately pushing
the wrong way.
Man: Yes, I'd like to report a theft.
Police Officer: Okay. Can you tell me exactly what happened?
Man: Well, I was walking home from work two days ago, enjoying the
nature all around me...the birds, the frogs, the flowing stream...[Okay,
Okay] when this woman knocked me right off my feet, grabbed my
stuff[东西], and ran off through the trees. [Hmm.] I was so surprised by
the ordeal that I didn't chase her.
Police Officer: Yeah. Can you describe the woman for me?
Man: Yeah. She was about 190 centimeters tall...
Police Officer: Wait. You said a woman robbed you.

Man: Well, I'm not really sure. [Hmm.] You see, the person was wearing
a white and black polka-dot dress, a light red sweater over it, and
she...or he...was wearing a pair of basketball shoes.
Police Officer: Hmm. What else can you tell me?
Man: Okay. Like I said, the person was about 190 centimeters tall,
heavily built, with long wavy hair. She...or he...was probably about in
her or his late 30s. I didn't get a good look at the person's face, but
well...uh...
Police Officer: What? Was there something else?
Man: Well, the person...had a beard胡须.
Police Officer: Ah! What was, uh, taken...exactly?
Man: Well, just my left shoe. Crazy, isn't it?
Police Officer: Ah hah! The
Man: The
Police Officer: Yeah. It's this man who dresses up like a woman and,
for some unknown reason, removes the left shoe from his victims. He's
really quite harmless, though, and he usually returns the shoe to the
crime scene a couple of days later.
Man: Hey, he can keep my shoe, and I'll just take off my left shoe every
time I walk through the park.

knock sth.(sb.) off one's feet [v] 使...不胜惊奇, 使...极为难过
Melissa Luzzi, a Dallas resident who owns an embroidery business,
thought her home was secure. But in broad daylight a thief got in by
smashing through a floor-to-ceiling window in the back of her house.
Incredibly, no neighbors heard the disturbance—and her home was
robbed of everything of value.
One thing common to every neighborhood I visited: empty streets for
much of the day. Many of us are working, and the kids are in school.
But there's usually someone home in the neighborhood.

I've found that, nationwide, police respond much faster to 911 calls
than to alarms. So keep an eye on your neighbors' property[财产], and
ask them to do the same for you. Call the police if you hear breaking
glass, or see someone lurking about or notice anything suspicious.
You also might consider joining a community crime-watch group.

Sgt. Tony Takats.

veteran of the Dallas police force.
broad daylight n.大白天
floor-to- ceiling window 落地窗户
disturbance [n] 骚乱, 扰乱, 不安, 心神不安
nationwide全国范围的
veteran老手

I took a trip recently into the heart of the Amazon Basin where one of
the big issues facing our planet stands out: the balance between
economic development and the conservation of natural resources.
There is strong pressure in the country to harvest [v] 收割, 收获, 获得
natural riches for short-term financial gains. Then there is intense
international concern about the control of such development. The
problem, of course, is that this is a one-way street. Rapid development,
and wholesale harvesting of timber, oil, and the like, will soon lead to
the Amazon desert, which would mean the extinction of half our
planet's animal and plant species and the depletion of much of the
oxygen we breathe. This clearly impacts every one of us.
The local people of the Amazon understand the delicate balance of
nature. They've survived for thousands of years by making good use of
it, not abusing it----something we can all learn from. And now tourism
is playing a positive role in the equation. Travelers from more developed
countries are increasingly interested in the natural world. As a result,
they are fueling a boom in eco-tourism. This is in turn bringing valuable
income into the region, raising awareness of critical issues and helping
slow down the otherwise uncontrollable development.

basin [n] 盆, 盆地, 菜盆
issue [n] 问题, 流出, 结局, 河口, 结果
stands out突出
conservation [n] 保存, 守恒
intense [adj] 强烈的, 强烈, 紧张的, 热情的
rapid [adj] 快捷, 快的, 快速, 陡的, 快速的
wholesale [adj] 批发, 批发的, 大规模, 大批的
[v] 批发
species [n] 种, 种类
delicate [adj] 精巧, 脆弱, 娇嫩, 敏感, 细腻, 柔和的, 纤细的

abuse [v] 滥用, 虐待, 辱骂
equation [n] 等式, 反应式, 相等
fuel [v] 加燃料, 激起
critical [adj] 关键, 临界, 批判, 评论性, 严重, 批评的
boom [n] 繁荣, 吊杆, 暴涨, 水栅, 隆隆声
It isn't strictly true that one half of the world is rich and the other
half is poor. It is one-third that is very rich and two-thirds that are very
poor. People in the rich third don't realize the enormous difference
between them and the other two-thirds. A very simple example is that a
dog or a cat in North America eats better than a child in many of the
poorer countries. A fisherman in South America may be catching fish
which are processed into pet food and yet his own children are not
getting enough protein for their bodies to develop properly.
Although a lot of the world's natural resources come from these
poorer countries, people in the richer countries are probably using
much more of these resources than people in Asia or Africa. The richer
countries are in a position to dictate to suppliers what kind of prices
they are prepared to pay for these natural resources. In some cases the
prices have gone down. In others they have remained steady. But the
prices the richer countries get for their own exports have continued to
rise. So, they are getting richer and richer, and the poorer countries are
getting poorer and poorer.
process [v] 加工, 对...起诉, 冲洗, 处理
protein [n] 蛋白质
dictate [v] 口授, 口授, 口述, 要求，命令
The news report that night was about a famine in Ethiopia. From the first few seconds
it was clear that this was a really monumental catastrophe. The pictures were of
people who were so thin that they looked like beings from another planet. The camera
focused on one man so that he looked directly at me, sitting in my comfortable living
room. All around was the sound of death.
It was clear that somehow the world had not noticed this tragedy until now. You could
hear the despair, grief and disgust in the voice of the reporter, Michael Buerk. At the
end of the report he was silent. My wife, Paula, started crying, then rushed upstairs to
check our baby, Fifi, who was sleeping peacefully.

I kept seeing the news pictures in my mind. What could I do? I was only a pop
singer—and by now not a very successful pop singer. All I could do was make
records which no one bought. But I would do that, I would give all the profits of the
next Rats record to Oxfam. What good would that do? It would only be a little money
but it was more than I could give just from my bank account. Maybe some people
would buy it because the profits were for Oxfam. And I would be protesting about this
disaster. But that was not enough.
Marsha and Ed Gibson are sitting at the kitchen table. Ed is nervous and upset, and
he's smoking. Marsha's eyes are red. She looks tired. Their children, two boys, eight
and ten, are sitting with them. Tony and George know that their parents are having
problems. Now, their parents are telling the boys that they're going to get a divorce.
Their mother is talking first. She's telling them that she loves them and their father
loves them, too. But she and their father are having problems. They aren't going to
live together as a family anymore. It has nothing to do with the boys. The boys are
going to live with her. They're going to stay in the same house, go to the same school,
and be with all their friends.
Now, their father is talking. He's going to leave the house this weekend. He's not
going to move far away; he's going to be in the next town. Two weekends a month,
the boys are going to stay with him. And, they're going to be with him one month in
the summertime. He'll take his vacation then and they'll go to the beach. The boys can
call him anytime. He's going to be nearby. It'll be better this way.
Tony and George don't really understand what's happening. On the one hand, they
know that their parents aren't happy. On the other hand, they want everyone to stay
together.
Questions:
1. How does the couple feel about their divorce?
2. Why does the couple decide to get a divorce?
3. Where will the husband go after the divorce?
4. What is the children's response to their parents' divorce?
A pensioner was shot to death in front of his wife last night. He had complained about
local drug dealers shortly before his murder. Terry Morgan, 69, had just driven his
wife back from work but was killed by a single shot to the chest as he got out of his
car. His wife was opening the front door when she heard a loud bang and found her
husband lying on the ground. He died without saying anything. The murder happened
at his home in Rugby. It shocked everyone in his town. People said it was really a

cold-blooded killing. As police began a major investigation into this horrible murder,
they found Mr. Morgan had made complaints to a local official about drug dealing in
a nearby street. He had mentioned his concern twice to the local official. A neighbor
of Mr. Morgan said he was against drugs of any kind. Whenever this topic arose he
always expressed strong views about drugs. Last summer, gangs of teenagers in his
neighborhood were found to be drug abusers. He tried to help them stop using drugs,
but it only made them angry. But it's still too early to say this is related to the murder.
A lady who used to live in the same street as Morgan said,
respectable man, a nice man. But it's getting really bad here with gangs of teenagers
abusing drugs and stealing. They should be the ones accused of this murder.
Last month, the Wilsons went to Green Trees Park. Jim and Sally sat under the trees
and talked and read. The children played ball.
Sally decided to take a picture of the children. She took her camera and walked over
to them. She focused her camera. Then, she heard a scream. Sally looked up. A man
was stealing a woman's purse. He was running in her direction.
Sally thought fast. She took three pictures of the man. When the police came, she
gave them the film.
The next day, one of Sally's photographs was in the newspaper. Under it was the story
of the robbery. In a few hours, the police knew the man's name and address. They
went to his house and arrested him. The man is now serving three months in jail.
Questions:
1. Where was the Wilson family when the story happened?
2. What was Sally doing when she heard the scream?
3. What did Sally see?
4. What did Sally give the police?
5. What happened to the man on the photographs?
In many countries in the process of industrialization, overcrowded cities become a
major problem. Poor conditions in these cities, such as lack of housing, inadequate
means of keeping places clean and healthy and lack of employment, bring about an
increase in poverty, disease and crime.
The over- population of towns is mainly caused by the drift of large numbers of people
from the rural areas. These people have become dissatisfied with the traditional life of
farming and have come to the towns hoping for better work and pay.

One possible solution to the problem would be to impose registration on town
residents. Only officially registered inhabitants would be allowed to live in the towns
and the urban population would thus be limited. In practice, however, this causes a
great deal of resentment, which would ultimately lead to violence.
The only long- term solution is to make life in the rural areas more attractive, which
would encourage people to stay there. This could be achieved by rewarding people for
going and working in the villages. Facilities in the rural areas, such as transport,
health and education services, should be improved. Education should include training
in improved methods of farming and other rural industries, so as to foster a more
positive attitude to rural life. The improvement of life in the villages is doubly
important, because the towns themselves cannot be developed without the
development of the rural areas.
Paul: Guys, guys, it's getting late. Some of us are going to work tomorrow. Who
wants to ride back with me?
Donna: No one is going to ride with you. Give me your car keys. I'll drive you home.
Paul: Hey, hey, hey, wait a minute! That's not happening... I know I've been drinking,
but I can still drive.
Donna: No, you can't. We decided when we came that I would be the designated
driver tonight. That's why I've been having soft drinks all evening.
Pete: She's right. And I can also drive. I haven't been drinking either since I'm under
21.
Paul: But, I really don't think that having a few drinks can make a person a dangerous
driver.
Donna: Well, you're wrong about that. I read that even a few drinks can impair
concentration and slow reactions.
Jean: I haven't been drinking that much alcohol tonight, but I would rather drive
home with Donna. I know from first-hand experience...er...how drinking can affect a
driver. My best friend in high school was killed in a drunk driving accident.
Ron: How did it happen?
Jean: Well, it was the night of the senior prom at high school, and my friend had a
date. Er, the date had borrowed a car for the evening, but his older brother had given
him some booze, you know, just to make the evening go with a swing. Well, they,
er...left the prom early with two other couples, and went to the beach, drinking...
Ron: What happened?

Jean: Well, on the way home, my friend's date was driving. He was speeding, lost
control of the car, and drove to a lamppost. Er...my friend and two other students were
killed outright and three others were badly injured. And the driver, he'll never walk
again because his back was broken.
Paul: That's just one incident. That won't happen to me.
Donna: But it's not just one incident, and it could happen to you. I know that almost
two thousand underage drinking drivers are involved in serious injury or death each
year in the state of California alone. And almost 40 percent of high school seniors
admit they have driven after drinking.
Paul: Well, I'm 21 now and a more experienced driver than most high school seniors.
I've driven after drinking plenty of times and I haven't had any crashes.
Ron: Well, then you're lucky. I know I don't want to ride with you. I know when I've
had too much to drink. Besides, Donna is a designated driver. Donna, why were you
willing to do this for us? I know you like to drink sometimes.
Donna: I'm a member of Students Against Drunk Driving, and my mother is a
member of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. We believe in having non-drinking
designated drivers in order to prevent accidents and help save lives. There are many
groups of people of all ages who support programs against drinking and driving. They
all agree that drunk driving is one of the major social problems in the U.S., especially
among young people.
Pete: So that's how you know all those statistics. Don't you ever drink when you go
out? I know I probably will when I'm old enough to do it legally. The bars in this
town are very careful about checking our IDs to see if we're old enough.
Donna: Yes, I drink occasionally, but I never drive afterwards.
Jean: Don't forget that people that are older than we are cause accidents too. That's
what frightens me.
Donna: Me too. Another fact that I remember is that the average drunk driver is
typically male, 25 to 35, with a history of driving while intoxicated. I hate to see you,
Paul, or any of my friends, to be included in that group.
Pete: I guess alcohol is only one of the drugs involved in the Driving While
Intoxicated (DWI) cases. Many people would like to see marijuana and other drugs
become legal in California, but I'm against it because I'm convinced it would increase
the number of accidents even further. I recently read that in the U.S., there is a person
killed every 33 minutes and someone injured every two minutes because of alcohol
and other drug-related accidents. We don't need to add to that.

Paul: What if I drink a quick cup of coffee and then drive?
Jean: No way! Even I know that it won't lower your blood alcohol content, despite
what people say. You just can't drive tonight. We've all seen how much you've drunk
here. We'll be risking our lives driving with you. Donna is being a good friend by
offering to drive your car for you. Anyway, if we didn't take your car keys away from
you, I think the bartender would. He saw how much you drank here tonight. He
wouldn't want to be responsible for an accident.
Ron: Well, please let's decide who is driving. Drinking makes me sleepy and I need
to get back to my room and go to bed. I don't want to fall asleep here. Besides, I have
a Saturday job too.
Donna: OK, let me give you one last statistic and I'll drive us all back. Have you ever
thought how much it would cost you if you are arrested for DWI, even if you're just
stopped in a routine check and you've been drinking, but not even involved in an
accident? Just listen to this: A first-time DWI conviction can cost you $$11,000 in
fines, legal fees, and increased insurance costs. Can you afford that, Paul?
Paul: You know I can't. I'm still trying to pay my college fees for this semester. OK,
Donna, you win. Here are my keys. Be sure to drive carefully.
For many of you this will be your last year at university and now is the time for you to
begin thinking seriously about your future careers. In order to give you as much help
as possible, I have quoted a list of questions that you ought to ask yourself.
First,
honest about your weaknesses as well as your strengths. Take a really good look at
yourself and give real thought to the kind of person you are, and what kind of person
you want to be.
Second,
success and satisfaction?
who are already in the careers that interest you. You can gain some idea of what they
consider to be important and challenging in those careers. Watch these people at
work.
Third,
prospects offered by the jobs I am considering?
you satisfaction in the years to come? Realize now the importance of education in all
fields, technical and professional. Remember that chances of promotion are usually
given to educated persons—other things being equal.
Fourth,
they have a lot of experience that you can benefit from. They can help you think about

the jobs. They can stimulate you to give careful thought to what you really want to do,
and offer useful suggestions about how you might take full advantage of your
personal qualities and qualifications.
Last,
that I want to do? Is the work important to my future happiness? Is it a combination of
both?
The above questions and their answers should give you some better ideas about how
you should start planning your career. Your life-long job cannot be approached in any
kind of haphazard fashion. It must be considered carefully, examined from every
angle, and talked over with those who know you and those who can help you in any
way.
Interviewer: Some people feel that their jobs are misunderstood by others. Is that
very common?
Sociologist: Oh, absolutely. Most jobs or professions have an image or stereotype
attached to them, and some of these are not realistic. The serious point is that young
people choose their careers based on these false images, and they may even avoid
certain careers which have a negative image. This can cause problems for the
economy.
Interviewer: Is there evidence of this problem?
Sociologist: Yes, there was a recent survey of children's attitudes to different
professions.
Interviewer: How was this done? Children don't know much about jobs and
professions.
Sociologist: True. What the investigators wanted to get was children's impressions
and prejudices. They gave the children twelve pairs of statements, one of the pair
positive, and the other negative. Children were asked to say which of the statements
was
Interviewer: For example?
Sociologist: Well, for example,
interesting company.
Interviewer: I see. What professions did they ask about?
Sociologist: The list is long, but it included lawyers, economists, accountants, sales
representatives, scientists and engineers.

Interviewer: And the results?
Sociologist: Well, they are striking, especially for engineers who came out much
worse than one might expect. About 90 percent of the children thought that
engineering was a
take orders than to give them. The only other person they thought more likely to lose
his job was the sales representative. But, there were good points too. Engineering was
seen to be
Interviewer: Hmm, not a rosy picture.
Sociologist: No, but it got better when children were asked what they thought of the
engineer as a person. Most of them chose positive comments, but most thought the
engineer was likely to be badly dressed.
Interviewer: What about other professions? What were the most popular?
Sociologist: Oh, the lawyers by far. Next came accountants and scientists as well as
economists. The engineers and sales representatives were the least popular.
Interviewer: Sounds like a sign of the times.
Sociologist: Yes, but I think the most serious implication was the children's apparent
ignorance of the importance of the engineer's role in society.
(Here's a dialog between a woman whose job is to help people find jobs and a man
looking for a job.)
Woman: Look. Here's a job that might interest you.
Man: What is it? Are you sure? The last job interview you sent me off to was a
disaster.
Woman: Well, look. It says they want a sales manager, and it looks like it's a big
international company. That'd be good. You might get to travel.
Man: What kind of company is it, though?
Woman: Um, let's see. Yes, it's a textile company that seems to import from abroad.
They say the salary is really good. They operate a system of paying you a basic salary
and then offering you a sales commission on top of that. They say it is high. And oh,
look! They give you a car to travel round in. That's not bad, is it?
Man: Um, do they say anything about experience?

Woman: Um, let's see. No, they want someone young with ambition and enthusiasm.
Oh yes, they want graduates, so that's OK. You've been to university. Now what else?
Let's see.
Man: There must be some catch.
Woman: No, the only thing is you have to travel, but then that's what the company
car's for. Oh, and you have to be able to get on well with other people because it says
you have to be good on a team.
Man: Um, perhaps I'll have a closer look at that one.
Womack: Now what do you want to see me about, Janet?
Janet: Well, I have a few questions I'd like to ask you, Mr. Womack. Can you give
me some information about secretarial jobs?
Womack: Yes, of course. First, let me get your file out. Now you're 16, aren't you?
Janet: That's right.
Womack: Well, what would you like to know?
Janet: About the opportunities in general and the basic training, and things like
typing speed and shorthand speed.
Womack: Before we go any further, Janet, when you said secretarial work, did you
only mean typing or more general things?
Janet: Well, I suppose I'd have to start as a word processor operator, wouldn't I?
Womack: If you left school at sixteen, yes. But if you wanted to have a better chance
of getting a more interesting secretarial job more quickly, it would be better if you
stayed on and took A levels. According to your file, your English is good, and you've
done French and economics, haven't you?
Janet: Yes, they're my best subjects. If I stayed, what A levels would I need to be a
secretary?
Womack: That depends, but those three subjects are all very suitable.
Janet: And then I suppose I'd have to do a secretarial course, wouldn't I? Um, what
sort of speed do they expect?
Womack: I've got the typing speed here, I think. Oh, yes, it should be 65 words per
minute.

Janet: And would I have to learn shorthand?
Womack: Yes, you would. You'd need a speed of 90 to 100 words a minute.
Janet: Oh, it sounds a lot, doesn't it? Would I have a chance to use my French?
Womack: Oh, yes, if you were a secretary with languages.
Janet: What sort of work would I have to do?
Womack: Well, you'd have to translate letters, of course, but you'd also have to
answer the phone to foreign callers and interpret if foreign visitors came to the firm. It
would be useful if you learned a second foreign language. That would help a lot.
Janet: I think I'd like a job like that. But I'd better go away and think about it. You
see, well, after all, two more years at school is a long time, isn't it?
Womack: I'm sure it seems so at your age. If you need any more help, please come
back and we'll talk about it again.
Janet: Thanks, Mr. Womack.

Questions:
1. Who is Janet?
2. When will Janet be qualified for a more interesting secretarial job?
3. What subjects has Janet taken?
4. What is Janet's decision finally?
5. What can you infer from the dialog?
David: Hi! You're listening to Radio Southwest, the best in the southwest for music
and up-to-the-minute news. Sue's here. Hello, Sue.
Sue: Hello, David.
David: And we've got the Jobspot for you today. So, if you're looking for a new job,
this could be the spot for you. So, let's have a look, and see what we've got today.
Sue: Well, the first one we've got is a cook. That's in a large, busy restaurant, so it's
very useful to have had experience in cooking. Must be a high school graduate and the

pay is $$12 an hour. So that's not bad, is it? The hours are good too. That's Monday to
Friday, 3:00 p.m. till 6:00 p.m.
David: Great. Thanks, Sue. So that's a cook. Now, how do you fancy working out of
doors? How do you fancy being a gardener? So as long as you're fit and strong, and at
least 16 years old, that'll suit you. The pay is $$8 an hour. And the hours, Tuesday to
Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., you have to work on Sunday once a month, but on
Monday the Garden Center's closed. Now, the sort of work you'd be doing is potting,
watering, things like that. So, how about applying for that? Pay, $$8 an hour. Sue, what
else have you got?
Sue: Right, Dave. Well, from outdoors to indoors. We've got a word processor
operator job here. This job might suit a woman with school-age children, because the
hours are only 15 hours a week. It's a small, friendly office, and they require a high
school graduate with two years' experience operating a computer. Pay is $$9 per hour.
So, there you go. That's a nice job in an office. If you fancy any of those jobs, give us
a ring here on Jobspot at Radio Southwest. And now back to the music.
Interviewer: Do you think anybody can be trained to be a teacher?
Interviewee: Well, I think there are probably some people that can be teachers but I
think it's a gift that you have. And not many people have that internal kind of thing.
Interviewer: Can you define any of that?
Interviewee: Oh...
Interviewer: What sort of specific uh...are there certain personality...
Interviewee: Well, I think that the best teachers are people that are fairly sensitive,
and, er, extroverted, okay?
Interviewer: Uh-huh...
Interviewee: The best teachers I know are kind of extroverted people, and they really
like kids...
Interviewer: Uh-huh.
Interviewee: But, by the same token, I know some teachers who really care about
doing a good job and want those kids to like them and want to do well.
Interviewer: Right...
Interviewee: But for some teachers, they just don't have it. And it's...it's sad when
you see that happening, because there're some teachers who don't care, you

know—they're just in it now because they've been in it so long and it's too late to
move out...and...
Interviewer: Well, aren't there some very definable management skills involved in
teaching that often are neglected in teacher training, maybe? I mean...
Interviewee: I don't know how you train somebody to do that. To be a good teacher, I
think you have to have a high tolerance level for confusion—I think you have...
Interviewer: Um...
Interviewee: To have that when you've got thirty kids... You have to have that. You
have to be a very patient person, and I know it just sounds totally inadequate, but I
don't know how to put my...my finger on it. It just...
Interviewer: But you do believe it is uh...there is a gift of some sort, or there is
something...
Interviewee: Yeah, I do.
There are at least 100 million workers in the Unites States. Most of them are on the
job 35 to 40 hours a week. Their typical day includes seven to eight hours of work.
Usually, they have a 15-minute coffee break in the morning and in the afternoon. But
work schedules vary from job to job.
White-collar workers—office workers and many professionals—usually have
five
Blue-collar workers—mechanics, electricians, and laborers—often work from 8:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. In many factories, blue- collar workers come to work in eight-hour
shifts. Typically, these shifts start at 8:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m., and midnight. Finally, sales
people and managers in retail stores work on Monday and Thursday nights, when the
stores are open. Many retail workers also work on Saturdays, and some work on
Sundays.
These are the normal schedules for most American workers. However, many
businesses now use a new system called
the employees choose their own working hours. Some people work from 8:00 to 4:00
five days a week. Some work from 9:00 to 5:00. Other people work 10 or 12 hours a
day four days a week. Employees and managers are both happy with the system. The
employees like the freedom of choice, so they work hard. The managers, of course,
like the hard-working employees.
What, then, is a typical work schedule? It depends on the job—and on the workers.
Man: How long have you worked for AM-ADMEL, Gill?

Woman: Only for a year. It's May now, isn't it? Yes, I joined last August in fact.
Man: August in 1996.
Woman: Yes.
Man: What did you do before that?
Woman: I used to work for a travel agency in London.
Man: It was interesting, wasn't it?
Woman: Not really. It was just secretarial work, rather like this job. And it wasn't too
well-paid. But I took a secretarial course when I left school and I couldn't think what
else to do.
Man: So you went straight from school into a secretarial course, didn't you?
Woman: Well, not quite. I left school when I was 16, in 1989, I think it was. And
then I went to work in a hotel in Austria for a year, to learn some German.
Man: Austria? Why Austria?
Woman: I don't know really. Well, we used to go there on holiday quite often when
we were younger, and, well, I like Austria actually. Anyway then I went back and did
the secretarial course. That was a year's course.
Man: And then you got the job at the travel agency I suppose.
Woman: Yeah, that's right. That was in 1991.
Man: So you were there for five years!
Woman: Yes, it's awful, isn't it? Actually, I'm thinking of giving it all up to become a
nurse.
Man: Really?
Woman: Well, I worked in a hospital in Twickenham during my last year at school.
Just cleaning and helping to make beds and so on. It was part of our Practical Careers
training.
Man: And you liked it?
Woman: Yes, it was interesting.

Man: Well, now then, one thing I'd like to ask is, er, exactly why you applied for the
job. I mean, just looking at your application form, you're actually over- qualified...
Woman: Yes, I thought you might ask that. Um, the thing is, in my present job,
although I'm actually in charge of a small team and I have a lot of responsibility, it's
largely a desk job with a lot of paperwork...
Man: And you're not too keen on being stuck in an office all day?
Woman: To be honest, no, I'm not. I much prefer being out on site where I can
supervise things, and deal with problems as they occur. And this job should give me
the kind of contact with other engineers, architects, builders and so on.
Man: Mmm. You'd certainly have to do quite a lot of traveling in the local area, you
know, visiting different sites. You do realize, though, that the starting salary isn't as
good as the salary in your present job?
Woman: Yes, I realize that, but um, it does say in the job advertisement that the
promotion prospects are very good.
Man: That's true, and er, as this is a new project that we're working on, we think
there'll be a very good chance of fairly quick promotion, depending on performance,
that is...
Woman: Yes, of course. Well, you see, I've got very little chance of promotion in my
present job. I mean it's a very small company and there's nowhere really for me to go;
that's why I'm looking around for somewhere else.
Questions:
1. What kind of position is the woman applying for?
2. What does the interviewer want to know exactly?
3. Why does the woman want to leave her present job?
4. What is said about the job the woman applies for?
5. What can we say about the woman?
Mr. Davis: Good morning! So you are Li Lei.
Li Lei: Yes. Good morning, Mr. Davis.
Mr. Davis: How are you doing? Ready to begin?

Li Lei: Fine, thank you. Sure.
Mr. Davis: It says in your résumé that your major is computer engineering. What
position are you applying for?
Li Lei: Ah...computer programmer.
Mr. Davis: Can you sell yourself in two minutes?
Li Lei: I hope so. With my qualifications and experience, your organization can
benefit from my analytical and interpersonal skills. I'm hard-working, responsible and
diligent in every project I undertake.
Mr. Davis: All right. Give me a summary of your academic performance in
university.
Li Lei: Well, I worked very hard during my college studies, as well as my graduate
studies. I also won a lot of awards for being an excellent student, first- and
second-level scholarships, etc. I believe if the opportunity knocks, I must be in a
position to take it.
Mr. Davis: How about your English level?
Li Lei: I've passed CET 4 and 6 tests. I also have a CET certificate for spoken
English. I've spent a lot of time on my English because I believe it will be crucial for
my career.
I1: What sort of experience have you had?
Li Lei: Well, I don't have any formal work experience, but I do have some experience.
I had my internship with a big company, worked together on a project. It was mainly
about management information systems.
I2: Li Lei, since you were in the Student Union, did you organize any activities while
in college?
Li Lei: Yes, quite a few. Several of us invited a CEO from a big company to deliver a
lecture. And with the help of the university, we arranged a CAD competition.
Mr. Davis: That sounds good. What hobbies do you have?
Li Lei: I have a wide range of interests ranging from surfing the Internet, and reading
magazines and journals, as well as jogging.
Mr. Davis: Good. Why are you applying to our company?

Li Lei: I believe your company is one of the best companies in its field. It has a good
organizational system, a good working environment, and talented people. And, what's
more, your company has a promising future.
I2: How do you rate yourself as a professional?
Li Lei: Well, with my strong academic background, I am capable and competent.
Mr. Davis: What do you have to offer us?
Li Lei: I think my computer programming skills can help your company.
I1: What makes you think you would be successful in this position?
Li Lei: My graduate school training combined with my internship has given me the
background for this particular job.
Mr. Davis: Do you work well under stress or pressure?
Li Lei: Yes, I think so. I'm very persistent.
Mr. Davis: What are your strongest traits?
Li Lei: I have very good organizational skills and I work hard.
Mr. Davis: What are your weaknesses?
Li Lei: Well, everybody has weaknesses. I am no exception. Sometimes I'm not
patient enough. Especially when I am programming, I don't like to be bothered, and if
people keep interrupting me, sometimes I get impatient.
Mr. Davis: How would your friends or classmates describe you?
Li Lei: (He pauses for a few seconds.) They think of me as being friendly, caring and
determined.
Mr. Davis: What personality traits do you most admire?
Li Lei: I admire someone who is honest, flexible and easy-going.
Mr. Davis: How do you handle criticism?
Li Lei: I think silence is golden. I try not to say anything that'll make things worse.
However, I think I accept constructive criticism quite well.
Mr. Davis: How do you handle failure?

Li Lei: Oh yes, I suppose everyone fails sometimes. I would like to have the
opportunity to correct my mistakes.
I1: Well, what gives you a feeling of accomplishments?
Li Lei: Mm, doing the best I can in any situation.
I2: If you had a lot of money to donate, who would receive it? And why?
Li Lei: I would donate it to the medical research center because I'd like to try and
help others.
Mr. Davis: What is most important in your life right now?
Li Lei: To find my job in my field.
Mr. Davis: What current issues are you concerned with the most?
Li Lei: Mm...the general state of our economy and the impact of China's entry into
the WTO on an industry.
Mr. Davis: How long would you like to stay with this company?
Li Lei: I will stay as long as I can continue to learn and we are happy with one
another.
Mr. Davis: Can you imagine what you would like to be doing five years from now?
Li Lei: I'd hope to be in a management position. That would be exciting.
Mr. Davis: What range of pay scale are you interested in?
Li Lei: Erm...money is important; however, the responsibility that goes with this job
is what interests me.
Mr. Davis: The salary would be ￥3,600 to start, with increases given according to
your performance.
Li Lei: That sounds good to me.
Mr. Davis: Thank you. You should be hearing from us within a few days.
Li Lei: Thank you, Mr. Davis.
...

Every culture has its own way of saying things, its own special expressions. These are
the living speech of a people. The
Soap operas are radio and television plays about the problems and emotions in human
relationships. They are called soap operas because the first programs—years
ago—were paid for by soap-making companies.
Like musical operas, soap operas are not about real people. And critics charge that
they do not represent a balanced picture of real life. They note that almost everyone in
a soap opera has a serious emotional problem, or is guilty of a crime. And there are
several crises in every program.
Yet, soap opera fans do not care about what the critics say. They love the programs
and watch them every day.
Such loyalty has made soap operas very popular in the United States. In fact, a few
programs are so popular that they have been produced with the same actors for many
years.
Another expression that uses the word
There was a time when soap and other products were shipped in wooden boxes. The
boxes were small, but strong. You could stand on one to see over the heads in a crowd
or to be seen in a crowd. Soap boxes were a simple, easy way to make yourself taller
if you wanted to give a public speech.
Such soap box speeches usually were political and one-sided. The speakers shouted
their ideas to anyone who walked by. Many talked for hours, refusing to get off their
soap boxes.
Today, you don't need a wooden box to make a soap box speech. Anyone, anywhere,
who talks endlessly about a cause, is said to be on a soap box.
Another quieter way to win support or gain influence is to
means to use praise or other kind words to get the person to do what you want.
Interviewer: Do you think learners should aim to speak English with a native-speaker
pronunciation?
Interviewee: That's a difficult question to answer. I think the most important thing is
to be understood easily. For most learners, it's not necessary or desirable to speak like
a native speaker. For some learners, for example, those who eventually want to teach
English, or be interpreters perhaps, a native-speaker pronunciation is the ultimate goal.
At least, that's what I think.

Interviewer: Children often do not want to speak English with a native-speaker
pronunciation. Why not?
Interviewee: In general, children are splendid mimics and imitate strange sounds very
easily and well. However, it is true that most children do not want to sound
when they are speaking English. This may be partly due to shyness but I think the
main reason is that most children want to belong to a group—they dress alike, listen
to the same music, share the same opinions and hobbies. Even if a child can speak
English like a native speaker, he or she will usually choose not to—unless, of course,
the rest of the group speaks with a native-speaker pronunciation too.
Interviewer: What is the main reason why adults find pronunciation difficult?
Interviewee: Numerous reasons have been offered for the difficulties which many
adults find with pronunciation and, no doubt, there is some truth in all of these. It
seems to be the case that children are better mimics than adults. But if an adult really
wants to achieve a native-speaker pronunciation, then he or she can. It is NOT the
student's own language that prevents him or her from achieving a native- speaker
pronunciation in English. It is the fact that the adult student has a strong sense of
national identity. In other words, he or she wants to be identified as a German or
Brazilian speaking English. In my opinion, this sense of national identity is more
important than other explanations, such as the greater anxiety of adults or the effect of
their own language habits.
Receptionist: English Language Center. May I help you?
Caller: Yes. I'm calling to find out more information about your program.
Receptionist: Well, first of all, the purpose of our program is to provide
language-learning opportunities for our part of the U.S. [Uh-huh.] For example, some
students need to learn the basic functional language skills for their jobs. Others need
intensive English so that they can enter a U.S. university.
Caller: Okay. I'm calling for a friend interested in attending a U.S. university.
Receptionist: We have a variety of courses that can help her, from basic
communication courses to content-based classes such as computer literacy,
intercultural communication, and business English.
Caller: Great. What are your application deadlines for the next semester?
Receptionist: Well, we ask applicants to apply at least two months before the
semester begins. [Uh-huh.] This gives us time to process the application and issue the
student's I-20.

Caller: What is an I-20?
Receptionist: Oh, an I-20 is a form giving our permission for a student to study in our
program. The student will have to take this form to the U.S. embassy in their home
country to apply for the F-1 student visa.
Caller: I see. What's the tuition for a full- time student in your courses?
Receptionist: It's two thousand thirty dollars.
Caller: How does one apply?
Receptionist: Well, we can mail an application form which can be mailed back to us,
or a person can fill out our application form that's on our Web site.
Caller: And are there other materials my friend would need to send besides the
application form?
Receptionist: Yes. She would need to send in a $$35 non-refundable application fee
[Uh-huh], a sponsorship form indicating who will be responsible financially for her
while studying in our program, and a bank statement showing that she or her sponsor
has sufficient funds to cover tuition expenses and living costs for study.
Caller: And how can she send these materials to you?
Receptionist: She can either send the application packet by regular mail or she can
fax it.
Caller: And the application fee?
Receptionist: We accept money orders, traveler's checks, or credit cards.
Caller: All right. I think that's about it. Thank you for your help.
Receptionist: You're welcome.
Caller: Goodbye.
The ability to speak or write two languages well is called bilingualism. Bilingual
education is generally a matter of public policy. In a country like the United States
that has what may be considered a national language—English—bilingual education
means teaching English to those who were brought up using other native languages.
On the other hand, there are nations such as Belgium, Canada, and Switzerland that
have two or more national languages. This does not mean that all citizens of these
countries speak two or more languages, but they are entitled to government services,
including education, in the language of their choice. Some South American countries,

like Peru and Ecuador, have large populations of Indians who speak various tribal
tongues. There are government programs to teach the Indians Spanish, the national
language in most of Latin America.
Bilingual education in the United States dates back to the first half of the 19th century,
when millions of immigrants who arrived needed to learn English in order to make
economic and social adjustments to the way the majority of the population lived.
In countries like Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Holland, whose languages
are spoken by relatively few foreigners, bilingual education has long been a part of
the school curriculum. Educated persons in these countries normally learn a second
language such as English, German, or French for use in international communication.
Identification of the factors that lead to fast, effective foreign language learning has
become increasingly important because of the large number of people who are
anxious, as adults, to learn a new language for a very specific purpose: travel,
business, study, or international friendship. The requirements for effective language
learning may be examined in terms of the learner, the teacher, and the curriculum.
The learner must be personally committed to investing the time, applying the
concentrated effort, and taking the emotional risks necessary to learn a new language.
In addition to motivation, the learner should have at least minimal language-learning
aptitude. While it is likely that nearly everyone can learn a new language if he or she
is given enough time and effort, the ease with which you are able to acquire the
language is related in part to specific language-learning aptitude. Other psychological
factors that are important in picking up a new language include a sense of curiosity
and a sensitivity to other people. Expectations also play an important role in
determining the ease and speed with which you will learn your second language.
Another factor is the learner's goals. If you are a serious adult language learner you
need to write and clarify your goal in each specific area: understanding, speaking,
reading, and writing.
Clearly, the learner and teacher are far more important than techniques, texts, and
program design. The most crucial factor involved in determining a language teacher's
effectiveness, however, is probably his or her attitude toward the students, toward the
language and toward the program. On the other hand, the language used in the
classroom should be up-to-date and authentic. You need to learn not only words and
structures but how to use them in a way acceptable to people from a different
background. A good language curriculum will include practice in the nonverbal
aspects of communication as well as discussion of cultural differences and
similarities.
Talk Show Host: Welcome to today's program! Our guest is Dr. Charles Adams,
language learning specialist. His book, Learning a Language over Eggs and Toast, is
on the bestseller list. Welcome.

Dr. Adams: Thank you.
Talk Show Host: Tell us about the title of your book.
Dr. Adams: First, it is important to establish a regular study program, like planning a
few minutes every morning around breakfast time.
Talk Show Host: But, I took Spanish for four years, and I didn't become a proficient
speaker of it.
Dr. Adams: Well, we can't become fluent speakers in a matter of a few minutes here
and there. We should follow a regular course of study and remember that there is a
difference between native fluency and proficiency in a language. I propose the latter.
Talk Show Host: What are the basic keys you suggest?
Dr. Adams: People must organize their study by setting realistic and attainable goals.
Some people think they can learn a language in 30 days and become discouraged
when they can't. Small steps are the key. Learning five new words a day and learning
to use them actively is far better than learning 30 and forgetting them the next day.
Talk Show Host: [Um-hum.] You mentioned individual learning styles. Can you
explain what you mean by learning styles?
Dr. Adams: Sure. People have different ways of learning. Some are visual learners
who prefer to see models of the patterns they are expected to learn. Others are
auditory learners who favor hearing instructions over reading them. Our preferences
are determined by factors such as personality, culture, and past experiences.
Talk Show Host: What is your learning style?
Dr. Adams: I learn by doing.
Talk Show Host: What do you mean by that?
Dr. Adams: I know it might sound unusual, but moving around while trying to learn
material helps me. While I cut up tomatoes and onions for my breakfast in the
morning, I might recite aloud vocabulary to the rhythm of the knife.
Talk Show Host: What is my learning style?
Dr. Adams: You're going to have to read my book to find that out.
Talk Show Host: Okay. Thanks for joining us.
Dr. Adams: My pleasure.

Language is the most important development in human history. The arts, sciences,
laws, economic systems and religions of the world could not exist without language.
Humans haven't changed biologically very much for some 40,000 years. However,
our ability to communicate has led us from the cave all the way to the moon.
Little is known about the birth of language. Written records that are more than 4,000
years old have been found, but scientists studying human beings agree that humans
were probably speaking thousands of years before that.
Today, most of us learn to talk by the age of three, and for the rest of our lives we
rarely stop. Even while we are reading or just thinking, we are in a sense
only to ourselves. Language is so much a part of human existence that we will be
talking as long as we inhabit the earth. As linguist David Thompson notes,
language dies, so will man.
Once upon a time there was an old man who had three sons. Calling them together, he
said,
one- third, and to my youngest one-ninth.
Now, the old man had seventeen camels, and the three brothers were puzzled to know
how to share them as their father had said. They thought a long time about the
problem, and it seemed that they must either kill some of the camels and cut them into
pieces, or disobey their father. At last they went to see their father's old friend and
asked his advice. As soon as he heard their story, he said,
your father. I am old. I have only one camel, but take it—it is yours.
Gratefully the three sons took the old man's camel, finding that it was now easy to
divide the camels as their father had wished. The oldest took half—that was nine
camels; the second took one-third, which was six; and the youngest took one-ninth,
which was two.
Only when each had received his share of camels did they discover that there was a
camel to spare. So, out of gratitude to their father's friend, they returned the camel.
Teacher: Before we start our regular lesson today, we're going to take about 20
minutes for a short listening test. (Students all groan.)
Student 1: Dr. Stark, why do we have to do it?
Teacher: That's a good question, and I have a good answer. You see, I belong to the
TESOL organization—organization of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other
Languages. I also occasionally help evaluate possible questions that might be on a
TOEFL test.

Student 2: Do you mean you try to be sure they will be difficult questions? (Students
laugh.)
Teacher: Not at all. We try to be sure that they are fair. And we want the questions
neither too hard nor too easy, and as much like standard English as possible.
Student 1: Well, after we answer the questions, what will you do?
Teacher: I'll look at your answers, note which ones too many of you miss, and then
perhaps give my opinion if I think it's a bad passage or dialog. All of your answers
will go to ETS, the Educational Testing Service and there they'll decide which
questions can possibly be included in a future test. OK, are you ready? Do you have
any questions?
Student 1: Do you get paid for doing this?
Teacher: That's not considered a polite question in the U.S., but I'll answer it. No, I
don't. I do this because I want to help to make good tests for international students.
Now, no more questions. Let's listen.
Questions:
1. Where did this conversation most probably take place?
2. How did the students respond to the teacher's suggestion of a listening test?
3. What does TESOL refer to?
4. What was the purpose of the test?
5. How would the teacher deal with the students' answers?
6. Which of the following is the most appropriate word to describe the students'
attitude towards the test?
Alice: So, each of us has chosen some animals that we believe use language. Peter,
what did you learn about whales and dolphins?
Peter: It was thought that only humans could communicate with people they can't see;
however, whales and dolphins can communicate over long distances.
Alice: How?
Peter: They use high frequencies which can carry over a long distance. And, in fact,
researchers seem to think that these animals seem to have a need to communicate with

each other. And one researcher thinks that one day we'll be able to know what they're
talking about.
Alice: Good. Henry, what did you find about...erm...elephants?
Henry: I found that elephants can communicate over long distances too, but they use
very low frequencies. I don't know whether you could call their communication
language or not, but I'll look into it more.
Alice: OK. Margaret, what about parrots?
Margaret: We've all read about parrots, but I've been reading about a parrot called
Nkisi, who knows 971 words. He isn't counted as knowing a new word unless he's
used it at least five times in a meaningful way. In other words, if he just repeats the
word, it doesn't count.
Alice: Do you have any examples of Nkisi's language use?
Margaret: Yes. It involves Jane Goodall, the famous anthropologist. She went to see
Nkisi. Nkisi's owner had shown him some pictures of Jane and some chimpanzees.
When Jane walked into the room, Nkisi said,
Peter: That's funny.
Alice: Anything else?
Margaret: Well, yes, when his owner broke the necklace she was wearing, he said,

Alice: I would certainly say he was using language.
Margaret: I have another example of a bird- like animal—tamarins, using long calls
to maintain contact with individuals. Scientists have found that they have an
individual identity and a group identity. Individuals in one group all sound quite
different than individuals in another group, something like accents we have.
Henry: Really? That's very surprising!
Margaret: Yes, what's more amazing is they have even a sex-specific identity besides
individual identity and group-level identity, so they can distinguish between males,
females, neighbors, and strangers just like humans.
Henry: Great. Now, Alice, what can you report?
Alice: First of all, do we all agree that American Sign Language is a language?

The others: Yes.
Alice: Well, all the great apes, such as chimpanzees and gorillas, can learn American
Sign Language.
Henry: That would take some real work on their part.
Alice: Right. But what is amazing to me is that each kind of ape can teach the sign
language to others of their own kind.
Peter: Well, that reminds me of the body language of wolves and dogs.
Alice: What do you mean?
Peter: I've found that wolves and dogs communicate through body gestures and facial
expressions. For instance, aggressive wolves and dogs stand tall with their ears raised,
and their head held high. They show their teeth, and raise their fur so that they look
bigger. They may give a loud bark. And when they feel frightened or want to show
obedience, they lower their bodies, flatten their ears, tuck in their tails, and close their
mouths. They may roll over on their back and lie there, belly up.
Margaret: I often see dogs raise their rear and lower their forequarters in a kind of

Peter: That means they want to play.
Henry: Well, did any of us find any information about bees' dancing? That's a very
good example of how insects communicate with each other.
Alice: Yeah, I've got some. There are two typical dances of the bees: the round dance
and the tail-wagging dance.
Henry: Can you explain them in detail?
Alice: Well, the round dance is the simplest dance. Ah...the bee performs it when it
finds food near the beehive. It doesn't provide much information; it's more of
an...awakening signal. So, if the bee finds the food it will start going in a small circle.
Every one or two circles it will suddenly reverse direction. It can go on for seconds
and even minutes.
Henry: What happens next?
Alice: Erm...other bees follow the dancer and then fly off by themselves looking for
food. If they haven't been feeding at that place before, they will look for food in every
direction near the beehive. However, the dancing bee also gives off smells that are

recognized by other bees frequenting the same flowers. They will then fly directly to
them.
Peter: What about the tail-wagging dance?
Alice: Well, in the typical tail-wagging dance the bee flies straight ahead for a short
distance, then returns in a semicircle to the starting point, again goes through the
straight stretch, makes a semicircle in the opposite direction and so on repeatedly. The
straight part of the run is given particular emphasis by wagging the body forcefully. In
addition...er...during the tail-wagging portion of the dance the bee also gives out a
buzzing sound. (She mimics the buzz of bees.)
Peter: Then what's the purpose of the tail-wagging dance?
Alice: It tells the other bees, very accurately, at what distance and in which direction
the food is, so that they can look for it themselves.
Margaret: OK. I think we have a lot of good information here. Let's look for a little
more, then meet again. OK?
The others: OK.
Woman: Why do you think people are afraid of tarantulas?
Man: Well, I guess it's because people are afraid of all spiders, and tarantulas happen
to be the biggest of all the spiders. And maybe it's also because some spiders really
are very poisonous. In California, for example—in most of the garages in
California—you get black widows, which are quite small but certainly more
dangerous than tarantulas.
Woman: But personally you aren't afraid of tarantulas?
Man: Well, I shouldn't be frightened of tarantulas, simply because I know that they
aren't really dangerous—all they can do is give you a small bite, but it's not poisonous.
And yet I must say I don't like to pick them up. But you see, some people keep pet
mice and pet rabbits and, well, they can give you a much worse bite than a tarantula
ever could. And yet people aren't frightened of them.
Woman: Why do you think people are frightened of spiders?
Man: I don't know—it's very strange. People are frightened of spiders and they are
frightened of snakes, and, well, obviously some spiders and some snakes really are
poisonous. But most snakes are harmless, and it's really strange that people are so
frightened of spiders because it's quite difficult to find a spider that's really dangerous.
Shop Assistant: Good afternoon, madam. Can I help you?

Customer: Yes. I'm looking for a pet for my son. Can you suggest anything?
Shop Assistant: What kind of pet does he want? A traditional pet, a cat...or a dog? Or
something unusual?
Customer: Well, he'd like a snake or a crocodile, but he isn't going to get one.
Shop Assistant: We've got a nice Alsatian at the moment.
Customer: An Alsatian? Did you say
the paper. They're very big and savage.
Shop Assistant: Oh, no, madam. They aren't as savage as some dogs.
Customer: Really?
Shop Assistant: Oh, yes. Last week we had a small dog. It was only as big as your
handbag, but it was as savage as a tiger—it bit me three times!
Customer: Perhaps not a dog, then.
Shop Assistant: How about a cat?
Customer: A cat? Hmm...they aren't as friendly as dogs, are they?
Shop Assistant: No, but they don't eat as much as dogs either. And they're very clean.
They wash themselves every day.
Customer: Hmm...
Shop Assistant: Or how about a bird? A parrot or a budgie? We have both.
Customer: Which do you recommend?
Shop Assistant: Well, budgies aren't as easy to train and they never speak as well as
parrots.
Customer: Yes, but budgies don't need as much space as parrots, do they?
Shop Assistant: That's true. Budgies are very popular because they are so easy to
keep.
Customer: Yes...but they're a bit noisy, aren't they? I want a quiet pet.
Shop Assistant: A quiet pet? Well, how about a goldfish? There's nothing as quiet as
a goldfish.

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