listen this way3Unit 6People and Places(II)
Unit 6People and Places(II)
China hopes to have consultation and deeper mutual understanding with Japan to properly resolve the difference between the two countries on the East China Sea issue.Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman says China and Japan have different views on the demarcation of the ECS. She says the two countries should take the overall situation into consideration and find a proper solution to the issue.
China’s Presidentand Premierare urging local officials to do all they can to save the lives of the miners stranded in the local mine in central China, where a gas explosion has killed at least 60 people . 88 people are still stranded in the mine in XILIngCity in HenanProvince. The cause of the blast is being investigated.
Demarcation
Part I
Presenter: Today Selina Kahn is in the arrival area at GatwickAirport checking out today’s topic—national stereotypes. Selina…
Selina: Thanks, John. I have with me Eric, who’s just flown in with Virgin Atlantic from the USA.
Eric: That’s right. I’ve just come back from New York.
Selina: is it as dangerous as they say?
Eric: No, New York isn’t dangerous, no more than any other big city, especially if you’re careful and don’t advertise the fact that you’re a tourist.
Selina: And is it true what they say about New Yorkers, that they’re rude, and that they only care about themselves?
Eric: Well, I found the people were very friendly. However, they do have a reputation for not caring about other people. I think the reason for this is that life in New York is incredibly stressful. People just don’t have the time to think about anybody else. It isn ’t that they don’t care.
Selina:Is there anything else you noticed about New Yorkers?
Eric: Two things I had heard about before I went to New York did seem to be true, though. First is that they are always talking about money and how much things cost. Secondly, it’s that people eat all the time as they go about their daily lives, you know they “graze on the hoof” as they walk about the streets.
Selina: Thanks Eric, and now I have with me, Sue, who’s been to the south of France…
Part IINew Zealanders
Outline
I. A. an island country in the South Pacific OceanB. 2,575,000
II. A. free education for children from ages 3 to 19
B. for children between the ages of 7 and 15
C. The Government Correspondence School:
III. A. one of the highest in the world
B. mainly one-story wooden homes
C. meat and butter
IV. RecreationB. musical/D. Concerts/E opera
V. A. camping/ fishingC. Rugby footballD. soccer/ basketball
B. 1. F2. F3. T4. T5. F6 F
New Zealand is an island country in the South pacific Ocean about 1200 miles southeast of Australia. It has about 2,575,000 people. Two thirds live on the NorthIslands, and one third on the larger South Island. Most of them are of British descent.
Almost everyone in New Zealand knows how to read and write. The government provides free education for children from ages 3 to 19. education is compulsory for children between the ages of 7 and 15, but most enter school by the age of 5. Young children who live far from schools belong to the Government Correspondence School and listen to daily school broadcasts on the radio.
New Zealanders enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. There are no people of great wealth, but poverty is practically unknown. The majority of families live in one-story wooden homes. Most families have an automobile, and many have modern home appliances. Because the country is a major producer of sheep and dairy products, meat and butter form a larger share of the diet than is common in other countries. The people are among the world’s greatest tea drinkers.
Many of the books, magazines, and movies in New Zealand come from the United Kingdom or the United States. But the number of books published in the country is growing rapidly. Musical and theatrical groups come from Europe and North America to perform. The larger cities have radio and television stations. The National Symphony Orchestra gives concerts throughout the country , and there are also opera and ballet companies.
New Zealanders enjoy the outdoors, and people of all ages take part in sports. Favorite holiday activities are camping, boating, hunting and fishing. Horse racing draws large crowds to racetracks. Rugby football is a national game. Other team sports are soccer, cricket, basketball, and field hockey.
Statements:
New Zealand is about 1,400 miles from Australia
More people live on the larger South Island than the NorthIsland in New Zealand
Most New Zealanders are of British origin.
Children in New Zealand usually go to school at the age of 5.
Not many New Zealanders have their own cars.
New Zealanders are fond of drinking a lot of tea.
Part III. What do you think of Britain?
Weather
Food
people
Way of life
Paul
Changeable; depressing;
The best word: bleak
Boring/ flavor$ taste/ enjoy it
Snobbish;/ alive/ on fire
Cindy
Cloudy/ sunshine
Dull, / sweets
Difficult/ reserved
relaxed
Usha
Changeable/ OK
Healthy/ bland
Reserved/ friendly
Fast
Spiro
Depressing / long; pleasant
All right/ limited
Friendly sincere
Awful; / tiring
B. 1. It must be tasty and full of flavor
2. Spring and autumn
3. Because thecitylife is fast
4. for seven years
5. there is a wider selection of dishes in Greek food.
6. Usha is very good at making friends.
Tapescript:
Paul comes from Jamaica.
Interviewer: what do you think of English Food?
Paul: English food—right now, I can enjoy it, but when I first came up from the West Indies, I found it rather distasteful, rather boring, no flavor, no taste.
I: What do you think of the English weather?
P: the English weather—I do not think there are enough adjectives to describe—miserable, cold , damp, changeable, depressing. I think bleak is the best word.
I: Now what do you think abut English people and their way of life?
P: The older generation of English people are really snobbish—the snob-nosed English. But the youth of England today—they’re really alive, you know, they’re more vibrant, on the fire, alive. They are much more free than their parents, crazy!
Cindy comes from Los Angeles.
I: What do you think of the English weather?
Cindy: Well, it’s rather cloudy and depressing. I get tired of all these “sunny intervals.” There’s not enough sunshine. Other than that, it’s all right. It’s not too cold, nor too warm.
I: And have you had much opportunity to eat English food?
C: yes, I avoid it, because it’s dull. I think it’s dull. And I think the English eat a
lot of sweets and greasy food like chips.
I: and what about the English way of life? What do you think of that?
C: Well, it’s certainly more relaxed, but I think that the English people are—tend to be —difficult to get to know. They’re reserved. The cities are safer and I also think they’ re much cleaner than the American cities, which makes it much more pleasant to live there.
Usha comes from Madras, in India.
I: Would you like to tell me what you think of the English weather?
Usha: Well, the English weather is very changeable, but it’s OK. Well, I like spring and autumn best. I think they are the loveliest time of the year.
And what about English food? What do you think of that?
Well, English food is healthy. But I wouldn’t like to have it every day. It’s rather—I wouldn’t say dull—but too bland for my taste.
And what about English people? How have you found them?
Well, in the beginning, they are rather reserved, but once you get to know them, they are very friendly, and I’ve got many English friends now in England.
And how have you found the English way of life?
Well, city life is fast of course everywhere, but I like the countryside very much. I like it very much, yes.
Spiro comes from Salonika, in Greece.
Interviewer: you’ve lived in England for about seven years. What do you think of English weather?
Spiro: Well, I think the English winter is very depressing at times, especially when it drizzles all the time, and also the other thing that makes it depressing is the long nights. It gets dark very early ad you wake up and it’s pitch black again, and so you go to work and it’s very dark and you come home and it’s dark again. But in the summer, I think, when the sun’s shining, it’s very pleasant indeed, with green parks, trees, very pleasant.
And what about English food? What do you think of that?
Well, I think English food is all right. But there’s a very limited selection of dishes. It’s mostly roast and offhand, there’s only about five typically English dishes I can think of, whereas compare that to Greek food, there’s an enormous selection of dishes one could cook.
And what do you think of the English people?
I find them very reserved, but it seems that when you get to know them, they’re quite friendly and sincere. But it usually takes some time to actually open an English person up —if you like.
And what do you think of the English way of life?
Pretty awful, actually. It’s the speed of life really that I find rather tiring.
Part IVNative peoples of Alaska
Outline
A. 1sea2fish34 reindeer
B1frame houses2huts
C1hunting2. carving
II. Arelated/ different
B. 1the sea2fishing boats3working in
III. IndiansA. the interior1. Canada2fishing, trapping
B. near the sea1.2 means of livelihood:c. logging
When the Russian discovered Alaska in 1741, they found it occupied by three groups of native peoples—Eskimos, Aleuts, and Indians. Descendants of these natives still live in Alaska.
Most scientists think that the native peoples migrated originally from Asia to North America, not all at once but in wave after wave over thousands of years. Probably the last to enter Alaska were the ancestors of the northern Eskimos.
EskimosOf the different groups of Native peoples, the Eskimos are the most numerous. From earliest times the Eskimos depended upon sea mammals, fish, and caribou for their living. In the 1890’s reindeer were brought from Siberia to start herds as an additional means of livelihood.
Many Eskimos now live in frame houses heated by fuel oil, but they once lived n sod and driftwood huts heated by sea-oil lamps. They did not build snow igloos, as some of the Canadian Eskimos still do, except for emergency shelter.
The Eskimos are superb hunters. They are an energetic people who have long been known for their ivory carving and other arts and crafts. Their way of life is changing as they find opportunities for schooling and for employment in trades and professions.
AleutsThe Aleutian Islands and the Alaska Peninsula are the homelands of the Aleuts. The Aleut language is related to the language of the Eskimos, and yet it is very different. Like the Eskimos, the Aleuts have always depended on the sea for food and other needs. Some of the present-day Aleuts operate fishing boats. Others work in fish canneries. Many Aleuts have Russian names, which go back to the time of the Russian occupation of Alaska.
IndiansThere are two major groups of Indians—the Indians of the Interior Plateau and the Indians of Southeaster Alaska.
The Indians who live in the interior came to Alaska from Canada. Originally they were hunters. Some of them still live by hunting, fishing, and trapping. Others have moved to towns, where they live and work as do other present-day Alaskans.
The Indians of Southeastern Alaska are sometimes known as the maritime Indians, or Indians who live near the sea. They have been in Alaska for hundreds of years. Carving and basket making are among the crafts of the maritime Indians. They are known for their totem poles. From earliest times they depended on fish, especially salmon, for their living. Today they are efficient business people who operate commercial fishing boats and canneries. They also
follow other occupations such as logging, shopkeeping, and working in government offices.
Part V. Do you know…?
1.T2T3. F4. F5. F6. T7. F
Now, if we could turn our attention to home, what about the trend of people moving out of
the cities like London?
Ah! We should be a bit careful about sayingpeople are moving out of London. Another way of
looking g at it is to say London itself is moving into the country.
How do you mean?
With improved transport and better living standards, people can actually afford to spread out far more than they did before and commute into town from greater distances. People can travel to work from distances that would have been inconceivable even 20 years ago.
All the same, isn’t there a drift away from the capital?
Oh, certainly, but it shouldn’t be exaggerated. Lots of people have got fed up with the
dirt and the hassle and the higher levels of crime, and have moved to the country because
it’s more peaceful and less stressful. And its’ true companies have moved out to escape
high rents and office costs, particularly in the service industries like insurance.
Are there any specific things which have allowed this to happen?
One of the things which has given people more choice in where they live is the new technology. People can communicate with each other through computer networks from anywhere in the country and to work form home in the spare bedroom.
And how has business coped with this kind of change?
Well, to give you one example, a company selling office equipment took the brave step of closing down its London office and allowing its ex-employees, its sales people, to set up businesses on their own account from home but using the old company just as their supplier. What happened was that turnover increased dramatically, doubled in fact and everyone was happy. And in this case the new technology was crucial for fast and efficient ordering.
Finally, what about the impact of this trend on agriculture? Assuming that people are moving into the country, doesn’t this mean that there is less land to farm?
Yes, indeed. And there’s no doubt that we’re losing fields for housing. But this doesn’t matter too much as we have in recent times been over producing and also yields from the land have increased with modern, scientific farming methods. So what’s happening is that we are getting more from less.
Statements:
The city of London is quite dirty.
the speed of life in the countryside is relatively low.
companies remain in the city despite high rents and office costs.
the company selling office equipment had no choice but to close down its London office.
shortly after the company closed down its London office, it went bankrupt.
more and more fields in the countryside are being used for housing.
with less land to farm, people now get fewer farming products.
