CONTENTSUnit1Social Customs.10Unit 2 Weather.Unit 3 Social Issues18Unit4Literature.30Unit5Education.40Unit6Work.56.70Unit7People.85Unit8 Science and Technology..100Unit 9 Language...115Unit 10 History..128Unit11Nature.Unit12Geography.139Unit 13 Money..151.164Unit 14 News
CONTENTS Unit 1 Social Customs.1 Unit 2 Weather. 10 Unit 3 Social Issues. 18 Unit 4 Literature. 30 Unit 5 Education. 40 Unit 6 Work. 56 Unit 7 People. 70 Unit 8 Science and Technology. 85 Unit 9 Language.100 Unit 10 History.115 Unit 11 Nature.128 Unit 12 Geography.139 Unit 13 Money.151 Unit 14 News.164
Unit1SocialCustomsTask1AtypicalEnglishgentlemanScriptYesterday morning Gretel went to the City of London. She wanted to see St. Paul'sCathedral. She was surprised to see so many Englishmen who looked alike.They were allwearing dark suits and bowler hats. They were all carrying umbrellas and newspapers. When shereturned home she asked Mr. Clark about these strange creatures. They must be typical Englishgentlemen,"she said."I have often read about them and seen photographs of them. They all lookas if they are wearing a uniform.Does the typical English gentleman still exist?Mr. Clark laughed. "I've never thought about it," he answered. "It's true that many of themen who work inthe Cityof London ststill wearbowlerhats andIsupposetheyaretypicalEnglishmen.Butlookat this."Mr.Clark picked upamagazine and pointed at aphotoofayoungman.“He's just as typical, perhaps. It seems as if there is no such thing as a‘typical'Englishman.Do you know the English saying, “It takes all kinds to make a world'? That's true of allcountries-including England.""Oh, just like the poem‘If All the Seas Were One Sea'," Gretel began to hum happily.Ifall the seas were one sea, what a great sea that would be! And if all the trees were one tree, whata great tree that would be! And if the great man took the great axe, and cut down the great tree,and let it fall into the great sea, what a splish splash that would be!"Key1I)Key: She wanted to see St. Paul's Cathedral.2)Key:Shewas so surprised because she saw so manyEnglishmen who looked alike.Theywereall wearing dark suits and bowler hats, carrying umbrellas and newspapers.3)Key: Because she had often read about them and seen photographs of them, who all looked asif they were wearing a uniform.4) Key: No, he didn't.5) Key: It takes all kinds to make a world.2. If all the seas were one sea, what a great sea that would be! And if all the trees were one treewhat a great treethat would be!And if thegreat man took the great axe, and cut down thegreattree, and let it fall into the great sea, what a splish splash that would be!TipsExercise 1 in this task tests whether students can understand and recall detailed information.As this is a usual form of question in listening comprehension, in order to give students somevariety, the teacher can ask students to glance over Exercise 1 and make predictions of thecontent of the piece before playing the recording. While doing Exercise 2, the teacher shoulddraw students' attention to the rhythm of the poem and ask them to recite the poem aloud.Task2Britain and JapanScript
Unit 1 Social Customs Task 1 A typical English gentleman Script Yesterday morning Gretel went to the City of London. She wanted to see St. Paul’s Cathedral. She was surprised to see so many Englishmen who looked alike. They were all wearing dark suits and bowler hats. They were all carrying umbrellas and newspapers. When she returned home she asked Mr. Clark about these strange creatures. “They must be typical English gentlemen,” she said. “I have often read about them and seen photographs of them. They all look as if they are wearing a uniform. Does the typical English gentleman still exist?” Mr. Clark laughed. “I’ve never thought about it,” he answered. “It’s true that many of the men who work in the City of London still wear bowler hats and I suppose they are typical Englishmen. But look at this.” Mr. Clark picked up a magazine and pointed at a photo of a young man. “He’s just as typical, perhaps. It seems as if there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ Englishman. Do you know the English saying, ‘It takes all kinds to make a world’? That’s true of all countries—including England.” “Oh, just like the poem ‘If All the Seas Were One Sea’,” Gretel began to hum happily. “If all the seas were one sea, what a great sea that would be! And if all the trees were one tree, what a great tree that would be! And if the great man took the great axe, and cut down the great tree, and let it fall into the great sea, what a splish splash that would be!” Key 1. 1) Key: She wanted to see St. Paul’s Cathedral. 2) Key: She was so surprised because she saw so many Englishmen who looked alike. They were all wearing dark suits and bowler hats, carrying umbrellas and newspapers. 3) Key: Because she had often read about them and seen photographs of them, who all looked as if they were wearing a uniform. 4) Key: No, he didn’t. 5) Key: It takes all kinds to make a world. 2. If all the seas were one sea, what a great sea that would be! And if all the trees were one tree, what a great tree that would be! And if the great man took the great axe, and cut down the great tree, and let it fall into the great sea, what a splish splash that would be! Tips Exercise 1 in this task tests whether students can understand and recall detailed information. As this is a usual form of question in listening comprehension, in order to give students some variety, the teacher can ask students to glance over Exercise 1 and make predictions of the content of the piece before playing the recording. While doing Exercise 2, the teacher should draw students’ attention to the rhythm of the poem and ask them to recite the poem aloud. Task 2 Britain and Japan Script 1
John is British but has worked in Japan. Etsuko is a Japanese student from Osaka, and sheis studying in Britain.Now they are comparing life in the two countries.John:I found that living in Japan, people were much busier.They seem to work the wholeday.Etsuko: Yes, that's right. We work from Monday through Saturday, even in summer. Youknow, summer in Japan is just horrible. It's very, very humid and hot, and you need to showerthree times a day.John: So you find it cooler in England?Etsuko: Yes, that's right.John:WhereI was living in Japan, in the north,it was much colderthan England,especially in winter,minus thirty degrees centigrade.Does the winter in Osaka last longer thanthe winter in England?Etsuko: No,I don't think so.December, January,February,March...John:Yes.It's a littlebit shorter if anythingEtsuko:Ever sinceI came here, I noticed that the countryside here in England is reallybeautifulJohn:It'smuchflatterthan inJapanEtsuko: Yes. Japan is a mountainous country and our cities are full of people. There are lotsof people in a limited area.John: Yes. I found Japan much more mountainous than Britain, especially in the north. Themountainsaremuchhigher andmuchmorerocky.Ifound itmorebeautiful thanBritain.Etsuko:Yes,ifyoulikemountains!John:And therefore thetowns and villages tend tobemore crowded.Etsuko: Yes, that's right.John: Yes. So because the cities are more crowded, the houses tend to be smaller, don'tthey?Etsuko:Yes, they are very compact, and we don't have a lot of space.In big cities we havea lot of taller buildings now.John: Is this a problem because there are more earthquakes in Japan?Etsuko: Yes, that's right, an..Key1.1)peopleweremuchbusier2)colderthanEngland,minusthirtydegrees,lastlonger3) much more mountainous, much higher and much more rocky,more beautiful4)tendtobemorecrowded5)thehouses2. 1)T2)T 3)F 4)F 5)FTipsInthistask,students willheartwopeople,JapaneseandBritish,comparing JapanandBritain, with respect to the climate, geography, cities, buildings, and so on. Show students howtomakecomparisonsa
John is British but has worked in Japan. Etsuko is a Japanese student from Osaka, and she is studying in Britain. Now they are comparing life in the two countries. John: I found that living in Japan, people were much busier. They seem to work the whole day. Etsuko: Yes, that’s right. We work from Monday through Saturday, even in summer. You know, summer in Japan is just horrible. It’s very, very humid and hot, and you need to shower three times a day. John: So you find it cooler in England? Etsuko: Yes, that’s right. John: Where I was living in Japan, in the north, it was much colder than England, especially in winter, minus thirty degrees centigrade. Does the winter in Osaka last longer than the winter in England? Etsuko: No, I don’t think so. December, January, February, March. John: Yes. It’s a little bit shorter if anything. Etsuko: Ever since I came here, I noticed that the countryside here in England is really beautiful. John: It’s much flatter than in Japan. Etsuko: Yes. Japan is a mountainous country and our cities are full of people. There are lots of people in a limited area. John: Yes. I found Japan much more mountainous than Britain, especially in the north. The mountains are much higher and much more rocky. I found it more beautiful than Britain. Etsuko: Yes, if you like mountains! John: And therefore the towns and villages tend to be more crowded. Etsuko: Yes, that’s right. John: Yes. So because the cities are more crowded, the houses tend to be smaller, don’t they? Etsuko: Yes, they are very compact, and we don’t have a lot of space. In big cities we have a lot of taller buildings now. John: Is this a problem because there are more earthquakes in Japan? Etsuko: Yes, that’s right, and. Key 1. 1) people were much busier 2) colder than England, minus thirty degrees, last longer 3) much more mountainous, much higher and much more rocky, more beautiful 4) tend to be more crowded 5) the houses 2. 1) T 2) T 3) F 4) F 5) F Tips In this task, students will hear two people, Japanese and British, comparing Japan and Britain, with respect to the climate, geography, cities, buildings, and so on. Show students how to make comparisons. 2
Exercise 1 is designed to draw students' attention to some of the aspects compared in thisconversation. Exercise 2 is to check their understanding of details.Task3FolkdancesintheUSScriptRosa: Why don't you have folk dances in the United States? Many countries have their owntraditional dances. The dancers wear special clothes and people like to watch them dance.Steve: We have folk dances, too. A lot of people belong to folk dancing groups. But whenthey dance, they usually do it just to enjoy themselves. They don't invite other people to watchthem.Rosa: Is there a folk dancing group here?Steve: I think so. There's one in almost every city, and some big cities have several.Rosa: What are the dances like?Steve: Well, square dancing is done by eight people who dance together,four men and fourwomen. When they start, they form a square, with men and women on each side of the square.That's why it's called square dance. Then there's a caller who tells the dancers what they shoulddo. He usually makes it into a song, and sings it while they dance.Rosa: Oh, that should make the dances easy!Steve: Yes, but they are very fast. They don't have much time to think. I like to watch them,though. The dancers wear traditional clothes. That makes the dances pretty to watch.Rosa: I'd like to watch a folk dance.Steve: I'll take you to it sometime.Key1.1)Key:Usuallyeight people dance together.2)Key:Becausepeopleform a square when dancing with men and women on each side of thesquare3)Key:Heusually makes it into a song and sings it while the dancers dance.4)Key:They wear traditional clothes.2.1)F2)T3)F4)F5)T3.1)eight peopleforma square,oneach side of the square2)what they should do, makes it into a song, sings it3)don'thavemuchtimetothink4)traditionalclothesTipsIn this task, students will hear two people talking about folk dancing in the United States:the square dancing.Exercise 1 is designed for students to get the general idea whereas Exercise 2 is for thedetails. Exercise 3 aims to help students summarize a description of square dancing. After3
Exercise 1 is designed to draw students’ attention to some of the aspects compared in this conversation. Exercise 2 is to check their understanding of details. Task 3 Folk dances in the US Script Rosa: Why don’t you have folk dances in the United States? Many countries have their own traditional dances. The dancers wear special clothes and people like to watch them dance. Steve: We have folk dances, too. A lot of people belong to folk dancing groups. But when they dance, they usually do it just to enjoy themselves. They don’t invite other people to watch them. Rosa: Is there a folk dancing group here? Steve: I think so. There’s one in almost every city, and some big cities have several. Rosa: What are the dances like? Steve: Well, square dancing is done by eight people who dance together, four men and four women. When they start, they form a square, with men and women on each side of the square. That’s why it’s called square dance. Then there’s a caller who tells the dancers what they should do. He usually makes it into a song, and sings it while they dance. Rosa: Oh, that should make the dances easy! Steve: Yes, but they are very fast. They don’t have much time to think. I like to watch them, though. The dancers wear traditional clothes. That makes the dances pretty to watch. Rosa: I’d like to watch a folk dance. Steve: I’ll take you to it sometime. Key 1. 1) Key: Usually eight people dance together. 2) Key: Because people form a square when dancing with men and women on each side of the square. 3) Key: He usually makes it into a song and sings it while the dancers dance. 4) Key: They wear traditional clothes. 2. 1) F 2) T 3) F 4) F 5) T 3. 1) eight people form a square, on each side of the square 2) what they should do, makes it into a song, sings it 3) don’t have much time to think 4) traditional clothes Tips In this task, students will hear two people talking about folk dancing in the United States: the square dancing. Exercise 1 is designed for students to get the general idea whereas Exercise 2 is for the details. Exercise 3 aims to help students summarize a description of square dancing. After 3
completingtheexercises,studentsareencouragedtodescribesquaredancingintheUnited Statesin their own words.Task 4 Various customsScript1)Usuallyon theeveningof February3rd,peopleinJapanesefamilies takeone dried beanfor each year of their age and throw the beans on the floor, shouting, “Good luck in! Evil spiritsout!" This is known as “"Setsubun," a time to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning ofspring2)Before the Chinese Lunar New Year, in the old days many Chinese families burned thepicture of their kitchen god to bring good luck. On Lunar New Year's Day, they put a newpictureofthekitchen god on the wall.3)When American women getmarried, they sometimes followan old custom in choosingwhat to wear on their wedding day. The custom says the bride must wear “something old,something new, something borrowed, and something blue." This is to bring good luck.4) Before Lent (a time on the Christian calendar), the people of Ponti, Italy, eat an omeletmade with 1,o00 eggs. They don't eat meat, eggs or dairy products during Lent, so they try to useup thesethings before Lent begins.5) When winter ends in the Czech Republic, the children make a straw man called Smrt,"which is a figure of death.They burn it or throw it into the river.After they have destroyed it,theycarryflowershometoshowthearrival ofspring6) January 17th is St. Anthony's Day in Mexico. It is a day when people take their animalsto church. But before the animals go into the church, they are dressed up with flowers andribbons. This ceremony is to protect people's animals.Key1) Key: It is a time to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring in Japan.2) Key: They burn the picture of their kitchen god to bring good luck.3)Key:The custom is that brides must wear“something old, something new, somethingborrowed, and something blue"to bring good luck.4) Key: Because they don't eat meat, eggs or dairy products during Lent, so they try to use upthesethingsbefore Lentbegins5)Key:It is a straw man made by children in the Czech Republic, it is a figure of death6)Key:People take their animals to church.And before the animals go into the church, they aredressedupwithflowersandribbonsTipsIn this task,students will hear six traditional customs in different countries,namely,Japan,China,theUs,Italy,the CzechRepublic and Mexico.Before playing the recording, spend three to five minutes talking about some of theinteresting customs in China (e.g. customs associated with marriage, birthdays, New Year,change of seasons). Try to generate a short discussion about these customs. The exercise isdesignedforstudentstocatchtheimportantdetailsofeachcustom
completing the exercises, students are encouraged to describe square dancing in the United States in their own words. Task 4 Various customs Script 1) Usually on the evening of February 3rd, people in Japanese families take one dried bean for each year of their age and throw the beans on the floor, shouting, “Good luck in! Evil spirits out!” This is known as “Setsubun,” a time to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring. 2) Before the Chinese Lunar New Year, in the old days many Chinese families burned the picture of their kitchen god to bring good luck. On Lunar New Year’s Day, they put a new picture of the kitchen god on the wall. 3) When American women get married, they sometimes follow an old custom in choosing what to wear on their wedding day. The custom says the bride must wear “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” This is to bring good luck. 4) Before Lent (a time on the Christian calendar), the people of Ponti, Italy, eat an omelet made with 1,000 eggs. They don’t eat meat, eggs or dairy products during Lent, so they try to use up these things before Lent begins. 5) When winter ends in the Czech Republic, the children make a straw man called “Smrt,” which is a figure of death. They burn it or throw it into the river. After they have destroyed it, they carry flowers home to show the arrival of spring. 6) January 17th is St. Anthony’s Day in Mexico. It is a day when people take their animals to church. But before the animals go into the church, they are dressed up with flowers and ribbons. This ceremony is to protect people’s animals. Key 1) Key: It is a time to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring in Japan. 2) Key: They burn the picture of their kitchen god to bring good luck. 3) Key: The custom is that brides must wear “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue” to bring good luck. 4) Key: Because they don’t eat meat, eggs or dairy products during Lent, so they try to use up these things before Lent begins. 5) Key: It is a straw man made by children in the Czech Republic; it is a figure of death. 6) Key: People take their animals to church. And before the animals go into the church, they are dressed up with flowers and ribbons. Tips In this task, students will hear six traditional customs in different countries, namely, Japan, China, the US, Italy, the Czech Republic and Mexico. Before playing the recording, spend three to five minutes talking about some of the interesting customs in China (e.g. customs associated with marriage, birthdays, New Year, change of seasons). Try to generate a short discussion about these customs. The exercise is designed for students to catch the important details of each custom. 4
Task5LifeinVictoriantimesandnowScriptMan:Well, I think life used to be much more fun than it is now.I mean, look at theVictorians. They had lots of servants to do all the work; they never had to do any cooking orcleaning, they just wore those beautiful dresses and went to tea parties.Woman:You must be joking!Their clothes wereterribly uncomfortable and their teaparties were very formal and boring.They used to wear their hats and long gloves even whenthey were eating cakes and biscuits. And men were not usually invited.Man: Really? Weren't they?Woman: And think of the poor servants. What a terrible lifejust cleaning and cooking forother people all the time!Man: But you hate housework!Woman:Yes,Iknow,buttherearelots ofmachinesnowtohelpyou withthehouseworkPeople don't need servants.Man:Maybe they don't, but life then was much slower than it is now-people nowadaysare always rushing, and they never have time to stop and then enjoy themselves.Woman: Life then was fine for the rich, but it was dreadful for the poor. There was muchmore illness. They didn't have the money to pay doctors, and they used to die of illnesses thatdon't exist in England now.Man: En...maybe. But people used to talk to each other, play the piano or play cardstogether. Nowadays people just sit in front of the television for hours and never talk to each other.Woman: I agree with you about television but what about their children? They left theirchildren with the servants all day.Children hardly ever saw their parents!And the clothes theyhad to wear! Horrible, tight, uncomfortable, grown-up clothes. Children have a much better lifenow than they used to, and schools and education are much better tooMan: I hate school.Woman: And look at the opportunities for women. In those days, women used to stay athome, play the piano, change their clothes several times a day and have tea parties. What a life!They didn't have any freedom at all. I'm very happy living now. I can work, have a career, anddo what I wanttoMan: You mean you can work hard all your life like a Victorian servant.Woman:Lifeisn'tall tea parties,youknow.Key1. i)F 2)T 3)F 4)F 5)T 6)T2DisadvantagesAdvantagesLotsofservantstodotheworkTerriblelifefor servantsBeautiful clothesto wearVeryuncomfortableclothesLots of tea partiesBoring andformal tea partiesLifebeing slowerMuch more illnessPlentyoftimetotalktoeachotherChildrenleftwithservantsalldayVery poor educationNofreedomforwomenTips5
Task 5 Life in Victorian times and now Script Man: Well, I think life used to be much more fun than it is now. I mean, look at the Victorians. They had lots of servants to do all the work; they never had to do any cooking or cleaning; they just wore those beautiful dresses and went to tea parties. Woman: You must be joking! Their clothes were terribly uncomfortable and their tea parties were very formal and boring. They used to wear their hats and long gloves even when they were eating cakes and biscuits. And men were not usually invited. Man: Really? Weren’t they? Woman: And think of the poor servants. What a terrible life—just cleaning and cooking for other people all the time! Man: But you hate housework! Woman: Yes, I know, but there are lots of machines now to help you with the housework. People don’t need servants. Man: Maybe they don’t, but life then was much slower than it is now—people nowadays are always rushing, and they never have time to stop and then enjoy themselves. Woman: Life then was fine for the rich, but it was dreadful for the poor. There was much more illness. They didn’t have the money to pay doctors, and they used to die of illnesses that don’t exist in England now. Man: En.maybe. But people used to talk to each other, play the piano or play cards together. Nowadays people just sit in front of the television for hours and never talk to each other. Woman: I agree with you about television but what about their children? They left their children with the servants all day. Children hardly ever saw their parents! And the clothes they had to wear! Horrible, tight, uncomfortable, grown-up clothes. Children have a much better life now than they used to, and schools and education are much better too. Man: I hate school. Woman: And look at the opportunities for women. In those days, women used to stay at home, play the piano, change their clothes several times a day and have tea parties. What a life! They didn’t have any freedom at all. I’m very happy living now. I can work, have a career, and do what I want to. Man: You mean you can work hard all your life like a Victorian servant. Woman: Life isn’t all tea parties, you know. Key 1. 1) F 2) T 3) F 4) F 5) T 6) T 2. Advantages Disadvantages Lots of servants to do the work Terrible life for servants Beautiful clothes to wear Very uncomfortable clothes Lots of tea parties Boring and formal tea parties Life being slower Much more illness Plenty of time to talk to each other Children left with servants all day Very poor education No freedom for women Tips 5
In this task,two people compare life in Victorian times with life today in England.Theinteresting thing is, they seem to have different views about the respective advantages anddisadvantages.Before playing the recording,ask students to read the statements in Exercise I so as to get ageneral idea of what the conversation is about. While listening, students should pay specialattention to the two speakers'arguments in support of their opinions. Students may take notesand it is recommended that the ideas of the two speakers are put in different columns to avoidconfusion.Exercise 1 helps students clarify some of the important supporting details of the twospeakers'opinions. In Exercise 2, the key only provides the most important advantages anddisadvantages.Thestudentsmayadd more.Task 6 Family patterns in the USScriptThe American family unit is in the process of change. There used to be mainly two types offamilies: the extended and the nuclear. The extended family included mother, father, children,and someotherrelatives,suchasgrandparents,oftenlivinginthesamehouseornearby.Thenasjob patterns changed and the economyprogressed fromagricultural to industrial,peoplewereforced to move to different parts of the country for job opportunities. These moves split up theextendedfamily.Thenuclearfamilybecamemoreprevalent.Itconsistedofonlytheparentsandtheir children. Now besides these two types of traditional groupings, the word “family" is beingexpanded toincludea varietyofother livingarrangementsToday's family can be made up of diverse combinations. With the divorce rate nearly one intwo, there is an increase in single parent homes: a father or mother living with one or morechildren.Blended families occur whenpreviously married men and women marry again andcombinethechildren fromformermarriages intoa newfamily.Ontheotherhand, some couplesare deciding not to have any children at all, so there is an increase in childless families. There arealso more people who live alone: single, widowed, divorced. Now one in five Americans livesalone.Key1. 1)C 2)B 3)A 4)A 5)C2.Inthepast:extendedfamily and nuclearfamilyAt present: single-parent family, blended family, childless family and people living alone3.I) mother, father, children, and some other relatives, such as grandparents, often living in thesamehouseornearby2)onlytheparentsandthechildren3)previouslymarriedmenandwomenmarryagainandcombinethechildren fromformermarriages into a newfamilyTips
In this task, two people compare life in Victorian times with life today in England. The interesting thing is, they seem to have different views about the respective advantages and disadvantages. Before playing the recording, ask students to read the statements in Exercise 1 so as to get a general idea of what the conversation is about. While listening, students should pay special attention to the two speakers’ arguments in support of their opinions. Students may take notes, and it is recommended that the ideas of the two speakers are put in different columns to avoid confusion. Exercise 1 helps students clarify some of the important supporting details of the two speakers’ opinions. In Exercise 2, the key only provides the most important advantages and disadvantages. The students may add more. Task 6 Family patterns in the US Script The American family unit is in the process of change. There used to be mainly two types of families: the extended and the nuclear. The extended family included mother, father, children, and some other relatives, such as grandparents, often living in the same house or nearby. Then as job patterns changed and the economy progressed from agricultural to industrial, people were forced to move to different parts of the country for job opportunities. These moves split up the extended family. The nuclear family became more prevalent. It consisted of only the parents and their children. Now besides these two types of traditional groupings, the word “family” is being expanded to include a variety of other living arrangements. Today’s family can be made up of diverse combinations. With the divorce rate nearly one in two, there is an increase in single parent homes: a father or mother living with one or more children. Blended families occur when previously married men and women marry again and combine the children from former marriages into a new family. On the other hand, some couples are deciding not to have any children at all, so there is an increase in childless families. There are also more people who live alone: single, widowed, divorced. Now one in five Americans lives alone. Key 1. 1) C 2) B 3) A 4) A 5) C 2. In the past: extended family and nuclear family At present: single-parent family, blended family, childless family and people living alone 3. 1) mother, father, children, and some other relatives, such as grandparents, often living in the same house or nearby 2) only the parents and the children 3) previously married men and women marry again and combine the children from former marriages into a new family Tips 6
Play the recording once and ask students to complete Exercise 1 in order to test their generalunderstanding of the passage.Then play the recording again for Exercise 2,giving students anoverall idea of the different family types in the past and at present. Students can use their ownwordstocompletethedefinitions inExercise3.Task7Hydra—theidyllic GreekisleScriptThe main town of Hydra Island, also called Hydra, is home to about 90% of the island's3,o00 residents. After the noise of Athens, Hydra's traffic-free tranquility is a delight. I'm gladI'm packing light as I hike up to my hotel. Hydra is one of the prettiest towns in Greece. Itssuperb harbor is surrounded by an amphitheater of rocky hills. There's an easy blend ofworkaday commerce,fancyyachts, and lazy tourists on island time.Donkeys rather than cars,the shady awnings of well-worn cafes, and memorable seaside views all combine to make it clearthatyou'vefoundyourGreekisleThe town stretches away from the harbor, a maze of narrow cobbled streets flanked bywhitewashed homes. In the 1960s, the island became a favorite retreat for artists and writers,who still draw inspiration from its idyllic surroundings.One of the island's greatest attractions isits total absence of cars and motorbikes. Instead, donkeys do the heavy hauling today, just asthey have through the centuries. And I suppose for just as long, they've treated children to ridesas well.Key1.MostfavoredbyGeneralatmosphereMeans of transportationHydraTranquil, idyllicDonkeyArtistsandwritersNoisyAthensCarsand motorbikes2.1) 90%,3,0002) 1960sTipsAfter completing the exercises, the teacher could ask the students to piece together thedetails of Hydra without looking at the textbook.The teacher could also encourage the studentsto draw a map of Hydra, including its harbor, the hills surrounding it, the cobbled streets,whitewashed houses,etc.Task8Marriagecustoms in EnglandScriptMatthew:Geth, howdopeople set aboutgettingmarried inEngland?Geth: I suppose the most common way is still for people to go home. For example,peoplewho live in London now will go back to their parental homes, where they'll meet their relativesand their parents, and they'll get married in a church, with the bride wearing white, the
Play the recording once and ask students to complete Exercise 1 in order to test their general understanding of the passage. Then play the recording again for Exercise 2, giving students an overall idea of the different family types in the past and at present. Students can use their own words to complete the definitions in Exercise 3. Task 7 Hydra—the idyllic Greek isle Script The main town of Hydra Island, also called Hydra, is home to about 90% of the island’s 3,000 residents. After the noise of Athens, Hydra’s traffic-free tranquility is a delight. I’m glad I’m packing light as I hike up to my hotel. Hydra is one of the prettiest towns in Greece. Its superb harbor is surrounded by an amphitheater of rocky hills. There’s an easy blend of workaday commerce, fancy yachts, and lazy tourists on island time. Donkeys rather than cars, the shady awnings of well-worn cafes, and memorable seaside views all combine to make it clear that you’ve found your Greek isle. The town stretches away from the harbor, a maze of narrow cobbled streets flanked by whitewashed homes. In the 1960s, the island became a favorite retreat for artists and writers, who still draw inspiration from its idyllic surroundings. One of the island’s greatest attractions is its total absence of cars and motorbikes. Instead, donkeys do the heavy hauling today, just as they have through the centuries. And I suppose for just as long, they’ve treated children to rides as well. Key 1. General atmosphere Means of transportation Most favored by Hydra Tranquil, idyllic Donkey Artists and writers Athens Noisy Cars and motorbikes 2. 1) 90%, 3,000 2) 1960s Tips After completing the exercises, the teacher could ask the students to piece together the details of Hydra without looking at the textbook. The teacher could also encourage the students to draw a map of Hydra, including its harbor, the hills surrounding it, the cobbled streets, whitewashed houses, etc. Task 8 Marriage customs in England Script Matthew: Geth, how do people set about getting married in England? Geth: I suppose the most common way is still for people to go home. For example, people who live in London now will go back to their parental homes, where they’ll meet their relatives and their parents, and they’ll get married in a church, with the bride wearing white, the 7
traditional white. Then they'll go off and have a booze-up with their relatives and friends and ajolly good time will be had by all. Otherwise they can get married in a registry office, whichmeans they turn up with their bride-to-be or bridegroom-to-be and just with two witnesses. Theceremony takes about twenty-five minutes, I suppose. You sign the form and that's it.Matthew: There are many today who say that marriage is a complete waste of time. What'syour view of marriage?Geth: Well, I live in London as you know. I think in London, the tendency is for a boy andgirl, man or woman to live together before marriage and often to live together without anyprospect of marriage at all. I think this is probably true of London and other big cities thanelsewhere, because after all people in London are living in a big place where home ties areobviously less restrictive.They can do more or less as they want and I think this is the patternMatthew: But do you think it helps for people to live together before taking their vows?Geth: I think in a sense the habit of living together before marriage may, in a strange sort ofway,make marriage stronger, becauseafter all the couplewill know each other better when theydo get married and it might be suggested that divorce would be less likely between such a couple.Matthew: Sue, you've been married for two or three years now. How's it working out?Sue: I think I've a successful marriage. I mean, it's difficult to say why, because webasically suit each other very well. We're good friends, apart from anything else and, you know,we just get on together very well because we respect each other's freedom and individuality, butontheotherhand wereallyneed eachother,youknow,it's..Matthew:Have youthought of having children?Sue: Well, obviously, like most young couples, we have thought about it, but, you know,we both feel rather, sort of, loath to lose our freedom just yet. I think we'll probably wait anotherfew yearsKey1. 1)A 2)C 3)B2. 1)T 2)T 3)F 4)F 5)T 6)F 7)T 8)F 9)F 10)FTipsExercise 1 focuses on vocabulary, especially some important phrases.Exercise 2 is to checktheunderstandingofdetails in listeningTask 9 New York tenementScriptIn the last decades of the 19th century,New York's population grewfrom 1 million to3.5million. Thousands of immigrants crowded into insanitary buildings in Lower Manhattan. To getan idea of those conditions, I'm meeting Annie Polland at the Lower East Side TenementMuseumInterviewer: Annie, hello.Annie:Hi, welcome.Interviewer: I find you in this rather gruesome tenement.Annie:YesInterviewer: How many people would have lived in a place like this?Annie: Around 1870, about 80 people lived in a tenement, so about 4 to 5 people per8
traditional white. Then they’ll go off and have a booze-up with their relatives and friends and a jolly good time will be had by all. Otherwise they can get married in a registry office, which means they turn up with their bride-to-be or bridegroom-to-be and just with two witnesses. The ceremony takes about twenty-five minutes, I suppose. You sign the form and that’s it. Matthew: There are many today who say that marriage is a complete waste of time. What’s your view of marriage? Geth: Well, I live in London as you know. I think in London, the tendency is for a boy and girl, man or woman to live together before marriage and often to live together without any prospect of marriage at all. I think this is probably true of London and other big cities than elsewhere, because after all people in London are living in a big place where home ties are obviously less restrictive. They can do more or less as they want and I think this is the pattern. Matthew: But do you think it helps for people to live together before taking their vows? Geth: I think in a sense the habit of living together before marriage may, in a strange sort of way, make marriage stronger, because after all the couple will know each other better when they do get married and it might be suggested that divorce would be less likely between such a couple. Matthew: Sue, you’ve been married for two or three years now. How’s it working out? Sue: I think I’ve a successful marriage. I mean, it’s difficult to say why, because we basically suit each other very well. We’re good friends, apart from anything else and, you know, we just get on together very well because we respect each other’s freedom and individuality, but on the other hand we really need each other, you know, it’s. Matthew: Have you thought of having children? Sue: Well, obviously, like most young couples, we have thought about it, but, you know, we both feel rather, sort of, loath to lose our freedom just yet. I think we’ll probably wait another few years. Key 1. 1) A 2) C 3) B 2. 1) T 2) T 3) F 4) F 5) T 6) F 7) T 8) F 9) F 10) F Tips Exercise 1 focuses on vocabulary, especially some important phrases. Exercise 2 is to check the understanding of details in listening. Task 9 New York tenement Script In the last decades of the 19th century, New York’s population grew from 1 million to 3.5 million. Thousands of immigrants crowded into insanitary buildings in Lower Manhattan. To get an idea of those conditions, I’m meeting Annie Polland at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Interviewer: Annie, hello. Annie: Hi, welcome. Interviewer: I find you in this rather gruesome tenement. Annie: Yes. Interviewer: How many people would have lived in a place like this? Annie: Around 1870, about 80 people lived in a tenement, so about 4 to 5 people per 8
apartment.Interviewer: One room or several rooms?Annie:Three small rooms.They called them railroad apartments because there was nohallway within the actual apartment, so one room led to another. There was no running water inthe building at this time. All running water was outside so, if you needed water to clean, to wash,youhadtogodownthestairs,outintowhatwascalledtherearyard.And thennexttothewaterfaucet, basically, therewould be about four outdoor toilets.Interviewer: And, presumably, people had to carry their waste down from their apartments.Annie: Absolutely.Interviewer:Have we any idea howmany NewYorkers lived in tenements?Annie:By1900,about75%ofNewYorkerslived intenements.Interviewer:Heavens!Annie:On thefloor above,a tenement from the1900shas been recreated.Interviewer:What arethedifferences?Annie: First of all, you have many more people living in the tenements by the end of the19th century. By 1900, there were about 111 people, according to the census. There might havebeenevenmorethanthat.MostpeoplelivingherewereeasternEuropeanJewswho'dcomeoverin largenumberstomakeNewYork thelargest Jewishcity intheworld.Key1. 1)D 2)B2.1) 19th, 1 million, 3.5 million2)1870,80,4,53)1900,75%4) 19th, 1900, 111TipsAfter playing the recording a couple of times, the teacher could first ask students to offer ageneral account of life in a tenement in old New York and then work on Exercise 1 to explaindetails such as“railroad apartment,followed by a focused training on dictating numbers inExercise2.Task10BabyboomersScriptJune 1969, upstate New York, Woodstock.A weekend concert for over 100,000 ticket-holders was overrun by nearly half a million baby boomers. Over a million more tried to get in. Itwas the world's biggest ever music festival and became the boomers'coming out party. The babyboomers weren't just rebelling against their parentsvalues. The baby boomers wanted an end tothe Vietnam War, and they took their protest to the streets. They stood up for what they believedin in mass demonstrations. They affected from the streets the highest levels of foreign policy.Theymanaged to have a tremendous impact on howweviewthe world andhow weview societytoday.9
apartment. Interviewer: One room or several rooms? Annie: Three small rooms. They called them railroad apartments because there was no hallway within the actual apartment, so one room led to another. There was no running water in the building at this time. All running water was outside so, if you needed water to clean, to wash, you had to go down the stairs, out into what was called the rear yard. And then next to the water faucet, basically, there would be about four outdoor toilets. Interviewer: And, presumably, people had to carry their waste down from their apartments. Annie: Absolutely. Interviewer: Have we any idea how many New Yorkers lived in tenements? Annie: By 1900, about 75% of New Yorkers lived in tenements. Interviewer: Heavens! Annie: On the floor above, a tenement from the 1900s has been recreated. Interviewer: What are the differences? Annie: First of all, you have many more people living in the tenements by the end of the 19th century. By 1900, there were about 111 people, according to the census. There might have been even more than that. Most people living here were eastern European Jews who’d come over in large numbers to make New York the largest Jewish city in the world. Key 1. 1) D 2) B 2. 1) 19th, 1 million, 3.5 million 2) 1870, 80, 4, 5 3) 1900, 75% 4) 19th, 1900, 111 Tips After playing the recording a couple of times, the teacher could first ask students to offer a general account of life in a tenement in old New York and then work on Exercise 1 to explain details such as “railroad apartment,” followed by a focused training on dictating numbers in Exercise 2. Task 10 Baby boomers Script June 1969, upstate New York, Woodstock. A weekend concert for over 100,000 ticketholders was overrun by nearly half a million baby boomers. Over a million more tried to get in. It was the world’s biggest ever music festival and became the boomers’ coming out party. The baby boomers weren’t just rebelling against their parents’ values. The baby boomers wanted an end to the Vietnam War, and they took their protest to the streets. They stood up for what they believed in in mass demonstrations. They affected from the streets the highest levels of foreign policy. They managed to have a tremendous impact on how we view the world and how we view society today. 9