课文文本_甜梦文库
UNIT 1 LIFESTYLESLesson 1 A Couch PotatoWhen I wake up I don‘t get up immediately. I turn on the television and watch the children‘s programs and old movies until about half-past ten. Then I get up, go downstairs and switch on the TV in the living room. For lunch, I have biscuits and a glass of milk, and I watch the news. In the afternoon, I often watch another old film C they‘re showing some good ones at the moment. In the evenings, I often watch TV series or sport and the news again. I like the main news at six o?clock. At nine thirty, if there is a good play on BBC 2, I switch over and watch it. Then at night, I watch more films and I usually switch off the TV at about two o?clock. I never watch TV at night. I watch TV for sixteen or seventeen hours a day. I also do some exercise every day. I take Tina, the dog, for a walk every afternoon. I don‘t go far, of course. I walk to the wall outside my house. I always take my portable TV and I sit on the stone wall while the dog walks round in a circle. Of course, I couldn‘t live this lifestyle without a good wife. She‘s not here now because she‘s working, but she always makes my meals. We haven‘t got much money, you know, but we‘re happy. Sit down and watch TV. Here‘s the remote control. You‘ve got the world at your feet. And in your hand. Great!A Perfect Day?A WorkaholicI normally wake up about five minutes before my alarm clock goes off. As soon as I hear my alarm clock, I jump out of my bed. It takes me less than fifteen minutes to wash, get changed, have breakfast, leave home and get on a bus. I am always the first person to get to the office. The mornings are always very busy and the afternoons are even busier! Meetings and phone calls take up a large part of the day. Every minute of the day is filled with urgent matters. By around eight o?clock, I usually find some time to do my own paperwork and answer some personal e-mails. When I get home at about ten, I look at some documents that I bring back from the office so that I can be ready for the next day‘s work. I get to bed around midnight when my wife and children are already asleep. I seldom have time for fun and other activities with my family.My family complains about it. But I try to work hard so that I can make more money for them. Besides, I get bored if there‘s nothing to do. I like being busy.Lesson 4City and countryDebbie is an accountant in a large company in the centre of London. I need to be in my office by nine o?clock so I usually get up at seven o?clock. I travel to work on the tube. That‘s what people call the underground in London. It takes about fifty minutes. Usually, it‘s so crowded that I can‘t find anywhere to sit. I just stand. I‘m always tired before I arrive at work. I don‘t like the underground! I spend all morning checking numbers. Lunch is always simple. I often get a sandwich in a nearby sandwich shop or I just have some biscuits and a cup of coffee. Then in the afternoon, I return to the paperwork in the office. On Monday nights, I have dance classes, and on Wednesday nights, I go to the gym. I need to do that because I don‘t get enough exercise otherwise. On Tuesday and Thursday nights, I have French classes. I work for a French company so I think studying French will help me in my job. I go to the cinema almost every weekend. Sometimes, if the weather forecast is good, my friends and I drive to the countryside for a weekend break. We like to visit nice, quiet places far away from the city and go walking where there are no shops, crowds or the tube. That fresh air is so good for my lungs. I love it. Paul lives in a small village in the north of England. I usually get up at four o?clock every morning when it‘s still dark. I live and work on the farm so I don‘t need to travel. After a big breakfast in my house, I walk out of the front door and I‘m already at work. There are many things to do on the farm all day. We don‘t have the same work hours that office workers in the city have. We do jobs when they need to be done and that could be early in the morning or late at night. I have cows, sheep, pigs and chickens on my farm. I have to make sure they are free of sickness. I also grow wheat and vegetables so there are many things to look after. In the evening, I like to play with my children. I have two children, a boy and a girl. They are six and eight years old. I also like to study. Right now I am studying Chinese by distance learning. I am very interested in China and it‘s my dream to see the Great Wall one day. I love movies. My wife calls me a movie fan. But there isn‘t a cinema in my village so I don‘t get the chance to go very often. I go about twice a year, usually when I go to London with my family. We take a weekend break there when I am not too busy on the farm. My wife loves looking in the clothes shops and I like all the crowds and the noise. I also like to buy a few cigars. Unfortunately, my wife isn‘t as fond of them as I am. My son and daughter love to ride on London‘s red buses and they especially love to go on the tube!UNIT 2 HEROESLesson 1 National HeroChin‘s first manned spaceship lifted off at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, October 15th, 2003 in Jiuquan, Gansu Province. The spaceship, called ShenzhouV, was carrying China‘s first astronaut, Yang Liwei. Yang, who was a pilot in the army, was chosen from 1,500 other army pilots and started training for his space flight in 1998. The launch was very successful. DWhen the spaceship was lifting off, I could really feel the high gravity, said Yang Liwei. DWhen the spaceship separated from the rocket, I suddenly got a feeling of soaring into the sky because of the zero gravity. During the 21-hour space flight, the Shenzhou V circled the earth 14 times. While the spaceship was circling the earth for the sixth time, Yang Liwei spoke with ground control in Gansu. He was also able to speak with his wife and 8-year-old son. Yang Liwei had several tasks to complete during the flight and only slept in the spaceship for about 3 hours. While he was sleeping, the spaceship circled the earth twice. When the spaceship was doing its seventh circle, Yang Liwei showed the flags of China and the United Nations, expressing the wishes of the Chinese people to explore and use space peacefully. At 6:23 a.m. on October 16th, Yang Liwei landed in Inner Mongolia safely. He told reporters later, DThe surface of the spaceship was glowing red when it came back into the earth‘s atmosphere. When ShenzhouV let out its parachute, I felt the ship was shaking. As Yang Liwei returned into the earth‘s atmosphere, helicopters were flying to where he would land, ready to collect him. Millions of people all over China were watching TV when the spaceship landed safely. When Yang Liwei climbed out of the spaceship, he smiled and waved to the crowds waiting for him. Yang Liwei was happy to be home but he said, DI thought 21 hours was too short to stay in space. Lesson 3 Sports Stars VENUS AND SERENA WILLIAMS are sisters. They are also both tennis champions who often have to play each other! Venus is now eleventh in the world, and her younger sister Serena has moved up to third. The two sisters were born in a poor and dangerous area of California. It was full of drugs and violence. In a recent interview, Venus spoke about the time when she and Serena were practising tennis and they had to run and hide as bullets started flying through the air. Finally, in 1991, the sisters and their family moved to a safer area and since then they have never looked back. The sisters‘ father, Richard, started to train Venus and Serena when they were young children. He has always been very strict with his daughters, training them hard to compete against each other. Brandi, the sisters‘ mother taught her daughters at home so that they completed their high school while developing their tennis careers. Today, both sisters are studying design at college. They have already expressed a keen interest in working in design after their tennis careers come to an end. The sisters‘ road to success has been amazing. The first time Venus played in a big event was in 1996. Since then, she has won Wimbledon and the US Open twice. Serena has continued to improve and make fantastic progress. In 1999 and 2002, she won the US Open, and in 2002 and 2003, she was the women‘s singles champion at Wimbledon. Has tennis ever caused problemsbetween the sisters? Fortunately, no. DWe‘ve played each other before and it hasn‘t worried us yet! says Venus. DIf she wins, Serena jokes, DMama says she has to do the dishes! Lesson 4 Superhero Christopher Reeve Christopher Reeve was born in September, 1952. He was in his first school play when he was eight and he started to act in TV shows and films while he was still in college. He made many successful films and TV shows but he is most famous for his Superman films. Unfortunately, disaster came in 1995 when he fell from his horse and broke his back. The doctors did not expect him to live. However, he made amazing progress. At first, he couldn‘t breathe without a machine, but he learnt to breathe on his own. He would never walk again but he started a new life with great courage. The second year after his accident, Christopher returned to film making. He also raised a lot of money to promote medical research into back injuries. He made speeches all over the USA about his experiences. This not only drew public attention to research into back injuries but also encouraged a lot of people living with all kinds of problems. From their home, Christopher and his wife Dana spoke about their life after the accident. --Have you thought of giving up after the accident? --No. Four days after the injury, I came to understand my situation. My wife Dana and I were in the hospital. The doctor said I was not going to pull through. Dana said: DBut you?re still you, and I love you.‖ And that saved my life. Since that moment I have never thought of giving up. Of course, I‘ve had moments of feeling sorry for myself, but I‘ve never had any thoughts of committing suicide. Did you think that your marriage was so strong? DYes, because Dana‘s so wonderful. We have always got on really well. Our relationship has always been fantastic. How did your parents react to the accident? DThey divorced when I was four. They‘ve got closer since the accident. How did you get involved with charity work? DI know a lot of disabled people need my help. This is how I got involved with my charity work to improve the quality of life for all disabled people. DWith the progress of new medical research, I‘m confident that people like me would be able to walk again one day. So you can see, I‘m far too busy with living to think of giving up! Christopher Reeve died on October 10, 2004. But people all over the world will always remember him as a superhero.UNIT 3 CELEBRATIONLesson 1 FestivalsA: Autumn Every year in September or October, the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated by the Chinese people all over the world. On this day, the moon is said to be its biggest and brightest. People like to meet in the evening and watch the moon. The Mid-Autumn Festival is important because it is a special occasion for family. It is also a day for special foods like moon cakes. There are all kinds of moon cakes. Traditional moon cakes are usually made with bean paste, but nowadays, there are many different kinds of moon cakes including fruit, coffee, chocolate and even ice-cream moon cakes. B: Winter The Lantern Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. It marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. There are many stories about how the Lantern Festival started. In one story, lanterns were lit to celebrate the power of light over darkness. In another story, a town was almost destroyed but the light from many lanterns saved it. The story was about a god who wanted to burn down the town. He was fooled when he saw thousands of lanterns. He thought the town was already burning. In the past, lanterns were usually lit by candles and decorated with pictures of birds, animals and flowers, etc. Nowadays, most lanterns are made with light bulbs and batteries, and they come in many shapes and sizes. In the north-eastern part of China, there are even ice-lanterns. The special food for the Lantern Festival is the sweet dumpling. Sweet dumplings are boiled and served in hot water. C: Summer The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar year, As it is in early summer, it marks the beginning of the hottest season of the year. The tradition of the Dragon Boat Festival started more than 2,000 years ago. In the old days, dragon boat races were organized only by Chinese people. However, in recent years, people from other cultures have also taken part in races and enjoyed the fun. There is a special food for the festival. It is called zongzi, which is sticky rice in fresh bamboo leaves Lesson 3 Weddings. Weddings in Indonesia If a friend gets an invitation to a wedding, you can go with him/her, even if you don‘t receive an invitation yourself. The times of the wedding ceremony and the reception are both on the invitation. However, you ought not to go to the invitation. However, you ought not to go to the ceremony because it is only for close family. If you really want to see it, you ought to ask first. Everyone can attend the reception afterwards.Nowadays, Indonesian women don‘t have to cover their heads, but they unusually wear traditional clothes. There is a box at the entrance to the reception and you ought to put money into it! But don‘t worry, you don‘t have to contribute a lot of money. And remember- at most wedding receptions you can‘t drink alcohol. Greek Weddings On the day of a Greek wedding ceremony, the bridge-groom has to ask the bride‘s father for his daughter‘s hand in marriage. The bridge-groom‘s best man then goes with the couple to the church, to be married. During the church ceremony, the best man should help put crowns made of flowers on the heads of the bride and bridegroom. A long silk ribbon that links the crowns is a symbol of a long and happy life for the couple. After the ceremony, the guests can attend a wedding a wedding reception, which is usually a huge party and can last through the night. There is a lot of eating, drinking and dancing, including the famous Greek circle dance, where everyone joins in. During the reception, guests can throw dishes on the floor and put money on the bride‘s wedding dress for good luck. Lesson 4 Christmas Memories of Christmas For me, Christmas always began in the middle of the cold, windy month of November. My sister, Alison, and I sat down in front of the fire and wrote a letter to Father Christmas telling him about all the presents we wanted. We seriously wrote DFather Christmas, the North Pole on the envelope, before giving them to our mother to post. With December our excitement grew each day--as we opened the new year calendar, Christmas cards arrived in the post, Christmas lights course, there was snow everywhere. Enough snow to make snowmen, and to have exciting snowball fights in the school playground. On Christmas Eve, the whole family helped to decorate the house, put up the Christmas tree, the decorations and the balloons. Then, in the afternoon, when Auntie Kathleen and my two cousins arrived, everything was ready. Before we went to bed, we left some wine and biscuits for Father Christmas and then put our stockings at the end of our beds. We tried to stay awake as long as possible to see Father Christmas but the next thing we knew it was morning. Christmas morning! At the bottom of the bed was the stocking, now full of all kinds of small presents and sweets. Christmas morning was bright and sunny and , after church, my cousin David and I went out into the garden to play with our new presents. Lunch was always late, but what a lunch! A big turkey with all the vegetables followed by Christmas pudding. I like turkey breast the best. I put so much food in my mouth sometimes that it was hard to swallow. We sang Christmas carols happily, laughed at jokes, put on silly paper hats and laughed again. After lunch, the adults slept on the sofas in front of the Queen‘s speech on television while we all played cards. Then we had tea, with a huge Christmas cake covered with snowmen. It didn‘t seem possible, but we carried on eating. By bedtime all of the children were very tired. As soon as we turned off the light, we all fell into a deep, happy sleep.UNIT 4 CYBERSPACELesson1 The Future of CyberspacePeter Taylor finds out how computers and the Internet are going to affect our lives. In the last thirty years, the Internet has grown rapidly. In 1983, there were only 200 computers conne now there are around 50 million and this growth is clearly going to continue. Some experts are pessimistic about the future. Only worry is crime in cyberspace. Even now, young hackers can get into the computers of banks and governments. In the future, terrorists may attack the world‘s computers, cause chaos, and make planes and trains crash. However, many people are optimistic about the future of the Internet. Already, users can buy books, find out about holiday offers, book tickets, and get all sorts of information from the Internet. DIn the next few years‖, says Angela Rossetto of Cyberia magazine, DIt is clear that we are going to see a huge growth in shopping on the Internet.‖ She also believes that, in the future, we will get entertainment from the Net and that television will probably disappear. The mail service may also disappear with the increasing use of e-mail. Some experts see our future in virtual reality―the use of computers with sounds and pictures that make you feel as if you are in a real situation. DPersonally, I think virtual reality will become a part of modern life‖, says Australian expert Peter Anderson. DI see people living and working in a virtual world. We will work in virtual offices, shop in virtual supermarkets, and we will even study in virtual schools.‖Tomorrow’s worldLesson 3Virtual RealityTom: Hi, Cathy. What are you up to this weekend? Cathy: Don‘t ask, Tom. I have lots of work to do. If I don‘t finish my project on the history of the Internet for next Monday‘s lesson, the science teacher will be angry. What about you? Do you have anything planned for Saturday and Sunday? Tom: It depends on the weather. If it‘s good, Dad, Mum and I will probably go camping. But we won‘t go if it rains. Hey, if I stay home, I?ll help you with your project if you like. Cathy: Thanks for the offer. Tom, can you suggest any good books for my projects? If you tell me some titles, I?ll look for them in the library. Tom: Use the library computer. If you go to the Science Museum website, you?ll find lots of good information. I?ll send you the website address when I get home. Cathy: Thanks. Just think, if we had virtual reality holidays, we wouldn‘t have any problems with the weather. What‘s more, we wouldn‘t have to spend a long time travelling on planes to get to our holiday destinations. Tom: What do you mean? Cathy: Well, in the future, we?ll be able to use modern technology to go anywhere we like. Wewon‘t have to go there in the flesh at all! Wouldn‘t that be great? I feel excited just thinking about it. Tom: I don‘t understand. Cathy, do you mean we?ll use the computer to travel around the world, entering and exiting countries in seconds and visiting all the historical sites! Cathy: That‘s right! Just imagine never having to pack a suitcase! We would not only be able to travel around the world, but also go to study in any world famous universities we wanted to. Tom: That could be really exciting! But I still find it hard to imagine. You would see it but you couldn‘t dip your toes in the sea or eat the foods you saw. You would not experience it. Cathy: Well, if they invented virtual reality holidays, I?d go on an around-the-world tour. Tom, what would you like to do if someone gave you the chance? Tom: I don‘t really know. Personally, I‘m more interested in virtual universities than virtual reality holidays. I?d like to go to a world-famous university like Stanford. But I guess, a virtual university just wouldn‘t be the same, would it? Cathy: True, but just think―you would be able to study in such a world-famous university without going out of your room!Lesson4 Virtual TourismAuckland* New Zealand A guide Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand. It has a population of just under a million people and is located on North Island. This seaside city is an important centre for business and industry. It is also the most exciting city in New Zealand with people of many different cultures living there. The history of the city goes back 650 years when the Maoris settled in the area. European settlement began in 1840 when the British arrived. Auckland was the capital of New Zealand for some time. Later, the capital moved to Wellington, because it was more central. Since 1945, the city of Auckland has grown and it now has large modern suburbs. In 1985, the New Zealand government made the whole country a nuclear-free zone and since then Auckland has been a centre for protest against nuclear testing in Asia Pacific. Famous sights include Mt Eden, one of many large volcanoes, as well as the Auckland Harbour Bridge. At the Parnell Village, you can enjoy an amazing view from the Sky Tower, which is the city‘s tallest Tower. You can also see Maori traditional dances at the Auckland Museum. From anywhere in the city, you can see the sea. Auckland is called Dthe city of sails‖ because it has more boats than anywhere else in average in January (summer) is 23.4℃ and in July (winter) it is 7.8℃ . It has some of the best beaches in New Zealand for doing water sports: swimming, diving, fishing, sailing and surfing. It is easy to travel between Auckland and the rest of New Zealand. There are regular international flights, too. However, flights from Europe take over twenty-four hours and are expensive.UNIT 5RHYTHMLesson 1 PerformanceAlanis―A True Performer Canadian singer and song writer, Alanis Morissette, is used to being in the public eye. Her most famous album Jagged Little Pill, came out in 1995 when she was only twenty―one years old. It sold 15 million copies and made her world famous. Since then she has made several more albums and she has continued giving great performances on stage. Last Thursday night, hundreds of fans went to the Corn Exchange in Cambridge, England to see Alanis Morissette performing in concert. It was Morissette‘s first performance in England since her song DUninvited won this year ‘s Grammy Award for the best rock song. The 30―year―old singer has a strong fan base in England. There was not an empty seat anywhere in the concert hall at last Thursday‘s event, although it was an extremely cold night. Sure it‘s cold outside, but I hope we?ll warm it up in here for you, Morissette said to the large crowd before she started to play. During the 3-hour concert, Morissette used a lot of material from her award―winning album DJagged Little Pill. She also played a few songs from her new album, such as DEverything But …, which tells the story of someone looking for love in the wrong places. Morissette gave a creative and powerful performance in another song DUtopia. Her singing the first part of the song was filled with anger, while the last part expressed love and joy. Although the concert hall was cold and the sound system caused a few problems, the audience could still enjoy the concert. Many people in the crowd were obviously long―time fans and they knew the words and sang along to nearly every song. Throughout the concert, the atmosphere inside the concert hall was extremely exciting. Everyone agreed that they were greatly impressed by Morissette‘s brilliant music and singing. At the end of the three hours, Morissette showed that she was a true performer, singing a well―known song Dheartache. She finished the evening with a new song about the life of a superstar. While I watched and listened, I knew that I was seeing the performance of a real superstar.Lesson 3Kong goes for folk!The famous classical pianist, Kong Xiangdong, surprised his fans last week by giving a concert combining classical music with Chinese folk music. Kong explained that he tried this because he wanted to create something new. DAs a musician, playing the same music in different cities of the world is very boring, says Kong. He also feels that playing Chinese folk music on the piano can help bring it to the rest of the world. Music has always been part of Kong‘s world. As his mother was a great music lover, he lived with music from birth. But it wasn‘t always easy for the young Kong Xiangdong. His mother couldn‘t buy him a piano until he was seven. She had to draw piano keys on a piece of paper so that he could learn to play as early as possible. The 5-year-old Kong would practise on the paper piano as his mother clapped the rhythm. He was made to practise the piano so much that, at times, he thought about giving up. However, he didn‘t quit, and he became a great pianist. In 1986, at the age of 18, he became the youngest prize winner in Moscow‘s Tchaikovsky International Competition. He went on to win awards in competitions across the world. Because of Kong‘s talent and hard work, he became famous worldwide. But after years of performing, he felt the in some ways he had lost his identity. This is way he went back to his roots and rediscovered the beauty in Chinese folk music. He began experimenting with different styles and his Dream Tour Concert is the result. Kong‘s new experiment in Chinese folk music is so important to him that he even changed his appearance. When he arrived at his concert last week, he had shaved off all his hair! Since his music style was new, he decided his hairstyle had to be new too! Whether Kong is changing his appearance or transforming his music, he is a pioneer in music today. The concern last week was such a success that Kong‘s Dream Tour Concert is expected to run for the next two years in Beijing, Shanghai, and other main cities before going to Paris and New York.Lesson 4Let’s DanceBallet Ballet began in Italy and France during the 15th century and is still an important art form in Western culture. Ballet tells a story with music and actions but no words. (1) One of the most famous ballets is called DSwan Lake.Another famous Russian ballet is called DSleeping Beauty. Many countries have produced ballets, including China. One well―known Chinese ballet is called The White-haired Girl. Folk Dance Folk dances are traditional styles of dancing that come from ordinary people. They are usually group dances that are taught from one generation to another. China is famous for many different types of folk dances, including the dragon dance and the lion dance, which are performed during the Spring Festival…(2) Other kinds of fold dances are the sword dance and the colourful peacock dance. Another well-known folk dance is the Yangge, which is often performed on special occasions. In many parts of the country, you can see people of all ages dancing in the street during festivals. They are dressed in beautiful costumes, skipping back and forth to the rhythm of loud drums. People like to watch performances of this unique folk dance. Popular Dance Popular or special dances often come from folk dances, although they are usually popular for onlya short time…(3) They are easy to learn and are usually danced in couples. Until the eighteenth century, social dances were only held in palaces or the homes of noble families. However, in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, social dancing became more popular. Ballroom dancing, which was a formal dance in a large room, became popular in Europe and North America. Central European folk dances, such as the waltz, changed and became the most popular examples of ballroom dances. In the United States, the mixing of immigrant cultures produced new forms of dance, such as tap dancing. Before the First World War, new ballroom dances came to Europe and America, for example the Tango and the Cha―Cha. The Argentine Tango was made internationally popular by Carlos Gardel through his songs and films. After the Second World War, African-American rhythm and movements became part of popular social dance. Rock-n-roll dances were popular during the 1950s….In the 1960s, people danced without touching their partner.…(4) Dancing in couples returned in the 1970s and 1980s with Ddisco music…(5) In the mid-1980s, breakdancing became popular. This form of dancing is almost like acrobatics. It began in the poorer parts of large American cities.UNIT 6DESIGNLesson 1 A Matter of TasteXu Beihong () was important in modern Chi9nese folk art. During his lifetime, he developed the tradition of combining poetry with painting. Between 1933 and 1940, he held several exhibitions in Asia and Europe to promote Chinese art. Across this painting, named Racing Horse, we can see a horse running at a high speed like a missile across the sky. On the left and right side of the painting, Xu cleverly drew in black ink to show the moving hair on the horse‘s mane and tail. He also used different shades of grey in a creative way to show the sweat along the horse‘s body. The painting of dark and light colours is a favourite of many art lovers. Qi Baishi () was one of China‘s greatest painters. He worked with wood during his early youth. Then between 1902 and 1909, he travelled across the country and painted many pictures of scenery. His interest changed later to simple pictures from everyday life, such as vegetables, flowers, birds, and insects. Cabbage is a well―known example of QI‘s work. The tiny insect near the cabbage has some red on its back. Its black eyes, which are fixed on the cabbage, show the creature‘s interest in the vegetable. Qi Baishi‘s style of painting often leaves the audience guessing and makes them use their imagination. Chen Yifei() was a very successful artist. His soft portraits of beautiful women are very valuable. In 1997, one of his paintings sold for US$503,000. The painting, named poppy, is a typical example of Chen‘s style. In the painting, a young woman sits alone and is deep in thought. Her hand holding the fan is elegantly positioned above her knees. To emphasize the woman even more, Chen adds a lot of detail to the fan and the cloth of her dress, and chooses to paint the background behind the woman black. The folds of her dress are very beautifully painted.Lesson 3 The Art of PaperChinese Paper ArtChen Zijiang is a paper-cutting expert whom I interviewed for my article on Chinese Art. Paper―cutting is something that he learned to do from an early age. DIt is a Chinese folk art with a long history‖, Mr. Chen told me, DPaper cuts of animals have been found in tombs which date back to the time of the Northern and Southern Dynasty! He added that by the Southern Song Dynasty, paper-cutting had become an important part of everyday life. DA young farmer who wanted a wife would look at a young woman‘s paper-cutting skills before marrying her!‖ explained Mr. Chen, laughing at the look of surprise on my face. Mr. Chen went on to explain that there are three types of paper cuts which people still make today: paper cuts for decoration, for religious purposes and for design patterns. Paper cuts used for decoration are often seen on windows and gates. They are usually put up during holidays to bring good luck. They are also used on presents. A present for parents whose child has recently been born might show a paper cut of children, for example. Paper cuts which show the Chinese character for double happiness are often used to celebrate weddings. Paper cuts used for religious purposes are often found in temples. They are also used as offerings to the dead. People to whom the dead person was related would make these offerings on special days and during festivals. The third kind of paper cuts are those used to make patterns on clothing. They are also sometimes used to decorate jewellery boxes. Dragons are very popular patterns for these designs. The interview was very useful as I got a lot of interesting information for my article. I was also ready to try out paper―cutting for myself. DSee you next week, I said as I waved goodbye to Mr. Chen. I was going to meet him again so that he could help me make my first paper cut! Lesson 4 Dream Houses The House on Mango Street We didn‘t always live on Mango Street. Before that we lived on Loomis on the third floor, and before that we lived on Keeler Street. Before Keeler Street it was Paulina Street, and before that I can‘t remember. But what I remembered most is moving a lot. Each time it seemed there?d be one more of us. By the time we got to Mango Street we were six―Mama, Papa, Carlos, Kiki, my sister Nenny and me. The house on Mango Street is ours, and we don‘t have to pay rent to anybody, or share the yard with the people downstairs, or be careful not to make too much noise, and worried about the landlord being angry. But even so, it‘s not the house we thought we?d get. We had to leave the flat on Loomis quick. There were worms in the wooden walls. Then the water pipes broke and the landlord wouldn‘t fix them because the house was too old. He had no mercy so we had to leave fast. We were using the washroom next door and carrying water over. And everything in the flat was damp. That‘s why Mama and Papa looked for a house, and that‘s why we moved into the house on Mango Street, far away, on the other side of town. They always told us that one day we would move into a house, a real house that would be ours so we wouldn‘t have to move each year. And our house would have running water and a bathtub and pipes that worked. And inside it would have real stairs, like the houses on TV. And we?d have a basement and at least three washrooms so when we wanted to bathe we wouldn‘t have to tell everybody. Our house would be white with trees around it, a great big yard and grass growing without a fence. This was the house Papa talked about when he dreamed of being rich and this wasthe house Mama dreamed up in the stories she told us before we went to bed. But the house on Mango Street is not the way they described it at all. It‘s small and red with narrow steps in front and windows so small that you?d think they were holding their breath. There is no front yard, only four little trees the city planted on the side of the street. Out back is a small garage for the car we don‘t own yet and a small yard that look smaller between the two buildings on either side. There are stairs in the house, but they?re ordinary stairs, and the house has only one washroom. Everybody has to share a bedroom―Mama and Papa, Carlos and Kiki, me and Nenny. Adapted from the house on Mango street By Sandra CisnerosUnit7 THE SEA Lesson1 The Spirit of Explorers VIKING VOYAGES TO AMERICA The Vikings were the first Europeans to reach America. They achieved this long before Columbus ever set sail. The Vikings were a group of people whose ancestors came from Scandinavia. They controlled the seas and coasts of Northern Europe between the 8th and 10th centuries AD. By around 900AD, there were many places in NORTHERN Europe where the Vikings chose to live. In 982 AD, when a man called Eric the Red decided to set sail further west, there as many as 10,000Vikings living in Iceland. According to the old stories of Iceland and Norway, Eric the Red was forced to leave Iceland because he had committed a murder, for which he got into trouble. Eric reached Greenland and discovered that people could live in the place where he landed. He returned to Iceland and told people there about Greenland. He persuaded some people to go back with him to Greenland. Eric set sail once again, this time with 25ships, of which only 14 made it to Greenland. Not long after Eric the Red had landed in Greenland, a man called Biarni set sail from Iceland in search of Eric‘s party. Biarni was hoping to join his father who was with Eric, but he was blown off course and found himself in an unknown land, from where he eventually reached Greenland. In the year 1002, when Eric the Red‘s son Leif was planning a trip further west, Biarni was the man with whom Leif discussed his plans. Leif followed Biarni‘s directions and sailed to what is believed to be the coast of present-day Canada. He then sailed further south to an island which is now known as Newfoundland. We know about Eric the Red and Leif ‘s deeds through stories which were written down centuries later in Norway and Iceland. They are the first records we have of European sailing to theAmericas. Lesson3 UNDERWATER WORLD Polar world We have polar bears and a real iceberg too! You can only see a small part of it above the water. It‘s three times as big underwater. Watch the acrobatic seals at feeding time. Meet our less energetic but more friendly penguins. You?ll love them! Ocean floor See some of the most beautiful coral and the most unusual fish in the world. Watch some fish Dflying through the water. They are less colourful than some other fish but they move beautifully. Sea theatre See our intelligent dolphins. There are fantastic shows every two hours Discovery pool Especially for younger children. They can touch crabs and other smaller creatures. They can be educated about daily life on the beach in this exciting area. Virtual reality voyage Our most up-to-date attraction. Come with us on a Dvirtual reality trip to the ocean floor and see some of the strangest fish in the world. Noisiest fish Some fish can produce sounds almost twice as loud as your speaking voice! You certainly can‘t find a noisier fish Prettiest fish Some fish attract other fish with a light on their body and then eat them! They have a huge mouth and can eat fish as big as themselves. Watch out! Tiniest fish Look carefully for the tiniest fish in the world. It is not as big as a fly in your house! Swim with dolphins‘ and face and attack by the most dangerous creature in the sea-the great white shark! Lesson 4 SEA STORIES It may seem strange, but at that moment, when we were on the edge of the whirlpool, I felt calmer than when we were moving towards it. We went round and round, nearer and nearer to the horrible edge of the whirlpool. Suddenly, we went over the edge. I thought my life was over. But moment after moment passed, and I was still safe. The boat was on the inside of the huge whirlpool and we were going round in circles at great speed. I saw clearly that there were other objects in the whirlpool Ctrees and barrels. I noticed that the heavier objects went down more quickly than the smaller, lighter ones. So I tied myself to a barrel to help me float. I tried to make my brother understand, but he was terrified and stayed in the heavy boat. Without waiting, I dived into the sea to try and escape. About three years ago, something terrible happened to me. Those six hours of terror have broken my body and soul. You think I am a very old man Cbut I am not. It took less than a single day to change my hair from black to white. One day, my two brothers and I were coming back from the islands, our boat full of fish. All at once, the sky was covered with dark clouds and in less than a minute we were in a terrible storm. An enormous wave covered our boat and my younger brother fell into the sea .Our boat survived, and I was trying to recover when my elder brother put his mouth close to my ear, and screamed out the terrifying word whirlpool!. With the wind and waves we were going in the direction of the whirlpool, and nothing could save us! As you can see, I did escape. I will bring my story quickly to a conclusion. Some time after I left the boat, with my brother in it, it sank into the bot soon afterwards, the whirlpool became less violent. Then the sky was clear, the wind calmer and the moon was shining. I was still tied to the barrel and the waves soon carried me to an area where the other fishermen were. In the end, a boat picked me up. I was very tired. The fishermen were my old friends, but they were unable to recognize me. When I told them my story, they did not believe it. Nor I havetold you, and I cannot expect you to believe me more than the fishermen did.Unit 8 ADVENTURE Lesson 1 ADVENTURE IN THE HIMALAYAS Just imagine. You are walking along a mountain path in the Himalayas. You are feeling tired. You are thinking about how far there is to go. Then, suddenly you are there! And the amazing Mount Qomolangma is on the horizon. It looks great. A few minutes later, you arrive at the camp. The food cooking on the fire smells great and while you are having a hot cup of tea, you relax and watch the sun go down. At dinner, the food tastes fantastic. You talk with other people in the group about everything you have seen and done during your day‘s hiking. If you are looking for experiences like this, Adventure 2000 is the organization for you. A lot of hiking holidays sound exciting, but the reality is often very different. Hiking trips can be uncomfortable and even dangerous. However, at Adventure 2000 we feel that we understand the needs of hikers. All our guides have several years of experience in leading hiking trips in the Himalayas. They know all the best routes and best places to camp. We also realize that hiking can be hard work and believe that hikers need all our help. As well as the group guide, all teams have cooks and porters. While on a hiking trip, our cooks prepare delicious meals. And our porters carry your luggage, which means that you can simply enjoy the experience. At Adventure 2000 we also think that good travel arrangements are important. We organize all the flights for you, from London to Beijing, from Beijing to Lhasa and bus travel in Tibet. Accommodation is in comfortable hotels in Beijing and Lhasa, hostels on the hiking trip, oneCor two-person tents for camping. There are also special offers for people who don‘t want to go straight home afterwards. Of you like history, there is a trip to Western China. For people who prefer to spend some time on the coast, we can organize your travel and accommodation too.This is a Class A hike- you have to be fit. There are walks of 6-8hours most days, with a maximum altitude for 5545 meters. Class B and C hikes are easier, so you don‘t need to be so fit.26 The hike costs￡2500 including all flights an accommodation. Maximum, group size is 15 people. Hikes are between October and May. Lesson 3 MARCO POLO AND HIS TRAVELS Marco Polo was born in Italy in 1254. When he was 17 years old, he traveled across Europe and Asia with his father, who wanted to do trade with the Chinese. Eventually, they arrived in Beijing. At that time, China was ruled by the Yuan Dynasty Emperor, Kublai Khan. Kublai Khan welcomed Marco and his father. He was very happy to meet two foreigners and wanted to learn all about Europe. Marco and his father were guests at the Emperor ‘s Palace. Although Marco was young, he was very clever and could already speak four languages. The Emperor was impressed by him and they became friends he asked Marco to serve in his court and sent him to do many important tasks across the country. Marco, in turn, was amazed by how beautiful and powerful China was. He was very impressed by Beijing and the Emperor ‘s Palace, especially the Summer Palace which he described as Dthe greatest palace that ever was… The walls were covered in gold and silver and the Hall was so large it could easily seat 6000 people for dinner There were inventions and developments in China which were not available in Europe at that time. Marco was surprised to see Chinese people using paper money in the markets. In Europe, people paid for goods with gold or silver. He could not understand how people could pay for food and valuable things with paper! He was also confused by the black stones people used to burn for fuel. The black stones were coal, but Marco had never seen coal before! In 1291, after 17 years of service to the Emperor, Marco returned to Italy. He was now a very wealthy man. Not long after his return,, a local war broke out near his town. During the war, Marco was the captain of a warship but was caught by the enemy and put into prison. However, Marco was lucky enough to meet another prisoner who enjoyed listening to his stories about China. The prisoner was an author and he took dictation while Marco told all his stories to him. The prisoner then wrote the stories in a book called The Description of the World, which became one of the best-selling books in Europe. Although people enjoyed reading his book, many of them thought that Marco‘s stories about China were too fantastic to be true. But Marco always stood by his tales. Just before he died, aged 70, Marco was asked the question, DWas it all true?, to which he replied, DI have only told a half of what I saw! Lesson 4 THE RACE TO THE POLEOn 1June, 1910, Captain Scott left London to begin his journey to the Antarctic. On his way, he received a message from the Norwegian explorer Ronald Amundsen I‘m going South .So the race to the South Pole was on!27 During the polar summer of , both teams organized food bases in preparation for their journeys the next year. Then came the total darkness of the polar winter. Scott and Amundsen waited anxiously for spring. Amundsen was the first to leave, on 15 October, 1911.he had teams of dogs pulling the sledges and all his men were on skis. Because of this, he makes rapid progress. Scott left on 1 November and soon had problems. First, his two sledges broke down, and then the horses began to have serious difficulties with the snow and the cold. After a while, Scott and his men had to push the sledges themselves. Amundsen reached the Pole on 14December and put a Norwegian flag them. Then he prepared for the return journey. Scott finally arrived at the pole with four team members on 17 January. They were shocked when they saw the Norwegian flag. Scott wrote sadly in his diary: DWell, we have now lost the goal of our ambition and must face 800miles of hard pushing-and goodbye to most of our dreams. The return journey was one the worst in the history of exploration. The men were soon exhausted and were running out of food. The weather conditions were terrible. Scott started to realize their hopeless situation: D…we are very cheerful, but what each man feels in his heart I can only guess. Putting on our shoes in the morning is getting slower and slower. However, on their way back they found time to look for rocks. They carried 20kilos of rocks all the way with them. Later these rocks proved that at one time in the distant past the Antarctic was covered by plants. Then, disaster soon came. Edgar Evans had a terrible disease and died after a bad fall. The next to go was Captain Oates, who was having great difficulty walking. Scott recorded his death. DHe said, DI am just going outside and I may be some time? we knew that poor Oates was walking to his death but though we tried to stop him, we knew that it was the act of a brave man and an English gentleman. We all hope to meet the end with a similar spirit, and certainly the end is not far. Scott and two of his team members carried on and got within eleven miles of one of their food bases. But the terrible storm started and they could not leave their tent. Scott spent some of his last hours writing. He wrote a letter full of sadness to his wife Kathleen: DI could tell you lots and lots about this journey. What stories you would have for the boy…but what a price to pay. Scott‘s diary also told the story of their end: we are getting weaker and weaker and that can‘t be far. It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more. The news of Scott‘s death shocked theworld. He had failed to win the race to the Pole, but the extraordinary courage, shown by Captain Scott and his men made them into heroes.Unit 9 Wheels Lesson1 On You Bike Return of the white bikes! People have been enjoying the benefits of cycling in Amsterdam for years. It is a good city for cycling because it is flat and therefore is convenient for bikes. There are also plenty of places for bicycle parking and most streets in the city centre have a bicycle path. Today some people call Amsterdam the DCity Of Bicycle because of the convenience for bicycle there. In the 1960s, a group of cycling fans had an idea. They believed that it would be better for everybody if cars weren‘t allowed in the city centre and only bicycles were. They are hopeful that this would help to save energy, reduce pollution and provide free public transport. The group painted hundreds of bicycles white and placed them in lots of neighborhoods around Amsterdam for people to use. Anyone was allowed to take them and use them for short journeys. Wherever someone finished a journey, they would leave the bike there for someone else to use. The problem was that it didn‘t work-thieves took all the bicycles within weeks! However, more than thirty years later, the Dwhite bike is back in town this time with a computer chip to record its every move! To take a bicycle, you have to insert a special card. The new Dwhite bike is not actually white but is an unusual design with bright colours. The bikes are parked at special parking places and people who want to use them have to take them to another special parking place that has enough room. There is already less traffic in central Amsterdam, because both locals and tourists have been using the white bikes. Indeed, thanks to the good ideas of lots of people, like the cycling fans in the 1960s, many people around the world have been enjoying city centre streets without cars for many years. Did you know?The Netherlands has 14 million bicycles among 15 million people! Lesson3. Clean Machine Solar Car Racing Solar racers have been coming to Australia for years for the World Solar Car Challenge. We interviewed Marie Logan from Brisbane. Q: Well, the first question I have for you is simple. What is a solar car? A: Solar cars are cars that use the sun‘s energy for power. That means they don‘t use petrol, gas or any other fuel, just the sunlight. Q: And why are people interested in solar cars? A: People have been worried about pollution caused by fuels like petrol and gas for a long time now. Solar cars are clean and safe, so there is a lot of interest in them. Q: You have been designing solar racing cars for a long time. When did you start? A: Well, I‘ve been interested in cars since kindergarten. When I was at university, I started designing my cars. I‘ve designed five or six different cars so far. And I‘ve been taking part in races for about four years. Q: How many races have you taken part in? A: Let me think. Six. We‘ve won two of them! Q: Where do these races take place? A: Well, the one I like best crosses the whole of Australia from northwest to southeast. It‘s about 4,500 km long! Q: Wow! How long does that take? A: These days the fastest cars can do it in six days. Q: And what have you been doing recently? A: I‘ve been building a new car with a team from Queensland University. We‘ve done a lot of work on it, but we haven‘t finished yet. Q: And you‘ve been writing a book about solar cars. A: Well, so far I‘ve only written the first few chapters! I want people to have a good impression of solar cars. Q: But a lot of people think that solar cars are too slow or not very reliable. How can you persuade them of the advantages of solar cars? A: Solar cars are getting better all the time. They have reached speeds of nearly 80 k.p.h. In tests, one car we built has averaged over 40 k.p.h., even in cloudy weather. Q: You‘ve been working hard C good luck in the race! A: Thanks a lot. Lesson 4. Car Culture The Road to Destruction DThis morning it took me forty minutes to get to work. More road construction works on the A10! DOh, really? It took me over one hour. There was an accident on the M11. DYou?re both lucky. It took me two hours! You don't have to use M25. How often have you heard these conversations? How often do we get stuck in traffic jams? How often do we arrive at work or school stressed out, tired and angry? For many people in Britain, the answer is every day. But anger and stress are nothing compared to the real costs of the motor car. Here are some figures: In the last ten years, the number of cars on the roads in Britain has gone up by 30%. There are now 25 million cars in this country. Over three thousand people die every year in road accidents in Britain. In London, car engines produce 99% of all carbon monoxide in the atmosphere. Twenty-five thousand deaths per year arecaused by air pollution. Some types of cancer are related to traffic pollution. Traffic is one of the major causes of global warming and climate change. The average global warming and climate change. The global average temperature is about 0.5 degrees centigrade higher than it was 100 years ago. We know that cars are bad for us. So why do we carry on using our cars so much? We all make excuses: DThe buses are terrible. DThe trains are always late. DI haven‘t got time to walk. I‘m talking myself too. I admit: I‘m addicted to my cars. When I asked Jenny Tower of Greenpeace for advice about how to give up, she told me six things: 1 Use your legs. Over 25% of car journeys are under two miles C short journeys we could easily walk or cycle. Leg power can save your money, keep you fit and keep you live longer. And regular exercise cuts the risk of heart disease by 50%! 2 Use public transport. On average, about forty people travel in one bus, while the same number occupy thirty C three cars. Sometimes it can take a little bit longer, but so what? You can relax on the bus or train, read a book, talk to someone, meet the love of your life C who knows? 3 Think before you go. Do you really have to go to that shopping centre on the other side of town? What about the shops around the corner? Before you get into your car, think about whether you really need to make that journey. 4 Share cars. If you‘ve really got to use a car, share journeys with someone else. It is much cheaper and kinder to the environment. 5 Don‘t believe advertisements! Nearly a quarter of advertisements on TV are about cars. You see an attractive man or woman driving a fast car through beautiful countryside. It‘s not true! That new car won‘t make you more attractive. And you won‘t be driving on an empty country road. You?ll be stuck in a traffic jam in a city or on a highway! 6 Take action somehow! We often think there is nothing we can do about the noise, pollution and danger of traffic. There is. If your street‘s full of heavy traffic, talk to your neighbors about it. Write to the papers. Go to the city government. Ask for a speed limit. Ask for a pedestrian area. Do whichever of these things that suit you. Don‘t just sit around and complain! All quite simple, isn‘t it? Six easy ways to improve our environment. Well, I‘m sorry I must finish this article. I‘ve got to pick up my daughter from school at four o?clock. Then I‘ve got to drive to take my son to a party. And tomorrow we?re driving over to see my mother. The traffic is going to be awful, but what can we do?Unit 10 Money Lesson 1 A Material World Angus Deayton interviews ex-millionaire Charles Gray A lot of people are determined to become a millionaire. They spend half their time dreaming up ways of getting rich, and the rest of their time thinking about all the enjoyable things they would do once they got rich. But do all millionaires find the happiness that they thought they would get when they achieve their goals? Some millionaires continue to be concerned about money when they become millionaires. They are hardworking to make sure they never lose it. But there are people who have turned their backs on their millions and found different ways to be happy in their lives. Charles Gray is one example. Sixteen years ago, Charles was a college professor with a huge six-bedroom house and $2million.33 Today he lives in a small dormitory room where there is only second-hand furniture. There are certainly no signs that Charles was a rich man! There is a small garden outside with a few fruit trees. Charles grows some vegetables and a few flowers. He gets his clothes and a lot of other things from charity shops. But Charles appreciates this change. He was pleased to give up the lifestyle of a rich man. He was tired of being a person who had everything in a world where many people had nothing. He madethe choice to give all his money away. And this, he said, brought him happiness. DA few years ago, says Charles, DI was a millionaire, but was aware there were a lot of hungry people in the world. Therefore he gave away all his money to charities. When he had two thousand dollars left, he gave away small bank notes in the streets of local poor areas. Did he feel like Father Christmas? DIt was a lot of fun, says Charles. Charles believes that many people want to earn a lot of money so that they will not have any worries. However, most people never make much money. Charles Gray decides to drop out and has discovered that having only a little money makes you free. Are there any things he misses? DNo, I‘m much happier now. I wouldn‘t go back to being rich for anything-no way. Lesson 3 Your Money When less is more What can you do with 5 Yuan? Not a lot, you may think. Well, if buying a bag of candies or cookies doesn‘t appeal to you, how about buying a tree instead? Yes, a tree along the banks of the Yellow River to be exact. Every year, approximately 1.6 billion tons of soil flows into the Yellow River, China‘s second river. The soil contains materials to keep the natural balance of the area. Over time, a lot of soil has been removed, which has caused serious erosion of the land along the River. In some areas in Shanxi Province, this has destroyed almost all the land, and has forced many local farmers to move to other areas. It is a huge job to control Yellow River erosion. Many people believe this kind of work is best done by government or international organizations. You may agree with this point of view. If so, it is time for you to think again. In fact, it is you who have the most important roles to play in stopping Yellow River erosion. Did you know the importance of your 5 Yuan? For a start, it can buy you a tree, which will help make soil stay on the land. On land with rich soil, local farmers can grow crops to make a living. With the money they earn from their crops, farmers buy goods or services. This helps to develop local economics. Still puzzled how your 5yuan can have so much effect? Well, just take a look at the fact below. Since 1997, a tree-planting program has changed the Jiuchengong Valley in Inner Mongolia into a green homeland. Visitors from all over the world now come to admire this great achievement. What is more, the success of the program has greatly improved the lives of the local people. Just think: all this started with 5yuan! So when you have 5yuan in your pocket next time, think twice about how to use the money. Remember you can use it to buy a tree and create a green future for our motherland, our people and yourself. Lesson 4 Advertisements Remote Headphones These fantastic headphones from Philips have no wires. You can listen to your favorite program while you are walking round the house or garden! You can listen to relaxing music in the bath! With Remote Headphones you can go up to sixty meters away from your radio or TV. The signals go through glass, doors and walls. These exciting, new headphones give you freedom to move around plus top quality sound. Excellent value at:￡80.45 Mini CameraInterested in photography? Fujiko has produced an amazing new mini camera- the advanced 1001ix. It is no bigger than a credit card! It is convenient and very reliable. It is really easy to use too. It has an automatic focus and flash, so made from an attractive and strong material. The Mini Camera is not expensive either! Cost:￡199.99 Special Jewellery For Your Ears There are gold and attractive. They are also useful in many noisy situations. When you are tired of loud disco music, or bored at a party, you don‘t have to listen. Simply put them on! Thousands of satisfied customers! A bargain at ￡19.50 Feline Floor Cleaners Do you find housework tiring and boring? Are you worried about the state of your house or flat? Have you got a cat that walks round your flat all day? Here is the perfect solution. It will change your life. Put the floor cleaners are made from good quality material. They are very practical and easy to wash. And they?re cheap! Special offer C complete set for only ￡5.99. Write to: Animal Magic, P.O. Box 123Unit 11 The Media Lesson 1 World News Africa on G8 Agenda The Group of Eight, or G8, was formed by eight of the world's wealthiest nations in 1998. The G8 is made up of political leaders from France, the United States, Britain, Germany,Japan, Italy, Canada and Russia. They meet every summer to discuss major problems that concern the whole world. It is gong to be remembered as a historical meeting this year as the topic of Africa will be discussed in detail. Widespread poverty in Africa means that many people there cannot get the water, clothing. housing, electricity or education they need. AIDS is another problem of great concern so sex education and health care administration are extremely important. Reforms have been demanded by people from all over the world. They want the leaders to cancel the debt of Africa's poorest countries so that the problem there can be prevented from getting any worse. Their belief is that this is the only way for many of these nations to escape their painful pasts. London Wins At 12:45 UK time today, the name of the host city for the 2012 Olympic Games was being announced by the International Olympics Committee (IOC) in Singapore. It was London. London's name had been announced twice before, in 1908 and 1948, so it now has the distinction of being the first city to host the event three times Applications to host the games had also been made by Moscow, Madrid, New York and Paris. In the end, it came down to a choice between Paris and London. The news is being celebrated by the crowds in the streets. Cheering people can also be seen everywhere: in pubs, homes and offices all over London. Prince William, who is now in NewZealand, said he was delighted that the 2012 Olympic Games would be held in London and he was looking forward to the Games. Lesson 3 The Advertising Game The classic advertisement is one that gives information about finding certain products. It is likely to be just the name of a company, part of which may be general location. For example, it could be &Shanghai Sewing Machine&, or &Tsing Tao Beer Corporation&, and you would know that the companies sell, where they are located and the brand names. However, this kind of advertising may be not suitable when there are products and services in direct competition with each other in the market place. In such situations, advertisements need to attract, and hold the attention of the public. Some advertisements consist of pictures or words of experts to show people how good the products are. Others try to create advertisements that people simply enjoy looking at. As present-day advertisers often have large budgets, a lot of money is spent on applying modern techniques of design to make these advertisements as visually attractive as possible. However, even this is often not enough to be noticed in a modern city. Because of the advertising boom, people are used to seeing high standards for visual design. Modern advertisement must stand out in a world full of competition by combining the highest standards of design with ideas linked to the products to make them more attractive. For example, some advertisements may suggest that buying a car may make you free. That is, they use the concept of freedom to sell the car. Other common ideas include happiness, wealth and success. In fact, in the world of advertisements, such content is as old as advertising itself. For many of today's advertisers, repeating old ideas is not a successful approach. They realise that it does not matter how attractive the idea linked with the product is-most people know that the main purpose of the advertisement is making customers spend money. Instead, these advertisers look for other ways to make people notice their products. The top advertisers of today believe that using humor as well as new and unusual ideas to surprise people is important in modern advertisements. Their aim is to create something that has never been seen before and is fascinating for people to look at. By doing this, they hope to make people forget that someone is trying to sell them something! However, not all advertising is about selling products and services for a profit. Some contemporary advertisements mainly aim to make contributions to society. There are public advertisements which encourage citizens to participate in improving their neighbourhood, protecting the environment, and help}