选修7
Module 1 Basketball
Michael Jordan - Head and Shoulders Above the Rest!
During the 1990s, Michael Jordan was probably the best-known athlete in the world. He was the top scorer in the NBA, and played for the Chicago Bulls from 1984 to 1993. He was named their most valued player five times. Wearing his famous number 23 shirt, Michael Jordan became the most successful basketball player in the history of the game.
Jordan was born in New York and grew up in North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina for a year before leaving to join the Chicago Bulls. He finished his first season (1984-1985) as one of the top scorers in the league, with an average of 28.2 points per game.
In 1987, Jordan became only the second player to score more than
3,000 points in a season. He was the top scorer in the NBA for seven consecutive seasons (1987-1993). During this time, the average number of points he scored was more than 30 points per game. With him, the Bulls won their first NBA championship in1991. During this successful period they won the title again in 1992 and 1993. Jordan was also in the United States Olympic Basketball Team, known as "the Dream Team", which won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.
Jordan surprised everyone when he retired before the 1993-1994 season, but he rejoined the Chicago Bulls and won three more championships with them from 1996 to 1998. he played again for the Washington Wizards before finally retiring from sport in 2003 at the age of 40. Millions of fans admire his athletic ability, motivation and confidence. They have fantastic stories to tell about Michael Jordan, such as the time when he rescued the Bulls from ending a game on a tie. He stepped to the line and made two free throws. Each time he threw the ball straight through the basket - and each time he had his eyes closed.
Off the basketball court, Michael Jordan opened his own steak restaurant because he loves steak so much. He also found success as an actor in the film Space Jam alongside the famous cartoon character Bugs Bunny!
There is only one word to describe the best player in the world - awesome!
Wilt the Stilt - the Tower of Power!
Michael Jordan was the second player to score more than 3,000 points in a season - but the first was Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain was born in Philadelphia on 21st August 1936. He was one of the 11 children, the only one who was very tall. His father William worked in a shipyard and his mother Olivia was a cleaner. As a child, Chamberlain had various health problems. He had pneumonia and almost died when he was ten.
Chamberlain is the only NBA player who averaged over 50 points per game for an entire season. At one point, Chamberlain was so much better than all the other players that they changed the rules of the game to
try to stop him!
The giant player joined the NBA's Philadelphia Warriors in the 1959-1960 season and was an immediate success. During 14 seasons with four different teams, Chamberlain was named the most valued player in the league four times. On 2nd March 1962, he scored 100 points in a single game - no one has ever done that since! The final score was Warriors 169 New York Knicks 147!
He ended his career after five amazing seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. By the time he retired, Wilt held many NBA records: he scored 50 or more points 118 times and 60 or more points 32 times.
Was Wilt Chamberlain better than Michael Jordan? Who knows? But there is no doubt that he deserves the title "outstanding player of his generation".
Is Yao Ming Too Nice to Be a Star?
Jeff Van Gundy, the head coach of the Houston Rockets, has a dream. He wants Yao Ming to be like other players. Star players, says Gundy, are "selfish" and want the ball all the time. "Let's put it this way," he said. "When they ask for the ball, they don't say 'please'!"
Yao, however, is a selfless and kind person. He has been brought up and trained in this way. It is not in his nature to be "selfish" and "rude".
When he first arrived in the US, Yao was an instant hit among basketball fans nationwide. They all loved this kind, gentle but powerful giant. Van Gundy wanted to build his team around the talented Chinese player. To do this, he told Yao to be more aggressive and, if necessary, to be rude to his teammates.
"He's a wonderful guy, he has every physical basketball skill and he puts the team first," Van Gundy said. "But I want him to be a star, not just a great team player. He's got to think that he's the best player out there. That way, he can dominate the game."
"At first, I didn't really understand what the coach wanted," Yao said. "But now I do. In China, everyone gave me the ball, I didn't have to ask! Here, I have to be a little 'impolite'! I'm not quite used to it yet. If you give me a little time, I can get more used to it. I have to learn to be l little more 'selfish'."
Dizzy Heights of School Basketball
Basketball is one of the safest sports. Unlike wrestling or boxing, it's not usually dangerous. One reason for this is that the players' energy is partly directed upwards, at a 90-degree angle to the ground, and over the heads of the others. So there's less risk of a collision between two players.
In other sports, such as baseball and American football, the
player' energy moves parallel to the ground and towards their opponents, so they wear helmets which give adequate protection to their heads.
But although basketball players wear socks and sneakers which are specially designed to absorb energy when they bound into the air, they war no other protection, just a vest and shorts. If there is an abrupt change of direction in their energy, from vertical to horizontal, such as when they accelerate across the court, bouncing the ball, there is a real danger of personal injury.
For example, in the Kent State High School Basketball tournament, Chandler High was playing St Mary Central and at the interval the score was 50-52. but St Mary had appointed a captain who was not a typical basketball player. Whereas everyone else was tall and slim with short haircuts, Joe Johannsen was short and stout, with long hair and a large belly. But he was really fast, and when he obtained control of the ball, he could make a circuit of the court and reach the opposing team's boundary within seconds.
Anyhow, twelve minutes into the second half, Frank Sackler, the Chandler star player, made a controversial pass over Joe's head. Joe stepped aside and dipped his head down. Sackler bounced off him and committed a foul. The referee interrupted the match ,and there was a suspension of play. But Joe was unhurt, short the penalty, and the score was 88-90. there were three minutes to go.
Joe immediately took possession of the ball and ran, ... and suddenly 80 kilos hit the Chandler star, who howled loudly in pain and fell, with his nose bleeding and a cut on his left cheek. For a moment, he lay very still ,and the referee even checked his pulse, but soon confirmed he was OK. But when Sackler stood up he was dizzy, so they put a bandage round his head, a blanket round his shoulders, and called an
ambulance to take him to the hospital. Joe was a considerate guy, and apologized as Sackler left, sniffing and weeping, either in pain or in frustration.
Chandler scored with the penalty, and their teamwork had won the match. But Frank Sackler still has the scar on his face as a souvenir of the tournament.
How Did They Start?
How did American football start?
Football - or soccer - started in England 800 years ago. The game was played with a round ball that players kicked but could not carry. There were two teams, but there were often a hundred players on each team!
However, in 1823, William Webb Ellis, a pupil at Rugby School in England, picked up the ball during a soccer game and ran with it. Teachers at the school were shocked and angry but Webb Ellis's schoolmates enjoyed this new game, which they named after the school. Eventually, rugby was played with an oval ball that could be both
carried and thrown.
Rugby was exported to the United States, changed a lot and became the sport that Americans now call football. During a game of American football, the ball can be kicked, thrown or carried.
How did basketball start?
Basketball was invented in 1891 in a gymnasium in Springfield, Massachusetts by Dr James Naismith, a physical education teacher. Naismith wanted to create a game that would provide exercise for a noisy class through the clod winter months. Naismith attached two baskets to two tall poles at each end of the gymnasium and gave the players a soccer ball and told them to try to throw the ball into the baskets. Naismith later wrote 13 rules which are the basis of modern basketball rules.
How did baseball start?
The exact origin of baseball is unknown, but it is probably based on an old English game called rounders. In the USA, a version of the game became popular in the early 19th century and eventually, a man called Alexander Cartwright wrote the rules or baseball in 1845. Cartwright I called "the father of baseball" because the modern rules of the game are very similar to his original rules.
Module 2 Highlights of My Senior Year
Highlights of My Senior Year
I can hardly believe it, but my school life is almost over. Prom night has come and gone, and I've received my high school diploma at last.
It's a good thing that the exams are finished. I feel too excited to
think clearly. It seems strange to think that in a few days' time I'll
be walking out of the school gates forever. The first thing I'm going to do is to take a long vacation!
Meanwhile, I find myself looking back at my senior year, and
thinking about all the wonderful things that have happened. I've decided to write them down so that one day, years from now, when I reread
them ,the memories will come back.
There's so much to remember. One of the best things about this year has been working as an arts editor for this newspaper. I've so enjoyed
it I love writing, and working on this paper is my first step towards becoming a journalist, so this has been a real success for me.
Something else I've greatly enjoyed is working as a peer mediator, someone who helps students to settle problems that they have with other students. At the start of the school year, we were given training in how to do this, and it's clear that this kind of work can really help people.
I think I'll continue to work as a mediator when I go to college.
During the Easter vacation, I went on a short school skiing trip to the Rocky Mountains. I've been skiing quite a few times, but never with the school, and since two good friends came on the trip, we had great
fun racing each other down the ski slopes. It's well-known that Americans are competitive, and I did enjoy it whenever I won our races! Other things I'm pleased about - getting good grades on my final exams, and receiving the senior prize for English Literature. I was
given a car by my parents so I've been able to drive to school, which is brilliant. And of course, I'll never forget being elected to the student council. I really enjoyed meeting the teachers and telling them how we, the students, feel about thing, and what we think should happen in the school!
All these things have been wonderful. But I have to say, the highlight of the year was the senior prom. For an American girl, it's so important that you have a good time at the prom. Well, I did Daniel, a boy in my English class, asked me to go to the prom with him, and I was so pleased - I'd been hoping he would ask me. I found a dress that
suited me perfectly, and had my hair specially done on the day of the prom. It took two hours but it was worth it, as everyone told me I
looked very elegant! A group of us rented a nice car to take us to the prom. The food was delicious and I ate so much that I had to stop
dancing for a while! We shared a table with some good friends, and
laughed and told jokes all evening. It's a great pity that it's probably the last time this will happen.
Daniel and I danced most of the dances together. But the big surprise of the evening was when I was elected prom queen! This was so unexpected, and I can't tell you how good this made me feel! After the prom, a group of us drove down to the coast, and sat on the beach in our long dresses and dinner jackets. I shall never forget watching the sunrise over the sea - it was unforgettable! Afterwards, we went and had an enormous breakfast in a nearby hotel - it was a perfect ending to a perfect school year.
After-school Activities
In America, the development of social skills is considered as important as the development of intellectual skills. To help students develop
these social skills, schools offers a large number of after-school activities, in other words, activities that take place outside classroom lessons. When deciding which students to accept, employers and colleges look for students who have skills in several areas. Exam grades are very important, but so are the after-school activities. By taking part in these activities, students show their special talents, their ability to lead, and their ability to get on with others.
Competitive sports, for example, baseball, are probably the most popular of all the after-school activities. This is because, for many American parents, it is important that their children, particularly boys, learn how to compete successfully. Young people are encouraged to take part in team sports such as football and basketball, since these games teach to have the "winning spirit". For some students and their parents, high school sport is considered more important than academic achievements.
During the long summer holidays, it is a custom for American
children to spend several weeks at summer camps. There are thousands of camps, and they can be found all over the country. What these camps
offer is an opportunity to take part in many different kinds of outdoor activities, for example, horse riding and water skiing. Older teenagers are more likely to get summer jobs or go camping with a group of friends. Many go backpacking in the mountains of the west.
My Schooldays
They say that schooldays are the happiest days of your life, but not for me! My father worked abroad, so I was sent to a boarding school when I was seven. Like most schoolchildren, I had already been to nursery
school. I could recite the alphabet, and read some simple books, but
this was my first experience of the institution my parents called "big school'. In fact, the only preparation I had for this adventure was watching as my mother sewed my name tag into my shirts, trousers and woolen sweaters.
I arrived with one suitcase, my only luggage for a term. I was shown to the dormitory where I would sleep with five other innocent boys. The bedding was a pillow, a sheet and a thin quilt. There were two worn armchairs, a few shabby cushions, an electric kettle to heat water for tea, some posters for decoration but no curtains. The washroom had a basin and a bathtub, but no heating. I'm ashamed to admit that I sobbed as I fell asleep that night.
I remember that my first lesson was arithmetic. My first task was
to multiply seven by three. No one explained why. It took me years to understand the greater mystery of algebra, geometry, and concepts such
as cubic metres, acres and grams.
We had a dynamic English teacher, a bachelor who had plenty of time for us boys and inspired my life-long love of literature. There was also a teacher of botanical science, who introduced me to my passion for flowers and plants. We spent hours studying the structure of leaves
under the microscope.
School regulations were strict. Being punctual for classes was essential, no one was allowed to be late. Sport was compulsory, and
every week we had to go for a five-kilometre run, wearing just a T-shirt and a pair of shorts even on freezing cold November days. We all had to attend morning assembly, every weekday, except for boys of other faiths, who were allowed to stay in their classrooms. I wanted to become a Catholic simply so I could stay with my books!
But there were also so many silly rules to follow, which irritated or even upset me. For example, everyone had to polish their shoes every day, and no one was allowed trousers with zippers, only buttons! On Sundays, it was compulsory to write home. Every day I would check my mailbox, looking forward to my mummy's airmail letter. But my parents lived in Asia and to my great disappointment, I only got a reply once a fortnight.
I left eleven years later, with my school leaving certificate, and
a scholarship to study at Oxford University. Many people talk about
their happiness at school, but for me, at eighteen, all I felt was a sense of liberation.
The American Art of Cheerleading
What is a cheerleader?
A cheerleader is a member of a team that dances and does gymnastics before and during competitive games such as baseball. They do this in order to encourage crowds to cheer their sports teams. The team is
called cheerleading squad. Cheerleading only exists in America, and
today it is mostly girl that do it.
What is the history of cheerleading?
Cheerleading began in all men colleges in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As time passed, more and more colleges started cheerleading, and more women started doing it than men. It was not until the 1920s that pompoms began to play an important part in cheerleading. At about the same time, cheerleaders began to include gymnastics in
their routines. By the 1950s, most American high schools had
cheerleading squads. In 1978, the National Cheerleading Championships were shown on television, and universities began offering courses in cheerleading. Today, cheerleading competitions are an important part of school and college life and for many squads, cheerleading is a very serious activity. Cheerleading squads, can be fund at most athletic events.
How do Americans feel about cheerleading?
For cheerleaders, their sport is just as serious as baseball or football. However, many Americans are amused by cheerleading and see it as rather a stupid activity. Cheerleaders reply that a lot of training is needed
to do the dance and gym routines. Many girls try to become cheerleaders but very few are accepted. To be a cheerleader is to play a very important part in your school. In fact, cheerleading is considered so important in American that several movies have been made about it!
Module 3 Literature
Oliver Asks for More
The room in which the boys were fed was a large stone hall, with a large pot at one end. The warden, helped by two women, served the soup from
this pot at meal times. Each boy was allowed one bowl of soup and no more, except on special holidays when he was given another 60 grams of bread. The bowls never needed washing, as the boys cleaned them with
their spoons, trying to eat every bit of soup. This never took very long, as the spoons were almost as large as the bowls. When they had cleaned their bowls in this way, they would sit staring at the pot with eager eyes, as if they wanted to eat it. Boys usually have excellent appetites.
Oliver Twist and his companions slowly starved for three months until finally, they became quite wild with hunger.
There was one boy who was tall for his age, and was not used to being hungry all the time, as his father had kept a small cook shop. This boy told his friends that he had to have another bowl of soup each day. If he did not, he was afraid that one night he might eat the small young boy who slept next to him. The tall boy had a wild, hungry look in his eye and everyone believed him. The boys had a meeting. They decided that one of them should walk up to the warden after supper that evening and ask for more food. They wrote their names on pieces of paper and picked one out. It was Oliver Twist who was chosen.
The evening arrived and the boys went to their places. The warden stood by the pot with his assistants in a line behind him. The soup was served and disappeared down the boy's throats. The boys whispered to each other, and those next to Oliver nudged him. Oliver, who was desperate with hunger and misery, rose from the table and walked toward the master with his bowl and spoon in his hand. Frightened by his own courage, he said, "please sir, i want some more."
The warden was a fat, healthy man, but his face became very pale. He stared in complete astonishment at the child and held on to the pot for support. Not until at least thirty seconds had passed, was the man able to speak. "What?" he said finally, in a weak voice.
"Please, sir," replied Oliver, "i want some more." no sooner had the boy spoken these words than the warden hit him on the head with the soup spoon. Then he seized Oliver arms and held him, while he shouted
for Mr. Bumble.
The managers of the workhouse were having a meeting when Mr Bumble rushed into the room in great excitement. Speaking to the leader of the meeting, he said, "Mr. Limbkins, i am sorry, sir! Oliver Twist has asked for more!"
The faces of everyone in the room showed complete astonishment. "For more!" said Mr Limbkins. "Think carefully, Mr Bumble, and answer me clearly. Do I understand that he asked for more, after he had eaten his bowl of soup?"
"He did, sir," replied Bumble.
"Never have I heard anything like it!" said Mr Limbkins.
"They will hang that boy," said a gentleman in a white jacket. "i know that they will hang him."
Nobody disagreed with the gentleman's opinion. A lively discussion took place. Oliver was immediately locked in a room. The next morning a
notice was put up on the door of the workhouse, offering a reward to anybody who would employ Oliver Twist.
"I never was more sure of anything in my life," said the gentleman in the white jacket, as he knocked at the door and read the notice the next morning. "I never was more sure of anything in my life -- that boy will be hanged."
Great Expectations
Philip Pirrip, known as Pip, is an orphan who lives with his sister and her husband. The family is poor and Pip's sister does not treat him very well. One day the boy helps a starving convict called Abel Magwitch. Magwitch has escaped from prison but is soon caught again and sent to Australia in a prison ship.
Some months later, Pip is invited to visit a lonely but wealthy old lady called Miss Havisham. At her house, Pip meets and becomes very fond of a beautiful girl called Estella, who live there. However,
Estella is cold and cruel to him, always telling him that she is "better" than him. She is encouraged in this by Miss Havisham, whose fiancé left her on her wedding day, and who, as a result, hates all men. Some years later, Pip learns that an unknown person intends to give him money every month. Pip believes that it is Miss Havisham who has done this for him. With this money, he goes to London, becomes educated and is able to live very comfortably.
Magwitch returns to England illegally, having made a lot of money
in Australia. He finds Pip and tells him that it is he, Magwitch, who has been giving Pip the money. He has been doing this in order to repay the boy's kindness. Sadly, Magwitch is caught by the police and dies. We learn that Estella is in fact Magwitch's daughter. She marries Bentley Drummle, a wealthy man who treats her very badly, but dies when he is quite young.
Meanwhile, Pip leaves England and has a successful career. He returns and meets Estella, who has at last learnt the meaning of love. The two marry.
Dickens' London
Dickens' cast of characters lived in London, the largest and richest
city in the world. But its wealth was distributed unfairly among the population. Every chapter of his novels describes the sights, sounds, and smells of the city, and provides a social commentary of London life. In the middle of the 19th century, London was a filthy city for
rich and poor people alike. Although on clear days, the air was filled
with sparrows and seagulls flying high above, more often the smoking chimney pipes created smog which was so strong that it choked the inhabitants. The River Thames was polluted, causing disease and death everywhere, and if you fell in, it was dangerous to swallow the water. The East End was London's poorest district, where children wore rags for clothes and the women searched in dustbins for food. Few people could ever hope to attain an acceptable standard of living. Many people suffered from the effects of poor nutrition and even starvation because of a lack of food, yet their welfare was of no concern to the taxpayers of London. Ships from all points of the compass would drop anchor here at the main port of London. South of the river lies Southwark, another poor district. The George Inn was a busy coaching stop with food and accommodation for travelers leaving London, and for carriers taking goods into the city.
But some Londoners had accumulated enormous wealth through trade. In the old City of London are housed the many banks and corporations which Dickens mentions. Further west and opposite Southwark stands Somerset House, where Dickens' father worked for the navy. Close by are the law courts, where lawyers and their clerks, carrying piles of paperwork, would hurry to the trials. There were many squares and gardens with water pumps and fountains, as well as smart restaurants and pubs.
Servants would buy fruit and vegetables at Covent Garden market for their rich families, and maids would buy bunches of flowers to decorate their mistresses' rooms.
The West End is the theatre district where Dickens felt at home because, surprisingly ,he thought he would accomplish more with his drama than with his novels. It is also the London of government, where politicians, ministers, ambassadors as well as more humble pedestrians walked home at night through streets lit with gas lanterns.
London is very different today, and few people mourn the passing of the old city. But you can still see many of the sights which Dickens saw and wrote about in his novels.
Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was born in London. His father was put in prison because he could not pay his bills, and two days after his 13th birthday, Dickens started work in a factory, experiencing real poverty. He was very unhappy, but later in life, he was able to write very well about poverty because he had actually experienced it himself.
Dickens always had a huge amount of energy. As a young man, he worked for newspapers; and as a political journalist, he met all kinds
of people. He used all these experiences in his writing. Dickens started writing novels in his early thirties and became successful almost immediately. Oliver Twist, his second novel, was published in 1838 and was hugely successful. It told the story of a young orphan alone in the dangerous streets of London. The story ends happily - the young boy discovers who his real parents are and finds a loving home. However, it brought child poverty to the attention of the public, and for this
reason alone it is a very important novel.
Over the next 25 years, Dickens wrote a large number of popular novels that are still read today. Among the most famous are David Copperfield(1849-1850), A Tale of Two Cities (1859) and Great Expectations (1860-1861). Dickens often wrote about the problems of poor people, and as a result of his work, the lives of the poor were improved. Dickens' books were popular in both American and England, and the novelist traveled round both countries, reading from his novels. He
often became very excited during these readings. Some people believe
that he had a heart attack as a result of his excitement during the reading of the final part of Oliver Twist.
Module 4 Music Born in America
All You Need to Know About Hip HOP
PART1
What is hip hop and how did it start?
Hip hop is an American cultural movement which started in the 1970s and block parties in New York, especially in a district called the Bronx. There are four main aspects of hip hop: breakdance and graffiti art plus two types of hip hop music - DJ-ing and rapping. Rapping is also known
as MC- ing (coming from the term master of ceremonies). The DJs at block parties in the 1970s played a lot of soul music and they noticed that people preferred the percussion breaks in the songs because they were
the best parts to dance to. So they started repeating the percussion breaks. This is a technique used by DJs in Jamaica. There were a lot of Jamaicans in New York who brought the idea with them. At first, they played a lot of reggae.
PART2
What was the big breakthrough?
DJ Herc, one of the most popular Jamaican DJs at the time, noticed that New York audiences didn't really like reggae music, so he started
playing other kinds of music, including rock and disco music. The percussion breaks were usually short, but Herc and other DJs made them longer by using two records on two turntables, side by side. Some of the DJs began speaking and shouting while the music played. Shouting DJs became known as MCs. And so the style of music known as rap was born.
At the beginning, MCs often performed for hours, repeating words and phrases and then improvising. Later, they experimented with
different vocal and rhythmic approaches, using rhyming words, often words from African-American culture. At the same time, people started breakdancing at block parties.
MC Dark Star remembers the first time he heard a rap singer. "The moment I heard it," he said, "I knew it was a completely new kind of music."
PART3
Why was hip hop so successful?
There are two main reasons. Firstly, it's cheap and easy - you just need two turntables and a microphone. Anyone can be an MC, using songs which have already been recorded.
Secondly, people were bored with the pop music of the day - disco music and rock music were both in decline in the mid-1970s. however, disco music had a strong beat, and it was easy to dance to. Hip hop took advantage of that and provided a kind of disco music for people who hated disco.
PART4
How did rap singers record their songs?
Te first time that rap artists recorded their music, musicians recorded the backing tracks (the music without the singing) in the studio and the rappers added their vocals later. The next generation of rappers recorded their vocals at the same time as the musicians.
New York was the capital of hip hop during the 1980s, and the style was known as East Coast rap. The style soon spread to other parts of the United States. There were a lot of West Coast rappers based in California. In Miami, Florida, a new style developed, strongly influenced by Cuban and Puerto Rican music.
In the late 1980s, hip hop spread across the world, to Japan, India and many parts of Europe, especially France, Belgium and Italy. In England, a new music form emerged, called trip hop, a mixture of jazz, hip hop and electronic music (for example, music played on computers).
Do You Think Classical Music Helps You Study?
One day the science teacher asked our class "Do you think listening to music helps you to study?" The teacher told us that some people believe that classical music, such as Mozart, relaxes your brain and helps you to concentrate. In a psychology experiment a few years ago, some students' test scores improved temporarily after listening to Mozart before they took the test. The teacher wanted to find out if that would work for her students. In my case, when I'm trying to concentrate and get an essay written or do some revision, I listen to some music, because without it, it's too quiet and I would fall asleep. But if I'm listening to loud music or rap or rock, my handwriting starts getting very bad and my thought don't stay in order. My friend Jacki said "No way! I can't study with any kind of music - I have to work in silence or I can't think!" The teacher told us that she would try out the theory and play us some classical music before the next test and see if we get better test scores!
Music Born in Hong Kong
From a region of seven million people has arisen some of the greatest pop music in the world. As well as attracting huge audiences in its Hong Kong home, Cantopop has spread offshore, and its stars are known in Beijing, London and New York. Music born in Hong Kong is booming.
In most of the world, pop music is a sign of friction between generations. But Cantopop expresses only harmony and virtue, and Hong Kong is blessed with the most conventional music scene in the world. The stars don't wear fancy clothes. The women wear clean blouses and the men wear pressed slacks. They're so neat and well-behaved that any mom would want their kids to watch them. And the consensus of most people is that the music is very good. But it is... well, different from anywhere else. Their fans expect regular makeovers. You can't budget for looking good, you just need a blank cheque and a fashion consultant. Singer Kelly Chen changes her image once every three months. But she claims she isn't vain.
As a bonus for their fans, nearly every Cantopop singer also acts
in the movies, from Jackie Cheung to Faye Wong. Andy Lau regularly stars in tough guy roles and romantic comedies, and their movie DVDs and VCDs sell worldwide.
Hong Kong stars work hard, and the pace is hot. Some make ten movies a year, others record four CDs as well as keeping to a tight schedule of concerts and TV shows. Last year 20-year-old Nicholas, Tse released five albums, and his spokeswoman says that he just has to meet the deadline. Otherwise, he will soon be abandoned by his company and
his fans. When new albums come out, the stars are marketed like consumer products, as teenagers spend their allowance on the latest songs. It's
far from being a part-time job.
The fans are devoted to their stars. Online they swap information about their super heroes. They yell their names at concerts and beg for autographs. The Kings of Cantopop are Jacky Cheung, Aaron Kwok, Leon Lai, and Andy Lau and their fame is their pension, and they won't quit the concert stage for the rest of their lives. But the new talent isn't far behind. They include Hacken Lee, Andy Hui, Leo Ku, and Edmond Yung. Sammi Cheng easily sells a million albums a year. Their fans find the music clean and refreshing, and the songs are easy to sing in karaoke bars.
Cantopop isn't just a type of pop music but a musical empire. Any music which has millions of fans around the world must be doing something right.
Americans Who Changed the World of Music
Louis Armstrong was one of the most influential artists in the history
of music. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1901, he began playing music at the age of 13 and was a pioneer of the improvised jazz solo. Before Armstrong, jazz musicians all used to improvise at the same time. Armstrong developed the idea of playing individual solos. His nickname was Satchmo, which was short for "Satchel Mouth", because of this large mouth, which looked like a satchel (a large bag). He died in New York City in 1971.
Robert Johnson was a blues singer and guitarist who has been called the father of rock and roll. He was born in 1911 in Mississippi. Johnson wrote very poetic and sad blues songs. His music has influenced generations of modern rock musicians, including Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones. He only recorded his songs twice - the first time in 1936 in a hotel room in San Antonio, Texas. Even so, he managed to
record 29 songs. John Hammond, a black music expert who organized the recordings, said, "I wanted black music to make an impression on white audiences and we got some great blues, jazz and gospel artists - and Robert Johnson was the greatest." Johnson died at the age of 27 in 1938. Woody Guthrie was a folk singer who was born in Oklahoma in 1912,
in the year when Woodrow Wilson was elected President, so his parents named their son after him: Woodrow Wilson Guthrie. He is known as a pioneer of protest music and influenced artists such as Bob Dylan. In
the 1930s, he and his family moved to California to find work. Guthrie began writing songs about migrant workers who were exploited by powerful
landowners. He also played music at meetings of the American Communist
Party. When someone asked him why he was attending meetings of left-wing
people, he replied, "Left wing, right wing, chicken wing - it's all the
same to me." As he grew older, his songs became more humourous and
optimistic. "My message is that it doesn't matter if you're balck, white,
fat, thin, old and young - we're all the same, it's a great world and
you can do something with your life."
Module 5 Ethnic Culture
Simon Wakefield's Yunnan Diary
Simon Wakefield traveled round Yunnan after leaving university. Below
are extracts from the diary that he kept.
April 20th
1
I've been in Yunnan for two months now and I'm still astonished by how
varied the landscape is. Down in the south, in Xishuangbanna, it's very
tropical, but here I am in Lijiang, in north-west Yunnan. Lijiang is
half new town and half old town. The old town is on the side of a
mountain and opposite
It is the 5,500metre Yulong Xueshan Mountain, its peak covered with
snow.
The sky is clear blue and I don't think I've ever seen anything else
so beautiful in my life.
2
Early this morning I walked up to a beautiful park on the slopes of
the mountain, and sat and watched as the town slowly woke up to the day.
Seen from above, the old town is a maze of canals, little bridges and
tiny cobbled streets that tourists get lost in. Three rivers run through
the city and wherever you go, you hear the sound of rushing water. Cars
are not allowed in the old town. As you walk past the ancient wooden and
stone houses, you feel you are walking back into the past. April 23rd
3
This region is where the Naxi ethnic group live and I've spent several
afternoons sitting in a café in the old town square, just watching
people. Their culture is fascinating. For example, it is the women who
run Naxi society, and until recently, Naxi women inherited all property.
They sit in small circles in the square, with their babies on their
backs, completely uninterested in the tourists! They have the custom of
playing cards on card tables in the middle of the street. The Naxi still
wear traditional costume - the women wear blue blouses and trousers
covered by a blue or black apron.
4
This afternoon I was lucky enough to meet a Naxi man from the old town.
He was between 80 and 90 years old, but was full of energy. He spoke
some English and showed me some translations of Naxi poems. It was
fascinating to read them! The Naxi language is the only hieroglyphic
language still in use and is over 1,000years old. The Naxi believe that
they came from a creature called Tabu, who helped them hatch from magic
eggs. This story is shown in pictures in books put together in the 10th
century, and there are still a few copies of these ancient books in
Lijiang. April 25th
5
Lijiang is a city of painters and writers, but Naxi culture is
particularly famous for its music. Passed from father to son, the music
has not changed for eight centuries, and among the richer Naxi people,
knowledge of this music showed that you were a real gentleman. I've just
returned from a performance of the Naxi Orchestra. It took place in an
old wooden hall, and was played by Naxi men, some of whom looked as if
they were well over 100years old! They played ancient songs, songs with
names such as The water Dragon is singing, Wind from the River and The
Sheep on the Hill. Sometimes the instruments sounded like women crying,
or trees bending under snow. In the audience there were both tourists
and local people. Everyone listened as if someone had put a spell on
them.
April 29th
6
I have only one day left before traveling to Kunming and then flying
back home. My stay here has been unforgettable and I really don't want
to leave. I've learnt so much about the Naxi culture, and I now
understand that although people may seem very different from you, we all
laugh, cry, and need love and friendship. However different we may
appear to be at first, we are all the same, all equal.
The Bai Ethnic Group
The Bai ethnic group has a population of around two million, 90% of whom
live in Yunnan. Their native region is the Erhai region of Yunnan, and
its main city is Dali. The Bai have their own dialect, which resembles
Chinese; however, Chinese is mostly spoken today. The Bai have an
agricultural economy, their main crops being rice, wheat, beans and cotton. Their staple foods are pork, rice and wheat. The Bai have a tradition of building houses as a community, usually beginning on a festival day. The houses are in the style of traditional Chinese architecture. They also build halls known as Yunhe halls, which can hold about 200 people and are used as community centres.
The Bai prefer the colour white, and Bai women wear white and red costumes, while the men wear white shirts and long wide trousers. Known as good singers and dancers, the Bai have an opera, which combines both music and dance. Another tradition is the Bai tea ceremony, in which tea is served three times. The most well-known Bai festival is the torch Festival. During this festival, a tree, known as the torch tree, is burnt. Young mothers and their children walk round the tree three times for good luck, while others wish for a happy life for the village. Children then light torches and run through the fields.
No Problem
"Ouch!" I howled in pain as I dropped the hammer onto my foot. I felt foolish.
It was pouring with rain, and, lame for a moment, I hopped around to the driver's side.
"No luck?" said George. We had a flat tyre and I was trying to change the wheel. But it was stuck firm.
We had driven ten hours along the road through the jungle without seeing another soul. In the distance was an ox working in a field.
"So what do we do now?" asked George, as I got back into the car. About fifteen minutes later, the rain stopped. Out of the jungle came an old woman. She walked towards us carrying something long and thin.
"Uh - oh, here comes danger!" said George, "She's got a spear."
She was wearing traditional garments, with short sleeves, a colourful necklace and other jewellery. As she got closer, we saw the spear was just a wooden pole. I got out.
"Hello!" I said, in English. "Can you help us?" I pointed to the wheel.
She stared at it, and then made a gesture to follow her back to the jungle. George and I looked at each other, then set off after her.
Soon we came to a tent under an arch of trees. It had a rigid framework of wooden poles, like the one the woman was carrying, covered with heavy cloth, and fastened with rope made with some kind of loose plant fibre. All around were corn plants. It was harvest time for the
grain, and a spade, a fork and other tools were lying on the ground. Nearby were some chicks and a rooster, and a pig tied to a post.
The woman folded back a cloth and invited us in. My eyes had to adjust to the darkness inside. The tent was furnished with a few mats on the floor, and a low table with a teapot. She picked up a photo and showed it to us. Was it her husband? The man in the photo was bare to
the waist. He looked much too young. She was probably a widow. Maybe her son or her nephew?
Our hostess poured some tea, and watched as we drank.
"Say something," ordered George.
"Cheers!" I said and raised my cup. "Can we contact a garage?"
Suddenly, there was a tap at the door. It was the man in the photo. The old woman said something, and he looked at us. I felt awkward, so I smiled at him.
"No problem," he said, in English. He pulled out a mobile phone and made a call.
"Twenty minutes. No problem. Let's wait by the car," he said.
As we walked back to the car, the sun pierced the clouds. Over the hills beyond was the most beautiful rainbow.
Native Americans and Australian Aborigines
Among the most well-known ethnic minorities of the English-speaking
world are the Native Americans of North America, and the Australian Aborigines.
It is generally agreed that Native Americans came across from Asia, somewhere between 12,000 and 25,000 years ago. Until the arrival of the Europeans in the 15th century, it is thought that there were between 1.8 million and 10 million Native Americans in North America. The people had thick straight black hair, dark eyes and brown skin. They were a hunting, fishing culture, but as they moved round, many kinds of society developed, speaking many languages. For example, in the west people
lived in villages and developed an agricultural economy, whereas in the east, where it was colder, people remained a hunting culture. With the arrival of the Europeans, there were many battles over land, and the Native American population became much smaller, partly because they died form European diseases. Today, Native Americans live in only a few areas of North America. They were made citizens of the US in 1924.
The native people of Australia, called Aborigines, probably came from somewhere in Asia more than 40,000 years ago. It is thought that at the time of the arrival of the Europeans in the late 18th century, the population was about 350,000.
Like the Native Americans, they were hunters and gatherers, living in small groups across the continent. These groups did not have leaders and the older men of the group made their decisions together. When important ceremonies took place, hundreds of people from different
groups traveled great distances to attend them. For Aborigines, the land is very important and no part of it can be owned by a particular person. After the arrival of the Europeans, Aboriginal numbers became smaller and smaller, as the Europeans took more and more land. However,
in the 1960s, the importance of Aboriginal culture began to be understood. Today, Aborigines make up just over 1.5% of Australia's population.
Module 6 The World's Cultural Heritage
The Amazing Caves of Zhoukoudian
Zhoukoudian is a small village about 50 kilometres south-west of Beijing. In the 1920s, archaeologists discovered some prehistoric human bones there which changed China's knowledge of its history. They came from an unknown species of man and were the first evidence of primitive human
life in China thousands of years ago. The remains were ... three teeth! In 1929, a complete skull was also discovered. Eventually, archaeologists found almost 200 items, including six skulls and more
than 150 teeth. These discoveries proved the existence of a human
species who lived in the area between 700,000 and 200,000 years ago.
Four sites where Beijing Man and his relations lived were
discovered on the northern face of Dragon Bone Hill (Longgushan). They lived in the limestone caves in the area.
However, the life span of Beijing Man was short. About 70% of the people probably died before the age of 14. fewer than 5% lived to the
age of 50. Even so, they were quite sophisticated. Ashes were found alongside the fossils which showed they used fire for cooling food and also for light, warmth and protection from wild beasts. This is the earliest evidence of the use fire anywhere in the world. They also made tools of bones and sharpened stones. Unfortunately, when Japan invaded China in 1937, excavations at the Beijing Man Site stopped and most of the fossils disappeared, including a Beijing Man skull. They have never been found. After the people's Republic of China was established in 1949, the work started again and Zhoukoudian became an important tourist attraction.
Zhoukoudian was listed as a world heritage site in December 1987.
It has not only given us important information about prehistoric Asian