Unit 1DIALOGUE IBack from the Summer CampA: Y ou know what? I've just come back from a wonderful summer camp.B: Y ou have? Where did you go?A: Mount Tai.B: I've been there too. It's one of China's most beautiful mountains. There're many scenic spots and places of historical interest. I was greatly impressed by its natural beauty when I took a study tour there two years ago.A: It really is a very beautiful tourist attraction. But we went there as campers, not as tourists. It was a study program organized by our local community committee.B: I bet you had lots of fun there.A: Yes, it was a wonderful experience. Y ou know it was the first time I'd been to a summer camp in five years, and it brought back such sweet memories.B: Were there any other camping groups when you were there?A: Not when we arrived at the foot of the mountain. But soon we were joined by many similar camping groups from other cities. By the time we arrived at the campsite, night had fallen. And we were so happy to see that the campers who arrived there the day before were giving a performance by the campfire.B: Y ou remind me of my last trip there. I wish I had been there with you this time. What did you do at the summer camp?A: Oh, lots of things. Most of the time we studied plants, rocks, insects... things like that. We also had lots of fun, hiking, climbing mountains, taking pictures...B: I guess you had the life of a natural scientist.A: And the life of an athlete, too.B: I had a similar experience during the summer two years ago. I remember my summer camp was subdivided into what we called "hobby groups", such as the music group, the drama group, and the model aircraft and ship group. People sharing similar interests and hobbies worked together. Were there any hobby groups in your program?A: Y es, of course. We had a number of hobby groups for campers with varied interests. We called them "project groups" because each group worked on a particular project. At the completion of their projects, each group presented their "fruits" to all the campers. Some gave oral reports, some staged an exhibition, and others put on a performance.B: Y ou had a marvelous time this summer! Y our story has really brought back happy memories of my own camping experience.DIALOGUE IIDialogue:Sally Jones, an English language teacher from Oxford University, has just arrived at BeijingAirport. She is going to spend three months here, lecturing and teaching at different colleges and universities. Miss Wang, Secretary of the English Department, and Mr. Y u, Vice Chairman of the English Department, have come to the airport to meet her.Miss Wang: Excuse me, are you Miss Jones?Sally: Yes, that's right.Miss Wang: Oh, how do you do? I'm Wang Xinfu, Secretary of the English Department.Sally: Oh, yes, Miss Wang, hello. I'm very pleased to meet you. (They shake hands.)Miss Wang: Miss Jones, may I introduce you to Mr. Y u, Vice Chairman of the English Department?Mr. Y u: Hello, Miss Jones, I've been looking forward to meeting you.Sally: How do you do? (They shake hands.) It's very kind of you both to come and meet me at the airport.Miss Wang: Not at all. I hope you had a good flight.Sally: Well, not too bad. It was a bit bumpy as we came in to land; some low clouds, I think. Mr. Y u: Y es, we had a storm here yesterday and the weather is still a bit unsettled.Sally: Oh, dear! I was rather lucky then!Miss Wang: Y ou must be rather tired after your long flight.Sally: Well, yes, I am actually... I've been travelling for 21 hours!Mr. Y u: In that case, I think we should go straight to the hotel.Miss Wang: Yes, I agree. This way then, ... if you'd like to follow me.READING IHerbert's HomecomingHerbert Marshall was a student at Cambridge, but his hometown was St. Albans. It was August and the family had gone to the seaside. Herbert went to France for his holiday, but he ran out of money, and came home a week earlier than he had expected to.His train didn't get into St. Albans until just before midnight. The last bus had gone, so he had to walk home. He let himself into the kitchen, and as he was feeling hot and sticky, he took off his shirt to have a wash.Suddenly he heard heavy footsteps running up the path. The back door burst open, and he found himself surrounded by policemen. They pushed him into the living-room next door, made him sit down, and began asking him question."What's your name?""Where do you live?""What's in that case?""What are you doing here?""I live here," said Herbert, "I've been on holiday." But nobody listened to him. They just went on asking questions. Then suddenly one of the policemen said:"Watch him, Frank — we'll go and search the house."They left a tall, very young policeman to guard him."Can I put my shirt on?" asked Herbert."No," said the policeman, "stay where you are."Then the others came back with an older man, a sergeant. He asked the same questions, but he listened to Herbert's answers."I live here," said Herbert, "and I want to put my shirt on." The sergeant looked at him thoughtfully."We'll soon settle this," he said.He went out and came back with a small, sandy-haired man wearing a shabby, brown dressing-gown. It was Herbert's next-door neighbor. He peered at Herbert intently through thick spectacles."Oh, yes, sergeant," he said, "That is Mr. Marshall." Then he disappeared very quickly. The policemen all looked dreadfully disappointed. They were convinced they had caught a burglar. "Did he ring you up?" asked Herbert. The police sergeant nodded."He saw a light and understood your family had all gone away to the seaside."When they had all gone, Herbert made himself a cup of coffee.Unit 2DIALOGUE IA Trip to HuangshanA: Y ou visited Huangshan during your summer vacation, I heard. How was the trip?B: Oh, it was great! Y ou ought to go there some day if you haven't been there already.A: I certainly will one of these days when I have a chance. I've heard so much about it. What do you think is the best time to go to Huangshan?B: Well, it's very crowded there in summer. Y ou know, summer is always a busy tourist season for resorts like mountains and beaches. And it's too cold to go there in winter, so I wouldn't suggest the winter season, either. Besides, we can't afford the time when school is in session. So I would say the best time for college students to visit Huangshan is the first few days of the summer break when people haven't started doing anything yet.A: I see. How long does the whole the whole trip take, including the time on the road?B: It all depends, really. If you go there by train, four days should be enough. Y ou can also take a bus, which takes a longer time and is less comfortable, but as a trade-off, you'll be able to enjoy lots of country scenes and perhaps you'll save some money, too. Besides, the coach will take you directly to the foot of the mountain, or, if you like, midway up the mountain.A: I'll go by bus, then. But how long does it take from Shanghai?B: A one-way bus ride takes about twelve hours.A: Wow, twelve hours on the road!B: And on narrow winding roads when you're almost there.A: Does the bus stop for a rest on the way?B: Oh, yes, of course. Although there's a john at the back of the coach, it stops every three or four hours for you to relax and stretch yourself, and take meals.A: That sounds good. If I can afford the time, I think I'll take the bus. Incidentally, I heard that Huangshan is famous for its clouds, pine trees and rocks. Could you tell me when is the best timeto see the clouds and where I can find the famous pine trees and the unique rock formations?B: Well, as soon as you've made up your mind, I'll tell you what to look for and where to see them. A: Do you think I should go by myself, or take a package tour with a travel agency.B: I can't say which is better. They each have advantages and disadvantages. Anyway, the most important of all is that you must go and see for yourself.A: Thank you very much for all the information. Y ou know, I'm beginning to think about the trip very seriously.DIALOGUE IIDialogue:Map of NewtownA stranger standing at point x stops someone and asks him the way to the station.A: Excuse me.B: Y es.A: Could you tell me how to get to the railway station, please?B: The railway station? Let me think... yes, take the third turning on the right and it's opposite the park.A: The third turning on the right. I see... is it far?B: No, not really, only a few minutes.A: Oh, good, thank you very much.B: Not at all.READING ILeaving HomeWhen I told my mother, she looked at me as if I had slapped her face."What? Live in London?" she said."I just feel it's time I saw a little more of the world. After all, mum, I'm twenty-two!"Just then, my father came downstairs, looking relaxed as he always did after his Sunday afternoon nap. I had chosen the moment carefully."Clive wants to leave home. He doesn't want to live with us any more," she told him in a trembling voice. My father's expression changed."What? Y ou aren't serious, are you, son?" he asked. He sat down at the table opposite me. Perhaps my parents wouldn't have reacted this way if they hadn't spent all their lives in a small village in Wales. And perhaps my mother in particular wouldn't have been so possessive if her only other child hadn't died as a baby. I tried to explain to them that the bank I worked for had offered me a chance to take a job in their head office. But I didn't dare tell them I had already accepted the job."London's a long way away. We'll hardly see you anymore," my father said."I can come back at weekends, dad."He shook his head, looking more and more like someone who had just been given a few months to live by his doctor."I don't know, son. I don't know."He shook his head again and then got up and walked out into the garden.My mother and I sat there at the table. In the silence, I could hear the old clock ticking away in the hall. There were tears in my mother's eyes. I know she was going to put pressure on me to give up the idea, and I wondered if I could stand up to it. I even began to wonder if it was wrong of me to want to leave my family, the village and the people I had known all my life to live among the English in their cold, strange capital.She put her hand over mine."Y our father hasn't been well lately. Neither have I. Y ou know that. But we won't stand in your way if it's what you really want," she said.Unit 3DIALOGUE IA New Life on the University CampusLu Hua goes back to her secondary school to visit Wang Laoshi, her former English teacher. Wang Laoshi asks her about her life and study in the English Department at Pujiang University.A: Hello, Lu Hua. Nice to have you back. How are things at the university?B: Everything's fine, Wang Laoshi. Life at the university is so exciting and challenging.A: Do you live on campus?B: Not the whole time... I mean not on weekends. A university rule says that no freshmen should live off campus during the weekdays, unless the university authorities give permission.A: It's a good rule for new students. But you don't have to eat in school cafeterias, do you?B: No, we don't. But we prefer to eat there because there's a wide variety of foods on the menu, which changes every day. Besides, the food service is much better than that of most secondary schools. For one thing, our campus cafeterias are under the management of a professional food service company with an annually-renewable contract.A: I suppose you buy meal plans, then.B: Most of us do. We have IC cards for meals and pay on a monthly basis.A: That's very convenient. Well, how do you like your campus environment in general?B: The university has two campuses, one for freshmen and sophomores, and the other for juniors, seniors and graduate students. My campus is located on the outskirts of the city. It's a new campus, very peaceful, and free from the hustle and bustle of a metropolis.A: And free from all sorts of distractions and diversions that most city dwellers find it hard to escape or ignore.B: Y es, it's another plus when you live away from urban attractions.A: Did you have any orientation program about campus life for entering students?B: Y es. It was a three-day orientation, including a campus tour. We tried to learn as much aspossible about the university. We visited libraries, classroom buildings, language labs, the multimedia resource centre, computer support services, the student club, and the sports stadium. A: Do you freshmen have access to all these resources and technical facilities on a regular basis? B: Absolutely. They are open to all students. As a matter of fact, we're encouraged to make the most of the libraries and technical support services on the campus.A: Being an English major, do you have to speak English with your fellow students and English teachers most of the time?B: Yeah. We're expected to speak English with all our English teachers, whatever courses they teach. We're also encouraged to speak English in the dorm area as much as possible. We're not quite used to this "English only" environment, though. Anyway, we're all trying very hard.A: Good for you. It always takes time to adjust to a new environment. I suppose there are English lectures and talks available to you.B: Yes. They are given to us English majors periodically, and they cover a variety of topics. Not only that, we are encouraged to attend the free discussion session following each lecture or presentation. Most of the lectures are given by native-speakers, and unfortunately, I have a difficult time figuring out much of what they say.A: It takes time to understand lectures by native speakers. But they are very good for students majoring in English.B: Y es, indeed. There's no reason whatsoever for me to skip any of them.A: Well, your life at the university sounds very good. It's such a delight to know that one of my students is doing fine at the university. Come and see me again when you have a chance.B: I certainly will.DIALOGUE IIDialogue:A: When did you last go to London?B: Oh, I don't know really. I suppose it was about thirty, or, maybe even forty years ago.A: As long as that? Y ou wouldn't recognize it now.B: Has it changed very much?A: Oh, yes! It's changed beyond belief. It's a lot bigger of course and it's been cleaned up quite a lot.B: What about the fog?A: Oh, London doesn't have fog any more. That's all disappeared and the air has been cleaned considerably over the last thirty years or so.B: Do you think I'd still recognize it?A: Of course you would. Parts of London haven't changed very much at all, but in other areas the change is incredible.B: Is that cinema still open, the one at the corner of the street where I used to live? Y ou remember it, the "Rex", I think.A: No, that was knocked down about ten years ago. It's been replaced by a large supermarket. The small park has been destroyed, too, and the road has been widened. I think a new block of flats will be built there in a few years' time.B: What a pity! That park used to be very beautiful, and peaceful, too, in the summer.A: Even the old grocery shop isn't there anymore. It's been turned into a small restaurant.B: Is the man still there who used to deliver coal?A: No, unfortunately, he died five years ago, but his son still runs the business. He hasn't got a horse and carriage any more. The coal is delivered by lorry. He's doing very with the business, too; next year they'll have two lorries.B: Well, that's progress! Y ou know, I don't think I'd like to go back to London somehow.A: I go to London more often now than I used to, so I don't notice the changes now.B: I think it's been changed too much. I want to remember it as it was.READING IThe PressMore newspapers per person are sold in Britain than in any other country. Some believe that this proves that the British are more civilized and more interested in current affairs than other people; cynics look for other explanations.Certainly the geography of the country helps. Because Britain is such a relatively small country, it is possible to buy national newspapers published in London anywhere in the country on the same day. In most parts of the country, papers are actually delivered to houses by the local newsagent before breakfast.Daily papers are printed every morning in London and important provincial centers. National papers, available everywhere in the country, cover a wide range of political views and journalistic styles. Quality papers include The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and The Times, while more popular papers include The Daily Mirror, The Daily Express, The Sun and The Daily Mail. On the whole, papers in Britain are perhaps less extreme than in some countries; they are less obviously committed politically and less dramatic and sensational in content.As well as national daily papers, there are Sunday papers, again divided between the serious (e.g., The Sunday Times, The Sunday Telegraph and The Observer) and the more popular (e.g., The Sunday Mirror, The Sunday People, News of the World).Some large towns also evening papers containing local as well as national and international news, and nearly everywhere in the country is served by a local weekly paper. This is devoted exclusively to local news and events, and is a very good source of information about what is happening in a particular town or village.Of course the press means more than newspapers. A vast range of magazines are published, aimed at readers interested in all sorts of subjects. If you go into a newsagent's shop in a large town you will find weekly and monthly magazines produced for people with interests from angling to zoos. However, if you judge from this evidence, most British women are interested mainly in knitting and cooking and most British men are interested mainly in cars and football. Can this be true?Unit 4DIALOGUE IStruggling with Taking DictationA: Gosh, look at this, seventeen mistakes in my dictation exercise again! That's terrible. I'm really sick of the whole dictation business.B: Relax, relax. This is not the end of the world. It happened to me too. Just take it easy and let me know what the problem is.A: The problem is that I don't believe I'll ever be able to take dictation in English decently. It gets on my nerves each time I have to do it.B: Come on, it can't be as bad as all that. Let me know if I can help you in any way.A: I started all right each time, but ended up with missing words, even phrases.B: Did you listen carefully when the dictation passage was read to you?A: Of course. I believe I listened to Wu Laoshi's reading very carefully, and tried to take down every word she read to us. What happened was that I was able to write down only the first few words of each sentence. I just couldn't hold complete sentences in my memory while writing.B: Did you have trouble understanding what you had to write?A: Understanding? What has that got to do with taking dictation? It's dictation. All I have to do is to write down what Wu Laoshi dictates.B: I'm afraid that is exactly the problem with your dictation, never trying to make sense of what you hear. How can you hold in your memory something you don't even try to understand?A: I still don't see what you mean.B: I mean you should take advantage of the first reading and try to know the main idea of the whole passage. Then you're on your way to becoming a 'dictation master'.A: Don't tease me. All I want to be is an average dictation taker. What exactly should I do after the first reading?B: In my opinion, when you begin to write, you don't want to listen to each sentence read to you as a group of isolated words, but as a meaningful unit.A: I focused my attention on individual words so that I wouldn't miss a single one. Every word counts when the dictation work is graded, you know.B: I'm afraid that was another reason why you failed to do dictation well. I know every word counts. But each phrase, and each sentence, counts more. If you focus only on isolated words without making sense of the whole sentence or of the whole passage, you will miss more than a few words. On the contrary, if you understand a group of words as a meaningful sentence, the words will come to you more easily.A: I see. Y our advice is very helpful. I think I'm beginning to understand. Thank you for your advice.B: Y ou've welcome.DIALOGUE IIDialogue:Elizabeth meets her interpreter in the hotel lobby for breakfast. They have been in Beijing fortwo days and are returning to Shanghai in two hours.Int: Hello, Elizabeth. How are you?Eliz: Fine, thanks.Int: Are you sure you're all right? Y ou look a bit worried today. Is there anything wrong?Eliz: Well, yes, there is something wrong actually. Perhaps you can give me some advice.Int: Of course, if I can.Eliz: Well, last night when I returned from the theatre, I found that I'd lost my wallet.Int: Oh, dear! That's terrible! What was in your wallet?Eliz: Well, some money, of course, my visa, all my identity cards and some photos.Int: Well, if I were you, I'd go to the police station straight away and report it.Eliz: Y es, I've already done that, and they said they'd make a search for it. But we're leaving soon and I need my visa and identity cards badly.Int: Oh, dear! What a pity! Are you sure you lost the wallet in the theatre?Eliz: Y es, quite sure.Int: I think you should put an advertisement in the China Daily, saying when and where you lost it.Eliz: But that takes too long.Int: Wait a minute! I know! How stupid of me. My uncle lives in Beijing and he lives very close to the theatre. I'll telephone him and ask him to go there. Y ou'd better go and have breakfast and I'll meet you later.Eliz: Oh, thank you. That's marvelous. I hope he find it.READIGN IA Source of EnergyEveryone needs and uses energy. If there were no energy, there would be no life.Most of the energy on this planet comes from the sun, but people do not receive that energy directly. It comes from different sources and in different forms.Green plants convert the sun's energy to food energy that animals and people use for life. The energy from animals had been used for hundreds of years to operate farm equipment and to pull carts, wagons, and other vehicles.The sun's energy takes water from rivers, lakes, and oceans and returns it to the earth in the form of rain or snow. When rain or snow falls on the land, some of it flows into rivers and streams. This flowing water can be used to produce mechanical energy and electricity. Water can also be converted to steam, which produces energy to operate machines.Winds also come from solar energy. Air that has been heated by the sun rises and creates winds. The power of winds has moved ships on the sea, ground grain, and brought water from the earth. There is also solar energy in oil, wood, and coal. There fuels have been formed over many centuries from plants. People burn them to produce heat and to create power for machines. Coal and oil are used to produce electrical energy, too. And electricity produces light, heat, and sound energy. In addition, electric power operates many kinds of equipment, tools, and machines, which make work easier.The need for power increases every day, and some sources of energy are being used up very quickly. So scientists and technicians are trying to find new ways to produce power. Nuclear energy, cow manure and garbage have become energy sources. But probably the most promising source of energy is solar heat. Some scientists suggest using these different sources of energy together. If this were done, it would be a way to create all of the power people need.* * *If All the Seas Were One SeaIf all the seas were one sea,What a great sea that would be!If all the trees were one tree,What a great tree that would be!If all the axes were one axe,What a great axe that would be?If all the men were one man,What a great man that would be!And if the great man took the great axeAnd cut down the great treeAnd let it fall into the great sea,What a great splash that would be!Unit 5DIALOGUE ILearning Chinese as a Foreign LanguageA: Hi, Xiaohua!B: Hi, David, how's everything?A: Good. So far so good, I mean.B: Y ou've been in China for two months. How do you like your CFL program in the Chinese Department?A: My interest in Chinese grows with each passing day. So does my difficulty in learning Chinese. It's such a difficult language! It's go different from European languages, such as English and French.B: As a learner of English as a foreign language, I'm going through a similar ordeal. I have difficulty with spelling, pronunciation and, believe it or not, with numbers and figures.A: But you speak English so much better than I do Chinese. I wish I were able to talk to native speakers in Chinese the way you are talking to me.B: Y ou will. Only it takes time.A: I know. "Rome was not built in a day."B: And “只要工夫深，铁杵磨成针”, as the Chinese saying goes.A: Which means...?B: Which means "Dripping water wears away stone", or "Where there's a will, there's a way." By the way, what do you find most difficult with your Chinese learning?A: The grammatical structure of Chinese doesn't seem to be as complex as I used to think. In many ways it is simpler than most European languages. No verb agreement, no irregular verbs and nouns, very few and simple tense markers, to name just a few.B: On the other hand, these are exactly the causes of some of the major problems I have with my English learning.A: But the Chinese writing system is altogether new to me. Instead of neat rows of 26 simple alphabetic letters, there are tens of thousands of unique characters formed with a varied number of strokes. Many of these characters seem complex. Although the calligraphy of Chinese characters is artistically beautiful, I won't be able to appreciate it until I can recognize and write at least 8,888 Chinese characters. I'm just kidding.B: How does Chinese sound to you?A: I find Putonghua rather melodious, a little like singing.B: Basically, Chinese is a tonal language. I'm not sure if you have trouble with making distinctions of the four tones.A: Y es, I do. The tonal system of Chinese really bothers me. It's a major source of difficulty with my comprehension and pronunciation. It's so upsetting that most of the time I don't understand what I hear and am not understood by others.B: I suggest you take advantage of living in China and go to lectures, movies, and plays "8,888 times", and dip yourself in the language environment as much as possible. Before I forget, I have two tickets for a newly-released feature film. Would you like to go with me and improve your listening for the tones?A: Certainly! Thank you so much.B: My pleasure.DIALOGUE IIDialogue:Two English teachers from a foreign language university in China are talking about a book called Beijing opera and Mei Lanfang. One of the teachers saw a Beijing opera a week ago and bought the book afterwards; the other teacher didn't see the opera, but is interested in buying the book. A: Where did you buy it?B: In the bookshop. It wasn't very expensive.A: What does the book say about Beijing opera? I don't know anything about it.B: Well, neither did I before I read the book. It says that the Beijing opera is a very old art form, over hundreds of years old.A: Do you think I should buy it?B: Y es, if you are interested. It tells you all about the history, the famous actors, the costumes and what all the different movements mean.A: What's the difference between Beijing opera and Western theatre?。
