UNIT1 Our Earth
Track 4-1-1& 4-1-2
Blake: What are you working on, Mary
Mary: I'm finishing my paper. It's due tomorrow, Blake.
Blake: What's the topic
Mary: It's about Greenland.
Blake: Greenland. Hmmm . . . that's part of Canada, right
Mary: I think you need to study your world geography, Blake.
Blake: Well, isn't it near Canada
Mary: Yes, it's off the coast of northeast Canada, but it's part of Denmark.
Blake: Oh, I didn't know that. Well, what's your paper about exactly
Mary: In my paper, I answer the question "Is Greenland really green" In other words, is Greenland covered by a lot of plants and trees
Blake: Is it
Mary: What do you think
Blake: Let's see . . . Greenland is in the Arctic Circle-way up north. It's cold, . . . so "Is Greenland really green" I'd answer "probably not."
Mary: You'd be correct. It's too cold there. In the north, a lot of the ground is frozen. The summers are short, so only the surface thaws.
Blake: That sounds tough.
Mary: It's hard for the construction industry. It's not easy to build in Greenland. Blake: It sounds so harsh. Why would anyone want to go there
Mary: There are big mountain ranges on the coasts. They're great for hiking and outdoor sports. And there are lots of animals there. You can sometimes see whales swimming in the harbors. Blake: That sounds cool! OK,so if it's not really a "green" place, why was it named "Greenland"
Mary: The first settlers wanted to attract other people. They gave it an attractive name.
Track 4-1-3
Bart: So what exactly did you do over the summer
Gustav: We worked as volunteers at Glacier National Park
Bart: I've never been there. What's it like
Carolina: It's beautiful. There are mountains and lakes... and, of course, glaciers! Bart: How was the job
Gustav: We had to do a lot of physical work. It was kind of hard.
Carolina:That's true, but it was exciting, too! We actually saw bears!
Bart:Wow! That does sound exciting. Maybe I should apply. I'll need a job next summer. Carolina: Sorry, Bart, but you can't apply to that program. It's a special program for international students.
Track 4-1-4
1. Mt. Fuji is really beautiful from far away. When you climb it, it's just rocks and dirt ... but it's really beautiful from far away.
2. Last year I was in San Francisco and I had a chance to drive across the Golden Gate Bridge. What an amazing feat of engineering. It gives you a chance to look through all of San Francisco and over San Francisco Bay and it's just a wonderful chance to see the city.
Track 4-1-OL-1&4-1-OL-2
Jay: Come in here, Elise. You should see this show!
Elise: What is it
Jay: It's called "The Titanic of the Sky". It's about the Hindenburg, a great engineering feat.
Elise: The Hindenburg . . .
Jay: You know, that giant zeppelin that crashed in people died.
Elise: Oh yeah, I remember now. It was flying from Germany to the United States. It crashed as it was landing.
Jay: Right. It's so funny looking, don't you think It doesn't look anything like the
