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S2AChapter 1Reading My favorite sportSkiing is my favorite sport, even though I have only skied for four days in my whole life. Last year, my father promised to take me on a holiday if I did well in my exams. When I got straight A’s, Dad said’‘How about a weekend at the Botanical Gardens? ’However, my mu said, ‘No, you promised a special holiday. I think you ought to keep your word.’ And, despite the expense, he did,M y dream was to see some real snow, so in the Christmas vacation we flew to Seoul, South Korea, and then took a shuttle bus which runs back and forth between Seoul and Muju Resort. As the bus climbed through the mountains, we saw the snow in the trees.I was dying to get out of the bus.No one in my family had ever touched snow before. We were all like little children--- we picked it up, made snowballs, and threw them at each other!Then we checked in at the hotel. Our room overlooked one of the ski slopes. The slope was floodlit, so we watched people skiing until 10 p.m. We could not wait to try it ourselves.The next day we had our first skiing lesson. We rented our ski suits, boots ad skis, and went outside onto the snow. Wearing skis for the first time makes you feel very strange. Suddenly you find you cannot even walk.Our instructor took us onto a gentle slope, and showed us some basic skills. In order to do up a hill, you have to stand sideways, and go up step by step. You must point the tips of your skis together so that you can stop. However, the tips must not cross, or you will fall. You should not ski alone in case you fall and get injured. To be honest, that first lesson was not a great success, and I kept falling down!However, the next day I definitely improved. I only fell over a few times, and I managed to do a few longer runs. I felt pleased with myself, and the instructor congratulated me, so I felt great. Although it was very cold, I spent most of that holiday skiing. It was the most wonderful time of my life.Nevertheless, it was all over too soon. Now I have decided to work part-time this summer, so I can earn enough money for another super skiing holiday.More reading Faster, Higher, StrongerThe Olympic Games have a long history. The first modern Games were held in Athens, Greece in 1896. Every four years, athletics from all over the world compete in various sports at the Games. The largest group participates in athletics.‘Athletics’ refers to sports in four areas: track, field, road and combined events. Track events, such as running and hurdling, test a person’s speed. In order to win a track event, a person needs to go faster than everyone else. Field events, however, test how high or far someone can jump in events such as the long jump or high jump. They also test how far someone can throw in events such as the shot-put, discus or javelin. The marathon and race walks are road events. They test endurance. In combined events, athletes are required to compete in a series of competition from each category. The most famous combined event is the decathlon. The decathlon involves ten differentathletics events that take place over two days. Since the decathlon involves ten different athletics events that take place over two days. Since the decathlon tests all-around physical ability, the winner of the decathlon is often called ‘the world‘s greatest athlete.’Although all Olympic sports are equal in importance, athletics is, in many ways, the best picture of the Olympic motto ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger”. The desire of humanity to do better---to run faster, to soar higher and to push farther---is what the Olympics are all about.Chapter 2Reading Tutorial centresHelpfulI have been studying at a tutorial centre for two years. The fees are very reasonable, and my command of English has improved greatly since I started.My tutors are all qualified teachers. They are sincere and kind.I have been helped a lot by them.One of my teachers was British. At first, I could not say anything to her. However, later I learnt how to communicate in English with a westerner.I think that the tutorial centre has given me a lot of confidence in using English.I go to sleepI have been attending a tutorial centre for two months. I have been forced to attend by my parents, but I do not think it is useful for me.I am always very tired after school. Sometimes I even sleep during the classes in the evening.Furthermore, the teachers are very boring. They give us a lot of supplementary exercises but they teach us nothing. I usually read comics during class. Sometimes I go to a video arcade instead. I think tutorial centres are uselessWaste of moneyI have studied at a tutorial centre for one year. However, I think that I have been cheated.These tutorial centres are only interested in making money, so they accept too many students for each class. However, they do not want to pay for good teachers. My English teacher was a university student who studied physics, not English!Very often, he could not answer our questions about the use of the language.In my opinion, it is better to spend more time on school work than to waste money at a ‘money-making’ tutorial centre. Good and badI have experienced both good and bad tutorial centres.In my first centre, I was in a very big class. My teacher was an Australian. He just talked about his travels. I could learn nothing from him. I left within a month.Then I ask all my friends for their advice. As a result of their recommendations, I enrolled on a course at another centre.The teachers are excellent here and the classes are small. We have been taught many good techniques for developing our language and studying skills.There are both good and bad tutorial centres, so you must do some detective work before you enroll.However, the most important thing is whether you are willing to learn and to work hard. The key factor is yourself.More reading Independent learningIndependent learning is one solution for those who want to continue their education, nut have no time for it. It is often described as ‘a class of one’, because you work alone. You study at your own pace, at a time and place convenient for you. These courses can help you get a degree, help your career, or help you learn what interests you.One type of independent learning is the correspondence course, In a correspondence course, a school sends you textbooks, study guides, and materials such as video and audio discs. You communicate with your teacher by mail. Your teacher reads yourpapers and makes comments, Your marks are recorded by the school before they are mailed back to you.A newer style of independent learning is e-learning. Withe-learning, you study using computer software or the Internet. You can learn on your own, or you can enroll on a course. Usually, in an e-learning course, students communicate with their teachers through e-mail. However, some students have been using video recently. This allows the teacher and the students to see and communicate with each other at the same time. Independent learning gives you the freedom to adapt your learning to your lifestyle. However, it requiresself-discipline and hard work, so not everyone is successful at it. Those who are successful receive a real sense of achievement and satisfaction.Chapter 3Reading FashionMy topic is ‘Fashion’. Fashion is important to almost all of us. By fashion, we usually mean popular trends in styles of dress. When we do out or to a party, we usually like to wear fashionable clothes. To illustrate my talk, I have brought along five objects.My first object is this blouse. It looks beautiful, doesn’t it? It’s my most expensive piece of clothing, and I love it. It cost me $200. It may seem very extravagant, but I could afford it with my own savings. It wasn’t easy for me to earn the money, but when buying clothes, I think the more you spend the better the quality. So you see, fashion is quite important to me. However, I’m not as keen on fashion as my brother Gary. Last summer, he won a free trip to London in a contest. The organizers wanted to show him some famous sights. But he didn’t appreciate old buildings. He just spent all his time searching for the coolest pair of trainers! For him, fashion was more important than culture. These are the trainers he bought. Was it worth a trip to London to buy these? Well, I don’t think so. It was a waste of time and money.Fashion is very big business. Changes in fashion can create or ruin jobs. As an example, I have brought this blonde wig to showyou. It belongs to one of my mum’s friends. In the 1960s, these were very fashionable. But a few years later fashions changed, and women wore wigs much less often. Many wig factories closed down, and hundreds of workers lost their jobs, which was terrible!Fashion can affect the natural world, as well. I’m holding an old hat borrowed from a drama company. It’s made of beaver fur. These hats were very fashionable about 200 years ago. As a result, beavers almost became extinct. Luckily, in the 1850s, these hats went out of style and the beavers were saved. Finally, we should remember the saying,’ never judge a book by its cover.’ Clothes will not make us more or less clever, better or worse, more or less honest. I once saw a movie about Mother Teresa. She spent all her life helping poor people in India, most of whom were dying. In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. When she flew to get the award, she wore the same old clothes as usual, and carried all her possessions in a little bag like this, which I bought in a market. This reminds us that fashion is not the most important thing in life. Thank you.More reading Uniform fashion good for young students School uniforms are not part of the traditional way of life in the USA. In 1987, Cherry Hill Elementary, which is in the Maryland, went against tradition by becoming the first public school in the USA to make students wear uniforms. The school did this to reduce trouble caused by the students’ love of fashion. Since this new programme has proved to be a good way to promote safety and discipline, other schools soon followed. By 2000, 12 pert cent of American public schools required school uniforms.The introduction of school uniforms has helped reduce school violence. Much of school violence is linked to the wearing of gang colours, which are the clothes worn by different youth gangs. In schools with youth gangs, the number of fights decreased by 40 per cent after uniforms wre introduced. Uniforms also send a message that students are at school to study, not to play. They reduce peer pressure and create school pride. These things help raise the academic level of the students.Although school uniforms are popular in some areas, this new tren has met strong resistance from many parents, some of whom angrily complain that uniforms keep students from showing their individuality. A few parents have even gone too curt to stop school uniforms from being introduced. For this reason, it is unlikely that uniforms will ever be adopted nationwade.Chapter 4Reading The hamburger businessIn 1954, an American businessman called Ray Kroc was selling milkshake machines. One small drive-in hamburger stand in California bought not one but eight of these expensive machines. Surprised by this Kroc decided to go and visit it.Arriving before the hamburger stand opened, Kroc sat in his car and watched. A team of young people in uniforms appeared and started cleaning the stand and its car park, making everything neat and tidy. When opened for business, the hamburger stand was immediately filled with customers. The staff were cheerful,fast and polite. The food was excellent. Impressed by the cleanliness, service and food, Kroc looked up at the name over the hamburger stand. It read, ‘McDonald’s Hamburgers’. Although started six years earlier, in 1948, McDonald’s was still a small business owned by two brothers, Mac and Dick McDonald. Kroc suggested that they should set up more outlets, but the brothers were happy with their life and did not want to expand further. However, they did allow Kroc to launch other branches of McDonald’s for them. That was the start of the biggest fat-food company in history.In 1955, Kroc opened his first McDonald’s near Chicago, and many more swiftly followed. In 1959, the 100th McDonald’s was opened. In 1961, Kroc took over complete ownership of the business from the brothers by paying them US $2.7 million. By 1972, a new McDonald’s was being opened every day, and by 1974 there were over 3,000 restaurants. McDonald’s came to Hong Kong in 1975, and was introduced into Shenzhen in1990. Two years later, the first McDonald’s in Beijing opened with more than 40,000 customers on its first day.Why has McDonald’s been so successful? Back in 1956, McDonald’s adopted the motto ‘Q. S. C. &V.’ These letters stand for’Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value’. In all of these areas, McDonald’s pay great attention to detail.For example, after years of planning, McDonald’s established its largest ever restaurant in Moscow in1990. To achieve the right quality, potatoes are imported into Russia, and farmers are taught how to farm them properly, as well as how to harvest and pack them.To achieve good service, McDonald’s has one of the best training programmes in the world. It even has seven Hamburger Universities (one in Hong Kong) where top personnel can learn management and customer service skills.By 2005, McDonald’s had over 30,000 outlets in 119 countries and regions. It sells more than 100 hamburgers every second of the day. While it does not yet have a restaurant on the Moon, no doubt a plan is already being made for one.More reading The rise of chain stores in ChinaDuring the last few years, the number of chain stores has greatly increased in big cities in China. Nowadays, within a short walk along a busy street, you are likely to find a chain store of some kind---a fast food restaurant, a bakery or a convenience store.Chain stores have become part of people’s daily lives. They may pop into a BreadTalk to buy a sweet roll for breakfast on their way to work. They may visit a Lianhua Supermarket in the evening to buy some food for dinner,\For a birthday, they might celebrate with friends at a Little Sheep Hotpot Restaurant. At the weekend they may go to GoMe Appliances to buy a DVD or MP3 player. Chain stores have become so popular that some people include them as a factor when deciding where to live.Why have chain stores grown so fast in number and influence? Meeting the customers’ needs is the answer. Opened in convenient locations, the stores are usually next door to people’s homes and close to bus stops or underground stations. They offer a wide range of products in a clean, well-lit and relaxing environment. Every store in a chain operates in the same way as the others do. That way, everyone knows what to expect in case they shop there. The prices are reasonable too.It seems that chain stores are a welcome development in China. They are certainly a new force changing people’s way of life.Chapter 5Reading Virtual realityOnly 50 years ago, computers were bigger than people. Today, people can carry their laptops with them anywhere they go. Soon, we may be able to step inside a computer world thanks to the magic of virtual reality.What is virtual reality, or VR? If something is virtual, then it is created by computer technology and appears as if it were real. Virtual reality is a computer system with a special headset. When you put on the headset, you look at two tiny television screens. They are so close to your eyes that your mind will see the image as one picture, and you will believe that you have entered a different world. In many systems, you also wear a special data glove. With this glove you can reach out and touch things in the artificial world.The first VR games, already sold round the world, enable you to drive a sports car, fly a plane, or fight an enemy. In the future, it may be difficult to distinguish the virtual world of the games from the real world outside.However, VR is not just for entertainment. One day, delighted children will be able to learn geography by observing exciting foreign countries without having to leave their classroom. They will be thrilled to learn history by visiting the pyramids of Egypt, or by hand-feeding friendly dinosaurs.In addition, business will be able to use VR for many tasks. Cars designed using computers can be tested as virtual machines first, before they are manufactures in metal. Architects will be able to make virtual buildings, which they can walk around and inspect before constructing. VR can help us in hundreds of ways.Despite this, concerned critics have warned that there could be dangers in this powerful new medium. Will we have VR games in which people can commit virtual crimes? After people get used to VR, will they want to return to reality? Will we forget how to live and work with real people?On the other hand, some people think that VR will help us improve the world. By experimenting harmlessly inside a VR world, we will be able to see the dangers we may face in the future. Then we will be able to avoid them in real life.No doubt there will be some problems with VR, as there are with all new inventions. However, one thing is for sure: VR is here to stay. Get ready to step into another world!More reading WearabletechnologyDid you know that some technology can be worn?In fact, wearable technology has been around for some time. The first people to experiment with the idea were managers of sports teams. They wanted to know how athletes could use technology to improve their performance. Special vests, created to monitor an athlete’s body, can measure how fast the heart is beating and how hard the athlete is breathing. Scientists have also developed ‘cooling’ vests to help athletes perform better in difficult conditions, such as hot weather. Furthermore, anAmerican company is currently researching clothes for soldiers to help them run faster, jump higher and lift heavier equipment. Before long, we will have technology in our everyday clothing.A computer hidden in a coat could be operated by a keyboard on one of the sleeves.Electronic sunglasses could show us maps of where we are standing and point us in the direction that we want to go. Our clothes could also monitor our bodies. They could tell us when we need to eat certain foods, take medicine or rest in order to stay healthy.There is only one problem with clothes like these: They may be difficult to wash. Electricity and water do not mix! You could remove the electronic parts before washing, but putting them back in again could take hours. Designers are now building small wires into the fabric of the clothing to solve this problem. These clothes could appear in shops any day now. Soon, we could all be wearing electronic clothes.Chapter 6Reading Transforming MarsEver since the beginning of history, people have dreamt of interplanetary travel. For centuries, these dreams have always remained dreams. However, scientists now want to make these dreams come true. They are planning to transform Mars so that humans can live there. Within 30 years, the first people will land on Mars and, by the year 2185, we will have established cities.In many ways, Mars is the planet most similar to Earth. A Martian day lasts about 24 1/2 hours (although a year has 687 days). While there is no water, there is a lot of ice in the two polar ice caps. The average temperature is -60℃.The plan involves changing Mars so that it becomes more like Earth. This means using the ‘greenhouse effect’ (which we are trying to stop on Earth). The suggested programme would have five main stages.Stage 1 (AD 2030-2045).The first expedition arrives on Mars, after a journey by spacecraft of about six months. The members construct underground buildings, conduct experiments, look for good sites for future landings, and also check for signs of life. They can survive only as long as they wear spacesuits, because 95 per cent of the atmosphere is carbon dioxide. Nonetheless, the low gravity (one-third of Earth’s) means they can move around easily.Stage 2 (AD 2045-2095)More expeditions arrive. Huge mirrors are put in orbit round Mars to heat the polar ice caps. The ice caps are sprayed black, so that they do not reflect the heat away. Chemicals are released into the air. As a result, the atmosphere becomes thicker and retains more of the Sun’s heat. If the greenhouse effect can be started, the ice caps will melt, releasing water vapour, and the temperature will rise to -40℃.Stage 3 (AD 2095-2130)Next, plants are introduced from Earth. If these plants can survive on Mars, carbon dioxide can be converted into oxygen.The first clouds appear, and the sky slowly turns from pink to blue. The temperature goes to -15℃.Stage 4 (AD 2130-2145)The warming continues, melting more ice. Rivers and small oceans are made. More people migrate from Earth and construct towns. Forests of trees are planted. Mars is looking greener. The temperature is 0℃.Stage 5 (AD 2145-2185)Mars is getting more like Earth. The amount of oxygen in the air rises, and the air becomes breathable. The inhabitants can go outside without spacesuits. The temperature reaches 10℃.(Since Mars is 228 million kilometers from the Sun, it can never be as warm as Earth) Cities, farms and industries are built all over Mars. The transformation is complete.More reading Chinese manned space flightsChinese people have always dreamt of flying to space. Around AD 1500, a man named Wan Hu made the first attempt at space flight. He sat down in his chair, tried 47 rockets to it, andthen lit them. There was a big boom. When the smoke cleared, Wan Hu was gone. The people watching might have thought that he was successful. However, we know now that his rockets were not powerful enough to send him into space. He most likely was consumed in the explosion.Jumping ahead nearly 500 years, in 1992 China began its manned space programme, leading to the space flight of Yang Liwei, China’s first astronaut, in Shenzhou 5 on 15 October 2003. China became the third country, after the USA and Russia, to send a man into space. Yang Liwei spent only about 21hours in space. This time was beaten by China’s next manned space flight, Shenzhou 6, which began on 12 October 2005.On this flight, Chinese astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng spent five days orbiting Earth.In the future, China plans to have its own manned space station orbiting Earth. China is also developing a programme, named Chang’e after the story of a beautiful young girl who floated to the Moon, of missions leading to a lunar station. Chinese scientists are already researching on the idea of sending women into space. If China sends a woman to the Moon, the story of Chang’e will no longer be so difficult to believe。
