1、Eric: Thats right. Ive just come back from New York. Is it as dangerous as they say? No, New York isnt dangerous, no more than any other big city, especially if youre careful and dont advertise the fact that youre a tourist. And is it true what they say about New Yorkers, that theyre rude, and that
2、they only care about themselves? Well, I found the people were very friendly. However, they do have a reputation for not caring about other people. I think the reason for this is that life in New York is incredibly stressful. People just dont have the time to think about anybody else. It isnt that t
3、hey dont care. Is there anything else you noticed about New Yorkers? Two things I had heard about before I went to New York did seem to be true, though. First is that they are always talking about money and how much things cost. Secondly, its that people eat all the time as they go about their daily
4、 lives, you know they graze on the hoof as they walk about the streets. Thanks Eric, and now I have with me, Sue, whos been to the south of France . Part II New Icelanders New Zealand is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean about 1 200 miles southeast of Australia. It has about 2 575 000 peo
5、ple. Two thirds live on the North Islands, and one third on the larger South Island. Most of them are of British descent. Almost everyone in New Zealand knows how to read and write. The government provides free education for children from ages 3 to 19. Education is compulsory for children between th
6、e ages of 7 and 15, but most enter school by the age of 5. Young children who live far from schools belong to the Government Correspondence School and listen to daily school broadcasts on the radio. New Zealanders enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. There are no people of grea
7、t wealth, but poverty is practically unknown. The majority of families live in one-story wooden homes. Most families have an automobile, and many have modern home appliances. Because the country is a major producer of sheep and dairy products, meat and butter form a larger share of the diet than is
8、common in other countries. The people are among the worlds greatest tea drinkers. Many of the books, magazines, and movies in New Zealand come from the United Kingdom or the United States. But the number of books published in the country is growing rapidly. Musical and theatrical groups come from Eu
9、rope and North America to perform. The larger cities have radio and television stations. The National Symphony Orchestra gives concerts throughout the country, and there are also opera and ballet companies. New Zealanders enjoy the outdoors, and people of all ages take part in sports. Favorite holid
10、ay activities are camping, boating, hunting and fishing. Horse racing draws large crowds to racetracks. Rugby football is a national game. Other team sports are soccer, cricket, basketball, and field hockey. Statements:1. New Zealand is about 1 400 miles from Australia. 2. More people live on the la
11、rger South Island than the North Island in New Zealand. 3. Most New Zealanders are of British origin. 4. Children in New Zealand usually go to school at the age of 5. 5. Not many New Zealanders have their own cars. 6. New Zealanders are fond of drinking a lot of tea. Part III What do you think of Br
12、itain? ?Paul comes from Jamaica. Interviewer: What do you think of English food?Paul: English food - right now, I can enjoy it, but when I first came up from the West Indies, I found it rather distasteful, rather boring, no flavor, no taste. What do you think of the English weather? The English weat
13、her - I do not think there are enough adjectives to describe (it) - miserable, cold, damp, changeable, depressing. I think bleak is the best word. Now what do you think about English people and their way of life? The older generation of English people are really snobbish - the snob-nosed English. Bu
14、t the youth of England today - theyre really alive, you know, theyre more vibrant, on fire, alive. They are much more free than their parents, crazy! Cindy comes from Los Angeles. Cindy: Well, its rather cloudy and depressing. I get tired of all these sunny intervals. Theres not enough sunshine. Oth
15、er than that, its all right. Its not too cold, nor too warm. And have you had much opportunity to eat English food? Yes, I avoid it, because its dull. I think its dull. And I think the English eat a lot of sweets and greasy food like chips. And what about the English way of life? What do you think o
16、f that?s certainly more relaxed, but I think that the English people are - tend to be - difficult to get to know. Theyre reserved. The cities are safer and I also think theyre much cleaner than the American cities, which makes it much more pleasant to live there. Usha comes from Madras, in India. Wo
17、uld you like to tell me what you think of the English weather? Usha: Well, the English weather is very changeable, but its OK. Well, I like spring and autumn best. I think they are the loveliest time of the year. And what about English food?Usha:Well, English food is healthy. But I wouldnt like to h
18、ave it every day. Its rather . I wouldnt say dull - but too bland for my taste. And what about English people? How have you found them? Well, in the beginning, they are rather reserved, but once you get to know them, they are very friendly, and Ive got many English friends now in England. And how ha
19、ve you found the English way of life?Well, city life is fast of course everywhere, but I like the countryside very much. I like it very much, yes. Spiro comes from Salonika, in Greece. Youve lived in England for about seven years. What do you think of English weather?Spiro:Well, I think the English
20、winter is very depressing at times, especially when it drizzles all the time, and also the other thing that makes it depressing is the long nights. It gets dark very early and you wake up and its pitch black again, and so you go to work and its very dark and you come home and its dark again. But in
21、the summer, I think, when the suns shining, its very pleasant indeed, with green parks, trees, very pleasant. Well, I think its . English food is all right, but theres a very limited selection of dishes. Its mostly roast and - offhand - theres only about five typically English dishes I can think of,
22、 whereas compare that to Greek food, theres an enormous selection of dishes one could cook. Interviewer:And what do you think of the English people? I find them very reserved, but it seems that when you get to know them, theyre quite friendly and sincere. But it usually takes some time to actually o
23、pen an English person up - if you like. And what do you think of the English way of life? Pretty awful, actually. Its the speed of life really that I find rather tiring. Part IV More about the topic:Native People of Alaska When the Russian discovered Alaska in 1741, they found it occupied by three g
24、roups of native peoples - Eskimos, Aleuts, and Indians. Descendants of these natives still live in Alaska. Most scientists think that the native peoples migrated originally from Asia to North America, not all at once but in wave after wave over thousands of years. Probably the last to enter Alaska w
25、ere the ancestors of the northern Eskimos. Eskimos Of the different groups of native peoples, the Eskimos are the most numerous. From earliest times the Eskimos depended upon sea mammals, fish, and caribou for their living. In the 1890s reindeer were brought from Siberia to start herds as an additio
26、nal means of livelihood. Many Eskimos now live in frame houses heated by fuel oil, but they once lived in sod and driftwood huts heated by seal-oil lamps. They did not build snow ig100s, as some of the Canadian Eskimos still do, except for emergency shelter. The Eskimos are superb hunters. They are
27、an energetic people who have long been known for their ivory carving and other arts and crafts. Their way of life is changing as they find opportunities for schooling and for employment in trades and professions. Aleuts The Aleutian Islands and the Alaska Peninsula are the homelands of the Aleuts. T
28、he Aleut language is related to the language of the Eskimos, and yet it is very different. Like the Eskimos, the Aleuts have always depended on the sea for food and other needs. Some of the present-day Aleuts operate fishing boats. Others work in fish canneries. Many Aleuts have Russian names, which
29、 go back to the time of the Russian occupation of Alaska. Indians There are two major groups of Indians - the Indians of the Interior Plateau and the Indians of Southeastern Alaska. The Indians who live in the interior came to Alaska from Canada. Originally they were hunters. Some of them still live by hunting, fishing, and trapping. Others have moved to towns, where they live and work as do other present-day Alaskans. The Indians of Southeastern Alaska are sometimes known as the maritime Indians, or Indians who live near the sea. They h
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