2. What are their clothes like?
3. What are they doing?
4. What are they holding in their hands?
2. What are they doing?
3. What are their clothes like?
4. What are they wearing on their heads?
1. What is diverse culture?
2. How do you understand diverse cultures or cultural diversity?
4 . WELCOMETO CHINATOWN!
The Chinatown in San Francisco is the biggest in America, and also the oldest. It is a very popular tourist draw that receives more visitors each year than even the Golden Gate Bridge. The climate is mild all year round, meaning it is always a good time to visit.
Historically, Chinese immigrants settled in the area during the railroad construction and gold rush period. What started as a residential area for Chinese immigrants then turned into a centre for Chinese culture. The majority of residents in Chinatown are still ethnic Chinese, many of whom do not speak English fluently. This allows visitors to experience a real taste of China.
Most of Chinatown was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake, but the city and residents rebuilt it, taking care to include lots of Chinese architecture. Traditionally, visitors enter Chinatown through the legendary Dragon Gate, which was built using materials donated from China. Other famous sites include the Tin How Temple and Bank of Canton, to name but a few. Visitors can also spend hours just exploring the interesting sights, smells, and sounds of China. Portsmouth Square is also a key site, being the centre of Chinatown. It has a long and famous history, with the author Robert Louis Stevenson having spent much time writing there. These days, the square is a great place to see traditional Chinese culture in real life, such as games of Chinese chess, and people practising tai chi.
The stores in the Chinatown offer a unique range of souvenirs, goods, and clothing. All kinds of traditional Chinese herbal medicine can be found, too, and there are Chinese tea stores, where visitors can taste and buy varieties of Chinese tea.
But perhaps what many tourists and San Franciscans treasure most about Chinatown is its food. There is Chinese food to suit everyone's taste, with traditional dishes from all over China.
Chinatowns are an important part of the diverse culture of the USA. They allow visitors who have never been to China to experience traditional Chinese culture first hand.
(1)”Look at the title and picture and predict what kind of article is this?
(2)”Who are the target readers?
(3)”What is the writer’s purpose of writing this text?
2. Activity 2： Reading for main idea
Read the text quickly and match the main idea of the passage.
| A.The characteristic of Chinatown. B.The history of Chinatown. C.The introduction of Chinatown’s shops and products. D.The origin of Chinatown. E.The existence value of Chinatown. F.The famous food and drinks of Chinatown. |
Para.2
Para.3
Para.4
Para.5
Para.6
3. Activity 3 :Reading for details
Read the passage again and answer the questions.
(1)”What are the famous tourist sites in the Chinatown of San Francisco?
(2)”Which is the best season to visit the Chinatown in San Francisco?
(3)”What else can you do there?
Li Daiyu and her cousin Liu Qian went to Canada to visit their cousins in Halifax on the Atlantic coast. Rather than travel by commercial airline all the way, they decided to fly to Vancouver and then take the train. For both of them, the thought of crossing the whole country by rail was exciting.
Before starting out, they spent a couple of days in Vancouver, seeing the sights. During their first day, as is typical of Vancouver, it rained. Despite the weather, they were able to take a boat ride out into the bay, and later visit an island that had wonderful shops selling crafts and antiques. The next day was clear and mild, and they were pleased to see the beautiful mountains looking out over the city. Later, they took a pleasant hike in a forest just a short distance away.
The next morning, the two girls arose early to take the train to Lake Louise, passing through the Canadian Rockies. Seen from the train window, the mountains and forests of Canada looked massive. When the train arrived at the station, they took a taxi to Lake Louise, where the blue water literally took their breath away with its exceptional beauty. They spent the night, and then took a coach bound north through the Canadian Rockies to Jasper. Looking at the beautiful scenery, they both agreed that it was the most awesome journey they had ever taken. In addition to seeing spectacular mountain peaksand forests, one highlight of their trip was being able to see many different creatures, including deer, mountain goats, and even a grizzly bear and an eagle.
From Jasper, they caught the train towards Toronto. One of the train’s first stops was in Edmonton, the provincial capital of Alberta, the centre of Canada’s huge oil and gas drilling industry. Edmonton is freezing cold in winter, with daily temperatures averaging -10˚C. Since it
can be too cold to go outdoors, Edmonton is home to many shopping malls. In fact, one of thelargest shopping malls in North America is in Edmonton.
From Edmonton, the train headed southeast across the great Canadian Prairie. At school, Daiyu and Liu Qian had learnt that Canada’s population is only slightly over thirty-seven million. However, they did not anticipate seeing such an open country, and were truly amazed. They went through two wheat-growing provinces, where they saw a bunch of farms that covered a very large area.
After another day on the train, eventually they were back in an urban area, the city of Winnipeg. From there, they travelled through the night, and woke up in Ontario—a land of forests and lakes. The train thundered on, through the rolling hills. The bushes and maple trees outside their windows were red, gold, and orange, and there was frost on the ground, confirming that autumn had arrived in Canada. Night came again, and the train turned south towards Toronto. When they woke up the next morning and pulled back the curtains, they could see the wide stretch of Lake Huron—one of the four Great Lakes on Ontario’s southern border. It was not until 9:30 a.m. that they finally reached the capital of Ontario, Toronto. All in all, their trip from Vancouver to Toronto had taken a duration of four days.
6 . A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE
Perce Blackborow joined an expedition with Sir Ernest Shackleton to Antarctica on the ship Endurance in 1914. Shackleton was one of the most famous explorers of his day and it was considered a great honour to be part of his expeditions. Below are some of Blackborow’s diary entries.
31 Oct 1914
… Well, it so happened that one morning I bought a newspaper and read the advertisement about the Antarctic expedition.
An expedition to the South Pole with the great Sir Ernest Shackleton — this is the adventure that I have been dreaming of. And I was ready for it. At the age of 19, I am fit and full of vigour. However, when I applied to join the expedition, Shackleton turned me down because he thought I was too young and wasn’t qualified. But I was so enthusiastic about the idea of going along with them that I secretly went aboard his ship, the Endurance, and hid in a small cupboard. Unfortunately, three days after we set off I was discovered. Shackleton did not want to turn back so he offered me a job, but only after he promised me, “If anyone has to be eaten, then you will be the first!” He assigned me to be a steward, and I now serve meals for twenty-eight men, three times a day.
How everyone will envy me when I come back and tell them about the amazing places I have been to!
21 Nov 1915
The journey has not been easy. Endurance became stuck in the ice as we approached Antarctica. The ice froze around us and we were well and truly stuck! We saw the ship get crushed by the ice. And when the ship sank, our hearts sank with it.
Before we abandoned the ship, Shackleton calmly called us together and told us to rescue our most essential supplies — the small boats, our food, the cook stove, candles, clothes, and blankets. This was no time to panic. We were not allowed to take most of our personal belongings, and Shackleton himself threw away all his gold. But to our surprise, he allowed Hussey to keep his banjo. Hussey often plays it to keep our spirits up.
We are now camped on the ice and we have been managing to survive, but spring is coming, and the ice will soon begin to melt.
20 May 1916
We have been struggling for days, but things on Elephant Island are going from bad to worse. We are now crowded together under one of our boats on the rocky shore of this miserable place. Soon after we arrived, Shackleton left us to find help on South Georgia Island, 1,320 kilometres away — the voyage was too dangerous and difficult for all of us to make it in our small boats. If Shackleton fails, will we have any hope of rescue? No. No navy in the world ever stops at Elephant Island, and no one else knows that we are here.
I feel low. It’s cold and windy. The island has no plants. Sometimes we are able to catch a seal or a penguin to eat. Otherwise, there is no food. I try to think of happier things: decent food, warm and dry clothes, a cosy bedroom, sunny days, and my mother’s face … However, these happy memories are soon interrupted by a sudden cold rush of air.
I shouted, “Shut the door!”
“Hold on now, Perce. Don’t you go turning into another Tom,” came the reply. “We’ve caught another penguin, so it’s penguin soup tonight!”
Bless Frank Wild, the kindest man there is after our leader, Ernest Shackleton. How could I become as selfish and bad-tempered as Thomas Orde-Lees!
Without Frank and Ernest, we’d all be dead by now. Their genuine concern for others, their perseverance, and their resolve fill me with hope.
Perhaps there is a chance we will return home, after all.
2. What happened to Endurance? What did the crew members have to do?
3. What did Shackleton do to make sure they could survive?
Read the title, background and three diaries quickly. Then find out the main ideas referring to the following table.
Basic information about the expedition | |
| Time | 1914.10.31→1915.11.21→1916.5.20 |
| Destination | To Antarctica |
| Leader | Sir Ernest Shackleton |
| The author’s name | Perce Blackborow |
| The ship | Endurance |
A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE
Perce Blackborow joined an expedition with Sir Ernest Shackleton to Antarctica on the ship Endurance in 1914. Shackleton was one of the most famous explorers of his day and it was considered a great honour to be part of his expeditions. Below are some of Blackborow’s diary entries.
31 Oct 1914
… Well, it so happened that one morning I bought a newspaper and read the advertisement about the Antarctic expedition.
An expedition to the South Pole with the great Sir Ernest Shackleton — this is the adventure that I have been dreaming of. And I was ready for it. At the age of 19, I am fit and full of vigour. However, when I applied to join the expedition, Shackleton turned me down because he thought I was too young and wasn’t qualified. But I was so enthusiastic about the idea of going along with them that I secretly went aboard his ship, the Endurance, and hid in a small cupboard. Unfortunately, three days after we set off I was discovered. Shackleton did not want to turn back so he offered me a job, but only after he promised me, “If anyone has to be eaten, then you will be the first!” He assigned me to be a steward, and I now serve meals for twenty-eight men, three times a day.
How everyone will envy me when I come back and tell them about the amazing places I have been to!
21 Nov 1915
The journey has not been easy. Endurance became stuck in the ice as we approached Antarctica. The ice froze around us and we were well and truly stuck! We saw the ship get crushed by the ice. And when the ship sank, our hearts sank with it.
Before we abandoned the ship, Shackleton calmly called us together and told us to rescue our most essential supplies — the small boats, our food, the cook stove, candles, clothes, and blankets. This was no time to panic. We were not allowed to take most of our personal belongings, and Shackleton himself threw away all his gold. But to our surprise, he allowed Hussey to keep his banjo. Hussey often plays it to keep our spirits up.
We are now camped on the ice and we have been managing to survive, but spring is coming, and the ice will soon begin to melt.
20 May 1916
We have been struggling for days, but things on Elephant Island are going from bad to worse. We are now crowded together under one of our boats on the rocky shore of this miserable place. Soon after we arrived, Shackleton left us to find help on South Georgia Island, 1,320 kilometres away — the voyage was too dangerous and difficult for all of us to make it in our small boats. If Shackleton fails, will we have any hope of rescue? No. No navy in the world ever stops at Elephant Island, and no one else knows that we are here.
I feel low. It’s cold and windy. The island has no plants. Sometimes we are able to catch a seal or a penguin to eat. Otherwise, there is no food. I try to think of happier things: decent food, warm and dry clothes, a cosy bedroom, sunny days, and my mother’s face… However, these happy memories are soon interrupted by a sudden cold rush of air.
I shouted, “Shut the door!”
“Hold on now, Perce. Don’t you go turning into another Tom,” came the reply. “We’ve caught another penguin, so it’s penguin soup tonight!”
Bless Frank Wild, the kindest man there is after our leader, Ernest Shackleton. How could I become as selfish and bad-tempered as Thomas Orde-Lees!
Without Frank and Ernest, we’d all be dead by now. Their genuine concern for others, their perseverance, and their resolve fill me with hope.
Perhaps there is a chance we will return home, after all.
| Diary | Date | Main idea |
1 | 1914.10.31 | The first diary is about how |
2 | 1915.11.21 | The second diary is about how |
3 | 1916.5.20 | The third diary mainly describes |
2. Would you like to join an expedition like this? Why or why not?
9 . We watched as Shackleton and the boat sailed away from Elephant Island. It was easy to imagine the danger ahead of them. Would they ever return to find us? What might happen to them? What if they were delayed? We felt so alone and desperate. But it was not for long. There was nothing like a good dinner and some music to cheer us up.
Life fell into a regular pattern. Staying alive took all our time and energy. For example, we needed water, and Elephant Island had none. We found that we could melt ice from the ocean and drink the water from it. But how could we make fire? There were no trees growing on Antarctica and no oil, so the only fuel we could use was animal fat. This gave off oily, black smoke, but it stayed burning even in strong winds.
Food was also a problem, as we did not find any vegetables or fruit on the island. One of our group members, Lionel Greenstreet, noted in his diary about how bored he was with the meals: “The food now is pretty well all meat of sea creatures.” If it weren’t for sea animals, we would all starve. As a chef, it was my duty to cook, so I tried to vary the meals in whatever way I could. But it was difficult.
We had to be careful not to go outside too often, as the changing temperatures could make us ill. It was almost as dangerous to become too hot from wearing too many clothes as to become too cold from wearing too few. The sweat could freeze very quickly. Many of us also became ill from the black smoke of the animal fat we burnt for our fires. It damaged our eyes and burnt our lungs.
The twenty-two of us lived like this in the cold for four months. Our discipline and team spirit kept us optimistic and helped us deal with our fears in a positive and successful way. We also celebrated our birthdays, festivals, and even the times when we caught a sea animal. This was an episode in my life that I would never forget.When we were finally rescued, we felt such relief and joy that many of us could not hide our tears. We were at last free to go home to warm beds, good food, and the care of our family and friends. Our optimism and faith in Shackleton had helped us persevere in staying alive. And he paid us back by his commitment to save us from a slow but painful death.
1. What did the men eat and drink on the island?2. What were the dangers of living on the island?
3. How did the men stay in good spirits while waiting to be rescued?
4. What do you think were the key reasons for their survival?
5. If you were one of the men on Elephant Island, would you have trusted Shackleton? Why or why not?
6. Summarizing the key elements of the story.
| Who | |
| What | |
| Where | |
| When | |
| Why | |
| How |
10 . After Li Daiyu and her cousin arrived in Toronto, the largest and wealthiest city in Canada, they only had a few hours to kill before they had to proceed to the next leg of their trip to Montreal, so they went on a tour of the city. They went up the CN Tower and looked across the shores of Lake Ontario. Standing in the distance, they were astonished to see misty clouds rising from the great Niagara Falls, which is on the south side of the lake. Water from the lakes flows into the Niagara River and over the falls on its way to the sea.
The girls saw hundreds of skyscrapers of glass and steel, and old-fashioned cars rolling by. As they walked north from the harbour area, Li Daiyu said, “Lin Fei, one of my mother’s old schoolmates, lives here. I should phone her and see if she’s available for dinner.”
They met Lin Fei around dusk over dinner at a restaurant in downtown Chinatown. The cousins chatted with Lin Fei, who had moved to Canada many years earlier.
“This is the largest Chinatown in Toronto. We have a few more in the Greater Toronto Area, so you can guess that there are a lot of Chinese people in Canada! Chinese people have been coming here for more than a hundred years. Therefore, we can get all kinds of great food here from all over China,” Lin Fei told them.
The train left late that night and arrived in Montreal early the next morning. At the station, in contrast to Toronto, they heard people talking in French. They were surprised to see that all the signs and advertisements were in French and many people spoke English with an accent.
“We don’t leave until this evening,” said Liu Qian. “Let’s go downtown. Old Montreal is close to the water.”
They spent the afternoon in lovely shops and visiting artists in their workplaces along St Paul Street. As they sat in a restaurant alongside the broad St Lawrence River, a young man sat down with them.
“Hello, my name is Jean-Philippe. I’m a photographer,” he said, “and I was wondering where you are from.”
The girls told him they were from China and were on a train trip across Canada. When they told him they had only one day in Montreal, he said, “That’s too bad. You owe it to yourselves to stay longer. Overall, Montreal is a city with wonderful sights and sounds. Most of us speak both English and French, and the city has unique Quebec culture and traditions. There are fantastic restaurants and clubs around, too. Here, we love good coffee, toast, and cheese. And good music, of course!”
That night the train was speeding along the St Lawrence River towards the Gulf of St Lawrence and down to the distant east coast towards the province of Nova Scotia and its largest city, Halifax. The cousins dreamt happily of the beautiful cobblestone streets, old brick buildings, and thee red maple leaves of Montreal.
1. Read the passage quickly and underline the people and places mentioned in the passage.2. Read the passage and sum up the main points of each part.
Paragraph 1-4:
Paragraph 5-9:
Paragraph 10:
3. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions.
（1）What did the girls see when they went up the CN Tower?
（2）Why was it possible to get all kinds of good Chinese food in Toronto?
（3）What did Jean-Philippe tell the girls about Montreal and the people there?
