Module IV. PRACTICAL TASKS IN READING AND

ROLE-PLAYING

Listen to the speaker and repeat after him. Practice reading the following texts with the proper intonation taking into consideration extra-linguistic factors (place of communication, its subject matter, social status of speakers, etc.). Define phonetic style of each sample and single out its main stylistic features.

1. Advantages of Phonetics♫

The first and most evident advantage of phonetics is the independence it gives us. In the first place, it makes us independent of residence abroad. Even if the learner intends to go to the country where the language is spoken, it is a great advantage to him to start with a through practical knowledge of the sounds in which he is to practice himself.

Secondly, phonetics makes us independent of native teachers. It is certain that a phonetically trained Englishman who has a clear knowledge of the relations between French and English sounds can teach French sounds to English people better than an unphonetic Frenchman – still more, an unphonetic Belgian, Swiss, or Pole – who is unable to communicate his pronunciation to his pupils, and perhaps speaks vulgar or dialectal form of French himself.

Again, phonetics enables an intelligent adult to get a sound elementary knowledge of the sounds of a foreign language without any help from outside – that is, if he has an adequate phonetic analysis and transcription to work with.

But the gain of a phonetic grasp of a language extends far beyond such special considerations. A secure grasp of the sounds of a language is a great strengthening of the mastery of its forms and meanings. A minute discrimination of similar sounds in closely allied languages is the surest safeguard against otherwise inevitable confusions.

Hence also the literary and aesthetic use of phonetics. Phonetics alone can breathe life into dead mass of letters which constitute a written language; it alone can bring the rustic dialogues of our novels before every intelligent reader as living realities, and make us realize the living power and beauty of the ancient classical languages in prose and verse.

Phonetics is not merely an indirect strengthener of grammatical associations; it is an essential part of grammar itself. A knowledge of sentence-stress and intonation is not only an essential part of elocution and correct pronunciation, but it is also an integral part of the syntax of many languages.

In short, there is no branch of the study of language which can afford to dispense with phonetics.

UFO

Two Yorkshire residents, Steven Bruce, aged 35 and James Murray, aged 38, reported seeing an unidentified flying object hovering over deserted moors last Friday evening. The two men were walking their dogs when suddenly the whole sky was lit up by a bright light and a whizzing sound was heard. Seconds later a round silver object appeared in the sky. The object floated above them for about fifteen minutes and then disappeared. Bruce immediately contacted the local police station to report the incident. It appears that they were not the only witnesses. “We received over forty calls between 7.30 pm and 8.45 pm from people claiming to have seen a UFO”, admitted police sergeant J.F. Stable. Experts are examining the Yorkshire moors for any clues in an attempt to explain the sightings. As a result of the incident, hundreds of UFO fanatics came to the moors on Saturday evening to watch the sky and wait for the spaceship to reappear.

3. UK Elections♫

Next month the people of the United Kingdom will be voting in a general election, and shortly the seemingly interminable political speeches and debates on radio and television will be under away.

If the Labour Party succeeds in its attempt to increase the slender majority of seats in the House of Commons that it won at the last election, it will be introducing radical new measures, including widespread nationalization of private industry, in an effort to rescue Britain from threatening economic problems.

The Conservatives, the main opposition party, will be hoping to convince the nation of the need for encouraging private enterprise; they have hopes, if the people unite under a Conservative government, of overcoming such evils as inflation, food shortages, fuel crises and a possible world-wide slump.

The Liberal party will be trying to persuade the voters that Britain can achieve economic stability and industrial prosperity only under Liberal leadership.

Meanwhile the Scottish and Welsh Nationalists may be urging the citizens of Scotland and Wales to vote for their complete independence from England and the parliament at Westminster.

4. Bedtime story♫

Mike:Are you ready, David?

Right: The Lost Coin.

One afternoon just before Christmas an old gentleman was wandering through the city centre. The gaily-illuminated shops were packed with good things and crowded with cheerful shoppers. The children were gazing in wonder at all the toys on display in the windows, and the old man was surveying the happy scene indulgently.

Suddenly in the middle of the throng he spotted a dirty little boy sitting on the pavement, weeping bitterly. When the kind old man asked him why he was crying, the little boy told him that he had lost a ten penny piece that his uncle had given him. Thrusting his hand into his pocket, the old man pulled out a handful of coins. He picked out a shiny, new ten penny piece and handed it to the child.

“Thank you very much,” said the little boy, and, drying his eyes, he cheered up at once.

An hour or so later the old man was making his way back home by the same route. To his astonishment he saw the same dirty little boy in precisely the same spot, crying just as bitterly as before. He went up to the boy and asked him if he had lost the ten pence he had given him as well. The little boy told him that actually he had not lost the second coin, but he still could not find his first ten pence.

“If I could find my own ten pence,” he said tearfully, “I’d have twenty pence now.”

Did you like that? ...

Janet, he’s asleep!

5. A Picnic♫

Tim:Exeter 78563.

Mary:Tim? This is Mary. I hope I haven’t woken you up.

Tim:Actually I got up ten minutes ago, but it’s only a quarter to nine. Why are you calling me so early on a Sunday morning?

Mary:Because the sun’s shining and there isn’t a cloud in the sky, and Alan and I are going for a picnic. Do you want to come?

Tim:It’s true we haven’t seen the sun lately, but I expect it’ll rain again soon.

Mary:No, it won’t.

Tim:Well I’ve got some work to do, but I suppose I could put it off till tomorrow. Where are you thinking of going?

Mary:Well, there’s lovely spot by the river on the road to Tiverton. There’s a big bend in the road just before you get to Stoke. You leave your car and walk across a field to the left. There are some tall elm trees by the river, and that’s where we’ll be. It’s very easy to find the place.

Tim: Yes, I think I know where you mean. I’ll come, and I might even go for a swim. Are you taking any food or drink? It’s a pity you didn’t mention it yesterday; I don’t think there’s any beer in the house.

Mary:Don’t worry. We’ve got some bottles of beer and lemonade and there’s half a chicken in the fridge.

Tim:Right then. See you there in about an hour.

6. Peter Parker♫

Interviewer: With us in the studio this morning is Peter Parker. Good morning, Peter.

Peter: Good morning.

Interviewer:Peter Parker is an English Language teacher. He was always good at languages at school, so he decided to take his degree in French and German.When he finished his university studies, he began teaching in a secondary school in England. Two years later, however, he met someone by chance who offered him a job teaching English to foreign students during the long summer holidays. His students were adults and he enjoyed the work immensely. He soon found he was more interested in teaching his own language to foreigners than foreign languages to English schoolboys.Since then he has specialised in this work. He has found that one of the advantages of the job is that it enables him to find work almost anywhere in the world. First he went to Africa for two years and then he spent a year in Arabia. After this he went to Greece where he has worked for the last 3 years. He hasn’t been to South America yet but he intends to go there next. He has taught men and women of all ages and of various nationalities. He has also learned to get on with all kinds of people and to adjust to different ways of life. So far he has not regretted his decision to follow this career. Now then, Peter, tell me...

7. Roman Architecture♫

Diana E. E. Kleiner: Welcome to Roman Architecture. I’m Professor Kleiner, and what I’d like to do today is to give you a sense of some of the great buildings and some of the themes that we will be studying together this semester. I think it’s important to note, from the outset, that Roman architecture is primarily an architecture of cities. The Romans structured a man-made, worldwide empire out of architectural forms, and those architectural forms revolutionized the ancient world and exerted a lasting influence on the architecture and the architects of post-classical times. This semester we will be concerned primarily with urban communities –with urban communities – and we will, in the first half of this semester, we will focus on the city of Rome, and in the second – and also central Italy, including Pompeii. And I wanted to show you, at the outset, an aerial view of Rome--you see it over here, on the left-hand side of the screen – that situates us in the very core of the ancient city. You see the famous Colosseum, the very icon of Rome, at the upper right. You see the Roman Forum, as it looks today, and you see a part of the Capitoline Hill, transformed by Michelangelo into the famous Campidoglio, as well as the Via dei Fori Imperiali of Mussolini, built by Mussolini, and the Imperial Fora.

So the city of Rome again we’ll be concentrating on, at the beginning of this semester, as well as the city of Pompeii. An aerial view of Pompeii, as it looks today. You can see many of the buildings of the city, including the houses and the shops, and also the entertainment district. This is the theater and the music hall of ancient Pompeii. The amphitheater is over here. And you can see, of course, looming up in the background, Mount Vesuvius, the mountain that caused all that trouble in 79 A.D.

So that’s the first half of the semester. The second half of the semester we are going to be going out into the provinces, into the Roman provinces, and that is going to take us – and we’re going to look at the provinces both in the eastern and the western part of the Empire – and that will take us to Roman Greece. It will take us to Asia Minor; Asia Minor, which of course is modern Turkey. It will take us to North Africa. It will take us to the Middle East, in what’s now Jordan and Syria, and it will also take us to Europe, to western Europe, to cities in France and to cities in Spain.

And let me just show you an example of some of the buildings that we’ll look at as we travel to the provinces. This is the Library of Celsus, in Ephesus, on the western coast of Turkey. This – the theater, a spectacularly well-preserved theater at Sabratha, you see on the upper right-hand side; and down here a restored view of the masterful Palace of Diocletian. We have the late Roman emperors in a place called Split, which is in Croatia, along the fabulously gorgeous Dalmatian Coast today…

9. Holiday plans ♫

Mary: Have you had your holiday for this year yet, Jane?

Jane:Not yet, I’m taking it at the end of September.

Mary: Where are you going? Have you made up your mind?

Jane:Not really. I thought of going to Spain again, but I’ve already been there twice and I’d like to try somewhere new.

Mary:My brother’s just gone to Mexico for two weeks. I had a card from him yesterday and he seems to be having a good time. Why don’t you go there?

Jane: That’s O.K. for you well-off people, but I couldn’t possibly afford it. I’m much too hard up at the moment.

Mary: The air-fare is quite expensive, I admit, but you needn't spend a lot when you get there.

Jane:I’ve already spent a lot of money this year. My flat was done up last month, so I haven’t got much to spare for expensive holidays abroad.

Mary:Oh, I see.

Jane:Perhaps I’ll just go to Scotland or Ireland in the end. I’ve heard they’re both very beautiful, and I haven’t been to either of them.

Mary:We went to Ireland two years ago to pay Jill and her husband a visit. They’re in Dublin now.

Jane:Oh, yes, so they are!

Mary:If you decide on Ireland you can call in on them. Jill would willingly put you up for a few days, I’m sure.

Jane:That’s a good idea! I haven’t seen Jill for more than three years now and I’d like to know how she’s getting on.

10. Conversation♫

B: Hello, Teletron International, how may I help you?

A: Hello, my name’s Christine Ford, I’m phoning about a letter I received from you today saying…

B: Can you give me your customer reference number, please?

A: Yes, … just a second it’s V-2-06-P…

B: Okay, I’ll put you through.

C: Hello, Customer Services?

A: Hello, my name’s Christine Ford, I’m phoning about a letter I received from you today regarding…

C: Can I take your customer reference number, please?

A: V-2-0-6-P.

C: V-2-0-6-P. Just a moment while I get your file up on screen … yes, what can I do for you?

A: It’s about a letter I got from you this morning saying that I haven’t paid my bill, and actually I sent you a cheque over three weeks ago, I …

C: Right, you actually need to speak to the Invoice and Finance Department, I’ll just transfer you… You are through to Teletron International Invoice and Finance Department. I’m afraid all our operators are busy at the moment but we’ll deal with your inquiry as soon as we can. Thank you for waiting.

D: Hello, Mark speaking, how can I help?

A: Yes, I’m phoning about a letter I got from you this morning – the reference number’s V-2-0-6-P – you say in the letter that I haven’t paid my bill, when in fact I sent you a cheque three weeks ago…

D: Okay… I think you actually need to speak to our Customer Services Department…

A: I’ve just spoken to them and they told me I needed to speak to you – I’m getting a bit fed up with being put through from one department to another. Do you think someone could just deal with it, please!

D: Okay, yes, I quite understand. Perhaps if I can just take your name and number, then I can look into it and call you back in ten minutes?

A: Thank you – it’s Christine Ford, and the number is 5700770.

D: and the reference number is?

A: V-2-0-1-6-P.

D: Okay, I’ll call you back in ten minutes, Mrs. Ford.

A: Okay.

10. Election Night Victory♫

Barack Obama: Grant Park, Illinois, November 4, 2008

Hello, Chicago.If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.

It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It’s the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain. Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he’s fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him; I congratulate Governor Palin for all that they’ve achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton… and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden. And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years … the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady… Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia… I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us … to the White House. And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother’s watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure. To my sister Maya, my sister Auma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.

And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe… the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best — the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America. To my chief strategist David Axelrod … who’s been a partner with me every step of the way. To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics … you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done. But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy … who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep. It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.

This is your victory. And I know you didn’t do this just to win an election. And I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime — two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage or pay their doctors’ bills or save enough for their child’s college education.

There’s new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair. The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years– block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand. What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can’t happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other. Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let’s resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let’s remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.

Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too. And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those – to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

That’s the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we’ve already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old. She was born just a generation past slavery a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons – because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America – the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: yes we can.

At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach out for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that we shall overcome. Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves — if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

Thank you; God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.

11. Red Riding Hood♫

Red Riding Hood entered the cottage and said, “Grandma, I have brought you some fat-free, sodium-free snacks to salute you in your role of a wise and nurturing matriarch.”

From the bed, the wolf said softly, “Come closer, child, so that I might see you.”

Red Riding Hood said, “Oh, I forgot you are as optically challenged as a bat. Grandma, what big eyes you have!”

“They have seen much, and forgiven much, my dear.”

“Grandma, what a big nose you – only relatively, of course, and certainly attractive in its own way.”

“It has smelled much, and forgiven much, my dear.”

“Grandma, what big teeth you have!”

The wolf said, “I am happy with who I am and what I am, OK,” and leaped out of bed. He grabbed Red Riding Hood in his claws, intent on devouring her. Red Riding Hood screamed, not out of alarm at the wolf’s apparent tendency towards cross-dressing, but because of his witful invasion of her personal space.

12. Local News♫

Near thing at Ladram

A pleasant Sunday outing in the spring sunshine almost turned to tragedy for two Harpole families at Ladram beach last weekend.

The children in the party had pleaded to be allowed to explore an adjacent bay together, and their parents, who were looking forward to a cup of coffee at a nearby I, had agreed that they could go, provided they promised to be back within an hour.

The four children then scampered off along the beach by the foot of the cliffs, clambered over the rocks at the end of the bay, and disappeared from sight around the headland. They failed to notice the time passing, until they realized in dismay that the tide was coming in rapidly, and hurriedly they retraced their steps along the now narrow strip of sand.

If they had been a few minutes earlier, they could still have paddled back round the headland, but already the water was too deep for them to pass. Although they tried, they could not climb the steep cliffs either, so the eldest of the four, the only one who could swim, left the others sitting on a rock, holding one another by the hand, while he attempted to swim back and raise the alarm.

The boy, 12-year-old Thomas Tailor of Manor Road, Harpole, struggled manfully in the cold water against the strong current, and twenty minutes later he succeeded in rounding the headland.

Soon after, he was able to scramble ashore in the next bay. After pausing to regain his breath, he raced to his worried parents and told his story. Luckily they managed to find the owner of a nearby motor boat, and sped off to the rescue.

They found the frightened youngsters, still holding one another’s hands, with the waves now lapping around their feet.

Thomas’s mother, Mrs. Beryl Tailor, 37, told the “Observer”.

13. Linguistic Tolerance♫

The English language is a very much more widespread language than the world has yet seen in its history and the first thing the English-speaking people have to learn is that there are many good ways of speaking it. Everybody believes his own to be the best, an attitude that, in other spheres of life, civilization has taught us to despise. Many national misunderstandings are due to simple language differences, as even a short comparative investigation into English and American intonation will convince anybody. Many Americans are offended by the normal intonations of British English, just as Britishers are often hurt by American intonations. Much of out hasty generalization concerning the French temperament is due to the fact that French speakers use, in normal circumstances, types of intonation that are in English associated with situations that are not normal… . We are all so susceptible to the minutest details of speech behaviour, that whenever we observe the speech behaviour of others, we imagine them to be suffering from the same emotions as we should have to suffer from before we behaved as they do. And as a rule, it is the intonation that hurts; English spoken on Swedish intonation may sound petulant, on Russian intonation lugubrious, on German intonation offensive, on French intonation argumentative, on many American intonations casual or cocksure, on Danish intonation flat and somber…

This, perhaps, is the greatest danger of the spoken word; the technical details of its utterance, of little significance to the speaker, may arouse in the minds of listeners emotions far different from those that prompt it in the mind of the speaker.

14. Conversation♫

Presenter: … and welcome back to this week’s Celebrity House Challenge! Now this is the moment you have all been waiting for, as once again we go with Tina for a look inside a celebrity’s house.

Tina: Thank you, David. And welcome to all you viewers out there. Well, here I am in one of the most luxurious homes I have ever been in, and just look at this wonderful lounge. In the middle is a superb leather sofa that can seat no less than six people, and in front there is this marvelous coffee table, made of wood with a glass top. The book on the coffee table is an atlas of the world, so perhaps that’s one due to the identity of our mystery famous person. It seems they are adventurous and enjoy travel. On the wall behind the sofa is a great painting, a fine example of modern art… this person is clearly very cultured and has excellent taste. And opposite the sofa is the television, and what a television it is; a huge state-of-the-art wide screen TV and there are so many videos and DVDs here, so this person must surely be a movie fan. The floor is polished wood, which gives the whole room an elegant feel. Near the door to the kitchen, there are some children’s toys on the floor, so this person must have a family. Well, what else can I say here? Oh, there are some beautiful flowers in the window – they add a feminine touch to the room, and together with the ladies’ handbag here on the sofa you might think this person is a woman. Oh, yes, and one more thing – behind the sofa against the wall there is a very modern desk, with a computer and lots of work-like things, so this person probably needs to use a computer for their work, and they may even work from home… so, David, who lives in a house like this? It’s back to you in the studio…

15. King Henry IV (Act III, Scene I)♫

OWEN GLENDOWER:
Sit, cousin Percy; sit, good cousin Hotspur,
For by that name as oft as Lancaster
Doth speak of you, his cheek looks pale and with
A rising sigh he wisheth you in heaven.

HOTSPUR:
And you in hell, as oft as he hears Owen Glendower spoke of.

OWEN GLENDOWER:
I cannot blame him: at my nativity
The front of heaven was full of fiery shapes,
Of burning cressets; and at my birth
The frame and huge foundation of the earth
Shaked like a coward.

HOTSPUR:
Why, so it would have done at the same season, if
your mother’s cat had but kittened, though yourself
had never been born.

GLENDOWER:
I say the earth did shake when I was born.

HOTSPUR:
And I say the earth was not of my mind,
If you suppose as fearing you it shook.

OWEN GLENDOWER:
The heavens were all on fire, the earth did tremble.

HOTSPUR:
O, then the earth shook to see the heavens on fire,
And not in fear of your nativity.

16. A Date for the Theatre♫

Mike:Hello, Jack. Why the rush? Where are you going?

Jack:Hello, Mike. I’m on my way to meet Joyce at the station. We’re having dinner at a Chinese restaurant and then we’re off to the theatre.

Mike:Do you often go to the theatre?

Jack:Yes, Joyce and I usually go at least once a fortnight; sometimes more. Do you ever go?

Mike:Yes, but I don’t often find time these days. There are so many other things to do.

Jack:True, true.

Mike:Listen, perhaps Janet and I can arrange to meet you and Joyce one Saturday evening. We can have dinner together and go on to a theatre.

Jack: That’s a good idea.

Look, I forget the name of the play, but there’s a good comedy on at the Theatre Royal next week. If you like, I can book four seats for next Saturday.

Mike: All right. I’m meeting Janet later this evening so I can make sure that she’s free next Saturday. I’ll ring you tomorrow to confirm if we are coming.

Jack:Fine. I must fly now. It’s six o’clock already and Joyce’s bus arrives at ten past. She hates waiting around and I don’t want to spoil everything by upsetting her before we start our evening.

Mike:I’ll phone you tomorrow then. Give my regards to Joyce. Have a good evening.

17. A New Chief for the Securities and Exchange Commission ♫

I’m Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Economics Report.

The Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington was created in nineteen thirty-four to protect investors. The S.E.C. enforces laws and rules that govern financial markets. Last week, its chairman, William Donaldson, announced that he will resign at the end of June.

President Bush quickly named a replacement for approval by the Senate. He nominated California Representative Christopher Cox. The president calls him “a champion of the free-enterprise system.” He also says Mister Cox “knows that a free economy is built on trust.”

Mister Cox has strong support from business groups. He supported legislation, for example, to make it more difficult for investors to bring legal actions against companies. Mister Cox was first elected to Congress in nineteen eighty-eight.

William Donaldson is a former chairman of the New York Stock Exchange. He became chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission in February of two thousand three. At that time, public trust in the markets had been weakened. Big companies like the energy trader Enron had cheated investors.

The commission had to develop rules to meet new requirements from Congress. Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of two thousand two. The law added responsibilities for top officials of companies that sell stock publicly. Now, chief executives and chief financial officers must confirm financial results. Companies must have controls to protect against mistakes and wrongdoing.

Another rule requires investors to receive the best stock price possible. The agency has also increased rules on mutual funds and hedge funds. Mutual funds make many different investments. Mutual funds often pay other companies to supervise their investments. The agency acted to require that most top officials of such funds be independent of the management company.

Hedge funds are similar to mutual funds, but are designed for big investors. Advisers to large hedge funds will now have to be known to the S.E.C.

The five-member commission has two Democrats and three Republicans, including Mister Donaldson. Critics of the chairman said his actions were often too restrictive on business. Yet Mister Donaldson says the last two and one-half years may well be remembered as the most productive period in the agency’s history.

This VOA Special English Economics Report was written by Mario Ritter. Our reports are on the Web at voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Gwen Outen.

18. Cinderella ♫

There once lived a young woman named Cinderella, whose natural birth-mother had died when Cinderella was but a child. A few years after her father married a widow with two older daughters. Cinderella’s mother-of-step treated her very cruelly and her sisters-of-step made her work very hard, as if she were their own personal unpaid labourer.

One day an invitation arrived at their house. The prince was celebrating his exploitation of the dispossessed and marginalized peasantry by throwing a fancy dress ball. Cinderella’s sisters-of-step were very excited to be invited to the palace. The y began to plan the expensive clothes they would use to alter and enslave their natural body images to emulate an unrealistic standard of feminine beauty. (It was especially unrealistic in their case, as they were differently visaged enough to stop a clock.) Her mother-of-step also planned to go to the ball, so Cinderella was working rather than a dog (an appropriate if unfortunately speciesist metaphor).

When the day of the ball arrived, Cinderella helped her mother- and sisters-of-step into their ball gowns. A formidable task: it was like trying to force ten pounds of processed nonhuman animal carcasses into a five pound skin. Next came immense cosmetic augmentation, which it would be best not to describe at all. As the evening fell, her mother- and sisters-of-step left Cinderella at home to finish her housework. Cinderella was sad, but she contented herself with her Holly Near records.

19. Monologue♫

In today’s lecture we’ll begin with an overview of the impact of tourism on the societies and cultures of the host area, then we’ll look at some case studies.

One model for the socio-cultural impact of tourism has been provided by Doxey – you’ll find a reference in your reading list. He called his model the ‘Irridex’ – that’s a contraction of ‘irritation index’ and it attempts to show how the attitudes of local people to tourists and tourism change over the years.

In fact, studies have highlighted quite a few positive effects of tourism. For example, Doxey’s model doesn’t look at the effects on the tourists themselves – they may well benefit from increased understanding of the host society and culture. Then, traditional crafts in the host area may be revitalized because tourism provides new markets such as the souvenir trade, for example, so instead of these traditional skills being lost, local people are encouraged to develop them.

There may also be more long-lasting changes, which actually lead to the empowerment of both groups and individuals in the host area. For example, tourism creates openings for employment for women, and through giving them a chance to have a personal income; it allows them to become more independent.

In addition, because tourism tends to work through a very few languages that have world-wide usage, those working in the tourist industry may be encouraged to acquire new languages, and this will empower them through providing wider access to globalized media, and improving their job prospects in a wider context. Right, now we’ll take a short break there and then we’ll look at a couple of case studies and see how far the points we’ve discussed so far apply to them.

20. Sea or Air?♫

Susan: Are you looking forward to your trip to Canada, Julie?

Julie: I can’t wait to see Canada, Susan, but I’m scared stiff of the journey. My husband insists on flying, but I want to sail. Planes make me nervous.

Susan: There’s nothing to be frightened of. How many planes fly across the Atlantic every day?

Julie: I’ve no idea. Hundreds, I suppose.

Susan: And how often do you hear of a crash?.. Once or twice a year?

Julie: Yes, but aero planes fly so high and fast that once is enough.

Susan:Look, there are more road casualties per day than air deaths per year. Air transport is really safe compared with road transport.

Julie: I’d still prefer to go by sea. Ships may not travel fast but at least you can relax. I’d love a trip on a luxury liner like the Queen Elizabeth II.

Susan: It’s fine if you’re a good sailor, but have you ever travelled far in a rough sea?

Julie: No. I’ve only been in a boat once. I sailed down the River Thames on a sightseeing tour... But in any case I’d rather be sea-sick than dead.

PRACTICAL MATERIAL

The Daffodils

I ˈwandered _\lonely – as a >cloud

That ˈfloats on >high o’re ‘vales and >hills,

When ˈall at ‚once│– I ˈsaw a _\crowd,

A ′host ¦ of ˈgolden ‘daffodils;

Beˈside the ‘lake,│beˈneath the >trees,

ˈFluttering and ‘dancing in the ‘breeze.

Conˈtinuous as the >stars that ‚shine

And ‘twinkle on the ˈMilky ‚Way,

They ˆstretched ¦ in ˈnever-ˌending _\line

Along the >margin ¦ of a _\bay;

"Ten “thousand ‘saw I ¦ at a ‘glance,

ˈTossing their ‘heads in ˈsprightly _\dance.

The ˈwaves be‘side them _\danced; but >they

Out‘did the ˈsparkling ˌwaves in ‘glee.

A ˈpoet ˈcould ˙not but be _\gay

In ˈsuch a “jocund _\\company;

I >gazed – and >gazed – but ˈlittle ‘thought

ˈWhat “wealth the ˌshow to _\me had _\brought;

For ′oft, – when ˈon my ‘couch I ‚lie

In ′vacant or in ‘pensive ‚mood,

They _\flash ¦ uˌpon that ˈinward _\eye

Which is the "bliss of _\solitude;

And ˈthen my ˈheart with ‘pleasure _\fills

And _\dances ¦ with the _\daffodils.

William Wordsworth (1770-1850)