[00:00.00]CHAPTER TWO Reading
[00:-1.00]pages 20 and 21
[00:-2.00]PENANG
[00:-3.00]An island of uncrowded beaches,beautiful countryside and historic temples,
[00:-4.00]Penang is a mere 15 miles long and 9 miles wide
[00:-5.00]washed by the waters of the Straits of Malacca just off Malaysia's west coast
[00:-6.00]Rasa Sayang
[00:-7.00]The Rasa Sayang is a luxurious hotel set amongst 12 acres of gardens
[00:-8.00]on the beachfront at Batu Ferringhi.
[00:-9.00]The addition of the new Garden Wing
[00:10.00]has increased the already excellent range of facilities.
[00:11.00]Facilities.
[00:12.00]Two swimming pools,one with water slide Whirlpool Pool bar
[00:13.00]Children's pool and Club House(ages 4-13 years)
[00:14.00]Four restaurants serving international,
[00:15.00]Chinese and Japanese cuisine
[00:16.00]Three bars Disco Windsurfing,water skiing and sailing
[00:17.00]Three tennis courts Shopping arcade Health club Dear Sandra Surprise!
[00:18.00]I bet you didn't know we are in Penang now,did you?
[00:19.00]It all happened so quickly.
[00:20.00]Mum heard a week ago that she had been promoted to Sales Manager.
[00:21.00]She said,'Let's have a holiday to celebrate,shall we?'
[00:22.00]Of course,we all agreed!
[00:23.00]Within a couple of days,we arrived here,at the Rasa Sayang.
[00:24.00]It's a great hotel with lots of facilities as you can see from the enclosed cuttings
[00:25.00]I loved it from the moment I got out of the coach.
[00:26.00]We've spent a lot of time at the beach.I've also taken up tennis.
[00:27.00]I'd never played before.A coach is teaching me how to play properly.
[00:28.00]Danny keeps saying I ought to join in the activities for little kids,
[00:29.00]even though I'm 16.
[00:30.00]Big brothers can be so annoying,can't they?
[00:31.00]Yesterday at the beach some people were doing paragliding.
[00:32.00]When Danny saw it,he said,'I want to have a go at that!',and Dad said 'So do I
[00:33.00]At first Mum didn't want to do it,and neither did I.
[00:34.00]But Dad and Danny started teasing us,saying that women weren't as brave as men
[00:35.00]In the end we couldn't put up with it any longer.
[00:36.00]You know how Mum likes to stand up for women,don't you?
[00:37.00]So she said she would have a go,and so did I
[00:38.00]Dad and Mum went up,and then it was my turn.
[00:39.00]The staff helped me to put on the parachute.They checked it very carefully
[00:40.00]I was very nervous,and wanted to put it off until another day,but I couldn't
[00:41.00]I stood in the water,and the boats started.The parachute filled with wind
[00:42.00]Then the force pulled me out of the water.I took off into the sky.
[00:43.00]It was so wonderful!I suddenly found I was floating 100 feet in the air!
[00:44.00]The flight lasted for about ten minutes.I loved it!
[00:45.00]But when Danny went up the flight made him feel sick,
[00:46.00]and he had to go and lie down for the rest of the day!
[00:47.00]Since then Danny has stopped teasing me,and I have got on with him much better
[00:48.00]We took an excursion round the island yesterday.
[00:49.00]The best place was the famous Snake Temple.Inside it we saw dozens of snakes
[00:50.00]One man was putting a big snake around visitors and taking photographs.
[00:51.00]Dad insisted we all did that.I've never really liked snakes.
[00:52.00]I asked,'It won't bite me,will it?'The man just laughed!
[00:53.00]Luckily,it seemed very tame.
[00:54.00]Anyway,I must go and have my tennis lesson now.
[00:55.00]We were sorry to hear in your last letter that you had the flu.
[00:56.00]I hope you are getting over it now.Do look after yourself,won't you?'
[00:57.00]I'll show you my souvenirs when we all get together soon.
[00:58.00]With lots of love Karen
[00:59.00]INTEGRATED SKILLS Page 25
[-1:00.00]Exam tasks Task One
[-1:-1.00]You will hear two telephone calls.
[-1:-2.00]Listen and take down the messages on the forms.
[-1:-3.00]No.1
[-1:-4.00]A:Hello,Opal Travel. Helen Chen speaking, how can I help you?
[-1:-5.00]B:Er...hello,is Mary Wood there?
[-1:-6.00]A:No,I'm afraid she is not in today.Can I take a message?
[-1:-7.00]B:Well,yes.
[-1:-8.00]I just wanted to thank her for arranging our holiday to New Zealand last month
[-1:-9.00]A:Oh,that's very kind of you.May I have your name,please?
[-1:10.00]B:Yes,I'm Steven Green Please tell Mary that we had a lovely time in Queenstown
[-1:11.00]And the hotel she recommended was excellent.
[-1:12.00]A:Oh,I'm so glad,
[-1:13.00]it's always useful for us if we have a personal recommendation from one of my customers
[-1:14.00]Which hotel did you stay in Queenstown Mr Green?
[-1:15.00]B:It was the Holiday Inn in Queenstown.
[-1:16.00]My wife is disabled,you see,and so we need special facilities for a wheel chair
[-1:17.00]The staff of that hotel were most helpful.
[-1:18.00]And they had very good facilities for disabled people.
[-1:19.00]So we were very pleased that Mary arranged that hotel for us.
[-1:20.00]A:Well,it's very kind of you to let us know.
[-1:21.00]I make sure that Mary would get your message tomorrow.Thanks again for calling
[-1:22.00]B:You're welcome, good-bye.
[-1:23.00]A:Good-bye,Mr Green.
[-1:24.00]No.2
[-1:25.00]A:Hello!Opal Travel,Helen Chen speaking.How can I help you?
[-1:26.00]B:Hello!I'm Roger King.
[-1:27.00]My wife and I would like to book a holiday in Queenstown New Zealand,
[-1:28.00]for this July.
[-1:29.00]But first I'd like some information,please.
[-1:30.00]A:Yes,of course.I'm afraid I'm rather new at this job.
[-1:31.00]So if you could let me have your questions I'll make a note to them.
[-1:32.00]And then find out the answers for you.
[-1:33.00]B:Right,that would be fine.Ok,well,first Can we fly direct to Queenstown.
[-1:34.00]How long would it take And how much would it cost?
[-1:35.00]A:Direct to Queenstown How long and how much?Right.
[-1:36.00]B:Next,do we need a visa for New Zealand?
[-1:37.00]A:Do you and your wife have valid passports?
[-1:38.00]B:Yes,we both do.
[-1:39.00]A:Then I don't think you would need a visa.But we'll check that for you.
[-1:40.00]B:Thanks,then do we need any special vaccinations for any illness?
[-1:41.00]A:Vaccinations?Yes.
[-1:42.00]B:And,can you recommend a good hotel,and tell us the cost for one week?
[-1:43.00]But there's one problem,my wife was in a car crash recently,and broke a leg.
[-1:44.00]So it would help if the hotel has good facilities for the disabled.
[-1:45.00]She has to use a wheel chair some of the time
[-1:46.00]A:Right,so you want to know the cost of the hotel for one week
[-1:47.00]and it must have the facilities for the disabled.
[-1:48.00]Are there any other questions,Mr King?
[-1:49.00]B:Well,I'd like to know a bit more about Queenstown.
[-1:50.00]I'd like to do some sports personally,
[-1:51.00]and could you tell me what the weather will be like in July?
[-1:52.00]A:Yes,of course.We'll look into all of those points and get back to you.
[-1:53.00]Perhaps it will be easier if we sent you a letter with all the information
[-1:54.00]B:Yes,that would be fine.
[-1:55.00]You have my address already from the last holiday you arranged for me.
[-1:56.00]A:Right,thanks for your inquiring,Mr King
[-1:57.00]B:You're welcome.Good-bye.
[-1:58.00]A:Good-bye.
[-1:59.00]SPEAKING page 33
[-2:00.00]A Intonation of question tags We use question tags in two main ways.
[-2:-1.00]We use different intonation patterns to show what we mean.
[-2:-2.00]1.When we are really asking a question,
[-2:-3.00]we use a rising intonation pattern for the tag.
[-2:-4.00]The plane to London leaves at six o'clock doesn't it?
[-2:-5.00]Here the intonation pattern tells us that the speaker is not certain,
[-2:-6.00]and he/she wants the listener to confirm the information.
[-2:-7.00]2.Sometimes we use a question tag to be polite,
[-2:-8.00]but we are not really asking a question.
[-2:-9.00]Then we use a falling intonation pattern for the tag,
[-2:10.00]and it sounds like a statement.
[-2:11.00]but is not really asking a question.
[-2:12.00]Sometimes the speaker may not even stop for a reply.
[-2:13.00]The tower looks beautiful at night,doesn't it?
[-2:14.00]The view from it is wonderful.
[-2:15.00]Exercise A1
[-2:16.00]1.This isn't your wallet,is it?
[-2:17.00]2.You want a chocolate ice-cream,don't you?
[-2:18.00]3.You have passed you driving test,haven't you?
[-2:19.00]4.This is the way to the airport,isn't it?
[-2:20.00]5.You won't be late,will you?
[-2:21.00]6.She was absent yesterday,wasn't she?
[-2:22.00]Exercise A2
[-2:23.00]1.That was a difficult exam,wasn't it?
[-2:24.00]2.You aren't going to the shop today, are you?
[-2:25.00]3.We have maths after lunch,don't we?
[-2:26.00]4.We'll enjoy the summer holidays, won't we?
[-2:27.00]5.She hasn't come, has she?
[-2:28.00]6.It's terrible weather,isn't it?
[-2:29.00]MORE LANGUAGE INPUT(2) pages 37 and 38
[-2:30.00]A Reading
[-2:31.00]What is Ecotourism?
[-2:32.00]You may not be very familiar with'ecotourism'
[-2:33.00]a new term in today's tourism industry
[-2:34.00]but in an era of growing environmental consciousness,
[-2:35.00]it is not too difficult for us to imagine and work out the meaning of this new form of holiday
[-2:36.00]Ecotourism is typically defined as travel to place where the unique flowers,
[-2:37.00]plants,animals and the cultural heritage are the primary attractions.
[-2:38.00]It is considered as a kind of responsible tourism
[-2:39.00]which seriously takes ecology and culture into consideration.
[-2:40.00]Therefore,programmes involving the conservation
[-2:41.00]and preservation of some natural and natural sites
[-2:42.00]also form a part of ecotourism.
[-2:43.00]Ecotourism is developing at great speed.
[-2:44.00]According to a report by the World Tourism Organization,
[-2:45.00]ecotourism in recent years has enjoyed an annual growth of about 5% worldwide
[-2:46.00]The year 2002 has been declared the International Year of Ecotourism
[-2:47.00]by the United Nations.
[-2:48.00]Over 80 activities have been listed for ecotourism,
[-2:49.00]such as birdwatching,hiking,diving,photography,mountaineering
[-2:50.00]and participating in various kinds of local cultural events.
[-2:51.00]Although big cities are still the major places that absorb tourism in our society today
[-2:52.00]it looks like some smaller towns and rural areas rich in ecological,
[-2:53.00]cultural and historical resources
[-2:54.00]may well become the new destinations for people to visit tomorrow.
[-2:55.00]B Listening
[-2:56.00]International Tourism Expenditure
[-2:57.00]In 1998,forty-five countries recorded more than US$1
[-2:58.00]billion in international tourism expenditure.
[-2:59.00]The United States,Germany,the United Kingdom
[-3:00.00]and Japan top the list with spending ranging from US$29 billion
[-3:-1.00]to US$56 billion per year
[-3:-2.00]These four countries are followed by France,
[-3:-3.00]Italy,the Netherlands,Canada, China,Austria,Belgium,Luxembourg.
[-3:-4.00]Sweden,the Russian Federation.
[-3:-5.00]Switzerland and Australia,in that order.
[-3:-6.00]Each spends between US$5 billion and US$18 billion.
[-3:-7.00]All the countries mentioned above
[-3:-8.00]represent over one half of the world's total international tourism expenditure
