?點(diǎn)??超過50我就發(fā)第四冊的。?

Jacques Cousteau was born in 1910 in France. Cousteau loved the water, and for almost sixty years, he studied the world’s oceans. In 1943, he and a partner invented SCUBA diving equipment, and later he invented special cameras to film life underwater. Cousteau taught people about the oceans. In 1968, he started a TV show called The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. On the show, he traveled with his son, Philippe, around the world. They taught people about sea animals and protecting Earth’s waters. In 1973, he started the Cousteau Society, an international organization which works to protect Earth’s waters. Before he died in 1997, Cousteau won many awards for his films and his work as an environmentalist. Jacques’ family have continued his work. Jacques’ son, Philippe, had two children, Alexandra and Philippe Junior. They are both famous ocean conservationists. Like her grandfather, Alexandra Cousteau, who was born in 1976, also cares about the world’s seas. In 2000, she started a company with her brother called Earth Echo International. It teaches children and teenagers about keeping Earth’s oceans clean. Later, in 2008, Alexandra started another company called Blue Legacy. It works to protect Earth’s oceans. As the head of this company, she travels around the world, working on important water problems. In 2011, she got an award for her work as an environmentalist.?

A: How many people are there in your family??

B: There are four of us—my mother, my father, a younger brother, and me. A: Who do you take after? B: People say I’m like my father.?

A: Why is that? B: Because we’re both really into outdoor sports.?

In the past, Brazilian family sizes were much larger than today. In the 1990s, family size suddenly decreased. What is causing these changes? For years, many Brazilian families had four or more children. However, today, most Brazilian families have only one or two children. Thirty years ago, many Brazilians lived in small towns. Today, almost 85 percent of Brazil’s people live in cities. Life in a city can be expensive, so a small family is better. In the past, people started families in their early twenties. Today, many young men and women are going to school and getting a job first. They get married and have families later. In 1980, only about half of all homes had a television. Today, most homes have a TV, and evening shows called novelas are very popular. The men and women on these shows are single or have small families. They have exciting lives. People watching want this life, too.?

Worldwide, more people today are living alone, says a recent study. In Sweden, 41 percent of the people live by themselves—the most of any country in the world. In second place is the UK; there 34 percent of the population lives alone. And in third place is Japan, where about 31 percent of the people live on their own. How old are the people living alone? In the U.S., says researcher Eric Klinenberg, most are in their thirties, forties, and fifties. After this group are people 65 and older. And finally, people 18 to 34 are the smallest group—but this group is growing very fast, especially in cities.?

Questions:?

1. Which country has the highest percentage of people living alone??

2. What’s the percentage of people living alone in Japan??

3. What is the largest group of people who live alone in the U.S.??

1. I was thinking about my bucket list—you know, a list of things you want to do before you die? Anyway, one thing on mine is I plan to visit Antarctica someday. It’s the coldest place on Earth. Everyone always says to me, “What can you do in Antarctica?” A lot, actually. You can see penguins and other animals. There are mountains, so you can also go skiing or hiking.?

2. I learned about ancient Egypt in school, and I’d love to visit the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. It’s called “the world’s largest outdoor museum”. Today, I saw a video of a hot air balloon flying over the Valley of the Kings. It was so cool! The video also showed a person horseback riding along the Nile River. I want to do that someday.?

3. My dream is to go mountain biking in the French Alps someday. The area is famous for its beautiful mountain scenery, and I hear the bike trails are great, especially in the summer. In winter, it’s also a great place to go skiing.?

4. The Serengeti is definitely on my bucket list. Imagine seeing millions of wild animals of different kinds—lions, elephants, monkeys—in their natural environment. You can camp in the park at night and during the day, you can see the animals up close. I hope I can do this someday.?

A: What’s on your adventure bucket list? B: I’d like to go to Serengeti National Park. A: What can you do there? B: You can see lots of wild animals. A: That sounds fun. What else can you do there? B: You can go camping.

Growing up in Los Angeles, California, Juan Martinez’s family taught him the importance of education. However, in his neighborhood, there were many gang members. Martinez almost joined a gang, but then something happened. He failed a science class in high school. To pass the class, his teacher said, he had to join the Eco Club and work in the school garden. Later, he had a chance to do a two-week nature program in Wyoming. “I still can’t find the words to describe the first moment I saw those mountains,” Martinez says. He saw animals. He went hiking in the Teton Mountains. He slept under the night sky, full of stars. The trip changed him forever. Martinez returned to Los Angeles and his grades improved. He finished school and in time, he went to college. Today, he works for an organization that connects city kids with nature.?

Interviewer: To get kids interested in nature, what do you tell them??

Martinez: It’s not so much “Hey, we’re going out to nature because we have to take care of the trees.” We’re going out to nature because it helps you be healthy. It helps you live a better life. It’s gonna improve your, you know, math and science skills. Interviewer: These days, why do kids spend less time outdoors? Martinez: Nature was such an integral part of everything that happened in everyday life. You know, go out and enjoy the outdoors until the lights come on ... the street lights come on. That doesn’t happen anymore, you know. More and more, we’re connected to technology. And more and more we’re connected to ourselves, but we’re not connecting with each other and with nature.?

Questions:?

1. Which one of the following is NOT mentioned by Juan Martinez as one of the benefits of going out to nature??

2. According to Juan Martinez, why do children spend less time outdoors??

3. What can you infer from Juan Martinez’s words?

W: I just read this really interesting book called Thrive. It’s about what makes people happy.?

M: Do the same things make everyone happy??

W: Well, in some ways, happiness is different for each person ...?

M: For example, I love to cook, and you hate it.?

W: Right ... But some things make al- most everyone happy.?

M: Let me guess. Rich people are happy.?

W: Well, not really. Studies say it’s im- portant not to be poor. It’s important to have enough money. But having a lot of money doesn’t make you much happier than other people.?

M: Hmm. Interesting. What else??

W: Well, it’s important to have goals in life—you know, the feeling that there’s something important you want to do. It can be work, for example, or it can be something like a hobby. But it should be something you really want to do ...?

M: Like right now, I’m trying to get in shape—you know, eat right, exercise more ...?

W: Exactly. That’s a good example. Good health is another thing that’s impor- tant for happiness.?

M: Right. So what else??

W: Other people are important to your happiness, especially your family. D. Discuss with a partner.?

M: What about friends?

?W: Yes, friendship is important, too. Good relationships with family members and friends really increase our happiness.

A: What do you think people need to be happy??

B: I think money is the most important thing.?

A: Really? Why do you think that??

B: Because if you have money, you can buy things you want.?

A: That’s true. I think that’s important, but I think your family is important, too.?

Welcome to San Luis Obispo, California—a city of 44,000 located between Los Angeles and San Francisco. What makes this one of the happiest cities in the United States? The area’s natural beauty is one important factor. The city is close to both the ocean and the mountains, and there are lots of places for residents to hike or bike.?

San Luis Obispo itself is a very laid-back city. It has a number of parks, cafes, and open areas where people can relax. And even in the downtown area, there are very few cars and almost no traffic. The city is also very safe. Believe it or not, many people don’t lock their doors during the day ... or at night. In addition to these things, San Luis Obispo also has a lively arts scene. Every summer there are free concerts and a number of music and art festivals. And finally, San Luis Obispo is a healthy environment. Fresh fruit and vegetables are all grown locally. And there is no smoking in restaurants and most outdoor public places.?

Now, what about the people of San Luis Obispo. What are they like? Residents are known for their high levels of emotional well-being. They smile more and experience less sadness than people in other cities in the U.S.?

Not surprisingly, people here are very active. Many bike to work or school every day.?

Residents are also very sociable. They spend a lot of time with family and friends. Many also volunteer and help others in the community.?

F: Did you know that Denmark is one of the happiest countries in the world??

M: Denmark? That’s hard to believe.?

F: Why??

M: Well, I heard that people pay really high taxes there, right? Like 60%? F: Yep, that’s right. But this gives people free health care and education. Good health and education are important to them.?

M: Okay ...?

F: Oh, and another reason why Danes are happier than most people: 95% of them are members of a club or organization.?

M: 95%? That’s a lot.?

F: It’s true. Oh, and 30% of Danes also volunteer to help other people. M: Wow, that’s great.?

F: And most people have good jobs. And their working hours are quite short. Most people only work 37 hours each week, and they usually have six weeks of vacation every year.?

M: That sounds really good.?

F: Yeah, and people all over the country, even in Copenhagen—the capital city—are surrounded by nature. They get lots of fresh air and exercise. In fact, almost 30% bike to work.?

M: But I hear that winters in Denmark are really long and dark.?

F: Well ... the people enjoy them. They have a special word in their language —“hygge.” It means “the art of relaxing in a warm and cozy place.” That’s what they do.?

M: Amazing. I understand now why people are so happy there!?

Numbers of most animal species worldwide are going down. For example, in the 1970s, there were about 1,200,000 African elephants. Today there are only about 500,000. In the 1970s, there were about 200,000 African lions. Today, there are fewer than 21,000. But there is some good news. For example, in the 1970s, there were only about 1,000 bald eagles. Today, there are more than 50,000. Giant panda populations also look to be increasing, but very slowly. In the 1970s there were about 1,000 pandas in the wild, today scientists think there are about 1,600. Animals worldwide are in danger for several reasons. First, people poison them because they want to kill them. This happens with lions, for example.?

Also, many farmers who grow food use pesticides to kill insects. Some animals eat these insects and die, too. This happened with bald eagles until farmers stopped using the dangerous pesticide called DDT. Second, there is habitat loss. In much of the world, people cut down trees. They destroy forests because they need land for farms and cities. This takes away land from animals. This happens, for example, with lions, elephants, and pandas. Third, there is hunting. People sometimes kill animals for food. They also kill animals for their body parts. For example, poachers kill elephants for their white tusks. More often, farmers want to protect their own animals—their cows and sheep—so they kill lions. Or they want to protect their land, so they kill elephants. In the past, poaching was a problem for pandas as people hunted pandas for their skin. Today, this isn’t really a problem for them.?

A: Did you know that grizzly bears are endangered? B: Yeah? Why are they endangered? A: Mainly because of hunting by humans and habitat loss. B: How many are left? A: Only about 25,000.

Zeb Hogan?

Many of the world’s largest freshwater fish are endangered. In Mongolia, for example, people who live near the rivers and lakes are often poor. They kill the fish for food, decreasing their numbers.?

People also kill them for sport, so their numbers are further decreasing. Zeb Hogan, from the United States, is working with local people to save fish such as the giant salmon in Mongolia. Hogan is part of a project to bring tourists to rivers in Mongolia. They pay to catch salmon for sport, and then release them—throw them back into the water. The fish are not hurt, and the people in Mongolian villages make money from the tourism.?

Tuy Sereivathana (Vathana)?

In Cambodia, there are many new towns, roads, and farms, and elephant habitats are disappearing.?

Because of this, elephants go into villages and eat the crops. Poor farmers kill them to protect their land. As a result, the Cambodian elephant population has fallen from 2,000 in 1995 to fewer than 500 today. Tuy Sereivathana (known as Vathana), from Cambodia, is working to save Asian elephants. He builds schools where students learn about conservation. Also, he teaches farmers ways to keep their land safe from elephants, so farmers don’t kill them. For example, he shows them how to use fireworks to scare elephants, or to put hot chili peppers on fences around their fields. The farmers keep their crops, and the elephants keep their lives.?

Many people worldwide want to help endangered animals by donating money or volunteering. However, they don’t know about the many projects conservationists are doing to save animals. Another big problem is that many conservationists want to share the work they do with the rest of the world, but don’t know how. Paula Kahumbu, from Kenya, writes books and gives talks. Also, she is the director of a website, wildlifedirect.org. This site has many blogs, photos, and podcasts from about 120 different conservation projects in different countries. The conservationists tell people about their important work, and people around the world can read about the conservationists’ projects—for example, saving gorillas in the Congo or orangutans in Indonesia or lions in Kenya. People can learn about the projects and send money to help, if they want.

1. According to two different studies, the average person has 229 friends on a social networking site like Facebook. For teenagers, the number is higher; it’s between 300 and 425.?

2. Well, like most people, teenagers are friends with classmates, family members, and close friends.?

3. Actually, yes. Many teens in the U.S. and the UK say they often accept online friend requests from acquaintances and sometimes even strangers. In fact, according to one recent study, many teens don’t know and will probably never meet 25% of their online friends.?

4. A number of teenagers say they like connecting with friends on Facebook. But some teens also say they feel pressure to join because it’s the main way friends connect. If you’re not on Facebook, or a similar site, you won’t know what your friends are doing.

A: This is my friend Ajay. B: How do you know him? A: He was a classmate of mine in high school. B: Are you close?

We all know that having friends is important, but why do we form friendships with some people and not others? In some ways, the answer is simple: you become friends with someone because you have things in common. Maybe you both like the same soccer team. Or perhaps you both love to play video games. Or maybe your personalities are similar: you’re a bit shy and the other person is, too. But two American scientists, Dr. Peter DeScioli and Robert Kurzban, found that we form friendships with certain people for another reason: because these relationships protect us in some way. Their research also showed that we rank our friends on how likely they are to “have our back”—that is, to support us when there is trouble. The more likely a person is to help you, the closer a friend he or she is. For this reason, it’s possible to be friends with someone who is different from you. You get along because the person can help you in some way, the researchers say, and that’s even more important than your differences.?

Questions: 1. What do Dr. Peter DeScioli and Robert Kurzban believe? 2. How do we rank our friends??

We all know that having friends is important, but why do we form friendships with some people and not others? In some ways, the answer is simple: you become friends with someone because you have things in common. Maybe you both like the same soccer team. Or perhaps you both love to play video games. Or maybe your personalities are similar: you’re a bit shy and the other person is, too. But two American scientists, Dr. Peter DeScioli and Robert Kurzban, found that we form friendships with certain people for another reason: because these relationships protect us in some way. Their research also showed that we rank our friends on how likely they are to “have our back”—that is, to support us when there is trouble. The more likely a person is to help you, the closer a friend he or she is. For this reason, it’s possible to be friends with someone who is different from you. You get along because the person can help you in some way, the researchers say, and that’s even more important than your differences.

Psychologist Tom Rath has studied and written a lot about friendship over the years. In one of his recent books, Vital Friends: The People You Can’t Afford to Live Without, Rath explains that not only is it important to have friends, but that our friends play very different roles in our lives. In the book, Rath uses different words to describe eight types of friends. Let’s talk about four of these. Rath calls one kind of friend “the companion.” This is the person you might call your best friend. You tell this person everything—both the good news and the bad—and he or she has your back no matter what. Even if this person doesn’t live near you, you have a very strong, very close connection and probably always will. Another type of friend, says Rath, is “the collaborator.” You have a lot in common with this person. Maybe you both like the same kind of music, sports, or other activities. Perhaps you live in the same area. Of all of your friends, you probably spend the most time with this person because you share so many of the same interests. A third type of friend, says Rath, is “the energizer.” This is a fun friend—the kind who makes you laugh. You might not be the closest friends, but when you hang out with this person, you always feel better, and that’s why this person is in your life. Rath also talks about a fourth type of friend, which he calls “the mind-opener.” This person gets you to try new things or helps you see things in different ways. This friend introduces you to new ideas, and in many ways, this kind of friendship can be the most interesting. Questions: 1. What is the book the speaker is discussing mainly about? 2. Who might be the speaker?

Psychologist Tom Rath has studied and written a lot about friendship over the years. In one of his recent books, Vital Friends: the People You Can’t Afford to Live Without, Rath explains that not only is it important to have friends, but that our friends play very different roles in our lives. In the book, Rath uses different words to describe eight types of friends. Let’s talk about four of these. Rath calls one kind of friend “the companion.” This is the person you might call your best friend. You tell this person everything—both the good news and the bad—and he or she has your back no matter what. Even if this person doesn’t live near you, you have a very strong, very close connection and probably always will. Another type of friend, says Rath, is “the collaborator.” You have a lot in common with this person. Maybe you both like the same kind of music, sports, or other activities. Perhaps you live in the same area. Of all of your friends, you probably spend the most time with this person because you share so many of the same interests. A third type of friend, says Rath, is “the energizer.” This is a fun friend—the kind who makes you laugh. You might not be the closest friends, but when you hang out with this person, you always feel better, and that’s why this person is in your life. Rath also talks about a fourth type of friend, which he calls “the mind-opener.” This person gets you to try new things or helps you see things in different ways. This friend introduces you to new ideas, and in many ways, this kind of friendship can be the most interesting. Questions: 1. How many types of friends does Tom Rath describe in his book? 2. What kind of friendship is the most interesting one?

What are some of the things people are afraid of? A recent survey asked more than 1,000 people what they were afraid of and snakes are number one on the list. According to the survey, 51 percent of people are afraid of them. Next, the survey found that 40 percent of people are afraid of speaking in public. Only 11 percent of people said they are afraid of crowds, and just five percent of people are afraid of the dark. Mice, however, were quite high on the list—20 percent of people are afraid of them.

1. I have an unusual fear. It happens to me when I’m on public transportation sometimes. I’m fine if there aren’t a lot of people, but if it’s crowded, I freak out a little. I can’t relax. Crowded subways are the worst. If I’m on a crowded car, I usually get off and wait for the next one. 2. It’s strange; I like my classmates and I have no trouble talking to any of them. But every time I have to speak in front of the class, I get really nervous. I talk too fast, or I forget information. It’s frustrating. Once I start talking, I’m usually okay, but I have a really hard time at first. 3. I don’t know why I’m afraid of them; I’m much bigger than they are, but they still freak me out. Mice just run so fast everywhere! Sometimes, I’ll see one run across the kitchen floor and I can’t go into the kitchen for hours. I can’t even set a trap for them. It’s crazy.

A: What’s something you’re afraid of? B: Nothing really. When I was a kid, I was scared of bugs, like spiders and roaches. A: Oh yeah. Me too. But some things still make me nervous. B: Really? Like what? A: Going to the dentist. B: Yeah, that freaks me out, too.

Narrator: Journalist Sebastian Junger—who has reported from places like Afghanistan and Sierra Leone—talks about taking risks and controlling fear. Sebastin Junger: One of our primary emotions is fear. It is one of the worst emotional experiences we can have. Many people do almost anything they can to avoid it, but some actively seek it out. In many ways, doing things that make us afraid is crazy. No other animal intentionally risks its life for thrills or excitement, and yet humans do it all the time. We climb mountains, jump off bridges with parachutes, or kayak in dangerous waters. I used to work as a tree climber, removing old branches from trees. Many times I climbed as high as 24 meters, and then I had to cut six meters of tree above me. It was very dangerous and I had to make just the right cut so that the top of the tree fell forward rather than back on top of me. To deal with my fear, I would wait five or ten minutes before I made the cut. But I wasn’t waiting for courage; I was waiting for emptiness. For those five to ten minutes, I would care and care and care, and then at some point, I would stop caring. Inside, I’d feel empty. Then I’d make the cut. I imagine that every skydiver who steps out of an airplane or every bungee jumper who jumps off a bridge experiences the same thing. Maybe we’re attracted to these sports not because they’re exciting, but because they give us the chance to face our biggest fear—that someday our lives will end. We’re the only animal that knows this, and we’re the only one that seems to need to practice for it again and again. Questions: 1. According to Sebastian Junger, why do we do things that make us afraid? 2. How did Sebastian Junger deal with fear when he was cutting tall trees?

Narrator: Journalist Sebastian Junger—who has reported from places like Afghanistan and Sierra Leone—talks about taking risks and controlling fear. Sebastin Junger: One of our primary emotions is fear. It is one of the worst emotional experiences we can have. Many people do almost anything they can to avoid it, but some actively seek it out. In many ways, doing things that make us afraid is crazy. No other animal intentionally risks its life for thrills or excitement, and yet humans do it all the time. We climb mountains, jump off bridges with parachutes, or kayak in dangerous waters. I used to work as a tree climber, removing old branches from trees. Many times I climbed as high as 24 meters, and then I had to cut six meters of tree above me. It was very dangerous and I had to make just the right cut so that the top of the tree fell forward rather than back on top of me. To deal with my fear, I would wait five or ten minutes before I made the cut. But I wasn’t waiting for courage; I was waiting for emptiness. For those five to ten minutes, I would care and care and care, and then at some point, I would stop caring. Inside, I’d feel empty. Then I’d make the cut. I imagine that every skydiver who steps out of an airplane or every bungee jumper who jumps off a bridge experiences the same thing. Maybe we’re attracted to these sports not because they’re exciting, but because they give us the chance to face our biggest fear—that someday our lives will end. We’re the only animal that knows this, and we’re the only one that seems to need to practice for it again and again.?

1. I think probably the public has an idea that there is more danger than there really is, but still, there is some danger and my experience with that danger has been— uh, even small amounts of it—has been really quite traumatizing. 2. You know I grew up in a really safe, comfortable suburb, and I think some of my—I don’t know what you’d call it—some of my interest that leads me in that direction,I think just comes … they’re really just a reaction to the incredible safety and, frankly, sort of boringness that I grew up in. 3. You know when you’re … when you exercise really hard or if you experience fear, there’s a chemical reaction in your body … and those feel good—I mean, just chemically they feel good—and the human body responds to that experience in a positive way. And so anybody—from, you know, your grandmother to an eighteen year old guy who’s driving too fast—everyone responds to the thrill of risk with some positive response to risk. People just have different levels of risk, and thrill turns to terror at different places for different people.

1. A lot of people think going outside with wet hair will make you sick. But, in fact, illnesses like a cold or the fl u are caused by a virus, not going outside with a wet head. 2. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” says the saying, and yes, apples are high in vitamins and they’re low in fat. But there are over four teaspoons of sugar in every apple, so eating too many can be bad for your teeth. Eating different types of fruit and vegetables every day is what really keeps the doctor away. 3. Eating food cooked in oil isn’t bad for your skin—unless you eat too much of it. In fact, the right type of oil is good for your health. For example, research shows that olive oil may prevent dangerous diseases like cancer, including skin cancer. 4. Many of us spend a lot of time looking at computer, phone, and TV screens every day. For most people, looking at these devices doesn’t make their eyesight worse, but it can cause headaches. To avoid this problem, research shows it’s good to look away from the screen every few minutes.

A: Hey, are you okay? B: No, I think I’m getting sick. I have a sore throat. A: You ought to go home and rest. B: Yeah, I think I will. A: And try drinking hot tea with honey. B: Will that really help? A: It always works for me, and in fact, research shows that honey can relieve a sore throat.

How long can humans live? In most developed countries, people are now living an average of 75 years. But scientists are trying to find ways to lengthen our lives— perhaps to 120 years or older—and to help us remain young as we age. To do this, scientists are studying special groups of people around the world. These people seem to be immune to certain diseases that shorten our lives. Some Ecuadorians, for example, have a gene that seems to prevent dangerous diseases like cancer and diabetes. Japanese American men also seem to have a special gene that lowers their chance of getting cancer and heart disease. Learning how these genes work could help extend life for us all and keep us healthier, too.

F: Listen to this: “Living to 120 or older seems like it’ll be possible in the future. A recent study done in the U.S. says that by 2050 almost half a million people in the U.S. alone will be over 100 years old.” M: Wow, almost half a million? That’s amazing. F: Yes, it’s impressive, but do you really think living to 120 is a good idea? M: Why not? We’ll have more time in our lives to do things. How can that be bad? F: Well, I just don’t know … Living longer doesn’t necessarily mean living better, does it? You’ll live most of your life as an older person. And many older people have health problems. M: Yes, but scientists are working all the time to cure diseases like cancer and to slow the aging process, so we’ll be healthier and we’ll age better. F: I know what you mean, but I think that living to 120 isn’t good for our planet. We already have over 7 billion people on Earth. If more people are going to live longer, will we have enough natural resources? M: That’s a good point, but I still think living to 120 sounds good to me.

F: Listen to this: “Living to 120 or older seems like it’ll be possible in the future. A recent study done in the U.S. says that by 2050 almost half a million people in the U.S. alone will be over 100 years old.” M: Wow, almost half a million? That’s amazing. F: Yes, it’s impressive, but do you really think living to 120 is a good idea? M: Why not? We’ll have more time in our lives to do things. How can that be bad? F: Well, I just don’t know … Living longer doesn’t necessarily mean living better, does it? You’ll live most of your life as an older person. And many older people have health problems. M: Yes, but scientists are working all the time to cure diseases like cancer and to slow the aging process, so we’ll be healthier and we’ll age better. F: I know what you mean, but I think that living to 120 isn’t good for our planet. We already have over 7 billion people on Earth. If more people are going to live longer, will we have enough natural resources? M: That’s a good point, but I still think living to 120 sounds good to me. Questions: 1. Which statement is true according to the recent study done in the U.S.? 2. Why is the woman so pessimistic about the prospect of a much longer human life span? 3. Which one is not among the reasons why living a long life is a good idea for the man?

The Millennial Generation includes people born roughly between the early 1980s and the year 2000. These people are in their teens and twenties today, and they are different from earlier generations in some important ways. Firstly, they’re more urban. In the early 1990s, only about 40% of all people lived in cities worldwide. Today, due to more work and educational opportunities in cities, more than 50% of the world’s population live in an urban area, and many of those people are Millennials. Many Millennials are also better educated than people in earlier generations. Wealth worldwide is increasing. So families have more money to spend on educating their children. In the mid 1990s, for example, China had only 3 million college students; today there are more than 25 million and that number is increasing. Unlike earlier generations, many Millennials say they are more open to dating or marrying someone from a different background, in great part because it’s easy to learn about other cultures via the Internet and social media. In the U.S., a recent study done by the Pew Research Center showed that over 85% of Millennials say they would date or marry someone from a different ethnic or cultural background; that number dropped to 55% for Americans aged 55 to 64 years old. Most Millennials aren’t hurrying to get married, though. Worldwide, they are marrying later, or not at all. In the early 1990s in South Korea, for example, women often married by age 25; today, many women are marrying at age 30. For men, that number jumped from age 28 to 32. What’s causing this change? For some, they are waiting to marry until they have a good job—which is harder for some to get. Others are simply harder to please. They are waiting to find their ideal man or woman.

A: In the past, fewer people used to live in cities. Today many more do. B: That’s a big change, and I definitely think it’s an improvement.?

A: Why’s that??

B: There are more opportunities in a city. A: Yeah, but it’s also more crowded and expensive.

In Northern Pakistan, near the Afghan border, there is a group of people called the Kalasha. Once powerful and widespread, the Kalash civilization once had tens of thousands of people; today, there are only about 3,500. In just a few generations, this culture, which is over 3,000 years old, may disappear. Sayed Gul Kalash, a member of this community, is working hard to save her language and culture from extinction, but it won’t be easy. “Our language, spoken since 1,000 BCE, has no written script,” she explains. “But the culture’s early history, stories, and songs have a lot to teach us about ourselves and the human experience,” says Gul Kalash. She is trying to preserve the language by writing down these stories and songs for the first time. In an increasingly globalized and connected world, languages like Mandarin and English, Russian and Hindi, Spanish and Arabic dominate. Parents in small villages often encourage their children to move away from their language and culture and toward those that will help them be more successful in life. Today, numbers are decreasing as more and more Kalash children are being educated in mainstream schools, and more people are moving away and marrying outside the Kalash culture. “It’s understandable,” says Sayed Gul Kalash. But she reminds us that every culture is unique and has value. When one culture is lost, we all lose something.

F: In addition to writing down traditional Kalash stories and songs for the first time, Sayed Gul Kalash is also working to preserve her culture in other ways. Tell us what some of these are.?

M: Sure. One thing she’d like to do is to encourage more Kalash people to become teachers.?

F: How will that help??

M: Well, right now, many Kalash children are educated in mainstream Pakistani schools. But if there are more Kalash teachers and schools in the villages, children will also have a chance to learn more about their own language and culture.?

F: What else is she doing??

M: She’s also working to open a museum in her area that will feature Kalash art, jewelry, ancient tools, and other items of interest. The museum will teach outsiders about Kalash culture, and if more people see how unique it is, hopefully, they’ll want to protect it and keep it from disappearing.?

F: How does she feel about more tourists visiting Kalash villages??

M: Kalash clothing, music and dance, and traditional food and festivals are sure to be very interesting to tourists. And if Kalash villages get more tourists, they’ll make more money. This money can then be used to build schools and train teachers, and improve the life of the Kalash people. So in many ways it’s a positive thing.?

F: It sounds like a good idea. At the same time, though, tourism can also bring other problems.?

M: That’s true. Tourism can often result in lots of hotels being built and more pollution, both of which would be bad for the environment—and the Kalash people. On the other hand, if tourists stay with local families, there would be less of a negative impact.?

（Practice 1 和 Practice 2 因?yàn)樽謹(jǐn)?shù)原因移到另一篇）?