1、S2AChapter 1Reading My favorite sportSkiing is my favorite sport, even though I have only skied for four days in my whole life. Last year, my father promised to take me on a holiday if I did well in my exams. When I got straight As, Dad said How about a weekend at the Botanical Gardens? However, my
2、mu said, No, you promised a special holiday. I think you ought to keep your word. And, despite the expense, he did,M y dream was to see some real snow, so in the Christmas vacation we flew to Seoul, South Korea, and then took a shuttle bus which runs back and forth between Seoul and Muju Resort. As
3、the bus climbed through the mountains, we saw the snow in the trees. I was dying to get out of the bus.No one in my family had ever touched snow before. We were all like little children- we picked it up, made snowballs, and threw them at each other!Then we checked in at the hotel. Our room overlooke
4、d one of the ski slopes. The slope was floodlit, so we watched people skiing until 10 p.m. We could not wait to try it ourselves.The next day we had our first skiing lesson. We rented our ski suits, boots ad skis, and went outside onto the snow. Wearing skis for the first time makes you feel very st
5、range. Suddenly you find you cannot even walk.Our instructor took us onto a gentle slope, and showed us some basic skills. In order to do up a hill, you have to stand sideways, and go up step by step. You must point the tips of your skis together so that you can stop. However, the tips must not cros
6、s, or you will fall. You should not ski alone in case you fall and get injured. To be honest, that first lesson was not a great success, and I kept falling down! However, the next day I definitely improved. I only fell over a few times, and I managed to do a few longer runs. I felt pleased with myse
7、lf, and the instructor congratulated me, so I felt great. Although it was very cold, I spent most of that holiday skiing. It was the most wonderful time of my life.Nevertheless, it was all over too soon. Now I have decided to work part-time this summer, so I can earn enough money for another super s
8、kiing holiday.More reading Faster, Higher, StrongerThe Olympic Games have a long history. The first modern Games were held in Athens, Greece in 1896. Every four years, athletics from all over the world compete in various sports at the Games. The largest group participates in athletics.Athletics refe
9、rs to sports in four areas: track, field, road and combined events. Track events, such as running and hurdling, test a persons speed. In order to win a track event, a person needs to go faster than everyone else. Field events, however, test how high or far someone can jump in events such as the long
10、 jump or high jump. They also test how far someone can throw in events such as the shot-put, discus or javelin. The marathon and race walks are road events. They test endurance. In combined events, athletes are required to compete in a series of competition from each category. The most famous combin
11、ed event is the decathlon. The decathlon involves ten different athletics events that take place over two days. Since the decathlon involves ten different athletics events that take place over two days. Since the decathlon tests all-around physical ability, the winner of the decathlon is often calle
12、d the worlds greatest athlete.Although all Olympic sports are equal in importance, athletics is, in many ways, the best picture of the Olympic motto Faster, Higher, Stronger”. The desire of humanity to do better-to run faster, to soar higher and to push farther-is what the Olympics are all about. Ch
13、apter 2Reading Tutorial centresHelpfulI have been studying at a tutorial centre for two years. The fees are very reasonable, and my command of English has improved greatly since I started.My tutors are all qualified teachers. They are sincere and kind. I have been helped a lot by them.One of my teac
14、hers was British. At first, I could not say anything to her. However, later I learnt how to communicate in English with a westerner.I think that the tutorial centre has given me a lot of confidence in using English.I go to sleepI have been attending a tutorial centre for two months. I have been forc
15、ed to attend by my parents, but I do not think it is useful for me.I am always very tired after school. Sometimes I even sleep during the classes in the evening.Furthermore, the teachers are very boring. They give us a lot of supplementary exercises but they teach us nothing. I usually read comics d
16、uring class. Sometimes I go to a video arcade instead. I think tutorial centres are uselessWaste of moneyI have studied at a tutorial centre for one year. However, I think that I have been cheated. These tutorial centres are only interested in making money, so they accept too many students for each
17、class. However, they do not want to pay for good teachers. My English teacher was a university student who studied physics, not English!Very often, he could not answer our questions about the use of the language.In my opinion, it is better to spend more time on school work than to waste money at a m
18、oney-making tutorial centre.Good and badI have experienced both good and bad tutorial centres.In my first centre, I was in a very big class. My teacher was an Australian. He just talked about his travels. I could learn nothing from him. I left within a month.Then I ask all my friends for their advic
19、e. As a result of their recommendations, I enrolled on a course at another centre.The teachers are excellent here and the classes are small. We have been taught many good techniques for developing our language and studying skills.There are both good and bad tutorial centres, so you must do some dete
20、ctive work before you enroll.However, the most important thing is whether you are willing to learn and to work hard. The key factor is yourself. More reading Independent learningIndependent learning is one solution for those who want to continue their education, nut have no time for it. It is often
21、described as a class of one, because you work alone. You study at your own pace, at a time and place convenient for you. These courses can help you get a degree, help your career, or help you learn what interests you.One type of independent learning is the correspondence course, In a correspondence
22、course, a school sends you textbooks, study guides, and materials such as video and audio discs. You communicate with your teacher by mail. Your teacher reads your papers and makes comments, Your marks are recorded by the school before they are mailed back to you.A newer style of independent learnin
23、g is e-learning. With e-learning, you study using computer software or the Internet. You can learn on your own, or you can enroll on a course. Usually, in an e-learning course, students communicate with their teachers through e-mail. However, some students have been using video recently. This allows
24、 the teacher and the students to see and communicate with each other at the same time.Independent learning gives you the freedom to adapt your learning to your lifestyle. However, it requires self-discipline and hard work, so not everyone is successful at it. Those who are successful receive a real
25、sense of achievement and satisfaction.Chapter 3Reading FashionMy topic is Fashion. Fashion is important to almost all of us. By fashion, we usually mean popular trends in styles of dress. When we do out or to a party, we usually like to wear fashionable clothes. To illustrate my talk, I have brought
26、 along five objects.My first object is this blouse. It looks beautiful, doesnt it? Its my most expensive piece of clothing, and I love it. It cost me $200. It may seem very extravagant, but I could afford it with my own savings. It wasnt easy for me to earn the money, but when buying clothes, I thin
27、k the more you spend the better the quality. So you see, fashion is quite important to me.However, Im not as keen on fashion as my brother Gary. Last summer, he won a free trip to London in a contest. The organizers wanted to show him some famous sights. But he didnt appreciate old buildings. He jus
28、t spent all his time searching for the coolest pair of trainers! For him, fashion was more important than culture. These are the trainers he bought. Was it worth a trip to London to buy these? Well, I dont think so. It was a waste of time and money.Fashion is very big business. Changes in fashion ca
29、n create or ruin jobs. As an example, I have brought this blonde wig to show you. It belongs to one of my mums friends. In the 1960s, these were very fashionable. But a few years later fashions changed, and women wore wigs much less often. Many wig factories closed down, and hundreds of workers lost
30、 their jobs, which was terrible!Fashion can affect the natural world, as well. Im holding an old hat borrowed from a drama company. Its made of beaver fur. These hats were very fashionable about 200 years ago. As a result, beavers almost became extinct. Luckily, in the 1850s, these hats went out of
31、style and the beavers were saved.Finally, we should remember the saying, never judge a book by its cover. Clothes will not make us more or less clever, better or worse, more or less honest. I once saw a movie about Mother Teresa. She spent all her life helping poor people in India, most of whom were
32、 dying. In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. When she flew to get the award, she wore the same old clothes as usual, and carried all her possessions in a little bag like this, which I bought in a market. This reminds us that fashion is not the most important thing in life.Thank you. M
33、ore reading Uniform fashion good for young studentsSchool uniforms are not part of the traditional way of life in the USA. In 1987, Cherry Hill Elementary, which is in the Maryland, went against tradition by becoming the first public school in the USA to make students wear uniforms. The school did t
34、his to reduce trouble caused by the students love of fashion. Since this new programme has proved to be a good way to promote safety and discipline, other schools soon followed. By 2000, 12 pert cent of American public schools required school uniforms.The introduction of school uniforms has helped r
35、educe school violence. Much of school violence is linked to the wearing of gang colours, which are the clothes worn by different youth gangs. In schools with youth gangs, the number of fights decreased by 40 per cent after uniforms wre introduced.Uniforms also send a message that students are at school to study, not to play. They reduce peer pressure and create school pride. These things help raise the academic level of the students.
