CHAPTER TWO Reading Page 20&21
PENANG
An island of uncrowded beaches,beautiful countryside and historic temples,
Penang is a mere 15 miles long and 9 miles wide
washed by the waters of the Straits of Malacca just off Malaysia's west coast
Rasa Sayang
The Rasa Sayang is a luxurious hotel set amongst 12 acres of gardens
on the beachfront at Batu Ferringhi.
The addition of the new Garden Wing
has increased the already excellent range of facilities.
Facilities.
Two swimming pools,one with water slide Whirlpool Pool bar
Children's pool and Club House(ages 4013 years)
Four restaurants serving international,
Chinese and Japanese cuisine
Three bars Disco Windsurfing,water skiing and sailing
Three tennis courts Shopping arcade Health club Dear Sandra Surprise!
I bet you didn't know we are in Penang now,did you?
It all happened so quickly.
Mum heard a week ago that she had been promoted to Sales Manager.
She said,'Let's have a holiday to celebrate,shall we?'
Of course,we all agreed!
Within a couple of days,we arrived here,at the Rasa Sayang.
It's a great hotel with lots of facilities as you can see from the enclosed cuttings
I loved it from the moment I got out of the coach.
We've spent a lot of time at the beach.I've also taken up tennis.
I'd never played before.A coach is teaching me how to play properly.
Danny keeps saying I ought to join in the activities for little kids,
even though I'm 16.
Big brothers can be so annoying,can't they?
Yesterday at the beach some people were doing paragliding.
When Danny saw it,he said,'I want to have a go at that!',and Dad said'So do I
At first Mum didn't want to do it,and neither did I.
But Dad and Danny started teasing us,saying that women weren't as brave as men
In the end we couldn't put up with it any longer.
You know how Mum likes to stand up for women,don't you?
So she said she would have a go,and so did I
Dad and Mum went up,and then it was my turn.
The staff helped me to put on the parachute.They checked it very carefully
I was very nervous,and wanted to put it off until another day,but I couldn't
I stood in the water,and the boats started.The parachute filled with wind
Then the force pulled me out of the water.I took off into the sky.
It was so wonderful!I suddenly found I was floating 100 feet in the air!
The flight lasted for about ten minutes.I loved it!
But when Danny went up the flight made him feel sick,
and he had to go and lie down for the rest of the day!
Since then Danny has stopped teasing me,and I have got on with him much better
We took an excursion round the island yesterday.
The best place was the famous Snake Temple.Inside it we saw dozens of snakes
One man was putting a big snake around visitors and taking photographs.
Dad insisted we all did that.I've never really liked snakes.
I asked,'It won't bite me,will it?'The man just laughed!
Luckily,it seemed very tame.
Anyway,I must go and have my tennis lesson now.
We were sorry to hear in your last letter that you had the flu.
I hope you are getting over it now.Do look after yourself,won't you?'
I'll show you my souvenirs when we all get together soon.
With lots of love Karen
INTEGRATED SKILLS Page 25
Exam tasks Task One
You will hear two telephone calls.
Listen and take down the messages on the forms.
No.1
A:Hello,Opal Travel.Helen Chen speaking,how can I help you?
B:Er.hello,is Mary Wood there?
A:No,I'm afraid she is not in today.Can I take a message?B:Well,yes.
I just wanted to thank her for arranging our holiday to New Zealand last month
A:Oh,that's very kind of you.May I have your name,please?
B:Yes,I'm Steven Green Please tell Mary that we had a lovely time in Queenstown
And the hotel she recommended was excellent.
A:Oh,I'm so glad,
it's always useful for us if we have a personal recommendation from one of my customers
Which hotel did you stay in Queenstown Mr Green?
B:It was the Holiday Inn in Queenstown.
My wife is disabled,you see,and so we need special facilities for a wheel chair
The staff of that hotel were most helpful.
And they had very good facilities for disabled peopleSo we were very pleased that Mary arranged that hotel for us.
A:Well,it's very kind of you to let us know.
I make sure that Mary would get your message tomorrow.Thanks again for calling
B:You're welcome,good0bye.
A:Good0bye,Mr Green.
No.2
A:Hello!Opal Travel,Helen Chen speaking.How can I help you?
B:Hello!I'm Roger King.
My wife and I would like to book a holiday in Queenstown New Zealand,
for this July.
But first I'd like some information,please.
A:Yes,of course.I'm afraid I'm rather new at this job.
So if you could let me have your questions I'll make a note to them.
And then find out the answers for you.
B:Right,that would be fine.Ok,well,first Can we fly direct to Queenstown.
How long would it take And how much would it cost?
A:Direct to Queenstown How long and how much?Right.
B:Next,do we need a visa for New Zealand?
A:Do you and your wife have valid passports?
B:Yes,we both do.
A:Then I don't think you would need a visa.But we'll check that for you.
B:Thanks,then do we need any special vaccinations for any illness?
A:Vaccinations?Yes.
B:And,can you recommend a good hotel,and tell us the cost for one week?
But there's one problem,my wife was in a car crash recently,and broke a leg.
So it would help if the hotel has good facilities for the disabled.
She has to use a wheel chair some of the time
A:Right,so you want to know the cost of the hotel for one week
and it must have the facilities for the disabled.
Are there any other questions,Mr King?
B:Well,I'd like to know a bit more about Queenstown.
I'd like to do some sports personally,
and could you tell me what the weather will be like in July?
A:Yes,of course.We'll look into all of those points and get back to you.
Perhaps it will be easier if we sent you a letter with all the information
B:Yes,that would be fine.
You have my address already from the last holiday you arranged for me.
A:Right,thanks for your inquiring,Mr King
B:You're welcome.Good0bye.
A:Good0bye.
SPEAKING page 33
A Intonation of question tags We use question tags in two main ways.
We use different intonation patterns to show what we mean.
1.When we are really asking a question,
we use a rising intonation pattern for the tag.
The plane to London leaves at six o'clock doesn't it?
Here the intonation pattern tells us that the speaker is not certain,
and he/she wants the listener to confirm the information.
2.Sometimes we use a question tag to be polite,
but we are not really asking a question.
Then we use a falling intonation pattern for the tag,
and it sounds like a statement.
but is not really asking a question.
Sometimes the speaker may not even stop for a reply.
The tower looks beautiful at night,doesn't it?
The view from it is wonderful.
Exercise A1
1.This isn't your wallet,is it?2.You want a chocolate ice0cream,don't you?
3.You have passed you driving test,haven't you?
4.This is the way to the airport,isn't it?
5.You won't be late,will you?
6.She was absent yesterday,wasn't she?
Exercise A2
1.That was a difficult exam,wasn't it?
2.You aren't going to the shop today,are you?
3.We have maths after lunch,don't we?
4.We'll enjoy the summer holidays,won't we?
5.She hasn't come,has she?
6.It's terrible weather,isn't it?
MORE LANGUAGE INPUT(2) pages 37 and 38
A Reading
What is Ecotourism?
You may not be very familiar with'ecotourism'
a new term in today's tourism industry
but in an era of growing environmental consciousness,
it is not too difficult for us to imagine and work out the meaning of this new form of holiday
Ecotourism is typically defined as travel to place where the unique flowers,
plants,animals and the cultural heritage are the primary attractions.
It is considered as a kind of responsible tourism
which seriously takes ecology and culture into consideration.
Therefore,programmes involving the conservation
and preservation of some natural and natural sites
also form a part of ecotourismEcotourism is developing at great speed.
According to a report by the World Tourism Organization,
ecotourism in recent years has enjoyed an annual growth of about 5% worldwide
The year 2002 has been declared the International Year of Ecotourism
by the United Nations.
Over 80 activities have been listed for ecotourism,
such as birdwatching,hiking,diving,photography,mountaineering
and participating in various kinds of local cultural events.
Although big cities are still the major places that absorb tourism in our society today
it looks like some smaller towns and rural areas rich in ecological,
cultural and historical resources
may well become the new destinations for people to visit tomorrow.
B Listening
International Tourism Expenditure
In 1998,forty0five countries recorded more than US$1
billion in international tourism expenditure.
The United States,Germany,the United Kingdom
and Japan top the list with spending ranging from US$29 billion
to US$56 billion per year
These four countries are followed by France,
Italy,the Netherlands,Canada,China,Austria,Belgium,Luxembourg.
Sweden,the Russian Federation.
Switzerland and Australia,in that order.
Each spends between US$5 billion and US$18 billion.
All the countries mentioned above
represent over one half of the world's total international tourism expenditure