Unit 10 Places of Interest
In daily life we often need to describe places to others, for example, a city or a school they haven't been to or a tourist attraction they haven't visited. One of the most common ways to describe places is by using adjectives. This exercise deals with how to describe places with adjectives.
Listen to the conversation and supply the missing words in the blanks.
1) Tokyo is big and exciting, but very crowded too.
2) The restaurants in Tokyo are excellent, but they’re pretty expensive.
3) Kyoto is lovely. It’s a very historic city.
Script
M: Have you ever been to Japan, Cindy?
W: Yeah, I went there last summer.
M: What cities did you visit?
W: I went to Tokyo and Kyoto, just two cities.
M: What did you think of Tokyo?
W: It’s big and exciting, but very crowded, too.
M: Yeah, I’ve seen pictures of the crowds!
W: And the restaurants are excellent…but they’re pretty expensive.
M: And what about Kyoto?
W: Kyoto is lovely. It’s full of old temples and beautiful gardens. It’s a very historic city.
M: Sounds perfect! I can’t wait.
1. Kyoto is one of the major cities in Japan. It still retains much of the tradition of old Japan. The old imperial palace and ancient Buddhist temples there attract large numbers of visitors.
2. "I can't wait" means "I'm very eager to do sth".
Useful Expressions for Describing Places
Asking for a Description
● How was (your vacation in Europe)?
● What was (Berlin) like?
● How do you like (Sydney)?
● What does (the Oriental Pearl TV Tower) look like?
● What’s interesting about (the Old City in Shanghai)?
● What do you think of (the Great Wall)?
● How old is (the Tower of London)?
● What’s particular / so special about (the Summer Palace)?
● What do you like most about the Yellow Mountains?
● What is your impression of the Olympic Park in Beijing?
● Tokyo is (big) and (modern).
● Beijing is an (old city) and full of (tourist attractions).
● Qingdao is a (famous scenic spot).
● Our town has (the most beautiful garden in the whole country).
● New York is (a city of skyscrapers).
● (Disneyland) must be /sounds like a fascinating place.
● (New Orleans) is well-known for its jazz music.
● Hawaii is (a group of islands in the Pacific).
● (The weather in Guangzhou) is sunny and warm.
● San Francisco is located (in the western part of the U.S).
Identifying the Intonation Patterns of Tag Questions
Tag questions can be read in a rising tone or a falling tone. If a falling tone is used, it means the speaker is sure what he/she says is true and expects the listener to agree with him/her. A rising tone, however, means that the speaker is not completely sure and wants to hear the listener's opinion.
Listen carefully and decide whether the speakers are sure or unsure of what they have said.
1. a. The speaker is sure that Cindy has been to Bangkok.
b. The speaker wants to know if Cindy has been to Bangkok.
2. a. The speaker suggests going to Hainan Island during the cool season.
b. The speaker wants to find out the best time to go traveling in Hainan Island.
3. a. The speaker is certain that Sydney is the biggest city in Australia.
b. The speaker wants it to be confirmed that Sydney is the biggest
city in Australia.
4. a. The speaker is quite sure that London is not in the north of England.
b. The speaker is not sure whether London is in the north of England.
5. a. The speaker thinks going to Beijing by train won't cost a lot of money.
b. The speaker is doubtful whether going to Beijing by train will cost a lot of money.
6. a. The speaker is certain that people go traveling to increase their knowledge.
b. The speaker is not sure whether people go traveling to increase their knowledge.
Script
1. Cindy has been to Bangkok, hasn't she? (rising tone)
2. The best time to go traveling in Hainan Island is during the cool season, isn't it? (falling tone)
3. Sydney is the biggest city in Australia, isn't it? (rising tone)
4. London isn't in the north of England, is it? (falling tone)
5. It won't cost too much to go to Beijing by train, will it? (falling tone)
6. People go traveling to increase their knowledge, don't they? (rising tone)
Part B
Pre-listening Task
2. What places of interest have you been to? What are they?
I visited the UK a couple of years ago. Among the many places of interest there, I think Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, and the Houses of Parliament are most worth seeing. Buckingham Palace, as you know, is the royal family's palace in London. People say it's a must if you visit London. Although the palace itself is not open to the public, tourists may visit the Queen's Gallery and see the art works there. When the Queen and her family are living there, the changing of the guard (卫队) takes place daily.
The building of the Tower of London was begun more than 900 years ago and the Tower is now a well-known monument. There's a great deal of history behind it. It used to be a prison. Many famous people were once imprisoned (囚禁) in the Tower.
The Houses of Parliament are the symbol of power in Great Britain. If you are interested in the political system of that country, you should go there and see the place. That's where laws and important political decisions are made.
5. What kind of people are usually associated with the place?
Of course the first person who is associated with Camp David is Dwight D. Eisenhower who named it Camp David in honor of his grandson. Actually every president since Franklin Roosevelt has made use of Camp David as a meeting place. Roosevelt hosted Sir Winston Churchill (British Prime Minister) in May 1943 and George W. Bush hosted former Chinese president Jiang Zemin in Camp David on October 25, 2002.
Questions for Discussion
You are going to talk about places of interest. Read the following questions and discuss them with your partner.
1. What kind of place can be regarded as a place of interest?
2. What places of interest have you been to? What are they?
3. What is it that attracts you in these places?
4. Have you heard of Camp David? Where is it?
5. What kind of people are usually associated with the place?
6. Can you guess why it is called Camp David?
Demo:
Language Focus
Here are some useful sentences and structures that you might find handy in discussing the above questions:
● I’ve been to / would love to see the Great Wall / the Summer Palace / the West Lake …
● I’ve read about the Grand Canyon / the Great Pyramid / the Eiffel Tower / Buckingham Palace / the Tower of London …
● A lot of people go sightseeing there.
● Finding accommodations during the holiday season is difficult, so it is important to make reservations in advance.
● It’s (located / situated) in the southeastern part of China / the center of Paris / London’s West End / North America …
● It was established / built in …
● It is one of the main tourist attractions there.
● It has been the business / cultural / economic / political / industrial center since …
● It's well-known for its beautiful landscape / fine scenery / old tradition / rich culture / tasty food / arts and crafts / historical sites …
● Visitors like to take photographs of the beach/ castle/ temple/ pavilion here which looks like a picture postcard.
● It is very quiet there. All you can hear are natural sounds.
● It is / looks hilly / mountainous / magnificent / cosmopolitan / modern / industrial / prosperous / charming / peaceful / quiet / safe / pleasant …
● It's hot/ humid / muggy / in summer and cold/ dry/ windy in winter.
● The natural beauty / nightlife / style of architecture there is a real attraction.
Listening Tasks
A Passage
Camp David
Word Bank
situated a located 位于…, 坐落在…
retreat n. resort 修养所
security n. safety measures, protective devices 保安；保安措施
establish v. to set up 建立，创立
kingdom n. a country ruled by a king or queen王国
Israeli a. of or relating to modern-day Israel or its people 以色列的
Maryland 马里兰州[美国州名]
Palestine 巴勒斯坦
armed guard soldiers with weapons, serving as protectors 武装卫兵
U.S. Marine Corps 美国海军陆战队
Prime Minister 首相
Franklin Roosevelt 罗斯福 (1882--1945), 美国第三十二任总统
Harry S. Truman 杜鲁门 (1884--1972), 美国第三十三任总统
Dwight David Eisenhower 艾森豪威尔(1890--1969), 美国第三十四任总统
James Earl Carter 卡特 (1924--), 美国第三十九任总统
Winston Churchill 丘吉尔 (1874--1965), 英国首相
Script
Camp David
Situated in Catoctin Mountain in Maryland, Camp David has been a holiday retreat for American presidents since the 1940s.
It has an office for the president and living areas for his family and guests. It includes a swimming pool and areas to play golf and other sports. No one is permitted to enter Camp David except people invited by the president. Armed guards from the U.S. Marine Corps provide security.
Preside Franklin Roosevelt established the camp in 1942. He wanted a place where he could go to escape the summer heat of Washington. He chose this area in the mountains because it was cool in the summers and the high location made it safe. He called it Shangri-la, the name of a perfect mountain kingdom in a popular book.
President Truman made the camp the official presidential holiday resort in 1945. Eight years later, President Eisenhower changed its name to Camp David for his grandson David Eisenhower.
Several presidents have used Camp David for important meetings. President Roosevelt met there with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during World War Two.
President Eisenhower in 1959 and President Carter in 1978 also used the place for talks with leaders of other countries. In July 2000, Israeli and Palestinian leaders also met at Camp David for peace talks.
Language and Culture Notes
1. Maryland The 7th state of the U.S.A., on the middle Atlantic coast, with an area of 25,316 sq. km., and the population of 5,042,000 (1995). Its capital is Annapolis and its largest city is Baltimore.
2. Camp David A presidential retreat in the Catoctin Mountains of northern Maryland north-northwest of Washington, D.C. It was established by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942 as Shangri-La. Dwight D. Eisenhower renamed it Camp David in honor of his grandson.
3. the U.S. Marine Corps 美国海军陆战队 A branch of U.S. military service. Its members are trained in sea and land warfare. It was established in 1775 as part of the navy but became a separate service in 1947.
4. Washington Washington D.C. ( District of Columbia), capital of U.S. situated in the east of the country on the Potomac River. The city is not only the home of the U.S. government but also an important cultural center with many landmarks such as the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Capitol, the White House, and the Smithsonian Institute. The place can be quite warm in summer. Temperature may rise to 110˚F.
5. Shangri-la 香格里拉 A place regarded as a paradise on earth. It appeared in the book Lost Horizon (1933) by English novelist James Hilton (1900-1954). The novel was set in the Tibetan monastery of Shangri-la.
6. Winston Churchill (1874-1956) British statesman, orator and writer. Twice Prime Minister of Britain (1940-1945, 1951-1955), Churchill is well-remembered for successfully leading the British in their fight against Nazi Germany during the Second World War. He was also a historian and biographer and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953.
Exercise 1: Listening for general understanding
Listen to the recording and choose the right answers to the questions you hear. (There is more than one answer for both questions. Write down the number(s) in the blanks. )
1. Which of the following haven't been mentioned?
Answers:___1,_6____________
1. The designer of Camp David.
2. Residents of Camp David.
3. The composition of Camp David.
4. The location of Camp David.
5. Visitors to Camp David.
6. The architectural style of Camp David.
7. The origin of its name.
3. Which of the following are true about Camp David?
Answers:__1, 2, 3, 5, 6________________
1. It's cool.
2. It was established more than half a century ago.
3. It's well known.
4. It's open to all.
5. It's politically significant.
6. It's equipped with sports facilities.
7. It was originally owned by a man called David.
Exercise 2: Listening for details
Listen to the recording again and fill in the blanks with the missing information.
INFORMATION ABOUT CAMP DAVID
Listen to the conversations and repeat after the recording. Practise the conversations with your partner, playing the role of A or B. Then work with your partner to create your own conversations by replacing the underlined parts with your own words.
Conversation 1
(At a travel agent's)
Clerk: Good morning. May I help you?
Tourist: I hope so. I will be here in 1) New York only one day. I want to see the main sites.
Clerk: Then I suggest you start with 2) the Statue of Liberty. 3) You can take a boat trip there.
Tourist: Good idea. 4) I'd like to see that. What else?
Clerk: Why don't you go to 5) the Empire State Building? You can get a magnificent view of the city from 6) its 86th floor observatory. 7) It's a favorite with tourists.
Tourist: Mmm, 8) that sounds interesting. And at night?
Clerk: 9) Times Square has plenty of night life. 10) There are many good theaters and clubs on Broadway. You can have a real taste of 11) American music and dancing.
Tourist: Excellent -- one full, exciting day! Thank you very much.
Clerk: It's a pleasure.
Notes:
1. Oriental Pearl TV Tower 东方明珠广播电视塔，468 meters tall, the tallest TV tower in Asia and the third tallest in the world..
2. Jin Mao Tower 金茂大厦， currently the tallest building in China and the fifth tallest in the world. Its observation deck on the 88th floor is the tallest and largest observatory in China.
3. Xintiandi新天地，a newly-developed tourist attraction in downtown Shanghai.
A: Hi, Linda, how was your trip to 1) London?
B: Oh, 2) I had a great time.
A: Did you do a lot of sightseeing?
B: Yes. 3) Churches, museums, gardens and the royal palace.
A: Wonderful! I’ve heard of 4) the changing of the guards. Did you see that?
B: 5) Sure. There were big crowds of people 6) outside Buckingham Palace, mostly tourists from all over the world.7) It was a magnificent sight.
A: Where else did you go?
B: Well, I went to 8) St. Paul’s Cathedral, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.
A: But did you go shopping?
B: Of course. I went shopping in 9) Oxford Street. Most of the things were too expensive for me, but I did find some sales.
A: 10) Lucky girl.
Notes:
1. Millennium Bridge: a 330-meter pedestrian bridge linking the City of London at St Paul's Cathedral with Tate Modern, the new Tate Gallery.
2. London Eye: the Ferris wheel overlooking the Thames.
3. Tate Modern: Britain’s national museum of international modern art.
4. 3-D movies: three-dimensional movies
Part C Additional Listening
Listen to the passage and fill in the blanks with the missing information.
1. When people think of Switzerland they often think of its beautiful landscape.
2. The Swiss are also famous at producing precision goods, like watches and cameras.
3. Switzerland is a country of highly intelligent and hardworking people.
4. The production of products like watches and cameras makes use of a lot of skill and craftsmanship.
5. The Swiss are interested only in making goods that do not need huge amounts of raw materials because the country has no sea coast and has to pay heavily for imported raw materials.
Script
Switzerland
Switzerland is a land well-known for its beautiful landscape. When people think of Switzerland they often think of mountains and mountain scenery.
But Switzerland is more than a land of mountains. It is a country of highly intelligent and hardworking people.
The Swiss are able to produce goods that do not need huge amounts of raw materials. Most of the raw materials used in their industries are imported from other countries. As Switzerland has no sea coast, it has to pay heavily for imported raw materials which have to be sent over long distances.
For this reason, the Swiss are interested only in producing precision products like watches, cameras, and other type of goods which make use of their skill and craftsmanship. The well-known Swiss watch industry is a good example of this. Small amounts of raw materials are used but a great deal of skill and precision is needed to produce a little item with so many minute parts.
Movie Time
Watch a video clip. In the video clip, the narrator describes several different aspects of China. Fill in the blanks in the following paragraph summarizing the video clip.
Word Bank
landscape n. 地貌，风景
ethnic adj. 民族
searing adj. 灼热的
exotic adj. 奇异的
tropical adj. 热带的
Script:
Narrator:
The last hidden world — China.
For centuries, travellers to China have told tales of magical landscapes and surprising creatures. Chinese civilization is the world's oldest and today, its largest, with well over a billion people. It's home to more than 50 distinct ethnic groups and a wide range of traditional lifestyles, often in close partnership with nature. We know that China faces immense social and environmental problems. But there is great beauty here, too.
China is home to the world's highest mountains, vast deserts ranging from searing hot to mind-numbing cold. Steaming forests harbouring rare creatures. Grassy plains beneath vast horizons. And rich tropical seas.
Now for the first time ever, we can explore the whole of this great country, meet some of the surprising and exotic creatures that live here and consider the relationship of the people and wildlife of China to the remarkable landscape in which they live.
This is Wild China.
Exercise
China’s beauty lies in its (1) magical/remarkable landscape, (2) surprising creature, the (3) oldest civilization of more than (4) 50 ethnic groups, a wide range of (5) traditional lifestyles in harmony with (6) nature. The population is over (7) a billion. In China, there are the world’s (8) highest mountains and vast deserts. In China also live (9) rare creatures in the forests. One can see (10) grassy plains and (11) rich tropical seas. It is a good opportunity for us to explore the whole of this great country, meet some of the exotic creatures and consider the relationship of the (12) people and wildlife of China.
Time to Talk
Look at these pictures and describe them one by one.
1. The Great Wall
one of the greatest wonders of the world, a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987, the Great Wall winds up and down, across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching almost 10 thousand kilometers, in ruins or have disappeared; the Great Wall symbolizes the strengths and spirit of Chinese people
2. Washington D.C.
a white dome building and a white monument, the Washington Monument, near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., USA. to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington, symmetrical (对称的) buildings, magnificent monuments, important historical landmarks (标志性建筑)
3. The Summer Palace:
situated in the western outskirts of Haidian District, 15 kilometers from central Beijing, a beautiful lake surrounded by lovely hills and nice buildings, the unique style of architecture, the fine scenery, picturesque, used to be a place for the imperial family only, a major tourist attraction now
Demos:
1. The Great Wall of China
It is one of the greatest wonders of the world and was listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching almost 10,000 kilometers (5,500 miles) from east to west of China. With a history of more than 2,000 years, some of the sections are now in ruins or have disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world.
Great Wall carries a considerable part of Chinese culture. It symbolizes the strengths and spirit of Chinese people and China's long history.
2. Washington D.C.
The picture shows a white dome building and a white monument. This is the Washington Monument, which is located near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., USA. The monument was built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington. Besides, the picture enables us to appreciate the impressive layout of the city. As the capital city and the political center of the U.S., Washington is noted for its symmetrical buildings, magnificent monuments and important historical landmarks.
3. The Summer Palace
Situated in the western outskirts of Haidian District, the Summer Palace is 15 kilometers from central Beijing. In the picture, we can see a beautiful lake surrounded by lovely hills and nice buildings. The unique style of architecture is fascinating and the fine scenery throughout the place is simply picturesque. The Summer Palace used to be a place for the imperial family only. Now it is a major tourist attraction visited by millions of people each year.
Listen to the passage three times and supply the missing information.
Paris and Washington differ in 1) age and population, but anyone who has seen the two cities can tell that they are very similar.
Of course, Paris is much older than Washington. The 2) French city is over 2,000 years old. Washington, in 3) contrast, is very young. It is only over 200 years old. The population of Paris is also larger than that of Washington's. Paris has more than 4) 2,500,000 people. Washington has just over 588.000
In spite of these differences, the 5) similarities are striking. First, both cities are the political 6) centers of their countries. The president of France lives in the heart of Paris, in the Elysee Palace. 7) Likewise, the president of the United States lives in the heart of Washington, in the White House.
Second, the two cities look similar. Pierre Charles L'Enfant, 8) the French engineer who designed Washington, was greatly influenced by the layout of the capital of France. For this reason, many of the buildings and monuments in Washington are symmetrically located in view of one another, just as they are in Paris. 9) Both cities are also the sites of magnificent monuments, important historical landmarks, fine museums, and beautiful parks.
Finally, tourism is as important for Washington as it is for Paris. 10) Every year, millions of tourists from all parts of the world visit these cities to view their attractions.
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