Coupons to spend

“How did you spend your coupons?”

On their first day back to school, many students in Hangzhou greeted each other this way.

The coupons referred to the 100 yuan coupons each student received form the city government before the Spring Festival holidays. Over 260,000 primary school and middle school students were given coupons. They could use them in local stores and supermarkets, or to see movies and buy books.

The same coupons have also been given to low income families in Hangzhou. Other cities, including Chengdu and Nanjing, also gave coupons to their citizens. More cities are expected to follow their lead.

Why are local governments doing this?

These programmes are all part of a broader effort in China to increase domestic demand in the face of the global financial crisis.

The crisis has seriously affected China’s exports and investments (投资). Many factories in southern cities have been closed down. Some companies are laying off workers or reducing their pay. The stock market and real estate market have been falling.

In a time of financial crisis, people usually respond by saving money. They are uncertain about the future and are afraid that more difficult times may be ahead. Now many people are choosing not to spend money carelessly. Major chain stores have seen a sharp slowdown in sales, analysts say.

But spending keeps an economy healthy. If people don’t spend, there will be too many products in the market. Then shops will stop buying products from factories. When factories receive no orders, they close down. The workers there accordingly lose their jobs. Also, if people don’t spend, the service industry suffers. The total result is that the whole economy breaks down.

Issuing coupons is a practical and effective way to increase domestic demand in the current situation, said Jiang Zengwei, vice-minister of China’s Ministry of Commerce. Hangzhou reported a rise in customers in local markets during Spring Festival holiday.

However, issuing coupons is only a temporary measure. To increase consumers’ confidence, the government needs to establish a sound secure social system in the long term. When people don’t have to worry about education, health care and their pension, they will be more willing to spend instead of saving.

1.Why are local governments issuing coupons?

A. To increase domestic demand in the face of the global financial crisis.

B. To enable students to use them in local stores and supermarkets, or to see movies and buy books independently.

C. To help those low income families in the global financial crisis.

D. To show the government’s ability to solve economic problems

2.What is NOT the influence that the global financial crisis has brought us?

A. China’s exports and investments have been seriously affected.

B. People begin to spend money without a second thought.

C. Workers are faced with losing jobs and the reduction of the salaries.

D. The active stock market and real estate market have gone. 

3.What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Issuing coupons is a practical and effective way to increase domestic demand in a long term.

B. The total result of saving money is that the whole economy breaks down.

C. The government may carry out new policies to encourage citizens to be willing to spend in the near future.

D. After issuing the coupons, the local markets have seen a rise in customers during Spring Festival holiday.

4.If the government is to print a slogan on the coupons to restore consumers’ confidence, what might be used to promote the idea?

A. Spend now, save later.

B. Spend money like there’s no tomorrow; come on!

C. Spend money like it’s going out of style; let’s do it!

D. Big spender, wise spender.

 

Subways

The Tokyo Metro and Toei Lines	Features: The Tokyo Metro and Toei lines that make up of Tokyo’s huge subway system carry almost 8 million people each day, making it the busiest system in the world. The system is famous for its oshiya-- literally “pusher”--- who push passengers into crowded subway cars so the doors can close. And you think your ride is hell.
The Moscow Metro	Features: The Moscow Metro has some of the most beautiful stations in the world. The best of them were built during the Stalinist era and feature chandeliers (枝行吊灯)，marble moldings and elaborate murals(精美壁画). With more than 7 million riders a day, keeping all that marble clean has got to be a burden.
The Hong Kong MTR	Features: The Hong Kong MTR has the distinction of being one of the few subway systems in the world that actually turns a profit（利润）. It’s privately owned and uses real estate development along its tracks to increase income and ridership. It also introduced “Octopus cards” that allow people to not only pay their fares electronically, but buy stuff at convenience stores ,supermarkets, restaurants and even parking meters. It’s estimated that 95% of all adults in Hong Kong own an Octopus card.
Shanghai Metro	Features: Shanghai is the third city in China to build a metro system, and it has become the country’s largest in the 12 years since it opened. Shanghai Metro has 142 miles of track and plans to add another 180 miles within five years. By that point, it would be three times larger than Chicago “L”. The system carries about 2.18 million people a day.
The London Metro	Features: Londoners call their subway the Underground, even though 55 percent of it lies above ground. No matter when you’ve got the oldest mass-transit system in the world, you can call it anything you like. Trains started in 1863 and they’ve been running ever since. Some 3 million people ride each day, every one of them remembering to “Mind the gap”

【小题1】______ is done with the purpose of making money.

A．The Tokyo Metro and Toei Lines	B．The Moscow Metro
C．Shanghai Metro	D．The Hong Kong MTR

【小题2】We can learn from the passage that Shanghai Metro______.

A．carries the most people each day

B．is the world’s largest

C．may be larger than the Chicago “L” in the future

D．is the busiest in the world

【小题3】How many subways carry more than 5 million people per day?

A．2

B．3

C．4

D．5

【小题4】What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Shanghai is the third to build a metro system in China, which has become the largest in the world.

B．You’ll feel sick when you travel on the Tokyo Metro and Toei Lines.

C．Londoners call their subway the Underground because 55 percent of it lies above ground.

D．It is estimated that 95% of the population in Hong Kong own an Octopus card

Gu Changwei was the first Chinese cinematographer to be nominated(提名)for an Oscar, and he is regarded by Zhang Yimou as the best cinematographer in China. Gu was behind the camera for many of Zhang Yimou's famous films including the one that rocketed Zhang to fame: “Red Sorghum(高粱)”. And now this master of the visual has taken on his first directing role with the film “Peacock”. So Gu Changwei has come out from behind the camera into the spotlight(聚光灯)．

Gu Changwei is very serious about his directing “Peacock”. To get the authentic atmosphere, Gu took his film crew to the city of Anyang in central China's Henan Province where the story took place, to shoot the film. He chose all new actors because he didn't want “stars” appeal to weaken the power of the story, and he also had his actors trained in the local dialect. For this film Gu has been able to get out from behind the camera to manage every aspect of the film, and to realize his own ideals in movie－making.

“Peacock” is about the life of an average family in a small town in Henan Province in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Gu chose this story for his first movie because he grew up during this same period and it struck a chord with him.

“Peacock” wrapped up production in June, 2004. It's aimed at the foreign film market and will be entered in February's Berlin Film Festival, and released in China at the same time. But at the end of last October, Gu took “Peacock” to his Alma Mater, the Beijing Film Academy, one of the most famous film colleges in China, to hold a preview. The film was warmly received by both teachers and students.

6. The underlined word “cinematographer” in the first paragraph refers to a person who ________.

A. has been nominated for an Oscar

B. uses a camera to shoot films

C. directs first－class films

D. arranges for cinema shows

7. Gu didn't employ “stars” in his film because ________.

A. the stars usually stick to their own acting styles

B. the stars may not be able to speak the local dialect

C. the stars may share the audience's attention with the story

D. it was not easy for him, a fresh hand, to invite stars to join him

8. Gu chose such a story for his first movie because ________.

A. he was born in the early 1970s

B. he grew up in Henan province

C. he was popular in Henan province

D. the story had something to do with his own experience

9. From the passage we can learn that “Peacock” ________.

A. is the film for which Gu is likely to win an Oscar prize

B. has already become popular both at home and abroad

C. has its production started last summer

D. will be publicly shown in spring, 2005

10. What would be the BEST title for the passage?

A. From behind the camera into the spotlight

B. Chinese cinematographer to be nominated for Oscar

C. New faces to appear in “Peacock”

D. “Peacock” to enter foreign film market

 

1..The United Kingdom, which has four countries with one government, is off the northwest

coast of c____________ (大陆) Europe.

2.. Paris, s____________ (位于) in the river Seine, is the capital and largest city of France.

“I____________” (居民) is the word used to describe those who live in a particular place.

3.. The five countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa —known as “Brics (金砖国家)”, share some s____________ (相似之处) in developing their economies and improving the people’s living conditions.

4.. Natural d____________ (灾难), such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and hurricanes, kill hundreds

of thousands of people every year.

5. Usually, fires caused by earthquakes did the most d____________(损失).

6.. A mass c____________ (运动) has started in China to help protect the environment.

7..Sandstorms appear to have increased in China recently as a result of “d _________ (沙漠化)”.

8.. Weather experts have f____________ (预报) another big sandstorm in a week’s time.

9.. For many years, Mencius travelled from state to state, teaching the p____________ (原则) of Confucius.

10..Philosophers are people whose ideas are very i____________ (有影响力) .

11..It is my r____________ (责任) to make sure that all the lights are turned off when we leave

the classroom.

12.. One of Barcelona’s most famous l____________ (地标) is the Church of the Sagrada Familia, which was designed by an architect called Antonio Gaudi.

13..The lawyer acted as her r____________ (代表) in the hearings.

14..The US government will have to meet the c____________ (挑战) of rising unemployment.

 

In both China and the West, at this time of the year, we must endure the cold, the wind and the snow of wintertime. How good it is then that we have festivals to keep our spirits up and hearts warm!

Spring Festival in China and Christmas in foreign countries are times for families and friends to get together, exchange gifts and have a big dinner.

Although the two holidays are different – one is to celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth, while the other is celebrated because of thousands of years of Chinese folk traditions – Christmas and Spring Festival still have things in common.

In both, eating is a big part of the holiday celebration. In China we eat dumpling and niangao – cakes made of sticky rice – while Westerners sit down to a roast turkey or ham, with vegetables, apple-sauce and a plum (干果) pudding.

Gifts are another key element in both celebrations. In the West, families gather round the Christmas tree on Christmas morning and open their presents. Gifts range from the small – a box of chocolates – to the large. Children especially look forward to a big present, say a new bike or computer. Similarly, in China children receive gift money in red envelopes from their elders.

With the world becoming more connected, Spring Festival and Christmas have crossed cultural borders. It is not unusual in China to see Christmas trees and Father Christmas figures around the end of December.

And Chinese living abroad have made Spring Festival a special cultural event in many foreign countries. In some US cities, especially those with large Chinese neighborhoods, non-Asian adults and kids join in the fun.  “ I've been celebrating Chinese New Year for a really long time, and it's a great cultural festival for the community,” said Leslie Swartz, who works at the city's Children's Museum in Boston. “Everyone goes to Chinatown. There are lion dances and firecrackers. It's very lively. Schools also celebrate Chinese New Year. ” Swartz said.

Swartz has a 13-year-old adopted Chinese daughter, Mei. They celebrate at home, too, decorating the house and eating special foods. They make traditional Chinese New Year's fruit trays (拼盘). They also write good luck messages on red paper, called spring couplets (对联), and hang them by the doors at home.

The Title: East- West: We are alike

★   1.     : Spring Festival in China and Christmas in the west

★similarities:

▼ keeping spirits up and    2.    

▼being time for families and friends to    3. 

▼    4.   

▼having a big dinner

★  5.    between the two festivals

▼Spring Festival: folk traditions of China of thousands of years

▼Christmas: Celebrating ___6.      

★ Culture mixture: Spring Festival and Christmas having crossed 7.  

▼In China: Seeing   8.  and Father Christmas figures

▼In the USA: watching lion dances and9.  in Chinatown, making traditional Chinese New Year’ fruit trays, writing good luck messages on red paper and  10.  by the doors