Welcome to the !Geography Clas s

Macaulay

Bill Elliot was an amazing kid! First, he built his very own spaceship. Then, he took it for a little spin （旋转） . He zoomed past Jupiter and Saturn and Pluto. In fact, he kept right on rocketing until he reached a far-off purple planet called Krimular.

Bill slipped on his gravity-defying （抗拒地心引力的） sneakers （运动鞋） and hurried down the space ladder. He’d done it! He’d landed on planet Krimular and he couldn’t wait to explore.

After walking a while, he reached a city. Aha! Just as he had suspected （怀疑） , there WAS life on Krimular! Bill was very excited and he found things here were very familiar （熟悉） to him.

Thank you for not littering

art re

ligion

housing

food

language

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Suddenly Bill felt a tap on his shoulder. He whirled （转身） around. “Greetings, Earthling （地球人） ,” said a bright yellow boy with a sponge （海绵） head. “My name is Zik. Tell me the name used to call you.” Bill told Zik his name. “I’m glad to meet you,” said Zik. “You and me can be friends.”

“I will show you around Krimular,” said Zik. “Look at the big screen!”

“That’s my hometown, China. An amazing country with beautiful landscapes, a long history and cultural diversity （多样性） .” Said Bill proudly. Zik was very interested in this topic.

If you were Bill, what would you introduce to Zik about Chinese culture?

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“On the other hand, the global culture has also influenced China. Music from America, Latin America and Europe has become part of Chinese popular music. Chinese people enjoy foods from all over the world.” Bill added.

In f lu e n c e影响

“Look! I see a dinosaur.” Bill looked where Zik pointed and saw a strange and lovely animal. “Nice to meet you.” Bill said. “§☆△ ＠※＃ .” Answered the dinosaur.

“Well, it’s hard to communicate with our new friend. We speak different languages.” Bill was a bit disappointed. “I agree, we need a common language so we can talk with other people.” Said Zik. When Zik nodded enthusiastically （热情地）, Bill pulled a space blackboard from his back pocket.

Almost percent of the world’s population now speaks English. It is

becoming a global language. is the official language of more than 75

countries. It is the language of international business, science, and

government. However, the most popular language spoken is . is the

second most popular language spoken. , Spanish, Russian, and are also

popular languages.

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SpanishEnglish

English.Mandarin ChineseFrenchEnglish

ThaiHindiIcelandicArabic P.46

O f f ic ia l la n g u a g e官方语言

“I can speak English and Chinese fluently, but my Hindi, Spanish, Russian and Arabic are very poor, though I spend much time learning them.” Zik said. “It’s O.K, practice makes perfect （熟能生巧） .” Bill said.

Bill was happy to have met Zik. “Your planet is so amazing!” said Bill. “You live a peaceful, wealthy and convenient life.” “Not everybody, you know, some people still live in poverty （贫困） and cannot find jobs.” Said Zik.

“I don’t catch it, can you explain to me?” Asked Bill. ”Sure, now close your eyes and think of one thing that makes you feel uncomfortable. What will you do next? What problems affect the people of our global village?”

“You’re right, war is one of the worst problems and it has many causes. Usually they are…….” Said Zik.

♣ Love for one’s country♣ Religious beliefs

♣ Unhappy with the government

♣ Competition for the same resources

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“That’s why I often hear the news report about wars and conflicts among Middle East countries.” Said Bill. “Also, disease is another global problem. Poor people in developing countries are often the victims （受害者） of disease.” Said Zik.

c o n f l ic t冲突

“Now, let’s tour the rest of the planet.” Remarked Zik. He showed Bill a huge volcano that lots of people were watching it. “I never thought that there were so many people here.” Bill was very surprised.

“Just like your planet, population is becoming a problem here.” Said Zik. “I am just wondering how the growing population is causing problems.” Said Bill. “Well, it is very obvious that …….” Zik explained.

Migration affects population

Just then it started to snow, even though the weather was very warm. Zik darted （疾走） about, catching the flakes in his mouth. “I love snow, and despite （尽管） these problems, we are satisfied because everyone is equal （平等） here.” Said Zik cheerfully.

“The government attaches great importance to human rights.” Said Zik. “What’s the definition of human rights and what are some basic human rights?” Asked Bill. Zik began to write on the space blackboard.

P.48 H u m a n r ig h t s 人权

The right to life, liberty, property, and safety

The right to an education The right to have a job

Freedom of thought including religion

Freedom of expression and opinion

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At last, it was time for Bill to return to Earth. “Nice meeting you.” Said Zik. “Thanks for showing me all around Krimular. It’s really out of this world!” exclaimed Bill. Next, Bill gave Zik a farewell gift. It was his latest invention, an intergalactic （星系间的） cell phone.

“I have recorded a song in it, would you like to listen to it?” Bill said. “I’d love to.” Answered Zik.

“Wow! Thanks Bill, this phone will help us keep in touch.” said Zik. Back on Earth, Bill got a text message from Zik.

M a k e it a b e t t e r p la c e f o r y o u

!a n d f o r m e