Unit 1 A land of diversity Listen to the text. A HOLIDAY IN CALIFORNIA George (G) is on holiday in the United States. He is touring around California. Listen to him phoning home to talk to his friend Christie (C). Listen again and fill in the blanks. C: Hello. G: Hi, Christie. Its me, George. C: Gosh, George! ________ are you? G: In Joshua Tree National Park. C: Wow, wheres that? G: Its in __________ California. C: Lucky you! What are you doing down there? G: Well, I _______ in northern California and Ive been travelling _______. Where southeast started south C: Cool. So hows the ______ been? G: Jolly good. Theres so much to see and its nothing like ______ I imagined. C: Really? G: Yeah. I expected everyone to live ____ the beach in big houses, and I thought everyone here would be _____. C: (laughing) Just as I thought. Youve watched too many American _______! G: I know, and they can give you the _______ idea! trip what near rich movies wrong C: So, tell me, whats it really like? G: Well, some people live near the ______; but further east, in the central part, is a _____ valley where they grow all sorts of things like cotton, __________, nuts and fruit, oh lots of things. And lots of cattle. C: Mmm, sounds ___________. What other scenery is there? G: Well, if you go ________ southeast, you come to mountains and deserts. That ______ is really spectacular. coast huge vegetables interesting further land C: Sounds fantastic! So youre in the desert at the _________? G: Yes, thats right. Its very hot and very different from the _____ of California. C: I wish I could see it for _______. What are the people like? G: Well, I didnt realize there were so many different _____ and cultures here. C: Such as? G: Well, there are ______ and _______ Americans of course, and lots of Asians. And about a _______ of all Californians are Hispanic. moment rest myself races quarter whiteblack C: Hispanic? G: People whose ________ came from Spanish speaking countries in South America. C: Oh I see. G: So theres a huge difference in _______ and the way people ______. Lots of different art, different types of _______, music, food and anything else you can _______ of. C: Sounds great. And what about ? ancestors look culture festival think Listen to the text. A TRAVELLERS STORY T = Tom M = Mandy T: This is Tom Price, and you are listening to Travellers Tales, a ________ programme about _______. Today on the show, we have Mandy Long, who has ______ returned from New Orleans. Welcome, Mandy. M: Thank you for ________ me. T: Now first, tell us exactly _______ New Orleans is. Listen again and fill in the blanks. weekly travel just having where M: Its in the ____ south of the United States, on the Mississippi River, about _____ kilometres from the Gulf of Mexico. T: And whats the ________ like there? M: Well, it can get quite ____ and humid. But the evenings are usually wonderfully ______ and pleasant. T: I see. So _____ made you want to go to New Orleans? far 160 climate hot warm what M: I think it was the Mardi Gras. This is a world _______ festival that goes on for about _____ weeks every year. People hold parties in the ______ and theres music and dancing everywhere. And there are ______ or ______ parades. Everyone in the parades wears _____ dress. Apparently it started in _____ as a Christian religious festival. These days Mardi Gras earns over US$ _____ million in tourism for New Orleans! famous three street thirtyforty fancy T: It must be huge. M: Yeah, it is. And you dont get much _____ as the celebrations go on all night. T: Apart from the Mardi Gras what else did you ______ about New Orleans? M: Its hard to know ______ to start. New Orleans has such a _______ and interesting culture. New Orleans is in the _____ of Louisiana, which at different times belonged to the French, the Spanish and the _______. sleep enjoy state English where diverse Then in 1812 it became _____ of the United States. So New Orleans is now _____ to a mixture of nationalities and races, including the descendants of slaves from _______. At the time when the slaves were _____, many came to live in New Orleans. Today New Orleans has a __________ of about half a million, of whom _____ are African-American, _____ are white and part home Africa freed population 62% 35% about ____ are Hispanic. So, New Orleans has a rich ____ of music, food and culture. And many different architectural ______ too. T: I see. So how did you _______ your time in New Orleans? M: Well, I spent a lot of time (fade out) 3% mix styles spend Listen to the text. Mandy (M) is listening to a jazz CD she bought while she was in New Orleans. Listen to her talking to Phil (P) about jazz funerals. A JAZZ FUNERAL P: Whats that ______ youre playing? Mandy? M: Its a song ______ Just a Closer Walk with Thee. Its on a ____ I bought in New Orleans. P: Its a bit ____, isnt it? M: Its supposed to be. Its music from a Jazz _______. P: Why do you want to play such ________ music? Listen again and fill in the blanks. music called CD sad funeral unhappy M: Oh, its ____ at the beginning that its sad. Listen to this one from ________ on in the CD. P: Thats _____ like it! They play that at funerals? M: At a jazz funeral. You see its a very old ________. Four centuries ago, in Africa, the ancestors of the American slaves ____ to have a special ceremony to ______ the dead. When the slaves came to America, they promised each only further more tradition used bury other that despite their _________ they would sure they still had a _______ funeral. And that promise grew into the jazz funeral. P: I see. So what happens at a jazz funeral? M: Everyone meets at the ________ where they have a Christian ceremony. P: But thats like an _________ funeral. M: True, but after the ceremony, the _____ is carried through the streets to where it will be buried. Everyone walks _______ hardships proper church ordinary coffin behind the coffin, and a band plays _______ songs. P: It must be very interesting to ____ that. Is that all? M: No. After the ______ is buried, the people walk away sadly and slowly. As they do so the _______ of the band starts to play a few notes on a trumpet and the drummer begins drumming. Thats the ____ for a change of emotion. in the music. Listen to the song. P: Wow! Thats much ________. serious see leader sign happier body M: Yes, everyone begins singing and dancing to ________ the life of the dead person. P: Have you ______ seen one of these jazz funerals? M: Yes, I was lucky _______ to see the traditional funeral of a famous jazz _________. P: That must have been fascinating. Let me ______ more of that music please. M: Sure. Listen (fade out as the music is heard). celebrate ever enough musician hear