Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Michael Phelps has the body of a swimmer. He also has the will to win. At the 2004
Olympic Games in Athens, Michael won six gold medals and two bronze. But being
an Olympic champion doesnt come easy.
Michael usually gets up at 6:00 a.m. goes to the pool. He trains five hours a day,
and he swims eighty kilometers a week. Normally swimmers take a long time to
recover and get back their strength from once race to the next. But Michael can
recover and swim again in just twenty minutes.
Michael loves cars (he has a Cadillac with all kinds of accessories) and rap music.
He usually listens to music on the pool deck before each race.
Basketball is a sporting passion in the northwestern town of Nogales, Sonora,
Mexico. But Ana was too young to play for her stares basketball team, so she
started training in track, and field by chance in 1996. Today Ana Guevara is one of
the worlds most respected runners, and an inspiration to thousands of young
people in Mexico.
Ana represented her country in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and won a
gold medal in the Pan-American games in Santo Domingo in 2003. In 2003, she
also won the World Track Championship in Paris, France, making her the world
champion in the 400 meters. In the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, the whole of
Mexico stopped for one minute to watch Ana run the 400-meter race, where she
won the silver medal.
Ana trains very hard, but she also likes enjoying life with her family and friends.
One of her favorite pastimes is to sing accompanied by her father on the guitar.
About the Reading
1. What time does Michael Phelps usually get up? 6:00 a.m.
2. How long does he normally train? 5 hours
3. What does he usually do before a race? Listens to music
4. What was Ana Guevaras first sport? basketball
5. What race does Ana usually run? 400 meters
6. What does she like to do in her free time? sing
Speaking
1. How much free time do you have?
2. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
3. What do you hate doing
Shopaholics
We all like treat ourselves occasionally and buy a new pair of shoes, a shirt, or
some new CDs. But shopping can become an addiction. Studies show that 17
million Americans cant control their craze for shopping. That is about one in every
twenty Americans! Cindy Marshall is one of those people.
Cindy stole $3.7 million from the company where she worked. She used the money
to pay for the shopping adventures. The following is a list of thing she bought. Most
of them she never opened, and they remained in their original packaging or were in
storage units: 32 cars, 1,200 items of designer clothing (all unused), four Rolex
watches, and 600 Barbie dolls.
Cindy suffers from a medical condition called compulsive shopping disorder. She
cannot resist the temptation to buy something, even if she doesnt need it. People
with this addiction believe that if they shop, they are going to feel better. Cindy was
arrested for stealing, and she is now in jail.
How to prevent uncontrolled shopping:
Do not use credit cards a lot. Keep only one credit card for emergencies.
Pay for purchases with cash or with a check.
Dont take a lot of money with you.
Window-shop after stores are closed.
Make a shopping list and only buy what is on the list.
If you feel out of control. Then look for help from a professional counselor.
October 11
Hi Mario,
How are you? How is everyone? I miss you all.
Life is very different here, but its a great experience for me, and Im enjoying it very
much. Its my first time living away from home, and I miss my moms cooking. The
food in the school cafeteria is ok, but it doesnt have much flavor.
My classes are difficult because they are all in English, but the teachers are very
helpful. I think Ill be all right soon because Ill understand more and more as time
passes. I like England, but I dont like the weather. Its so changeable. Tomorrow
will probably be cloudy in the morning, the sun will come out around midday, and
maybe itll rain in the afternoon!
My roommate, Helen, is Greek, from Athens. Shes very nice, and we speak
English all the time. Im learning a lot about Greece, and she tells me that shes
learning a lot about Mexico. She invited me to visit her country. Im planning to go
with her to Athens during the spring vacation. Well probably visit the Greek
islands, too. Im looking forward to that.
Say hello to all our friends,
Love,
Carmen.
About the Reading
1. What does Carmen miss from home? Her moms cooking.
2. Whats the food like in the cafeteria? Ok.
3. Where is her roommate from? Athens.
4. What will Carmen do in the spring? Go to Athens.
5. Why are her classes difficult? They are all in English.
6. What will the weather be like tomorrow? Cloudy in the morning the sun will come
out midday, and maybe, rain in the afternoon.