Unit 6

DIALOGUE I

An Interview with an Amateur Actress

A: Congratulations, Miss Lu. I'm a reporter from the Pujiang Weekly of the university. You really made a hit at the English Evening yesterday. The whole college of foreign languages was impressed and everyone was talking about your acting.
B: Thank you for your compliments. I'm glad that my performance was well received.
A: I've heard that you're a straight A student. The Editorial Board of the Pujiang Weekly is interested in how you manage to do so well both as a performing artist and as a foreign language student. I hope you won't mind me asking you a few questions about your stage life.
B: No, not at all. Actually, I don't think I did as well as I had expected. I could've done better. But I'm glad that you all seem to have enjoyed my performance.
A: Miss Lu, my first question is, when did you start to develop an interest in acting?
B: Even before primary school, I longed to act in plays as well as to watch them. At the birthday parties of my preschool years, I would always put up a sort of show for my family and friends. As soon as I entered primary school, I volunteered on every occasion to play a role in children's plays. From time to time, I was lucky enough to be invited by the Children's Theatrical Troupe as a guest player until I left primary school.
A: When you stood on the stage for the first time in your life, how did you feel?
B: Oh, I was excited, of course. I was very young then. But as far as I can remember, I didn't seem to experience what is called "stage fright". I really enjoyed the spotlight. The whole performance went off well, and ended up with rounds of applause from the audience.
A: When did you begin to act in full-length classical plays?
B: Not until I was in senior high school. I remember the day when I made my first appearance as the heroine in a full-length play. I was more than excited. I was actually very nervous. Now I knew what stage fright felt like. You know I was older, and more conscious of the audience's response.
A: But there's no reason to believe that you suffered from any degree of stage fright yesterday.
B: Although I didn't worry so much about my acting, I did worry about my English. It was different this time and I knew my English would matter very much.
A: But the audience all gave you the thumbs-up for your English proficiency, particularly the students and teachers from English-speaking countries.
B: Did I really deserve such high praise? Well, I'll take your compliments as words of encouragement for my English study.
A: How do you view the prospects of your amateur acting career when you graduate from the university?
B: Theatrical performance has been and will continue to be part of my life. I'll never give it up for anything. I love stage acting and will continue to pursue the life of a part-time actress, at whatever cost.
A: Thank you very much, Miss Lu, for sharing with us your experience on the stage and your views on amateur acting.


DIALOGUE II

Dialogue:
Wang Ping is studying in Great Britain at a British university. While she is in London walking down one of the main shopping streets, she is stopped by someone doing an educational research survey. The person asks if Wang will answer some questions for her report.
A: Excuse me. I wonder if you'd mind answering a few questions. I'm doing a survey about foreigners studying in Britain.
B: Oh, I see. Well, no, I don't mind at all.
A: Oh, good. Where are you from, please?
B: I'm sorry. I didn't quite hear...
A: What country are you from?
B: People's Republic of China. Shanghai, actually.
A: Could you tell me how long you've been here?
B: Yes, about 3 weeks.
A: I see, and how long will you be staying?
B: I'm not sure exactly, but I think about 2 months altogether.
A: And... er... may I ask how old you are?
B: Yes, of course. I'm thirty-four.
A: What kind of educational course are you doing here?
B: I'm on a language improvement course run by UNESCO.
A: Very interesting! How long ago did you start learning English?
B: Oh, I can't remember exactly, about 20 years ago I think!
A: Fine, well, thank you very much. Enjoy your stay in London.
B: Thank you. Goodbye.


READING I

Stamps and Postage Stamps

A stamp is a small piece of paper, printed with an official emblem, design, or monarch's head relating to the country of issue. Stamps, which are usually gummed on the back, are affixed to postal matter to indicate that the postage has been prepaid. Other kinds of stamps are also used of a variety of official purposes. Revenue stamps are affixed to deeds and other documents as proof that the government tax or fee has been paid. Similarly, some states raise money by imposing taxes on liquor, cigarettes, and other luxuries and require that tax stamps be placed on the packages.
Stamp taxes were used by the Dutch as early as 1624 and by the English after the end of the 17th century, chiefly to finance wars. The famous British Stamp Act of 1765, requiring the American colonists to purchase and affix government stamps to all legal and commercial papers and to pamphlets and newspapers, was a leading cause of the American Revolution.
Since the Givil War the United States has raised revenues by requiring that special internal revenue stamps be affixed to such luxury items as liquor, tobacco, and playing cards. During World War II the United States and Great Britain sold war savings stamps as an aid in financing the war effort. Ration stamps were used in the United States to assure fair division of food and clothing among civilians.
Of all stamps the postage stamp is undoubtedly the most familiar to people all over the world. Adhesive postage stamps afford such a simple and effective means of collecting fees for the transmission of postal matter that it is hard to believe that they are of relatively recent invention. Although there are isolated examples of devices similar to postage stamps being used as early as the 17th century, the first actual postage stamps did not make their appearance until 1840. Issued by Great Britain, these first stamps were the penny black and the twopence blue stamp, each bearing the likeness of the young Queen Victoria. Their appearance marked the end of a long period of mismanagement and abuse of the British postal system, which had been set up by king Henry Ⅷ in 1523 as a royal courier service. Both James Chalmers and Sir Rowland Hill have been called the father of the postage stamp. Chalmers originated the idea of the adhesive stamp, and Hill was largely responsible for reforming the postal system. He inaugurated the penny post, which included a uniform domestic postal rate based on weight rather than distance covered and on payment of postage by the sender instead of by the receiver.
In 1843, Zurich, Switzerland, issued two denominations of postage stamps and Brazil issued three. The latter are known today as bull's-eyes because of their design. As early as 1845, postage stamps were being issued in the United States by local postmasters in several cities. These stamps are known today as postmasters' provisionals. The first stamps issued by the U.S. Post Office Department came out on July 1, 1847. The issue consisted of a 5-cent stamp bearing the likeness of Benjamin Franklin and a 10-cent stamp with a picture of George Washington. By about 1850, stamps were in general use by virtually every country of the world.