Two Letters from London

1. Two Letters from London 1.Background Knowledge 2.Text Analysis 3.Exercises 4.Questions for Discussion

2. Background Knowledge 1.  London: London, capital of Great Britain in the southeast of England, is one of the largest cities in the world. It is divided into many administrative units, the largest of which is Greater London and the City of London is the heart of this unit. The City of London takes up a very small area, about one square mile, lying north of the Thames near London Bridge. This area is the business centre of the country. Next

3. Background Knowledge London is the national centre of government, trade, commerce, shipping, finance and industry; it is also one of the cultural centres of the world. London is a historic city with many beautiful buildings. The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and St. Paul’s Cathedral are major tourist attractions. The city is also famous for its art galleries and museums. Among these are the British Museum, which comprises the British National Museum of Antiquities and Ethnography and the British National Library, the National Gallery which contains Britain’s best-known collection of pictures, and the National Portrait Gallery. More

4. Background Knowledge 2. Blue jeans: Blue jeans are trousers made of strong blue cotton cloth, worn for work and informally by men, women, and children. Blue jeans are also called Cowboy jeans because cowboys liked to wear such trousers. Next

5. Background Knowledge Levi Strauss, a German immigrant, was the inventor of blue jeans. When he went West, where he hoped to find gold and become rich, he brought with him some canvas, a kind of strong cloth. He used this cloth to make canvas pants, which soon became very popular among the miners. When he ran out of canvas, he asked his relatives in New York to send him more. Instead, they sent him the wrong cloth. This kind of cloth came from Genes. Levi changed the spelling of Genes to jeans, dyed the cloth blue, and called his new pants blue jeans. More

6. Background Knowledge 3. Ernest Hemingway: Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961), spokesman for the “Lost Generation”, was an influential US novelist and short-story writer. His simple and direct style of writing has been widely imitated by many other writers, and his stories of courage in the face of death are reread by each new generation. Next

7. Background Knowledge The Sun Also Rises, his first major novel, was published in 1926, and met with great success. A Farewell to Arms (1929) and For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940) were based on his own experiences in WWI and the Spanish Civil War respectively and added greatly to his reputation as a writer. In 1952, Hemingway published his last successful novel, The Old Man and the Sea. In 1954, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Throughout his life, Hemingway wrote many short stories. The Snows of Kilimanjaro and The killers are probably the best known. Next

8. Background Knowledge Hemingway was a man of many contradictions. He was extremely generous and extremely selfish. He loved life, yet he continually pondered death. His life was bold and courageous, yet his courage deserted him in the end. Increasingly ill and depressed, he committed suicide in 1961. Return

9. Exercises 1. True/False Questions 2. Multiple-choice Questions Return

10. True/False Questions 1.Bob and Jessica were on a business-and-pleasure trip to London. 2.They both liked London because they could speak English at a bar or a restaurant. 3.Bob didn’t understand why the English businessmen did not talk business over lunch. 4.All the time Bob was thinking of blue jeans market in England and nothing else. Answer

11. True/False Questions 1.Bob and Jessica were on a business-and-pleasure trip to London. (T) 2.They both liked London because they could speak English at a bar or a restaurant. 3.Bob didn’t understand why the English businessmen did not talk business over lunch. 4.All the time Bob was thinking of blue jeans market in England and nothing else. Answer

12. True/False Questions 1.Bob and Jessica were on a business-and-pleasure trip to London. (T) 2.They both liked London because they could speak English at a bar or a restaurant. (F) 3.Bob didn’t understand why the English businessmen did not talk business over lunch. 4.All the time Bob was thinking of blue jeans market in England and nothing else. Answer

13. True/False Questions 1.Bob and Jessica were on a business-and-pleasure trip to London. (T) 2.They both liked London because they could speak English at a bar or a restaurant. (F) 3.Bob didn’t understand why the English businessmen did not talk business over lunch. (T) 4.All the time Bob was thinking of blue jeans market in England and nothing else. Answer

14. True/False Questions 1.Bob and Jessica were on a business-and-pleasure trip to London. (T) 2.They both liked London because they could speak English at a bar or a restaurant. (F) 3.Bob didn’t understand why the English businessmen did not talk business over lunch. (T) 4.All the time Bob was thinking of blue jeans market in England and nothing else. (T) More

15. True/False Questions 5.Jessica went up to town and did shopping the whole day. 6.Jessica had a plan to take Bob on a tour of the city of London the next day. 7.Bob would agree to go with her. 8.Bob is a good businessman. London is attractive to him not as a cultural city but as a big market for blue jeans. Answer

16. True/False Questions 5.Jessica went up to town and did shopping the whole day. (F) 6.Jessica had a plan to take Bob on a tour of the city of London the next day. 7.Bob would agree to go with her. 8.Bob is a good businessman. London is attractive to him not as a cultural city but as a big market for blue jeans. Answer

17. True/False Questions 5.Jessica went up to town and did shopping the whole day. (F) 6.Jessica had a plan to take Bob on a tour of the city of London the next day. (T) 7.Bob would agree to go with her. 8.Bob is a good businessman. London is attractive to him not as a cultural city but as a big market for blue jeans. Answer

18. True/False Questions 5.Jessica went up to town and did shopping the whole day. (F) 6.Jessica had a plan to take Bob on a tour of the city of London the next day. (T) 7.Bob would agree to go with her. (F) 8.Bob is a good businessman. London is attractive to him not as a cultural city but as a big market for blue jeans. Answer

19. True/False Questions 5.Jessica went up to town and did shopping the whole day. (F) 6.Jessica had a plan to take Bob on a tour of the city of London the next day. (T) 7.Bob would agree to go with her. (F) 8.Bob is a good businessman. London is attractive to him not as a cultural city but as a big market for blue jeans. (T) More

20. True/False Questions 9.Bob can speak three languages: English, French and Italian. 10.Bob thought Hemingway might be a businessman in blue jeans like him. This shows he is quite ignorant. 11.Jessica thought London was a dull place, unlike Rome or Paris. The only thing she could do there was going shopping. Answer

21. True/False Questions 9.Bob can speak three languages: English, French and Italian. (F) 10.Bob thought Hemingway might be a businessman in blue jeans like him. This shows he is quite ignorant. 11.Jessica thought London was a dull place, unlike Rome or Paris. The only thing she could do there was going shopping. Answer

22. True/False Questions 9.Bob can speak three languages: English, French and Italian. (F) 10.Bob thought Hemingway might be a businessman in blue jeans like him. This shows he is quite ignorant. (T) 11.Jessica thought London was a dull place, unlike Rome or Paris. The only thing she could do there was going shopping. Answer

23. True/False Questions 9.Bob can speak three languages: English, French and Italian. (F) 10.Bob thought Hemingway might be a businessman in blue jeans like him. This shows he is quite ignorant. (T) 11.Jessica thought London was a dull place, unlike Rome or Paris. The only thing she could do there was going shopping. (F) More

24. True/False Questions 12.The Thames River was once called “liquid history” because it had witnessed so many invasions. 13.As husband and wife, Bob and Jessica have the same interests and tastes. Answer

25. True/False Questions 12.The Thames River was once called “liquid history” because it had witnessed so many invasions. (T) 13.As husband and wife, Bob and Jessica have the same interests and tastes. Answer

26. True/False Questions 12.The Thames River was once called “liquid history” because it had witnessed so many invasions. (T) 13.As husband and wife, Bob and Jessica have the same interests and tastes. (F) Return

27. Multiple-choice Questions 1.Bob liked London because . A)Mr. Needle was there B)it was a historical city C)he enjoyed its food D) he thought he would make it a big market for jeans Answer

28. Multiple-choice Questions 1.Bob liked London because D. A)Mr. Needle was there B)it was a historical city C)he enjoyed its food D) he thought he would make it a big market for jeans Next

29. Multiple-choice Questions 2.Judging from his letter, Bob is the kind of person who . A) likes to use foreign languages when ordering dinner B)feels at ease with strangers C)thinks of making money most of the time D)enjoys going to the world’s cultural capitals Answer

30. Multiple-choice Questions 2.Judging from his letter, Bob is the kind of person who C. A) likes to use foreign languages when ordering dinner B)feels at ease with strangers C)thinks of making money most of the time D)enjoys going to the world’s cultural capitals Next

31. Multiple-choice Questions 3.Jessica liked London because . A) there were dozens of shopping centres in London B)it was the second largest city in the world C)it was a cultural city with a long history D)the Thames ran through the centre of the city Answer

32. Multiple-choice Questions 3.Jessica liked London because C. A) there were dozens of shopping centres in London B)it was the second largest city in the world C)it was a cultural city with a long history D)the Thames ran through the centre of the city Next

33. Multiple-choice Questions 4.Judging from her letter, on a rainy, cold day, Jessica would feel . A)unhappy about having to stay indoors B)quite bored and would probably sleep all day C)very happy to sit at home reading a good book D)eager to go out and buy clothes Answer

34. Multiple-choice Questions 4.Judging from her letter, on a rainy, cold day, Jessica would feel C. A)unhappy about having to stay indoors B)quite bored and would probably sleep all day C)very happy to sit at home reading a good book D)eager to go out and buy clothes Next

35. Multiple-choice Questions 5.The expression “buy up the town” means to . A)buy everything possible B)buy something one needs downtown C)buy a few dresses, hats, etc., that one really doesn’t need D)buy the whole city Answer

36. Multiple-choice Questions 5.The expression “buy up the town” means to A. A)buy everything possible B)buy something one needs downtown C)buy a few dresses, hats, etc., that one really doesn’t need D)buy the whole city Next

37. Multiple-choice Questions 6.In the long history of England, the Thames River was noted for . A)its beautiful scenery B)its geographical position C)the big population of London D) the dozens of invading armies which had crossed over it Answer

38. Multiple-choice Questions 6.In the long history of England, the Thames River was noted for D. A)its beautiful scenery B)its geographical position C)the big population of London D) the dozens of invading armies which had crossed over it Next

39. Multiple-choice Questions 7.If Bob and Jessica had lunch together, which of the following topics do you think they would talk about for a while? A)The blue jeans market. B)The writers of the Bloomsbury group. C)Their impressions of London. D)The joy of using foreign languages. Answer

40. Multiple-choice Questions 7.If Bob and Jessica had lunch together, which of the following topics do you think they would talk about for a while? (C) A)The blue jeans market. B)The writers of the Bloomsbury group. C)Their impressions of London. D)The joy of using foreign languages. Return

41. Questions for Discussion 1.Can people with completely different tastes and interests be good friends or even couples? 2.Do you think Bob and Jessica will live happily for ever? Return

42. Text Analysis Two Letters from London A person’s letters often tell the reader a lot about his or her character. Read the following two letters and see if you can find anything about the different characters of the husband and his wife.

43. Text Analysis April 14, 1980 Hotel Diplomat London, England Lee Simmons President, Cowboy Jeans, Inc. 329 River Plaza Atlanta, Georgia U.S.A.

44. Text Analysis Dear Lee, London is great, Lee, it’s just great. Rome and Paris were fine places, but I knew as soon as we landed in London that this is the finest of the three. Nobody wears blue jeans here! Lee, I think London will prove to be a very big market for Cowboy Jeans. I’m sure of it!

45. Text Analysis It sure is nice to be in London. It’s also nice to hear English again. When you speak a foreign language you can only say what you can say. But when you speak your own language, you can say what you want to. That’s why I like the English restaurants. When I order a piece of meat, I know just what I’ll be getting. Let me get back to business. I think you were very smart to pick Mr. Needle as our sales representative here. I didn’t like him very much at first. Why, I kept wondering, does he wear suits instead of blue jeans? But I’ve changed my mind about him. He knows the clothes business from top to bottom. Yesterday he proved it.

46. Text Analysis While Jessica went shopping, Mr. Needle and I toured all the big department stores. You once told me that you should know your buyers not just as buyers, but as people. Well. Henry Needle knows them all. He talked for almost half an hour with one buyer about his wife’s health. Then with another he talked for almost as long. You will see the results in my sales report, which I plan to write tomorrow. We got two very big ordersas a result of all that talking.

47. Text Analysis At one in the afternoon, Mr. Needle took me to his club for lunch. We ate with a few other men around a large table. I was very interested in what kind of business these men were in. But nobody talked business! What a waste of time! We Americans do a lot of business over lunch. But people are different here, I suppose. They prefer to tell stories and talk about the news.

48. Text Analysis The man who sat next to me was a complete fool. First he told me a long story about a conversation he had almost twenty years ago with, as he put it, “that American of yours, Ernest Hemingway.” When he finished he asked me what I thought of Hemingway. Well, I wanted to laugh in his face. I don’t know anyone by this name. Why would this man think I did?

49. Text Analysis So I told the Englishman that our country is very big, and that I don’t know everyone in it. But, I added, someday I may meet this man. Is he also in the blue jeans business, I asked? Well, I think the Englishman felt a little foolish. He just said no, and then got up and left the table!

50. Text Analysis Right now I’m sitting in our hotel room. Jessica should return soon. Yesterday she didn’t buy anything, but I think she will today. She’s been out shopping for almost eight hours. I hope she doesn’t buy up the town.