【正文】 ooms were full of boxes. They lay on the floor and the beds. The little room was filled with bedclothes. We had to start clearing up at once, if we wished to sleep in fortable beds that night. Mummy and Margot were not able to help. They were tired and lay down on their beds. But Daddy and I, the two “helper” of the family, started at once. The whole day we unpacked the boxes, filled the cupboards and tidied, until we were extremely tired. We did sleep in clean beds that night. We hadn’t had any warm food to eat all day, but we didn’t care. Mummy and Margot were too tired and worried to eat, and Daddy and I were too busy. FRIENDSHIP IN HAWAII Every culture has its own ways to show friendship. On the islands of Hawaii, friendship is part of the “aloha spirit”. In the language of the Hawaiians who first settled the islands long ago, aloha had a very special meaning. That is “to be with happiness”. Hawaiians believe that once somebody loves the land, they are ready to love their people or munity. This is the second most import sign of friendship. It is called lokahi in Hawaiian language, which means “oneness with all people”. To enjoy the land you should not be selfish. The land is for everyone who lives on it. Today many different people call Hawaii their home. Indeed, Hawaii is a place where people make one big munity from many smaller munities. Each person gives kokua (help) to other people so that all fell stronger. It’s believed that the islands can be a paradise when the people live in peace. People are told that their actions should be as gentle as the wind that blows from the sea. When problems happen, people are asked to solve them with understanding. So when people of Hawaii talk about ohana (family), they are really talking about all those who live on the islands. Living in peace, Hawaiians have developed a third sign of friendship. This personal friendship is shown by giving leis to one another. The lie, a string of flowers, is put over a friend’s neck. Then the friend is given a kiss on cheek. Visitors to the islands are also given lies. When they hear aloha, visitors begin to feel at home. Aloha also means “goodbye”, so visitors will hear it again when they leave. It can also mean “our hearts singing together”. Perhaps this is how most visitors will remember their new friendship. Unit 2 THE ROAD TO MODERN ENGLISH At the end of the 16th century, about five to seven million people spoke English. Nearly all of them lived in England. Later in the next century, people from England made voyages to conquer other parts of the world and because of that, English begin to be spoken in many other countries. Today, more people speak English as their first, second or a foreign language than ever before. Native English speakers can understand each other even if they don39。t speak the same kind of English. Look at this kind of example: British Betty: Would you like to see my flat? American Amy: Yes. I’d like to e up to your apartment. So why has English changed over time? Actually all languages change and develop when cultures meet and municate with each other. At first the English spoken in England between about AD 450 and 1150 was very different the English spoken today. It was based more on German than the English we speak at present. Then gradually between about AD800 to 1150, English became less like germen because those who ruled England spoke first Danish and later French. These new settlers enriched the English language and especially its vocabulary. So by the 1600’s Shakespeare was able to make use of a wider vocabulary than ever before. In 1620 some British settlers moved to American. Later in the 18th century some British people were taken to Australia too. English began to be spoken in both countries. Finally by the 19th century the language was settled. At that time two big changes in English spelling happened: first Samuel Johnson wrote his dictionary and later Noah Webster wrote The American Dictionary of the English Language. The latter gave a separate identity to American English spelling. English now is also spoken as a foreign or second language in South Asia. For example, India has a very large number of fluent English speakers because Britain ruled India from 1765 to 1947. during that time English became the language for government and education. English is also spoken in Singapore and Malaysia and countries in Africa such as South Africa. Today the number of people learning English in China is increasing rapidly. In fact, China may have the largest number of English learners. Will Chinese English develop its own identity? Only time will tell. STANDARD ENGLISH AND DIALECTS What is standard English? Is it spoken in Britain, the US, Canada, Australia, India and New Zealand? Believe it or not, there is no such thing as standard English. Many people believe the English spoken on TV and the radio is standard English. This is because in the early days of radio, those who reported the news were expected to speak excellent English. However, on TV and the radio you will hear differences in the way people speak. When people use words and expressions different from the “standard language”, it is called a dialect. American English has many dialects, especially the Midwestern, southern, African American and Spanish dialects. Even in some parts of the USA, two people from neighbouring towns speak a little differently. American English has so many dialects because people have e from all over the world. Geography also plays a part in making dialects. Some people who live in the mountains of the eastern USA speak with an older kind of English dialect. When Americans moved from one place to another, they took their dialects with them. So people from the mountains in the southeastern USA speak with almost the same dialects as people in the northwestern USA. The USA is a large country in which many different dialects are spoken. Although many Americans mov