The beginning of a Chinese factory town is always the same: in the beginning nearly everybody is a construction worker. The growing economy means that everything moves fast and new industrial districts rise in several stages. Those early labourers are men who have have migr migrat ated ed from from rura rurall vill villag ages es and and imme immedi diat atel ely y they they are are join joined ed by smal smalll entrepreneurs. These pioneers sell meat, fruit and vegetables on informal stalls, and later, when the first real shops appear, they stock construction materials. After that, cellphone compan companies ies arrive arrive:: China China Mobile Mobile,, China China nicom nicom.. They They sell sell prepai prepaid d phonec phonecard ardss to migrants! in the south"eastern province of #hejiang, one popular product is called the $omesick Card. %hen the factories start production, you start to see women. &oung women have a reputation for being hard"working. After arrival of the women, the clothes shops shops appear appear.. An America merican n poet poet once once descr describe ibed d an indust industria riall town town in the 'A 'A as (springing up, like the enchanted palaces of the Arabian tales, tales, as it were in a single night.) Today it)s the factory towns of China that seem to belong to another world. The human energy is ama*ing: the courageous entrepreneurs, the +uick"moving builders, the young migrants. A combination of past problems and present"day opportunities has created an etremely motivated population. Most people in China have seen their standard of living go up in recent years.
The si*e of the population is both a strength and a challenge to China. -f the ./ million people, 01 percent are between the ages of 2 and 23. The movement of people from the countryside to the cities has transformed China into the world)s factory floor. 4n 506, there were only 01 million urban residents. 7ow there are 800 million. 'ocial scientists predict that the urban population will be 29 percent by 19/9. ach year about ten million rural Chinese move to the cities, so the factories have a constant supply of labour.
Chinese schools have been very successful. The literacy rate is over 59 percent. The net step is to develop higher education. Many people are looking for better training. 4n a Chinese factory town, there are many private courses: nglish classes, typing classes, technical classes. 4n #hejiang 4 met ;uo 'houyun, who had spent a +uarter of his wages on training. 7ow he is a master machinist, with a salary that makes him (middle class). Another young man had learned Arabic Arabic in order to translate for Middle astern buyers.
Clearly, Clearly, there are environmental costs from China)s rapid growth. Collaboration between China and other countries will be crucial in managing environmental problems. 7obody in the developed world should criticise China without taking a look in the mirror. The nation nation has has becom becomee succes successfu sfull by making making produc products ts for overse overseas as consum consumers ers.. There There)s )s nothing foreign about the materialistic materialistic dreams of the average Chinese worker.
UNIT 4: OPPORTUNITIES READING: A better life Task 1: Choose the correct anser! "hat is the #ain i$ea of the article%
A. China attracts people around the world. <. There are some problems in China. C. China)s population is increasing. =. The changes in China could be good or bad. Task &: "hich 'ara(ra'h talks abo)t these thin(s% *o) can )se one 'ara(ra'h #ore than one!
>aragraph >aragraph 1
>aragraph / >aragraph 3 . training and education 1. China and the world /. the movement of people 3. new towns Task +: Deci$e hether the folloin( state#ents are Tr)e or ,alse!
. Most of the population in China is school age. 1. About About ten million people a year migrate to the cities. /. ?ew school leavers in China are interested in higher education. 3. 4t is difficult to find training courses in factory towns. 8. 'o far China has focused on making products for foreign markets. Task 4: Choose the correct anser! 1! "hich of these state#ents a(ree ith the article%
A. 4t)s hard to find a job in a Chinese factory town. <. nvironment is not a problem in China. C. China has opportunities to develop as well as problems to solve. =. The author thinks that China)s culture culture can influence its development. &! "hich or$ best $escribes the tone of the article%
A. worried <. direct C. admiring =. ironic
