Conversation One

　　M: China has held many cultural exchange activities in Europe and many other parts of the world。

　　The coming China Culture Week is the largest cultural exhibition of its kind. May I know the purpose of staging such an exhibition?

　　W: We have entered the new millennium. We hope that the exhibition will help the British people and people from other parts of the world learn about the past and the present of China。

　　Meanwhile, the Culture Week is expected to promote the exchanges between China and the UK and the understanding of the two cultures, and narrow the distance between the East and the West。

　　M: What will be displayed within the seven days?

　　W: We have selected some subjects that represent the essence of Chinese culture, both ancient and modern. The activities are of two major types: exhibitions and performances。

　　M: Could you tell me more about the exhibition?

　　W: Well, it includes the achievements of China's education, culture, architecture, science and technology. We'll show you the new outlook of Beijing and Shanghai as well as the best works of Chinese pottery, costumes of Beijing Opera and cultural relics unearthed in China。

　　M: What about the Beijing Opera costumes to be displayed?

　　W: Beijing Opera originated from Beijing some 200 years ago during the Qing Dynasty. It's a performing art that embraces opera performance, singing, music, dancing and martial arts. The costume exposition will present 200 years of development of the "Oriental Opera" and the performing costume dating back to the late Qing Dynasty. The costume design adopted exaggeration and symbolic means and bright colors. The materials are unique, so are the ailoring skills. Another exhibition will display a total of 600 sets of clothes, including the ancient clothes of different dynasties from Qin to Han, the costumes of China's ethnic groups,and modern garments and accessories. Famous models from the mainland will participate to present the achievements of the Chinese garment industry and Chinese designers。

　　M: Thank you very much for the introduction. I wish the coming China Culture Week a complete success。

　　W: Thanks, and expect to see you again at the exhibition。

　　Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard。

　　19. Which of the following is not true about the coming China Culture Week?

　　20. What's the main purpose of the China Culture Week?

　　21. Which of the following will NOT be included in the exhibition?

　　22. What do you know about Beijing Opera from the talk?

　　Conversation Two

　　W: Professor Li, you told us a lot about the welfare system in Britain. But is the United States a welfare state?

　　M: Mm ... To a large extent, it's not. First of all, the United States doesn't have a national health-insurance program or some similar means of making health care freely available to all who need it。

　　W: But the United States is a country of wealth, isn't it?

　　M: Yes. That's true. But the social stratification is also obvious in the US。

　　W: What do you mean by "social stratification"?

　　M: It means that the American society is divided into social classes that have varying degrees of access to the rewards the society offers. The richest fifth of American individuals and families owns more than three quarters of the wealth in the United States, whereas the lowest fifth owns only 0.2 percent of the wealth。

　　W: So there exists uneven distribution of wealth between the rich and the poor in the US. What kind of medical treatment can the poor obtain then?

　　M: Unlike the rich who can afford to enjoy the services of highly-paid specialists, the poor have to attend municipal clinics and hospitals, often waiting for hours or days for appointments. They are likely to be seen by different doctors on each visit. If they are hospitalized, they may be under the care of the poorly-trained doctors。

　　W: And what is the primary goal of American health-care system?

　　M: The primary goal is to make money. In the US, medical care is regarded as a private business,based on the principle that the kind of care you receive depends on how much money you are willing or able to spend。

　　W: Are there any special medical programs in the United States then?

　　M: Yes. There are Blue Cross, Blue Shield as well as Medicare and Medicaid programs in the US。

　　W: I have only heard of Red Cross. What does Blue Cross mean? And what are Blue Shield and...?

　　M: Blue Cross is a not-for-profit insurance program that pays patients' hospital bills. Blue Shield is also a not-for-profit insurance program that covers doctors' fees for medical and surgical expenses inside the hospitals. But the primary purpose of the "Blues" is not to save money by keeping bills down; rather, it is to ensure that hospital bills, however high they may be, get paid. Medicare is a program designed to cover some of the medical expenses of people over the age of sixty-five while Medicaid is designed to cover the medical expenses of people with very low income。

　　W: So the American poor and old can share some of the profits after all。

　　M: Yes. You are right。

　　W: Thanks a lot for your help, Professor Li。

　　M: You're always welcome。