Heading to Seattle? What's New in Washington's Seaside City? Advice to visit Seattle's Pike Place Market may border on cliche--but for a good reason. "Whether you're visiting Washington's seaside city for vacation or just stopping by en route to and from the coming Sasquatch music festival, Pike Place is an easy catch-all destination for shopping, eating and just plain walking around," said Kirk Johnson, The New York Times's Seattle bureau chief for the past three years. The Seattle Great Wheel is one of many stops to consider in Washington's seaside city. "Almost any day of the week, especially on the weekend, it's a crazy fun scene of people shopping," Mr. Johnson said. "There's also pretty good food." He recommends wandering into whatever place--especially a hole in the wall--catches your eye. There is one specific restaurant Mr. Johnson likes: the Pink Door, which has no signage and can be found only by its rosy entrance. "It's creative, interesting Italian," he said. "In the summer they get a lot of great fresh vegetables and probably have the best tomato bruschetta I've had." He also recommends the nearby Pioneer Square, the oldest neighborhood in Seattle. Its historic architecture has charm, and the area isn't bad for a lunch break, he said. The clear favorite here is Salumi--which, as the name suggests, is known for its cured meats. Mr. Johnson did warn, however, that it's necessary to plan for the fact that the restaurant has a long line as soon as it opens. Pioneer Square is also a portal to Seattle's maritime world that remains alive and well. Ferry rides are a short walk away. Mr. Johnson said the ferry ride to Bainbridge Island provides "a great view of the city," and it's not a long ride back to the mainland. At some point, you may see sculptures emerging on the horizon--that would be the Olympic Sculpture Park, which is operated by the Seattle Art Museum, Mr. Johnson said, and that's worth a visit itself. People who want to experience Seattle's nearby charms can easily do so with a bicycle, Mr.... What are you encouraged to do if you are going to visit Seattle? A) Try the tomato bruschetta in the Pink Door. B) Go there in groups during the winter holidays. C) Depend on cars for the sake of convenience. D) Enjoy the sculptures in Pike Place Market.
A
As an English teacher, one of the most common problems I've found with my students is their lack of confidence with speaking, and difficulty in understanding native speakers. Another problem could be that a foreign language taught in schools can sound quite different to what native speakers actually use. There are a few English words and expressions that I'd never heard until I came to China. The most common one in my experience is "How are you? I'm fine, thank you, and you?" I appreciate that although this greeting is much too formal for everyday use - it's easy to learn and helps build confidence. However, it can be a hard habit to break. I've seen many parents correct their kids if they don't use that exact phrase, as if simply replying "I'm fine" would somehow be rude. In fact I'm banning my students from saying that in the classroom, insisting a simple "I'm fine, thanks" is good enough. "Seldom" is another one that I find interesting. The first time a student told me "I seldom watch TV", my initial reaction was a stupefied look, followed by "Huh?" I then realized the student used "seldom" when it's more common for us to use "rarely." I was just as confused when I first heard a toilet referred to as a WC (water closet), another English term I'd never heard of back in Australia. Of course, my students know the other names for it like bathroom, toilet, washroom etc. so to prefer that name is an interesting choice. I don't mind that my students have substituted familiar English words with their own, far from it. It reminds me how creative they can be with not only their language, but with mine as well. It's healthy for English to evolve and change and I'm happy to add these new words to my vocabulary. One important lesson I've learnt is that textbooks can only help you so much. For further improvement you'd better practice with native speakers. It's possible for us to hear an Australian say "We _ use the term ' _ ' for a toilet." A) seldom; bathroom B) rarely; washroom C) seldom; WC D) rarely; WC
D
(Question)
More than a hundred reporters from around the world thronged and bustled in the Stock Exchange Building in Stockholm's Old Town for about an hour before the doors to the Swedish Academy swung open. Notably, there were many Japanese reporters present, hoping to break the news that Haruki Murakami had won the prize. Finally, the Swedish Academy's Permanent Secretary Peter Englund stepped out from the doors and said Canadian short story writer Alice Munro has won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature. The following is a truncated Q&A with reporters and Englund. (The questions have been simplified and clarified.) Why did Alice Munro win? We gave her the Nobel Prize in Literature because she is a master of the contemporary short story. Which book to begin with? One of the amazing things about her is that she has no weak works in her writing. She has always worked to the best of her ability; she has always cultivated the short story to perfection. And she has never really written a weak or bad book. So you can take your pick. 'The Moons of Jupiter' was the first book I read by her and you can see both her different themes in that book and also her very special narrative mode, you can find it there. She tells her stories a bit like nobody else. She has a very economical language and sparse style. You can find that in 'The Moons of Jupiter.' You can take your pick. The latest one is obviously very interesting, 'Dear Life,' which contains a number of autobiographical sketches at the end that gives a key to the entire authorship of Alice Munro. How was she informed? Well, I left a message on her answering machine. I couldn't reach her and it was of course pretty early in the morning. But she will be notified by courier, by email to her both agents, by standard mail and so on. What kind of message did you leave? Basically, congratulations! You've won the Nobel Prize in literature. What's the Importance of a woman winning? Don't ask me. We picked her for excellence, nothing else. Of course it matters when you start doing... According to the passage, Alice Munro was awarded the 2013 Noble Prize in Literature mainly for _ . A) she has an obvious advantage over Haruki Murakami B) it is rare for a woman to have written so many perfect stories C) she is a master of the contemporary short story D) she deserves a prize for her hard work for so many years
(Answer)
C