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M1-M6 B3 Cultural Corner译文 M1B3 Cultural Corner译文
The European Union欧盟
What Is the European Union?欧盟是什么？
The European Union is an organisation of European countries.欧盟是欧洲各国的一个组织。The countries are independent and are governed in different ways.欧洲各国各自独立，国家管理各不相同。In the United Kingdom, for example, the head of state is a king or queen.例如，英国的国家元首是国王或女王，In France, on the other hand, the head of state is a president. 而法国的元首是总统。But each of them sends representatives to the European Parliament, which has some control over what happens in each of the member countries.但每个国家都向欧盟委员会派遣代表，欧盟
委员会负责管理各个成员国的事务。 How Did It Start?欧盟是如何开始的？
The idea of the European Union began in the 1950s.创建欧盟这一想法始于二十世纪五十年代。The first members were France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Italy. 最初的成员国有法国、德国、比利时、卢森堡、荷兰和意大利。Little by little, the number increased during the second half of the twentieth century. 逐渐地，成员国在二十世纪后半叶不断增加。By the year 2000, there were 15 member countries. 到2000年，发展到15个成员国。The new countries were Austria,
Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United
Kingdom.新的成员国有奥地利、丹麦、芬兰、希腊、爱尔兰、葡萄牙、西班牙、瑞典和英
国。
How Many Countries Belong to It Now?现在有多少个国家属于欧盟？
In 2004, the European Union increased to 25 members. 2004年，欧盟扩展到25个国家。The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia, plus the Mediterranean islands of Cyprus and Malta all became members. 捷克共和国、爱沙尼亚、匈牙利、拉脱维亚、立陶宛、波兰、斯洛伐克共和国、斯洛文尼亚以及地中海的塞浦路斯和马耳他都成为欧盟成员国。The expanded European Union has a population of more than half a billion people, twice as big as the population of the United States.扩大后的欧盟拥有五亿多人口，是美国人口的两倍。
The European Union
What Is the European Union?
The European Union is an organisation of European countries. The countries are independent and are governed in different ways. In the United Kingdom, for example, the head of state is a king or queen. In France, on the other hand, the head of state is a president. But each of them sends representatives to the European Parliament, which has some control over what happens in each of the member countries. How Did It Start?
The idea of the European Union began in the 1950s. The first members were France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Italy. Little by little, the number increased during the second half of the twentieth century. By the year 2000, there were 15 member countries. The new countries were Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. How Many Countries Belong to It Now?
In 2004, the European Union increased to 25 members. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia, plus the Mediterranean islands of Cyprus and Malta all became members. The expanded European Union has a population of more than half a billion people, twice as big as the population of the United States.
M1B3 Cultural Corner译文
欧盟
欧盟是什么？
欧盟是欧洲各国的一个组织。欧洲各国各自独立，国家管理各不相同。例如，英国的国家元首是国王或女王，而法国的元首是总统。但每个国家都向欧盟委员会派遣代表，欧盟委员会负责管理各个成员国的事务。 欧盟是如何开始的？
创建欧盟这一想法始于二十世纪五十年代。最初的成员国有法国、德国、比利时、卢森堡、荷兰和意大利。逐渐地，成员国在二十世纪后半叶不断增加。到2000年，发展到15个成员国。新的成员国有奥地利、丹麦、芬兰、希腊、爱尔兰、葡萄牙、西班牙、瑞典和英国。
现在有多少个国家属于欧盟？
2004年，欧盟扩展到25个国家。捷克共和国、爱沙尼亚、匈牙利、拉脱维亚、立陶宛、波兰、斯洛伐克共和国、斯洛文尼亚以及地中海的塞浦路斯和马耳他都成为欧盟成员国。扩大后的欧盟拥有五亿多人口，是美国人口的两倍。
M2B3 Cultural Corner译文
Town Twinning友好城市
How are Oxford in the UK and Grenoble in France similar? 英国的牛津和法国的格雷诺布尔有什么相似之处？Well, they're both medium-sized towns of between 100,000 and 200,000 inhabitants. 它们都是中等大小的城市，人口在10万到20万之间。They both have universities and industries.它们都拥有大学和工业。 Tourism is important to both of them, and they are both close to some of the most beautiful countryside in the region. 旅游业对它们这两个城市来说都很重要，而且它们都靠近该地区一些最漂亮的郊区。But they share something else: they have a town twinning agreement.但是它们还有其他共同的东西：它们有一个友好城市的约定。
Town twinning is not a new idea, but it has become more popular in recent years because it's now easier to find out about and visit other countries and towns.友好城市不是一个新的想法，但是近几年它已经变得很受欢迎，因为这很容易了解和参观其他的国家和城镇。 It's an agreement between towns or cities of similar size and age, and which have similar features such as tourism, industry, culture and entertainment.它是一个具有相似面积大小和历史的城镇或城市之间的约定，而且它们还有许多相似的特征，比如说旅游业、工业、文化和娱乐。
Town twinning agreements encourage people from the two towns to visit each other. 友好城市的约定鼓励来自这两个城镇的人们互相参观彼此的城镇。There are visits and exchanges between schools, theatre groups and sports teams. 学校、剧院以及体育团体之间都可进行参观和交流。Visitors from the foreign town usually stay in the private homes of the town they are visiting. 来自国外城镇的旅游者通常待在他们正在参观的城镇的私人家里。There is usually a big party for the visitors.对游客来说通常有一个大的聚会。
Town twinning agreements are perhaps most useful for students and people who want to practise speaking another language. 友好城市的约定或许对于那 想练习讲另一门语言的学生人们最有用处。This is because living with a foreign family for one or two weeks means that you have to speak their language, and as a result you improve fast.这是因为和一个外国家庭在一起住一两个星期，就意味着你得讲他们的语言，结果使你进步得很快。