The striving of countries in Central Europe to enter the European Union may offer an unprecedented chance to the continent’s Gypsies (or Roman) to be recognized as a nation, albeit one without a defined territory. And if they were to achieve that they might even seek some kind of formal place—at least a total population outnumbers that of many of the Union’s present and future countries. Some experts put the figure at 4m-plus; some proponents of Gypsy rights go as high as 15m.

Unlike Jews, Gypsies have had no known ancestral land to hark back to. Though their language is related to Hindi, their territorial origins are misty. Romanian peasants held them to be born on the moon. Other Europeans (wrongly) thought them migrant Egyptians, hence the derivative Gypsy. Most probably they were itinerant metal workers and entertainers who drifted west from India in the 7th century.

However, since communism in Central Europe collapsed a decade ago, the notion of Romanestan as a landless nation founded on Gypsy culture has gained ground. The International Romany Union, which says it stands for 10m Gypsies in more than 30 countries, is fostering the idea of “self-rallying”. It is trying to promote a standard and written form of the language; it waves a Gypsy flag (green with a wheel) when it lobbies in such places as the United Bations; and in July it held a congress in Prague, The Czech capital. Where President Vaclav Havel said that Gypsies in his own country and elsewhere should have a better deal.

At the congress a Slovak-born lawyer, Emil Scuka, was elected president of the International Tomany Union. Later this month a group of elected Gypsy politicians, including members of parliament, mayors and local councilors from all over Europe (OSCE), to discuss how to persuade more Gypsies to get involved in politics.

The International Romany Union is probably the most representative of the outfits that speak for Gypsies, but that is not saying a lot. Of the several hundred delegates who gathered at its congress, few were democratically elected; oddly, none came from Hungary, whose Gypsies are perhaps the world’s best organized, with some 450 Gypsy bodies advising local councils there. The union did, however, announce its ambition to set up a parliament, but how it would actually be elected was left undecided.

So far, the European Commission is wary of encouraging Gypsies to present themselves as a nation. The might, it is feared, open a Pandora’s box already containing Basques, Corsicans and other awkward peoples. Besides, acknowledging Gypsies as a nation might backfire, just when several countries, particularly Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, are beginning to treat them better, in order to qualify for EU membership. “The EU’s whole premise is to overcome differences, not to highlight them,” says a nervous Eurocrat.

But the idea that the Gypsies should win some kind of special recognition as Europe’s largest continent wide minority, and one with a terrible history of persecution, is catching on . Gypsies have suffered many pogroms over the centuries. In Romania, the country that still has the largest number of them (more than 1m), in the 19th century they were actually enslaved. Hitler tried to wipe them out, along with the Jews.

“Gypsies deserve some space within European structures,” says Jan Marinus Wiersma, a Dutchman in the European Parliament who suggests that one of the current commissioners should be responsible for Gypsy affairs. Some prominent Gypsies say they should be more directly represented, perhaps with a quota in the European Parliament. That, they argue, might give them a boost. There are moves afoot to help them to get money for, among other things, a Gypsy university.

One big snag is that Europe’s Gypsies are, in fact, extremely heterogeneous. They belong to many different, and often antagonistic, clans and tribes, with no common language or religion, Their self-proclaimed leaders have often proved quarrelsome and corrupt. Still, says, Dimitrina Petrova, head of the European Roma Rights Center in Budapest, Gypsies’ shared experience of suffering entitles them to talk of one nation; their potential unity, she says, stems from “being regarded as sub-human by most majorities in Europe.”

And they have begun to be a bit more pragmatic. In Slovakia and Bulgaria, for instance, Gypsy political parties are trying to form electoral blocks that could win seats in parliament. In Macedonia, a Gypsy party already has some—and even runs a municipality. Nicholas Gheorge, an expert on Gypsy affairs at the OSCE, reckons that, spread over Central Europe, there are now about 20 Gypsy MPS and mayors, 400-odd local councilors, and a growing number of businessmen and intellectuals.

That is far from saying that they have the people or the cash to forge a nation. But, with the Gypsy question on the EU’s agenda in Central Europe, they are making ground.

1.    The Best Title of this passage is

[A]. Gypsies Want to Form a Nation.         [B]. Are They a Nation.

[C]. EU Is Afraid of Their Growth.           [C]. They Are a Tribe

2.    Where are the most probable Gypsy territory origins?

[A]. Most probably they drifted west from India in the 7th century.

[B]. They are scattered everywhere in the world.

[C]. Probably, they stemmed from Central Europe.

[D]. They probably came from the International Romany Union.

3.    What does the International Romany lobby for?

[A]. It lobbies for a demand to be accepted by such international organizations as EU and UN.

[B]. It lobbies for a post in any international Romany Union.

[C]. It lobbies for the right as a nation.

[D]. It lobbies for a place in such international organizations as the EU or UN.

4.    Why is the Europe Commission wary of encouraging Gypsies to present themselves as a nation?

[A]. It may open a Pandora’s Box.

[B]. Encouragement may lead to some unexpected results.

[C]. It fears that the Basgnes, Corsicans and other nations seeking separation may raise the same demand.

[D]. Gyspsies’ demand may highlight the difference in the EU.

5.    The big problem lies in the fact that

[A]. Gypsies belong to different and antagonistic clans and tribes without a common language or religion.

[B]. Their leaders prove corrupt.

[C]. Their potential unity stems from “being regarded as sub-human”.

[D]. They are a bit more pragmatic.

There ’re eight countries waiting to join the European Union.Croatia and Turkey started talks on 3 October 2005.Turkey could complete them in 15 years，Croatia by 2011.The other Balkan Countries have been told they can join the EU one day，if they meet the standards.
Albania isn’t expected to join the EU until 2015 at the earliest.It applied (申请)  to become an EU member on 28 April 2009.The European Commission (委员会) has agreed to allow Albanians to travel freely within the EU.In December 2009 the EU said the rule of law and the fight against organized crime were still the “big problems” for Albania.
The EU and Albania reached the SAA (稳定和联合协议)，seen as the first step towards becoming a member，in June 2006.The talks took three?and?a?half years，three times longer than those between the EU and Croatia.This is because the EU thought Albania was moving too slowly in its fight against organized crime.The EU also has doubts about Albania’s energy department，which suffers from bad supplies.
Bosnia?Herzegovina isn’t expected to join the EU until 2015 at the earliest.More than ten years after the 1992～1995 war，it signed an SAA with the EU in June 2008.The EU was satisfied with progress in four important areas，including public broadcasting (广播).But in December 2009 the EU asked strongly for some other changes, and worried about the country’s future.
Iceland is the latest country to want to become an EU member.It applied in July 2009 and the talks began in July 2010.But progress will depend on whether Iceland can deal with a long?running problem with the UK and the Netherlands.But some Icelanders think they would be better off outside the EU，fearing the EU’s effect on their traditional fishing.

1. 1.

   Which of the following countries is expected to join the EU the earliest?.

   1. A.
      Turkey
   2. B.
      Albania
   3. C.
      Croatia
   4. D.
      Bosnia Herzegovina
2. 2.

   What  may  prevent  Bosnia Herzegovina from becoming an EU member?

   1. A.
      Its large population
   2. B.
      Its energy department
   3. C.
      Its organized crime
   4. D.
      Its worrying future
3. 3.

   Why don’t some Icelanders want their country to become an EU member?

   1. A.
      They are worried about their fishing.
   2. B.
      They are worried about relations with the UK.
   3. C.
      They are afraid they will lose a lot of job opportunities.
   4. D.
      They are afraid their country won’t be independent.
4. 4.

   What is the best title of the passage?

   1. A.
      EU enlargement: The next eight
   2. B.
      The last eight countries that joined EU
   3. C.
      The relationships among EU countries
   4. D.
      Economic development of EU countries

The customs in different countries are rather different. If I have dinner with a Chinese host, he always puts more food onto my plate as soon as I have emptied it. That often discomforts me greatly. I have to eat the food even if I do not want to, because it is considered bad manners in the west to leave one’s food on the plate. I have also noticed that when a Chinese sits at an American’s dinner party, he often refuses the offer of drink though he’s in fact still hungry or thirsty. This might be good manners in China but it is not in the west at all. In the United States, it is impolite to keep asking someone again and again or insist on his accepting something. Americans have a direct way of speaking. If they want something, they will ask for it. If not, they will say, “No, thanks.” When an American is served with beer by the host, for example, he might say, “No, thanks. I’ll take some orange juice if you have it.” That is what an American will do. So when you go to the United States, you’d better remember the famous saying: “when in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
【小题1】From this passage we can see that the writer is         .

Directions: Read the following passage.? Answer the. questions according to the information given in the passage.

????? As an English teacher. I've been lucky enough to travel to many countries. I've seen people celebrating everything from the arrival of new babies to the delivery of new cars. I've attended weddings, parties and religious celebrations in countries as far apart as Argentina and Japan, and I've noticed that gold - the metal or the colour is almost always part of cultural events, traditions and celebrations.

????? From? 'mashallah'? gold tokens(纪念品)? that people give to babies in Turkey,? to the gold stars that primary teachers stick on their students' exercise books. to the gold coffin that the 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson was buried in. it makes me wonder: Why do people love gold?

????? For some people, gold seems to be a status symbol. Indian businessman Datta Phuge loves gold so much that he's even bought a shirt made of the stuff-at a cost of $ 250,000. Datta Phuge has his reasons.?? He explains :? "Some elite (杰出人物)people want to own an Audi or Mercedes(奔驰) and have big cars. I chose gold. "

????? For other people, gold is an investment.? The price of gold generally increases over time-and in European markets it reached over $ 1,500 per ounce in 2011.

????? And for many people, the family heirloom(传家宝)brings together status and investment. My mother has a gold bracelet that was given to her by her grandmother-who, in turn. inherited it from her own grandmother.?? It's quite a heavy piece and probably worth quite a lot of money.? But its sentimental value is greater than its value in dollars:? It ' s a beautiful object that holds many family memories. When the time comes, my mum will give the bracelet to me.

???? So, status and investment are good reasons to value gold. But, I think that the real reason people love gold is because it can be made into beautiful objects.? Think about Tutankhamen' s death mask. People love gold because it captures our minds, our imaginations and. above all, our hearts.

1. What did the writer observe while travelling in different countries7? ( No more than 15 words)

(2 marks)

2.Why did Indian businessman Datta Phuge buy a gold shirt? (No more than 7 words) (3 marks)

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3.What does the writer think of her mother's gold bracelet? (No more than 7 words) (2 marks)

_____________________________________________________________________________

4. In the writer's opinion, why do people love gold? (No more than 17 words) (3 marks)

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