听力文本

Lesson 17 Key Conversation What a Small World

Hiro: Ah, Steve. Welcome back to Japan. It's good to see you again.

Steve: It's good to see you as well, my friend. Tell me, how have things been going with the new branch?

Hiro: As you know, there's a huge push these days for our country to become more globalized, and our company being introduced here is no exception.

Steve: The same could be said for America. When I was a kid, we could only find American restaurants. But now? It's like the world has brought their food from everywhere.

Hiro: You'll find the same here. McDonald's and Starbucks are everywhere. English academies are becoming more common here than anything else.

Steve: It's like we have become one global village. Just think. The more globalized we become, the less need we'll have for local languages.

Hiro: I don't know about that. There's much that can't be expressed in your language.

Steve: That's true. But between the Internet and the mass media, it won't be long before we feel the effects of what's happening on the other side of the world.

Hiro: We're already there, Steve. Just by sitting here talking to each other, we're proving how small the world really is.

课后问题

1. Do you think this is the first time Steve and Hiro have met?

2. Do you think Steveand Hiro like the idea of globalization?