Before You Read
1.Do you know Dubai？Why is Dubai so rich？
2.Do you think Dubai will be rich for long？
3.Do you want to travel to Dubai？What do you think appeals to you most about Dubai？
4.Have you ever eaten McDonald' s？If yes，what's your impression of McDonald' s？
5.Why do you think McDonald's is seeking strategic partners？
Reading 1
Why is Dubai so rich？
Dubai〔1〕in the United Arab Emirates〔2〕is home to the tallest skyscraper in the world.It stands almost 3 thousand feet in the air，and cost the city more than 1 billion dollars.On the ground signs of Dubai' s wealth are apparent，as the police patrol the streets in Ferraris〔3〕，and Lamborghinis〔4〕.So how did the emirates and Dubai in particular，get so rich？
（旁注：skyscraper［'skaɪskreɪpə］）
（旁注：n.摩天大楼）
（旁注：apparent［ə'pær（ə）nt］）
（旁注：adj.显然的；表面上的）
（旁注：patrol［pə'trəul］）
（旁注：n.巡逻v.巡逻）
Well，the UAE is a federation of seven emirates，each ruled，in part，by its own Islamic monarchy.
（旁注：federation［fedə'reɪʃ（ə）n］）
（旁注：n.联合；联邦）
（旁注：monarchy［'mɒnəkɪ］）
（旁注：n.君主政体；君主国）
Historically the UAE has been a prime location for international trade.Situated at the mouth of the Persian Gulf〔5〕，ships sailing around Asia〔6〕and Africa〔7〕made frequent stops there.
In the late 1950s，large oil deposits were found near the UAE's capital of Abu Dhabi〔8〕，beginning a hugely lucrative oil industry.The oil deposits proved to be so vast，that presently，they account for tenth of the world's total oil reserves.Crude oil exports are responsible for almost 400 billion dollars of the UAE' s GDP.But Dubai，by itself，isn't very oil-rich.Reports indicate that in 2010，only around 1% of Dubai' s economy was from oil sales.
（旁注：lucrative［'lu:krətɪv］）
（旁注：adj.有利可图的，赚钱的）
（旁注：crude［kru:d］）
（旁注：adj.粗糙的；天然的）
（旁注：productive［prə'dʌktɪv］）
（旁注：adj.能生产的；生产的）
（旁注：exclusive［ɪk'sklu:sɪv］）
（旁注：adj.独有的）
So how is Dubai so wealthy？Well，both Dubai and the entire UAE have a historically productive relationship with the United Kingdom〔9〕.This relationship granted them access to exclusive western investments and partnerships.In 2000，the international credit boom helped the Emirates solidify their place in the Middle East〔10〕as a financial and cosmopolitan hub.Foreign investments poured in for ambitious projects like the world's tallest skyscraper，largest resort，and even a series of man-made islands.Since then，tourism，trade，and retail have flourished，attracting a large number of visitors and immigrants.Dubai was reported to be the world's 5th most popular tourist destination in 2014.
（旁注：solidify［sə'lɪdɪfaɪ］）
（旁注：v.团结；凝固）（旁注：cosmopolitan）
（旁注：［.kɒzmə'pɒlɪt（ə）n］）
（旁注：adj.世界性的；国际的）（旁注：hub［hʌb］）
（旁注：n.中心）
（旁注：retail［'ritel］）
（旁注：n.零售v.零售）
（旁注：flourish［'flʌrɪʃ］）
（旁注：v.繁荣，兴旺）
Additionally，there are no corporate taxes，except on oil companies and foreign banks，making them an attractive business destination.However，despite the flow of investments and a growing tourism industry，the late 2000s global economic crisis hit the Emirates especially hard.Real estate prices collapsed throughout the area，and one study found that more than 200 construction projects were canceled between 2009 and 2011.It got so bad that eventually，AbuDhabi had to bail out Dubai with a 10 billion dollars loan.So yeah，Dubai is massively rich，but as we've seen in recent years，there's no guarantee it'll stay that way.
（旁注：corporate［'kɔ:p（ə）rət］）
（旁注：adj.法人的；公司的）
（旁注：destination［destɪ'neɪʃ（ə）n］）
（旁注：n.目的地，终点）
（旁注：investment）
（旁注：［ɪn'ves（t）m（ə）nt］）
（旁注：n.投资）
（旁注：estate［ɪ'steɪt］）
（旁注：n.房地产）
（旁注：collapse［kə'læps］）
（旁注：v.倒塌；瓦解；暴跌）（旁注：construction）
（旁注：［kən'strʌkʃ（ə）n］）（旁注：n.建设；建筑物）
Language Focus
1.be home to：为……的所在地
e.g.:Iceland，the land of fire and ice，is home to Reykjavik，the world's northernmost capital.
冰岛，火与冰之岛，是世界上最北的首都——雷克雅未克的所在地。
It is home to Africa's largest mangrove swamp，which supports a high concentration of biodiversity.It also contains rich oil reserves.
那里是非洲最大的红树林沼泽地所在地，维持着高密度生物多样性，还储藏着丰富的石油。
2.as:conj.因为；随着；虽然；依照；当……时
prep.如同；当作；以……的身份
e.g.:.Enjoy the first hour of the day.This is important as it sets the mood for the rest of the day.
享受一天中的第一个小时。这很重要，因为这决定当天其余时间的情绪。
As the leader of this office，she can work with everyone.
作为办公室的领导，她和每个人都合作得很好。
3.Large oil deposits were found near the UAE's capital of Abu Dhabi，beginning a hugely lucrative oil industry.
——本句为被动语态，“be+过去分词”是被动语态的基本结构；beginning是现在分词，在本句
中作伴随状语。
e.g.:The song is sung all over the country，making it the most popular song.
这首歌在全国各地演唱，使它成为最受欢迎的歌曲。
4.presently adv.目前
e.g.:They knew that presently dinner would be over.
她们知道一会儿晚饭就吃完了。
I'm busy but I'll come presently.
我现在正忙，不过我马上就来。
5....both Dubai and the entire UAE have a historically productive relationship...
*both…and…表示“两个都……”，连接主语时，谓语动词应该使用复数。
e.g.:Both Mr.Sans and Prof.Mei were fairly sanguine about the future of art.
杰罗姆·桑斯和梅建平对艺术的未来都相当乐观.
Both English and maths are interesting.
英语和数学都很有趣。
6.a series of：一系列的；一连串的
e.g.:We learn language through a series of prompts and feedback.
我们通过一系列的提示和反馈学习语言。
Our days are like a series of sprints.
我们的生活就像一连串的冲刺。
7.bail out：跳伞；保释；帮助摆脱困境
e.g.:The government has had to bail out only one big financial institution in the past six weeks.
在过去的六周里，仅有一家大型金融机构需要接受政府的帮助来摆脱困境。
We have to protect taxpayers and not bail out shareholders and management.
我们必须做的是保护纳税人的权利，而非为股东和管理层解围。
Related Background Information
Dubai（迪拜）
迪拜是现代化的国际大都市，阿联酋人口最多的城市，中东最富裕的城市，中东地区的经济和金融中心，被称为中东北非地区的“贸易之都”。
迪拜位于阿拉伯半岛中部、阿拉伯湾南岸，是海湾地区中心。与南亚次大陆隔海相望，与卡塔尔为邻、与沙特阿拉伯交界、与阿曼毗连。
迪拜是全球性国际金融中心之一，是连接东、西方各资本市场之间的桥梁，同时也是重要的物流、贸易、交通运输、旅游和购物中心。拥有世界上第一家七星级酒店（帆船酒店）、世界最高的摩天大楼（哈利法塔）、全球最大的购物中心、世界最大的室内滑雪场等，以活跃的房地产、赛事、会谈等近乎世界纪录的特色吸引了全世界的目光。
Population Structure（人口结构）
迪拜的人口结构与其他酋长国不同的在于它的外籍人士比例相当大，主要来自于南亚与东南亚。迪拜常住人口约280万人，本地人口占15%左右，外籍人士来自全球200多个国家和地区。常住迪拜的华人有约34万人，其他外籍人士来自诸如埃及、黎巴嫩、约旦、伊朗、印度、巴基斯坦、菲律宾等。
Language（语言）
迪拜的官方语言是阿拉伯语，但是英语、印地语、以及乌尔都语也被广泛使用。在迪拜商业界，英语的应用是非常广泛的，比如商贸公司的职员，商场、酒店、机场、银行等场所的员工，以及出租车司机、媒体从业者等都需要会讲流利的英语，这正体现了迪拜作为多元文化的国际大都市的特点。
Currency（货币）
因为迪拜是阿联酋的酋长国，所以使用的货币是阿联酋的货币——迪拉姆（Dirham），非正式的缩写有“DH”或“Dhs”。辅币是费尔，1迪拉姆=100费尔（fils，或译为“菲尔”）。另外迪拜是旅游胜地，部分酒店、免税店也可以使用美元。
1人民币≈0.54迪拉姆
1迪拉姆≈1.84人民币
1美元≈3.67迪拉姆
Reading Comprehension
Decide whether the following statements are true or false.Write“T”for True and“F”for False.
1.Dubai has the tallest skyscraper in the world.（ ）
2.The tallest skyscraper in Dubai costs the city more than 1 billion dollars.（ ）
3.The police patrol the streets in Ferraris，and Lamborghinis，but people in Dubai can't afford such luxury cars.（ ）
4.The UAE is a federation of seven emirates.（ ）
5.Historically，the UAE has been a prime location for international communication.（ ）
6.The oil deposits of Dubai proved to be so vast，that presently，they account for tenth of the world's total oil reserves.（ ）
7.Dubai has a historically good relationship with the United Kingdom.（ ）
8.The largest resort of Dubai is one of foreign investments for ambitious projects.（ ）
9.There are no corporate taxes for all companies in Dubai.（ ）
10.In the long run，Dubai doesn't always have to be rich if there's no way to make money for itself.（ ）
Reading 2
McDonald's Strategic Investment in China
（旁注：potential［pə'tenʃl］）
（旁注：n.潜能；可能性）
In an effort to tap the huge potential of fast-food market，McDonald' s〔11〕China said on last Thursday that it plans to identify strategic partners to advance its growth plans in the country.
The move is expected to add value within its organization and further enhance its investment and competitiveness in the country.Strategic investors will together hold“majority shares”in Chinese mainland〔12〕.
（旁注：strategic［strə'tɪdʒɪk］）
（旁注：adj.战略的）
（旁注：enhance［ɪn'hɑ:ns］）
（旁注：v.提高；加强）
（旁注：competitiveness）
（旁注：［kəm'petətɪvnɪs］）
（旁注：n.竞争力）
（旁注：majority［mə'dʒɒrɪtɪ］）
（旁注：n.多数）
Currently，McDonald's operates 2,200 restaurants，35 percent of them as franchisees，in Chinese mainland.The company is also seeking strategic investors in Hong Kong〔13〕and South Korea〔14〕.
（旁注：operate［'ɒpəreɪt］）
（旁注：v.运转；经营）
（旁注：franchisee［.fræntʃaɪ'zɪ:］）
（旁注：n.特许经营人；加盟商）
CEO〔15〕Steve Easterbrook said in an exclusive interview with China Daily〔16〕in Beijing that they are committed to China which is now their third-largest market in the world—for the long term and plan to open 250 restaurants each year in the next five years.
（旁注：exclusive［ɪk'sklu:sɪv］）
（旁注：adj.独有的；专一的）
He said he remained open-minded and interested to potential investors.The candidate they are looking for will have a deep understanding of the Chinese market，financial capacity，as well as competitive strengths that will enable the fast-food giant to accelerate growth in China.
（旁注：open-minded）
（旁注：［'əupən'maɪndɪd］）
（旁注：adj.虚心的；开放的）
（旁注：investor［ɪn'vestə］）
（旁注：n.投资者）
（旁注：candidate［'kændɪdeɪt］）
（旁注：n.候选人；投资者）
（旁注：accelerate［ək'seləreɪt］）
（旁注：v.加速；促进）
Explaining why the company is seeking strategic investors，Phyllis Cheung，CEO of McDonald's China，said:“We need to accelerate our growth and expand our business presence in China.With the introduction of strategic partners，we will be able to tap into the rich local resources and be self-sufficient with more access to investment capital to unlock our growth potential.We will also be able to make faster local decisions by being China centric to achieve our goal of being the second-largest market for McDonald's.”
（旁注：self-sufficient）
（旁注：［'selfsə'fɪʃant］）
（旁注：adj.自给自足的）
（旁注：centric［'sentrɪk］）
（旁注：adj.中央的；中心的）
China is expected to overtake Japan to become the second-largest market for McDonald' s globally after the United Sates by 2020.The company has appointed Morgan Stanley〔17〕to identify potential investors and it is expected to announce more details in due course.
（旁注：overtake［əuvə'teɪk］）
（旁注：v.赶上；超越）
（旁注：announce［ə'nauns］）
（旁注：v.宣布）
Language Focus
1.in an effort to：企图（努力想）；试图要
e.g.:In an effort to stay alert，she drank several cups of coffee.
为保持警醒，她喝了几杯咖啡。
We do not seek large trade surplus with the US.We have taken steps to import more from the US in an effort to address the imbalance.
中国不追求对美国的贸易顺差，一直在采取措施扩大自美国的进口，努力缓解中美贸易不平衡。
2.be committed to：致力于；以……为己任
e.g.:And together，we are committed to providing a new generation of leadership for our people and our alliance.
让我们同心协力，为我们的人民和我们的同盟发挥新一代领导人的作用。
We expect our website to become an effective information resource and are committed to maintaining a high level of transparency and disclosure.
我们期待该网站能成为一个有效的信息来源并能保持较高的透明度和较高的披露水准。
3.The candidate they are looking for will have a deep understanding of the Chinese market，...
*定语从句，candidate后省略了that一词。如果关系代词that在从句中作宾语，就可以省略，但如果作主语，就不能省略。
e.g.:The books（that）I bought yesterday are very interesting.
昨天我买的书很有趣。
The boys that are playing football are from America.
打篮球的男孩子们来自美国。
4.tap into：挖掘；接进；接入
e.g.:Researchers will tap into the masses of data over the Web.
研究人员将对互联网上的大部分数据进行挖掘。
5.appoint:v.任命；约定；指定；委托；委任
e.g.:If we come to terms，we'll appoint you as our agent.
如果达成协议，我们将指定你为我方的代理。
We must appoint a new teacher at once to the mountain school.
6.in due course：在适当的时候；及时地
e.g.:At present，the case is under investigation and relevant information will be released by competent authorities in due course.
目前此案正在进一步调查和处理过程中，相信有关部门会适时发布有关情况。
On your second question，relevant information will be released in due course.
关于第二个问题，相关信息将及时发布。
Related Background Information
McDonald's（麦当劳）
麦当劳是全球大型跨国连锁餐厅，1955年创立于美国芝加哥，在世界上大约拥有3万家分店。主要售卖汉堡，以及薯条、炸鸡、汽水、冰品、沙拉、水果等快餐食品。
麦当劳遍布全球六大洲119个国家，在很多国家代表着一种美式生活方式。由于是首家和最大跨国快餐连锁企业，麦当劳已是公众讨论关于食物导致肥胖、公司道德和消费责任焦点所代表的快餐文化，被指责影响公众健康，例如高热量导致肥胖，以及缺乏足够均衡营养等。很多人抨击其为垃圾食品。
Business Strategy（经营策略）
麦当劳公司的收入主要来源于房地产营运收入、从加盟店收取的服务费和直营店的盈余三部分。由于加盟者一般都没有足够的资金支付3万美元的土地费用和4万美元的建筑费用，也无力争取贷款。麦当劳公司就负责代加盟商寻找合适的开店地址，并长期承租或购进土地和房屋，然后将店面出租给各加盟店，获取其中的差额。这是麦当劳公司收入的主要来源。这实质是麦当劳房地产公司（为实施房地产策略而成立的公司）用各加盟店的钱买下房地产，然后再把它租给出钱的加盟店。资料表明，至20世纪80年代中期，麦当劳的近万家餐馆中，有60%的房地产权属于麦当劳总部，另外40%是由总部出面出租的。
Celebrity（形象代言人）
麦当劳叔叔是麦当劳速食连锁店的招牌吉祥物和企业的形象代言人，官方设定本名叫作罗纳德·麦当劳（Ronald McDonald），是友谊、风趣、祥和的象征，他总是传统马戏小丑打扮，黄色连衫裤，红白条的衬衣和短袜，大红鞋，黄手套，一头红发。他在美国4—9岁儿童心中，是仅次于圣诞老人的第二个最熟悉的人物，他象征着麦当劳永远是大家的朋友。
Reading Comprehension
Make the best choice according to what you have read.
1.McDonald's is.
_________________________
A.a fast-food franchise from America B.A snack bar in the United States
C.A steakhouse in the United States D.An ice cream parlor in the United States
2.McDonald' s plans to seek strategic partners for______________.
A.making more money
B.gaining a better reputation
C.taping the huge potential of fast-food market
D.expanding the Chinese market
3.Who will hold“majority shares”in Chinese mainland？
A.McDonald's.B.Strategic investors of McDonald's.
C.CEO of McDonald's.D.The government.
4.35% of McDonald' s 2,200 restaurants are___________.
A.specialty restaurants B.drive-in restaurants
C.cafeterias D.franchisees
5.Which of the following statements is true about McDonald' s？
A.McDonald's operates 2,200 restaurants in the world.
B.China is McDonald's third-largest market in the world.
C.The company of McDonald's only wants to seek strategic investors in China.
D.35 percent of McDonald's restaurants sell French fries.
6.How many restaurants does McDonald' s plan to open each year in the next five years？
A.250 restaurants. B.350 restaurants.
C.2,200 restaurants. D.35 restaurants.
7.Which of the following does not meet the standard as a strategic partner？
A.Understanding of the Chinese market.
B.Having financial capacity.
C.Having competitive strengths.
D.Being fond of eating fast-food.
8.Why is the company seeking strategic investors in China？
A.The company needs money.
B.The company wants more people to know McDonald's.
C.McDonald's needs to accelerate its growth and expand its business presence in China.
D.Ronald McDonald likes Chinese kids.
9.Which country is the second-largest market for McDonald's？
A.China.B.Japan.C.Hong Kong.D.South Korea.
10.What can you learn from this passage？
A.Fast-food is delicious.
B.It will cost you too much in McDonald's.
C.The strategic partner of McDonald's must be Chinese.
D.There will be more and more McDonald's restaurants in China.