The second largest of the seven emirates which made up the United Arab Emirates, Dubai is located on the southern shore of the Arabian Gulf. It has an area of some 3,900 square kilometers. It is a new city which mixes the Arabic culture, Western culture and Southern Asian culture, and the trade centre of the United Arab Emirates, also the third largest free trade port in the world.

Favourable business conditions and shrewd investment decisions have led Dubai to becoming one of the Gulf's most successful and rapidly expanding economic environment and Dubai is now firmly established as the business, financial and commercial hub of the region. It is a prosperous and diverse market and the employment growth required to match its expansion provides excellent opportunities for both clients and candidates.

Dubai's attractiveness not only lies in its trade. Like the rest of the U. A. E., it has also been actively promoted as a tourist destination. The most attractive place of Dubai is Burj Al Arab Hotel, the only seven-star hotel in the world. Designed to look like a billowing sail, the Burj Al Arab opened in 1999 on a man-made island specifically constructed for the property, just off the coast of Dubai. The hotel is all suites, with a basic suite comprised of two floors, a guest bathroom downstairs and a master bedroom and bathroom with a Jacuzzi upstairs. The hotel will shuttle passengers via Rolls-Royces, but they cost extra. Burj Al Arab Hotel has become the emblem of luxury in the United Arab Emirates.

阿联酋七个酋长国中第二大酋长国迪拜位于阿拉伯海湾的南部海岸，面积约3900平方公里。它是一个融合了阿拉伯文化、西方文化和南亚文化的新兴城市，是阿联酋的贸易中心，也是世界上的第三大自由贸易港。

有利的商业条件和精明的投资策略使迪拜成为最成功、经济环境扩展最迅速的海湾之一。毫无疑问，迪拜现在已经成为该地区的生意、金融和商业中心。迪拜是一个繁荣且具有多样性的贸易市场，就业人数需求的增加与市场的扩张相匹配，这为老板和应聘者提供了绝好的机会。

迪拜的吸引力不仅在于它的商业。与阿联酋的其他酋长国一样，它也在积极地向一个旅游胜地发展。迪拜最吸引人的地方是帆船酒店，它是全世界唯一一家七星级酒店。这座看起来好像是正在行进中的帆船酒店建于1999年，位于一座专门为此酒店而建造的人造岛屿上，紧靠阿联酋迪拜海岸。酒店中的每一套房间都由两层组成，下面一层是客人的浴室，上面一层则是主人的卧室和配有按摩浴缸的浴室。同时，酒店提供豪华轿车劳斯莱斯用来接送顾客，但这要收取一笔价格不菲的额外费用。帆船酒店已经成为阿联酋奢侈的象征。

emirate n. 酋长国

candidate n. 应聘者

emblem n. 象征

shrewd adj. 精明的

attractiveness n. 吸引力

Benjamin 对历史很感兴趣，最近他又在研究世界名城的发展历程。好友Terry刚好写论文时要涉及迪拜这个地方，于是他想找Benjamin了解一下迪拜的历史。

T= Terry 泰= 泰瑞 B= Benjamin 本=本杰明

T: Benjamin, I heard that you're studying the history of famous cities in the world. Really?

B: You're right. And I'm studying the history of Dubai recently.

T: Can you tell me something about Dubai? I need some information for my paper.

B: Of course. I'm so happy that it'll be useful for you. It is difficult to believe that less than a century ago Dubai was alittle more than a desert-strewn wild place where Bedouin tribes roamed the sands and a huddle of settlers crowded around the banks of the lifeblood creek. Even as Europe embarked on weapons of mass destruction during WWI, Dubai still had no running water, no real roads and the main mode of transport was the camel.

T: Incredible! It's such a modern city now.

B: Yeah. The city's remarkable success story really began in the 1960s. During the process of shaking off the shackles of British colonial rule, oil was struck in 1966 and Dubai has never looked back. Since the 1960's , the population has mushroomed to almost 1.5 million and now an ever-growing number of hotels welcome in the temporary foreign workers and tourists who help propel the economy.

T: It only takes 40-odd years to develop to such a degree? How fast!

B: You can say it's a miracle.

泰：本杰明，听说你正在研究世界名城的历史？

本：说对了，我最近正在研究迪拜的历史。

泰：那你可以给我讲讲迪拜吗？我的论文需要用到一些它的信息。

本：当然了，我很高兴它会对你有用。很难相信不到一个世纪以前，迪拜只是一个比沙漠荒地大那么一点点的地方，贝都因人部落在那里的沙地里流浪，一群定居者挤在被他们视为生命之源的小河河岸上。甚至是在一战期间欧洲开始使用大规模杀伤性武器时，迪拜仍然没有自来水，没有真正的道路，主要的交通工具就是骆驼。

泰：是在难以置信！它现在是一个如此现代的城市！

本：是的。这个城市不寻常的成功是从20世纪60年代才真正开始的。在摆脱英国殖民统治束缚的过程中，1966年开始开发石油，迪拜从此就没有停滞不前过。20世纪60年代以来，迪拜人口飞速增加到约150万，旅馆数量日渐增多，以满足外国工人和游客的临时住宿需求，而这些人都促进了当地经济的发展。

泰：只花了40多年就发展到现在这样的程度吗？太快了！

本：你可以说它是一个奇迹。

desert n. 沙漠

embark vi. 从事

mushroom vi. 迅速增加

roam vt. 流浪

shackle n. 桎梏

假设你看到一个好的迪拜历史介绍片，并向一个外国朋友介绍。试着完成下面的对话。

1. 外国朋友： Is Dubai a new city or an old city?

你：___________________________________________________

2. 外国朋友：How was it like in the old days?

你：___________________________________________________

3. 外国朋友：Whose colony had Dubai ever been?

你：___________________________________________________

4. 外国朋友：Who helps propel its development?

你：___________________________________________________

1. It's a new city. It didn't become prosperous until the 1960s.

2. Less than a century ago Dubai was little more than a desert-strewn wild land. Even as Europe embarked on weapons of mass destruction during WWI, Dubai still had no running water, no real roads and the main mode of transport was the camel.

3. Dubai had ever been the British colony.

4. The temporary foreign workers and tourists.

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