1. Listen and write the main idea in one sentence.

Wang Kun and Wang Wei met an old man fishing by the river in Laos, and they talked about the life on the river and the changes.

2. Listen again and fill in the information on the chart.

JOUNRNEY DOWN THE MEKONG

Part 5 BY THE RIVER IN LOAOS

After leaving noisy and crowded vientiane,we cycled on to the south.On our way we saw an old man fishing on the Mekong.We stopped to talk to him.Weput our hands together to greet him in the way of his poeple.He smiled and moved his head down a bit.Then he spoke to us.

M=Man WK=Wang KunWW=Wang Wei

M: Good morning.Where are you going?

WK: We're travelling along the Mekong.Can you tell us about life by the river?

M: Well,it's changed a lot.In the past there were many snall villages along the river.The fisherman caught many different kinds of fish and sold them.

WW: Has life changed much?

M: Er,the new dams made a difference to many people's lives. Some villages disappeared and now many people live and work in the towns.They live a better life there,but Iprefer the old way of life along the river and I don't like the noise of the city because I am a good fisherman.

WK: Do you catch many fish?

M: I catch enough for my family and I sell what's left over to other people.

WW: That sounds good. What else can you by the river?

M: There are many different kinds of animals and plants as well as temples,caves and a waterfall. It's a protected area so you can tell that it's very special.