Family belongings

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Neil: Hi there. 

Chris: Now Neil, what is your most treasured possession? 

Neil: Well, that's interesting - my most treasured possession would have to be… my guitar. 

Chris: I would probably say one of my most treasured possessions is a painting by my grandfather. 

Neil: Oh, art in the family! 

Chris: So, today we're discussing possessions. But before we get started, it's the quiz question. Let's see if you can answer it correctly. 

Neil: OK, I'm ready for a challenge. 

Chris: The question is: in terms of distance, what is the world record length for a photography exhibition? 

a) 90 metres 

b) 1 kilometre 

c) 600 kilometres 

Neil: Well, I have no idea, so I'm going to go for the completely ridiculous: c) 600km. 

Chris: OK, we’ll find out the answer at the end of the programme. Now, I asked a question about photography because in today's show we're talking about a series of photographs from China. 

Neil: From China? So what are these photos about? 

Chris: Well, a photographer called Huang Qingjun has been travelling around China for over a decade, taking photos of families standing¹ outside their houses. 

Neil: What's special about that? 

Chris: Well, he asks the families to place all their belongings² in front of the house too.

Neil: All their belongings? So even things like tables and chairs? 

Chris: Yes, as much as they can move! Now, I've got some clips from a report by BBC correspondent Beth McLeod. She describes one of the photos - can you hear what objects she sees? 

BBC correspondent Beth McLeod: 

On a dusty, grey, patch of land, a pair of pink slippers³, some cooking utensils⁴, a bicycle and some blankets are neatly⁵ arranged in rows. Standing among their belongings an elderly couple face the camera, unsmiling… A DVD player, telephone and television are balanced on a block of concrete in the forefront of the photo, and some string and rocks hold a satellite dish at an angle on the ground. 

Chris: What objects did she describe seeing in the photo? 

Neil: A pair of slippers! 

Chris: That's correct. 

Neil: Some cooking utensils - so things like spoons and knives. A bicycle, some blankets, a DVD player, a telephone. 

Chris: Very good. There was one more thing too - a satellite dish. 

Neil: So, why were all these things placed outside their house for the photographer to take a photo? 

Chris: The photographer wanted to capture the lives and material goods of rural Chinese families. The photos reveal some of the social changes happening across China. 

Neil: Because of these people's belongings? 

Chris: Yes, we can see the many different possessions of these families - some of their things are very old-fashioned, but some are much more modern. Weiliang Nie of the BBC's Chinese Service describes how the consumer goods bought by people in these rural areas have changed. 

BBC Chinese Service senior producer, Weiliang Nie: 

In the past, it is unimaginable people like these poor farmers or peasants could have access to a television or a telephone… They still have these sewing machines which you pedal with your feet. These are the things that the Chinese used to have as valuable stuff 30 or 40 years ago. 

Chris: So, having a television or telephone was once a luxury, but now they are seen by many as necessities. 

Neil: Was a sewing machine a common item for people to own years ago? 

Chris: In the 1950s, a sewing machine was one of the 'four big things' that Chinese families would crave⁶. The three others things were: a bicycle, a watch and a radio. 

Neil: By the 1980s, the four big things that people wanted were: a television, a washing machine, a rice cooker and a fridge. 

Chris: This series of photos provides a snapshot of part of this social change. 

Neil: Is the photographer critical of these changes, do you think? 

Chris: Well, there is a sense that he's capturing a way of life that is slowly being lost. 

Neil: Yeah, I see what you mean. Putting all their belongings outside their house makes it look as if they are moving away. 

Chris: In this final clip, Beth McLeod describes one family who are doing just that - moving away: 

BBC correspondent Beth McLeod: 

In one photo, a family pose next to a house that has the Chinese character for 'tear down' written on it. It's one of many older dwellings⁷ demolished⁸ to make way for tower blocks in a rapidly changing China. 

Chris: Some of these rural areas are becoming more built-up and urbanised. 

Neil: It's quite sad really that this family are losing their home. 

Chris: But the photographer himself believes these things are a cause for optimism. Building roads to these remote areas means people can move around more freely. 

Neil: And by providing electricity, they can get news and ideas through the TV or internet. Is the photographer planning on continuing this project? 

Chris: Yes, he wants to photograph more of China's urban families. 

Neil: I imagine the amount of stuff people own in urban areas is much greater. 

Chris: If you compare the photo of a wealthy film director with the photo of a poor fishing family who live on a boat - they are poles apart. 

Neil: Almost all the belongings the fishing family own are related to cooking, whereas the film director owns a car and a large flat-screen TV. 

Chris: It makes you wonder if we really need all our possessions. 

Neil: That is very true… but having said that, there's no way I could live without my guitar! 

Chris: OK, let's return to the quiz question: what is the world record length for a photography exhibition? 

a) 90 metres 

b) 1 kilometre 

c) 600 kilometres 

Neil: And I went for c) 600 kilometres. 

Chris: You were wrong I'm afraid - it was b) 1 kilometre. A photography exhibition called 'Jump4London' included over 80,000 images of people jumping in the air - that's a lot of photos! 

Neil: Yeah, 80,000 - my word! 

Chris: OK, that’s all we have time for today. Do join us again for more 6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com. Bye for now! 

Neil: Goodbye! 

Vocabulary and definitions treasured valuable, precious 

belongings things that a person owns 

forefront a position in front 

old-fashioned a style that is out of date 

consumer goods items that can be bought 

crave desire, want 

snapshot a glimpse 

poles apart at opposite extremes 

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