Only a few days ago, the first—ever China Hanfu Day was held to encourage young Chinese people to wear and take pride in hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group (汉族).
The organizers said, "Traditional culture is the lifeblood of China. We hope young Chinese people can wear our traditional clothing during festivals to show China's unusual culture to the world. This will also make them understand the culture better and feel proud of being a Chinese." The event invited people to post their pictures in traditional clothes. By April 22nd, 2018, it had already got over 155 million page views, with thousands of people sharing their pictures.
Historically, hanfu has influenced many of the neighboring cultural clothing including the Japanese Kimono and Korean Hanbok. However, hanfu started to fade when Manchu people took control of China. Luckily, there has been a rise in popularity over recent years. According to Hanfu Information(HI), a hanfu promotion (宣传) group, over 21, 000 sets of hanfu were sold online earlier this year. Another online survey by HI in 2017 showed that over 88%of people believe that wearing hanfu is a good way to learn about Chinese culture. It's true that the number of hanfu fans is growing.
The organizers say they will make China Hanfu Day a yearly event and that they have set the third day of the third month of the traditional Chinese calendar as the date of the event.
There was a little girl named Jane Eyre whose parents had passed away. Jane used to live with her aunt and her aunt's three spoiled(被宠坏的) children. Her cousins always got her into trouble so her aunt did not want to look after her anymore. Soon, Jane was sent to a school far from home.
On her first day at school, the headmaster, Mr. Brocklehurst introduced Jane to the other pupils. He told them that no one was allowed to talk or sit beside Jane because she was a bad child. He punished her by making her stand in a corner that day. She was very sad and lonely. Nobody dared to disobey(不服从) Mr. Brocklehurst, or they would have to clean the school hall all night. The pupils had no enough food to eat and they were usually hungry. Jane felt very miserable there.
Ten years later, Jane completed her schooling. She was glad to get away from the school. She worked for a rich man named Mr. Rochester. Jane was asked to look after his young daughter, Adele. Jane liked working in the house. However, Mr. Rochester was a strange man. He was very quiet and always looked sad. Jane felt sorry for him and was kind to him. Jane would spend time talking to him. Soon, little by little, his sadness lifted.
Do you like it when your teachers run over (拖延) class time? If you don't like it, you may like the new bell at Shanghai No. 8 Middle School.
The school began to use the new bell this semester. It helps teachers remember it is break-time. The new bell has three parts. The first part lasts 15 seconds. It is made up of lovely folk music. Next, there are 20 seconds of silence. The final 25-second bell is a fast-paced march (快节奏进行曲) that seems to tell each teacher, “You have to end class now!”
Most students and teachers welcome the new bell. This school no longer has a problem with teachers giving instructions after call is over.
Chen Yong is a student at the school. He can't keep listening to the teacher when the bell rings, because he is thinking about his lost breaktime. “We tried many ways to stop teachers before, but nothing worked,” Chen told the ShanghaiEveningPost. “It's better now. When the folk music is on, teachers know that class is going to be over in one minute.”
Shen Huimin, a teacher at No. 8 Middle School, agrees that the new bell is creative. “In the past, we usually wanted to add a few words after class. But we often forgot the time,” Shen said. “The new bell reminds us twice. It's a small change, but it's really solving a big problem.”
Stories and Art of Chinese Fans
You may think you cannot live through summer without air conditioners. But in ancient China, hand fans were almost the only ones to help people keep cool.
Chinese people started to use hand fans over 2,000 years ago. The fans came in different shapes, such as round and square. They were also made from all kinds of materials, Palm leaf fans were cheap and easy to make. Feather fans(羽毛扇)showed the owners high status. Sandalwood(檀香)fans could send out a sweet smell.
Later, hand fans became far more than just something that could cool you down. They developed into art works, in which tuanshan (round fans)and zheshan (folded fans)were the most common.
In the shape of a full moon, tuanshan was usually made of silk. They had beautiful birds and flowers on them. Women, especially those in the imperial palace(皇宫), liked to use them. Meanwhile, men, especially the literati(文人), used zheshan. The literati liked them because they were usually made of paper and they could paint and write poems on them. It was a way for them to show off their ability in literature, painting and handwriting. Almost anything can be painted on zheshan.
Today. Chinese people still use these fans, but not many people write or paint on them any more. Next time when you are waving a fan, you may think of the stories behind it.
| Names | Features(特征) |
| Palm leaf fans | and easy to make. |
|
| Show the owners' status. |
| Sandalwood fans | Send out . |
| Tuanshan | In the shape of . |
| Zheshan | The literati painted and wrote on them. |
Dear Michael,
I am glad to learn that you have been chosen to study in China. Your dream has come true!
I can well remember that you1China for the first time when you were nine. Ever since you returned, you have been interested in Chinese culture and have put a lot of2into learning Chinese. When you first started to learn Chinese, I3it was nothing but a passing fad (一时的狂热) . However, you didn't4halfway, but kept on learning and did a good job in the HSK (汉语水平考试) . Now you finally got what you had5for a long time. You got the chance to6life in China for one year. You should have it, my son, for chances only come to those who are7.
When you study there, you will have to face8in everyday life that you have never experienced before, but after a year abroad, you will return with a new9at life—and at yourself.
Your mum and I are both10you. Keep it up, my son!
Love,
Dad
Lisa has always been fat. She wanted to lose weight, not only because she wanted to look more beautiful and healthier, also because it would make life easier.
For example， it was difficult for Lisa (find) ready-made clothes. She had to ask a tailor(裁缝) to make clothes that were large enough. In the school, she needed a special chair that was (big) and stronger than other chairs. If she went for a walk, she got tired very (quick).
She was also unhappy about the way people treated her sometimes. She couldn't enjoy having dinner with her friends she was afraid of getting fatter.
But now things are quite different, Last month, her classmates were (prepare) for the School Art Week. They invited Lisa (play) the lead role of the Proud Queen(皇后) that was tall and fat. Lisa agreed and practiced a lot.
Soon after the play, Lisa became a star. She did a good job that everyone remembered the Proud Queen. She even won the School Best Actress Award her wonderful performance.
Now Lisa doesn't worry about being fat any . She believes in the English saying "Every dog has its day".
