While many Chinese students go abroad to learn Western culture, foreign students come to China. In order to get close to1Chinese culture, last July 55 students and teachers from Germany came to China and joined a(n)2camp. They visited several schools in Chengdu, Sichuan. At Huaxin High School, they made dumplings,3T'ai Chi, did paper-cuts and learned calligraphy (书法). To help them4more about China, Chinese students led these foreign5to some places of interest.
In recent years, there are more cultural 6 between Germany and China. Almost 400 German schools have Chinese classes. Over 8, 000 students7in China. The situation is the same to China. Chinese students are one of the8foreign student groups in Germany.
Different Ideas About Mobile Phones
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I have a very old phone, so I can't really do much with it. However, it's also kind of nice because it makes me more of a face-to-face person, instead of always being on my phone. So, that's great. |
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I love the fact that my mobile phone has the Internet. It's great to have the Internet everywhere. I can search information online. The worst thing is that people can reach you, especially by calling you. |
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I especially like the fact that I can get on the Internet. It's great that I have Google Maps on my phone, so that when I get lost I can just look up where I am and find my way back. I depend too much on the phone. That's the worst part. |
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I have one of the simplest mobile phones, which I actually really like because I'm not really attracted to be on my phone all the time. So compared with texting people talking with the people around me gives me more pleasure. |
Talking Too Much
Peter is such a big talker. He drives David and Andy crazy! Peter thinks he is great at everything! What makes David and Andy even crazier is the fact that Peter is good at everything! He always scores goals in soccer games. He won first place in the school speech competition. He always gets perfect marks on his tests. He can finish a maths test first and get the best score in the class. How can one person be so good at so much?
However, Peter is not good at one thing. He is not good at being a good sport. No matter what Peter does well, he makes sure everyone knows about it. He is also quick to make unkind comments about other kids' mistakes. David and Andy's one wish is that Peter learns to be humble.
Not many people tell Peter what a good job he does, or congratulate him on his achievements, because Peter has already talked about them to everyone too proudly. He does not give anyone a chance to learn about anything he has done. David and Andy wish Peter could be more like Jack.
Jack is the new kid in class this year. He does not talk much, but he is very good at many sports and is also super smart. It has taken the rest of the kids a while to learn about Jack and all his talents. Andy, David, and the other kids are happy to congratulate Jack when he scores a goal or gets a great score on a test. Jack just smiles and says thanks. He often makes a nice comment back to express thanks for someone's kindness, and he often praises others' efforts at sporting events or school work. Andy and David have decided that they want to act more like Jack when they experience success. They wish Peter would learn from Jack, too.
When people talk to each other, write letters or make phone calls. Words of the spoken form or the written form can send any message they want to pass on.
But besides words, do you know any other ways you can use to communicate with people? Rich expressions on your face can be one of them. A smile on your face shows that you are happy. Tears in your eyes tell others that you are sad or excited. Body languages can do the same job. When you put your hand up in class, the teacher knows that you want to say something or you may have some questions to ask. You shake your head from side to side and people know you are saying "no" or refuse others' requirements. When you nod, people will understand that you are saying "yes" or agree to others' opinions or suggestions.
Other forms can also carry different messages. For example, a sign at the bus stop gives passengers instructions on which bus to take. The flag language made by soldiers can pass different orders. Sound from the school bell tells the students and the teachers when to begin or end a class. A photographer can use the photos he has taken to tell others about what he thinks of the world around him. Music and films also convey the feelings and ideas of the musicians and the directors. So next time when you see a piece of art or listen to some music, take it as communication with its creator and try to get the meaning behind it.
People in different countries speak different languages. But is there a language that can be understood by everyone in the world? If there is, the answer might be EMOJIS (表情符号).
Emojis are a kind of special language. Pictures are used to put meaning across. A group called the Unicode Consortium works on choosing emojis. It has added new emojis every year since 2014. They show what people think about and like.
Emojis can be used to represent (代表) different groups of people. In 2015, emoji faces with different skin tones(肤色) were added. In 2016, different jobs were added, such as doctor, police officer and painter. This year, emojis of disabled people were added including emojis of blind people and people in wheelchairs.
But there is also more to emojis. They can also refer to (指的是) pop culture and new cultural trends (潮流).
New emojis in 2019 also include several animals, such as sloths (树懒) and flamingos (火烈鸟). These animals are not very common, but are known to many people. For example, sloths have become popular because of the 2016 film Zootopia (《疯狂动物城》). Many fashion designers (设计师) have included flamingos in their designs in recent years. This animal makes people feel like they're on a vacation.
It seems that emojis are a mirror of the world we live in. It will be interesting to see how they change and grow in the years to come.
You can study the English language for years but still not understand a native (本地的) speaker of English when you meet one. Native speakers say a lot of things, but you can't find them in any dictionary. Well, don't worry. Here's a secret: a lot of British people can't understand each other either!
There are different local accents (口音) across the UK, and a number of areas have several different accents. That is, they have their own vocabulary and expressions. There were at least six different accents born to London the last time I counted.
Worse than that, it is not just where a person is born in the UK that decides his accent. For example, a language and its accents often change across class or level of education. Another example is how languages can differ among age groups in the UK. The words and pronunciation used by young people in the UK can be completely different compared with those used by adults. They are creating a "yoof culture".
The word "yoof" is a slang (俚语) spelling of "youth". Some people don't consider "yoof" to be a positive (积极的) term since its pronunciation is easier and lazier than "youth". Other people see the term as positive, because it describes how young people are creating their own language, idea and culture.
When parents find it difficult to understand their children, the children can say more things without the examining of their parents. In this way, young people are starting to find freedom, independence and self-expression. Even though certain groups of society worry about "yoof culture", new words keep appearing in our daily life.
So learners should have no fear about communicating with native speakers. Even British people don't speak English properly! The UK no longer owns the English language.
提示词语: hall, tell, sing, play games, talk
提示问题:●When and where will you hold the party?
●What activities do you plan for the party?
Dear Mr. Smith,
We're looking forward to seeing you and your students.
I hope you will have a wonderful time at the party.
Yours,
Li Hua
