While tea may have originated in Asia, now there are many countries all around the world that have tea woven into their food culture and traditions. This is one of the very special parts of tea as it has a way of connecting people all over the world in different ways and ceremonies that finally all results in a group of people sitting together and enjoying a cup of tea.
Chinese tea culture
Since China is viewed as the birthplace of tea, it is no wonder that Chinese tea culture is rich with history and traditions. Today, Chinese tea continues to be used in Chinese medicine and is commonly consumed on both casual and formal occasions both for personal enjoyment and to represent Chinese cultural traditions.
Japanese tea culture
Japan also has a long history with tea, especially Japanese Matcha, which is a kind of ground green tea that is commonly used in Japanese tea ceremonies and only in recent years became popular in western culture.
British tea culture
When many people think about tea, British tea culture is what comes to mind. A hot cup of English Breakfast or Earl Grey tea serves with a little milk and a biscuit in the afternoon as a pick-me-up for the day. Even though tea may not be native to England, this British tea tradition is still going strong today.
Moroccan tea culture
When you visit Morocco, it is hard to miss the outstanding tea culture that is such a large part of Moroccan hospitality. Before any gathering, negotiation, or sale of a product, a pot of mint tea is always prepared and served among the host and guests. This is an expression of Moroccan tradition and hospitality, which should always be accepted by guests as a sign of appreciation and respect to the host.
I can't miss the little old lady with her kerchief (方头巾) on her head, a black umbrella blowing all over. I can tell she is freezing. She is standing at a bus stop, and I'm driving by, late for my early morning shift. I decide to stop and offer her a ride.
Of course, she declines, but when I ask again and insist, finally, she gets in the car. I take her to her destination, and by the time she gets out of my car, she is smiling and thanks me.
I was late for work that day, but I was so glad that I stopped. That was 40 years ago, and the beginning of a new habit, one that continues when I'm out driving in bad weather.
If there's someone at a bus stop, especially if it's an elderly person waiting at off hours and in bad weather, I will pull over and ask if they need a ride.
Once, a young doctor jumped in. She had finished a long shift and had been waiting and waiting at the bus stop. She had no hesitation and, for the first time, I was able to help someone who performs miracles (奇迹) on a daily basis. That felt good.
But the best part of my ride offers is the conversation. I do tend to ask a lot of questions: where are you from, where are you going, family, background, pets and whatever else comes to mind. Surprisingly, everyone wants to chat. We are usually laughing by the time the ride is over. "What a shame!" I often think when they hop out, as the stories were just getting started.
Now as retirement approaches, I believe I have found my calling. I will be happy to join a community driving program to take people to one appointment or another – or perhaps just to the coffee shop to sit and listen for an hour.
As the years pass, perhaps I will be the one standing at the bus stop. Perhaps there will be somebody who rolls down a window and offers me a seat for a little ride. I will continue to take that leap of faith in the kindness of strangers.
Have you ever been on social media and seen your favorite celebrity (名人) talking about a product? These promotions are actually a vital part of the marketing process. The question is: How do social media influencers influence what you buy?
Human desire for social positions and making friends, combined with our need to belong to a group, makes us willing to be "socially influenced". Companies often use that desire to have a similar lifestyle to a celebrity they admire to launch or sell a product. So, what do these promotions actually do?
Firstly, they can be used to build brand awareness. A social media influencer should have a strong understanding of the platform (平台) they operate on, and therefore can create attractive content that not only sticks to the brand image, but develops their followers' interests in a product they might never have seen before.
Secondly, influencers can improve a company or product's relationship with their customer base. According to In Moment's 2018 US Retail CX Trends Report, 77% of buyers have been faithful to a brand for more than ten years. This is also true of 60% of young people. A popular celebrity can target key groups of people and talk or blog about a product, which can create an immediate and lasting bond with the consumers.
Lastly, influencers can improve customers buying habits with seemingly "unbiased opinions". We are more likely to respond to "peer (同辈) recommendation" than traditional ads, meaning the fact we see an influencer as a "friend" who can make us less likely to doubt about what we are seeing.
So, the next time you see a celebrity talking about a product, you might want to consider that this could be a carefully designed marketing strategy which targets your needs. If you find yourself thinking about a product you've seen on social media, you may have been well influenced.
According to the Solar Energy Industry Association, the number of solar panels installed (安装) has grown rapidly in the past decade, and it has to grow even faster to meet climate goals. But all of that growth will take up a lot of space, and though more and more people accept the concept of solar energy, few like large solar panels to be installed near them.
Solar developers want to put up panels as quickly and cheaply as possible, so they haven't given much thought to what they put under them. Often, they'll end up filling the area with small stones and using chemicals to control weeds. The result is that many communities, especially in farming regions, see solar farms as destroyers of the soil.
"Solar projects need to be good neighbors, " says Jordan Macknick, the head of the Innovative Site Preparation and Impact Reductions on the Environment ( InSPIRE ) project. "They need to be protectors of the land and contribute to the agricultural economy." InSPIRE is investigating practical approaches to "low - impact" solar development, which focuses on establishing and operating solar farms in a way that is kinder to the land. One of the easiest low - impact solar strategies is providing habitat for pollinators (传粉昆虫).
Habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change have caused dramatic declines in pollinator populations over the past couple of decades, which has damaged the U. S. agricultural economy. Over 28 states have passed laws related to pollinator habitat protection and pesticide use. Conservation organizations put out pollinator- friendliness guidelines for home gardens, businesses, schools, cities —and now there are guidelines for solar farms .
Over the past few years, many solar farm developers have transformed the space under their solar panels into a shelter for various kinds of pollinators, resulting in soil improvement and carbon reduction. "These pollinator - friendly solar farms can have a valuable impact on everything that's going on in the landscape," says Macknick.
It has been shown that watching English movie trailers (预告片) can improve your English vocabulary and thinking skills.
The first step is to find them. Go to some overseas video websites and do a search for something like "official trailer". Several film trailers will appear. Animated films can be an especially good choice for English practice no matter how old you are. These films are usually humorous and relatable. To find animated films, try doing a search for something like "animated official trailer".
Make sure the video you choose offers closed captions (字幕), which you will use later. You can find the closed caption mark at the bottom of the video. It may be listed as "CC" or something else. Keep in mind that trailers more than five or seven years old may not offer closed captions on some overseas video websites.
Next, watch the video at a normal speed without closed captions. Try to understand what the story is about overall. Then watch it again to seek more details. It will give you an idea of whether the dialogue is too fast or difficult for your skill level.
Find the "CC" setting at the bottom of the video and click the captions. This can help you in several ways. You can confirm whether you understand the dialogue in your first viewing, make clearer any dialogue you do not understand, and connect the sound of words with their spellings. You can also write down a few of the new words in a notebook or on your mobile phone.
A. So choose newer videos.
B. You can choose some that look interesting.
C. They may sound a little strange at a slower speed.
D. With this method, you are testing your English skills.
E. Then watch the video again, this time with closed captions.
F. Besides, try using your notebook as you learn English in your everyday life.
G. Now let's talk about steps you can take to get the most out of watching them.
When Bob Cialdini was a senior in high school, he was really good at baseball. Good enough that a scout (球探) 1 at his last game of the year, and offered him a 2 to play in the minor leagues.
The scout then had a 3 with him. "‘So tell me something. Are you any good at school?"' Cialdini recalled him asking. "I said, ‘Yes, I am.' He said, ‘Good enough to get into 4 ?' ‘Yes, I am.'"
He pushed Cialdini about his interest in college, asking him if he 5 academic work. When Cialdini said he did, the scout put the contract away.
"He said, ‘Go to 6 because most likely, you won't get to the major leagues (职业体育总会). But what you've told me is that you're 7 at something you really like. That should be where you go.'"
Cialdini 8 the scout's advice. Instead of pursuing professional baseball, he went to college. It 9 : he became a well-known psychology researcher on the science of influence.
Decades later, Cialdini is still 10 by the way the scout looked out for his best 11 . Cialdini shared the scout's 12 with his students, as they make major 13 about what to do next in life.
"Don't just go where your 14 is," he tells them. "Go where you have the 15 to realize the dream."
China's taijiquan, also known as Tai Chi, (add) to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on Dec 17, 2020. On its website, UNESCO describes taijiquan "a traditional physical practice characterized by relaxed, circular (绕圈的) movements work in harmony with breath regulation and the cultivation (培养) of a righteous mind". Influenced by Taoist and Confucian thought and the (theory) of traditional Chinese medicine, Tai Chi has developed into many schools, usually (name) after a clan (宗派) or a master, such as Chen-style and Yang-style.
Chen-style taijiquan has the longest history, and other styles directly or (directly) branched out from it. Chen Bing, one of the inheritors (传承人) of the Chen-style taijiquan (practice) it since he was six years old under the guidance of his uncles, Chen Xiaowang and Chen Xiaoxing, two iconic figures of Chen-style taijiquan in Henan province.
In recent years, public enthusiasm for Tai Chi has grown greatly throughout the world. (popularize) taijiquan, Chen has developed a simplified version of some of the moves to help people relax at the office held back nothing in imparting (传授) his taijiquan (wise) during all of his online sessions. He has nurtured more than 400 followers, who, in turn, have passed the knowledge on to their students.
1）学习方面；
2）生活方面；
3）自我期望。
注意：1）词数80左右；
2）可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Hello, Senior Two!
Everything about moving day was a puzzle, I didn't know anything about our new building on a strange new street. Our old life was broken into pieces and packed up in boxes. I wondered if it would ever fit back together again. Mom introduced me to our new neighbors, the Chens. Mrs. Chen Chen worked with Mom at the job she'd just started. Mr Chen was a famous craftsman (匠人) from China.
Mom said it was a fresh start, but it didn't feel that way to me. I just wanted things to go back to how they had been before.
After the first day at my new school, I walked home alone. Mom had told me she had to work. I was still hoping she'd meet me after the bell. I had to open the door myself with the new key. I felt a bit hungry and went straight into the kitchen, ripping (撕开) tape from the packed boxes while I searched for a clean plate. My fingers slipped, and something went crashing to the ground.
"Benjamin!" cried Mom from the doorway. I didn't hear her come in. "What just broke?" she asked, kneeling to pick up the pieces. In her hands, I recognized the shattered pieces. It was Grandma's bowl. "I can't believe you broke this," she said.
"Well, I can't believe we have to live here now! I can't believe I have to switch schools, and I can't believe you didn't even meet me after my first day!" I ran into my room, slamming the door behind me.
The broom swept across the kitchen floor. Then I heard the click of Mom's bedroom door closed behind her. I sneaked (溜) out into the kitchen and found the fragments in the dustbin. There were so many pieces, but I thought that maybe I could put them back together. Turning the pieces over, I tried to match them, but in vain.
"I am sorry I yelled," said Mom, as she opened her door. "Please just throw out the pieces. We can't make a fresh start with broken things."
As I wandered down the hall, lost in thought, Mr. Chen was emptying his garbage.
注意：1．续写词数应为150左右；2．请按如下格式作答。
"Are you sure you want to throw that out?" he asked. |
