Vera is going to have a yard sale, so she had a discussion with her friends in a WeChat(微信) group.
The "Loong" Is Back!
Everyone knows that this year is "龙年". We once called it "the Year of the Dragon". But did you notice that at the beginning of this year, people started to use "the Year of the Loong". Why?
In ancient Chinese stories, the loong is an animal that has a snakelike body, four legs and large eyes. When Western people first learned of this animal, they thought it fit the picture of the "dragon" in their culture, so they called it "dragon". And this name has been passed down to this day. However, there are big differences between the dragon and the loong.
In Western stories, the dragon often has wings(翅膀) and can breathe fire. It is usually a scary and bad animal. However, according to Chinese stories, the loong doesn't have wings, but it can fly high into the sky. People believe it is a lucky animal. In ancient China, people believed in the loong. They believed it had magical powers(力量), able to change the weather and protect humans. Over time, the loong has become a symbol of strength, bravery, wisdom, honesty and good luck in Chinese culture.
Although we started to use the word "loong" commonly at the beginning of this year, it is not a new word. It first appeared in the 19th century. The comeback of the word shows the Chinese people's growing cultural confidence(自信). Now we can proudly(自豪地) say that we are the descendants(后代) of the loong, not the dragon.
Have you ever been to Ireland? If not, you should think of spending a vacation there. Ireland stands in the south of the island. There are about 3,470,000 people in the country and the weather is quite wet but warm. Falls of snow in Ireland are most unusual.
Ireland is full of interesting things to do. You'll find restaurants and café everywhere. Most of them have a long list(清单) of Irish food and drinks. After your meal, you can take a walk along the shore(岸). The countryside is good for horse riding. Other sports you may want to do are sailing, boating, swimming, fishing and golfing. Ireland is famous for its theaters and festivals. So, why don't you stay longer for a party or a concert?
The Irish people are kind and hospitable. From mountains to beaches you will find people ready to stop and talk about the weather, the local(当地的) geography or history and maybe about what you should see next. The Irish people have kept their own culture of music and literature well. Different areas have different kinds of music. In towns and villages people get together in the evening to sing and play music. They also get together to read their own poems(诗歌) to each other. Meeting such people is really fun, isn't it?
Good morning, everyone. I'm glad to give the speech. It is useful to have some first aid knowledge(知识) in life. When someone is injured(受伤的), you should always give help as soon as possible.
At first, check the situation. Are there cars, fire or other dangerous things? Do not put yourself into a situation where you can be injured.
Then, call for help. If you can't help a lot, find professional(专业的) people to help right away.They know how to work out these situations. If you are the only person there, try to keep the person alive(活着的) before calling for help. Do not leave the person alone for a long time.
Try to be reassuring(令人安心的), and let the person know that help is on the way and that everything will be all right.
A. Finally, care for the injured person.
B. Next, protect yourself from any danger.
C. Are there things that might put you in danger?
D. The following first aid ways can make a difference between life and death.
E. If you think someone is seriously injured, call professional people for help.
Every Sunday morning, I take a walk around a park near my home. There's a lake in the park. Each time I walk by this lake, I see the 1 old woman sitting by the lake with a small metal cage(金属笼) beside her.
Last Sunday, I really wanted to know what the woman was doing, 2 I stopped walking and came over to her. As I went 3 , I found that inside the metal cage were three turtles(乌龟), slowly walking around. She had a fourth turtle in her lap(大腿) that she was 4 brushing.
"Hello ," I said . "I'd love to know what you're doing with these turtles."
She smiled. "I'm 5 their shells (龟壳)," she replied. "Anything on a turtle's shell, like algae(水藻), stops the turtle from swimming. It is also 6 for the shell over time. It's my own way of making a 7 ."
"Wow! That's really nice of you! But there are turtles living in lakes all around the world. And these turtles have 8 anyone kind enough like you to help them. So how can you be 9 that you can make a change?" I questioned.
The woman smiled warmly. She then 10 at the turtle in her lap, brushed the last piece of algae from its shell, and said, "Sweetie, if this little one could talk, he'd tell you I just changed his whole world."
Almost every week, Yu Qiang, a policeman from Nanjing, visits his friend's mom to help with chores.
Yu Qiang and Hou Jianlin (meet) in 1992 and became friends soon. But Hou died in a car accident at age of 30. "Hou was the only child. His (die) made his parents really sad. So when I heard the bad news, I asked (I) who his parents could depend on next. I (think) about it for a long time and finally I made a decision. " Yu said.
Yu visited Hou's parents and promised to look after them. He kept his word he was really busy. He often provided daily supplies(日常用品) them.
After Hou's father died, Yu started to visit more often. He helped her do things like (repair) broken chairs and working. He also bought her a mobile phone to make it (easy) to stay in touch(保持联系) than before. "Hou's mom often says that I give her the hope. Every time I visit, she talks with me (happy)." Yu said.
A museum vlogger(博主) named "Shui Xing" has become a big hit on the Internet these days. In her videos, she shows people around the museums across China.
The vlogger's real name is Wang Yini. She is a post-95 girl from Jilin Province. She is interested in archaeology(考古学) from an early age. When she was little, her parents often took her to museums. These experiences of visiting museums gave her the idea of studying archaeology when she grew up.
Wang started making videos about archaeology in 2020. She did this because she found that many people had misunderstanding(误解) about archaeology. Besides, she wanted to share her knowledge in the field. However, her videos didn't get much attention(关注) at first. Wang thought about it carefully and realized that she didn't choose subjects that would interest people. She worked hard and finally found a way to tell stories in an interesting way. "The key is to interest the online users with interesting story lines. This makes it easier for them to understand what I say," she said.
Now Wang is a teacher in Liaoning University. She wants to train more talents in archaeology. At the same time, she tries to make more interesting videos for people. She hopes to let more people know where our culture comes from so that we can know where to go in the future.
