Xian Xinghai was a very famous musician in China. He wrote one of the greatest pieces of music of the 20th century. In his short life he wrote1300 songs and an opera.
Xian was born in Panyu, Guangzhou, China in 1905. Because his father died before he was born, Xian moved from place to place with2mother. He began learning to play3violin when he was 20 years old. In the beginning, his violin was4cheap and badly made that he5not play it well. His friends laughed at him. Xian did not stop6and soon showed his talent. In 1934, he was one of the first Chinese students7studied in a special music school in Paris. Before he8, Xian became the school's best student9won several prizes for his talents.
In 1935, he returned to China and helped fight against the Japanese army. Later, he came to Yan' an10music at a collage.11there were no pianos in Yan' an at that time, Xian still wrote12of his most important music there, including The Yellow River, his most famous work.
In May 1940, Xian13to the Soviet Union by the Chinese Communist Party to write music for movies. In the Soviet Union, life was very14. Xian got sick and later died of a lung illness15October 30,1945, aged only 40. Xian's music, however, lives on in people's hearts.
Americans love pets. Many pet owners treat their pets as a part of the family. They treat their pets as their children—sometimes even better.
In America, there are more families with pets than those with children. 43 per cent of U. S. homes have pets. Some of the pets are exotic, such as monkeys, snakes, butterflies and even wolves. Those animals come from other countries, especially China, Thailand, South Africa and so on. More common pets include fish, mice and birds. However, their favourites are cats and dogs. They sometimes have strong feelings about whether dogs or cats make better pets. "Dog people" and "cat people" often have friendly arguments about that.
People can get many benefits from pets. Pets stay with people, make people happy and help people get rid of loneliness. Therefore, most of Americans like pets. They think pets should be treated well. At least 75 animal welfare (福利) organizations have been set up in America. They provide care and good services for homeless animals. Some pets can help people live a better life. For example, researchers (研究者) have discovered that getting on with animals can help lower (降低) a person's blood pressure. Dogs can offer protection from strange visitors. Cats can play games with the children. Some kinds of pets can provide love for their owners. In fact, to keep a pet can help a young couple have the responsibility to raise children. Pets are as basic to U.S. culture as hot dogs or apple pies. To Americans, pets are not just property (财产), but a part of the family.
American and British people both speak English. But sometimes there are some important differences between British English and American English.
Often, Americans don't say each word separately. They say words together. Americans may say "I dunno" instead of "I don't know". However, the British are more careful. They usually say all the words and keep them separate.
Sound is not the only difference. Words sometimes have different meanings too.Americans drive trucks, but in England, people drive lorries.
In England, if you are going to call your friends, you "phone them up". In America, you "give them a call".
There are also some differences in grammar. For example, Americans usually use the helping verb "do" when they ask a question. They say "Do you have a pen?" But the British often leave out the helping verb.
Most languages are like this. Languages change over time. When people live in separate places, the languages change in different ways. This is what has happened to English.Many people in Canada speak French but their French is very different from the French of France.
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A. Many expressions are also different in the two countries. B. It can also happen to other languages like French. C. For example, the vocabulary for cars and driving is very different. D. They say "Have you a pen?" E. First of all, they sound very different. |
