Mark Levine, who is 74 years old, has been living in China for 17 years. He is an American 1 and song writer. He has written more than 80 songs, most of which are inspired by his true 2 in China.
Mark is now an educator at the Minzu University of China. About half of the students come from one of the 55 Chinese minorities(少数民族). Most of the time, through his students, he learns about their 3 traditions. "I am here as a teacher, but I think my students have taught me as much as I have taught them," Mark said.
Mark has traveled to many parts of China and seen some 4 in China over these years. He clearly remembers his first long-distance trip in China. It 5 him a few hours by plane and then two hours by car before reaching his destination(目的地). But nowadays, 6 the high-speed railway and highways, he can reach the same destination within two hours.
China's electronic payment and sharing bicycles have given people a 7 life. However, when asked about the biggest change, he said that must be the increase of confidence in students. When he first arrived in China, a lot of students were very shy and they were unsure 8 their future. But now to his 9 , they are confident to share their views about China and foreign countries.
"You can always find things that you're not expecting and discover new things that you're able to learn. That's perhaps the most 10 thing about being in China," said Mark.
Hangzhou is one of China's most popular cities. It is full of cultural heritage(遗产) and famous its natural scenery. Italian traveller Marco Polo described Hangzhou as the (fine) and most splendid city in the world. The beauty of West Lake has inspired countless poets and painters, and you can't leave without (try) the Longjing Shrimp, one of Hangzhou's signature dishes. The dynamic city is home to many of China's tech companies including e-commerce giant Alibaba.
Today, dogs are found (help) to all who fly in airplanes. They are trained to smell, track, and find bombs on planes and in luggage. Dogs are easy to train because they already have deep connection to humans. Many of these dogs are donated to the safety program, where they (give) a good home. The partnership between dogs and humans allows each to profit from the special talents of the other as they work together （save）lives.
It was almost midnight, but Mary couldn't fall asleep. "One sheep, two sheep…" She (start) to count sheep. But did it really work? Actually, some (scientist) believe this may not be a very good way to fall asleep. Some people try so hard to count that they can be more clear-headed. Instead, they can try taking a bath to fall asleep. They can also think about a quiet beach or a walk in the woods, can make them relaxed and fall asleep more (quick).
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This was our last trip before high school. I had been looking forward to it for weeks. But at the roller coaster, my stomach felt too tight to say anything at all.
The big girl beside us was Tasha, my best friend Dan's sister. She was a singer. She was fantastic on the stage. Just the image of her up there made me think she was so cool.
Our roller coaster car pulled up, and my friends rushed forward, I felt my legs couldn't move. All I could think about was the roller coaster might fly off into the sky. Without a word, I turned, ran out of the line. I knew what people were saying about me, but I didn't care. I just kept moving past the crowd, found a bench ( 长椅 ) near the bathrooms to sit down and put my head in my hands.
"Hey! Steve! Are you okay? " I looked up. It was Tasha!
"Oh, uh, yeah, I just started feeling, um, sick." I responded.
"You know, it's okay if you were scared. Everyone gets scared." She said.
"You don't." I said in a low voice. "I've seen you on that stage. You were fearless."
"I'm glad it looks like I'm not scared!" Tasha smiled. "But that's not true. I get really scared and nervous before I perform."
Before I noticed she was on the bench by my side, her words moved on.
"Hey, look, singing is important to me. And I want to share what I love with my people. So, even if I'm scared. I do it anyway. I push through the fear and just get up and do it. Is taking roller coaster important to you?"
"Yeah, it is. And I want to be able to look back and remember having fun with my friends. I don't want to remember running away and sitting alone by the bathrooms."
"Everyone gets scared, but brave people don't let fear control them." She looked into my eyes. Still being lost in what she said, I saw my friends coming towards me.
I got up and went with them to the coaster.
When we were leaving, Tasha took a photo of my big smile in front of the coaster. I put it on my door. It stayed there through all four years of my high school, a reminder of what was more important to me than fear.
On 20 July 1969, the world celebrated an important moment in history when American astronaut, Neil Armstrong, became the first man to walk on the moon, making a giant leap for humanity. For more than 50 years, human beings have tried many times to understand the space environment. These efforts have paid off. Today, we are in a better position to understand our universe in which we live, thanks to space exploration.
Space exploration has triggered advances in science and technology which have benefitted humans and improved the quality of life on Earth. These benefits are related to space technology such as satellite communications, global positioning system(GPS) and weather forecasting. The development of satellite technology, for instance, makes telecommunications possible, connecting people from different parts of the world through satellite television, phones, radio and Internet access. Today, space technology also enables us to have virtual (虚拟的) meetings and lessons, making work and study from home possible during the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the excitement and curiosity generated (产生), space exploration is attracting young people to careers in engineering, science, technology and mathematics, which creates innovations (创新) in science and technology. In countries such as America, Canada and Europe, space exploration has also generated jobs in fields related to engineering, technology and science. Even if interested youngsters do not end up in a job in these areas, space technology enriches their imagination about the possibility of life beyond Earth and space travel. To this end, space exploration continues to encourage human imagination, inspiring (激励) people to write stories and create movies, photographs and songs about space exploration.
Although there are many benefits, space exploration has often been criticized (批评)for its high cost. According to the University of Florida, it costs about $500 million to launch (发射) a space shuttle and many argue that this money could be better spent on solving the problems on Earth such as hunger, pollution, diseases and climate change. Although space exploration cannot directly provide immediate solutions to these problems, it generates many useful technologies and new knowledge in sciences necessary to improve the conditions of human life on Earth.
Every year, about a thousand innovations in the space programmes find their way into earthly technology that leads to better farming; better medical instruments; and more energy-efficient vehicles(交通工具). As a result, the money spent on space exploration does finally benefit human beings.
There is no doubt that space exploration has produced many benefits for humanity. It has also encouraged many to understand Earth and the universe in a deeper way. In the coming decade, we can continue to expect more exciting discoveries. We may eventually even find another planet where humans can live.
While the pandemic（流行病） has prevented people from traveling afar, there's a silver lining in that dark cloud: micro-tourism, or mini-vacations.
Micro-tourism refers to short-distance（短距离） travel in which people drive two or three hours to a nearby place and spend two or three days there. Instead of requiring a plan with lots of details and money, micro-tourism allows travelling to be simpler and less expensive.
According to China Daily, micro-tourism began catching on about seven years ago. With the pandemic prevention making long trips less convenient, more and more people choose to take short trips instead.
Mark Hou from Beijing is one of them. Before the pandemic, he preferred taking long trips abroad or visiting other places in China. But the pandemic meant he had to adapt（适应） to a new travel style.
"Traveling a long distance means you should take public transportation, like planes. But that would be likely to increase the chances of infection （感染）," Hou said. "To stay healthy, short-distance travel is the better choice." But that doesn't mean Hou has lost fun during his short trips.
After a long and tiring week at work, Hou likes to invite friends and drive to the countryside near Beijing on weekends. "Walking in the mountains or having a hot spring, we can get the fresh air and have some exercise," Hou explained. "That can really move the stress out of our daily life."
To meet the new needs, many cities have also created more chances for tourists. For example, Shanghai started a number of micro-tourism products for half-day and one-day tours, including exploring cultural heritage（遗产）sites in the city and experiencing country life.
"With these programs, young tourists no longer look to get ‘distance', but are willing to find new ways to experience their cities," Feng Rao, head of a tourism research center, told People's Daily. Travel doesn't mean you need to go far away to find a place to relax. That's also the aim of the micro-tourism.
Awe is the feeling of amazement and respect mixed with surprise. Research shows that awe experiences decrease stress and anxiety and increase positive (积极的) emotions and overall satisfaction in life. It can also improve our relationships, making us more likely to help others and more supported.
Most of us connect awe with something unusual and beautiful: nature, music or a spiritual experience. But ordinary people can bring about awe too. Research shows we can be awed by our nearest and dearest—the people sitting next to us, or talking on the other end of the phone. Psychologists call this interpersonal awe.
Often, this interpersonal awe is how people respond (反应) to life's big changes, like seeing a baby's first steps or a friend fighting against cancer. Yet interpersonal awe happens in our everyday life, too. John Bargh, a psychologist, said he was "truly awe struck" by his then 5-year-old daughter while dining in a McDonald's years ago. When she heard another child crying across the restaurant, she took the toy from her Happy Meal, walked over and handed it to him.
We can't make someone else behave in an awesome way, but we can get prepared to notice it when they do and take steps to strengthen the emotion's positive effects.
To increase your chances of feeling awed by people around you, Marianna Craziosi, an expert in positive psychology, suggests you direct your attention to people's positive sides and catch them at their best. You may think your brother or friend is selfish; there may be a little truth to that, but it's never the whole story. "Try to find examples of him helping others or doing something great. In other words, become a field scientist, like Jane Goodall," Graziosi said.
To help you recognize and remember a special experience, say out loud "Wow, that was awesome!" when awe strikes you. Enjoy it in the moment and tell others about it. This will strengthen your positive emotions. And recall it or write about it later. Studies show awe can be drawn again simply by remembering an awe experience.
When you feel awed by people around you, thank them and let them know just how much their actions affect you. This makes the other person feel good and can give your relationship an improvement. And you'll also have high levels of happiness and psychological well-being.
Awe could be anywhere. Perhaps awe, while an ordinary response to the extraordinary, is also an extraordinary response to the ordinary.
With most people staying at home because of COVID-19 (新冠), live streaming (直播) has become more and more popular. It is not only fun and interesting, but has also provided a new stage (舞台) for traditional culture artists.
On video sites and apps such as Douyin and Bilibili, Some of them sing Peking Opera, some show their hand-made products, while others perform traditional Chinese music.
Li Jun is a laosheng (old male role) Peking Opera performer with the Shanghai Jingju Theater Company. During the outbreak (疫情), Unlike performing on a normal stage, Li uses everyday places as his stage, including his backyard, and even the kitchen. Besides singing, Li also teaches viewers (观众) about Peking Opera in a humorous way. People can ask him questions and get answers directly. "Live streaming has brought this elegant (高雅的) art down to earth," one viewer (观众) said. " " Up to now Li has more than 6,000 fans on Douyin, while one of his videos has received 42,000 views on Bilibili.
Other kinds of artists also see live streaming as a new chance. On March 26th, the third China Huafu Day, Bilibili live streamed a fashion show. including those from the Wei (220—265), Tang (618—907) and Ming (1368—1644) dynasties. During the show, viewers not only enjoyed seeing the clothes but also watching how performers use ancient styles of make-up. For example, one blogger (博主) taught people how to draw the guiye eyebrow (桂叶眉) which was a typical make-up style during the Tang Dynasty.
As Guangming Daily noted,
A．Some famous artists perform traditional Chinese music through this special way.
B．live streaming has created a new way in which traditional culture can be kept alive.
C．Performers presented beautiful clothes in traditional Chinese styles,
D．many traditional artists are trying live streaming for the first time.
E．It allows young people to get closer to this traditional art and learn more about it.
F．In this way, viewers can enjoy different kinds of beautiful clothes.
G．the 59-year-old artist started live streaming for the first time.
An idol is someone who we respect or love. However, unlike many of my classmates, my idol is not a film star, a famous writer or a sportsman. He is neither a world leader nor an important person from history. My idol is my dad.
Most people believe that a man should go out and work. However, when I was only a five-year-old boy, I was seriously ill and needed attention all the time. My mother and father both worked and my grandparents lived far away. This was a big problem. My dad knew how much my mum loved her job, so he stopped working to stay at home and look after me. Many men in this situation would want their wives to stay with the child, but my dad always thinks about others before himself. This made me start to respect him.
My dad later took a job and worked at night. He chose the job so that he would only be out of the house when I was sleeping. Since then, my dad has helped and supported me in everything I do. I remember when I was learning to ride a bike. My dad ran behind me and held the back of the bicycle so that I would not fall. I felt so safe because I knew he was near. I did not notice when he stopped holding me. Soon, I was able to ride by myself.
My family is not rich, and we do not own a big house or an expensive car. My dad has showed me that something is more important than money. My dad gives me his time. Although he now works hard every day and is often very busy, he always makes time to stay with me. He helps me with my homework, and plays games with me at weekends. We make and fly our own kites, go for walks in the countryside, and even cook together. He taught me that I can achieve anything if I really work hard on it.
My dad is my idol because he showed me the most important things in life.
