【推荐2】Why do we read poetry? First obvious one: because we enjoy it. The only other reason is for academic purposes, and that’s not why this is here.

Many of us read poetry simply because we often feel depressed and hopelessly lost, and in poetry we see how beautiful and strange everything is.     1    

    2     They are not all calming. Some poems make me anxious, scared, and sad, which is why I value them. As a reader, I want a full meal, not just dessert. I want the sweet and the bitter. Often, I read poetry when I’m already relaxed. In fact, I read more when I’m not stressed out.

Here are the remain reasons I respond to poetry, as far as I can tell. Metrical(格律的）poems are about setting up rules and then bending them. Usually this is done by setting up a rhythm and then breaking it or almost breaking it, and then returning to it again.     3    

Poetry plays with language and often puts words together in surprising ways, which is thrilling the way that food can be, when the chef has paired ingredients you never thought would taste good together but somehow do.

    4     Words mean two or three things at once and lots of suggestions are packed between the lines. This is intellectually inspiring and it allows me to read the same poem over and over, always finding new things in it.

And, of course, there’s the subject matters. It interests me just as it would if the same subject was explored in a story or an essay.     5    , but then not all stories and essays do, either.

【推荐1】Every summer, we invite young writers to join our team for our six-week summer program. Think of yourself as an extension of our team where you will be writing main Youngzine articles.

We will work with you and after the first 1-2 articles, most of our young writers are up and running on their own. We will be selecting 4-6 young writers to join our team this year and will guide you through the experience. Does this sound like a challenge you are up to? First, let’s answer some questions that you might have.

Most of our Young Editors are typically 13-17 years of age. You will be writing on politics, science, environment and other current events which will require you to read and understand the background material. If you have strong writing skills, are part of your school newspaper or see yourself as a future journalist, this is for you!

It is a six-week program from July to mid-August, where you will be writing one article a week. We understand summer is also a time for vacations, and we are flexible as long as you inform us in advance.

Good writing skills and the ability to communicate your thoughts clearly are most important since you are writing for other young readers. We   use current events to explain the underlying context or a concept, so you will need to put your research hats on. It is important that articles be unprejudiced and state all points of view of an issue. And of course, your articles have to be original—no copying! We will send you guidelines if you are selected. A few benefits of being a summer writer:

Your work will be seen by young readers all over the world.

Your knowledge of topics deepens, broadens and widens as you research and write articles.

Is that reason enough to want to join? Send us an email to editor@youngzine.org.

Please contact us by June 10 if you are interested.

【推荐3】Study with Oxford Royale Academy during your Gap Year and prepare for success at university and beyond.

Key Features:

Live and study in Oxford, UK for 10 weeks

Start in September, January or April

Choose your course from a broad range of options

Enjoy academic tutorials (指导课) and independent research

Take part in debating sessions and academic tips

Attend public events at nearby universities

Make new international friends

Course Summary

Students leaving school increasingly welcome some time to decide on their next steps before starting university or entering the workplace. They may choose to take up to a year off to travel, volunteer and explore new horizons. This is also known as a gap year. Those experiences undoubtedly provide valuable opportunities to acquire life skis. However, universes and employers also appreciate evidence of constructive academic development during a gap year. Our 10-wek Gap Year Programmed enables students to achieve both. Our academic focus strengthens their profile (简历) for future university applications or career.

Additional Arrangements

Volunteering

Community Service

Supplementary Study

Expert advice on applying to universities, including support with entrance exams.

Support with the ELTS test-an exam which many international students take ahead of further education.

Careers Guidance

Advice on which career to choose based on your skill set and personality.

Dates

Academic Year 2018-2019

9th September —16th November 2018 (Winter Term)

6th January—15th March 2019 (Spring Term) 24th March-3lst May 2019 (Summer Term)

Fees

【推荐1】The end of the year is drawing near, and winter is in full swing. The season brings along with it strong winds and snow — an environment that’s never comfortable to be in.

This unpleasant and even frightening aspect of winter can often be seen in literature. In Shakespeare’s King Lear (1606), the king has given away his kingdom and been rejected by his two ungrateful daughters. He is out in the winter cold, suffering things that are usually reserved for the poorest and most unfortunate human beings.

The winter is bad enough for Lear, but being abandoned by his family is worse. A song from another Shakespeare play, As You Like It (1599), is fitting for this poor old man’s situation: “Blow, blow, thou winter wind,/Thou art not so unkind /As man’s ingratitude (忘恩负义)”. Here, winter is used to bring out the ugliness of inhumanity (不人道). There aren’t many things that are worse than winter, according to Shakespeare.

Once winter became less of a threat to human beings, literary works featuring it became more positive. Since Charles Dickens, the representation of the season in literature has often featured happy Christmas celebrations.

The cold of the winter weather provides a contrast to the fun going on indoors. Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (1843) was the start of this, but Christmas is still a common, cheery element in stories that feature winter scenes today. Consider the joy felt by Harry Potter and his friends in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (1997) as they sit down for their festive meal:

“Harry had never in all his life had such a Christmas dinner. A hundred fat, roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas (小香肠) and so on.

It is almost as much a pleasure to read about the meal as it might have been to eat it.

Although winter still isn’t the most cheerful season in novels and poems, it’s safe to say that writers have certainly “warmed up” since Shakespeare’s days.

【推荐2】Known as “China’s most popular love comedy”, Romance of the Western Chamber is regarded as one of the best works of its time. The play was written over 700 years ago by Yuan Dynasty dramatist Wang Shifu (1260-1336).

Set in the Tang Dynasty, the play tells the secret love story between a young scholar Zhang Sheng, who is on his way to take the highest imperial exam in the capital city, and Cui Yingying, daughter of a chief minister of the Tang court.

After bandits(土匪) surround Cui at a temple, her mother promises her daughter’s hand in marriage to whoever can defeat them. Zhang manages to drive the bandits away, but Cui’s mother takes back her word because Zhang is poor. However, Zhang and Cui have already fallen in love. With the help of Cui’s maid Hong Niang, the two continue their romance and break many barriers.

The play incorporates much of the beauty of the poetry from the Tang and Song eras in Chinese history. Part of its appeal to readers is found in the style, grace and flow of the language. In fact, the play represents a high mark of achievement in romantic Chinese literature, and is quite popular. It has given rise to many sequels and rewritings, and also influenced countless plays, short stories and novels. The Peony Pavilion and Dream of the Red Chamber probably wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Wang’s classic play.

The play also inspired generations of artists across various mediums such as woodblock prints, paintings and porcelain. This fine art is still on display at places such as Freer Gallery of Art in the US and Kwun Tong’s Sun Museum in Hong Kong.

The ancient porcelain pieces depicting iconic scenes from the tale are indeed impressive. The characters are like “the superheroes from another time”, Rachel Leung, associate curator(副馆长) of Sun Museum told China Daily. “It’s exactly like the Marvel franchise.”

“This story is basically about trying to break the societal strictures. It’s about courage and perseverance to pursue true love,” Leung said. “It’s surprising to know that centuries ago our ancestors imagined a story like that. They proved that they were not rigid or passive and they could be creative enough to make things for themselves.”

Indeed, Romance of the Western Chamber is known for opposing traditional norms associated with marriage and love during a more orthodox era. It has a positive take on marriage, emphasizing that true love should prevail(占上风).