Chinese has a long history. It has shaped other languages in Asia the way Latin has shaped languages in the West. With this history, will Chinese have a surprising future?

Over one billion people speak Chinese in the world — far more than any other language. It is the language of the country which is soon to have the world's largest economy (经济). Chinese people are found studying and doing business all over the world.

In fact, Chinese is definitely going to be a world language. Why is this certain? We must look at the economic and political power (政治影响力) of China, which is increasing every day. In the past, world languages have always been the languages of countries with powerful economics. Latin, French and English were important because of the power of the countries that spoke those languages.

Foreign interest in Chinese has developed very quickly together with the development of the Chinese economy. Chinese has become one of the most important and popular languages to learn.

As China develops, more and more people will want to learn about Chinese language and culture, to work and study in China, and to do business with Chinese companies. Chinese will one day become an international language.

Why do people smoke? One reason is that people become addicted (成瘾) to cigarettes. The addictive substance (物质) in cigarettes is nicotine (尼古丁). When people smoke, the nicotine goes right into the blood stream and makes people feel comfortable. A smoker’s body gets used to the nicotine, and if he stops smoking, he feels nervous. Many smokers try to stop smoking but because of the addiction (瘾) to nicotine, they feel so uncomfortable that they often find it too difficult to do so.

Another reason is that people simply enjoy smoking. Having a cigarette for many people means taking a break. For some people smoking becomes part of certain social rituals (仪式), such as the cigarette after dinner. Many people enjoy smoking because it gives them something to do with their hands. Reaching for a cigarette, lighting it and flicking (弹掉) the ashes are special comfort in a situation where they feel nervous.

Many people also like the taste of tar (焦油) in cigarettes. However, it is the tar that causes cancer. When governments and health experts have tried to get people to give up smoking completely, cigarette manufacturers have tried to keep selling them by producing cigarettes with less tar. Many people in Western countries have welcomed these cigarettes since they found it hard to stop smoking and wanted to reduce the danger to their health.

You may not realize it, but you are doing much more than just studying when you are at school. School is also the place where you learn to get on well with people. But this is not always easy. What can you do if you just don’t like one of your classmates?

If you discover that you have problems getting on with your classmates or friends, the most important thing to learn is tolerance. Tolerance is the ability to realize and respect the differences in others. We can not change the way that other people do, so it is important to learn to live happily with them.

Tolerance will make everyone get on better with each other. Getting to know someone may help you understand why they do things differently. Something different does not exactly mean that it is bad. Tolerance teaches us to keep atemperateand open mind.

You need to remember an old saying, “Treat others how you want to be treated”. If you tolerate something, it does not mean that you have to like it. No one is asking you to change who you are or what you believe in. Tolerance just means that you should respect the differences in others and not try to make them change.

It is important to practice tolerance, because it will make everyone’s life easier. Learn to accept people for their different abilities and interests. The world is very different, and practicing tolerance in your own school and city can help make a difference.

Jingzhe is a solar term (节气) of spring in China. Days will get warm, more rain will fall, and nature will change quietly.

Jingzhe brings energy to insects. Butterflies fly from their pupas (蛹) from the winter cold. Snakes wake up from their caves to come out and look for food. This is the perfect time for us to watch insects. Try to move stones and check flowers, leaves and the soil. You may use a magnifier (放大镜) to watch what insects do.

Not just insects, plants also show their changes. Trees and flowers begin to come out. You can smell spring in the air.

As the weather gets warmer and the air becomes drier, people feel their mouths becoming dry, which can cause colds or coughs. Sweet and juicy pears are popular fruit for Jingzhe as they are good for our lungs (肺部).

In some southern parts of China, some kinds of flowers are in blossom (盛开) because of the warm weather. Is there anything better than having a picnic and enjoying the beautiful flowers on a warm spring day?

Around Jingzhe, fish also wake up. They swim from the deep water to shallow areas to find food. It is a good time for fishing, which is a healthy activity especially for people living in the cities. You can find a place to fish while enjoying a perfect weekend.

Positive (积极的) people are usually happy. They often have a lot of friends. When they have a problem, they try to change the problem i    56     a chance. They believe things always work out. But can positive thinking really make someone’s life better? Many scientists are s    57     positive thinking. They are finding out some very interesting information.

Your Health

The Mayo Clinic is a famous medical organization in the United States. It studies many things, including positive thinking. Their research proves that positive thinking has many advantages. First, positive thinking s    58     good health. Positive people don’t worry about the bad events in life, so they stay healthy. Positive people are a    59     likely to exercise and eat healthy foods. Because of this, they don’t usually get sick and don’t have many health problems.

At work Dr. Michael is a professor in Germany. His research shows that positive people do w     60     in jobs. There are several reasons for this. Positive people are creative. They don’t expect others to help them with problems. They solve problems t    61    . And positive people don’t give up. They keep trying to learn new things.

Becoming Positive

In the past, scientists thought attitude n    62     changed. Now, many psychologists think people can become more positive. There are many different ways to change. Here are some e    63    . First, think about good events in your life. At the end of a day, ask, find interesting a    64     to do. Laugh at a funny movie or read a good book. Finally, always try new things. For example, you can talk to people you don’t know or shop in a different store. Do different things every day.

A Good Life

Life can be d    65     sometimes. Don’t give up or be negative. Take action. Think about the future and make a plan. You can learn to be positive.