Maciek Czastka was born in Lodz, Poland. He came to China several years ago. So far, he has been working in Chengdu for three years.

“The Belt and Road Initiative（一带一路的倡议）is meaningful,” he said. “Thanks to it, we are offered more chances.” The most powerful support for Chengdu to thrive（兴盛）along the Belt and Road is the Chengdu—Europe express railway（高速铁路）. It provides direct train services between Chengdu and the city of Lodz. Because of the express railway, trains can bring things from China to Europe. At the same time, they can bring back European food, wine, meat and so on. In 2016, a total of 460 trains ran between Chengdu and Europe. The number is expected to grow to 1,000 this year.

Since the Chengdu—Lodz express railway was opened, Chengdu, together with other cities in west China, has developed close trade ties with the European country. Poland is one of the largest apple producers in Europe. Czastka’s company helps farmers in Poland sell their apples to China. More and more European products will be sent to China in the future.

The Belt and Road Initiative is meaningful.

3 . Afternoon Tea

The warm weather outside may look perfect for outdoor exercise. But for those who are not that sporty, what could be nicer than having a relaxing afternoon tea with a few good friends and taking a break from studying?

The concept（概念）of   “afternoon tea” first appeared in the UK in the mid-19th century. It was introduced in England by Anna Maria Russell, the seventh Duchess of Bedford. The evening meal in her household was normally served fashionably late at 8 p. m. , but she felt hungry at 4 p. m. every day, so she started asking for a tea tray with butter, bread and cakes at that time. Several days later, she found her new habit difficult to break and soon invited her friends to join her. This pause（间歇）for tea quickly became a fashionable social event. During the 1880s, upper class and society women would even change into long dress, gloves and hats for their afternoon tea.

Traditional afternoon tea is a small meal which is normally served from 4 p. m. to 6 p. m. once a day. It uses a three-tiered serving tray. The trays carry a variety of foods, such as finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones served with cream and fruit jam, cakes and pastries. Of course, tea or coffee, served with milk and sugar, is also provided.

Traditional afternoon tea is a dainty （讲究的） meal. Therefore, the order of enjoying the food is from the bottom to the top and from salty to sweet. Sandwiches are eaten first, followed by scones, then the sweet snacks like cakes and pastries. When drinking the tea, they taste slowly rather than “glugging” it down. It’s also a social activity. As you can see the scene in the TV play “Downton Abbey”, ladies wear pretty clothing, men are dressed neatly and the waiters are well trained and polite.

Nowadays, you can enjoy a traditional fancy afternoon tea in many restaurants and hotels. It is also enjoyed to celebrate a special event such as a birthday, a pre-wedding or baby shower party with a group of friends. So far, afternoon tea activities have become far beyond friends getting together and eating. It has been a part of the traditional culture as well as a fashion for British.

5 . Walking

If you want to get healthy or stay healthy, there is one easy activity for you — walking. You may think that simply taking a walk is not enough to make a big difference. You may think that you need to do something like running to stay healthy. Well, a new study says that is not true. It finds out that walking may be as good for us as running.

Running is a high-impact (高强度的) activity and can be hard on the body. So, many people cannot run. Walking seems to have all of the advantages and none of the disadvantages of running.

Dr Russell Pate is a professor of exercise science at the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina. He says, “Walking is one of the easiest and safest exercises a person can do. You do not need to learn a lot to get results.”

Walking needs no special skills or equipment. You can do it anywhere. It fits easily into your daily schedule (日程表). You can walk at work. You can walk if you want to go shopping. You can take the stairs instead of the lift.

Walking is a great exercise for beginners. If you are out of shape or getting back into shape after an illness or accident, walking is perfect. You can do a little at a time, or as we like to say, take baby steps.

6 . During ancient times, children didn’t have much to enjoy themselves. What did they do for fun in their childhood? Let’s have a look!

	★ Playing diabolo Diabolo passed down to ordinary people during the Ming Dynasty. It was always made of bamboo and wood, and was hollow (空心的) in the center. By throwing and catching diabolo on ropes, the high-speed rotating (旋转) diabolo would make a sound.
	★ Playing stone balls During the Qing Dynasty, kicking a stone ball around was a popular sport in the northern part of China, and it was often played in winter to keep warm. Stones were carved (刻) into small balls and kicked.
	★ Kicking shuttlecocks Shuttlecock kicking appeared in the Han Dynasty. People used chicken feathers (羽毛), coins and cotton cloth to make a shuttlecock. It was kicked in groups of three or four during walking or running.
	★ Watching shadow plays Watching shadow plays was very popular during the Tang and Song dynasties. Shadow puppets (木偶) were made from the leather of donkeys (驴皮). There was light behind a large white screen on the table, the player controlled puppets and told stories. The movement could be seen from the other side of the screen.

This year is the Year of “Niu” or the Ox. Many Chinese people believe it’s a good year because they love the animal so much.

In Chinese culture,   “laohuangniu” is a symbol of hard work and selflessness （无私）, because it works hard but asks nothing for itself. People love the animal so much that they write poems about it and paint pictures of it.

But in the West, people have a different opinion about the animal. “Bullheaded” （固执的）people will not listen to advice. If someone behaves “like a bull in a china shop”, people say he or she is clumsy when he or she should be more careful.

We hope that all the teenagers can work just as hard as the OX does. Avoid “a red flag to a bull” —something that may make you very angry. And we also hope that you will always “take the bull by the horns （不畏艰险）”   when you run into difficult situations.