2 . To remind people of those Chinese poems and to promote cultural heritage, China Central Television (CCTV) has produced a TV show-Chinese Poetry Competition. The final of the hit show’s second season was shown on Feb7.

Wu Yishu, 16, who studies at the High School attached to Fudan University in Shanghai, came out on top. “I really admire her knowledge of poems”, said Huang Zijin, 16, a senior 2 student from Ningbo High School in Zhejiang province. “The first time I saw her wearing traditional Han clothing on TV, I was very impressed by her classical looks. She fulfills all my fantasies for classic Chinese women’s talents. What’s more, she always appears especially calm throughout the show, which is very unusual for her age. ”

“Learning poems isn’t about winning or losing. The power of poetry lies in shaping ơne’s view of life and developing one’s inner world,” said Li Bo, an expert at the Chinese Poetry Competition’s second season.

When it comes to teaching people about poetry, Li Dingguang, the show’s academic advisor, suggested that teachers should explain more about the beauty of the poetry from both the aesthetie (审美的) and emotional sides, and guide the student to lose themselves in the poems’ rhythmic and rhyming lines.

“Although the proportion (比例) of ancient Chinese poems in the textbooks of primary ant secondary schools has increased, many students still learn them for exams,” Li Dingguang told China. org. cn. “Therefore, it’s important to help students truly appreciate the artistry and fun of poetry.”

3 . The minutes leading up to a vacation are often an exciting time. As people check their homes and pack the last items into their suitcases, they often dream about the fun times that lie ahead. In Russia, however, there is one final step that people take to ensure a good trip. Before they walk out the door, Russians take a brief pause and silently sit on their suitcases for a few moments.

“Sidet’na chemodanakh” or “sitting on suitcases” is an ancient custom that will be a familiar ritual to anyone who grew up in Russia, or any migrant family that obeyed motherland customs. This unusual ritual started hundreds of years ago. In the years before Christianity, Russians believed that good and evil spirits lived inside their homes. They thought that the key to living a good life was to keep these spirits happy at all costs. If a person rushed out of his or her home before a trip, there was a good chance they would forget something. When that person returned a few minutes later to get it, they would disturb the evil spirits in the home. In response, the spirits might follow them out the door and accompany them on their trip. Since the spirits were offended by the person, they would bring them bad luck and possibly cause them harm.

Although many years have passed since suitcase sitting began, the practice continues to this day. As the Soviet Empire grew during the Cold War, suitcase sitting even spread throughout Eastern Europe. Although it is rooted in superstition (迷信), suitcase sitting is actually quite practical. It can prevent people from forgetting passports, plane tickets, or other items that are needed during trip. In addition, it also provides a brief moment of relaxation that can help get a journey started on the right foot. Besides that, if someone has packed too many clothes, suitcase sitting can help get it zipped up.

Grandparents’ Day is a warm holiday that allows children and adults an opportunity to show their appreciation for their Grandparents. Grandparents’ Day and the weeks just before it are the time when children all over the country start thinking about what to get their Grandmothers and Grandfathers as presents for Grandparents’ Day. Of course, giving presents is just one way of celebrating Grandparents’ Day, but how to give gifts requires planning.

Choosing presents for Grandparents’ Day can be a very difficult task. Because Grandparents’ Day and holidays of its kind are meant to honor some of the most important people in our lives, the task of choosing presents that will be appropriate can be challenging. You don’t know what they like and what can show how much you love and care for them. Especially for those children who do not have much money, finding the suitable Grandparents’ Day present at the right price is a very difficult task.

One solution to the difficulty is not to buy anything at all. Rather than buying a material item that is almost sure to be short of expressing the depth and sincerity (诚心诚意) of your feelings for your Grandmother or Grandfather, consider another kind of choice entirely. One way that you can show a Grandparent that you really care is to make them something. A handmade card or flower or a written poem can go a long way towards expressing your love on Grandparents’ Day. Of course, there are also a lot more other ways to celebrate Grandparents’ Day than by just giving presents to your parents.

Yours sincerely,

Li Jin

9 . Archaeologists(考古学家), studying Stonehenge and its surrounding area say they’ve dug up the relies of an untouched, ancient campsite that dates back to 6,000 years-a find that could rewrite British prehistory.

“This is the most important discovery at Stonehenge in over 60 years,” Professor Tim Darvill, a Bournemouth University archaeologist and a Stonehenge expert who did not take part in the new discovery, told the Telegraph. And as he told The Huffington Post in an email, the discovery changes earlier theories that Stonehenge was built in a landscape that was not heavily used before about 3000 B. C.

The discovery was made during a dig at Blick Mead, a site about 15 miles from Stonehenge. Researchers found charcoal(木炭) dating back to 4,000 B. C. and evidence of possible buildings, according to a statement released by the university. They also dug up burnt stone and tools, as well as the remains of animals-ancient cattle that served as food for ancient hunter-gatherers.

The researchers plan further analysis on the artificial objects but say they’re worried the tunnel construction(隧道建设) could damage the site and get in the way of their work.

“Blick Mead could explain what archaeologists have been searching for centuries-an answer to the story of Stonehenge’s past,” David Jacques, the University of Buckingham archaeologist who discovered the campsite, told The Guardian. “But our only chance to find out about the earliest part of Britain’s history could be ruined if the tunnel goes ahead.” 

Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument made up of a ring of standing stones, lies eight miles north of Salisbury, England in Wiltshire. It has been listed as a World Heritage Site since 1986.