Language is the best approach to    1    ( understand) a country. We know that language is a bridge for people to communicate. Chinese is one of the most beautiful languages in the world as well as    2    most-spoken one.

The beauty of Chinese language lies in its form, structure and rhythm. Every sound, stroke, word and sentence have their own stories. In the process of learning Chinese，I hope you will learn to appreciate the Chinese language and its profound cultural heritage. Some foreign friends say that Chinese is difficult    3    ( learn). It shows that those who learn Chinese have great courage and    4    ( wise).

Only after learning Chinese will you know the meaning    5    ( contain) in the Chinese characters. For example, the Chinese character “人”which means “people” consists    6     two supporting strokes, showing people need to support each other. The Chinese character “大”which means “big or great” is like the Chinese character“人”opening arms. This means people opening arms are of great vision. The Chinese character“天”is like “人”standing against the sky. That’s the reason    7    it has the meaning of “sky”. The Chinese character“信”means “trust”. Its left side is “人” and the right side “言” which means “words”. When the two parts    8    ( put) together, it means people keeping their words win trust. You can understand the philosophy at first glance.

There are many    9    ( example) like this. There is no other language in the world that can create so much beauty with just two thousand    10    ( common) used characters. When you try to learn Chinese，you will feel China, understand China better, and even fall in love with China.

2 . There are many traditions around the world that are interesting and fun, but there are also those that are bizarre (奇异的) and even a little cruel.

In Sweden it's common for parents to leave their babies outside to nap (小睡) even when the temperatures are below zero. Many of us would find this custom dangerous, but many Swedes actually consider it good for their babies. They believe that by exposing their young ones to their country's cold temperature they can help their babies to grow up healthily and protect them from diseases. They also believe doing so will help them sleep longer and better.

In Bali, Indonesia, babies are forbidden to touch the ground for three months. The reason is that during the baby's first months its connection to the “spirit” is still unbroken and clean and letting it touch the ground would defile it. For three months, the baby is constantly held in someone's arms―the father, mother, grandparents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and even neighbours. After 105 days, a special ceremony called the Nyabutan is held where the baby touches Mother Earth for the first time.

In Guatemala, it's common to see babies being bathed with cold water. Maya mothers commonly practise this bizarre ritual (仪式) with the belief that it's beneficial to the baby's health. Bathing their babies with cold water is also an effective means to eliminate heat rashes, and this custom helps babies sleep better.

Some Indians allow their babies to be thrown from temple roofs as high as 50 feet. This strange custom started 500 years ago and continues to this day, though there's a movement to ban it for obvious reasons. However, Hindus believe that performing this ritual brings good luck and health to their babies. Below the roof is a bed sheet that's held tightly by several men. The baby lands safely on the sheet. The tradition's practitioners and believers strongly prove that it's safe, saying no babies have ever been injured.

8 . When you're visiting London，there's no better way to experience English culture than drinking a cup of tea.     1     If you've ever wanted to drink tea like a Londoner, keep reading to find the answers to your most common questions!

●When to drink tea?

    2     There's no “right” time to enjoy tea, so you can add it anywhere into your daily routine. You can get a cup of tea right in the morning to help you wake up, while you're at work, or in the evening after a long day. Try to avoid tea after 2 p.m. if you have trouble sleeping.

●    3    

Wear smart clothes when you go out for tea. Even though you don't need to dress up, you shouldn't just show up in sweatpants or sneakers. As long as your clothes look neat and clean, you'll be fine for tea.

●How long to steep(浸泡) tea?

Black tea usually takes around 5 minutes for full flavor (香味).Once the tearoom adds the hot water and tea in the teapot, leave it alone so the flavors will spread quickly. If you serve too early, the tea will taste weak.     4    

●How to serve tea?

Pour cups of tea for other people before you serve yourself. If you're holding the teapot, it's your job to serve the tea.     5     Only pour your cup after you give tea to everyone else to show that you're polite.

10 . The first set of Chinese stories presented in English scripts (剧本), titled Stories of China: Performed in English, was officially published by Foreign Languages Press. Planned by the New Channel International Education Group with the participation of playwrights (剧作者) from China, the United Kingdom and the United States, the book provides a new way for young people to learn English while inheriting (传承) and spreading Chinese culture.

The book contains 20 English scripts in novel formats covering a wide range of subjects. Unlike the most common English scripts for young readers on the market which are based on adaptations of European and American stories, those presented in this book are unique for being based on classic Chinese stories, readapted and written in English. The book is divided into first to third grades in terms of grammar and vocabulary difficulty, making it suitable for young English learners from primary school to junior and high school.

All the scripts in the book are written by top playwrights with elegant, pure and vivid language. The scripts are provided with a summary of the story in both Chinese and English, so that readers can fully understand the plot as well as the history and culture behind it. Readers can not only improve their English skills through immersive (沉浸式) reading and performance but also appreciate Chinese culture.

Hu Min, English education expert and founder of the New. Channel, said the combination of traditional culture and English teaching has become a trend, guiding young people to bring their own wisdom and deep cultural heritage to tell Chinese stories to the world. New Channel will offer special courses on Stories of China: Performed in English in its many schools across the country, and cooperate with primary and secondary schools in Beijing, Shanghai to offer English drama courses on a trial basis. Hu believes the courses will set off a new wave of enthusiastic learning among young people.