Yours,

Li Hua

2 . With the approaching of New Year, more and more visitors will come to China. Don’t know where you should go? Here are some places recommended for you.

Shanghai Expo Culture Park

The Shanghai Expo Culture Park will soon open its northern section to the public, in which the major attractions include a traditional garden that is similar in design to Shanghai’s famous Yuyuan Garden and a 400-meter avenue exhibiting the history of the area, while in the southern section lies a grand theater.

Macao Tower AJ Hackett Bungee Jump (蹦极)

The Macao Tower, 338 meters tall, is the world’s 10th highest tower, with a variety of activities, such as eating and entertainment. One of the activities which enjoy good fame is the bungee jump. The AJ Hackett Macao Tower Bungee Jump is 233 meters high, making it a Guinness World Record as the highest commercial (商业的) bungee jump in the world. Raise your arms and off you go!

Harbin’s Frozen World

For those who have never been to Harbin, there is an almost endless list of things to do. At Harbin Ice — Snow World, you can not only see the world — famous ice architecture, but also have great fun! You can have hotpot at the restaurants which are made of ice, enjoying the product of both ice and fire, go down the world’s longest ice slide (滑梯) and join in the popular Ice and Snow Electronic Music Festival to welcome 2024.

The winter is cold and the night is long, so why not go to the theatre? Harbin was listed by the United Nations as a “music city” in 2010. Harbin Grand Theater is where artistic souls defrost (化霜) a little to share their love of art.

4 . Years ago, when we first went to Canada, we were driving through Montana to Colorado with our two children. We thought we’d find a hotel on the way without _________ ahead of time. As it was getting late, we started looking for a hotel, only to find that all the hotels were full.

_________, around 9 pm, we stopped at a gas station to fill up on gas. My husband told the woman at the counter that we were _________ to find a hotel. She told us it would be _________ at such a late time in a busy season. Noticing that we were worried, she said we could spend the night at her home nearby.

Though surprised at her _________, we gladly accepted it. She then called her son to come and lead the way, since she had to work until midnight. Soon a pickup truck arrived and we _________ it. When we reached their home, her husband _________ us. He invited us to have coffee and we chatted when _________ his wife. She came past 12. We asked if we could leave _________ in the morning so as not to disturb them. They said we were now guests and we’d have to have breakfast with them.

Next morning, around the table were many people and we were __________ that they would welcome total __________ from a different country. After breakfast, when we were __________, my husband asked if he could offer some __________. But they said no. Then we left. We kept in __________ for many years. Later we lost contact, but over the years we have never forgotten their __________.

5 . Most of us grow up taking certain things for granted. We tend to assume that experts and religious leaders tell us “The truth”. We tend to believe that things advertised on television or in newspapers can’t be bad for us.

However, encouragement of critical (批判的) thinking in students is one of the goals of most colleges and universities. Few professors require students to share the professors’ own beliefs. In general, professors are more concerned that students learn to question and critically examine the arguments of others, including some of their own beliefs or values. This does not mean that professors insist that you change your beliefs, either. It does mean, however, that professors will usually ask you to support the views you express in class or in your writing.

If your premises (前提) are shaky, or if your arguments are not logical, professors personally point out the false reasoning in your arguments. Most professors want you to learn to recognize the premises of your arguments, to examine whether you really accept these premises, and to understand whether or not you draw logical conclusions. Put it this way. Professors don’t tell you what to think; they try to teach you how to think.

On the other hand, if you intend to disagree with your professors in class, you should be prepared to offer a strong argument in support of your ideas. Arguing just for the sake of arguing usually does not promote a critical examination of ideas. Many professors interpret it as rudeness.

6 . I’m Mike. I graduated from Sunshine Senoir high school last June, and I’m now _________ in a college in Beijing. This autumn, I will _________ my second year.

In the summer one year ago, I remember being extremely excited yet nervous, as I was about to begin my college _________. I was also quite _________ at the idea of being away from home for so long for the first time in my life. As I said goodbye to my parents at the high-speed railway station, I felt a mix of _________ and upset. I was travelling to a different city by myself, with a suitcase beside me, and the _________ to have an unforgettable college experience.

At school, there might be _________ times. What if I don’t make any friends? What if my classes get stressful? How will I do my laundry? Yes, I’ve been there too, and _________ these questions. Don’t worry, you’ll make friends. Just learn to _________ the right people.

Classes will, most __________, become intense, especially towards midterms and exams. But it’s all right, we all can __________. You will have a lot of people around you who can help.

It’s __________ to worry about things like these. You’ll slowly __________ that you’ll take on these __________ as you go, and that they won’t be as terrible as you had __________.

7 . The idea of low material desire, low consumption and refusing to work, marry and have children, concluded as a “lying down” lifestyle, recently struck a chord with many young Chinese eager to pause to breathe in this fast-paced and highly-competitive society.

Many millennials (千禧一代) and generation Zs complained to the Global Times that burdens, including work stress, family disputes and financial pressures, have pushed them “against the wall”. They said they hate the “involution (内卷),” joking that they would rather give up some of what they have than get trapped in an endless competition against peers.

“Instead of always following the ‘virtues’ of struggle, tolerance and sacrifice to bear the stresses, they prefer a temporary lying down as release and adjustment,” said a scholar. “No wonder that some young people, under the growing pressures from child-raising to paying the mortgage (按揭) today, would try to live in a simple way and leave the worries behind.”

Interestingly, most of them acknowledged that they only accept a temporary lying down as a short rest. It is true that with the great improvement of living conditions, some Chinese youth have partially lost the spirit of hardship and are not willing to bear too much hard work. But actually, lying down is not entirely comfortable. Young people who lie down always feel guilty of their constant loss of morale (士气) far beyond their reach.

“Young people on campus have both ambitions and confusion about their future, but most of us have rejected setting ourselves up in chains to waste opportunities and challenges,” a postgraduate student told the Global Times. “It’s no use running away. I have to ‘stand up’ and face the reality sooner or later.”