IS EXPLORING SPACE A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY?

Countries around the globe are spending billions of dollars and lots of time on various space missions, whether to Mars or other planets much further away. Some people argue that we should stop wasting time and money exploring space. Instead, we should feed the world’s poor and find immediate solutions to other problems, such as pollution and fatal diseases. However, others feel this is a shallow view which fails to realise how exploring space helps us.

Firstly, exploring space has already made a difference in the fight against world hunger. It has directly resulted in the many satellites that now orbit Earth. A number of the satellites record data on land and weather patterns. Then the data is transmitted to scientists on Earth. After careful analysis, the scientists can provide useful recommendations and advice for farmers. As a result, space­based science has helped farming in its efforts to grow enough food to feed Earth’s increasing population.

Secondly, space exploration has already promoted technological improvements that benefit us all. High­end products around the world are made to a higher standard now because of advanced technology which was first created to meet the requirements for space exploration. For example, space technologies have helped the research and development of different types of new material. They have also helped companies make better heart monitors and other machines that doctors regularly use. Today, space technologies are widely used in all kinds of industries, and everyday products such as GPS, memory foam pillows, and smartphone cameras, are changing our lives.

Finally, sending astronauts into space has helped people to think about the world’s problems and even to find ways to solve them. Seeing pictures of our planet as an island in a black sea made people realise that our planet’s resources are limited. In order to provide for such a rapidly increasing population, scientists are trying to find other planets that could one day be our new home. The greatest attention at present is on Mars because it is closer to Earth. In the future, humans may live on both planets.

In closing, exploring space provides the world with many different benefits. Therefore, it should continue so as to provide new and better solutions to people’s short­term and long­term problems.

WELCOME TO CHINATOWN!

The Chinatown in San Francisco is the biggest in America, and also the oldest. It is a very popular tourist draw that receives more visitors each year than even the Golden Gate Bridge. The climate is mild all year round, meaning it is always a good time to visit.

Historically, Chinese immigrants settled in the area during the railroad construction and gold rush period. What started as a residential area for Chinese immigrantsthen turned into a centre for Chinese culture. The majority of residents in Chinatown are still ethnic Chinese, many of whom do not speak English fluently. This allows visitors to experience a real taste of China.

Most of Chinatown was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake, but the city and residents rebuilt it, taking care to include lots of Chinese architecture. Traditionally, visitors enter Chinatown through the legendary Dragon Gate, which was built using materials donated from China. Other famous sites include the Tin How Temple and Bank of Canton, to name but a few. Visitors can also spend hours just exploring the interesting sights, smells, and sounds of China. Portsmouth Square is also a key site, being the centre of Chinatown.

It has a long and famous history, with the author Robert Louis Stevenson having spent much time writing there. These days, the square is a great place to see traditional Chinese culture in real life, such as games of Chinese chess, and people practising tai chi.

The stores in the Chinatown offer a unique range of souvenirs, goods, and clothing. All kinds of traditional Chinese herbal medicine can be found, too, and there are Chinese tea stores, where visitors can taste and buy varieties of Chinese tea.

But perhaps what many tourists and San Franciscans treasure most about Chinatown is its food. There is Chinese food to suit everyone’s taste, with traditional dishes from all over China.

Chinatowns are an important part of the diverse culture of the USA. They allow visitors who have never been to China to experience traditional Chinese culture first hand.

THE VIRTUAL CHOIR

Imagine having the opportunity to sing together with hundreds of other people while you are at home alone. You can do this in a virtual choir. Virtual choir members record themselves while they perform alone on video. These videos are uploaded onto the Internet, and then they are put together into one video that you can see online—a virtual choir. Anyone can take part in a virtual choir from anywhere—all you need is a video camera and an Internet connection. You do not even need a studio. A virtual choir helps connect ordinary people together. Many people do not have close friends or contacts who have the same interest in music. Many others do not have the chance to join a local choir. A virtual choir enables them to add their voices to those of other individuals and become part of the global community. It has proved to be a positive influence on the lives of many people. As one virtual choir member said, “Music helps me to, forget my problems. With music, I become someone else.”

The virtual choir was the idea of award­winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre. Born in the USA on 2 January 1970, Whitacre began studying music at the University   of Nevada in 1988.He fell in love with Mozart’s classical music when he sang for the university choir[6]. Moved by this music, he said, “It was like seeing color for the first time.” He graduated from university in 1995, and then received a master’s degree in musical composition from the Juilliard School in New York in 1997.Over the next 10 years, Whitacre’s original compositions began to become quite popular among choirs and singers. This led to the creation of the virtual choir.

In 2009，Whitacre received a video of a girl who was singing one of his works. Inspired, he asked his fans to make videos, which he then joined together into one performance. His first virtual choir, “Lux Aurumque”, had 185 singers from 12 different countries. It has received millions of views on the Internet. Since then, the virtual choir has become a worldwide phenomenon. Whitacre’s next effort was the Virtual Youth Choir for UNICEF, which was first seen on stage on 23 July 2014 in the UK. Altogether, 2,292 young people from 80 countries joined in to sing Whitacre’s song “What If”.

The virtual choir is a wonderful way for people around the world to sing with one voice and thus make the world a better place.

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Neither Pine nor Apple in Pineapple

Have you ever asked yourself why people often have trouble learning English? I hadn’t, until one day my five-year-old son asked me whether there was ham in a hamburger. There isn’t. This made me realize that there’s no egg in eggplant either. Neither is there pine nor apple in pineapple. This got me thinking how English can be a crazy language to learn.

For example, in our free time we can sculpt a sculpture and paint a painting, but we take a photo. And when we are traveling we say that we are in the car or the taxi, but on the train or bus! While we’re doing all this traveling, we can get seasick at sea, airsick in the air and carsick in a car, but we don’t get homesick when we get back home. And speaking of home, why aren’t homework and housework the same thing?

If “hard” is the opposite of “soft”, why are “hardly” and “softly” not an opposing pair? If harmless actions are the opposite of harmful actions, why are shameless and shameful behaviors the same?

When we look out of the window and see rain or snow, we can say “it’s raining” or “it’s snowing”. But when we see sunshine, we can’t say “it’s sunshining”.

Even the smallest of words can be confusing. When you see the capitalized “WHO” in a medical report, do you read it as the “who” in “Who’s that?” What about “IT” and “US”?

You also have to wonder at the unique madness of a language in which a house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out, and in which an alarm is only heard once it goes off!

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race. That is why when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And that is why when I wind up my watch, it starts, but when I wind up this passage, it ends.

8 . I love parties. I love planning for them, making the invitations, planning the games and decorating my own cake. The only thing that I don’t like is deciding on the guest list. When I was in grade school my mum would tell me the maximum number of friends that I could invite and it was always a number too small for my list. I also liked all different kinds of people. I never quite fit into one of the many little groups at my school, so I just kind of floated around, accumulating friends from various backgrounds. There was an “in” crowd made up of the cool kids who had the power to rule the school — if a coo kid wore two different coloured socks to school one day, everyone thought it was great. But if an uncool kid did the same thing, the other kids would turn away in disgust (厌恶). It made getting dressed in the morning a very scary thing.

Shannon was one of my friends who seemed to unknowingly break the rules of uncoolness all the time. I don’t know why she was targeted, but people found it acceptable to make fun of her. Shannon was a nice girl and wore pretty clothes, but was somewhat overweight and didn’t talk much. She was picked on a lot. Whenever there was an strange noise or smell in the classroom the kids would giggle (咯咯笑) and point at her. Shannon never said anything, but it made me feel sick inside. Shannon was innocent, I thought.

One year to celebrate my birthday, my mum told me I could have a party at our house. I struggled for days deciding on which girls to invite. Once I had chosen all the names, I made the invitations and handed them out to my friends at school.

“Why did you invite her?” asked one of my cool friends when it was discovered that I had invited Shannon. She pressured me to tell her not to come. There were other people I could add in her place who would be more acceptable.

9 . Starting senior high school is a powerful experience for any teenager, for there are many things about senior high school that are different from your junior high school, and you will experience many changes.

You will be faced with entering a new school, making new friends in an unfamiliar class, and getting to know new teachers. These new teachers will usually have higher academic expectations than your junior high school teachers. They want to help you get into college; in return, they expect you to work hard and improve your skills.

Although these are all big changes, they are nothing you cannot handle. There are many different useful resources to help you deal with any problem. Your teachers, parents, and friends are there to help your transition to this great new time in your life. If you feel uncomfortable talking to any of these people, there are many helpful hotlines you can call to talk anonymously (匿名地). Senior high school years may be a time of changes, but these changes should be for the better.

Your senior high school years is a great time in your life. To fully enjoy your senior high school, try to deal with the situations of your life with which you are not happy. If you are feeling pressured to do something, talk to a friend or parent to find a solution. If you don’t succeed academically, find a teacher or someone else to help you improve. If you feel socially isolated, try to join a school club or group to make new friends.

Senior high school life may seem rather difficult at first, but with time, you will come to appreciate everything about your experience.

10 . Embroidery is an important art form in Chinese culture. People often embroider handkerchiefs, bed covers, tablecloths and dresses. Sichuan embroidery, also called Shu embroidery, is one of the most famous embroidery styles in China. It is famous for its delicate and bright colors and fine stitches (针脚).

The characteristics are greatly influenced by geographical environment, customs and cultures. Called the “Land of Abundance”, Sichuan Province is rich in grain production. The people of this area also enjoy a slow lifestyle. So when embroidering, they are usually patient and willing to spend time pursuing the form’s complexity and elegance. This could also be a reason why Sichuan embroidery was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage in 2006.

Making beautiful Sichuan embroidery products is never easy. It requires superb workmanship. Meng Dezhi was born to a family of embroiderers. She was one of the most talented employees in the Chengdu Shu Embroidery Factory. Even so, the long and repetitive nature of the process often challenges her. And in winter, when her hands and feet are freezing, things become more difficult. But her love for the work has encouraged Meng to continue. Even for an experienced master like Meng, finishing a piece requires several days or even a few months.

“These experiences may sometimes discourage me, but the love for Sichuan embroidery always gives me motivation to continue,” said Meng. Meng has also popularized the culture of Sichuan embroidery when the tradition was at risk of declining. Because many cheap products are made by modern machines, the factory Meng worked in was forced to close in 2005. To make a living, Meng rented a small space to teach Sichuan embroidery skills to the kids and young people.

“In the early days, I set up the company just for survival, but now I really feel that I have the responsibility to pass on Sichuan embroidery skills to young people. It is like sowing seeds — who knows which of them will become an inheritor (继承人) or guardian of our culture in the future?” she told China Daily.