1 . Thomas was a well-known wise man. One day, he wandered in a beautiful small town. Because of his fame, people from nearby towns who heard of his arrival all came to visit and seek his advice.

Many who came sought help with difficulties in daily life, and Thomas, unable to bear turning them away, patiently offered suggestions. Word spread quickly, and more and more people came to see Thomas for guidance.

One day, dozens of people crowded outside Thomas’s door, all clamoring (大声地要求) that their problems were the most serious and urgent, each insisting that Thomas address their concerns first, with no one willing to yield (让步).

After a moment of thought, Thomas took out some paper and a pen and said, “I can’t hear clearly with everyone talking at once. How about everyone write down your problem on a piece of paper and place it in this basket beside me?”

Once everyone had placed their notes in the basket, Thomas shook the basket and said, “Please each take a piece of paper from the basket and read what it says.”

As everyone read a note from someone else, they all realized that indeed, each person has their own troubles, and every household has its own challenges. Then Thomas spoke up, “Now, whose problem is the most urgent to solve?” Hearing that question, no one spoke again, because now no one dared to claim that their problem was the most severe.

Often, we are bound by our immediate feelings. When difficulties and problems strike, it feels as though we are caught in a vortex of pain. But if we shift our focus from ourselves and look towards others, we might discover that the problems we face are not so significant. Perhaps others are the ones who need help more urgently, or maybe there is something within our power that we can do for them.

3 . How to Apply China Visa (签证)

How to apply China visa is the most concerned question for international tourists who plan to travel to China. Here you will find the useful information about China visa requirements and instructions.

China Visa Requirements

▶The valid (有效的) passport

Original passport valid for at least 6 months with blank visa pages, and a photocopy of data page (with your photo on it)

▶China visa application form and photo

The applicants must fill in a complete visa application form and attach it with a recent-taken colour passport photo.

So what is the requirement of the photo? The photo you submit must be passport-type (bare-head, full face) and standard with the correct dimension and background colour.

▶Effective proof of legal stay or resident status (it applies to those who do not apply for China visa in their countries of citizenship).

Supporting Application Documents

For C-Visa, a letter of guarantee issued by a foreign transport company or an invitation letter issued by a relevant authority from China side shall be provided.

For D-Visa, the original and a photocopy of foreign permanent residence identification form issued by China’s Ministry of Public Security shall be provided.

For F-Visa, an invitation letter issued by relevant authorities or individuals from China side shall be provided.

For G-Visa, an onward air (train, bus, ship) ticket with confirmed date and seat to the third country or region shall be provided.

For L-Visa, the tour itinerary (行程) and documents with round trip flight tickets and accommodation reservations, or an invitation letter issued by relevant authorities or individuals from Chinese side shall be provided.

For M-Visa, documents of business activity, trade fair invitation letter or other invitation letter issued by trade partners in China shall be provided.

Further reading: click the link China visa knowledge and types.

6 . Getting into an air-conditioned space during extreme heat is the best way of protecting yourself against heat-related illness, Dr. Pryor says. But there are a few additional things you can do to serve the purpose.

Focus on hydrating(补水), even before you go outside

“    1    ,” Dr. Pryor says. And if you know you’ll be out in the heat for a while, here commends having a food or drink that contains electrolytes(电解质) — say, a salty snack or sports drink—before you head outdoors, since you’ll lose a lot of them in your sweat. Both water and electrolytes will keep you hydrated.

Go for lightweight, light-colored, and loose-fitting clothes, like a cotton shirt. Heavy, form-fitting clothing obviously won’t feel great when your skin badly needs to breathe. Meanwhile, dark-colored clothes take in the sun’s heat and make you feel hotter.

Rethink your dinner menu

Cooking meals will give off a lot of heat and can make your space even steamier.     3     .

Cut down on exercise needing great energy

“    4    ,” Dr. Pryor says. So if you typically run three miles, you might instead run one or two during a cooler time of the day, have water with you, and take breaks to check in on how your body feels.

Take a cool shower

This kind of shower has an air conditioning effect, Dr. Pryor explains.     5     . This is also an important tip to keep in mind if someone near you is dealing with a heat stroke (中暑) situation, which is the most serious heat-related illness.

9 . It’s Sunday. It’s fine. Tom does not go to school today. But he is not at home. He’s now sitting on a Chinese bus. He is going to the movie house. All his classmates will go to see a movie this afternoon. His teacher Mr. Wang will go there, too. They will meet at 2:00 p.m. at the gate of the movie house.

An old man gets on the bus. Tom stands up and says to the old man, “Come and sit here, please.” The old man goes over and sits down. He says, “Thank you very much, my boy. You are a good student.” Tom answers, “You’re welcome.”

“What school are you in?” the old man asks Tom.

“I am in No. 2 Middle School.” Tom answers.

“No. 2? That’s a good school. My son is a teacher there. He is an English teacher.” The old man says.

“English teacher? Excuse me, grandpa. What’s your son’s name, please?” Tom asks. “Mr Wang,” says the old man.

“Ah, ah, he is my English teacher.” Just then, the bus stops near the movie house. Tom says goodbye to the old man and gets off the bus. The old man smiles to Tom.

10 . People sometimes like to read stories of dogs very much. They think that dogs are much cleverer than cats, sheep, cows or other animals in their homes.

One of my close friends, Bob, has a very large police dog named Jack. Every Sunday afternoon, Bob and Jack have a walkin the park nearby. Jack likes these walks very much. One Sunday afternoon, I paid a visit to my friend. I stayed there for a long time and my friend and I had much more talk with each other than ever before. Soon it was time for them to take a walkin the park. We forgot that. Jack became worried about it. He walked around the room several times and then sat down in front of me and looked at me. But I still paid no attention (注意) to him. I went on talking with my friend. At last, Jack could not wait any longer. He went out of the room and came back a few minutes later. He sat   down in front of me again. But this time, he held my hat in his mouth. Suddenly, I understood what Jack meant and so did my friend.