China, the Homeland of Tea
Of the three major beverages of the world-- tea, coffee and cocoa-- tea is consumed by the largest number of people.
China is the homeland of tea. It is believed that China has tea-shrubs as early as five to six thousand years ago, and human cultivation of teaplants dates back two thousand years. Tea from China, along with her silk and porcelain, began to be known the world over more than a thousand years ago and has since always been an important Chinese export. At present more than forty countries in the world grow tea with Asian countries producing 90% of the world's total output. All tea trees in other countries have their origin directly or indirectly in China. The word for tea leaves or tea as a drink in many countries are derivatives from the Chinese character "cha." The Russians call it "cha'i", which sounds like "chaye" (tea leaves) as it is pronounced in northern China, and the English word "tea" sounds similar to the pronunciation of its counterpart in Xiamen (Amoy). The Japanese character for tea is written exactly the same as it is in Chinese, though pronounced with a slight difference. The habit of tea drinking spread to Japan in the 6th century, but it was not introduced to Europe and America till the 17th and 18th centuries. Now the number of tea drinkers in the world is legion and is still on the increase.
另外還有
Types of Speech
Standard usage includes those words and expressions understood, used, and accepted by a majority of the speakers of a language in any situation regardless of the level of formality. As such, these words and expressions are well defined and listed in standard dictionaries. Colloquialisms, on the other hand, are familiar words and idioms that are understood by almost all speakers of a language and used in informal speech or writing, but not considered appropriate for more formal situations. Almost all idiomatic expressions are colloquial language. Slang, however, refers to words and expressions understood by a large number of speakers but not accepted as good, formal usage by the majority. Colloquial expressions and even slang may be found in standard dictionaries but will be so identified. Both colloquial usage and slang are more common in speech than in writing.
Colloquial speech often passes into standard speech. Some slang also passes into standard speech, but other slang expressions enjoy momentary popularity followed by obscurity. In some cases, the majority never accepts certain slang phrases but nevertheless retains them in their collective memories. Every generation seems to require its own set of words to describe familiar objects and events. It has been pointed out by a number of linguists that three cultural conditions are necessary for the creation of a large body of slang expressions. First, the introduction and acceptance of new objects and situations in the society; second, a diverse population with a large number of subgroups; third, association among the subgroups and the majority population.
Finally, it is worth noting that the terms "standard" "colloquial" and "slang" exist only as abstract labels for scholars who study language. Only a tiny number of the speakers of any language will be aware that they are using colloquial or slang expressions. Most speakers of English will, during appropriate situations, select and use all three types of expressions.
國慶,壹些內容參考了：）~
Today is National Day.We have no classes. In the morning, I went to the People's Park with my mother.We had a good time. In the afternoon, I helped my parents to cook supper.I had a busy day today.
OCT .1 2006 SUNNY
Today is National day, but I don’t feel any happy at all, just no reson. Last night I download the English Paper till 3AM ,sometime I want to give up.but in order to accomplish my dream.I can handle it.
Today is National Day on Oct,1 2006, Weiqun have 2 days as holiday, I just made a call to home but she still didn''t get home, I asked mother to try to call her to confirm her position right now in order to be convenient for taking fetch by my father in 6-cross roadmouth. New house has been finished nearly. Dad decided to resume working in Houzai Glass factory just for RMB350 monthly even actually I don''t want him to work back. there are 7 days holiday I will take for Chinese National Day. But maybe I need on duty every day. Linyunbin will come back to Dongguan today
Homesick 鄉愁 余光中
小時候，鄉愁是壹枚小小的郵票，
我在這頭，母親在那頭。
長大後，鄉愁是壹張窄窄的船票，
我在這頭，新娘在那頭。
後來啊!鄉愁是壹方矮矮的墳墓，
我在外頭，母親在裏頭。
而現在，鄉愁是壹灣淺淺的海峽，
我在這頭，大陸在那頭。
When I was a child， my homesickness was a small stamp
Linking Mum at the other end and me this.
When grown up， I remained homesick， but it became a ticket
By which I sailed to and from my bride at the other end.
Then homesickness took the shape of a grave，
Mum inside of it and me outside.
Now I’m still homesick， but it is a narrow strait
Separating me on this side and the mainland on the other.
充滿世界的微笑
World of Smiles
About ten years ago when I was an undergraduate in college, I was working as an intern at my University's Museum of Natural History. One day while working at the cash register in the gift shop, I saw an elderly couple come in with a little girl in a wheelchair.
As I looked closer at this girl, I saw that she was kind of perched on her chair. I then realized she had no arms or legs, just a head, neck and torso. She was wearing a little white dress with red polka dots.
As the couple wheeled her up to me I was looking down at the register. I turned my head toward the girl and gave her a wink. As I took the money from her grandparents, I looked back at the girl, who was giving me the cutest, largest smile I have ever seen.
All of a sudden her handicap was gone and all I saw was this beautiful girl, whose smile just melted me and almost instantly gave me a completely new sense of what life is all about. She took me from a poor, unhappy college student and brought me into her world; a world of smiles, love and warmth.
That was ten years ago. I'm a successful business person now and whenever I get down and think about the troubles of the world, I think about that little girl and the remarkable lesson about life that she taught me.