Sunday, 7. January 2007, 04:36:41
Before this topic is discussed, I would like to explain what the definition of right is, especially the one of women’s rights.
A right is a power or liberty to which one is justly entitled, or a thing to which one has a just claims Rights serve as rules of interaction between people, and, as such, they place constrains and obligations upon the actions of individual or groups. For example, if one has a right to life, this means that others do not have the liberty to murder him; if one has a right within a society to a free public education, this means that other members of that society have an obligation to pay taxes in order to pay the cost of that education.
The term Women’s Rights typically refers to freedom inherently possessed by women and girls of all ages, which may be institutionalized or illegitimately suppressed by law or custom in a particular society.
From the definition of Right and Women’s Rights, it’s quite clear that any practice or action that infringe on them is not allowed or illegal. However, it is not fixed like the sun rises up from the east every sunny day. In some certain countries, some cultural and religious practice is acceptable for the local people and the local laws. Instead, it turns out to be a crime to do so in other countries. Take the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM for short) in Africa for example.
The practice of Female Genital Mutilation is carried out among 28 countries in Africa and the Middle East for cultural reasons. It’s commonly known as female circumcision, involves the partial or complete removal of external female genitalia. This practice is committed on the grounds of culture, religion or tradition. Although it exists in most parts of Africa, almost all the other countries are strongly against this so-called Female Genital Mutilation and treat FGM as a crime against personal integrity. And FGM has been found to be detrimental to the reproductive, sexual and psychological health of women and girls. It is one form of genders violence against women. As the chair of FORWEARD (the Foundation for Woman’s Health Research and Development) stated: “Culture can only be valued if they are in harmony with basic human right.”
From above, I can conclude my viewpoint—any immigrant is not allowed to maintain their cultural and religious practice if only they infringe on legitimate rights, women’s rights included.
Friday, 5. January 2007, 02:49:46
Before the university teaching is discussed, it’s necessary to have a touch upon the teaching style in high school in china before hand. The students in high school are requested to choose majors on their own when they are Grade Three. Even though they are expected to pay more attention to their majors they choose, yet they still have to learn all the other courses as well. Because the Entrance College Exam consists of all the subjects they learn in school. Students at that period seem to be a jack-of-all-trade. That is to say, they are busy cramming knowledge and become the ones who know something about everything, but nothing about something at last. In their mind, they have only one goal to pursue, clearly and directly---to enter the ideal universities. The university is like an ivory tower, of which every student working hard in high school dream. Therefore, it is exacted to be an ideal paradise with a sea of absolute freedom and unrestrained atmosphere of virtue knowledge.
The first year in university turned out to a bliss. Now freedom that is desired before is given. Nobody will impose you to do anything but yourself. You are able and have to make plans on your own. Nobody, including teachers, tells you exactly what to do and how to do, or even tells you something from right to wrong. No! Not anymore! Therefore, you have to judge by yourself, rely on you, and discipline yourself. When you come to aware of this, then you know university is not just a paradise but a place to develop a person.
When you get to realize it, you’ll be likely to find out problems existing in universities. The first problem is related to majors. It’s great to take a major you are interested in and want to take a job relevant to it. However, many students have to take a major they are not interested in at all. As some students say, “that I learn it is not because I choose it, but it’s the school’s choice.” What’s more, it’s very troublesome and a waste of time to charge for another major. So many students in universities just learn their majors reluctantly.
The second problem is about optional courses. Basically speaking, the purpose of optional courses is to let students obtain a comprehensive system of knowledge. But many students, in fact, just try to fulfill the credits with optional courses they are required to get.
Gradually, the conflicts between the goal for future career and the stereotype of university teaching become well-aware. Now more and more students are not satisfied with high marks in examination and contented with some theories about knowledge. Instead, they want to get applicable knowledge and become useful workers in the society.
Above all, the universities are urgently needed to change the conservative teaching method, and keep link with society. In other words, universities teaching ought to advance with time. Apart of it, the students should be given more choices to choose their majors. In this way, university education can help students improve their knowledge and ability initially and completely. At last, it can meet the goal of university teaching--- to explore scholars’ intelligence to the most.
Friday, 5. January 2007, 02:46:55
Anne and I have been closed friends for two years. In past time, we went to study together, had dinner together and sometimes did the exercise together. We did have fun and happiness to be with each other before.
But now the situation has changed since I knew a boy three months ago. He’s my senior and easily wants to learn English well and needs my help. As I like English a lot and I am very glad to help. What’s more, he happens to be my home fellow. Our relationship, to be exact, our friendship, therefore, deepens rapidly. And intimately I spend more time with him than with Anne together. I’ve ever ask her to join us studying together, but she refused. As far as she was concerned, she didn’t know him as well as I did.
However, when I began to talk funny things about him, she felt jealous and stopped me talking about him. It seems that I am the ignorer towards her. Because of this, I try to avoid mention him any more. And the atmosphere becomes strange. Most of the time, I just keep silent and she does the same. It worsens day after day. So now we just greet to each other ceremoniously. I have one thing confused, is that I have fun with another guy disturbs her?
Friday, 5. January 2007, 01:24:27
Coming out of Guangzhou University Town, I turned to go to GD Female’s College on my own. It’s my long-cherished to pay a visit there. Not only is my closest friend there, but also it’s the only one Female’s College at present in Guangdong Province of China. 
I excitedly took on the bus with the words “TO LOTUS MOUNTAIN”, which were pasted in the front of the bus. My friend told me before hand that the school is on the way to the Lotus Mountain, a famous scenic spot in Guangdong. A field of lotuses appeared in my mind from time to time.
It was my first time to go there, so my friends warned me keeping alert of thieves on the bus for many times before I started. And I asked the conductor to remind me of taking off in advance.
Two hours later I took off the bus at the right place with the conductor’s reminder and my own nervousness and excitement. I easily found the female’s school, which superficially turned out to be smaller and less solemn than I imagined before. There were no lotuses either. The so-called Lotus Mountain was still for away from there.
There were giant Chinese characters on the wall near the school gate, “Guangdong Female’s College”, and a modern building was still under construction. I tried to comfort myself to forget the common appearance of that school but to search for special qualities of the students there.
With the escort of my friends, I entered the school gate and found things extremely different. The girls discussed something together, but there were no boys in their groups. I also noticed many tomboy girls passing by. They wore short hear and walked fast and acted like boys. When I saw a girl wearing shirt with a tie of men’s style, I could not help crying out, “wow, so cool!”
“Some students even call those girls brothers!” my friend added.
Next, we arrived at the Dinning Hall to have dinner. The food there was not a big difference from the one I have had on my own campus. What gave me the unforgettable impression was that there were no man workers but women!
After that, we went to their dorms. There were eight girls living together in each dorm. When I reached there they smiled and greeted me casually like acquaintances. I felt comfortable without special attentions and overdone hospitality. So I can observe them quietly without disturbances to and from others, too. They were watching TV-show, washing clothes or singing songs and some were reading English. Some wore pajamas or skirt. A girl, who was barefoot, took my special interest. That’s one my classmates and I’ve never done on my campus. It seems that everyone has her own life and personality here and don’t care so much about how the others judge them. I deeply appreciate the atmosphere here.
It’s a pity that I don’t have class with the girls there because the time limits. But more is the pity that some boys will enroll at this pure Female’s College in the coming semester. In that case, the atmosphere will become as normal as ours on our campus before long.
Friday, 5. January 2007, 00:15:22
Time for all the members of Youth League in our class to have a get-to-gather again! This time we will choose the Youth World Restaurant outsight school as the place to hold the activity. No sooner than all the money of the activity has handed in and the exact time has settled down—that is Dec.13rd, 2006, 7:30 pm, some of the members get to buy the food that will be needed, such as the rice powder, meat and corn. 
Yes! This time it will be different from all the former ones before. We won’t play kids’ games and answer silly questions about theory of Jiang Zheming as we did before any more. Instead we will do our long-cherished DIY cooking, including making dumplings, cooking sweet soap and boiling porridge. All these things will be cooked by us. Besides, it is also available to sing karaoke.
Jane and I start earlier than it is expected. After we reach there our stomach just have been fully filled with snacks we ate outsight school gate. When we arrive the roof of the Youth World Restaurant, only to find Echo singing songs along with VCD by herself. I am just too full to do anything and just waiting for the others.
Gradually, the others came one after another. Within five minutes, almost everyone was at present, except Josef of course. So all of us began to take action to make dumplings when Topson finished doing the roll call. However, most of us just turned out to be laymen, extremely inexperienced laymen in making dumplings. Some of us simply made it for the first time! The result is that various forms of dumplings are made and put on trays. Some are too fat with a huge abdomen while some were too skinny, nearly only the caver left. But never mind. A conversation is taken place by Echo Lee and Sino:
“Oh, what ugly dumplings! But it is ok, as everyone will eat the one they make by themselves!” said Echo Lee.
“Yap! Sure. I never mind about the appearance but the taste of the dumplings. The ugly might taste delicious!” laughed Sino.
An hour later, all the dumplings have been cooked and become eatable. All of us circled around the tray and enjoyed our DIY. But I did not. Sino might right---though I choose the beautiful ones to eat, they are not tasted as good as their appearance. However, I no sooner realized the fact_ I might be just too full to enjoy them.
Though there ate a third of dumplings left, more than a half of classmates left for dorm with fullness. And the porridge is still being boiled in the kitchen. Now, there are only six students staying, Angel, Lotus, Jane, Sino, Edward and I. More importantly, each of us was too fully to eat anything then!
“What shall we deal with the porridge? What a huge pity if we just throw it away!” Angel makes a sigh.
“I have a good idea;” Lotus yelled happily, “why not sell it to the schoolmates at the school gate!”
I steer at her with surprise, “sell it? But I’ve never done this thing before.”
“Never mind! Just do it. Anyway, everyone needs to do new thing for the first time!”
An agreement is made then. We become salesgirls at the school gate. Firstly, we feel embarrassed to yell for the attentions of the passers-by and kept quiet. It’s Lotus who bleak the embarrassing silence at last. “Come on, buys! DIY porridge from GD Ocean University! Cheap and delicious!” the others joined her subsequently.
Very soon, out DIY porridge is sold out and earned praise from our customers. And we laughed and laughed and turned back to dorms with the money we earned and the excitement as well.
Thursday, 21. December 2006, 08:31:36
It’s one year ago when I hearted the song named To Love You More for the first time. It played in classroom during a break. I found it sweet-sounding and liked it a lot. At that time, I was still a innocent girl and had no clear definition about love. My vague idea about love should be pure, sweet and great.
Half a year later, I listened to this song again. It was sent by a friend of mine, who had even expressed his special feelings towards me. I quite like him. I as fare as I know then that he’s a nice guy. But what I was concerned is the long distance between us. He lived in Guangzhou city, the capital of Guangdong Province, while I study in Zhanjiang city, the remote southern part of china. So I just kept quiet without refusal as well as acceptance.
But it is obvious that I began to have special feelings about the song To Love You More. I can’t help listening to it over and over again. Especial feelings, the sweet feelings, to be exact, spread through the bottom of my heart.---‘I’ll be waiting for you, here insight my heart. I’m the one who want to love you more.’ I sang along with it. Indeed, while I repeat the lines, I made a silent pledge to and myself. I so strongly believed myself that I could make it in spite of any distance. I also believed him so truly. At that time, love meant to me the sweet fruit after taking a long-term bitter-sweet waiting.
As time went by, something between us had changed. I was not so sure what the subtle thing was. But there was, indeed. We no longer told jokes to each other and seldom kept in touch with each other. I wondered why. But I could no get the answer by myself.
As the Chinese saying goes, to untie the bell, you need to get the one who tied it before. Although I was eager to know, what I wanted it that he would tell me the reason on his own initiatively. So I kept quiet again and waited. I gave time to him and myself with suffering.
But in the coming days, I could not help wondering about it and often distracted in class. I know it’s not an effective solution to hide problems. Time is not always good way to solve problems. As short-term pain is better long-term pain. I changed my mind at last----to take the initiative action to ask him, though I had expected two choices: to take it or to lose it.
In spite of his hesitation, I just asked straightly. Firstly, he just tried to change the subject but I didn’t let it go and insisted for the answer. I needed the fact which turned out to be a sad one. His words were as follows:
“It’s not a problem whether I care for you. It’s a problem of the distance. You know two years is too long for being alone. I want to keep the subtle relationship with you and keep one with another girl who can be by my side in these two years…I’m afraid you won’t accept it. That is why I dare not talk with you and even hide from you these days. I don’t want to lose you. But shall we start after we graduate?”
My sadness is stronger than anger. “No.” I gave a simple and certain apply, “love is now or never.”
Now I still like to the song To Love You More. Its meaning for me changes again. Although that memory comes vivid every time I listen to it, I’ll let bygones be bygone. I won’t wait for anyone. Love is dangerous.
Tuesday, 12. December 2006, 12:17:45
A South Korean rider died on Thursday during the equestrian competition of the heavy rain-hit Asian Games where several events were postponed.
Kim Hyung Chil, 47, was killed after his horse Bundaberg Black was caught on an obstacle in wet and difficult conditions and fell onto him during the cross country event.
In this image taken from television, South Korean rider Kim Hyung-chil falls from his horse Bundaberg Black during the cross country section of the equestrian three day eventing competition at the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, Thursday Dec. 7, 2006. Kim Hyung-chil died after the fall in rainy conditions on Thursday. He was 47.
"The rider had to take the weight of Bundaberg Black when the horse fell trying to clear an obstacle," Dr. Abdulwahal Al-Mussleh, head for health care and doping control of the DACOG, told a press conference.
Al-Mussleh said that Kim was then rushed to Hamad General Hospital near the athletes village, but died shortly after arrival without recovering consciousness. "He was declared dead at 10:50 am," added Abdulwahal.
South Korean athletes pay tribute in front of the altar for South Korean rider Kim Hyung-chil during the wake at the Athletes Village in Doha, Qatar , Thursday, Dec.
The heaviest rain in 42 years in Doha fell from early morning and washed out the soft tennis and tennis competitions but Christopher Hodson, vice president of the International Equestrian Federation (IEF), rejected speculations that wet conditions was the cause of Kim's death.
"We have opened a formal inquiry into this tragic accident. I don't want to speculate on the results of that inquiry until it is completed," said Hodson. "To my knowledge it is the first time this has happened at the Asian Games."
Kim was the oldest member of South Korea's equestrian team. He won silver in the team competition in Busan 2002.
A minute's silence was observed in all venues to mourn the rider's death, which shocked the whole South Korean delegation.
Monday, 11. December 2006, 11:01:54
The 15th Asian Games was held in Doha--the capital of Qatari in Asia on december 1st,2006. And it will last for sixteen days. that is to say, it will end on 16th this morth. Chinese team is expected to do well in this games . Up to now, the whole team has got 108 gold medals, including invidual medal, in total.Though China's team keeps on the top, it is not satisfying to reach the goal. Many Chinese athiletes lost the chances to get champion as they are expected. One of those examples is Liu Xiang, who broke the record of 110m hurdles in Athene 2004 Olympic Games. He did not do good enough in the first round and became the second then.
China's 110m hurdles sensation snd workd record holder, Liu finished 13.74 seconds and compatriot Shi Dongfeng sprinted the first round heats 13.71 on December 11, 2006. Both of them cruise to the final race the next day.
Shi, the 23-year-old hurdle of China won his first Asian title at 2002 Busan Games, where he clocked 13.27 seconds in a new meet record. He said he came to Doha to shatter the 13.27.
However, the wet weather in Doha and uncomfortable track denied a better result from the heats, as Liu told CCTV sports journalists. Becouse he was stationed near the track to cover track and field events in Doha. Becouse of this,he said a possible new record relies heavily on good weather.
Apart of it, another contributor to Liu's possible good result is the pressure from his teamate Shi--Liu's runnerup in China and world NO.30. As I meansioned above,Shi did better than Liu under the same weather. He run 3 seconds faster than Liu.
"Wet weather and hard track is the same to everyone," Shi told CCTV after the heats round, "and I won't let him win that easily."
Who's right and who's wrong? And how will Liu do in the coming final? Let's just wait and see!
Monday, 13. November 2006, 13:54:19
THESIS
Both The Economist and The New Yorker are native English-speaking magazines. There are quite a lot differences and similarities between them.
Outline:
Ⅰ Make a main comparison between these two magazines.
Ⅱ Make an introduction about The New Yorker in different espects.
1 History
2 Content
3 Style of writing
4 Influence
Ⅲ Make an introduction about The Economist
1 History
2 content
3 style of writing
Ⅳ Comparison these two magazines with detailed differences and similarities.
Conclusion:
The New Yorker and The Economist are both read-worthy. The former is the window of America and the latter is just like the window to watch over the world. The readers can get different kinds of information on the issues of America and the whole world.Comparison between The New Yorker and The Economist.
The New Yorker and The Economist are the two renowned excellent magazines throughout the native English-speaking countries and some non English-speaking countries as well. Both of them contain a lot of information in the content with a rang of subjects. In spite of the similarities between them,they are the magazines are also quite different from each other in some expects such as the readership, the styles of writing, publishers and so on.
The New Yorker, the U.S weekly magazine, which is published in New Yorker City, is famous for its varied literary content and humor. It was founded in 1925. Initially, it was focused on New York City’s amusements and social and cultural life. But it gradually acquired a broader scope, encompassing literature, current affairs and other topics. Amid at a sophisticated liberal audience, it became well known for its short fiction, cartoons, major nonfiction pics, and detailed reviews in the arts. The content of the New Yorker contains a wide-ranging types of writing, including reportage, criticism, essays, poetry and fiction.
Formally published weekly, this magazine is now published 42 times per year with a addition five issues covering two-week spans.
Although its reviews and events listings often focus on the culture life of New York City, The New Yorker has a wide audience outside New York. It is well-known for its commentaries on popular culture and eccentric American. It pays attention to modern fiction by the inclusion of short stories and literary reviews. The articles of it are written rigorously fact-checked and also copy edited journalism about world politics and social issues. Above all, it’s famous for single-panel cartoon sprinkled throughout each issue and keeps remained steady at one story per issue.
The New Yorker is not only a fact-checked for a prestigious magazine; it’s also been the one subject of many movies. There is an example as follows. In an episode of the sitcom Friends, Chandler Bing says, “what if I had had the guts to quit my job? I’d probably be writing for The Now Yorker, getting paid to be funny. But my jobs fun, too! I mean tomorrow, I- I don’t have to wear a tie!”
The Economist is also the weekly magazine of news and pinions. It was founded in September, 1843 and published in London, UK. The Economist calls itself a newspaper. This reflects its legal status under long-standing company registration laws in its home territory, England. Unlike most newspapers it is printed in magazine form on glossy paper, like a newsmagazine. According to this characteristic, The Economist is a registered newspaper. As of 2006, its average circulation topped one million copies a week, about half of which are sold in North America. It is generally regarded as one of the world’s prime journals of its kind. It gives through and wide-ranging coverage of general news and particularly international political developments that bear on the word’s economy.
Although it is published in UK, it’s read world-wide. And North American especially accounts for about half of its total readership. On average, its circulation is 1,000,000 per week in total.
It’s covered various subjects, including international news, economics, politics, business, finance, science and technology and the arts, but not the sports. Apart from it’s a variety of subjects, it’s extremely famous for putting a maximum amount of information into a minimum of column inches That is to say, it uses a concise language. Its columns contain Politics This Week, Business This Week, Opinion. World, Surveys, Finance & Economy, People, Books & Arts, and so and on.
Each opinion of this magazine is devoted to a particular area of interest. The names of these columns reflect the exact topics. They concentrate on Britain, there are other two regular columns. They are named Face Value & Economy Focus. The former is about prominent people in the business world, while the latter one is a general economics column frequently published on academic research.
There is an obvious difference between The Economist and The New Yorker. That is The Economist publishes one obituary every week of a famous or infamous person from any fields of endeavor, while there hasn’t been such a kind of column in The New Yorker jet.
From the above, it’s quite clear to distinguish the differences and the similarities between The New Yorker and The Economist. For one thing, the stories in both of these two magazines are of the roots of reality. However, The New Yorker contains stories that happen in particularly in New York City or among the residents there, while The Economist contains the ones throughout the whole world. For example, there is usually one or two articles on China’s changing situation and development in current issues from time to time in The Economist. On the other hand, The New Yorker seldom or never mentions about something in China or the other countries’ issues.
For another, the articles in The New Yorker are written in details and long-contented and especially with a humorous tongue. For the contrary, the ones in The Economist are written quite brief and short in content. In other words, choosing concise words is one of the obvious characteristics The Economist. Except certain articles are written with a humorous tongue, most of them are expressed normally and solemnly, and concisely in this magazine.
In a word, both The New Yorker and The Economist are extremely widely read by readers. That’s because for one important thing--they are read worthy. They can provide readers a great amount of knowledge and information from politics to common life. For me, I can benefit a lot from both of them in improving my English. As they are both published by native English-speaking countries, it’s no doubt that daily-life expressions and slang are included in these magazines. This is known to be great importance for learning a foreign language.
Reading The New Yorker is a good way to know the ways of life, geography, politics and celebrities of different fields in New York, US. Since America is presently the richest country in the world, it can compare to the pulse of the development of the whole world. That is to say, it can represent the trend the change at present. Getting to know America is just like getting to know the trend of the world. The New Yorker provides a good channel for this purpose!
And The Economist, on the other hand, provides the general global news about changes and developments. The information in it gives readers the main understanding on significant issues of the glob. I can say if The New Yorker is a winder of America, The Economist is just like the window to see the whole world.
Monday, 13. November 2006, 12:35:45
China Daily and South China Morning Post are both significant newspapers published in China. Both of them have two kinds of editions written in English and Chinese. There are several similarities between them as well as the difference in certain expects. As far as I am concerned, each of them has its own disadvantages and enjoys the advantages.
The China Daily is an English-language daily newspaper published in People’s Republic of China. The editorial office is in north Beijing. The Communist Party of China-controlled state-run publication has the widest print circulation (200.000 per issue) of any English-language newspaper in the country. It has branch offices in most major citied of china as well as several foreign capitals.
As all known that this paper’s editorial policy is to support the policies of Communist Party and only make criticism of the authorities if there is deviation from Party policy. Because of this, a high degree of self-censorship is practiced by journalists at the paper. Subjects such as Taiwan, Tibet and the religious group Falun Gong are usually too sensitive for regular reporters to caver, and articles have to be approved by higher authorities before publication.
South China Morning Post is a leading English-language newspaper in Hong Kong published from Monday to Saturday by SCMP Group.
The South China Morning Post’ target audience is professionals, decision, makers and English speakers. It targets on elite population in Hong Kong, attracting middle to upper class individuals. And it has developed an enviable reputation for authoritative, influential and independent reporting on Hong Kong, China and the rest of Asia. Its news is based throughout South China region, including Hong Kong, and provides an unmatched resource of local knowledge and experience with various topics.
In a word, both of them are worth reading. These two newspapers are knowledge with a rang of topics from politics to sport. But we can see that China Daily is written briefly about significant news throughout home and abroad in a solemn way. Reading it, we can get to know the main events around China and abroad.
Instead, the South China Morning Post usually contains analysis of the issues behind the stories with details. Uncounted foreign news, the demotic news is a collection of important ones occurring in Southern region of China. As I am a Cantonese in South China, the stories in it can appeal to me easily.
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