Wednesday, 15. November 2006, 00:44:30
Comment, homework
There are lots of small restaurants outside the campus, including Shaxian snacks, Sichuan dishes, native cuisine and so on. These restaurants are very popular among students. What are the reasons for this?
In my opinion, the most important reason is their reasonable price. Students can not afford expensive goods. And operators of these restaurants have catched this point correctly. This makes them succeed. Besides, their dishes are more delicious than the campus cafeteria ones. Braised Tofu(红烧豆腐）, Braises Egg plant（鱼香茄子）and Pepper Salt Spareribs（椒盐排骨）are my favorite. Finally, the restaurants have good services. It's convenient for students if you do not want to wash the dishware.
As one coin has two sides, the restaurants are not good in all respects. Though the small restaurants have good services and delicious food, their condition is poor. You may always see the dirty tables and chairs. Rubbish is thrown optionally. Sometimes you will even see the flies flying around you. That does harm to our health.
In contrast with these small restaurants, food in the campus cafeteria is more simple in style and has less ingredients. If you go to the cafeteria at the end of serving time, you will find that the food is not heat and tastes bad. However, the condition in the cafeteria is comfortable and clean. Students are orderly. After their repast, they will self-consciously clean up the tableware. What's more, all the cafeteria foods come from a big market called Dongfeng Market. So there is no need to worry whether the food is fresh or not.
Concerning all the conditions, for my part, I prefer to have meals in the campus cafeteria. Because it is more healthful. And what about you?
Tuesday, 14. November 2006, 09:02:12
Comment
Abstract:
The Economist and the New Yorker are two worth reading magazines. Both are influencial in the field of newspapering all over the world. The former one pays more attention to global economy, business and some controversial issues. It helps people to know the hotspot of global economy and politics. And the latter one is a comprehensive literary class publication, including character introduction, entertainment, social tendency, art and so on. From this magazine, readers can learn all kinds of knowledge. It also enlightens people to reconsider some social phenomenons. Though these two magazines are quite different, to the same degree they bring readers the same joy.
Key words:
the Economist, the New Yorker, difference, magazine, publish, global, popular, weekly, style, reader
1. Introduction
The Economist, first published in 1843 by James Wilson, is a global and authoritative weekly magazine of England. It is published on Thurday night every week in six cities in the world, with 80% of the circulation came from London. As of 2006 its average circulation topped one million copies a week, about half of which are sold in North America. And its goal is to "take part in a severe contest between intelligence, which presses forward, and an unworthy, timid ignorance obstructing our progress." The newspaper has a trademark tight writing style that is famous for putting a maximum amount of information into a minimum of column inches. Though it is called magazine, it was registered in newspaper status. Unlike most newspapers it is printed in magazine form on glossy paper, like a newsmagazine.
The New Yorker, U.S. weekly magazine, famous for its varied literary fare ang humour. It debuted on February 17, 1925, with the February 21 issue. It was founded by Harold Ross and his wife, Jane Grant, a New York Times reporter. Formerly published weekly, the magazine is now published 42 times per year with an additional five (usually more expansive) issues covering two-week spans.The magazine goes to press on Thursdays, is available online from Thursday evening GMT, and is available on newsstands in many countries the next day. It is printed in seven sites around the world. Now the magazine is regarded as the symbol of New York's cultural circle. Americans who have received good education grow together with this magazine. By far this magazine has won 34 awards of National Periodical Award of America.
2. The differences between these two magazines
A: The biggest difference between The Economist and The New Yorker is content.
Subjects of The Economist covered include international news, economics, politics, business, finance, science and technology ,books and the arts, but not sports (though articles about the business of sports are occasionally published). Every two weeks, the newspaper includes, as an additional section, an in-depth survey of a particular business issue, business sector or geographical region. Every three months, The Economist publishes a quarterly technology survey. And each opinion column in the newspaper is devoted to a particular area of interest. The names of these columns reflect the topic they concentrate on:
Bagehot (Britain) - named for Walter Bagehot, nineteenth century British constitutional expert and early editor of The Economist.
Charlemagne (Europe) - named for Charlemagne, founder of the Frankish Empire.
Lexington (United States) - named for Lexington, Massachusetts, the site of the beginning of the American War of Independence.
Buttonwood (finance) - named for the buttonwood tree where early Wall Street traders gathered. Till september 21st 2006 this was an online column.
From now on it is included in print edition.
Two other regular columns are:
Face Value: about prominent people in the business world.
Economic Focus: a general economics column frequently based on academic research.
In contract with The Economist, The New Yorker contains more subjects. It concentrates on political observation, social tendency, critics, poems, humorous proses, arts, music, novels and drama. It is well-known for its commentaries on popular culture and eccentric Americana; its attention to modern fiction by the inclusion of short stories and literary reviews; its rigorously fact-checked, copyedited journalism about world politics and social issues; and its famous, single-panel cartoons sprinkled throughout each issue. Initially focused on New York City's amusements and social and cultural life, it gradually acquired a broader scope, encompassing literature, current affairs, and other topics. Aimed at a sophisticated, liberal audience, it became renowned for its short fiction, cartoons, major (occasionally book-length) nonfiction pieces, and detailed reviews in the arts. In its early decades, the magazine sometimes published two or even three short stories a week, but in recent years the pace has remained steady at one story per issue.
B: The second difference is readership.
The Economist's readership has grown to almost four million and includes many impressive names from among the world's opinion leaders. "The magazine I spend most of my days reading is The Economist." said Bill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft. "It changed my view of the world."——Rick Wagoner, Chairman & CEO, General Motors. And it frequently receives letters from senior businesspeople, politicians and spokespeople for government departments, Non-Governmental Organisations and pressure-groups. The reader locates for the social outstanding persons who have high income, rich independent opinion and critical spirit.
According to its content, The New Yorker's readership mainly comes from the middle class. People who live in New York city love to read it, and those who want to know more about New York will read it too. But no matter where they come from, these people have one point in common, that is all of them are acquainted. Because they are knowledgable, they can understand the criticism and homour easily, and offer more useful opinion.
C:The third difference is the way of editing articles.
Articles in The Economist often take a definite editorial stance and almost never carry a byline. This means that no specific person or persons can be named as the author. Not even the name of the editor is printed in the issue. Because all the articles are indited by a team. It is a longstanding tradition that an editor's only signed article during his tenure is written on the occasion of his departure from the position. The author of a piece is named in certain circumstances: when notable persons are invited to contribute opinion pieces; when Economist writers compile surveys; and to highlight a potential conflict of interest over a book review. The names of Economist editors and correspondents can be located, however, via the staff pages of the website.
Comparing with The Economist, The New Yorker also has something special in their compilation . The magazine does not put the titles of plays or books in italics but simply sets them off with quotation marks. When referring to other publications that include locations in their names, it uses italics only for the "non-location" portion of the name, such as the Los Angeles Times or the Chicago Tribune.Formerly, when a word or phrase in quotation marks came at the end of a phrase or clause that ended with a semicolon, the semicolon would be put before the trailing quotation mark; now, however, the magazine follows the usual American punctuation style and puts the semicolon after the second quotation mark.
D: The fourth difference is style
Objectivity and equity are the lifeline of The Economist. What they write is not stick to one pattern, but faithful to facts and accurate. It remains the style of using plain and clear language for controversial issues. Somebody may be retreat to avoid a conflict by the word "economics", but if you have a vocabulary of 4000 words to 20000 words, reading this magazine is not a difficult thing.
"Humor is the spirit of the magazine first and foremost." editor David Remnick of The New Yorker says."Laughter is a good way to get at serious issues". In my opinion, if laughter is the best medicine, the latest complation of New Yorker cartoons is a huge dose. The magazine owes its intellectual and serious reputation to long, in-depth articles on current affairs and extensive arts coverage. But the editors don't consider the cartoons a comic supplement; rather, they are a parallel comic universe. Using cartoons to satirize some social problems is the most prominent success of this magazine.
3. Something same in these two magazines
First of all, both The Economist and The New Yorker are authoritative and have a long history. For this part, they have formed their own extraordinary style and master the skill of how to attract readers. Nowadays, more and more newspapers and periodicals in other countries are imitating their way of compilation and style.
Second, these two magazines are weekly published and have its own website. Both of them goes to press on Thursdays, is available online from Thursday evening, and is available on newsstands in many countries the next day.
Third, they are popular all over the world. These two magazines are not only read by its native country, but also spread in other countries. Because what they wtite roots in the true life that all nations are concerning to.
Fourth, there are lots of caricatures and advertisments run through the content. Caricatures, impling the meaning of the article, make the books more interesting and profound. And advertisments help to earn more money for the magazines.
4. Conclusion
Reading The Economist and The New Yorker is a great pleasure. Both of them focus on some certain subjects to tell people the truth or something is going to happen. After reading, we learn knowledge and know how others think about our living space. Is the thing they talk about right? That is the question we need to think over. In order to enlarge our ken, reading all kinds of newspapers amd periodicals is a necessary way.
Friday, 3. November 2006, 09:27:46
Comment, homework
I rarely read newspapers in my spare time, especeally English newspapers. But in order to get as much information about our country and others as possible, I have to read. And I find that both China Daily and South China Morning Post are worth reading, though they have some differences.
The first and biggest difference in these two newspapers is content. China daily covers 16 pages from Monday to Friday, and 12 pages on Saturday. It contains the important events of Chinese politics, economy, society and culture. And it also includes some source of the world news. People in and out China can learn more about China from it. China Daily of weekend prints has a little difference from weekdays ones. It adds the Listing and Opinion supplements.
However, South China Morning Post covers more subjects. It publishes articles of general interest including business, property, court cases, lifestyle, sports and medicine. The South China Morning Post is totally composed of about 50 pages, nearly three times of China Daily. And it is divided into three sections: A、B、C. Section A is about all important news happening throughout the world, including National, International, Hong Kong﹠Delta, Special Report, Leaders﹠Letters, Insight and something else. Section B focuses on business, with columns of Mutual Funds , Companies﹠Finance, Markets, China Stocks, Hong Kong Stocks and so on. And Section C pays attention to city life, giving information about people, food, film, arts, sports and any other aspects of daily life.
Concerning the contents, South China Morning Post covers more knowledge and entertainment. However, China Daily is more terse and objective and easier to appeal to readers' attention.
The second difference is readership. The South China Morning Post has a total readership of 322,040. They are well-educated and affluent. It also has the highest percentage of readers being business decision makers and opinion leaders among all major Hong Kong newspapers. Readers of China Daily can be devided into two kinds, one is internal and one is overseas. The former contains diplomatic officals and decision makers of central government. And the latter includes foreign government, parliament, national organization, multinational, Chinese embassies and consulates abroad and Research institutions and so on.
The third difference is photograph. South China Morning Post has big coloured pictures on each page. And the size of photo always covers one third of the whole page. But most photoes in China Daily are black and white, only the front two pages have some coloured ones.
Though these two newspapers differ from each other a lot, they have some similarities. Both of them are popular and wide-read in and out China. Besides, they not only have a bureau. South China Morning Post, with two bureaus in China, one in Beijing and one in Shanghai. This gives an edge to independent news coverage from that country. And the editorial office of China Daily is in north Beijing, and the newspaper has branch offices in most major cities of China as well as several foreign capitals.
On all accounts, reading China Daily and South China Morning Post is a kind of enjoyment in my daily life.
Thursday, 2. November 2006, 13:16:01
character
FAST FACTS
Birth name: Malcolm
LittleNickname: (early years) Detroit Red, Big Red
Name change: Malcolm X; El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz
Birth date: May 19, 1925
Birth place: University Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska
Death date: February 21, 1965
Death place: The Audubon Ballroom in New York
Burial location: Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York
Parents: Earl Little and Louise (Norton) Little
Siblings: (in order of birth) Ella, Earl and Mary (half-siblings from Earl’s previous marriage); Wilfred, Hilda, Philbert, Reginald and Yvonne
Married: Betty (Sanders) X; on January 14, 1958
Children: Attallah, Qubilah, Ilyasah, Gamilah, Mallak and Malikah
Hair color: Reddish brown
Eye color: Brown
Elementary school: Pleasant Grove Elementary School in East Lansing, Michigan
Occupation: Civil rights activist
Nationality: American
Religion: Islam
Famous tagline/quote: “By any means necessary.”
CHRONOLOGY
May 19, 1925 Malcolm Little is born in Omaha, NE.
1929 The family's Lansing, MI, home is burned to the ground.
1931 Malcolm's father is found dead on the town's trolley tracks.
1946 Malcolm is sentenced to 8-10 years for armed robbery; serves 6 ½ years at Charlestown, MA State Prison.
1948-49 Converts to the Nation of Islam while in prison.
1953 Changes name from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X and becomes Assistant Minister of Nation of Islam's Detroit Temple.
1954 Promoted to Minister of Nation of Islam's New York Temple.
1958 Marries Sister Betty X in Lansing, Michigan.
1959 Travels to Middle East and Africa.
1963 Nation of Islam orders Malcolm X to be silent, allegedly because of remarks concerning President Kennedy's assassination.
March, 1964 Malcolm X leaves the Nation of Islam and starts his new organization, Muslim Mosque, Inc.
April, 1964 Travels to Middle East and Africa.
May, 1964 Starts the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU), a secular political group.
February 14, 1965 Malcolm X's home is firebombed.
February 21, 1965 Malcolm X is assassinated as he begins speaking at the Audubon Ballroom, New York.
ACHIEVEMENTS
In December 1953, a little more than a year after he was paroled from prison, Malcolm was named the minister at the NOI’s Boston mosque, Temple No. 11. The following year he also became the minister at Temple No. 12 (Philadelphia) and Temple No. 7 (New York).
Muhammad Speaks, the NOI newspaper, was founded by Malcolm in 1957.
Beginning in the 1960s, Malcolm was invited to participate in numerous debates, including forums on radio stations (Los Angeles, New York, Washington), television programs (“Open Mind,” “The Mike Wallace News Program”) and universities (Harvard Law School, Howard University, Columbia University).
In 1963, the New York Times reported that Malcolm X was the second most sought after speaker in the United States.
On June 29, 1963 Malcolm lead the Unity Rally in Harlem. It was one of the nations largest civil rights events.
After befriending and ministering to boxer Cassius Clay, the boxer decides to convert to the Muslim religion and join the Nation of Islam. In February 1964, Clay announces he has changed his name to Muhammad Ali.
In March 1964, after his split with the NOI, Malcolm forms the Muslim Mosque, Inc. Several months later, he also organizes the Organizations of Afro-American Unity (OAAU).
Malcolm’s autobiography, which he worked on for two years with writer Alex Haley, was published in November 1965.
Thursday, 2. November 2006, 13:03:47
Comment, homework
Last Wednesday was my first time to see Citizen Kane. I had never heard of it or read about it before. Over two hours I just sat there hypnotized. Then I checked it on the internet and knew how great the movie was.
This movie is one of the most classical masterpieces in the world and a milestone of modern movies. It was made by a genius called Orson Welles when he was 25 years old in 1941. Orson not only directed the movie, but also wrote it and played the role of Kane.
Why this movie is so highly praised? I think there are some reasons. First, according to its way of narration, it set an unprecedented example to movies. That is the method of flashback and narration interposed, which break the traditional technique of expression. So audiences can understand the character of Kane from different angles. 
Second, in the light of the technique of sceening films, the film is the first one to use deep-focus camera shot. It makes the frame more lively and strongs the expressive force of the film. What's more, the special use of lighting is also a breakthough of the technic.
The movie is a biography. It focuses on the whole life of Kane. And the story revovles around the word "rosebud", which was said before Kane's death. Kane is a publishing tycoon. A reporter is interested in Kane's dying word and try to find some hidden meanings. Then he interview with Kane's former friends, wives and colleagues. Everyone is guessing what rosebud refers to. Is it a nickname of his first lover or his favorite pet? Or something that he did not gain before? Or a unforgetable memory of his life? This is not revealed until the end of the film, bot only to the audience. At last, the reporter sees the word "rosebud" on the blowmobile when Kane's hangovers are sorted. Then he suddenly realizes the identity. In my opinion, this reveals that Kane missed his childhood very much, maybe that period of time was his happiest time. If he does not live in the capitalist society, he might be a totally different kind of person.
After reading this movie, I have something to say.
People always can not appraise others objectively. But this film really gives Kane objective estimation. The reporter came to interview Kane's friends and relatives. Some of those people appreciated him, some criticized him. To combine all their opinion, we entirely know what kind of person Kane is.
Then, I come to think about the significance of life. Although you are a great man or a millionare, your final way is to be die. Kane owned lots of money, a great hacienda, reputation, and so on. He is powerful. It seemed that he could seize everything he wants. But his later years were not happy, especially after Susan's left. So I suppose that to live happily is more important than to be wealthy in our lifetime.
At last, I want to say Citizen Kane is a great movie you can not miss.
Showing posts 21 -
25 of 26.
WIDGETIZE