Dear Susan,

    I'm glad to hear from you. I'm happy you're learning Chinese. Now I will give you some {#blank#}1{#/blank#} on learning Chinese.

    As we know, Chinese is one of the most beautiful languages all over the world. Chinese words are more beautiful {#blank#}2{#/blank#} any other languages. Chinese culture is rich, such as poems, handwriting, songs and so on. Chinese has the largest number of speakers in the world. And nowadays more and more foreigners want to learn Chinese. But it's not {#blank#}3{#/blank#} for them to learn it. So when you're learning Chinese; listening, speaking; reading and writing are important.

    First of all, you should pay attention to listening and speaking. You'd better {#blank#}4{#/blank#} your best to speak while you do much listening. Don't be afraid of {#blank#}5{#/blank#} mistakes, even though someone laughs {#blank#}6{#/blank#} you, just speak as much as possible.

    {#blank#}7{#/blank#}; you can choose something short and interesting to read, because maybe you can more or less understand it.

    Third, if you want to {#blank#}8{#/blank#} your writing skills, you should increase the number of your Chinese words. I think making sentences, keeping a {#blank#}9{#/blank#}in Chinese every day. Writing notes or letters are also good ways. Oh, remember: {#blank#}10{#/blank#} Chinese dictionary is very useful for you. It helps a lot.

    Best wishes!

Yours,

Meimei

    "There is no love which is more sincere than the love of food," said Anglo Irish writer George Bernard Shaw. Like Bernard Shaw, many writers e{#blank#}1{#/blank#}food very much, and they say and write interesting things about it.

    British poet Owen Meredith (1831- 1891) learnt a lot about food when he lived in Paris. He famously said, "We may live without friends, we may live without books, but civilized(文明的) men cannot live without c{#blank#}2{#/blank#}."

    American writer Mark Twain also wrote a lot about food. "When you have t{#blank#}3{#/blank#}watermelon," he wrote, "you know what angels eat."

    American cookbook writer Alice May Brock has some simple rules about food from different c{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. "If you want to cook international food, it's easy," she wrote. "Put tomatoes on the plate and it's Italian. Use soy sauce and it's Chinese. A{#blank#}5{#/blank#}wine to the recipe(食谱) and it's French. Sour cream makes it Russian and lemon makes it Greek. But garlic makes it good! Cheers!" Tea and coffee are even more I{#blank#}6{#/blank#}for some people. There is a Chinese saying, "It is better to go without food for three days, than tea for one."

    The former American President Abraham Lincoln was often rude about the tea and coffee which was served to him. For example, he was in a Washington restaurant one day, and when the main meal was over, a cup of hot I{#blank#}7{#/blank#}was placed in front of him. He drank a bit and was clearly angry. "Waiter," he said, "if this is coffee, please bring me some tea; and if this is tea, please bring me some coffee."