You may know the English letters A, B and C, but do you know there are people called “ABC”? You may like eating bananas, but do you know there are people called “banana persons”? If you don't know, I will tell you about it. They are some Chinese people like you and me, but they aren't in China. Why do people call them like that?

    If we call somebody an ABC person, we mean he or she is a Chinese but was born (出生) in America. Sometimes, people also call them “banana persons”. A banana is yellow outside and white inside. So if somebody is a “banana person”, he or she is “white” inside and “yellow” outside. By saying that, we mean he or she has yellow skin(皮肤) but does things in an American way. “Banana persons” were born in America and they live in America for a long time, so they think like Americans and do things like Americans. However, these people still have Chinese blood(血统). Their parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents are from China. They all have black eyes and black hair, so they look like us, Chinese people.

    There are many famous “banana persons” in America. They do very well in America and they are really great in their own fields.

    In the United States，every year, Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday of November．People in Canada also celebrate Thanksgiving Day. But because Canada is in the north of the United States，so it is colder and the harvest comes earlier in the year．In Canada，people have Thanksgiving Day on the second Monday of October．

    The harvest brings a lot of food to people．On Thanksgiving Day people in Canada and America like to have a big meal with their friends and family just like what Chinese people do at Mid-Autumn Festival．Many Canadians and Americans put flowers，vegetables and fruits around their homes．

    At a Thanksgiving Day dinner, many Canadians and Americans will eat turkey, potatoes and pumpkins pie．These are food like the food of many years ago．They are saying “Thank you” for the harvest that comes every year．

    Though chopsticks are used in many Asian countries, they have their beginning in China. Chinese history says that the Chinese had chopsticks as far as the Xia Dynasty(朝代)(about 4, 00 years ago). In the Spring and Autumn Period(时期) copper and iron chopsticks appeared. With the Han Dynasty lacquered(上漆) chopsticks came, followed by gold and silver chopsticks still later. Today we have chopsticks made of plastics. The most expensive are made of part of tusks of elephants and hard green stone.

    Chopsticks tell Chinese tradition in their way. In ancient (古代的) times the rich used hard green stone or gold chop-sticks to show their wealth(富有). In history many kings used silver chopsticks to take their food to see if it was poisonous(有毒的). It was said that if it was, the silver chopsticks would turn colour. Chopsticks are traditionally given to a daughter when she marries to show that they should have a son very soon, for “Chopsticks” in Chinese is pronounced like “quick a son”!

    Tianzhu chopsticks from Hangzhou, wooden chopsticks from Shanyang of Shanxi Province, and Beijing's chopsticks are well-known.

    Many westerners, businessmen, tourists put aside(一边) their knives and forks in favour(爱好) of chopsticks in China. Chopsticks appeared in the old Chinese story: an old man teaches his sons a lesson by showing how he could easily break a single chopstick but not a number of them. In China, chopsticks are connected with good luck. So on the country's New Year's Eve many families will lay out new chopsticks at dinners as a way of making requests for luck.

    English is becoming more and more popular in China. It can be used in every field, such as on some signs and restaurant menus. But there are some problems when people use it. Perhaps you've seen the English letters "WC" in your city. They show public toilets. But do you know it is far from native(地道的) English？In fact, foreigners from English﹣speaking countries seldom use the letters.

    Workers in our city are changing "WC" signs all over the city. The government is spending much money changing all the bad English on signs and restaurant menus. Many other places in China are following our steps.

    "WC, or water closet, is old﹣fashioned English. It sounds dirty to me. "says Nancy, a young woman from the US. The old sign will become "Gents/Men" and "Ladies/Women". "I see much poor English in everyday life, and not only on signs, "she says, "I know what they mean, but they are Chinglish, not real English. For example, when someone says to me "My hometown is Guizhou Province", I know he or she should say "My hometown is in Guizhou Province". Hometown is a smaller place in a province. The common mistakes that Nancy picked up include "Not Entry", which should be "No Entry", "Direction of Airport" should be changed to "To the Airport". And it is "Room Rate", not "Room Price". And remember to "Keep off the Grass" rather than "Care of the Green".

    The next time you walk on the street or eat in the restaurant, you can go and see if the expressions are right.