Subway

    A subway is not just an important form of transport. It is also a window for other people to learn about local cultures.

    Beijing, China

    The Beijing Subway was opened in 1969 and is the oldest subway system in China. It has added some modern technologies. All stations now have touch-screen maps. In some stations, people can also see traditional Chinese cultures. For example, on the walls of a few stations of Line 8, there are some pictures of blue and white porcelain(青花瓷）.

    Stockholm, Sweden

    The system of the Stockholm Subway has 100 stations in use, of which 47 are underground and 53 above ground. The first subway line for Stockholm was opened in 1950. The Stockholm Subway is well-known for its decoration of the stations. It is called the longest art gallery in the world. Over 90 percent of its stations are decorated with paintings. A few stations are decorated with red bedrocks（岩床）. This makes you feel as if you are in a cave.

    London, UK

The London Underground or the Tube is the oldest subway in the world. It was opened in 1863. During World War II, it was used to protect people from German plane attacks（袭击）on London. Now, it is a symbol of the city. There is no air conditioning in the trains, so it is very hot in summer.

    New York, US

The New York City Subway has the most extensive public transportation system in the world, with 469 stations. It is also one of the world's oldest public transit systems. The New York City Subway runs 24 hours a day. It has an express train on almost every line. You can get to your destination(目的地）promptly. The trains themselves are full of fun; you will see people doing moonwalk dances like Michael Jackson, playing the guitar and singing.

    In summer, it's common on the street to see many Chinese women holding parasols¹ to protect themselves from the sun.  But when Amy, an exchange student in Beijing from the US, first saw this, she found it strange, even impossible to understand.  She wrote on her blog, "Unlike Chinese women, American women like to put on their tank tops and sunglasses during summer. If you walk around an American college campus², you will probably see girls out on the grassy fields reading, but they really hope to get a head start on their summer tan³."

    This may be caused by the different standards of beauty between the US and China. Many Americans don't want white skin. They would rather be tanned³. Amy also wrote, "Having darker skin is so popular that many women and men will pay for fake⁴ tans so that they can keep their sun-kissed appearance during the winter months, too."

    Why do they like tanned skin? Michelle Louis reported in her research, "The process of tanning can help make people's skin smooth and hide marks." She further explained, "Tans make people's skin appear healthier and make them appear thinner than when they have pale skin."

    Perhaps there is no real ideal standard of beauty. In different cultures and at different times of history, the standards change. On Amy's blog, she also gave two examples: Some women carried parasols around trying to keep their white skin in the US 150 years ago; During the Tang Dynasty in China, heavy women were thought attractive. But now, Chinese women prefer to be slim.

    In a word, different standards of beauty should be respected. People may grow up with only one idea of what beauty is, but it doesn't mean that it's necessarily the correct or the best idea.

New words:

①parasol n. umbrella used to protect people from the sun 阳伞

②campus n. grounds of school, college or university校园

③tan n. the brown colour of sun-kissed skin 晒成的棕褐

④become brown by the sun 晒成棕褐色，晒黑

⑤fake adj. not real 假的

    Job interviews(面试) can be very different from country to country. An interviewer's" body language" and questions, and the form of an interview are not the same around the world.

    If you're at a job interview in Japan, don't look directly into the eyes of the interviewer. It is considered impolite. But if you're at an interview in the U. S, you should make eye contact (交流) with the interviewer. If you don't, the interviewer may think you are not sure about your ability.

    In the U.S. and some other countries, interviewers aren't supposed to ask questions about family and personal information. In most countries, however, personal questions are very common during job interviews.

    In Germany, your interview might begin with a very short conversation followed by a formal (正式的) interview. In Mexico and many other countries, the whole interview might not be formal.

    Our new foreign students are going to arrive very soon, and here are some ways to communicate with them politely.

    How close do you stand when you talk to a friend? You can stand close to people in the Middle East but don't stand too close to North Americans! Give them more personal space.

    Do you know how to touch people correctly? Chinese girls often walk arm in arm with their friends. South Americans sometimes hold your arm when they talk to you, so you can't move away! But in Britain many people don't like other people to touch them at all.

    Do you look at people when you talk? In some places，it isn't polite to look at people when you talk，but in other countries it isn't polite to look somewhere else. In Britain and the U. S., people usually look at each other when they talk.

    And how do you say goodbye? That's easy, wave to say goodbye. But be careful! In Greece, it's not at all polite. In fact, it's very rude.