In the eyes of many foreigners, Chinese are the best hosts and the worst guests in the world. They're not really bad guests, but because the guest­host relationship in China is much different than in some Western countries, it appears they are not nice guests. And Western hosts sometimes look rude in the eyes of Chinese guests.

In China, guests are almost like gods. Whenever I enter a Chinese person's home, there is always fruit on the table for me, and someone is quick to bring me a cup of tea or water. In the West, generally the guest is not a god. Acting according to the host's way of doing things is usual behavior for a guest.

    My wife's mother, a very kind elderly Chinese lady, doesn't smoke. When I see some of her guests smoking in her house, as a non­smoker, I feel unhappy. Usually I want to stop them directly, but I must realize that in China, to be a good host, she must not do that. In most North American homes, if you are a guest, and the hosts are not smokers, you should not smoke in their house. At the very least, you could ask, "Is it OK if I smoke?" But, don't be surprised if they say, "No, you can't smoke." In our culture, if you smoke in their home, you are a bad guest, but if they do not allow you to smoke in their house, they are not a rude host.

    Guests in China also have special habits. Some Western people may not adapt to these habits very soon. Thankfully my wife is Chinese, so whenever we visit a Chinese family she tells me to buy them a gift. However, giving a gift to a host is not always necessary in my country. So, if you invite international guests to your house, don't be too surprised if they don't bring you a gift.

    In China, you probably won't need to change the guest­host relationship very much because you will probably only be the host, and Chinese are naturally very good hosts. If Western hosts invite you to their house, try not to be too surprised if their style of treating you is not what you have expected.

If you've ever seen elephant seals(象海豹) lying on a beach, you might think all they do is sleep. But now scientists have discovered that when elephant seals are in the ocean, they hardly sleep at all. They just sleep for about two hours a day.

Even though elephant seals are large animals, they have to be careful in the ocean. Near the surface(水面), predators like sharks and orca s are a danger. So elephant seals spend most of their time diving(潜水) deep underwater, looking for food. Usually, they will dive for about 30 minutes, then come up for air for just a couple of minutes before diving again.

Scientists have wondered how elephant seals can sleep while they're at sea, since they are almost diving all the time. Animals like dolphins and sea lions have a special way. One half of their brain can sleep, while the other stays awake. But elephant seals are like humans- both halves of the brain need to go to sleep at the same time. So how do they sleep?

To find out, a scientist named Jessica Kendall- Bar did a research. She created a special cap that could record the elephant seals' brain activity. The cap also collected information on the elephant seals' heart rates, how their bodies were moving, and how deep they were. Dr. Kendall- Bar and her team put the caps on thirteen young female elephant seals.

The scientists learned that elephant seals steep in short times while they are diving. They only sleep for about 10 minutes at a time. They wake up in time to go up for more air. The scientists found that elephant seals only sleep for about two hours a day when they're in the ocean. That means that the rest they get once they return to land is very important, which helps them have energy again. Back on land they sleep for about 10.8 hours a day

The researchers hope that their work will help to protect the places where elephant seals sleep when they're on land.

Macao is in the southeast of China. It's only forty miles from Hong Kong and it is easy to reach. You can get there by ship. It is an interesting place and it has a long history. Macao is a part of China and most people living there are Chinese.

The first Europeans to go to Macao came from Portugal (葡萄牙). More than four hundred years ago, the Portuguese went there to do business with China. Some didn't leave and made their homes there. They built strong forts(城堡) to protect the city and the harbor(港口). They also built churches, schools, hospitals and other places. Slowly the city grew. People from many countries came to live, and work in Macao.

Today many people visit Macao. It is relaxing to walk around and look at the old buildings and forts. You may feel you are back in the old days. Of course, some of the buildings are now in ruins(毁坏). The Church of St. Paul has only the front wall with many steps leading up to it. But it is still interesting to see.

When you are hot and tired, there are small cool gardens to rest in. When you are hungry, there are good restaurants with many kinds of food. Nearby are some islands, which are also nice to visit and are easy to get to. There is certainly a lot to see and to do in Macao. People of Macao warmly welcome visitors from home and overseas(海外的).

Pinyin is a modern {#blank#}1{#/blank#} . It was invented in 1958 to help illiterate(不识字的) Chinese to learn how to read. It worked out quite well. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} people learned to read quickly with the help of pinyin.

 Pinyin has been used in other ways, too. It helps to develop the use of Standard Chinese, or Mandarin(普通话), so that people who speak different dialects(方言) can understand each other. It also makes it much {#blank#}3{#/blank#} to type Chinese characters on computers and cellphones.

Pinyin is also finding its place in other languages. The Oxford English Dictionary now {#blank#}4{#/blank#} more than 100 pinyin expression, such as jiaozi for"dumpings" and zhongguomeng for"Chinese dream".

 Foreign media sometimes use pinyin in reporting about China.

 Now, pinyin is not only a language {#blank#}5{#/blank#} , but also a cultural bridge that connects China to the world.

It is usual for people to wake up a few times during the night. Older people often get up to the bathroom. But what about some other people? If it happens a few times a week, there may be a troublesome reason. And it can be called insomnia(失).

You may wake up, look at the clock and worry about your work. There may be stressful things on your mind. These feelings may cause a stress hormone(激素) in your body. If you worry that you can't sleep, it may make it harder to fall asleep. So, what can you do?

Do something helpful. If you are awake 25 minutes or more, get out of bed and do something quiet. Gentle stretches or breathing exercises might help. You can sit and read a book or magazine in weak light. Do not read on a smartphone or a tablet in the dark place.

Don't drink coffee after 2 p.m. Coffee can stay in your body well into the evening. Besides, nap(打盹) lowers your drive to fall asleep in the evening. Try not to nap late in the day. Nap no later than early afternoon.

Try to keep a routine schedule for sleep. There is a problem when you go to bed and wake up at different times. Studies have shown that irregular bedtime may lead to insomnia. The problem has to do with the sleep cycle of your body, called circadian rhythms(昼夜节律). They work on 24-hourcycles.