Modern Chinese use the solar calendar（阳历）as English people do . But at the same time, they use their own lunar calendar. Each lunar year is given the name of one of these animals : the rat , the ox , the tiger , the hare , the dragon , the snake , the horse , the goat , the monkey , the chicken , the dog and the pig . This list lasts for 12 years and then starts again.

     Each Chinese month starts on the day of the new moon. And the full moon comes on the 15th day of the month. The New Year always starts between January 21 and February 20. On the last day of the lunar year, there is a big family dinner. All members of the family except married daughters try to be present at this meal, even of they have to travel many miles to reach the home of their parents. Old quarrels are forgotten, and everybody is happy. After the dinner, the children keep awake to welcome the New Year.

    The New Year celebrations last for 15 days, from the new moon to the full moon. On the first day, children and unmarried people go to visit their elder

    Our country used to be very poor in technology, but great changes have taken place these years. Lots of our technology is much better than those of foreign countries. High-speed railway technology is one example.

    We learned about high-speed railway technology from foreign countries, but now we have mastered(掌握）and developed the key technology. Our high-speed railway technology is advanced. It can not only have a high speed but also be used in different environment and the cost is lower.

    China Railway Corp (CRC) is fully prepared to sell a full supply of high -speed railway technology. The company said selling of railway technology and building railways for other countries are going very well, and progress is being made in a number of countries. We have a major advantage. We are able to sell whole railway technology. It isn't very good to buy some technology from one country and other technology from another.

    The selling plan for our high-speed railway technology will follow the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (一带一路).

    Like the US-made Boeing 737 and France's Airbus, our high-speed railway technology could be an important project to help sell our technology in the future.

    The 35th Weifang International Kite Festival opened in April 2018 in East China's Shandong, receiving kite fans from all over the world. Shandong has a long history of kite making. Over 2,000 years ago, a man named Gongshu Ban from Shangdong invented a kite. It was made of bamboo. In the following centuries, kite making developed well in China.

    The first Weifang International Kite Festival was celebrated in 1984. In 1983, chairman of the Seattle Kite Association David Checkley took part in a kite show in Shanghai and later he visited several kite manufacturers (制造商). He found that kites made in Weifang were the best. He suggested that an international event take place there. So Weifang began to hold it in April every year.

    At the fifth festival, Weifang became known as the "kite capital of the world". Today, Weifang is home to over 300 kite factories. Their products are sold to over 40 countries and areas, making up 85% of the domestic (国内的) market and 65% of the world market.

    However, there are also some problems. "Only a few people would like to learn traditional kite making," says Yang Hongwei. In her opinion, only something traditional can last. As for this problem, an older craftsman (手艺人) Zhang Xiaodong said, "Only through innovation can we achieve a bright future for traditional hand-made kites." Zhang has created a rocket-shaped kite after China launched the Shenzhou-5 spacecraft. "I have a controller and the two parts of the 'rocket' can separate in the sky," he said proudly. He is planning to use drones (无人机) in kite making next.

    People in different countries have different ways of doing things. Something that is polite in one country may be quite impolite in another. In Britain, you mustn't lift your bowl to your mouth when you are having some liquid (液体) food. But it's different in China. And in Japan you even needn't worry about making noises when you have it. It shows that you are enjoying it. But it is regarded as bad manners in Britain. If you are a visitor in Mongolia, what manners do they wish you to have? They wish you to give a loud "burp" (打嗝) after you finish eating. Burping shows that you like the food.

    In Britain, you should try not to put your hands on the table when you're having a meal. In Mexico, however, guests are expected to keep their hands on the table during a meal. But in Arab countries you must be very careful with your hands. You mustn't eat with your left hand. Arabs consider it very bad manners to eat with left hands. So, what should you do if you are on a visit in another country? Well, just do in Rome as the Romans do. You can ask the native (本土的) people to help you or just watch carefully and follow them.