For many in the United States, Arab-Americans are an invisible part of the population. Though Arab-Americans as a community have made great contributions to American society in fields from literature to politics to medicine, many Americans know very little about Americans of Arab backgrounds.
Arab history in the United States goes back to the late 1800's when large numbers of Arab immigrants first began making their journey to a land known simply as “Amreeka”.
Historians generally describe Arab immigration to America in two waves. The first wave took place between 1860 and 1924.The first wave consisted of Lebanese and Syrian, and some Egyptian immigrants. These new immigrants, who were mostly Christian, came to America in search of better opportunities. Even the doomed Titanic, which set sail for America in 1912,had close to a hundred Arab passengers aboard. The majority of Arab-Americans today are descendents of the first wave of immigrants; they are the third or more generation Americans.
The second wave of immigrants followed after World War Ⅱ,caused by political unrest in the Middle East. This second wave of immigrants consists of mainly Arab Muslims（穆斯林）and continues to this day.
Arab-Americans make up 3 million of the population in the United States, according to demographers. And quite different from popular belief, 64 percent of them are American-born. Eighty-two percent of Arab-Americans are US citizens.
Arab-Americans are beyond the national average in both education and income. Education is important among Arab-Americans; 82 percent have high school diplomas, 36 percent have bachelor's degrees or higher, and 15 percent have graduate degrees. The-median（中位数的）average income among Arab-Americans is $39,580, which is higher than the US average.

        Dragons are not real animals, but look like a combination (组合体) of many animals such as snakes, fish and deer. They have two horns (角) and a long moustache (胡子). With fantastic powers, they fly in the sky or swim in the sea. They can make rain, too. The Chinese dragon is a symbol of strength and good luck. The emperors of ancient China loved dragons. Their clothes were covered with pictures of dragons.

       We are proud to call ourselves the “descendants (传人) of the dragon”. In Chinese, “excellent” people are often called “dragon”. A number of Chinese sayings and idioms talk about dragons, for example, “Hoping one's child will become a dragon,” which means he or she will be successful.

        It is said that people born in the Year of the Dragon have certain characteristics. They are creative, confident, brave and quick-tempered. There are some famous “dragons” who have done excellent things, for example, Deng Xiaoping, the famous businessman Li Jiacheng and the movie star Zhao Wei. They are all successful. There are also some traditional festivals about dragons in China, such as Dragon Head-Raising Day and the Dragon Boat Festival. We have different kinds of activities to celebrate them. These two festivals come every year, but the Year of the Dragon comes every twelve years.

       The dragon is very important in Chinese culture. As the “descendants of the dragon”, it is necessary for us to know the views on dragons in our culture. It can help us understand why our parents always want us to be “dragons”.

       The year 2024 is the Year of the Dragon. Good luck to you!

    For thousands of years, poetry has been the favorite type of literature for many in China. As China Highlights website noted, “Chinese literature is one of the major (主要的) parts of China's ancient traditions, and Chinese poetry is just like the best prize (瑰宝) in this famous culture's literary treasure house.”

    There were many famous poets from different periods of time in Chinese history, and thousands of their poems are still read and appreciated today.

    To remind people of those classic Chinese poems and to promote cultural heritage (遗产), China Central Television (CCTV) has produced a TV show – Chinese Poetry Competition. The finale of the hit show's second season was shown on Feb 7.

    Wu Yishu, 16, who studies at the High School Afliated to Fudan University in Shanghai, came out on top. In an earlier episode, Wu wowed the audience when performing in a section entitled “Feihualing”. The game's theme (主题) was “yue”, meaning “moon” or “month” in Chinese. She recited lines from the Classic of Poetry (《诗经》 ), the earliest collection of poems in China: “In July, the crickets are in the field; In August, they are in the yard; In September they are at the door; In October, the crickets enter and crawl under our beds.

    “I really admire her knowledge of poems,” said Huang Zijin, 16, a senior 2 student from Ningbo High School in Zhejiang province. “The first time I saw her wearing traditional Han clothing on TV, I was very impressed by her classical looks. She fulfills all my fantasies for classic Chinese women's talents. What's more, she always appears so calm throughout the show, which is very unusual for her age.”

    As the old saying goes: “One who is filled with knowledge always behaves with elegance (优雅).”

    “Learning poems isn't about winning or losing. The power of poetry lies in shaping one's view of life and developing one's inner world,” said Li Bo, an expert guest at the Chinese Poetry Competition's second season.

    When it comes to teaching people about poetry, Li Dingguang, the show's academic advisor, suggested that teachers should explain more about the beauty of the poetry from both the aesthetic (审美的) and emotional sides, and guide the student to lose themselves in the poems' rhythmic (有节奏的) and rhyming (押韵的) lines.

    “Although the proportion (比例) of ancient Chinese poems in the textbooks of primary and secondary schools has increased, many students still learn them for exams,” Li Dingguang told China.org.cn. “Therefore, it's important to help students truly appreciate the artistry and fun of poetry.”