French singer seeks Chinese musical dream

    “The first time I heard the Chinese song Girl in the Flower Room by Chinese rock star Cui Jian, I got the idea of covering it in French, and it 1 pretty good," French singer and songwriter Joyce Jonathan said. Known as the "Pop Queen of Chanson" in France, the 28-year-old singer 2 her first Chinese album Ca Ira on May 16 and toured China from May 19 to June 5 in cities 3Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

    Born on Nov 3, 1989 in Levallois-Perret, France, Joyce Jonathan has always loved to record life through music. At the age of seven, she learned to play the piano and began 4 her first series of songs. "Music is about love and stories. People of different countries may have language barriers5they can all understand what I am trying to say in my songs, and it is the power of music," Jonathan said. In 2005, she posted her musical tracks on the site MySpace, a social networking website, and was able to 6fame on the internet.

    7 that fame, Jonathan began recording her first album Sur mes Gardes in May 2010. It was certified platinum ( 130,000 album sales ) in under a year. On Jan 23, 2011, she 8 the NRJ Music Award for Francophone Breakthrough of the Year,9 an important step in her musical career. "When I win more and more fans, I truly feel very happy. And I like to communicate with my fans and listen to their ideas 10 I can," she says.

    Although a French native, Jonathan grew up in a "Chinese-speaking" family. Her parents worked in China and could speak a little Chinese and one of her sisters has lived in Beijing so far. "When I was a little girl, I visited Beijing, a very 11memory in my childhood.12 and friendly, Chinese people led me into many interesting places," she 13 "The food dumpling and the old places like hutong are really14to me." Because of her interest in China, the singer began to learn Chinese, and in 2011, she15 four of her songs in Chinese for the first time. "The Chinese language is very beautiful with dynamic rhythms. But Chinese is not easy to learn and I will keep practicing."

    16several years of work, the Ca Ira album was made, which included 10 Chinese songs. Some of the songs were 17 from French versions, while others are completely new for Chinese fans.

    In the album, Joyce Jonathan cooperated with Chinese singer Cui Jian, known as the "Father of Rock" in China.

    In April 1989, Cui released the song Girl in the Flower Room in his album Rock and Roll on the New Long March and the song was widely sung by Chinese people in the 1990s. "The song was amazing, both in meaning and melody, and I decided to 18 it in French."

    The French 19 Tes Deserts, which mean "The Love Desert" in English, was produced in May this year and was a sensation(轰动) among many French people. "I could not believe such a romantic song could come from China," French Facebook user, Zombie Baby, said online. According to Jonathan, the song proves music is20and has no boundaries.

    Zigfried, a little mouse, blew his breath on the frosty window of the farmhouse and rubbed it to see the outside. Still nobody came. Maybe today, he thought 1 It was only a few days before Christmas and he was watching for a miracle (奇迹).

    This farmhouse had been 2 too long. It needed a family. Zigfried's 3 made a noise. He realized that he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. He jumped from the windowsill (窗沿), grabbed a 4 from his home, and went next door to Farmer Mike's.

    Farmer Mike's house had been a great place for the little mouse 5the farmer married a wife who had a cat. Zigfried 6when he thought of it. He looked around cautiously as he 7 into the room where grain was stored and was quite 8as he filled his bag with wheat. He was turning to leave when suddenly he 9a hot breath about his ear. His heart beat 10, and without thinking he started to run and luckily 11 the cat's paws (爪子).

    The next afternoon Zigfried heard some good news: a 12family would be moving into the farmhouse soon. Zigfried's granny would arrive on Christmas Eve to 13 with him. He hoped that the family would come before his granny came. Before long, a car came 14 the road leading to the house, with butter sandwiches, cheese and chocolate.

    Zigfried's Christmas miracle did arrive!

    The house came 15 the next few days. Zigfried 16 every single hour of them. 17, the day before Christmas when he was drinking hot chocolate with a 18 smile at the door of his home, he heard the 19 of the children of the family about what they might get for Christmas. What? A cat? The 20froze on his face; his mouth fell wide open. After a long while, he at last found his voice: "Hey! Whose Christmas miracle is this?"

    Once there was a girl, named Kate. She was very polite and ready to help everybody. One day she found a pink paper bag on the way to school. She opened it and saw there was a lot of 1 in it. She thought she should hand it in to the teacher, so she 2 it in her schoolbag.

    When she went to the teacher's office, her teacher wasn't 3. As it was time for class, she hurried to the classroom. After class, she told her friend, Mary, about the money that she 4. Then, her greedy (贪婪的) friend took away the bag. After school, Kate wanted to go to the 5 office again, but she found the money was missing.

    The next day when the children were playing a game, Mary fell down and was hurt very badly. The other children stood around her and didn't know 6 to do. Kate kept calm and did something to stop bleeding. She told the others to go to teachers for 7. Soon a teacher took Mary to the 8 and the doctor examined her carefully. Within a week she was all right again. Kate became very popular in the school.

    Two weeks later Mary came to Kate's house. Her eyes were red. She was crying. She gave Kate the 9 paper bag with the money in it and said. “Kate, I have taken the money away. That day when you helped me, I felt very sad and now I decide to tell you the 10, you are such a nice friend! 11 Please don't tell the school about this please!” Then Kate said, “You are now 12, but you have done a bad thing. Though I will not tell anyone, I want you not to be greedy and 13 to do anything wrong.” The girl thanked Kate and 14.

    At the end of the term, Kate was given a 15 for being a very helpful girl in the school. Mary became an honest girl and was never greedy again.

Once wrong, never be wrong forever.

    Can you love someone too much？1 you can express the wrong kind of love, but I'm sure you can't 2 too much.

    One of my favorite stories tells of a woman who finally 3 to ask her boss for a raise in salary. All day she felt4. Late in the afternoon she worked up the 5 to speak to her employer. To her delight, he 6 a raise.

    The woman arrived home that evening to a beautiful 7 set with their best dishes. Her husband had come home early and8 a festival meal. She wondered if he 9 knew that she would not get turned down.

    She found him in the kitchen and told him the good 10. They kissed and then sat down to the wonderful meal. Next to her plate the woman found a beautifully lettered 11. It read, "Congratulations, darling! I knew you'd get the raise! These things will 12 you how much I love you."

    After supper, her husband went to do some 13. As he left the room, she 14 a second card that had fallen from his pocket. Picking it off the floor, she read, "Don't worry about not getting the raise. You 15 it anyway! These things will tell you how much I love you."

    The measure of love is when you love without measure. What this man tried to show his wife was 16 acceptance and love. Whether she17 or not, he loved her regardless. Sometimes his love might celebrate her victories and other times it was there to give 18.

    Upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa said, "What can you do to promote world 19? Go home and love your20." Yes, love your family, and also love your friends. Love them without pressure. And don't worry about spoilage（变质）. So remember, "Potatoes spoil, people don't spoil."

    It was a busy morning, about 8: 30am, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's arrived to have stitches (线) removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry, as he had a/an 1 at 9: 00am.

    I took his vital signs and had him take a 2, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and 3 since I was not busy with another patient, I would assess his wound.

    On 4 it I saw it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors and got the needed supplies to 5 his stitches and redress his wound. While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another 6 appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me he needed to go to the nursing home to eat 7 with his wife.

    I inquired as to her 8. He told me that she had been there for a while because she is a 9 of Alzheimer's disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be 10 if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew 11 he was, and that she had not 12 him for five years now.

    I was 13 and asked him, "Do you still go every morning 14 she doesn't know who you are?" He 15 as he patted my hand and said, "She doesn't know me but I 16 know who she is."

    I had to 17 tears as he left. I had goose bumps on my arm and thought, 'That is the kind of 18 I want in my life."

    True love is neither physical nor romantic. True love is a/an 19 of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

    Remember that the 20 deeds that we do in life really matter.

    I was late for the school bus and rushing to get ready. My dog, Tippy, got to the front door and lay down in front of it – his way of asking to be petted. I1his begging for affection (喜爱), hurdled(跨) over him and ran for the waiting bus.

    2, that afternoon, when I came home, Mom said to me3, "Honey, I have some4news that I need to tell you. This morning, while you were at school, Tippy was hit by a car and5 I'm so sorry."

    "No! It's not true!" I was6 I couldn't believe her. "Tippy, come here! Come on, boy!" I called and called for him. I waited. He didn't come. Feeling7, I wandered into the living room. I didn't cry that night. I still couldn't believe that he was8.

    When I got off the bus the next day, there was dead silence at home.9 my sobs (哭泣) bubbled up and erupted (喷发) like lava (熔岩) from a volcano. I couldn't stop10. I hadn't even petted him when I left.11could I have known that was my last chance? I cried until I felt empty inside.

    Time passed, and against my will, I started to12some things. I realized what little control any of us have over what happens 13 a dog. We can do everything right, but14things can still happen. But good things can happen too. That's15. The best way to 16 the hard times is to figure out what you need to do to get through them when they come, and to remember that hard times always17.

    I now deeply understand the "circle of life". Everyone is born, everyone18, and that's the way it is. If dogs never died, there would be no19for others like Belle – my new dog.

    Best of all, I realized that Tippy20all of my good memories of him. And they come to me every time I call!