Family structure is the core of any culture. A major function of the family is to socialize new members of a culture. As children are raised in a family setting, they learn to become members of the family as well as members of the larger culture. The family provides the model for all other relationships in society. Through theobservations and modeling of the behavior of other family members, children learnabout the family and society including the values of the culture. Familystructure and their inherent relationships and obligations are a major sourceof cultural difference.

        The family is the center of most traditional Asians' lives. Many people worry about their families' welfare,reputation, and honor. Asian families are often extended, including severalgenerations related by blood or marriage living in the same home. An Asianperson's misdeeds are not blamed just on the individual but also on the family—includingthe dead ancestors.

        Traditional Chinese, among many otherAsians, respect their elders and feel a deep sense of duty toward them.Children repay their parents' sacrifices by being successful and supportingthem in old age. This is accepted as a natural part of life in China. Incontrast, taking care of aged parents is often viewed as tremendous burden inthe United States, where aging and family support are not honored highly.

        The Vietnamese family consists of peoplecurrently alive as well as the spirits of the dead and of the as-yet unborn.Any decisions or actions are done from family considerations, not individualdesires. People's behavior is judged on whether it brings shame or pride to thefamily. Vietnamese children are trained to rely on their families, to honorelderly people, and to fear foreigners. Many Vietnamese think that theiractions in this life will influence their status in the next life.

        Fathers in traditional Japanese familiesare typically strict and distant. Japanese college students in one study saidthey would tell their fathers just about as much as they would tell a totalstranger. The emotional and communication barrier between children and fathersin Japan appears very strong after children have reached a certain age.

        Although there has been much talk about"family values" in the United States, the family is not a usual frameof reference for decisions in U.S. mainstream culture. Family connections arenot so important to most people. Dropping the names of wealthy or famous peoplethe family knows is done in the United States, but it is not viewed positively.More important is a person's own individual "track record" ofpersonal achievement.

       Thus, many cultural differences exist infamily structures and values. In some cultures, the family is the center oflife and the main frame of reference for decisions. In other cultures, theindividuals, not the family, is primary. In some cultures, the family'sreputation and honor depend on each person's actions; in other cultures,individuals can act without permanently affecting the family life. Somecultures value old people, while other cultures look down on them.

(Adapted from R. L. Oxford & R. C.Scarcella, "A Few Family Structures and Values Around the Globe")

    Have you ever imagined traveling to a foreign country without having to worry about the headache of communicating in a different language?

    In a recent Wall Street Journal article, technology policy expert Alec Ross argued that, within a decade or so, we'll be able to communicate with one another via small earpieces with built - in microphones. That's because technological progress is extremely rapid. It's only a matter of time. Indeed, some parents firmly hold the idea that this technology is approaching and they're wondering if their kids should even learn a second language.

    It's true that an increase in the quantity and accuracy of the data loaded into computers will make them cleverer at translating “No es bueno dormir mucho” as “It's not good to sleep too much.” Replacing a word with its equivalent (同义词) in the target language is actually the “easy part” of a translator's job. But even this seems to be a discouraging task for computers.

    It's so difficult for computers because translation doesn't--or shouldn't--involve simply translating words, sentences or paragraphs. Rather, it's about translating meaning. And in order to infer meaning from a specific expression, humans have to interpret a mass of information at the same time.

    Think about all the related clues that go into understanding an expression：volume，gesture, situation, and even your culture. All are likely to convey as much meaning as the words you use.

    Therefore, we should be very skeptical of a machine that is unable to interpret the world around us. If people from different cultures can offend each other without realizing it, how can we expect a machine to do better? Unless engineers actually find a way to breathe a soul into a computer, undoubtedly when it comes to conveying and interpreting meaning using a natural language, a machine will never fully take our place.

    Controlling your food longings and dropping pounds fast is easy: Just eat breakfast. The editors of Eat This, Not That! carried out researches to determine some best breakfast food for weight loss.

Black Beans

    Protein, per 1/2 cup: 7g

    Black beans will not only fill you up for hours but also help slim you down. Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center researchers found that with black beans consumed daily, study participants' fat reduced by 4 percent over two years.

Peanut Butter

    Protein, per 2 tbsp: 7—8g

    While processed peanut butter is filled with sugar and oils, the real stuff is made with just two ingredients: salt and peanuts. The peanut is filled with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Nutritionist and personal trainer Kristin Reisinger suggests using the healthy fat in an AM smoothie.
Almond Butter

    Protein, per 2 tbsp: 7—8g

    “Almond butter is high in protein, fiber and monounsaturated fats,” says Martha McKittrick, RDN, CDE. “Studies have also shown that people who eat nuts are less likely to become overweight than those who avoid them, likely because it helps you feel fuller.” To get the benefits at breakfast, McKittrick suggests spreading some nut butter on the whole grain toast.

Eggs

    Protein, per two large eggs: 13g

    “Eggs are an excellent source of protein and other healthy nutrients including fat-burning choline(胆碱),” says McKittrick. Choline, also found in lean meats, seafood and collard greens, attacks the gene mechanism that causes your body to store fat around your liver, according to Zero Belly Cookbook. The more eggs you eat, the less egg-shaped you get.

    Where will you go to escape the stress of life and the noise of traffic? To find out, we turned to question-and-answer site Quora, where users have been sharing their opinions. From an Alpine palace in Germany to some amazing English views, these dreamy destinations are so magical that it's hard to believe they're real.

    Gaudi's otherworldly imagination

    Designed by one of Spain's most famous architects, Antoni Gauldi, the Roman Catholic church Sagrada Familia is a legend in itself Construction began in 1882, but less than a quarter of the project was complete when Gaudi died in 1926. Since then, work has progressed slowly. How about the ending? Architects plan to complete the project in 2026, the centenary of Gaudi's death.

    As Barcelona's most popular tourist site, Sagrada Familia attracts three million visitors every year for one good reason: It's a masterpiece unlike anything else in the world which is largely responsible for the city's lively personality.

    A setting that could steal the spotlight from any storybook hero

    With its valleys surrounded by lakes, rivers, hills and peaks, the Lake District in England's northwest is quite literally taken out of fairy tales. This place was Beatrix Potter's inspiration for Peter Rabbit and the residence（居所）of the Lake Poets, including William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey.

    One of nature's most magical illusions

    Once upon a time in the faraway land of the Faroe Islands, Lake Leitisvatn became known as the most striking of all the islands' lakes. At more than 6km long, it is the biggest in the Faroe Islands. In reality, Lake Leitisvatn is actually no more than about 30m above sea level. A steep cliff in front of the lake and a clever camera angle make the lake appear to be much higher than it really is.

    When we are young we are taught that it's wrong to lie and we should always tell the truth. Unfortunately, most children lie even if they're told not to. Research carried out at the Institute of Child Study at Toronto University has shown that this might not be such a bad thing. Apparently (显然地), children who tell lies when they're two years old have a good chance of becoming successful adults (成年人).

    According to the research, at the age of two, 20 percent of children lie. At the age of three, 50 percent lie, and at four almost 90 percent lie. By the age of 12 almost every child tells lies.

    Lying needs much brain work. And the better the lie is, the more work the brain has to do. By training the brain early, researchers believe children will be able to think more clearly when they are adults.

    Recent research, carried out by the Science Museum in London, has shown some interesting facts about the way we lie as adults. According to the research, the average British man tells three lies every day, that's over 1,000 lies a year. However, the average woman apparently only lies twice a day.

    Most people think women are better liars (说谎者) than men although in fact they tell fewer lies. Popular women's lies include 'Nothing's wrong, I'm fine', 'I don't know where it is, I haven't touched it', and 'It wasn't that expensive'.

    Some people say you can lie as long as it's a white lie. A white lie is a lie told to avoid hurting someone's feelings. One of the most common lies for both men and women is 'It's just what I've always wanted', said after opening a present from their partner.

Being a good parent requires providing a child with the gifts of love, attention, energy, and resources unstintingly over a long period of time. It involves developing a small body, but it also involves growing a child's soul.

Parents are an enormously powerful force in the lives of children. Whether Johnny can read, whether Johnny knows right from wrong, whether Johnny is a happy, well-adjusted kid, or sad and self-destructive, has a whole lot to do with the kind of parenting Johnny has received. If Johnny's mom and dad have been able to come through with lasting, loving attention, the chances are that Johnny is on track to become a productive, compassionate (富有同情心的) person. If they have not, Johnny is in trouble.

Thirty years ago Chicago professor James S. Coleman showed that parental involvement mattered far more in determining school success than any quality of the formal education system. Across a wide range of subject areas, in literature, science and reading, Coleman estimated that the parent was twice as powerful as the school in determining achievement at age fourteen. Psychologist Lawrence Steinberg, who recently completed a six-year study of 20,000 teenagers in nine different communities, confirms the importance of parents. Steinberg shows that one out of three parents is "seriously disengaged" from his or her adolescent's education, and this is the primary reason why so many American students perform below their potential and below students in other rich countries.

A weight of evidence now demonstrates obvious links between absentee parents and a wide range of behavioral and emotional problems in children. A 1997 study of 90,000 teenagers — the Add Health Project undertaken (承担) by the Carolina Population Center and the Teenage Health Program at the University of Minnesota found that youngsters are less likely to get depressed, use drugs or become involved in crime when they spent significant time with their parents. This study found that the mere physical presence of a parent in the home after school, at dinner and at bedtime significantly reduces the incidence of risky behavior among teenagers.