Service on the 102-km high-speed railway between Shenzhen and Guangzhou started on December 26, 2011. A non-stop trip between the Guangzhou South Station and the Shenzhen North Station takes 35 minutes at full speed.

    The train runs at the highest speed of 300 km per hour. All 36 pairs of trains run every day. A one-way first-class ticket costs 100 yuan. A second-class one costs 75 yuan, 5 yuan cheaper than a second-class ticket on the slower line.

    A high-speed train has 556 seats, including 16 seats in the VIP rooms and 50 in the first-class carriage (车厢). It offers more advanced facilities (先进的设施). For example, the seats are more comfortable, there are toilets for the disabled (残疾人), and there are power outlets (电源插座) in the first-class carriage.

    The high-speed service between Guangzhou and Shenzhen will be a convenient choice for many people. “I won't need to travel to the Guangzhou East Station to take a train to Shenzhen,” said Wang Yi, who lives in Panyu district in Guangzhou.

    Many people still prefer the slower trains, because the terminals (终点站) of the high-speed trains are far away from the centres of both cities. “I would not like to take a high-speed train to Shenzhen. I live in the centre of Guangzhou. First I have to get to the Guangzhou South Station. It is a waste of time for me,” said Zhang Lu.

    I have always loved cars. After graduating from college, I got one, which I regarded as my best friend. I called it Victor. For the next three years, everything I did was connected with(与…有关)Victor. I lived a happy life. But because of money problems, I had to sell Victor. Then my life broke down. Without Victor, I was like a fish out of water. Three months later, with the encouragement of my friends, I decided to start a new life. I tried and made it. Everything went well again. Losing my car made me grow up. I have learned that life won't go our way, but we can choose to be positive and make the best of it.

    Paper cutting is one of the traditional folk arts in China. It is a kind of popular folk arts and has been popular for about 1, 500 years. Let's learn about paper cutting.

    Wonderful meanings

    Paper cutting has some wonderful meanings, In our mind, paper cuttings can always bring us happiness and good luck. At the Spring Festival, people put up "Fu "on doors or windows. At a wedding, people also put up "Xi".

    The largest paper cutting in the world

    The largest paper cutting was made by Guo Xiaodong. It has an area of about 456 square meters. It is as large as a basketball court.

    Why are most paper cuttings red?

    In old times, people respected the sun. Red is the color of the sun. We always regard red as the symbol of hope and good luck. Now, we can still see red everywhere in China. The walls of old palaces are red. Lanterns are red. Weddings are always full of red things, too.

    Black paper cutting in Shanzhou

    It's true that most paper cuttings are red. But paper cuttings in Shanzhou, Henan Province are black. Black is the best color there. Shanzhou is a dry place. The local people make black paper cuttings to wish for rain.

    More than one million international students are studying in the United States. Many of them find it helpful to have a smart phone and an American credit card(信用卡).

    These things make it easy to pay for many kinds of goods and services. But getting a credit card as an international student is not a simple process. Normal US lenders ask for a social security number(社会保障号码). In addition, they ask to see a person's credit history. This helps the lenders fully believe that someone is responsible and make timely payments. These are the things most international students do not have.

    But one company is trying to make the process easier and fairer for them.

    Jack Guo is from China. He now studies at a university in California. He says having an American credit card makes it easier for students to get around town. And, he says, credit cards are important for international students who hope to live in the country in the future.

    Kalpesh Kapadia came from India to study at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He faced the same difficulties that many international students face when trying to get an American credit card. He decided to open SelfScore(万事达信用卡).

    Without asking for credit history and a social security number, SelfScore looks at materials such as passports，visas, and acceptance letters to American schools. The company also considers a student's ability to pay.

    About 10, 000 international students from more than 66 countries now have credit cards through SelfScore. Kalpesh says less than one percent of SelfScore's credit card holders are late for their payments because of different kinds of reasons.

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