Mother Tongue (语言)

    My name is Jiniku but everyone calls me Joey, including my parents. My father is American but my mother is not. My mother grew up in a country whose name I cannot pronounce correctly. She was educated in French and Latin, Spanish and German.

    My mother wrote all day, but never showed anyone what she wrote. She had notebooks she would write in, and a typewriter to straighten out (整理) the final copy.

    When she had typed (打字) pages, she put them in a box. This box was deep under the bed that she and my father shared.

    There were only two words that she ever said in the real voice, with her real accent (口音), real tongue. I heard her say them only three times in her life. She taught them to me one night as I lay on her legs, sweating (出汗) with fever.

    "Jiniku," she said in a low voice. "Jiniku." I focused (集 中) on her voice through my fever, realizing that something had changed. She was speaking from a part of her that she had not opened for a long time. She took my hand, and placed my palm (掌心) over her heart. "Juriszu." She stared out the window. There was a long silence. I could feel her heartbeat, which was calmer and slower than my own. "My name," she said at last, speaking once more in English, "means „dark ocean (海洋).‟ And you, Jiniku, my baby, yours means „life.‟" She looked out the window again. "„Ji‟ is the word for a happy birth. One where everyone lives and there is little pain. „Ni‟ is a tree that had its roots (根) spread far and whose branches (树枝) shelter (庇护) all. „Ku‟ is spirit. You have this all-encompassing (包罗万象的) life." She placed her hand on my heart. "The first and last letters of our names are the same," she said. "Don‟t forget that, Jiniku."

Environmental protection is one of the hottest topics nowadays. It was also something that ancient Chinese paid great attention to. In fact, the world's earliest environmental protection idea, ministry （部门） and law were all born in China. How did the ancient Chinese protect the environment?

The world's earliest idea of "managing state affairs（政事）through environmental protection"

Xunzi, a famous thinker in the Warring States Period, came up with the idea of "managing state affairs through environmental protection". He wrote in his book that vegetation（植被）should be protected well by humans.

Guan Zhong, a government officer 400 years ahead of Xunzi, was also an environmental protection expert. He said "a king who cannot protect his vegetation is not doing a good job".

The world's earliest environmental protection ministry"

Nine ministries set up by Shim, an ancient Chinese emperor, included "Yu"（虞） , an environmental protection ministry. Hie first " Yu'' leader was Boyi, an environmental protection expert. He invented wells so people could drink clean water. He knew a lot about animals and also called for animal protection.

The world's earliest "environmental protection law"

Over 4, 000 years ago, Dayu, an ancient Chinese water-control expert and also an emperor, made a rule, not allowing people to cut down trees in March or catch fish in June, because it was the time when they grew quickly.

Almost 3,000 years ago, Tianlv, the first environmental protection law, appeared in Qin. It recorded many ancient environmental protection rules. Two of them were interesting: firstly, rivers should not be blocked（堵塞）; secondly, grass and trees should not be burned to be fertilizer （肥料）except for summer. The second one is inspiring even for today. It can help to keep air clean and fresh.

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"Our teas can help protect your teeth and your heart, possibly even helping to prevent cancer," said Luo Shengkai, one of four student hosts from Sichuan University High School. They 1 introduced three self-made health teas through a livestream (直播) on Douyin 2 March 27, 2022, and they 3 for several weeks by now. The livestream got over 60 4 likes and many online orders, with all profits (收入) going to local tea farmers.

"It's 5 first time we have sold tea online. We not only need to introduce 6 tea, but we also need to interact with the audience and answer their questions," said Luo. "We've learned a lot from the process, 7 it's tiring."

Luo is one of a group of students 8 take part in a two-year course on tea research. They learn about tea planting and picking, tea making, package design and marketing through research and fieldwork.

However, 9 a new and popular tea isn't easy. Luo and his team members 10 a tea to better protect students' eyesight. They first met with a professional from Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and researched the properties (特性) of local tea. Then they learned 11 functions of ingredients such as goji berries (枸杞), mangosteen (山竹果) and cassia seed (决明子) and did experiments to find what would happen if they 12 all together. They ended up with a cassia seed tea and then added 13 ingredients based on people's feedback.

"Through the tea course, students 14 learn how to be creative and improve their hands-on skills. They also learn to respect tea workers and how to contribute to rural vitalization (乡村振兴). That's 15 our educational means." said Mi Yunlin, the principal of the school.