Nowadays, lots of foreigners are learning Chinese. Like many of them, I 1 knew two words of Chinese ("Ni Hao" and "Xie Xie") when I first came to Beijing, China in 2009. As you can guess, my life was 2 for a while after I arrived. Simple tasks like ordering food or taking a taxi were quite stressful.

    I knew I had to learn more Chinese, so I 3 a Chinese class. My teacher was 4, although I didn't learn enough to have a real conversation. Later I studied on my own as well, but my progress was still slow. And I decided to 5.

    Around this time, I started playing in a band with a Chinese man who became one of my best friends in Beijing. He taught me a lot of 6 about music, such as "melody". He learned a lot of English from me in return, so it was a good way to 7 language and culture.

    I have learned enough Chinese to 8 many problems like booking train tickets. These days, there are more foreigners who are studying Chinese. I can 9 why it's an amazing language. Finally, I found that the best way to learn a 10 is to make friends with native speakers and spend time with them.

    Thang-ga is a special kind of painting. It started from the Tang Dynasty. Thang-ga paintings have attracted the public's attention in recent years. At the same time, the Chinese government has also tried hard to protect the culture.

    Thang-ga paintings were developed in the 7th century in the Tibetan area. The paintings are colourful and the paints used in Thang-ga paintings are different from those in other paintings. Because of the special environment of the Tibetan Plateau (高原) and the excellent painting skills, the colours of Thang-ga paintings look special. The paints in Thang-ga paintings in the past were made from minerals, including gold, silver, as well as some plants. Since they were made by hand, the beautiful colours could last for hundreds of years.

    However, with the development of machines, people now use cheaper and more easily-made chemicals to make paints. The traditional paints in Thang-ga paintings needed too much work and there were many secret methods. Later people stopped making the paints and forgot about them. So the skills were almost lost.

Kunqu Opera (昆曲),also known as Kun Opera, is a kind of Chinese musical drama (戏剧).But it is more than just drama. It is actually a kind of art{#blank#}1{#/blank#}history, music, dancing and others.

It is {#blank#}2{#/blank#}believed that Kunqu Opera is the beginning of all the other forms of Chinese opera. With a long history of over 600 years, Kunqu Opera started in the city of Kunshan at the end of the Yuan Rynasty. It became quite {#blank#}3{#/blank#}in the Ming and Qing dynasties. In 2001,Kunqu Opera was {#blank#}4{#/blank#}as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity (人类口述和非物质遗产代表作).

    Is it good to be in a middle school? Most American children think so. In America, middle schools often have sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. It is different in different places.

    For children, going to a middle school is a big change. Most middle schools in America have a special day for new middle school students. On that day, they are showed around the school by their new teachers. And they could know a lot about the history of the school. They also would make friends with the old schoolmates (校友).

    They will grow up and learn some different and difficult things in a middle school. A new middle school student will learn foreign languages, computer, music and art, health, and other skills, such as cooking.

    A middle school will have sports teams, clubs and have activities for children. They can choose what they like and join them. If they are good at singing, playing basketball or something else, or if they want to learn, they can join them. Most American children think it's good to be in a middle school.

Do you feel guilty(内疚的) for something you did? Maybe you made a mistake that hurt someone. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Either way, the simple words "I'm sorry" can help you and others feel better. It's not always easy to admit(承认) what you did is wrong. But you can't learn from your mistakes without admitting them.

Apologizing(道歉) is an important part of personal growth. When you apologize, the other person knows that you understand his feelings. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} But in fact, it shows that you are strong enough to put others before yourself. After apologizing, you may become closer to your friend than before.

But even after you decided to apologize, you may not be sure how to do it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

①Show that you feel guilty and understand how the other person feels. For example, you could say, "{#blank#}4{#/blank#} I feel terrible for talking to you like that."

②Don't keep doing what you apologized for.

③Don't put off(推迟) making an apology.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

Apologies can be hard, but they are necessary for healthy relationships.

Children all around the world love Lego bricks(乐高积木). With those bricks, they can make anything they want. Lego bricks are a great toy(玩具) to play with. Now, for the first time, Lego makes Braille Bricks in English and French, making them a useful toy for blind(失明的) children. 

Lego Braille Bricks have dots (小圆点) on them. The dots are Braille. By feeling (感受) them, blind children can read words and numbers. They can also learn Braille when playing with the bricks. It makes learning easy and fun. 

Olivia is a blind girl, and she learns Braille when playing with the Lego bricks at her school. She loves to play with them and learn Braille at the same time. Her mother also plays with her at home and now she also knows Braille. 

Reece, a little boy, uses the Lego bricks to teach his family Braille. Now, his mother and sister know Braille as well. He says, "I feel so good. Because my loved ones learn something new and I am their teacher. So cool!"

Lego makes its colourful bricks useful. Let's thank it for bringing a new way of playing and learning!