Did you visit the Shanghai World Expo last summer? What impressed (给……留下印象)  you? 21st Century Kids invites four kids to talk about their experiences. They are back from the Expo. What did they bring us? Let's see what they have to say.

    I went to the SAIC-GM Pavilion (上汽集团通用汽车馆). I found my dream car there. It is a green car. Its name is “Leaf”. Chinese engineers made the car. Its roof is in the shape of a leaf. The roof takes in CO₂ and changes it intoelectricityfor the car.
    The Japan Pavilion is full of high technology. The “Wonder Camera” is cool. It can find a smiling face in a crowd. When you're smiling, it takes a photo of you. I want to invent something like that in the future.
    My favorite pavilion is the Germany Pavilion. I watched the Energy Source show. Visitors made a ball swing back and forth (来回摇摆) by using only their voices. It's amazing! Although we had waited for quite a long time before we entered the hall, I think it is well worth seeing with your own eyes.
    I like painting, so my parents took me to the France Pavilion to see the famous paintings. But the French cooks caught my eye. I saw them cook. My mom told me that they are some of the best cooks in the world. The dish they cooked looked like a painting. So, being a cook is my second dream job.

     This is a song millions of Americans will hear this New Year's Eve. It is called Auld Lang Syne(《友谊地久天长》). It is the traditional music played during the New Year's celebration. Auld Lang Syne is an old Scottish poem. It tells about the need to remember old friends.

      The words “Auld Lang Syne” mean “old long since”. No one knows who wrote the poem first. However, a version by Scottish poet Robert Burns was published(出版)in 1796. The words and music we know today first appeared in a song book three years later.

      The song is played in theUnited States mainly on New Year's Eve. The version(译文) you are hearing today is by the Washington Saxophone Quartet. As we end our program with Auld Lang Syne, I would like to wish all of our radio friends a very Happy New Year! This is Buddy Thomas.

    Peking Opera (Beijing Opera), is one of the oldest forms of dramas(戏剧) in the world. The roles(角色) in it were Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo, Chou, Wuhang, and Longtao during its early age. But with the change of Peking Opera, there are four main roles in it today: Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou.

    Sheng——Men Roles

    Sheng are the men roles in Peking Opera, which can be divided into Laosheng, Wusheng, Xiaosheng and Wawasheng.

    Laosheng are middle-aged or older men who are honest. Hongsheng,a type of Laosheng, have a red face. There are only two roles famous as Hongsheng. One is Guan Gong and the other is Zhao Kuangyin. Wusheng are young generals(将军) who are good at martial arts(武术). Xiaosheng are clean-shaven(没有胡须的) and handsome. Wawasheng are children's parts.

    Dan——women Roles

    Dan are women roles that can be divided into different types——Laodan, Qingyi, Huadan, Wudan and Caidan.

    Laodan play old and clever women. Qingyi are the main women roles. Huashan, a type of Qingyi, was created by Mei Lanfang, who played an important role in shaping Peking Opera. Huadan are lively and unmarried women roles. Wudan characters are women, good at martial arts. Caidan are clowns(小丑) in funny plays.

    Jing——Painted Face Men Roles

    A Jing role is an important man character with striking(吸引人的) looks and high social position. The main types of Jing are Tongchui, good at singing and usually a general; Jiazi, good at acting with less singing; and Wujing, a martial arts and acrobatics(杂技) role.

    Chou——Comedy Roles

    Chou are comedy(喜剧) roles in Peking Opera. There are Wenchou who speak, act and sing, and Wuchou who both speak and fight. What makes this type of role special is a small patch(块) of white chalk around the nose. One of the famous roles is the Monkey King, who has a special position in the hearts of all who are interested in Chinese opera.

    For thousands of years, poetry has been the favorite type of literature for many in China. As China Highlights website noted, “Chinese literature is one of the major (主要的) parts of China's ancient traditions, and Chinese poetry is just like the best prize (瑰宝) in this famous culture's literary treasure house.”

    There were many famous poets from different periods of time in Chinese history, and thousands of their poems are still read and appreciated today.

    To remind people of those classic Chinese poems and to promote cultural heritage (遗产), China Central Television (CCTV) has produced a TV show – Chinese Poetry Competition. The finale of the hit show's second season was shown on Feb 7.

    Wu Yishu, 16, who studies at the High School Afliated to Fudan University in Shanghai, came out on top. In an earlier episode, Wu wowed the audience when performing in a section entitled “Feihualing”. The game's theme (主题) was “yue”, meaning “moon” or “month” in Chinese. She recited lines from the Classic of Poetry (《诗经》 ), the earliest collection of poems in China: “In July, the crickets are in the field; In August, they are in the yard; In September they are at the door; In October, the crickets enter and crawl under our beds.

    “I really admire her knowledge of poems,” said Huang Zijin, 16, a senior 2 student from Ningbo High School in Zhejiang province. “The first time I saw her wearing traditional Han clothing on TV, I was very impressed by her classical looks. She fulfills all my fantasies for classic Chinese women's talents. What's more, she always appears so calm throughout the show, which is very unusual for her age.”

    As the old saying goes: “One who is filled with knowledge always behaves with elegance (优雅).”

    “Learning poems isn't about winning or losing. The power of poetry lies in shaping one's view of life and developing one's inner world,” said Li Bo, an expert guest at the Chinese Poetry Competition's second season.

    When it comes to teaching people about poetry, Li Dingguang, the show's academic advisor, suggested that teachers should explain more about the beauty of the poetry from both the aesthetic (审美的) and emotional sides, and guide the student to lose themselves in the poems' rhythmic (有节奏的) and rhyming (押韵的) lines.

    “Although the proportion (比例) of ancient Chinese poems in the textbooks of primary and secondary schools has increased, many students still learn them for exams,” Li Dingguang told China.org.cn. “Therefore, it's important to help students truly appreciate the artistry and fun of poetry.”

Spring Festival

    In China Spring Festival is the most important festival. It comes on the first day of the first lunar month（阴历月）．

    Before Spring Festival comes，people go out to buy things，such as meat，chicken，fish，fruit，sweets and new clothes. They clean their houses and decorate them. The Chinese character fu is a must. It is usually stuck（贴）upside down，which means "fu comes".

    The celebrations（庆祝）begin on the eve of the lunar New Year. The family get together for a big dinner. If a person is far from home，he will always try to get home for this big dinner. After the dinner，the whole family will sit together, chatting（聊天）and watching TV.

    During the holidays，they go to visit relatives（亲戚）and friends and exchange New Year greetings. They sit around talking and eating candies，cakes and all kinds of delicious foods. Every family prepares something special. Each child will get money as a New Year gift. People in the north of China often eat dumplings fir breakfast. People in the south often eat niangao because niangao means "higher and higher one year after another".

    The celebrations last（持续）15 days. It will come to an end when the Lantern Festival finishes.