As is known to all of us, Beijing Opera is one of the most important opera styles in China. It is an art on the stage which has about 200 years' history. It is not only a treasure of the Chinese nation but also a cultural symbol of China. Similar to western operas, Beijing Opera is a combination of singing, dancing, martial arts, music and literature, so it is also called the "Oriental (东方的) Opera" by western people.

    Beijing Opera uses special imagery in creating the characters. All roles are divided according to sex, personality, age and profession and social status. Hangdang is the general term for role in Beijing Opera. There are four types of roles in Beijing Opera today. They are sheng, dan, jing and chou. The sheng is the male protagonist (主角), the dan the female protagonist, the jing (painted face) a male supporting role with a different characteristics, and chou (clown) a comic or negative figure. Each kind of role has their own face-painting and dressing to indicate their identities.

    The Opera's performance requires not only the gentle voice but also the proficiency (熟练) of martial actions. A successful opera actor must suffer from the tough practicing period. In the old time, the children of poor families were sent to the opera group in order to earn a living. While now, the real opera artists are well respected by opera lovers.

    Mei Lanfang, one of the most remarkable performing artists in Beijing Opera, was born in Beijing into a poor family. His life was bitter and he had no opportunity to go to school, so he went to the troupe (戏班子) when he was 8 years old to learn Beijing Opera. Mr. Mei was on the stage when he was 11 years old to perform the plays of Beijing Opera. He has been an opera actor for more than 50 years, performing hundreds of traditional plays and over 30 modern plays. He portrayed many bright and lifelike female figures on the stage and became the model in Chinese Beijing Opera and even within the entire artistic circle.

Welcome to Huamao Middle School Club

Come and have fun together! If you are interested, go to Room 101 to register(选课)before 2:00p.m. this Friday. Please talk to Mrs.Wu for more information(信息).

There are two mice, Bill and Paul. They are good friends. One mouse lives in the country, the other mouse lives in the city. On a sunny day they meet in the street. 

Paul: Hi, Bill! Have a look at my house in the country. I'm sure you will enjoy yourself. 

Bill: I'd love to. But I hear that the food is not delicious, and your house is small. Is that so?

Paul: No, that's not true. Come and see by yourself!

Then Bill goes to the countryside with Paul. 

Bill: Paul! Why do you live in a hole in the field*? You should come and live in the city. You will live in a nice house made of stones. You will have better food to eat. You must come and see me at my house in the city. 

Paul:Thanks! Maybe you are right. I'll visit your house one day. 

Several days later, Paul visits Bill's house in the city. The house is big and beautiful. They are sitting in the living room, having a big dinner comfortably. Suddenly, there is a great noise. 

Bill: Run! Run! The cat is coming!

Paul: Oh, no! Both the house and the food are nice, but I do not like living in the city. I love my hole in the field, for it is nicer to be poor but happy than to be rich but afraid. 

Listening test is one of the most important parts of the English exam. Here are some tips for you.

Before you start to listen, you need to relax. Don't be stressed out. And try to read the questions. These questions usually help you understand the conversation or the passage.

Then listen carefully to the first sentence. It usually tells you the main idea of the passage. When you're listening, try to do some thinking and take some notes, such as:

☆What happened.

☆When, where, and how.

☆What does the speaker want to tell us.

In this way, you may understand the passage better.

Please remember not to think about one or two words for a long time. When you hear some words you don't know, don't spend too much time on them. Very often, you'll find out what they mean later when you go on with the listening.

Technology is developing fast and it has become an important part of our life. What will the world be like in the future?

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} 3—Dfood will be both delicious and nutritious. We just need to turn on a printer in the kitchen and then we can enjoy our favorite food. 

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} 5G network will allow people to get information faster . It is said that download speeds 10—20 times faster than 4G. 

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Underwater cities will provide more space. We may turn to underwater homes which will be built as low as 15 kilometers below the sea. 

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Space tour will be a piece of cake. For us common people on the earth,we can leave our home and enter space to take a trip. 

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} A robot will be a part of life. Robots can do many of the same things as we humans do,like driving cars. 

TOP FM IS LOOKING FOR: DRIVER

Top FM, set up on 31 December 2002, is a private radio station. It is the best music and news radio station in Mauritius (毛里求斯). 

Details

• Job type: full-time

• The number of the drivers wanted: 2

• Need to do: pick up and drop the workers of our radio station at specific (指定的) stops and drive them to make outdoor news report

Requirements:

• Education: at least high school graduate

• Experience: At least 5 years' experience as a driver

• Licence: driving licence

• Age: 30-45 years old

• Work in the afternoon or at night

Offers:

• Competitive weekly pay starting at $720 (without paid time off and health insurance) 

• Free food and living places

• 5 days on/2 days off

Please send your CV (简历) by email to: topfm@intnet.mu

Or by post to: 7th Floor, The Peninsula Caudan, Port Louis, Mauritius. 

Or call during office hours (9:00 am-5:00 pm) 2132121 or after office hours 2432516.