An abandoned girl named Sophie happens to see the big friendly giant (巨人) (BFG for short), who is running through the streets of London and “blowing dreams” to children late at night. The BFG is scared that the girl will give away his secret, so he takes Sophie back to his native Giant Country. In fact, the BFG is a kind-hearted vegetarian, but other giants in his native country like nothing more than eating humans. Sophie and the BFG try to stop these giants from continuing to eat humans. During this period, they become good friends.

    Spielberg's The BFG tells the tale of an unlikely friendship brought to life in an imaginary world. However, many people say the story is a bit too kid-friendly. Optimism is Spielberg's typical tone, but the final victorious battle against the bad guys seems a little bit too easy. And when the BFG fights for the first time against the giants who have been hurting him, it seems confusing how he successfully drives away bad guys who are almost twice his size.

    Spielberg does leave a little for adult viewers to digest. The BFG doesn't want to be seen as a monster by humans，but in the end his own kind ends up caught and locked up in isolation. Will he also be destined (注定) to spend the rest of his days in a remote place alone?

    Despite being made for a younger audience, the film is still worth a watch. It doesn't have gun-fights, death, explosions and the stuff that people seem to be interested in nowadays. But the film takes us back to a more innocent time.

    Many people trying to sell homes find that an increase in home prices has turned the market in their favor. But sellers can still get the short end of the deal if they aren't careful. Here are a few tips for you:

    Don't test your luck. Of course you think anyone who moves into your lovely home should be willing to pay top dollars, especially if you've recently invested in some improvements. But listing a home at a price that's too high above the market price could turn away some buyers.

    Buyers noticing that the home still hasn't sold may begin to assume there's something wrong with the house and use that as a reasonable excuse for offering a lower price. And if a home hasn't received any offers after two weeks, it might be time to reset the price.

    A price that's too low can bring about an undesired outcome. Listing your home at or slightly below the market price can have the effect of drawing in a large group of buyers and increase the chances that a home will receive multiple offers. But setting the price too low comes with several risks. One possibility is that buyers will get skeptical of the home that is listed for $ 15,000 to $ 20,000 less than similar homes in the area, especially if it's not properly marketed. Once again, people might assume there is something wrong with the home and may not bother to look at it.

    Spy on the competition. Going to other people's open houses can give you a better sense of how your home compares to others on the market. Check out the decoration in their kitchens, the size of their backyards and use the information to figure out where your home should fit in the range of the price. But don't set your pricing just on what you see elsewhere.

    Charlie is a teacher and his wife, Maria is an artist. The night before last, just before the longest day of the year, Charlie was sitting in a deckchair enjoying the warm summer air when Maria touched his shoulder and he could tell immediately she was a little worried about something. He asked her what the matter was and she replied that there was a strange thing on the jacket that was hanging in the bedroom. They had both lived in the West Indies (西印度群岛) and had seen a lot of strange creatures in their house before. But now they were living in England and so Charlie just laughed and said he would have a look at the “thing”.

    He walked to the bedroom. He saw a jacket hanging in the bedroom and went up to it to have a closer look at the “thing”. The moment he touched it, the thing sprang into life. Now Charlie experiences fear like the rest of us but when this creature opened its wings, he jumped out of his skin and ran screaming from the room like a small child doing about 100 miles an hour.

    For a moment the next-door neighbours thought that Charlie was murdering his wife because of the noise they could hear. In fact, it was a bat that frightened Charlie.

Eventually Charlie managed to trap the bat in a box and took it to the garden to let the bat fly. Maria, who had been playing the guitar while Charlie was upstairs, asked Charlie if he had found out what the thing was. “Oh, nothing to worry about”, he said casually hoping that the terror could not be seen in his eyes, “it was just a bat.”

    It's really true what people say about English politeness: it's everywhere. When squeezing past someone in a narrow aisle, people say "sorry". When getting off a bus, English passengers say "thank you" rather than the driver. In Germany, people would never dream of doing these things. After all, squeezing past others is sometimes inevitable, and the bus driver is merely doing his job. I used to think the same way, without questioning it, until I started travelling to the British Isles and came to appreciate some more polite ways of interacting with people.

    People thank each other everywhere in England, all the time. When people buy something in a shop, customer and shop assistant in most cases thank each other twice or more. In Germany, it would be unusual to hear more than one thank you in such a conversation. British students thank their lecturers when leaving the room. English employers thank their employees for doing their jobs, as opposed to Germans.

    Another thing I observed during my stay was that English people rarely criticize others. Even when I was working and mistakes were pointed out to me, my employers emphasized several times but none of their explanations were intended as criticism. It has been my impression that by avoiding criticism, English people are making an effort to make others feel comfortable. This also is showed in other ways. British men still open doors for women, and British men are more likely to treat women to a meal than German men.

    It was the last day of the final examination in a college. On the steps of building, a group of engineering students were waiting for the last exam. On their faces was confidence.

    They knew the exam would be easy. The professor (教授) had said they could bring any books or notes during the test.

    Right after they came into the classroom, the professor handed out the papers. There were only five questions on it.

    Three hours passed. Then the professor began to collect the papers. The students no longer looked confident. On their faces was nervous expression. The professor watched the worried faces before him, and then asked, "How many of you have completed all five questions?" No hand was raised. "How many of you have answered four?" Still no hands. "Three? Two?" The students moved restlessly in their seats. "One, then? Certainly somebody has finished one." But the class kept silent. The professor said, "That is exactly what I expected. I just want to make you know clearly that even though you have completed four years of engineering, there are still many things about the subject you don't know. These questions you could not answer are common in everyday practice." Then, smiling, he added, "You will all pass this course, but remember, your education has just begun."

    The years have obscured the name of this professor, but not the lesson he taught.

Tips for Foreign Students in China

China is a very popular destination for foreign students today. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} At this point, the most popular choices for study are management and technical courses, though the interest in other disciplines is growing every minute. Here is a short list of some great tips for you if you want to study in China.

Learn the culture

China has a history of over 5,000 years. Depending on where you come from, you might find it hard to fit in. This is the rule that applies to any transfer you make in the world. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}The more you learn, the sooner you'll make friends.

Learn the language

Even when travelling for a short time, it's always wise to learn the basic phrases of the language people speak in your target country. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} This will help you connect better with the people and show that you've made an effort.

Know your budget

Wherever you go, you need to set your budget before you depart. This is extremely important if you plan to live on a budget for a certain period of time. Before you leave for China to study, check the costs in your selected city or area and plan your budget accordingly. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Don't limit yourself

Moving across the world to study in a place you don't know with people you have never seen can seem daunting. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Don't limit yourself. Go all in.

A. Get a Chinese phrasebook and learn the must-knows.

B. Then, make sure to keep track of it and follow your plan.

C. Once you choose the program, arrange the rest of the details.

D. If you're moving to a place with a different culture, learn a bit before you go.

E. The colleges and universities are known for their excellence and high standards.

F. Studying abroad is a big step, but also one of the best experiences students get to live today.

G. However, students who have gone to China to study always regret not spending more time there.