2016 is the Year of the Monkey. Monkeys are so smart and cute, and so many people like them. They have become a part of culture. Here are some stories to help you learn more about
them.
New stamps for the year
The China Post Group made special stamps for the year. They made two styles. On the first one, a monkey hangs on a branch（树枝）, holding a big red peach. This means to give luck to people. On the other stamp, a mother monkey holds two monkey b abies in her arms. It shows the happy reunion（团聚） of families. The monkey stamps were for sale on Jan.5th.
Monkey show
In China, there is an ancient drama called Monkey Show. It tells the story of Monkey King. When actors perform, they will paint "monkey faces" with colors. Red is the main color. Interestingly, they don't draw eyebrows（眉毛）.
Influence on personality
In Chinese culture, the monkey is a symbol of wisdom. Those who were born in the Year of the Monkey are said to be smart and outgoing. They are also said to have strong leadership and social skills. They can solve all kinds of problems in life and be kind to others.
Fun Fact
Did you know? The world's smallest monkey is the finger monkey. It is only 10cm tall. They live in the Amazon rainforest （亚马孙雨林） of South America. Amazingly, they can turn their heads 180 degrees.

    Every day, it is easy to see advertisements in English all around us. Look at your own bags and clothes, and at the bags and clothes of your classmates. How many different advertisements can you see which use English words?

Often bags and clothes show the name of the company that made them. This is a popular form. A special picture or symbol called a lo go(标识语)is sometimes used. Logos appear on many different products(产品). They are popular because when you see a logo, it is hard to forget that product or company.

    It is common to see advertisements on TV and hear them on the radio. Most advertisements are very short. Sometimes the advertisers use a short sentence which is easy for people to say and remember. Nike, for example, has a simple English sentence which is used all around the world: “Just do it.” Advertisements often use funny situations as well. It is simple to remember it.

    All advertisements are designed(设计) to make people buy a product. An advertisement for a soft drink, for example, might show a group of young people who are having fun. The young people are all drinking the soft drink. Advertisers are saying to you, “Why don't you buy this drink and be like these people? You can be young and modern.”

    You might think that advertisements are not after you, but next time you buy a soft drink, ask yourself this question: Why am I buying this particular(特别的) product?

    We all have ideas about what kinds of foods are good or bad to eat. As a result, people from one culture often think the foods that people from another culture eat are not accepted. Many people would find it terrible to eat mice, but there are forty-two different cultures whose people regard mice as proper food.

     Food likes and dislikes do not always seem related to nutrition. For example, broccoli is first on a list of the most nutritious common vegetables, but it is twenty-first on a list of vegetables that Americans like most to eat. Tomatoes are sixteenth on the list of most nutritious vegetables, but they are first on the list of vegetables that Americans like most to eat.

    But dislikes is not the only reason why some cultures will not eat a certain food. In some cultures, certain foods are taboo Taboo is a word from the language of the Fiji Islands that is used to describe something that is not allowed. We do not usually think about why certain things are taboo in our culture.

    One example is that Americans do not eat dogs, although people from some other cultures regard them as good food. In the United States, dogs are very important to people as pets. They are usually regarded as part of the family, almost like a child in some cases. What's more, dogs have value as protection against criminals. In fact, the dog's place in society as a company makes the dog taboo as food.Scientists believe that most food likes and dislikes are a result of the ways of life of different people. People will not eat pets such as dogs. Americans drink milk or eat a lot of beef because there is thousands of land for raising cows and their milk or meat can be shipped cheaply far away by train.

    Even nowadays there are a lot of misunderstandings between nationalities. Let's have a look at what the following people have to say.

Maria Conti: I find the English people insincere (虚伪), cold and unfriendly. They keep saying "Thank you", "I'm sorry", even when they don't know each other. They are even polite to their own relatives! Except for helping you find your way in the streets, they aren't really friendly and never invite you to their houses.

Giannis Sinios: On the contrary I found them both broad-minded and friendly. I was invited to people's houses and they all showed great interest in my ideas, Greek life and people. In England I learned that it was possible to be warm, friendly and polite at the same time.

Judy Brown: I lived in both Italy and Greece for a few years. At first there were a few misunderstandings between my foreign friends and myself. For example, I once gave a Greek friend a present for her birthday. I was rather sorry that she didn't unwrap it immediately. What's more, she even didn't thank me until I asked her if she liked it! I've learned from different experiences that a lot of foreigners find our attitude to what we English people call politeness is rather insincere. They feel that politeness isn't necessary between friends.

    Have you ever been in the situation when you really didn't believe what someone was saying? Perhaps they were saying “yes” but their heads were shaking “no”. The difference between the words people say and our understanding of what they are saying comes from body language. By knowing more signs of body language, you can more easily understand other people, and more effectively communicate with them. Movements, gestures, and facial expressions all say that something is going on. What's more, the way we talk, walk, sit and stand all give messages to people. As you watch others, confident people will stand still with shoulders back, give slow and clear speech and always give eye contact. Otherwise, the person seems to have little confidence. If a person speaks to you with his body turning away from you, arms crossed or very small facial expressions, this person is giving his “dead ears”. He usually doesn't listen to you. And it's crucial to know when people are lying. Some of the typical signs that a person is lying include: A person gives little or no eye contact, or there may be fast eye movements. Hand or fingers are in front of his or her mouth when speaking. His skin changes in color, red in face or neck area. Voice changes, etc. However, one size does not fit all. When you watch others, you need to try to guess what they are saying or guess what is going on, but it is also important to recognize that body language may vary between individuals, and between different cultures and nationalities. Understand the signs that you are reading, and have a conversation more easily with people around you.

    Quince, a restaurant in San Francisco, is serving a dish called "A Dog in Search of Gold" on an Apple iPad that's playing a video of a dog hunting for truffles (松露). If you're wondering about the connection, the dish is composed of white truffle croquettes (油炸丸子).And in case you're not into truffles, Quince also serves frog legs on top of iPads playing videos of frogs in a pond.

    "The idea is simply about taking the guest on a voyage," Michael Tusk, who runs the restaurant, told Inside Scoop SF. "Living in San Francisco for over twenty years, I have seen the technological development, and I want to combine (结合) food industry with technology and a Me bit of education." Local chef Richie Nakano attracted the attention of social media after showing a photo of the UA Dog in Search of Gold" that a friend had ordered. Some people complained about the high price of the dish, but most wondered whether it was healthy.

    Tusk said, "We asked local wood worker Luke Bartels to create a housing (防护外壳) for the iPad — a glass cover that protects the screen. The food does not directly sit on top of the iPad. The cover is washed after every use."

    Interestingly, Quince is reportedly the first U.S. restaurant to use iPads as plates, but definitely not the first in the world. The Daily Mail reports that restaurants in the UK have been using them for the last two years.