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.

    I started playing the piano when I was about eight or nine. But when I got to university, I stopped playing it. I just didn't have enough time and there were so many other things to do.

—Eliza

    When I was little, I thought I should play the guitar like my dad. But later I decided to try something else. I chose the violin. I want to be a musician when I grow up, but my dad says it's difficult to make a living from music. But I don't want to be a doctor like him. It's so boring.

—Robin

    Nobody likes living near someone like me because when I practice, I make a lot of noise! I''m sorry for that but I have to keep practicing. I have drum lessons every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon, and I practice the drums every evening. I love playing them and now I play in a fantastic band.

—Lisa

    I''ve played the guitar as long as I can remember. I used to play in a subway station to make some money. Now I keep on playing it when I'm free, but I work as a cook in a restaurant to make a living.

—Carmen

    How to build good relationships with people from other cultures? Actually, it is important to learn some communication skill. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Learn about the culture in advance. A little knowledge can go a long way. So if you have time before going abroad or meeting with someone from another culture, try to take time to learn the basic "do's and don'ts" of that culture. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's very convenient.

    Be respectful and tolerant. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Signs of these may appear when you communicate with people from other cultures. However, it is not the time to judge people based on these differences during basic communication. Instead, respect them for what they are, and tolerate them.

    Speak clearly and slowly. But do not shout at others even if they don't understand you. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Instead, it can be seen as a rude behavior. What's more, even if there are difficulties in communicating with people from other cultures, do not treat other people as though they are stupid.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In some cultures, looking another person in the eye when you speak is seen as a sign of honesty and interest. However, in other cultures, it may be disrespectful.

    Parents, especially those of teenagers, care about their children's education more than anything else. They would do    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} for their children. Many of them spend most of their spare time {#blank#}2{#/blank#} their children with their studies. If they have no time or cannot do it themselves, they would hire family teachers {#blank#}3{#/blank#} send their children to after-class schools. It seems as if a better education is all that parents expect for {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    How can we explain the present situation? First of all, many parents have {#blank#}5{#/blank#} that future success depends more and more {#blank#}6{#/blank#} skills and education. Secondly, in a competitive(竞争的) society there are both losers and {#blank#}7{#/blank#}. Those who have better skills and more knowledge will enjoy {#blank#}8{#/blank#} opportunities(机会).

    Certainly, it is important to learn to succeed, but the {#blank#}9{#/blank#} thing to learn is how to survive(生存) and how to be a qualified citizen(合格的公民). {#blank#}10{#/blank#} this is included a good education, the children will surely have a bright future and he healthy in body and mind.