"I think I'm nothing more than a dead fish." "I don't want to do anything." "I'm so beat and so sad."... The young generation in our country used to enjoy their "happy culture" but now they have become "beat and sad" slowly and secretly. Some people even called it "the beat culture". The "Beat" youths don't want to do anything. They have no purpose, no desire and they are totally depressed so that they only want to live an aimless life. The "Ge You slouch (葛优瘫)" and the song I feel like having been drained are the examples.

    Many media concern themselves about this phenomenon and try to persuade the youths into embracing positive and healthy feelings and encourage them to work hard to get rid of decadence. This is really a kind gesture. However, we don't have to worry too much about this "beat culture." In fact, it's not a negative thing. "Beat" never means despair, but a way of self-mockery (自嘲) and pressure relief.

    In general, the youths in China are not "beat". According to a recent international research, the youths in China hold positive attitude towards the future. 29% of the Chinese interviewees believe they will live and work in peace in China because "as long as you work hard, you can have your own day". Around 93% of the Chinese interviewees believe the future is promising because of medicine industry, renewable energy sources and computer. Compared with Chinese youngsters, youths in developed countries are more pessimistic.

    Of course there are some social reasons for the appearing of "the Beat Culture". As urbanization develops rapidly, youths living in big cities are facing new challenges that their forefathers have never encountered before. Loneliness and feelings of insignificance and powerlessness are easy to get hold of the young people. Without proper care, they could threaten our mentality and cause many social problems. These problems probably need our attention more.

    My father asked me to chat with him for a while. Actually, I was unwilling to listen to his talking endlessly as he always did. My father was a lawyer, but I never wanted to go to law school or follow his path through life.

    As was expected, he cleared his throat and started to say, “Er… What… What do you really want to do in the gorgeous future?”

    I was silent for a moment playing with the cell phone. I kept thinking, “Should I tell him my true thoughts? What if he gets angry? What if I let him down?” later I replied, “Well, I want to be a writer.”

    I guessed this may be not the answer he would expect. But surprisingly, “Interesting idea!” he answered. I was shocked, speaking in a low voice with hesitation.

    “Are you serious, dad?”

    “Well, you need confidence and good preparations, and you still have plenty of time. You need to find out what you really enjoy now. Look, it's late. Let's take the boat out tomorrow morning, just you and me. Maybe we can catch some crabs (螃蟹) for dinner, and we can talk more.”

    Early next morning we packed up the equipment and set off along the coast. We didn't talk much, but enjoyed the sound of the seabirds and the sight of the coastline.

There were no big waves and blinding sunlight at that time. “Let's see if we get lucky,” he said, picked up a web basket with a rope tied and threw it into the sea. We waited a while, then my father stood up and said, “Give me a hand with this,” and we pulled up the crab cage onto the deck.

    To our joy, the cage was filled with dozens of soft shell crabs. Squatting (蹲) down, we watched them for a moment. At first they fought against each other to climb out hard, trying to escape. Many were pulled back into the cage. Later, some gave up, but there are still some crabs trying to escape again and again.

注意：

1）所续写短文的词数应为150左右；

2）应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；

3）续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；

4）续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键语。

Paragraph 1:

    At that moment, my father pointed to the cage, “Look at that crab, there!” Paragraph 2:

    From that day on, I was determined to make my dream come true.

1）能激发学生阅读兴趣,开拓视野;

2）适合高中学生的英文水平。

注意：

1）词数80左右;

2）可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。

Dear Mr. Williams,

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

    Fujian Puppetry (木偶剧) in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

    As one of the contributions of Chinese performing art to the world's cultural heritage (遗产), Fujian puppetry has a long history. It has developed a set of characteristic techniques of performance and puppet making, as well as plays and music.

    No final conclusions have yet been reached on the origins and evolution of Chinese puppetry. Dating from Shang dynasty, pottery figurines (陶俑) used as burial objects have been discovered at the Yin Ruins. In a Western Han tomb at Mawangdui in Changsha, Hunan Province, a number of wooden figurines have been unearthed. These were a great improvement on those from previous dynasties in terms of craftsmanship, variety and modeling. Over time, figurines as burial objects evolved into puppets for entertainment on festive occasions.

    Chinese puppetry further developed during the Ming and Qing dynasties, with a bunch of schools spreading across the country. Puppet shows from various places had their own characteristics in terms of figure modeling.

    In the past few decades, many traditional forms of art have seen a decline in popularity. In particular, Fujian puppetry finds itself in hot water. The number of young people learning puppetry has decreased due to socioeconomic changes to their lifestyles. The long period of training required to master the complicated performing techniques has also been a factor in the fall.

    In response, concerned communities, groups and bearers laid down the 2008-2020 Strategy for the Training of Coming Generations of Fujian Puppetry Practitioners. The key objectives are to safeguard the promotion of Fujian Puppetry and to increase its sustainability through professional training to cultivate a new generation of puppetry practitioners; creation of teaching materials; construction of training institutes and exhibition halls; regional and international cooperation; and artistic exchange.

    In 2012, the strategy was added to the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices by the UNESCO. With great efforts made by practitioners, local people and education institutions, Fujian Puppetry can expect a brighter future.

How to Improve Your English Pronunciation

    Accurate pronunciation is an important part of learning English, or any language for that matter. The way your speech sounds can have a big impact on whether or not people understand what you are saying and their initial impression of you. There are no shortcuts to perfect pronunciation; there are, however, some ways you can practice more effectively and improve your skills faster.

    It's often difficult to hear pronunciation errors in your own speech because you are concentrating on actually communicating rather than the sound you are making. If you can't hear your pronunciation problems, it's tough to correct them. Try recording your speech with your smartphone or PC and making a note of specific areas you need to improve on.

    Moreover, many English learners think that speaking fluently means they need to speak fast. This is wrong. Speaking too fast reinforces bad habits and makes the speaker sound nervous and indecisive. Speaking slowly will give you time to breathe properly and think about what you want to say next.

    Pronunciation is a physical skill. You're teaching your mouth a new way to move and using different muscles. Focus on difficult sounds each day. Having trouble with "th"? Put your tongue between your teeth (don't bite down) and blow air out of your mouth. Feel the air move over the top of your tongue. Another method worth a try is learning popular English songs. Singing helps you relax and just get those words out, as well as helping your rhythm and intonation (语调). Because you don't need to concentrate on constructing sentences for yourself, you can concentrate on making your pronunciation sound great!

    The main benefit you get from studying abroad is independence. I feel great to know that you can manage on your own when necessary. This ability gives you more freedom as well as tolerance. After moving abroad you have to start a totally new life. Setting in a new environment is a big challenge for you, but you have to keep in mind that it is only a small part of studying abroad, and experiences like these can help you build your character and understand the world better.

    When I went abroad I knew that I had to find a job and learn to handle my money myself. I did not have a choice. I had to manage on my own. I found a job as a mail carrier for the local newspaper. Not all my co-students were as lucky as me in finding a job right away. You have to keep in mind that besides working you have to attend lectures and do your homework. Carrying mail was not always an easy job, but thanks to it, I got to know many nice people and saw the town and local people from a different view.

Besides looking for a job, I also had to find a place to live in and take care of everyday chores from cooking to doing laundry. When you have only begun with your independent life, this can be quite a challenge. You don't have experience, nor does anyone give a helping hand—you're on your own. So it might happen that the first potato you fry ending up darker than intended, but from that on you can only do better.

    All the trials you go through increase your independence, teach you a lesson and give you a wonderful experience to manage in difficult situations in the future. Learning in a new environment and taking full responsibility for yourself make your time abroad quite extraordinary.