Close contacts between Japan and the rest of the world were created in the twentieth century. In the last forty years, business contacts between Japan and the West have become very important. Many foreign companies now have offices in Japan and Japanese businessmen do business around the world. Differences between Japanese and Western ways of doing business, however, often bewilder foreign businessmen and make doing business in Japan difficult for foreigners.

    The American businessman, for example, wants to start talking business immediately. He does not want to wait. The Japanese businessman, on the other hand, likes to arrive at decisions after giving them serious thought. Another thing foreign businessmen have difficulty in understanding is when a Japanese means "Yes" or "No". This is because of cultural differences between Japanese and Western society, which make it difficult for a Japanese to say "No" directly.

    In the USA, it is easy to say "No" to something one does not want to do. But in Japan, it is very difficult to say "No". To refuse an invitation or a request with "No" is felt to be impolite. It is thought to be selfish and unfriendly. So instead of saying "No" directly, the Japanese have developed many ways to avoid saying "No". These can help them avoid hurting other people's feelings. However, this often makes their ways of doing business rather difficult for foreigners to understand and follow.

    Have you ever wanted to have a doll that could talk to you? In the book The Ventriloquist's Daughter, a girl named Liur gets a doll like this. But it doesn't turn out to be as fun as she thought

    Lin Man-Chiu, an author from Taiwan, wrote the book. British translator Helen Wang translated it into English. The book tells a touching story about Liur and her father.

    Liur loses her mother at a young age. Her grandfather sends her father to a medical school in the US. Five years later, he comes back with a doll named Carola, as he once promised he would. This doll is quite unusual—it can talk! However, Carola makes a lot of problems for the family.

    After reading this book, I thought Liur and her father were just unlucky. In fact, this story is based on the author's own unhappy childhood. She had six sisters. Still, her grandfather wanted a grandson. Her father was under heavy pressure and didn't live with her and her sisters for a very long time. The author didn't like her father when she was young. But now she has forgiven him. The talking doll Carola stands for her father's burden （负担）.

    After I learned this, I understood the author's main message. Everyone has demons （心魔）in their lives, but we should do our best to beat them.

    Stonehenge means "hanging stones". They stood in a circle, with 30 more stones lying on top to form a ring of rocks. There was also an inner circle built with similar stones. The stones set up in a trilithon(巨石牌坊) pattern.

    A trilithon is made of two stone pillars with a stab of rock laid across the top. The stones weigh up to 20 tons each. People wonder how the huge rocks were placed that way.

    Historians agree that Stonehenge was built in three different stages. The first stage took place about 5, 000 years ago. At that time, a large circular earth wall was made. Historians believe the wall was dug and cut with tools made form anglers(鹿角) of red deer. The earth wall was about 98m in diameter(直径) a 5-meter-tall stone was placed near the center. Then, they had to transport the large blue stones (up to 4 tons) 384 kilometers to Stonehenge. Experts think they might be moved across ice and snow. The ground in winter in this area is usually full of ice and snow, making it easier to move the rocks. The next task was to stand the stones up. The most difficult task was putting the top stones in place. Each one of these tasks took a lot of planning and a lot of strength, but the workers of Stonehenge were excellent builders.

    Why was the monument built? Some scientists think it's a burial ground. There are over 400 graves (burial sits) nearby. A man was buried with two gold earrings which are the oldest gold ever found in Britain (dated to 2470 BC). Others think Stonehenge was built by early astronomers. Scientists believe that when a person stands in the center of the monument, the changing of seasons can be seen. Certain stones mark the location of the rising and setting moon in midwinter. Other stones mark the rising and setting sun in midsummer. The ancient people held religious ceremonies on these days. These ceremonies probably asked the gods to bring good weather for crops and to protect the people from bad weather.

    Stonehenge is an engineering success. Thousands of years later, it still stands. As a calendar, Stonehenge is very accurate. It shows that early people had a deep understanding of the movements to the sun and the moon. They didn't have machines or computers, but Stonehenge shows people could do many things using only their muscles and their brains.

    The New Year was coming. Grace and Alice were going shopping with their mother. The mother wanted to{#blank#}1{#/blank#} them to a Farmers' Fair (集市),but Grace wanted to go to the supermarket. The mother explained that they{#blank#}2{#/blank#} buy fresh fruit and vegetables there, and could support (支持) local farmers as well. Grace agreed.

    The girls were{#blank#}3{#/blank#} when they arrived there. The farmers sold things that they grew{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Alice found a stall (货摊) with red strawberries ,and she{#blank#}5{#/blank#}, "Where did you get so many good strawberries?" The woman answered, "I grow them on my farm. You can come to visit my farm{#blank#}6{#/blank#} you like." "That will be great!" said Alice. At last, Alice asked her mother to buy{#blank#}7{#/blank#} strawberries. They also bought something else.

    At the dinner, the father asked each person to say something{#blank#}8{#/blank#} this day. Alice said, "I want to thank not only the strawberries, but also the{#blank#}9{#/blank#} They needed to work so {#blank#}10{#/blank#}to grow strawberries." Grace then said, "We should thank the food and the people who bring it to us every day." Alice and Grace's parents smiled.