In Britain, when people meet each other for the first time, they talk about things like family, work, school,or sports. They ask question like “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”“Where do you work?”“What school do you go to?"and "Do you like sports?”They also ask questions like “Where do you come from?”and “Where do you live?”These are polite questions. They are not personal or private. But some things are personal or private, and questions about them are not polite. People don't ask questions about a person's salary(薪水). They don't ask how much or someone is paid for something. It is not OK to ask people questions about politics, party(政党) or religion(宗教) unless you know them very well. People don 't ask unmarried people “Why are you single?”and they don't ask a married couple with no children “Why don't you have any children?”

    Ancient China produced many types of beautiful works of art. Among them，calligraphy(书法)，poetry(诗歌)and painting were the most famous. Often they would be put together in art. These became important starting with the Song dynasty.

Calligraphy is the art of handwriting. In the old times the Chinese considered writing as an important form of art. Calligraphers(书法家)would practice for years to learn to write perfectly，but with style. Each of over 40,000 characters needed to be written correctly. And each stroke(笔画)in a character had to be written in a certain order.

Poetry was also an important form of art. Great poets were famous all over the country，but all educated people were expected to write poetry. During the Tang dynasty poetry was so important that writing poetry was part of the examinations to become a civil servant (文官)and work for the government.

    Chinese painting was often connected with calligraphy. It is one of the oldest artistic traditions in the world. The most traditional way of Chinese painting is known as "national "or" native painting(国画)", which is quite different from Western painting. People can draw mountains, homes, birds, trees and water on it.

Boasting a long history, China is home to many famous paintings, which are now in the hearts of more than a billion people.

Nymph (仙女) of the Luo River—Gu Kaizhi

The legend has it that Cao Zhi fell in love with the governor's daughter. However, she married his brother and the prince became upset. Later, he wrote an emotional poem about the love between the goddess and common people. In the 4th century, Gu Kaizhi, a Chinese artist, was moved by the story and illustrated the poem.

Court Ladies Adorning (装饰) Their Hair with Flowers—Zhou Fang

During the Tang Dynasty, the genre (体裁) of "beautiful women painting" enjoyed popularity. Coming from a noble background, Zhou Fang created artworks in this genre. In his painting, the ladies stand as if they are fashion models, but one of them is entertaining herself by teasing a cute dog.

Along the River During the Qingming Festival—Zhang Zeduan

Zhang Zeduan depicted (描述) the landscape in his work. However, instead of concentrating on the vastness of nature, he captured the daily life of the people of Bianjing, present-day Kaifeng. His work shows much about life in the Northern Song Dynasty.

A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains—Wang Ximeng

Not only did officials and scholars enjoy listening to music, but they also found pleasure in depicting nature. One such painter was Wang Ximeng. He was a prodigy. Wang Ximeng painted A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains when he was only seventeen years old. He died several years later, but he left one of the largest and most beautiful paintings in Chinese history.

Do you like summer holiday？In Australia, summer holiday is from late December to early February. Students have to finish their homework. They should read some English books and write reports. They also seed to do science projects with their classmates. They often go to special classes to learn swimming, singing and cooking. And they really like to go to the beach to camp with their parents. 

Summer holiday in the US is very long, from early June to around late August. Teachers will give summer homework. But if students don't do it, it's OK. There are many classes and camps. They can be about sports, or outdoor survival skills （户外生存技巧）. Some students also go camping with friends or family. Some students will try to make money by doing the housework. Some will do voluntary work like helping the elderly or the poor for free. 

In France summer holiday usually goes from mid﹣June to the end of August. But the first day is different for everyone because of the day of the last exam. French students don't have any homework or classes. They spend the holiday having fun. Some students like traveling around the world. They see nature in Africa. They visit America to learn English. They go to China. Other students have fun in France. They camp on the beach, see friends watch movies, go swimming and have barbecue （烧烤）

 Do you want to visit the city Shanghai? Why not join our half-day cycling tour? We will provide you with bicycles. Our guide will lead you through some of the most interesting places in Shanghai. It will take you three hours to cycle about twenty kilometers. Hop on the bike and let's go!

 Your trip will start at People's Square. This is the largest square in the city. It is home to the Shanghai Museum and many other important buildings. 

 Go forward to Tianzifang. There' re many cafés and interesting stores to be found down these traditional Shanghai alleys(小巷). 

 Explore Xintiandi. There are many fashionable shops in the area' s old Shikumen-style buildings. 

 Move on to Shanghai Old Street. Ride through the streets that have been there for centuries. 

 Cycle along the wide Binjiang Avenue in Pudong New Area. Enjoy the cityscape of modern Shanghai!

 Language of the tour guide: English, German or French

 Price per person in U. S. dollars: 1-2 people→$50/ person

3-5 people→$40/ person

>6 people→$30/ person