To understand how Americans think about things, it is necessary to understand "the point". Americans mention it often: "Let's get right to the point." They will say, "My point is…" "What's the point of all this?"

    The "point" is the idea or piece of information that Americans suppose is, or should be, at the center of people's thinking, writings, and spoken comments. Speakers and writers are supposed to "make their points clear", meaning that they are supposed to say or write clearly the idea or piece of information they wish to express.

    People from many other cultures have different ideas about the point. Africans traditionally tell stories that express the thoughts they have in mind, rather than stating the point clearly. Japanese traditionally speak indirectly, leaving the listener to figure out what the point is. Thus, while an American might say to a friend, "I don't think that coat goes very well with the rest of your outfit," a Japanese might say, "Maybe another coat would look even better than the one you have on." Americans value a person who "gets right to the point". Japanese are likely to consider such a person insensitive if not rude.

    The Chinese and Japanese languages are characterized by vagueness and ambiguity. The precision and directness Americans associate with "the point" cannot be achieved, at least not with any grace, in Chinese and Japanese. Speakers of those languages thus have to learn a new way of reasoning and expressing their ideas if they are going to communicate satisfactorily with Americans.

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    Denali National Park, Alaska

    History

    Within Denali National Park, the Toklat River will always have a special significance, as it was the location where naturalist Charles Sheldon built a cabin and was so moved that he fought to preserve the land. He moved back east and spent nine years lobbying (游说）to create Alaska's first national park.

    When to Visit

    To avoid the crowds, visit in June, but keep in mind that there are up to 21 hours of sunlight in Alaska in summer. If it seems like a bit much for your taste, try visiting in late August or September.

    If you visit to climb Mount McKinley, May and early June are the best times to climb.

    Major Attractions

    It is difficult not to see Denali's largest attraction towering 20,320 feet high. Mount McKinley can even be seen up to 70 miles away on a clear day. If you brave the climb to the top, you will be rewarded with charming views of the Alaska Range.

    Sable Pass is a prime spot to view grizzly bears. Closed to off-road foot traffic, the area is popular for bears feeding on berries, roots, and even occasionally on other mammals.

    Beginning at just below the summit of Mount McKinley, Muldrow Glacier flows 35 miles through a gorge and across the tundra. Twice in the last hundred years, the Muldrow has surged (涌动）, most recently in the winter of 1956-1957.

Accommodation

    Five campgrounds are located within the park, and many are open from late spring to early fall.Note: reservations are strongly recommended during summer. Riley Creek campground is open all year round, and all but two (Sanctuary and Wonder Lake) offer RV (可供居住的大篷车）sites.

    Also within the park are a few lodges (旅馆）—North Face Lodge, Denali Backcountry Lodge and Kentishna Roadhouse.

    With her pretty face and soulful voice, Zhang Bichen was thought a possible champion when she first set foot on the stage of the TV show The Voice of China.

    On Oct 7, 2014, the 25-year-old girl won the fierce competition and received the title of the “Voice of the Year”. Zhang's dream of being a singer star came true as last. What impressed people was not only Zhang's singing skills, but her willingness to make an effort. “I gained the opportunity to sing on The Voice of China,” she said.

    In fact, being a singer has always been her dream. She wanted to apply to a college for singing, but her parents insisted that she should have an easy job after graduation because she did very well at school. So Zhang gave in to her parents and learned French at university. However, in the first year of her college, she was discovered by a South Korean company when she entered a singing competition. To realize her dream, Zhang signed a contract（合同）with the company, started her career in South Korea, and became a member of a band.

    “My company had rules that did not allow us to use cell phones. During the first few months after I arrived in South Korea, a totally unfamiliar country, I felt terribly homesick. But I could only phone my parents in the restroom when nobody noticed.” Zhang said. “When I did not have much income, I had to eat noodles every day for months.”

    It was her positive attitude and outgoing character that helped her through. “When I feel down, I tell myself it is not winning or losing that matters. The most important things are standing on the stage and singing for people.” she said.

    Metropolis Book Club

    Membership:

    All you need to do is fill out the order form at the bottom of the page, select your first order from our book list and then post the completed form back to us.

    Special offers for new members:

    As a special offer, you may choose any reduced-price books from our new members' book list, to the value of 100 yuan in total.

    Tick the box on your form to order a free watch.

    Join before the end of this month and you receive another free book carefully chosen by our staff.

    Order an audio-book from the many on offer, at half the recommended retail price.

    When you've joined:

    As a member you get around 50% off the publisher's price of every book you buy, and what's more, they come straight to your door. Your free club magazine arrives once a month to keep you up to date with the latest best-sellers we've added to our list. On the Internet, you can find all our titles for the year at our exclusive members' website. Our website also has a book swap service where members can request or offer books for exchange.

    Being a member:

    All you have to do is order four books during your first year. After that, you can decide on the number of books you wish to take.

    In each of your monthly club magazines, our experienced staff choose a "Book of the Month" for you, which is offered at an extra-special price. If you do not want this book, just say so in the space provided on the form and send it back to us. We always send the book if we do not receive this form.

    Once we receive your order, your books are delivered within one week. And remember, you have up to a fortnight to decide if you wish to keep the books you have ordered. If they aren't what you expected just send them back!

I didn't go to Santiago, Chile to look for friendship. In fact, Chile was not even on my wish list.

A mid-life crisis woman, I got a chance to study abroad. I only wanted to learn about global business, taste South American cuisine, and check "study abroad" off my wish list.

On the fifth day, I joined a group for a neighborhood work project aided by the anti-poverty (扶贫) organization. Our tasks were to build a water tower and paint the community center. Upon arrival, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was like a scene out of a horrible film. That moment redefined poverty for me because I had never seen such terrible living conditions. As advised, I showed no signs of the motional battle going on inside me.

Just as I was about to start work on painting, a request came through for a few volunteers to help Nadia, a local resident who volunteered to cook for us. I raised my hand to help because I wanted spend time with the people of the neighborhood despite my shortage of Spanish speaking skills.

Nadia had a sincere smile but not overly friendly. Even without speaking each other's language we started to learn about one another. We chatted about our children, our upbringing, shared picture of our family, struggled to instruct each other to communicate in the other's language, and laugh many times.

After we fed everybody and the dishes were washed, my day was over. But I found myself hesitant to leave. It was as if I had known her my entire life. I had not predicted the unselfishness heart I would encounter, and it was moving.

As we were waiting for the car to pick us up, Nadia showed me her plants that are well-maintains. I could see that despite the hard conditions she was passionate about life. She made me long to be stronger person. She showed me that poverty was external, but happiness was internal. I was seeking to give 100 percent for a well-intentioned cause, but I left receiving 200 percent from her.