When we are talking about animals in China, the most precious (珍贵的) animal we would think of is the panda. In fact, we have one kind of bird as precious as the panda,1many people don't know much about it. The bird is called crested ibis (朱鹮) . It is as2as snow with a red face and looks very beautiful. It is also in danger like the panda.

Crested ibises3in tall trees by small rivers or rice fields. They look for small fish and4small animals for food. About one hundred years ago,5crested ibises lived in China, Russia and Japan. Later, as they lost their homes,6them was getting smaller and smaller. Between 1965 and 1980, people didn't see any of them living in the wild. Luckily, on May 23, 1981, scientists7seven of them in the south of Shanxi Province. 8protect crested ibises in the wild, the Chinese government is setting up nature parks and developing other plans. Now scientists are doing a lot of research to help them to9more babies. Today there are about 1,500 crested ibises living in the wild. Zoos and research centres10after about 500 crested ibises.

Now more than one billion people in China speak putonghua, or Mandarin, as their first language. At the same time, dongbeihua, or northeast dialect (方言), has become more popular. The dialect makes even the most serious daily conversations sound fun.

Ms Ann, a Chinese language teacher, opened a class to teach middle school students dongbeihua in Heilongjiang Province. "I just hope to help the students learn more about the culture of their home town," said Ms Ann.

"It is important to inherit (继承) the northeast dialect in a new form,"she said. "For most students, they are speaking Mandarin or even English to adapt(适应) to society. They don't pay more attention to the dialect or the culture behind it. That's a pity. They need to pass it on."

Now there are over thirty students in her class. At first, some students believed it would not be difficult for the northeasterners to speak dongbeihua well. However, with the deepening of the class, the students could only speak some easy words and knew little about the meaning behind them. To increase students' interest, Ms Ann has been trying different ways. For example, she chose video clips from interesting cartoons for her students to dub (配音) them into dongbeihua.

Both Mandarin and dialect are the carriers (载体) of Chinese language and culture. Learning the dialect is learning our local culture and history.

Some people have a very poor sense （感觉） of direction （方向） , Unluckily, I am one of them, I have visited a place many times but I may still get lost there the next time.

When I was a little girl, I never dared （敢） to ask strangers the way. And so I used to walk around in circles （圈） and hope that by chance （偶然地） I would get to the place I was going to.

Now, I am no longer too shy to ask people for directions, but I often receive helpless or even wrong information. So I try to avoid（避免） giving people wrong directions. If anyone ever asks me the way somewhere, I would say, "Sorry, I am a stranger here."

Once on my way to work I was stopped by a man. He asked me if I could tell him the way to the Friendship Building, I gave him my usual reply. But when I walked on only a few steps （步） , I realized that he asked the way to my office building. However, I had no time to turn back and look for him. I was rushing （仓促） to meet with someone at my office and I didn't want to keep him waiting. When I got to my office, the secretary( 秘书） showed in( 领 ……进来） the man who asked me for directions. Imagine how embarrassed I was and how surprised he was when we saw each other.

Most students wear school uniforms when they go to class every day. In England, students have to wear a school uniform.

What do English students usually wear? Each school has a different uniform: the school can choose its own uniform. Usually, girls have to wear a blouse, a jumper and a jacket, a skirt, tights(连裤袜) and flat shoes(平底鞋). Boys must wear a shirt, a jumper, a jacket, trousers, socks and flat shoes.

How much is the school uniform? The school uniform mustn't cost too much so that all parents can buy it. Children from poor families wear the same clothes as children from rich families. The usual cost of a uniform is about €183.

What are the rules of wearing school uniforms? All students from Year I to Year 11 must wear a uniform and can be punished(惩罚) if they don't follow the rules. Only Year 12 and Year13 students don't have to wear uniforms: they can wear their own clothes.