中国是世界上最古老的文明之一。构成现在世界基础的许多元素都起源于中国。中国现在拥有世界上发展最快的经济，并经历着一次新的工业革命。中国还启动了雄心勃勃的太空探索计划，其实包括到2020年建成一个太空站。目前，中国是世界上最大的出口国之一，并正在吸引大量外国投资。同时，它也在海外投资数十亿美元。2011年，中国超越日本成为第二大经济体。
China is one of the world's oldest civilizations. Many e lements which formed the basis of the modern world originated from China. Now, China
has the world's fastest growing economy, experiencing a new industrial revolution. It also has launched an ambitious space exploration plan,
including to build a space station by 2020. At present, China is one of
the world's largest exporter, and is attracting    a large number of foreign investment. At the same time, it also has invested billions of dollars
abroad. In 2011, China overtook Japan and became the second largest economy.
据报道，今年中国快递服务(courier service)将递送大约120亿件包裹。这将使中国有可能赶超美国成为世界上最大的快递市场。大多数包裹里装着网上订购的物品。中国约有百万在线零售商以及其竞争力的价格
销售商品的机会，仅在11月11日，中国消费者就在国内最大的购物平台买了价值90亿美元的商品。中国有不少这样的特殊购物日，因此，快递能在中国扩展就不足为奇了。
It is reported that China's Courier Service will deliver about 12
billion packages this year. Thus China might overtake the United States
to become the world's largest express market. Most of the packages are
filled with items purchased online. There are millions of online retailers
in China and provide competitive prices to sell goods. Only on Nov. 11
one day, Chinese consumers spend $9 billion on the largest shopping今年英语四级考试时间
platform of the nation. China has many such special shopping days, therefore, there is no wonder Courier Service can express quickly in
China.
在西方人心目中，和中国联系最为密切的基本食物是大米。长期以来，大米在中国人的饮食中占据很重
要的地位，以至于有谚语说“巧妇难为无米之炊”。中国南方大多数种植水稻，人们通常以大米为食；而华北大部分地区因为过于寒冷或过于干燥，无法种植水稻，那里的主要作物是小麦。在中国，有些人用面粉
做面包，但大多数人用面粉做馒头和面条。
In the eyes of Westerners, the basic food that is the closest contact with China is rice. For a long time, rice in Chinese people's diet occupy very important position that proverb says "make bricks without straw",
South China mostly cultivated rice, people usually take the rice as the
staple food; and most of North China because it is too cold and dry to
grow rice, where the main crop is wheat. In China, some people make b read with flour, but most people make bread and noodles with flour.
中国父母往往过于关注孩子的学习，以至于不要他们帮忙做家务。他们对孩子的（唯一）要求就是努力学习，考得好，能上名牌大学。他们相信这是为孩子
好，因为在中国这样（竞争）激烈的社会里，只有成绩好才能保证前途光明。中
国父母还认为，如果孩子能在社会上（取得）大的成就，父母就会受到尊敬。因
此，他们愿意牺牲自己的时间、爱好和兴趣，为孩子（创造）更好的条件。
Chinese parents have frequently tended to pay too much attention to
their children's study, so that children don't help them do the housework. Their only requirement for their children is to study hard, perform well in the exams, and go to a famous/prestigious university. They believe it is good for their children, because in such a highly competitive society, only good results could ensure a promising future. Chinese parents also
believe that parents will be honored if their children can achieve great success in society. Therefore, they are willing to sacrifice their own
time, hobbies and interests, to create much better conditions for children.
今年在长沙举行了一年一度的外国人汉语演讲比赛，这项比赛证明是促进中国和世界其他地区文化交流的好方法。它为世界各地的年轻人提供了更好地了解
中国的机会。来自87个国家共计126位选手聚集在湖南省省会参加了从7月6日到8月5日进行的半决赛和决赛。比赛并不是唯一的活动，选手们还有机会参观了中国其他地区的著名景点和历史名胜。
The Annual Chinese Speech Contest for Foreigners was held in Changsha this year. The contest was proved to be a good way to promote cultural
exchanges between China and other regions all over the world. It provides an opportunity for young people around the world to understand China
better.    A total of 126 players from 87 countries gathered in the capital
of Hunan p rovince to participate in the semi-final and the final from July 6th to August 5th.Competition is not the only activity. Players also have a chance to visit famous and historical attractions in other parts of
China.
云南省的丽江古镇是中国著名的旅游目的地之一。那里的生活节奏比大多数
中国（的城市）都要缓慢。丽江到处都是美丽的自然风光，众多的少数民族同胞
提供了各式各样，丰富多彩的文化让游客体验。历史上，丽江还以“爱之城”而
闻名。当地人中流传着许多关于（人）生，为爱而死的故事。如今，在中外游客
眼中，这个古镇被视为爱情和浪漫的天堂。
Lijiang, an ancient town of Yunnan P rovince, is one of the most famous tourist destinations. Its pace of life is slower than that of most cities
of China. There are many natural beauties everywhere in Lijiang and many ethnical minorities provide tourists with a great variety of cultural
experience. Lijiang is also well-known as the "city of love" in history. Many s tories about life and dying for love have spreaded widely among t he locals. Nowadays, for tourists home and abroad, the ancient town is
regarded as a paradise of love and romance.
2017年6月
黄河是亚洲第三、世界第六长的河流。“黄”这个字描述的是其河水浑浊的
颜。黄河发源于青海，流经九个省份，最后注入渤海。黄河是中国赖以生存的
几条河流之一。黄河流域(river basin)是中国古代文明的诞生地，也是中国早
期历史上最繁荣的地区。然而，由于极具破坏力的洪水频发，黄河曾造成多次灾害。在过去几十年里，政府采取了各种措施防止灾害发生。
The Yellow River ranks the third longest in Asia and the sixth longest in the world. The word “yellow”　describes the muddy w ater of the river. The Yellow River，one of several rivers for China to live on，originates from Qinghai，flows through nine provinces, and finally pours into the
Bohai Sea. The river basin is not only the birthplace of ancient Chinese civilization，but also the most prosperous region in the early history
of China. However, due to the frequent devastating floods, it has caused many d isasters. In the past few decades, the government has taken various measures to prevent disasters.
珠江是华南一大河系，流经广州市，是中国第三长的河流，仅次于长江和黄河。珠江三角洲(delta)是中国最发达的地区之一，面积约11,000平方公里。它在面积和人口方面也是世界上最大的城市聚集区。珠江三角洲九个最大城市共有5,700多万人口。上世纪70年代末中国改革开放以来，珠江三角洲已成为中国
和世界主要经济区域和制造中心之一。
The Pearl River, an extensive river system in southern China, flows
through Guangzhou City. It is China’s third-longest river, only after
the Yangtze River and the Yellow River. The Pearl River Delta (PRD) is
one of the most developed regions in China with an area of about 11,000
square kilometers. It is the largest urban area in the world in both size and population. The nine largest cities of PRD have a combined population of over 57 million. Since the reform and opening up (economic liberalization) was adopted by the Chinese government in the late 1970s, the Delta has become one of the leading economic regions and a major manufacturing center of China and the world.
长江是亚洲最长、世界上第三长的河流。长江流经多种不同的生态系统，是诸多濒危物种的栖息地，灌溉了中国五分之一的土地。长江流域居住着中国三分之一的人口。长江在中国历史、文化和经济上起着很大的作用。长江三角洲产出多大20%的中国国民生产总值。几千年来，长江一直被用于供水、运输和工业生产。长江上还坐落着世界最大的水电站。
The Yangtze River is the longest river in Asia and the third-longest
in the world. It flows through a wide array of ecosystems and is habitat
to several endemic and endangered species. The Yangtze River drains
one-fifth of the land area of the People’s Republic of C hina (PRC). Its
river basin is home t o one-third of the country’s population. The Yangtze plays a large role in the history, culture and economy of China. The
Yangtze River Delta generates as much as 20% of the PRC’s GDP. For thousands of years, the river has been used for water, irrigation and
industrial production. The largest hydro-electric power station in the
world is located in the River.
2017年12月
泰山位于山东省西部。海拔1500余米，方圆约400平方公里。泰山不仅雄伟壮观，而且是一座历史文化名山，过去3000多年一直是人们前往朝拜的地方。据
记载，共有72位帝王曾来此游览。许多作家到泰山获取灵感，写诗作文，艺术家也来此绘画。山上因此留下了许许多多的文物古迹。泰山如今已成为中国一处主要
的旅游景点。
Mountain Tai , 2,700 m a bove sea level and 400 square kilometers, which is located in the western part of China. It enjoys not only the magnificent sight, but the high reputation for its historical culture. Mountain Tai
is a place of worship for pilgrims for 3,000 thousand years. According
to the record, it was visited by 72 emperors in total. Many w riters obtain inspiration and compose p oems and compositions by visiting Mountain Tai. Besides, artists also draw paintings here. Consequently, there are a lot of cultural relics and historic sites. Nowadays, Mountain Tai has become one of the most well-known tourist attractions in China.
黄山位于安徽省南部。它风景独特，尤以其日出和云海著称。要欣赏大山的宏伟壮丽，通常得向上看。但要欣赏黄山美景，得向下看。黄山的湿润气候有利
于茶树生成，是中国主要产茶地之一。这里还有许多温泉，其泉水有助于防治皮肤病。黄山是中国主要
旅游目的地之一，也是摄影和传统国画最受欢迎的主题。
Mount Huang is located in the south of Anhui province. Its landscape is unique, and it is especially famous for its sunrise and sea of clouds. In order to appreciate the magnificence of this great mountain, one has
to look up, but to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Mount Huang, one has
to look down. Mount Huang’s humid climate is fit for the growth of tea
tree, and it is one of the major tea tree growing areas of China. There
are also many w arm springs in Mount Huang, whose water is helpful for the prevention and treatment of skin diseases. Mount Huang i s one of the major tourist destinations in china, and is also the most popular subject of
photography and traditional Chinese paintings.
华山位于华阴市，距西安120公里。华山是秦岭的一部分，秦岭不仅分隔陕南与陕北，也分隔华南与华北。与从前人们常去朝拜的泰山不同，华山过去很少有人光临，因为上山的道路极其危险。然而，希望长寿的人却经常上山，因为山
上生长着许多药草，特别是一些稀有的药草。自上世纪90年代安装缆车以来，
参观人数大大增加。
Huashan (Mount Hua) is situated in Huayin City, 120 kilometers away
from Xi'an. It is part of the Qinling Mountains, which divides not only
Southern and Northern Shaanxi, but also South and North China. Unlike Taishan, which became a popular place of pilgrimage, Huashan was not well visited in the past because it is dangerous for the climbers to reach its summit. Huashan was also an important place frequented by immortality seekers, as many herbs grow there especially some rare ones. Since the installation of the cable cars in the 1990s, the number of visitors has
increased significantly.