The program" China Year in Russia" has ended, but the cultural ties between the two countries grow stronger. "Chinese fever" continues in Russia.

Fifty-year-old Wei Dehan has been studying Chinese culture for thirty years. He was among the first Russians to open a Chinese tea house in Moscow. That was in1995.He also teaches Chinese language and Tai Chi. During" China Year in Russia", he set up a magazine introducing Chinese culture. It is popular with local readers. In Russia, many schools want young people who can speak Chinese. Young people who are able to speak Chinese language find jobs easily. Some 15-thousand people attend Chinese language classes in Russia. The Confucius Institute(孔子学院), the world-wide Chinese language and culture education center, has been set up in thirteen of Russia's universities and colleges. Besides the language, Chinese way of life is becoming a common factor(因素)in the daily lives of Russian people.

Russian newspaper and magazines praised(称赞)"China Year in Russia" as a timely event. They said that the program deepened(加深) understanding between the people of the two countries. It also opened the way for further culture exchanges.

About thirty years ago, China was known as the "Bicycle Kingdom". Soon bikes were replaced by cars. But recently an increasing number of people choose cycling instead of driving to schools, to workplaces or to do sightseeing. Bike-sharing service provided by companies like Ofo and Mobike, has brought the trend to a new level.

According to the data from Researh Consulting Group, the frst week of this year saw 5. 85 million active users of Mobike while Ofo had 1. 4 million active users.

People can unlock the shared bikes by simply using their smartphones. The bikes are equipped with GPS and can be left anywhere in public for the next user. They're popular among many Chinese people as they provide an effective solution to the "last mile" problem, which refers to the final leg of a person's journey. "In places where the subway can't reach, where it's difcult to change from one kind of transport to another. It's so easy to get where you want to go with Mobike," Hu Hong, 29, who lives in Shanghai said.

However, the project has also led to problems such as illegal (非法的) parking, damage and stealing. Last month, two nurses in Beijing were placed under administrative detention (行政拘留) for five days for putting locks on two shared bikes. Now, Chinese service operators are trying to solve this problem.

Interesting Festivals in the World

In America, the school day usually starts at 9a.m. and 1 at about 4 p.m. The school subjects are different from 2. In China, we always have Chinese, maths, English, P.E. and so on. But in America, students have more lessons, such as 3and driving lessons. Their school life isn't just about study. They have 4things to do than the Chinese students do. There 5many clubs in American schools, too. If the students are 6in sports, they can join different sports clubs. From 2:30 p.m.7 4 p.m., they do different things in different clubs.

Maybe you think English is very popular in the world,8 American students don't need to learn any 9language. But that's not true, American children from the age of seven 10learn a foreign language. For example, they learn French or Chinese.

Do you have a passport? A passport is a very important personal document when you travel abroad. It is also a great treasure for every holidaymaker because each page provides wonderful memories of each visit. Here are some of the most bizarre and interesting facts about passports from Britain.

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was once offered a passport with the number 007, the code number for fictional special agent (特工) James Bond. However, she turned it down. The passport with 007 now belongs to Geoffery Howe, a member in Thatcher's government.

Everyone needs a passport to travel around the world, but one person doesn't. Although she may not travel abroad as much as she used to, Queen Elizabeth II has traveled around the world – all without a passport. According to the U.K., it is unnecessary for the queen to have one because British passport is issued (颁发) in the name of Her Majesty. However, it doesn't mean that the entire British royal family doesn't need passports. All the other members, including Prince Philip and Prince Charles, all have passports.

The British passport had a very long history. The oldest passport still in existence in Britain dates back to June 18, 1641. And there is the signature of Charles I on it.

In addition, the British passport is one of the most powerful passports in the world. Anyone with a British passport can travel 174 countries without a visa (签证). It is as powerful as passports from Finland, Germany, Sweden and the U.S.A. However, U.K. travellers pay some of the highest passport costs in the world – more than people in China and Russia. On average, British people have to pay about 72.5 pounds for the passport.

Colorful festive lanterns have been lit up at Yu Garden. The event attracts millions of visitors each Chinese New Year and will last till February 22.

Thirty-nine installations(装置）come alive at 5:30 p. m. every evening. The major draw is a 9-meter-tall pig dressed like the god of wealth to mark the Year of the Pig. Other lanterns involve the city's unique shikumen architecture(建筑）, typical dishes and folk culture. A series of lanterns promotes Shanghai brands. The 24 solar terms（节气） are displayed on some of the lanterns.

"It is the only event in Shanghai that makes me feel authentic Chinese elements and flavor(因素和味道)," said Thiery Sauvage from France who has lived by the garden for seven years.

The annual celebrations, which have been held for 24 years, have become the city's top attraction for tourists during Spring Festival. The month-long celebration attracts about 6 million visitors every year.

To ensure order and safety, the gates of the garden and the Zigzag Bridge will be closed when the number of visitors touches the 30,000 mark. Surveillance cameras(监管摄像）have been installed (安装) at the eight entrances.

Entry to the Yu Garden commercial complex will be 50 yuan(US$7.46) for adults and 30 yuan for children between February 15 and 18. On February 19, Lantern Festival, the fee will be 80 yuan for adults and 50 yuan for children.

Many boys and girls love to watch TV. They spend many hours a day in front of the TV sets. But many parents let their children watch TV only in special time. TV shows aren't like books or movies. There are many types of shows, such as sitcoms, soap operas, sports shows, fashion shows, etc. A child can learn good things and bad things from them. Some shows help children to understand the news all over the world. Children don't have to go to the zoo to see animals. Boys and girls can see sitcoms, sports shows and game shows at home. Some shows teach children how to cook or how to use tools(工具). Many boys and girls think it is fun to watch TV, but it is also fun to read books, friends to play games or to visit.

Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is a special day in many countries around the world.

People celebrate it in English- speaking countries like the UK, Ireland, Australia and Cana-da. In France and the US, people call it Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday.

Pancake Day is always in February or March. On that special Tuesday, many people eat pancakes: thin cakes made in a round pan. In the UK, people have pancake races to celebrate Pancake Day. In the race, people run with a pancake in a pan. When they run, they need to throw(扔) the pancake in the air many times. The most famous pancake race is in a town called Olney, in the middle of England. The pancake race there has a history of 575 years.

Pancakes aren't difficult to make. To make a pancake, we need milk, eggs and so on.

Want to know how to make them? Please read on.

ldioms (习语) can be a problem for language learners. For example, imagine your English friend Sam tells you his math exam was "a piece of cake. "Do you imagine him at school, sitting in front of a sweet dessert with nothing but a pen to eat it with? In fact, he is saying that the exam was really easy. Here are stories of three English idioms.

If you ask a friend to hang out, you might hear, "Sorry, I can't tonight. I am feeling a little under the weather. "It may sound like rain is coming, but really, it means that your friend feels sick. This expression came from sailors, who often got seasick when bad weather tossed the ship from side to side.

lf you have a difficult roommate, you might say, " My roommate has loud parties every night, but last night was the last straw. They played music till 5AM! I am moving out. "A "last straw"' is a final problem that makes someone take action. This expression is a short form of the phrase "the straw that broke the camel's back. "The idea is that even though a single piece of straw is very light, many pieces added together will be too heavy for the camel to carry.

Have you ever asked someone if they know something, and they reply, "That rings a bell? They are not hearing music! They mean that what you are saying sounds familiar, and they think they've heard it before. This idiom comes from the fact that the bells are used to remind people of many things. Traditionally, bells would tell for an important event, like a wedding. School bells tell you that class is starting.

With a history of more than 1, 800 years, dumplings are a classic Chinese food. They are also a traditional dish on Chinese New Year's Eve. They are really popular in China, especially in the north of China.

Dumplings have different shapes, but usually they look like Chinese silver ingots(银元宝). Chinese people like to eat dumplings. There are some interesting ideas about them. For example, the more dumplings you eat during the New Year celebrations, the more money you can make in the new year.

Dumplings have different tastes because of their different fillings(馅). There are many different kinds of fillings. Some popular fillings are pork, fish, chicken, beef，mutton and vegetables. Different people like to eat dumplings with different fillings.

Do you know how to make dumplings? Here is a way for making dumplings.

First, mix the dough(面团). Next, make the dough into round wrappers(面皮) with a rolling pin(面杖). Then, fill the wrappers with fillings. When it is ready, pinch(捏)the wrappers together. And finally, cook them in the hot water.

Is chatting online boring without emojis （表情符号）? These happy, sad and laughing faces help us communicate with each other.

What kinds of emojis do people in different countries like most? It has to do with their culture, according to a report.

France is thought to be a romantic country. French people love the heart emoji more than any other country. It is reported that fifty﹣five percent （百分之） of the emojis they use are hearts.

In the US, we see that many users choose food pictures. Americans use the burger and chicken leg emojis more often than other countries.

As it often snows in Russia, people there use emojis with snow patterns more than any other country. Arabic﹣language （阿拉伯语） users like using camels. And Australia uses more rabbit emojis than anywhere else.

    Apple's logo is one of the most familiar icons(图标) around the world. But what's the story about the Apple logo? The image of the apple is obvious, because that's the name of the company. What about the bite?

    The famous story is that the logo shows respect and honour for Alan Turing. He was the father of computer science. He researched artificial intelligence(人工智能)

and unlocked German wartime codes (密码). However, after the war, he was put into prison, because of his beliefs. He could not stand the looking down and chose to bite a poisoned apple to end his life in the prison.

    However, Rob Jan off, who designed the famous Apple logo, said, "It's not the truth, but only a legend. The real reason why I designed it with a bite is very simple. I wanted people to get that it was an apple not a cherry. When I go to markets to buy apples, I always mistake apples for cherries. It really has nothing to do with the scientist. "

    Are you kidding? An apple is much bigger than a cherry. It's very easy to tell. But if you use an apple to design a logo, some people may mistake it for a cherry.

For me, it's the moment I know that Christmas has truly begun. It's already dark. I get a glass of milk and sit down to write down my wishes on 1.

Although I hardly see my family and friends, I 2 sending cards to them. I enjoy pushing lots of envelopes(信封) into the postbox and 3 them.

Most people like a paper card better than an e-card. 4, the number of the cards I get is becoming smaller and smaller each year. If I am lucky, I might get lots of group texts(短信). I still send cards to those people, but 5 getting cards back, I won't send them Christmas cards next year.

People now send much 6 cards every year than before, because of high postage(邮资) and the Internet. What makes me 7 is that although a lot of people enjoy social（社会的）lives, many old people are not good at using the Internet. For them, a card means a lot.

One of my friends moved to a(n) 8 city. He knew no one there, and ended up decorating (装饰) his house with the cards he got before, just to make 9 feel less lonely.

So this Christmas, let's put down our 10, take out those old address books and send cards to our families, friends and neighbors.

    Do you know that about 55% of communication is unspoken? So in fact, our bodies actually say more than our words. I find that the key to a successful conversation in any language is to speak to people not only in their spoken language but also with the body language they know best.

    Britain, along with much of Northern Europe, has a non-touch culture, so "personal space" is very important. In a formal(正式的) situation, we would usually greet each other with a handshake. Informally, but not so often, my British friends and I would greet with a hug. Hardly ever would we greet with a kiss on the cheek, let alone a hug and two kisses on the cheek!

    Here in the south of Italy and in many different parts of the world, both men and women greet with two kisses on the cheek, and use a lot of hand signs and often touch each other. In other words, little personal space is left between people when they are communicating.

    At university, I have learned to successfully communicate in spoken Italian. And since I moved to live with the local people，I have also started to pick up their body language. Sometimes, I find myself not knowing what hand signs to use when expressing myself. However, what I know for sure is that I would miss the opportunity to fully put myself in the Italian culture if I keep my personal space unbroken.

Here are 5 body language tips in Italy:

    Use different signs: head, arms and hands.

    Use facial expressions. Always smile at people! It is said that smiling is the most powerful unspoken way to communicate friendliness.

    Use eye contact(交流), because the eyes are the window to the soul. Don't worry about personal space. Italians are people who like to use the sense of touch, so moving away or keeping your distance may be considered as being unfriendly.

    Touch. When meeting and leaving, always shake hands.

A. Lisa's parents will go to London and stay there from Wednesday to Friday. They are sure Lisa is safe at home. But they worry that Lisa can't wake up on time to get to school.

B. Jane will stay at home alone for a week because her parents need to look after her grandfather in the hospital. They are only worried that Jane can't eat well.

C. Being left alone at home is Bob's dream all the time. He looks forward to the moment. But his parents are a little worried that he will stay up late playing computer games.

D. Bill's parents will have to work this weekend. They worry that Bill won't pay full attention to his studies if they are not at home. They tell Bill that he can invite one or two friends to come to their home.

E. Tina is 12 years old. When she is at home alone, she feels a little lonely. Tonight her parents will go to a party. She will have to stay at home alone before her parents come back.

F. Jenny is a ninth grader. She spends almost all of her time studying. Her parents will go out for two weeks. They worry that nobody will wash the clothes for her.

Most people think the capital of the movie world is Hollywood, in America. 1, the real movie capital is Mumbai, in India. Mumbai used to be known as Bombay. The movie industry there is often called "Bollywood". Bollywood makes twice 2 many movies as Hollywood — over 1000 movies a year.

The movies from Bollywood are very different from those made in Hollywood. Bollywood movies are much 3 than most Hollywood movies. Most Bollywood movies are more than three hours long, and 4 singing, dancing, action, adventure, mystery and romance. Because Bollywood movies have so many different themes, this style of movie is sometimes called a "masala movie — "masala" is an Indian word for a 5 of different spices (香料).

Posture is the way a person stands, walks or sits. Because of the cultural differences in the world, the same posture may show d meanings to others.

In America, teachers often sit on the desks when teaching. But the Chinese students cannot a it because they think this will harm the dignity（庄重）of the teachers. It is c for the American students to communicate with their teachers just sitting in their chairs. While in China, the students must s up and answer the teacher questions. This is a way of showing their r. In Egypt, a man who leans on the chair with his feet pointing to others will be considered rude and impolite to the Muslim. Because of the cultural differences, one should be careful in the use of posture language in o not to make misunderstandings.