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　　A study of English learning problems was carried out among a total of 106 foreign students．It shows that most students considered understanding spoken English to be their biggest problem on arrival．This was followed by speaking．Writing increased as a problem as students discovered difficulties in writing papers that they were now expected to hand in．Reading remained as a significant(显著的)problem．

　　The information gained helped us in determining where special attention should be paid in our course．Although many students have chosen to join the course with a reasonable motivation(动机), we considered it important to note what seemed to encourage interest．Nearly all the students have experienced some kind of grammar based English teaching in their own country．To use the same method would be self defeating because it might reduce motivation, especially if it has failed in the past．Therefore a different method may help because it is different．

　　Variety of activity was also seen as a way of maintaining(保持)or increasing motivation．Several years ago we had one timetable that operated throughout, but we soon found that both the students and the teachers lost interest by about halfway through the ten weeks．This led us to a major re-think, so finally we brought it into line with the expressed language needs of the students．

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　　Monarch butterflies(黑脉金斑蝶)are a common summer sight in the northern United States and Canada．These large orange and black insects(昆虫)brighten parks and gardens as they fly lightly among the flowers．What makes monarchs particularly interesting is that they migrate(迁飞)－all the way to California or Mexico and back．They are thought to be the only insect that does this．

　　Every year in the late summer monarchs begin their journey to the south．Those heading for Mexico go first for the Louisiana Mississippi area, then fly across the Gulf of Mexico into Texas．Once in Mexico, they settle themselves in one of about fifteen places in a mountain forest filled with fir trees．Each place provides a winter home for millions of monarchs．The butterflies are so many that they often cover entire trees．When spring comes, they begin their long journey north．

　　The question is often asked whether every butterfly makes the round trip journey every year．And the answer is no．The average monarch lives about nine months．So one flying north might lay eggs in Louisiana and then die．The eggs of that generation may be found in Kentucky; the eggs of the next generation may end up in Wisconsin or Michigan．The last generation of the season, about the fourth, will make their way back to Mexico and restart the journey．

　　Scientists learn about monarchs’ migration by catching and making marks on the insects．By recatching a monarch with such a mark and noticing where it came from, the next scientist can get to know things like the butterfly’s age and its routing(路线)．

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　　When the last snow melts and every thing becomes green again, you probably feel very happy．You know that summer is coming, and you will be able to be outdoors in the sun．People all over the world for thousands of years have felt the same way; they have celebrated the coming of spring and the rebirth of nature．While customs differ from one place to another, many use eggs as a sign of new life．

　　To Christians, springtime is Easter time．Easter is a religious holiday celebrating the rebirth of Christ．Many Easter customs have to do with eggs：decorating them, hiding them, and eating them．Some of the most beautiful Easter eggs are Ukranian．These are decorated with small, detailed designs that are amazing to examine．In the United States, children paint Easter eggs and play “hunt the egg”．

　　For Jews, springtime is Passover time．Passover is a celebration of the Jews’ escape from slavery to freedom．Since freedom after slavery is like a new life, Passover is also a celebration of new beginnings．People eat eggs during special holiday meals because for them eggs stand for freedom, new beginnings, and new life．

　　Many old European customs, emphasize eggs as a symbol of rebirth and love, In Hungary, a boy earns a colored egg if he can splash a girl with perfumed water．In parts of Germany, girls go into the woods in the springtime and white ribbons．As they carry the colorful tree home, they sing

　　“Spring comes to visit us,

　　With eggs that are red,

　　With yellow pancakes

　　We are carrying

　　Summer

　　Into the village．”

　　In Northern England, rolling colored eggs down slopes on Easter Monday is popular, while rolling eggs across the White House Lawn has become a tradition in the United States．

　　In ancient times Egyptians and Persians(波斯人)celebrated their spring festivals by coloring and eating eggs．They thought the world was actually created in the spring．Some of them thought that at first the world itself was one huge egg!

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　　Dear Betty,

　　My roommate’s family wants me to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with them in their home．I accepted the invitation, and I’m excited about going, but I’m a little nervous about it, too．The social customs in my country are different from those here, so I’m a little worried about making mistakes．

　　Should I bring a gift, such as candy or flowers? Should I arrive on time or a little late? At the dinner table, how can I know which fork or knife to use? How can I let the family know that I’m thankful for their kindness?

Yours,

Knowing Nothing

　　Dear Knowing Nothing,

　　It’s a good idea to bring a gift when you go to a dinner party．Flowers are always welcome, or you can bring a bottle of wine if you know the family drink it．

　　You should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late．Don’t get there early．If you are going to be more than fifteen minutes late, you should call and tell them．

　　Try to relax at the dinner table．If you don’t know how to use the right fork, knife or spoon, just watch the other guests, and follow them．If you still have no idea of what to do, don’t be shy about asking the person next to you; it’s better to ask them than to be silently uncomfortable and nervous．

　　If you like the food, say so．Of course, you’ll thank the host and hostess for the meal and for their kindness．It’s also a good idea to send a card to thank them the day after．

Yours,

Betty

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　　New Year’s Eve in the United Kingdom usually consists of decide which parties to attend and how much alcohol to drink before and after the countdown to midnight．But in a country that won’t celebrate its lunar New Year for six more weeks, I wondered what to expect as the 2001 calendar year came to a close earlier this week．

　　To my surprise, it wasn’t much different form home．Many young Chinese appear just as determined to usher in(迎接)the New Year with music and dancing．

　　Because I wanted a New Year with Chinese characteristics, I feasted on snake with a group of Westerners at a neighbourhood restaurant in Beijing．

　　Although I wasn’t so keen on the slimy snake skin dish we accidentally ordered, I actually quite liked the rest of the snake．Perhaps my New Year’s resolution(决定)should be to try new things more often．

　　At a Western pub near Sanlitun afterwards, I was surprised to see many Chinese faces in the crowd．As the countdown to 2002 began, the champagne flowed, joining Westerners and Chinese together in celebration．

　　The many cultural differences between Britain and China no longer mattered at that moment．Revelers wished both friends and strangers all the best for 2002．

　　Just as the Chinese attended the Western New Year with us, I hope we can partake in(参与)their festivities next month to welcome the year of the horse．

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　　The Sahara Festival is a celebration of the very recent past．The threeday event is not fixed to the same dates each year, but generally takes place in November or December．It is well attended by tourists, but even better attended by locals．

　　During the opening ceremonies, after the official greetings from the government leaders, people who attend the festival begin to march smartly before the viewing stands, and white camels transport their riders across the sands．Horsemen from different nations display their beautiful clothes and their fine horsemanship．One following another, groups of musicians and dancers from all over the Sahara take their turn to show off their wonderful traditional culture．Groups of men in blue and yellow play hours and beat drums as they dance in different designs．On their knees in the sand, a group of women in long dark dresses dance with their hair：their long, dark, shiny hair is thrown back and forth in the wind to the rhythm of their dance．

　　The local and visiting Italian dogs are anxious to run after hares．The crowd is on its feet for the camel races．Camel and riders run far into the distance, and then return to the finish line in front of the cheering people．

　　Towards the evening, there comes the grand finale of the opening day, an extremely exciting horserace．All the riders run very fast on horseback．Some riders hang off the side of their saddles．Some even ride upside down－their legs and feet straight up in the air－all at full speed．Others rush down the course together, men arm in arm, on different horses．On and on they went．So fast and so wonderful!

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　　Thanksgiving Day is a special holiday in the United States and Canada．Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing．

　　Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival．This is why it is celebrated in late fall, after the crops are in．But one of the first Thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest．On December 4, 1619, the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City, Virginia．They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic．

　　The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest．The Pilgrims? landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620．They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel．Many of the Pilgrims died．But the next year, they had a good harvest．So Governor Bradford declared a three day feast．The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast．Everyone brought food．

　　In time, other colonies began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving．But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day．During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it．He proclaimed the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving．Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November．Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbors．But the Canadian Thanksgiving Day falls on the second Monday in October．

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　　It gives me great pleasure today to say a few words in praise of a man we will all miss very much．To be honest, I can’t imagine we will do without him when he’s gone．Bill Masters almost single?handed built up our sales force in the Houston area and developed the market position that we enjoy today．In only six years, he has brought the firm from a very low fifth position in the area sales to the point where we now outsell all but one of our competitors．Not only have we got 37 per cent of the market under Bill’s leadership; we are increasing our share with each passing month．

　　As you know, the company has moved Bill to northern California to work his sales magic in one of this company’s most competitive areas．But we know that if anyone can do it, Bill Masters can, and I know you all join me in wishing him the best of luck in his new work．

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In 1752, three years after two Scotsmen, Alexander Wilson and Thomas Melville, fastened thermometers to kites to record the temperature of clouds, Benjamin Franklin made his famous experiment with a kite, a string, and a key．Franklin hoped to show that nature’s tremendous displays of electricity in lightning were the same thing as the feeble electric sparks scientists of the day were producing in their laboratories．He built a square kite to which he attached an iron wire．He flew the kite with a hemp string(麻线), and near the base of the string he tied a large brass key．The kite rose into a dark thundercloud, where the iron wire picked up electrical charges．Franklin noticed that the strands of the string(绳串)were beginning to stand up with electricity．As rain wet the string, it conducted more electricity．Standing in the shelter of a shed, Franklin cautiously reached out his finger to touch the brass key．A series of sparks jumped from the key to his finger．He thus proved that lightning and electricity are the same．We now know that this experiment was a dangerous one, for Franklin might have been killed by a bolt of lighting．

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　　Tom Brown was a good boxer(拳击手)．He had a pair of strong fists(拳头)that he never used at ordinary times．He was very successful in boxing and had won many games．

　　On one of his holiday trips in a small town, he happened to see two men beating a young lady when he was driving his car along a black street．Mr．Brown immediately stopped the car and rushed out to help the girl．

　　“Get in my car, ” Mr．Brown shouted to the girl．“Drive to the police station．Quick!”

　　When the policemen came, they found two men had gone and a young gentlemen lying on the ground, beaten black and blue．

　　“Why, this is Mr．Brown, the famous boxer!” one of them recognized him．

　　“Why didn’t you fight back but let them hit you like this?” You are strong enough to beat four of them with your fists!”

　　“But I haven’t got my gloves(手套)．A boxer must never go to fight without his gloves on．That’s one of our rules，”answered Mr．Brown．