Thanks for your kindness!----!Something about me .

Thanks for your kindness! all of you! my new friend!
I got something busy to finsish right now. I would like to chat with you tonight. see you then!
here is a poet that i found through Internet. Happy to share with you!
    I just surfing on net then met your forum.
    I am not sure about the Chinese meaning of this poet,but I enjoyed guessing it.
I am from Canada.Come to China to have a trip and do of my best to learn about Chinese as i have interestes about it. Chinese cultures,people,life,especially the creatures.
    Hope to talk with you if you would to teach or tell me something new !
    Good day!
   


                        Noah's Ark①

Noah lived long ago.He was a good man.He listened to God.
God told Noah to build an ark.And Noah did.
He made it big and strong and long and wide.
He made a window at the top.
He made a door in the side.
God told Noah to put food in the ark.
And Noah did.
He put in hay② and seeds and fruits and vegetables.

God told Noah to take animals into the ark.
And Noah did.
He took in two of every kind.
He took in frogs and lizards③ and birds and beetles④.
He took in camels and bears and lions and monkeys.
In they went, through the door.
In they went, two by two.
God told Noah to bring in his family.
And Noah did.
He brought in his wife and his sons and his sons?wives and his grandchildren.
God said: "I will send a great flood. It will rid the world of wickedness⑤."
?Noah watched the rain begin to fall.
The rain fell for forty days and nights.
The water covered everything.
Noah's ark floated on the water.
Everyone inside the ark was saved.
Then God sent a wind.
The wind dried up the water.
The ark came to rest.
Noah sent out a dove.
The dove came back with a twig;
Everyone wanted to go outside.
But Noah waited.
Then one day Noah opened the door.
The sun was shining.
Out came the animals, two by two.
Noah looked up.He saw a great rainbow in the sky.
Then God said,
"I will never send a great flood again."
God told Noah to make a new world.
And Noah did.
Notes:
① Noah Ark n. 诺亚方舟(诺亚是旧约圣经中的人物，希伯来人的族长。大洪 水时，笃信宗教的他经由神的告知造了方舟，载运家人和一对对的动物逃过此劫。) ② hay /hei/ n. 干草 ③ lizard n. 蜥蜴 ④ beetle n. 甲虫
⑤ wickedness n. 邪恶
建议学生先自己翻译一遍，再对照译文，如发现以下译文有翻译不当的句子，请联系onlyabc210@163.com，谢谢!)
本期参考译文
诺亚方舟

诺亚生活在很久以前。他是一个善良的人。他听从上帝旨意。
上帝告诉诺亚造一个方舟。诺亚照做了。
他造的方舟既大又坚固，既长又宽。
他在方舟的顶部开了个窗。
在侧面做了扇门。
上帝告诉诺亚把食物放进方舟，诺亚照做了。
他在方舟里放置了干草、种子、水果和蔬菜。
上帝告诉诺亚把动物带进方舟。
诺亚照做了。
每种动物他都带进一对。
他带进来青蛙、蜥蜴、鸟儿和甲虫。
他带进来骆驼、熊、狮子和猴子。
它们从门口走了进去。
它们两个两个地走了进去。
上帝告诉诺亚带上他的家人。
诺亚照做了。
他带上了他的妻子、儿子、儿子的妻子和他的孙子们。
上帝说：“我将降洪水在地上。它将洗涮掉世界上的一切邪恶。”
诺亚看到大雨开始降落。
大雨下了整整四十个昼夜。
洪水淹没了一切。
诺亚的方舟漂浮在水上。
方舟里的人和动物都得救了。
接着上帝吹来大风，大风吹干了水。
方舟停了下来。
诺亚放出一只鸽子。
鸽子衔着一根小树枝飞了回来。
大家都想出去，但是诺亚让大家等待。
然后有一天，诺亚打开门，外面阳光普照。
动物们一对接着一对地走了出来。
诺亚抬头观望。
他看到天空中出现了彩虹。
接着上帝说道：“我不会再降洪水了。”
上帝告诉诺亚去创造一个新的世界。
诺亚照做了。　

welcome to china

WONDERFUL
I LOVE IT

welcome,my friend
the story is very interest.I like it
have a good time

some days ago I met some new friends . They are students and speaks a good English that surprisee me a lot. Also, they are liked you so friendly! thanks!

Remember: Whatever happens, happens for a reason.

what is that meaning? can someone try to make it clearer for me ? thanks!

My name is Li Yang.I graduated from Lanzhou University and majored Mechanical Engineering. I was once a poor student of English, and it was my biggest headache and trouble-maker. I got sick and tired of learning boring grammar rules and lifeless words. But through hard work in practicing speaking English and breaking away from the traditional grammar games, I found myself a totally different and exciting new world. Not only did I pass Band four and Band six College English Exams very easily with high marks, but importantly, I began to use English.
     Finally, I developed a new Language Cracking System myself, I began to teach German not long after I started to learn this terribly difficult language in my own way. It was a miracle but I made it. To speak good English, I think one year of study should be enough for any diligent and intelligent person.
     I'd like to share my learning techniques with you, and I will be very glad to answer your letters and be your friend.
I think that is good way to learn Ehglish! for the single one

I'm Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Education Report.

A listener at Hefei University of Technology in Anhui Province, China, has a question for our Foreign Student Series. The question involves the system of job names in American higher education. Zhang Xiang wants to know the difference between positions like professor, associate professor and lecturer.

In the United States, a person who wants to do research and teach at a college or university usually has a doctorate, the highest degree. But sometimes a school may offer positions to people who have not yet finished their doctorate.

Such a person would be called an instructor until the degree has been completed. After that, the instructor could become an assistant professor. Assistant professors do not have tenure.

A person with tenure cannot be easily dismissed. Such appointments are permanent. University teachers and researchers who are hired with the understanding that they will seek tenure are said to be on a tenure track. Assistant professor is the first job on this path.

Assistant professors generally have five to seven years to gain tenure. During this time, other faculty members study the person's work. If tenure is denied, then the assistant professor usually has a year to find another job.

An assistant professor who receives tenure becomes an associate professor. An associate professor may later be appointed a full professor.

Assistant, associate and full professors at American universities perform many duties. They teach classes. They advise students. And they carry out research that is published. They also serve on university committees and take part in other activities.

Other faculty members at American universities are not expected to do all those jobs. They are not on a tenure track. Instead, they might be in adjunct or visiting positions. A visiting professor has a job at one school but works at another for a period of time. An adjunct professor is also a limited or part-time position, to do research or teach classes. Adjunct professors have a doctorate.

Another position is that of lecturer. Lecturers teach classes, but they may or may not have a doctorate.

If you have a general question about the American education system, send it to special@voanews.com. And if you would like to find the other reports in our Foreign Student Series, go to voaspecialenglish.com.

This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Gwen Outen.

I'm Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Health Report.

Health officials are investigating how several thousand laboratories worldwide received a deadly influenza virus by mistake. The laboratories normally receive small amounts of viruses to test their equipment. But the virus they received this time killed between one million and four million people in nineteen fifty-seven and fifty-eight.

The virus was sent in testing supplies to four thousand seven hundred laboratories in nineteen countries.

The World Health Organization reported that as of Monday most of the shipments had been destroyed. Eighteen countries had confirmed the destruction of the virus, with the United States expected to join them shortly. Laboratories in the United States had received most of the supplies.

The virus is named h-two-n-two. This so-called Asian flu disappeared in nineteen sixty-eight when new viruses began to spread. Health officials say anyone born since then would have little or no protection against the h-two-n-two virus.

W.H.O. officials say there is a risk that the virus could spread again worldwide if it escaped from a laboratory. But they said the danger of anyone getting sick was low if laboratory workers handled the virus carefully. There were no immediate reports of any cases of infection.

An American company shipped the virus starting last October. The last shipments were in February. The samples were sent as part of a testing process that measures how well laboratories can correctly identify viruses. The Meridian Biosciences company in Ohio shipped the tests for the College of American Pathologists.

Officials of the College of American Pathologists say they did not know that the h-two-n-two virus had been sent out. They say they will be more careful in the future to state exactly which viruses to send to laboratories.

Health officials in Canada informed the W.H.O. on March twenty-sixth that a local laboratory had discovered the deadly flu virus. The United Nations health agency then directed all the laboratories involved to destroy the samples as quickly as possible.

Federal officials in the United States are investigating the incident. And the World Health Organization will propose new safety rules for the handling of this kind of virus in laboratories.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Cynthia Kirk. I'm Gwen Outen.

I'm Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

When we think of harvests, we usually think of plants. But can you also harvest a liquid? Sure. Just think of rainwater. Best of all, it is free, except for the cost of a way to collect it.

One way to harvest rainwater is with some technol

ogy developed by International Development Enterprises. This is a non-governmental organization. It is based in the American state of Colorado. It created the technology as a way for people in developing countries to avoid having to drink polluted ground water.

The rainwater harvesting system created by International Development Enterprises uses pipes to collect water from the roofs of buildings. The pipes stretch from the buildings to a two-meter tall storage tank. This tank is made of metal. At the top of the tank is a so-called "first-flush" device made of wire screen. This acts as a barrier. It prevents dirt and leaves in the water from falling inside the tank.

A fitted cover sits over the first-flush device. It protects the water inside the tank from evaporating. The cover also prevents mosquitoes from flying into the water and laying eggs.

Inside the tank is a low-cost plastic bag that collects the water. The bag sits inside another plastic bag similar to those used to hold grain. The two bags are supported inside the metal tank. In all, the water storage system can hold up to three thousand five hundred liters of water.

International Development Enterprises says the inner bags may need to be replaced every two to three years. However, if the bags are not damaged by sunlight, they could last even longer.

International Development Enterprises says the rainwater harvesting system should be built on a raised structure. Doing so will prevent insects from eating into it from the bottom.

The developers say one tank can provide a family of five with enough rainwater to go through a five-month dry season.

Internet users can get more information about International Development Enterprises at its Web site: i-d-e-o-r-g-dot-o-r-g (ideorg.org). Again, the spelling is i-d-e-o-r-g dot o-r-g.

We'll have a link on our Web site, where you can read and listen to our programs. That address is voaspecialenglish dot com. And, if you have a question or comment, write to special@voanews.com.

This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Jill Moss. I'm Gwen Outen.

I'm Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Development Report.

Marburg virus has killed more than two hundred people in northern Angola. The rare virus has been deadly in nine out of ten cases.

Tests confirmed the virus as Marburg in late March. But the outbreak may have started in October in Uige, the area most severely affected. Cases have also been found in several other provinces.

Marburg virus is spread through blood and other bodily fluids. Victims develop high temperature, diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding from the body. The virus is most infectious near the time of death or soon after.

Many people have become infected from washing the bodies of dead family members, a traditional burial custom in Angola. Health workers have also died.

The World Health Organization says this is the largest known outbreak of Marburg. Officials say the virus has spread much faster than it did in the last outbreak. That was in the Democratic Republic of Congo from nineteen ninety-eight to two thousand. More than one hundred twenty people died.

Marburg virus is named after the German city where it was first discovered in nineteen sixty-seven. The virus is in the same family as Ebola. In fact, experts say the two are almost impossible to tell apart. There are no cures or preventions for either Marburg or Ebola. And the cause is a mystery.

Teams of international medical workers are in Angola. An area has been set up to care for Marburg patients at the four-hundred bed hospital in Uige. The goal is to keep anyone suspected of being infected away from others. Experts say isolation is one of the most important ways to control the outbreak.

Yet the W.H.O. reported late last week that the isolation ward was empty. The agency said local people were unwilling to report suspected cases.

Some have even turned fear and anger toward medical workers. It does not help that the workers must dress in protective wear that makes it difficult to see their face.

This past Friday, the W.H.O. reported progress after meetings with traditional community leaders in the city of Uige. It said the governor of the province agreed to have the leaders join medical teams for seven days to search for cases and collect bodies.

The W.H.O. called the decision an important step toward community acceptance of the measures needed to control the Marburg outbreak.

This VOA Special English Development Report was written by Jill Moss. I'm Gwen Outen.

Now the VOA Special English program: Words And Their Stories.

Every language has its ways of expressing strong emotions, surprise, shock, anger. The expressions range from mild to strong, from explanations and oaths, to curses and swear words. The ones that are accepted in public speech change through the years as social rules change.

At times, only very mild expressions are socially accepted. Some of the most popular expressions are those that are guaranteed not to offend anyone. Most of these explanations have survived from earlier days, and their original meanings are long since forgotten.

Great Scott is a good example. It expresses surprise or shock. You might say to someone ‘Great Scott, I did not know she was married.’ Language expert Web Garison tells an interesting story about the expression. Just before the Civil War, the Whig political party was making a last effort to remain a part of American political life. For the election of 1852, the Whigs wanted to offer a colorful candidate for president. They thought that Winfield Scott would be the right candidate. In his thirty years as a general, Winfield Scott had become one of the best known military leaders in the country. During the war with Mexico, he had captured Veracruz and occupied Mexico City. So party leaders thought that if any Whig could be elected president, it was Winfield Scott. General Scott quickly accepted the nomination and began campaigning. He did not take long for the public to realize that General Scott really liked General Scott. His speeches were full of praise for himself. It was evident that he thought he was the greatest candidate who had relived. Soon, his political opponents began to make fun of him. They called him Great Scott. General Scott did not come close to winning the presidency, but his name still lives as part of the English language.

Other popular explanations combine holy with other words; Holy mackerel is one that expresses surprise or wonder. It comes from earlier days when the Roman Catholic Church ruled that Catholics must not eat meat on Fridays. Since mackerel was a common and cheap fish in the United States, it was often eaten for dinner on Friday.

Then there is holy Toledo. It is another expression of surprise; it refers to the city of Toledo, Spain, an important religious center in the evil times. Toledo was a holy city for both the Roman Catholics and the Muslim Moors of Spain.

I'm Steve Ember with In the News, in VOA Special English.

Tensions deepened this week between China and Japan.

Japan announced that it will begin to consider proposals to explore for natural gas in the East China Sea. China also claims exploration rights in the area. The Chinese government condemned the Japanese plans. On Friday a spokesman for the Japan Petroleum Exploration Company said the two sides should seek cooperation.

But competition for energy resources is not the only problem.
China and Japan have grown into major trading partners. Yet Japan's history as an aggressor in Asia continues to put pressure on relations. There is again a dispute over a history book for Japanese students. The Chinese say the book does not tell the truth about Japanese actions during World War Two.

Japan invaded China in the nineteen thirties. The Chinese suffered greatly. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao says Japan must, in his words, "face up to history."

Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura is expected in Beijing on Sunday for talks on a number of issues.

Last Saturday and Sunday there were anti-Japanese protests in Beijing and other cities. Protesters threw rocks at Japanese diplomatic offices and attacked Japanese-owned businesses.

Activists have spread messages calling for more protests in the coming days in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities. Such unrest is rare in China. The government usually suppresses demonstrations. The Chinese have dismissed suggestions that the government supported the actions.

Chinese officials took steps on Friday to prevent another weekend of anti-Japanese protests. Police warned against unapproved demonstrations and said violators could be punished. A police statement on the Internet urged people to put their trust in the Communist Party to act in the best interests of China.

Some observers say the real reason for the Chinese anger is the attempt by Japan to get a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. More than twenty million Chinese are reported to have signed an Internet petition to oppose such action.

The United Nations is currently considering a re-organization. Proposals include adding members to the Security Council.

There are currently five permanent members: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. Only they have the individual power to veto council actions.

Secretary General Kofi Annan says the current Security Council represents the world of nineteen forty-five. He says the council needs to better represent the international community today.

Mister Annan also says countries that support the United Nations financially should be more involved in making decisions. Japan is a top provider to the U.N.

In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Jerilyn Watson. I’m Steve Ember.

I’m Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Economics Report.

April fifteenth is tax day for Americans. It is the last day to pay federal income taxes for the year before. Most taxpayers have enough income tax collected all year long through their employer. So they do not owe any more. In fact, most get some money back.

There are different ways for people to reduce their income taxes. Homeowners, for example, can deduct the interest they pay on a home loan. And there are tax credits, including credits for children.

Income tax rates increase as income increases. People who earned more than three hundred nineteen thousand dollars last year had the highest rate, thirty-five percent.

The Constitution gives Congress the power to establish federal taxes. State and local governments can also tax. But the idea of national taxes took time.

In seventeen ninety-one Congress approved a tax on whiskey and other alcoholic drink. Farmers in western Pennsylvania who produced alcohol refused to pay. They attacked officials and burned the home of a tax collector.

George Washington, America's first president, gathered troops. The soldiers defeated the so-called Whiskey Rebellion of seventeen ninety-four. It was one of the first times the government used its powers to enforce a federal law within a state.

At first, the United States government collected most of its money through tariffs. These are taxes on trade. Then, in the late eighteen hundreds, Congress began to tax the money that people earned in their jobs.

The Supreme Court rejected the personal income tax as unconstitutional. So the states changed the Constitution. In nineteen-thirteen they passed the Sixteenth Amendment. It gives Congress the power to collect taxes on income.

In two thousand three, personal income tax provided the government with thirty-seven percent of its money. Income tax on businesses provided six percent.

Other taxes provided an additional forty percent of the budget. And the remaining seventeen percent of federal income was money borrowed to cover the deficit.

American tax laws are very complex. The Internal Revenue Service collects federal taxes. The I.R.S. estimates that taxpayers need an average of thirteen hours and thirty-five minutes in preparation time. And that is just to complete the basic tax form. Which is why a lot of people use tax preparers to do it for them.

This VOA Special English Economics Report was written by Mario Ritter. I'm Gwen Outen.

I'm Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Education Report.

This week, we answer a question from China as part of our series for students who want to study at an American college. Song Bin in Guizhou Province would like to know about the United States Military Academy at West Point.

West Point is the four-year school in New York State that educates future Army officers. The students are called cadets. They do not have to pay for their education. But they do have to agree to serve on active duty in the Army for at least five years after they graduate.

A young man or woman must be nominated to the academy, usually by a federal or state lawmaker. Nominees also must satisfy the entrance requirements. These include excellent physical condition and high marks in school.

About four thousand American cadets are at West Point this year. In addition, there are forty-four cadets who were sent by other countries for a military education.

International students are nominated by their home government. They also must satisfy the physical and educational requirements. In addition, they must do well on the TOEFL, the Test of English as a Foreign Language.

Home governments may have to pay up to fifty thousand dollars a year per student at West Point.

Among those with cadets at the academy this year are Bulgaria, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Kazakhstan, Singapore, Taiwan and Tunisia.

Each year, the United States Defense Department invites countries to nominate students to West Point and other military academies. Last year, one hundred fifty-five countries were invited to do so. Not all countries take part in the program.

We spoke to Captain Robert Romans, head of the international cadet program at West Point. He says up to sixty foreign cadets at any one time can attend the academy. He says students who are interested should seek information at their local American Embassy. The embassy should know where in the home government to go to learn how to be nominated.

The West Point Web site does not have much information about the international program. But it does have a lot of other information. The address is usma.edu.

Our Foreign Student Series is online at voaspecialenglish dot com. To send us e-mail, write to special@voanews.com.

This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Gwen Outen.

is that engouh for us to learn something?

where is the voice from you?

is that right to keep so slient ? my friend?

let's talk ! talk freely without nod inside.