Unit 1
中国书法(calligraphy)是一门独特的艺术，是世界上独一无二的艺术瑰宝。中国书法艺术的形成、发展与汉字的产生与演进存在着密不可分的关系。汉字在漫长的演变发展过程中，一方面起着交流思想、继承文化的重要作用，另一方面他本身又形成了一门独特的艺术。书法能够通过作品把书法家个人的生活感受、学识、修养、个性等折射出来。所以，通常有“字如其人”的说法。中国书法不仅是中华民族的文化瑰宝，而且在世界文化艺术宝库中独放异彩。
Chinese calligraphy is a typical/special/distinct art, which is artistic treasure of the world. There is an intimate connection between the formation and development of Chinese calligraphy and the emergence and the long evolutionary of the Chinese characters. With the long development of the characters, for one thing, it plays an important role in exchanging ideas and inheriting culture, for another, itself has formed a unique art. Calligraphy can be reflected from the daily feelings, knowledge, self-cultivation and personality of the calligrapher, so there is a saying goes, “Handwriting reflects who you are.” Calligraphy not only is the Chinese cultural treasure, but also shines with extraordinary splendor in the culture and art treasury of the world.
Unit 2
近年来，随着互联网技术的发展，我国的数字化教育资源建设取得了巨大的成就。很多高校建立了自己的数字化学习平台，数字化教学在教育中发挥着越来越大的作用。和传统教学方式相比，数字化教学方式有很大的优势。一方面，数字化教学使教学资源得以全
球共享；另一方面，它拓展了学习者的学习时间和空间，人们可以随时随地通过互联网进入数字化的虚拟学校学习。这使得人类从接受一次性教育走向终身学习成为可能。
In recent years，with the development of Internet technology, the construction of digital education resources in our country have developed a lot. Many universities established themselves’ digital studying platform. Digital teaching has been playing a more and more/an increasingly important role in education. Compared with traditional way of teaching, digital teaching enjoys huge/great advantages. On the one hand, it shares educational resource with the world; on the other hand, it expands the time and space for learners, as it allows people to get access to digital virtual campus no matter when and where. This makes possible for people to shift one-off learning to lifelong learning.
Unit 3
孝道（filial piety）是中国古代社会的基本道德规范（code of ethics）。中国人把孝视为人格之本、家庭和睦之本、国家安康之本。由于孝道是儒家伦理思想的核心，它成了中国社会千百年来维系家庭关系的道德准则。它毫无疑问是中华民族的一种传统美德。孝道文化是一个复合概念，内容丰富，涉及面广。它既有文化理念，又有制度礼仪（institutional etiquette）。一般来说，它指社会要求子女对父母应尽的义务，包括尊敬、关爱、赡养老人等等。孝道是古老的\"东方文明\"之根本。
In ancient china, filial piety was the fundamental code of ethics. Chinese considered filial piety as the root/basis/essence of characters, harmonious family and great country. Filial piety, the core of Confucian ethics, has become a morale which maintains the family relationships of Chinese society for thousands of years. There is no doubt that it was a kind of Chinese traditional virtue. The culture of filial piety, a compound conception with adequate contents and broad covers, has both cultural idea and institutional etiquette. In general, it points at the obligation which the sons or the daughters should do for their parents, including respect, care, support for the elderly and so on. Now it’s the root/essence of ancient “eastern culture/civilization”.
Unit 4
农历七月初七是中国的七夕节(Qixi Festival)，是中国传统节日中最具浪漫色彩的一个节日。一些大的商家每年都举办不同的活动，年轻人也送礼物给他们的情人。因此，七夕节被认为是中国的“情人节”(Valentine's Day)。七夕节来自于牛郎与织女（Cowherd and
Weaving Maid）的传说。相传，每年的这个夜晚，天上的织女都会与牛郎相会。所以，在七夕的夜晚，人们可以看到牛郎织女在银河（the Milky Way）相会。姑娘们也会在这一天晚上向天上的织女乞求智慧，以获得美满姻缘。但随着时代的变迁，这些活动正在消失，唯有标志着忠贞爱情的牛郎织女的传说一直流传民间。
The Qixi Festival on July 7th of the Chinese lunar calendar, which is one of the most romantic traditional festivals in China. Every year, some big businesses hold/organize various activities, and young people will send gifts to their valentines. In this case/thus/therefore, the Qixi Festival is regarded as/ considered to be Chinese Valentine’s Day. The Qixi Festival is derived from/comes from the legend of Cowherd and Weaving Maid. The legend has it that the Weaving Maid meets with Cowherd every year on this particular evening. So, people can see Cowherd and Weaving Maid meeting in the Milky Way on the night of Qixi. On this evening, young ladies would seek wisdom from the Weaving Maid living in the sky in order for a happy marriage. However, with the changing of times these activities are diminishing. All that remains is the legend of praising the faithful love between Cowherd and Weaving Maid among the folk.
Unit5
丝绸之路（Silk Road）是我国古代一条连接中国和欧亚大陆（Eurasia）的交通线路，由于这条商路以丝绸贸易为主，故称\"丝绸之路\"。作为国际贸易的通道和文化交流的桥梁，丝绸之路有效地促进了东西方经济文化交流和发展，对世界文明进程有着深远影响。当前，在新的历史条件下，我国提出了\"一带一路\"（One Belt, One Road）（即\"丝绸之路经济带\"和\"21世纪海上丝绸之路\"）的战略构想。\"一带一路\"以合作共赢为核心，强调相关各国的互利共赢和共同发展。这一战略一经提出即受到沿线各国的积极响应。
The Silk Road is a traffic route connecting China and Eurasia in the ancient China. It called “the Silk Road” due to this trade route focuses on the trade of silk. As a passage/channel for international trade and a bridge for cultural communication, the Silk Road effectively prompted/improved the economic and cultural exchanges and development between the East and the West, and exerting a profound impact/influence on the progress of the world civilization. Nowadays, under the new historical contexts, our country proposes the strategy of “One Belt, One Road” (namely the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road). “One Belt, One Road” with its focus on cooperation and mutual benefits, emphasizing win-win as well as common development of the related countries. Once proposed, it has received positive responses from the related countries along the road.
Unit6
国民幸福指数（National Happiness Index，NHI）是衡量人们幸福感的一种指数，
也是衡量一个国家或地区经济发展、居民生活与幸福水平的指标工具。随着中国经济的高速增长，中国政府越来越重视人民群众生活质量和幸福指数的提升。政府注重改善民生，努力改善人民群众的经济状况，满足人民群众日益增长的物质文化需求。当前，中国政府提倡释放改革红利，让人民群众得到更多实惠。所有这些都将有效促进我国国民幸福指数不断提升。
National Happiness Index is not only a kind of index measured people’s happiness sense, but also a gauge/tool that measures the levels of economic development in a country or region, people's living condition and happiness. With the fast growth of Chinese economy, the Chinese government pays more and more/increasing attention to people's living quality and the increase of happiness index. The government attach importance to improve people's livelihood and better/improve their economic conditions in order to meet their growing material and cultural needs. Currently, the Chinese government is promoting the releasing of reform dividends and trying to benefits people more. All these measures will effectively increase the NHI of our people.
Unit 7
中国是丝绸的故乡，因而有很多与丝绸相关的艺术，刺绣（embroidery）就是其中的一种。刺绣是中国民间传统手工艺之一，至少有两、三千年的历史。从事刺绣的多为女子，因此刺绣又被称为\"女红\"（women's needlework）。刺绣在中国受到了人们广泛的喜爱。刺绣可用来装饰衣物，如在衣服、被子、枕套（pillowcase）等物品上绣上美丽的图案，也可制作成特别的饰品（ornament）。中国有四大名绣:苏州的苏绣、广东的粤绣、湖南的湘绣以及四川的蜀绣。各种绣法不仅风格有差异，主题也各有不同。在这其中，苏州的苏绣最负盛名。
China is the hometown of silk, thereby existing many forms of arts related to the silk, one of which is embroidery. Embroidery, with at least two or three thousand years of history, is one of the Chinese traditional folk arts and crafts. Because most embroiderers are females, it’s also called “women’s needlework”. Embroidery has been loved by the Chinese. It can be used to decorate clothing, such as clothes, quilts, pillowcases which can be embroidered with beautiful patterns, as well, it can be made into special ornaments. There are four famous embroideries in China: Suxiu from Suzhou, Cantonese’s embroidery from Guangdong, Xiangxiu from Hunan and Shuxiu from Sichuan. There is great difference in styles and themes. Among the four, Suxiu gains the highest reputation.
Unit 8
新中国成立以来，特别是改革开放以来，中国政府在生态环境(eco-environmental)
保护方面做出了大量努力，取得了有效进展。政府采取了一系列保护和改善生态环境的重大举措，譬如积极推进重点生态工程，加强生态系统建设(ecosystem)及生物多样性保护(biodiversity conservation),建立了一批自然保护区(nature conservation)、生态示范区(ecological demonstration zones)、风景名胜区和森林公园。加强生态环境的保护和建设，实现人与自然和谐相处，是构建社会主义和谐社会（harmonious society）的重要目标之一。环境保护和生态文明建设为中国经济、社会的可持续发展提供了坚实的基础。
Since the founding of New China, especially the reform and opening-up, the Chinese government has made lots of efforts in eco-environmental protection and achieved effective progress. The government has taken a series of important measures to protect and better/improve the ecological environment, such as actively promoting key ecological projects, enhancing ecosystem construction and biodiversity conservations, establishing a number of nature reservations, ecological demonstration zones, scenic spots and forest parks. One of the important goals of building a socialist harmonious society is to strengthen ecological protection and construction and to achieve harmony between mankind and nature. Environmental protection and ecological civilization construction have provided/laid a solid foundation for the sustainable development of China’s economy and society.
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