English learning has changed over the years in China. I taught English first at Lanzhou University in 1990-1991 and 1992-1993. I have also taught English at Beijing International Studies University from September 2001 onward.
Driven by rapid urbanization and government efforts to stimulate domestic demand, China's smaller cities are emerging as a powerhouse for international and domestic retailers.
I was one of the first few that appeared for the gaokao, or the college entrance exam, in 1977, when it was resumed after the "cultural revolution" (1966-1976). I was 30 then. Nine years of hard labor in rural environs till then had made me, a Beijing native, give up hope of ever returning to a campus, let alone think of being one of the veterans of China Daily.
Rong Jikai, a retired senior professor in Beijing, has been overseas to "dozens of places?such as Japan, Thailand and Nepal ?but always for work and never as a tourist. But since his retirement, Rong, in his 80s, and his wife Xiao Shuqin, in her 70s, are trying their best to make up for this. So far, they have been to more than 40 countries and regions around the world, including many countries in Europe, North America and Southeast Asia. And that's just from 2009.
The road winding its way in front of me looked endless, emerging from behind a slope at one point and disappearing into a misty bamboo jungle at another. Sometimes, it scraped by craggy cliffs high on the edge of the gorge overlooking the ribbon-like river down in the distance; sometimes it rolled away along the riverside in the gloom of the valley, rising and falling as it crossed tributary streams and dodged old villages.
Tourism in China has one huge advantage and believe me, it's not the food. What makes traveling in China different is that tourists here are ripped off a lot less than in other countries. I believe that's a significant observation into national character: If I were Chinese, I would take real pride in the behavior of ordinary people toward foreigners.
Qi Faren's name is linked with China's first satellite, its first unmanned spaceship and first manned spaceship, leading some to say his biography would be an abridged version of China's space history. Like his given name suggests ?"new things begin to emerge??he has created many historic "firsts?
China's space program has benefited from the reform and opening-up and has presented one vast scene of exuberance over the past three decades. Major technical innovations and breakthroughs were made during the period. In the early 1980s, the country averaged less than one satellite launch a year. But in 2010 alone, 15 launch vehicles blasted off, sending 20 satellites into orbit - and the number is expected to grow this year. China has also exported communications satellites and provided in-orbit delivery services in the international commercial launch service market.
I was born in the year China sent its first satellite into orbit in 1970, but I never expected that I would grow up pursuing aerospace stories.
In a flash, 30 years have passed. China Daily was born during the nation's reform and opening-up and has steadily grown since then. Having joined China Daily in its early years, I was fortunate to witness the changes and be a part of the change itself.
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