Issue 26
Most people would agree that buildings represent a valuable record of any society's past, but controversy arises when old buildings stand on the ground that modern planners feel could be better used for modern purposes. In such situations, modern development should be given precedence over the preservation of historic buildings so that contemporary needs can be served.

Controversy arises when old buildings stand on the ground that modern planners feel could be better used for modern purposes. In this situation, the speaker points that, modern development should be given precedence over the preservation of historic buildings so that contemporary needs can be served. In my view, we should deal with these problems in a case-to-case basis.
Old buildings which of a long history value high in anthropology. In its years, it witnesses the changes and progress of human lives. We can imagine the majesty of Pharaohs from pyramids; the mightiness of Qing dynasty of the Great Wall; the prosperous of the Roman form the Roman amphitheatre; the deep love between Shah Jehan and Mumtaz Mahal form Taj Mahal. We learn history from old buildings, which is even more important when lack of document. These buildings are part of the history and give us a vivid view of our history. In any situations, I don't think it is proper that we should raze these buildings of significant anthropological meanings.
Sometimes old buildings are the business cards of nations or enthnic groups. When we heard the word of Egypt, pyramid will occur to our mind immediately. We can't imagine what Egypt will be without pyramids. Many immigrants will enter the States from the harbor of New York. When they catch the sight of the statue of Liberty they will cheer with excitement and tears. For them, the statue of Liberty stands for America, the states of the highest freedom and democracy. When they see it, they know them be there and in them. Old buildings provide us a sense of belongs and identity and contribute to the diversity. It would be awful in a world wherever you go you will have the same feeling that you are in Manhattan. In this world of globalization and culture assimilating, we need something to indicate that we are we.
Old building may also value high in aesthetic and architectural. The Chiesa de S.Maria Della Grazieeil, dedicated with the fresco of Leonardo Da Vinci and built in the Renaissance, is the treasure of aesthetics and architectonics. Still take the Pyramid for example. Up to now, Scientists have never figure out how the ancient Egypt built these imperial tombs. For considering the tremendous scale of the whole project and heaviness of work force, the pyramid can't be completed in one hundred of years by a nation of the population as Egypt in that time. Even in today's technology and science, we still can't build such a same jumbo. And some people even think it is with the help of aliens from other planets the Egypt built these pyramids. Many other mysteries aroused by the pyramid still can't find reasonable explains. If these pyramids on day disappear on our planet, we not just lose a historic site to visit. And the value of old buildings, sometimes, can't be detected at current science and technology. When the anthropologists ship out of first of finding of mummy, the custom officers thought it was dry fish. If we always give contemporary needs priority over old building, mistakes of this kind by all means can't be avoided.
While contemporary needs also should be considered seriously. The old buildings would be meaningless if human's basically needs can't be meet. Anyway it is we, human, create the history: one generation gave way to another, one miracle led to the next. Old buildings shouldn’t hold back humans' way to eudemonia and advancement.
So in face of this controversy, we should weigh both sides seriously and carefully and in a case-to-case basis. Giving precedence to any side without careful observation and investigation would be imprudent.

    昨天Bottle请我们到她家吃饭，别看这小姑娘平时大大咧咧、傻嘻嘻的，也没多少cook经验，但是硬是很强悍的捣鼓出一桌饭出来。至于为什么用“捣”呢，各位见识过该大姐炒菜的样子就知道了！Bottle的男朋友，也就是王TAOTAO同学，笑起来很伽菲猫，人很热情客气，很会调节气氛，一套套的。不禁让我为我们家那位着急……昨天我们宿舍还在苏州的四个都齐了。以前在宿舍看韩剧看的哭得稀里哗啦的一帮人，现在把地点换进厨房，拿起了锅碗瓢盆，岁月……有我们几个在，估计人家整栋楼都不要想早点睡觉了。最后还是要赞一下Bottle的，虽然卖相需要进一步完善，味道真的蛮好的！
    昨天看Bottle拿锅铲的样子，不假思索地拿了过来示意几下，突然间觉得我好像我妈妈。妈妈在我们那算是很巧的人了，过节时亲戚间互相请客，轮换着到各家玩，因为妈妈很会做菜，换来换去总是妈妈掌勺。就算不让她做，看到别人做事不入眼或是东西没放好啦，没洗干净啦，总是会自己去做。以前在家里，经常因为东西不放到位被妈妈骂。影响最深刻的是，每次放假妈妈总是威胁要把我的书仍到河里去，因为我总是到处乱扔。但是我却发现我却把这一点继承了过来。现在看到我们宿舍满地的拖鞋，心里那个难受啊！看到妹妹书不放到书架上指定的位置，顿时便火冒三丈！以前总觉得人家的妈妈多好啊，我的妈妈这么凶，规矩这么多。现在想想换成我，肯定每年开学都没有暑假作业交了。以前听老话说什么“养儿方知报娘恩”总是嗤之以鼻，现在大了，有些角色换成了自己，才知道这句话虽浅显，却道出了人性的真实。人再复杂，把自己武装的再厚密，却也是几句粗俗简单的话便概括的透透彻彻。我在外面倒蛮能做菜的，在家里也是偶尔兴致来了才做一个菜，从来没有在家完完整整的做出一桌菜。想想愿因，是因为在外面实在吃不到合自己胃口的饭，没办法只能自己动手。在家，不论妈妈做什么，总是家里的味道，是从小到大吃习惯的，总会是心里思念的味道，总会是很好吃的，所以也就不去管厨房里的事情了。下次回家一定要独立烧一桌菜出来，也让我妈享受一下在自家什么都不要管就等吃饭的感觉。可是今年什么时候才能回家呢，很可能要等到寒假了，想家……

   

来学校十天了，每天貌似还蛮认真，但是，但是回过头来想想也就干了一点点事啊。看了19单元的单词，20篇北美范文，写了两篇作文。为什么这么低效啊！！！

"Although many people think that the luxuries and conveniences of temporary life are entirely harmless, in fact, they actually prevent people from developling into truely strong and independant individuals."

The speaker pointed that the luxuries and conveniences of temporary life prevent people from developing into strong and independent individuals. I can't agree with it. In my mind, actually, with the conveniences of modern life human beings are stronger and more independent ever than before.
It is fact that we move by cars, talk through telephones, eat at restarants, even have coffee in Star barks nearby. From these, many people may acclaim that modern life is too convenient and luxury then hitch people's development into truly strong and independent human beings. But one question is that is our life really too convenient that people somehow lack chance to practice and()  our bodies and soul? To maintain a modern life we need to work for long time. The average American employer spends nearly 60 hours per week at work now and in most families both spouses work. Compare this busy pace to the pace a generation ago, when one bread-winner worked just over 40 hours per week. We are in an increasingly busy society and endure the highest pressure. The food, clothes and products bunched in stores are not donated by aliens from other planes. It is the fruit yielded by our hard work and intelligence. The conveniences cost money, and we need to work hard to enjoy it. And through the process we gain knowledge and become strong and independent.
On the contrary, I think, with the progress of science and technology, we are stronger and more dependant ever than before. With the high-tech, for instance, we can know things happen in every corner of the world which is can't be imagined in any generation before.
Another question is that are we less independent than people in other eras? We need telephones to communicate, mobiles to travel, and lots of domestic machines to keep our homes tidy and clean. Comparing with our ancestors, it is true that we need more machines and other people's helps. But I don't think it means we are more dependent. (随着社会分工越来越细，以前那种独立在当今社会是不合时宜的，暂时不会写……). What I want to say is that dependence in different years means different. We can't allege we are more dependent just because people before our age don't have these conveniences while we have them. People in different ages can't be observed by the same criterion.
 

"A nation should require all its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter collage rather than allow schools in different parts of the nation to determine which academic courses to offer ."

 

According to the speaker schools in a nation should be required to offer the same national curriculum rather than chose academic courses by themselves. Actually, as the need of further education, some core curriculums should be thought in all schools. But it never means schools can do noting in the choose of academic courses.

Some curriculums should be thought in all schools. First,a national standard of curriculum should be set in order to make sure all the students acquire the fundamental skills and knowledge, such as math, physics, history and so on. Secondly, the enrollment of college also need there be some common curriculums all students have learnt. For colleges need a standard to decide which student should be chose while which to reject. If there is no common ground of the education of students, in which ways could college to select? But all these never means school and community could do nothing in the sets of curriculums.

First of all, because of region and religions, students from different parts of a nation could be significantly different in certain place. So teaching them the same course sometimes is not scientific and practical. For example, Canada has two official languages, that is English and French. Obviously, It is not reasonable that both the students, no matter they are native English speakers or French speakers, have the same language course. It may be too easy to one group of students while too frustrate to another group.

Secondly, the same curriculums may be failure in keeping the traditions and character of different communities. Take Suzhou, a tractional southeast Chinese town, for example. Suzhou is famous for its richness of culture and it is the cradle city of QUN opera which once is every popular and prevalent in southeast China and was selected as World Immaterial Cultural Legacy. The QUN opera, once all the citizens no mater the intellectual nor the needy can enjoy even play, now could just be heard in the theater and few of the young graduation can understand. Because QUN opera need to play in Suzhou dialect, while mandarin is the only language used in school all across the nation then students have no chance to speak dialect in schools. As a result, few and few Suzhou young citizens can speak Suzhou dialect, never mention to play QUN opera.

In total, There should be a common sets of curriculums that all the school in the nation should take, while according to its reginal character, schools also has the freedom to add some courses. A successful set of curriculums need not only the nation as a whole but also the local community's wisdom.