[二册]articles
Describe the world
Liu, 57, studies his troubles to benefit from them. He uses bright ideas to write small stories and tell young readers how complex the world is. His books like "By the Light of Fireflies" (《萤窗小语》) are very popular in China for their wisdom.
His new book "The Charm of Speaking"(《说话的魅力》) came out last month. It gives readers advice on important speaking skills, such as how to say hello on the phone or how to control their speaking speed.
Far from perfect
"Some readers say I look too smart to have worries," he said, "But I have many problems. I keep thinking them over."
Liu once bought a camera in Hong Kong, but got cheated. "Then I wrote about how to avoid being cheated. Is it because I'm smart? No. If so, I wouldn't have had this experience at all!
The big picture
Liu is good at many different things such as TV hosting, poems and painting. He's also a professor at a US university.
"I often get knowledge from thinking over one small point. Then I connect it to the larger picture," he said. "Everything is connected in one way or another. That's how you can see the whole world in a tiny flower or a drop of water."
八
Fame comes slowly
FANS often only see the good side of fame (名声). They see the happy smiles and great success of famous people.
But it's difficult for them to understand everything that comes before then. They cannot see the hard work or the hours of practice.
Li Yundi, the Chinese piano prodigy (天才), recently released his first concerto recording (演奏录音带). He talked with Teens about his art and his job.
"Of course, the job is hard work," Li, 24, said. "You need to work hard to be a professional (专业人才). But you also have to play hundreds of concerts, meet fans, and listen to critics (评论家) of your music."
In 2000, when Li was 18, he won the top prize at the International Chopin (肖邦) Competition in Warsaw, Poland. This was the first time the top prize had been given in 15 years. Li was also the youngest, and the first Chinese to win the prize.
Since then, Li became famous and his list of honours goes on and on.
Early days
Born in Chongqing, Li began to play piano when he was seven. His parents spent all their money and bought a piano for him - a luxury (奢侈品) in 1980s China.
He worked hard. Every day, Li played for eight hours or more at a piano school. He often played even after the school had closed.
Today, Li still can't play a beautiful tune without careful preparation.
"You need to be ready on stage," Li said. "People are waiting for you. Nobody knows whether you have slept enough, or whether you have another problem in your life. But you need to play great music for your audience (听众). That's what they want to hear."
九
Meet the race team
WHEN German F1 driver Michael Schumacher won the championship (冠军) in Shanghai, he didn't celebrate alone. He jumped over the fence to cheer with his Ferrari team! He knew that his team had made him a champion.
F1 is not just a one-man sport, it's about a whole team of talented people.
"Usually there are about 700 people in our team. Many work in our car factory in Germany," Fernanda Villas-Boas from Toyota told Teens. "Only about 80 to 90 people came to the race in Shanghai. We have two drivers and two cars. Each car has a whole car crew (全体员工) working on it."
Want to know about the important team members and their jobs? Let's have a look.
Drivers
(Michael Schumacher from Ferrari): As a driver, I have to train for two or three hours a day, and five during the racing season. A driver starts from go-carts (卡丁车) and then takes bigger jobs.
(Christijan Albers, from Spyker MF1): My job is to drive as fast as I can! I have to be very fit. Talking to the engineers and mechanics is a large part of my job. I travel for most of the year, so being at home is a holiday for me!
CEO (执行总裁) (Victor Muller, from Spyker MF1): I'm the owner of the team. My job is to organize everyone else. I have to take care of everything such as racing and marketing. I travel a lot.
Team principal (Colin Kolles, from Spyker MF1): I manage everything to do with races. I make sure cars are transported to the races and everyone does their jobs. I decide on the type of tyres (轮胎) and gear (装备) for the cars.
Race engineer (Gianluca Pisanello from Toyota ): I take care of Jarno Truli's race car. My job is to co-ordinate (协调) a group of ten mechanics and four engineers. When the race starts, I talk to the driver over the radio. I give quick help to him during the race.
Mechanics and engineers (from Toyota): We take care of different parts of the car. Some of us change tyres. Others fill the petrol tank (油箱), clean the helmet (头盔) and do other things. But nobody does just one job. When a car comes into the pit (维修站), we all race against time to finish everything in just a few seconds!
Teams also have people who manage logistics (后勤), PR (公关) and marketing. So F1 is certainly not just one man's race!
十
Carols to warm your heart
DURING the Christmas season, people sing songs to celebrate the festival. These songs are called "carols (颂歌)". Maybe you can name some famous carols like "Jingle Bells" and "Silent Night". They bring a lot of joy to everyone at Christmas.
A Christmas carol is about the themes (主题) of Christmas, or the winter season in general. People sing carols in the period before and during Christmas. The tradition of Christmas carols dates back to the 13th century in Europe. Today carols are regularly sung at religious (宗教的) services in churches (教堂).
Traditional carols have a strong tune (音调) and have a chorus (合唱) for group singing. The music sounds peaceful and calm, and they give people good thoughts about holidays, good food and gifts.
In places like England, groups of singers travel from door to door in neighbourhoods, singing carols. They are often given small rewards like money, pies or a glass of good drink. The money collected in this way is often given to help poor people.
In Australia, where Christmas is in the summer, people like to sing carols at candlelight (烛光) concerts. The concerts are held outdoors at night in cities and towns during the weeks leading up to Christmas. People sing and celebrate Christmas holding lit candles in their hands.
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