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Introduction:
In Mandarin Chinese, 儿 is sometimes added after the final (the last consonant or vowel sound of a word) to make it retroflex (pronounced with the tongue-tip curled back).
Download List：
1．grammar.swf (0.71 MB)
(Source: chineseculture.about.com)
He recalled the day the course of his life took an irreversible turn. “It was January 31, 1948. After the lunchtime, Professor Bayer led my philosophy classmates and me to visit sculptor Guimond, who lived in the northern part of Paris. Everything I saw at Guimond’s home captured my imagination. What stunned me most were the profound philosophical implications of his statues. I was suddenly inspired. I felt pure delight that day.” Xiong’s face still glowed with enthusiasm when he recalled the moment half a century later.
From that day on, the young philosopher, who had never touched chisels or paintbrushes, devoted himself to sculpture and painting, Several decades later, his statues and watercolors are considered world masterpieces.
“Rodin’s work gave continued inspiration both to my creation and my life,” Xiong said. “His works have left indelible impressions on my emotions and my thoughts. Austrian poet Rainer Rilke said, ‘Rodin is everything.’ With his varieties of statues, Rodin displayed all the aspects of human society-the tragic and the joyful, the horrible and the lovely, the heroic and ignoble. He revealed the truth of life and significance of artistic creation. In his Walking Man, the subject is striding forward with resolution as if it has a set destination in mind. This statue impresses me most.” 
Xiong’s pursuit of “philosophical art” has gained him an international reputation. Over the years, his sculptures have been exhibited in many prestigious sculpture exhibitions, including the “2000 World Animal Sculpture Exhibition” in Nevers, France, “International Animal Sculpture Exhibition” in Rambouillet, France, and “Modern Carving Exhibition on Wuxing (Chinese philosophy of five-elements)”. In 1988, his “Flying Crane” was selected as a representative statue to be placed in “World Statue Garden” in the Olympic Village in Seoul, South Korea. And his huge iron statue “Lu Xun” (a renowned modern Chinese writer) is on display in the China Modern Literature Museum.
（Source: chinaculture.org）
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As the largest lake of non-contaminative freshwater on the Jianghan Plain, the Honghu Lake is located in the southwest of Honghu City, which is reputed as the city of a hundred lakes and a land flowing with milk and honey. The lake covers an area of 348 square kilometers and has a shape of polygon. With straight lakeshore and flat bottom, the lake is crystal clear in a light-green color.
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The scenery changing with seasons and special fishing customs make the Honghu Lake a perfect scenic spot. In spring, stretches of wild flowers contend in bizarrerie and beauty, while numerous fishing boats sail in the lake. In summer, the lake is covered with clusters of lotus flowers. In autumn, one can tour in the lake by boat and taste delicious lotus seed and water chestnut, experiencing the pleasure of a fisherman’s life. In winter, migratory birds such as wild goose and mallard fly here, and one can hunt in specified areas. Every year, the beautiful Honghu Lake attracts numerous visitors from home and abroad.
Besides enchanting scenery, the Honghu Lake is abundant in aquatic products. The water of Honghu Lake is rich in organic substances with a content exceeding other lakes in Hubei Province. It is a key producing area of freshwater fish of 84 species. Many fisheries and farms are built around the lake. About 92 aquatic plants grow in the lake and the annual export volume of lotus seeds amounts to over 200,000 kilograms. Moreover, the lake is an ideal habitat for migratory birds with its flourishing float grass and abundant fish and shrimps. About 39 species of hibernation water birds fly here to pass the winter, together with 18 species of mallard. The annual fish output totals more than 300,000 kilograms, amounting to over a half of the total output of the whole province. The meat of mallard and wild goose is delicious and their eiderdown can be used to make high-quality clothes or bedding.
(Source: chinaculture.org)
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