PIMSLEUR’ LANGUAGE PROGRAMS MANDARIN I . PPLEMENTAL waizer JING BOOKLETTABLE OF CONTENTS Notes ‘The Mandarin Language . . Pictographs Traditional and Simplified Script Tonality Traditional Language Beliefs Color Symbolism Names and Titles ‘The Concept of mian zi face”) Compliments Chinese Cuisine and Tea The Chinese Zodiac Hospitality Chinese Fe Proverbs Measure Words . Questions ...... Climate CGnréney / Transportation / Communication Education. Is. Acknowledgments . 39.— ‘Mandarin 1 "The Mandarin Language Learning any language is enhanced by some ‘knowledge ofthe caltral customs and bits of it tative speakers. Developing an awareness of and a Sensitivity toa language's sublets are inherent 10 Acquiring tae Nuency. The folowing “Notes” for Pintcur's Mandarin 1 ae meant to provide YOU feb an introduction as to how the language and he culture are intertwine. Mandarin ‘Mandarin Chinese ie the sate language of China fused by the government and in the schools. UAthough there are eight major Chinese dialects ‘Mandarin is ative 0 approximately seven pet ‘ent ofthe population andi the only dialect hat has fconesponding. writen form of the language Chinese who are educated through at east the rimary grades speak Mandarin as yell 35 leal Aalets. However due wo the size of Cina andthe ethnic diversity of its inhabitants, hundreds of eter Glalects ae spoken in tferent areas. The dialets ‘spoken today are based mere on geograpy than O8 ethnicity. For instance, residents of Shanghai ill | Mandarin 1 ‘The Mandarin Language (continued) Pronunciation of the national language differs slighly geographically. The Nationalists, whose ‘apt war the souther city of Nanjing, were influ fenced by southem dislees, primarily Cantonese. ‘The Communists, whose capital is Beijing, were influenced by “nonbern speech.” Pictographs tis commonly though that every Chinese charac ter is a picture, or “pictogaph,” but only a few hundred ofthe several thousand characters are tue Pictographs. However, most of these are now ‘writen in sucha way that itis ifficul to immedi- ately guess theit meaning. ‘Thee is also a very Small group of characters called “deographs” of ideograme” which represent ideas or objects directly. All other Chinese characters are combina ions ofthese pictographs and basi deograph. —_—_——_—________— ‘Mandarin 1 "The Mandarin Language (continued) {peak Wa In some parts of Cina, particularly the ental and southern ares, education and official tousiness ar transacted inthe leally dominant ln guage. Although people from different pars of China generally do not understand one anaber’s spoken language, they wse the sime basic set of characters for writing. ‘Tolay’s Mandarin is closely based on “northern speech” which was the lingua franca ofthe ruling lass, spoken in Beijing, he capital during the Ming fan Qing Dynasties. After the Nationalists over threw the Qing Dynasty in 1912, government oficial at ist considered creating a nw "national language” by adopting a mixture of dialects, but in the end it wat decided 10 retain Mandarin as the “National Language-” The Communists, who efeated the Nationalists in 1949, continued this policy, but they changed the name and coined the ferm, pw tong. hua of “common speech” for “Mandarin” This isthe word for Mandarin used throughout mainland China. In Hong Kong, however, as Taiwan and most overseas comm nites go ym the older term, continues o be wed s Mandarin 1 "The Mandarin Language (continued) Traditional and Simplified Script In 1949 Chin's new government considered insti- tuting an alphabet in place of the traditional ‘carats, 8 refutation of traditional or “feudal” culture. Instead, they decided t0 “simplify” the ‘existing characters by redocing the number of strokes necessary o create them. By 1964, lis of 2.200 simplified characters was created for use asa “modified. script” Further simplification was briefly adopted. then abandoned, atthe end of the Cultural Revolution in 1977 Presently, simplified characters are used in ‘mainland China and Singapore, although there is ‘movement for the restoration of traditional char- acters, especially in Souther China. Hong Kong, ‘Taiwan, and most overseas Chinese communities continue to use the titonal charactersMandarin 1 ‘The Mandarin Language (continued) Toallty Chinese is 8 “ona” language. This means that in addition to the sounds of the consonants and. vowels, the tove with which 2 sllable is pro rounced helps to determine its meaning. The ‘Chinese languages ae almost exclusively made up ‘of one-silable words, composed ofan init con Sonant sound followed by the sllable’s main ‘vowel, sometimes in combination with another con- sonant or vowel. Longer words do exist, but almost All ae compound words, farmed by combining one syllable wor In order to convey meaning, Mandarin also takes imo aceount the tone with Which a syllable is pro- nounced, The tone is determined by the pronunciation ofthe sylable’s main vowel, Each fone has a name which describes the fling rising ‘motion. In this way, several meanings can Be fssigned to any one sll, depending on the fone with which iti pronounced. For example, when Pronounced sing a flling-isng tone, the word har means “where.” However, when this word is Pronounced with jst a falling tone nar, it means "ere" Mandarin ‘The Mandarin Language (continued) Here is an example of one sound with several di {erent meanings, depending a the tone with which itis pronounced: Ist tone high shi ("poem") ae 2nd one: mi-ising shi en” or ime") Re ‘rd tne: falling ising shi history”) ca 4 tone: ling shi (al ofthe forms of "0 be") fe arin | ‘The Mandarin Language (continued) ‘There ae four basic tones wsed im speaking Mandarin: igh, mid-ising, flling-sing, and falling. In ation, ther sa“ sound which is sed forthe second syllable ina st of doubled char acters, as well as forthe final syllable (or question word) atthe end of query. For example, inthe ‘questions, nine? (How about you?) and hao ma? (OK?) the syllables ne and ma are pronounced Using this sft, falling sound, as if the sound is fading away ‘Traditional Language Beliefs Just asthe number thiteen ie tradiionally regarded as unlucky in the Wes, the Chinese number fours, is seen as ominous, because i is very similar tthe pronunciation ofthe word for “death” The only ‘ference in this case is that “Youn,” si 8 pro- nounced with a filling tone, while the word for “death” si, is pronounced with atone that fll and rises agai, Conversely the number eight, ba is regarded as Tuck. since it shares the same ending Sound withthe character meaning "Yo prospef. In Cantonese, the rmatematieal form ofthe number two, i i com ‘dered lucky because itis pronounced the same as the word for “easy yi Although the Mandarin word for "two." er doesnot share the same pron ciation as the Mandarin. word for “easy.” yt speakers of Mandarin sill believe the number to to be good luck| ‘Mandarin T ‘Traditional Language Beliefs (continoed) “The number nine, i, cries apostive meaning as this word sounds exactly like the Chinese word eming “ogi”, The wo won a represented in writing by two diferent characters, ‘but when spoken, the distinction is made only ‘through context. ‘The number “nine” is used in the city name Kowloon, ji Zong, or literally, “nine dragons.” In Chin, the dragon isa symbol of royalty and good fortune, This number is also tadiionally used ‘when seting a woman's dowry. Tn contemporary (China, this price i largely symbolic, and therefore the amount chosen is significant not frit size, bat forthe mimbers used to describe it. For that reason, the price will be set for example, at “iney-nine dolar” rather than “one hundred,” a the repetition ofthis omber i thought wo ensure longevity in the mariage, Mandarin I olor Symbolism ‘Colors tendo be associated with diferent meanings in difecent cultures. I's often useful tbe aware of these different connotations In Chinese culture, the color red traditionally implies good forune or ood chee. I's customary to use this color when decorating for such tad tional occasions asthe celebration of a wedding or Dit. For this reason, brides wear red, babies are clad in red, andre is used most often when deco ‘ating forthe annual festivals. However, n today’s China, many people are adopting more typically ‘este styles of dress. For instance, many brides re combining Easter and. Western tradition, choosing to wear a white gown tothe wedding cer- femony, and then changing iato a taditiona red ‘gown forthe wedding banquet The color green symbolizes youth and nature However one must never give a man a green hat capa a gif as“ give a green hat” may imply that fone i commiting adultery with the recipient's wife 2 — ‘Mandarin T ‘Color Symbolism (continued) Tithe West, the prevalent color san a funeral i back. This cole implies “ominous” in Chinese, tnd it may indeed be seen at funerals in China, bat the main color een a funeral is white the Chinese ‘color of mourning | Mandarin 1 Names and Titles ‘AS in many other Asian cultures, in China the Society or group is valued more highly than the individual. Your importance is measured by your value tothe group. rater thin by those qualities ‘which distinguish you from other This canbe seen inthe way a person is named in Chinese. The most important element of the person's name is thought tobe the family of which he or she is a member, and so the family name i spoken first. The given name, which sts the person apart even from others within the same family is the final element, For example, inthe name wane hwo ua, wang isthe fail ame, ce somame, and ‘hwo hua the given name. Some sumames have spf meaning: wang, a very common Chinese sumame, means "king1“ — ‘Mandarin 1 ‘Names and Titles (continued) The given, or Fit, name is represented by either cone oF two onesllable characters chills given tame i usually chosen very carefully, to represent the parents’ hopes for and expectation of the child In the given name 2huo fua, sho means “out standing” or “remarkable,” while hua can mean “magnificent” or “extravagan.” Westemers are usually refered to by a phonetic representation oftheir names, and a few Western ‘ames have been adopted by some Chinese parents. ‘Among these are the names “Davi” da wei, “May.” ma Ui: and "Charli," cha Children usually take thee fathers" ast names; ‘occasionally the mother’s lst name may also be sed, Most las names are writen using single char acters, There are afew two-characer ast ames in tse among thes, stu and ouyoung are two of the ‘Mandarin T ‘The Concept of mian ei face") (continved) “ia ian,” “lose face,” means “Wo lose dignity For example, you are thought to lose face i you are the only one of «certain group whois passed over fora promotion or who fils reeive an invitation twa soughtafte even 1s Mandarin | ‘The Concept of man a ace") Language is not an isolated phenomenon, but a vibrant, flexible form of communication loaded with social and cultural information, Chinese culture is structured around such values as honor, loyalty, and respect. Infact, the respect with which a person's community regards im or ber can serve as an important part ofthat person's identity. In “Mandarin, this is often refered to a8 ian zi. oF “ace” Here are some common phrases illustrating this concept {you man 2, “to ave face.” means to be shown ‘espect ina cerain social situation, For example, ‘when attending a banquet, those seated neat the host at the head of the table can be said "to have face" you min Similarly, get miam x, “wo give face," means to show someone the respect due him or her When you attend a formal diner, the host and hostess might greet you by sting, “Thank you forgiving face" which is equivalent to saying, “Thank you for coming | Mandarin? Compliments Modesty is seen ab an essential virwe in Chinese clue. This humility is shown by some typical responses a Chinese person wil give when compli- ‘mented. For example, a woman whi tld i zhen ao ling, ("You are realy very beau’) coud answer, ale? This itrally means, “Where i i ‘Used inthis way. it isthe same as saying, "Where do you gt tht?” Another common response 10 2 compliment might be, Ana jiang Le! ‘This means something like, “Bacessive praise!” and i's used to sty, "You're exaggerating," of “You're latering me.” Either of these can be wed a6 a polite, modest response to slmost any compliment Somme more Westernized people may also answer simply, ses ior “thank you" when complimented, bu this less common8 | ‘Mandarin 1 ‘Chinese Cuisine and Tea ‘A eadtional Chinese saying, “Food is the first necessity of the people,” is reflected inthe great ‘arey of Chinese fod and its importance in tadi- tional celebrations. There are eight schools of cine, each associated with a partular geo- {graphic region: Beijing, Guandong, Sichuan, diangze, Zhejiang, Huan, Anhui, and. Fujian Knowledge and mastery of all eight cuisines is owe a5 the ninth a” “The staple of « Chinese meal sf or grain. Inthe sgricultural south, the fan may be vice or rice products In Nortem Chins, noodles, dumplings, tnd other staples made from flout are the basis of the daily dit The meat and / or vegetables that sccompany the fom ae called ea, or accompa ying dishes ‘The Chinese Zodine “The Chinese havea sytem of astrology dating tack thousands of years. The Chinese zodiac diflers fom the Westen in that each sign represents an ct year, rather than one month According to ancient Chinese legend, Buddha sum ‘moved al th animals. He honored those who came ‘by miming a year for them, ‘Thereafter, the charac- {erste ofeach animal were given to people born in its year Yearofthe Rat sh Year ofthe Ox ar Yearofthe Tiger Year ofthe Rabbit = — ‘Year ofthe Dragon — long Year ofthe Snake = — she ‘Year ofthe Horse =| mat Year ofthe Goat = — yang Year ofthe Monkey — how Yearof the Rooster — fi Yearof the Dog — Rou Yearofthe Boar = — oh Mandarin 1 ise Cuisine and Tea (Continued) ‘The custom of drinking te ie also an important part ‘of Chinese culture. The Chinese were the Fis to Aiscover the tea leat. A prover sats that itis “peter to be deprived of food for thse days, than tea for one.” When a guest arrives, itis taditional that a cup of tea will be brewed far him or hee. The preparation of tea is regarded as an art form; the ‘method of brewing it and te utensils used are very important People throughout the country drink te diy, often ina focal ea hows, where one may meet informally with friends of associates, or ld a banguet or reception. a ‘Mandarin ‘The Chinese Zodiac (continued) “ire isthe it of onal associated with each yar, alongwith ist ofthe qualities traiionally asso- lated with each, Anyone bor during the Year ofthe Rat is expected to be imaginative, charming and generous, with a Tendency to be quick-lempered and somewhat critical. Revent Years of the Rat have been 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, and 1996. ‘The next one will be in 2008. Among famous people born in the year of the Rat are Willam Shakespeare and George Washington, “The Year ofthe Ox follows. Someone bom during an Ox yeti oth intelligent and perceptive as well {one who inspires confidence. Napoleon and ‘Vincent Van Gogh were born inthe year ofthe Ox. ‘A person born in the Year of the Tiger is tadi- ‘ionlly couragcous and considerate of others, as ‘well as stubbom and emotional. Marco Polo and ‘Mary. Queen of Sects were born in the Year of the Tiger‘The Chinese Zodiae_(continved) Tf person is bor in the Year of the Rabbit, be oF she wil be affectionate and obliging, successful the business world despite being shy. Some well- known people born inthis year were Confucius, ‘Albert Einstein, and Rodoiph Nareyev. ‘A Dragon is perfectionist who is full of vitality tnd enthusiasm. Pear! Buck, Joan of Arc, and ‘Sigmund Pread were all born in the Year of the Dragon. ‘Someone born inthe Yeu ofthe Snake is wise and teal with a good sense of humoe. Famous Snakes were Charles Darwin, Abraham Lincoln, and Edgar Allan Poe. 1 you were bor in the Year ofthe Horse you will bo inllgent, hard-working, and very independent Some famous Horses were Rembrandt, Chopin, and Teddy Roosevelt 2 Mandarin T Hospitality During your waves, you may Gnd yourself invited to dimer ina Chinese home. ere are some es toms which relate to hospitality and correct behav jras a dinner guest is both appropriate and polite to bring a small gift ‘such as a botle of ine oF a tease. However remember never to bing four of anything, as the number fours, is considered unlucky because itis ‘Similar othe word meaning death, si Als, aime Piece of any Kind would be inapproprite since the words song zhong, meaning “give clock.” ae very Similar to the words meaning “atend someone's funeral.” ‘When greeting yourhost or hoses, you should bow slighily and say ni hao, a greting which means “you (are) good" of "you (ae) wel.” A Chinese helo.” therefore, is a well-vishng hello. One ‘ever says i hao ma, or “How are you?” which is ‘sed only by relatives or close frends as an expres. son ofconcem. ‘Mandarin 1 ‘The Chinese Zodiac (Continued) Someone bor in the Year of the Goat wil be ‘charming and artistic, tut be relatively uncom fortabl na leadership role. Among famous people ben in this year were Michelangelo and: Mack Twain ‘A person bom inthe Year ofthe Monkey is clever and wit, witha gift for deal. Famous people bor in this year were Julius Caesar, Leonardo da Vici, and Harry Truman ‘A Rooster is shrewd and outspoken, as well as ceuravagant. Rudyard Kipling, Enrico Caruso, and (Groucho Marx were all bm inthis yea. Someone bom inthe Yer of the Dog is loyal and honest, although demanding of tose around him oF her. Famous Dogs were Besjamin Franklin and George Gershwin ‘A person bor ia the Year ofthe Boar is sincere, tl- fran, and honest, with an ability 0 carry out difficult goals. Albert Schweiter and Emest Hemingway were born in this year Hospitality (continved) ‘As inthe West, i's considered rade to immediately ‘begin eating when served. Rather, you should wait unt everyone has been seated and all ofthe dishes Ihave been served Once tisha been done is cus- ‘mary forthe ost or hostess say, “Eat ie!” or chi fon. This is similar o such American expres- sions as, ‘Dig in!” of “Enjoy your meal AMter the hhst or hoses has grected their guests inthis way, ‘hey in turn may address one another using the same phrase. chi fan having been said all around, everyone begins o eat ‘Ata moce formal dianer party, you may bear the host and hostess geet the guests with the longer, ‘more polite phrase, ge wei ging yong fam, which ‘means, “Everyone please eat ie” Ais kind of cccason toast i frequently offered before the food is served. The person offering the toast cou sy, ga be or “ry the up.” Anotber ‘common oats zhu jan kang, meaning, “I wish you health”Mandarin Hospitality (Continued) ‘When serving yourelf during dinner, you will eed to remember to serve yourself only those potions ‘nearest you atthe edge ofthe plate I's considered rade to stir the food in any dish. Ifyou have fr ished while others ae stil eating, you should say fing man yong (Please, slowly cat”) meaning. “Take your ime, enjoy your diner” After this you ‘an leave the able When you are leaving the home of your host and hostess they may say 0 you, man man zou! This terally means, “Slowly slowly walk and int situation i's ike saying, “Have safe trp home 28 Mandarin Chinese Festivals (Continved) ‘previous year. Gifts such as paper money, tinfoil Shapes, and frit are prepared for New Years Day Pare and Bright Day Another important festival is ging ming, ot “Pure and Bright Day." which is celebrated around April, Sth, Families visit cemeteries to honor their ancestors and beautify thee graves. As this Festival ‘occurs in epring, ti also a day for sporting con- tests, kite flying, and other outdoor activities Dragon Boat Festival “The festival of dua wu i celebrated between late ‘May and early June.” The legend connected with this day has todo with the great ancient poet Qu Yuan, who lived moce than 2000 years ago in the ‘Kingdom of Chu in southern China. As legend has poet was deeply pate and proposed tothe ‘ule of hu that only honest and able people should ‘be employed by him, and not those who were his ‘Chinese Festivals Chinese New Year (Chinese festivals ae based on the traditional lunar calendar The Chinese New Year, known a the Spring Festival or chun ji, isthe most important festival of the year and usualy occurs between January 21° and February 19%, according to the Western solar ealenda The entre fail is present land a great deal of preparation i involved ia ‘ooking special foods which have symbolic value Dumplings janx, are considered lucky and willbe 4 par of the northern Chinese meal while a fouthem household will have a multi-course tanquet with more meat served than usual. Fish halls representa reunion, and eating turnips wil Tring good fortune. ‘The traditional New Year's ‘ake, made with sticky rice and brown sugar, i also “The family stays up through the night 1 watch fie- works which wil sare away demons and bd luck. Howseholds are brightly lit and fragrant with Incense which is burned in order to welcome the return of the gods that let heaven atthe end of the 2 ‘Mandarin I Chinese Festivals Continued) Favorites. Qu Yuan was thereafter banished from ‘Chu. Upon learning that Chu had fallen to arial amy, he thew himself into the Miluo River in Hunan province. The people of Chu rused to the river to ty to sve him, But twas to late. They threw bamboo shafts filed with ice a sacrifice to him, so thatthe fish would eat the rice and not the poet's body. So on this day, people throw rice ‘dumplings int a iver to recreate he sacrifice. Iris also customary to eat zang 2 a glutinous rice ‘wrapped in ee leaves. ‘Today, the celebration also includes dragon-boat races to commemorate the “people's poet.” Dragons are regarded as superaturl creatures and symbols of good luck. Many weeks are spent ce- Ming elaborate deagon boas, which are similar to canoes. Teams then race the "dragons to mark the festival of dan wuMandarin ‘Chinese Festivals (continued) ‘Mid-Autumn Day ‘Mid-Autumn Day, zhong gu isthe most important holiday after the Chinese New Year Despite the ‘name, itis elebrated in August during that month’ full moon. In Chinese culture, the fll moon sy- bolizes "completeness, perfection, reunion.” “On this day, people eat round “moon cakes” and fruits ‘with around shape, such a watermelons. oranges, (oF grapefruit. Traditionally, @ person exchanges ‘moon cakes wih his ober friends, a well as ether sift. The git of a moon-cake has a ital sinii- fance to the Chinese which is similar t0 the exchange of Chrismas pfs in the West 1 ‘Mandarin Proverbs “The sky is high, the emperor i faraway” shan ‘g20 huang di yuan. The Chinese routinely include such sayings in their everday conversation and have done so since ancient times. This proverb means that a powerful figure is faraway, and one an elas and enjoy a measure of freedom, Proverbs are generally four to eight characters long, and like any common speech, or slang, ina foeign language. they canbe nearly incomprehensible 4 foreigner In a society that everes its elders, respects authority, and is always aware of mia 2, ‘or “face.” proverbs provide asutle way by which {0 avoid entcisms of any kind or to explain an ‘pleasant ation o rath ‘Most Chinese proverbs originated from oft-told Gales tha taught a lesson, much the same as in ‘crops Fables. The moral of the story is what ‘came the proverb. The following is simply a small Selection of the many’ examples of Chinese Prowesbs: 2 ‘Mandarin T Proverbs (continued) Proverb: "When one man finds the way, his chicks ‘ens and dogs ascend to heaven yf ren de da, ‘quan sheng tn, Ten aman i promoted to a position of his frends and relatives benefit. ‘Meaning: authority, Proverb: “Feling stones while crosing a river” gu he tan shi. Meaning: Feeling ou the station as one goes. Proverb: "Never pull on your shoes in a melon patch, never adjust your eap under plum tre. 0a han la Meaning: Doa’t act suspiciously if you want to void being suspected, Proverb: “One step ascend heaven.” yi bu deng Meaning: This is said of someone who has 3 ‘meter ise in fame o fortune Proverb: "Come and not go not polite." lal er bu 2 ‘Mandarin 1 roverbs (continued) wang fel lye ‘Meaning: Its impolite not wo reciprocate, Proverb: “Victories, defeats, are a. general's ‘ordinary things.” sheng bai nal bing ja chang shi. ‘Meaning: Another victory or defeat doesn't mean much, i's only one part ofa whole. Proverb dong, ‘Meaning: Sit idle and eatin time your whole fortune wil be used up. eat, mountain empy.” 240 cht shan Proverb: “Use egg to stke rock” yi Ian ish Meaning: To grossly overestimate one's own, strength, Proverb: “Map unrolled, dagger revealed” au giong sian Meaning: Someone's real intention is revealed in the end,™ Mandarin T Proverbs (continued) Proverb: “Zhang's ep on Li's ead.” zhang guan a. Meaning: To confuse ome thing with another. Proverb: “Afox assumes tiger's prowess.” hu ja In wel, ‘Meaning: To bully thers by Aauntng one's pow. cfu connectons. Proverb: “You never know at whose hand a deer wil di” dua hei show ‘Meaning: ‘There is no way to predict what will happen in the ftw 3s ‘Mandarin T ‘Measure Words itis important to remember hatin Mandarin, unlike in English, there are many “measure words sed ‘when describing quantity. ‘The word tobe used in each cases determined largely by the nature of the item in question. For example inthe phrase na tao | for "which road” (meaning which one road), tia iste “measure” word. rao is used to indicate Jong things such a roads, bls, deses, ines, is the measure word used for people, fr objects Such sa cup or oom, o for an hour. To describe flat objects or tings sucha abe, ables, of pape, you use zhang. bet is the measure word used for liquids, such as soup, tea, or beer kuai is the measure word used with cureny.Tn Mandarin, there are two ways 1 ask yes m0 ‘questions: by using ma, 2 spoken question word, at {he end ofthe question, or by using a verb/ negative form of the verb combination. ma is more often ‘used, especially in converstin, as it is perceived asa faster way to pose a question. Forexample, you can ask either ni slang he cha-ma, meaning, Would you ik to drink tea" onl sang bu xiang ‘he cha?, "You would / would’ ike to rink tea” Either form is equally comect. Currency in China is called renminbi, or the the yuan being the standard mit of renminbi. Only in recent yeas has the gov- ernment allowed rennin 10 be taken out of the ‘country and exchanged for foreign currency. ‘Transportation and Communication For most of the Chinese, wavel is done on bikes, buses, trains, F on foot very few people own ear. Domestic air rave is expensive and is used pri marily by businessmen, The government is creating a network of highways that will eventually Tink the majo cities. Communication systems exis in the major cities ind in some less urban areas. AIL TV channels are ‘operated by the goverment local stations as well 5 radio stations must have oficial approval. The telephone system is also goverment owned and ‘operated and contines to expand. Computers, ax ‘Machines, eletonie mail, and other modem forms of communication are largely availble only to wwelht-do urbanites, Climate ‘Mainland China is slighly larger than the United States. Due to its large land mass, the climate ranges from subarctic in the noth to tropical in he Seuth. Consequently, the Chinese are likely to ‘experience everything. from monsoons and droughts to tsunamis and earthquakes. China's Population of 1.2 billion (five times that of the United States) is largely centred in the eastern part of the county. The tenain in the west consist largely of mountains and deserts. Although China boasts Some ofthe world’s longest rivers, only land in the east is fertile enough to support agriculture | “Mandarin T Education | i | I mandates compulsory education for nine years, This policy requires students to finish primary School and middle School. Each family is charged a fe per term to send achld to school. Thereafter, students who wish to pusue further education must ‘iss rigorous exams forthe high school level and ‘beyond. Entice toa national university o college ‘quires pasing an exam which takes place every July. Due tothe exam's.dificulky and the harsh weather in that month, stents have nicknamed it “black uly." Most ofthe students who complete a higher education ae trained as specialists in fields such as engineering and the sciences in onder to further China's development ThE END