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 Teaming any language is enhanced by some Knowledge ofthe ultaral customs and bli fits tive speakers. Developing an avareness of and a ensiivity toa language's sublets are inberen 0 ftoquiring tre fluency. The fllowing "Notes for Pinmslour’s Mandarin 1 ae meant to provide YOO ‘with an introduction as how the language and the culture are intertwine. ‘Mandarin Mandarin Chinese isthe state language of China ted by the government and ithe schools Siough there ave eight major Chinese dies Mandarin is native 10 approximately seventy pet eno the population oda the only lect that has Seorespondng. writen form of the language Gincse who are edvestd though at Teast the Primry grace speak Mandarin as vel eal Aisles. However, dct the siz of Chis andthe ten divert of inhabits, hundreds of ther i ae ec nile ava The ae s ae based more om geography tha on ctiiy. For insane, dems af Sangh il | Mandarin 1 “The Mandarin Language (continued) guage difers ihily geographically. The Nationalists, whose ‘apt wa the southern city of Nanjing, were ith fenced by southem disles, primarily Camonese. ‘The Communists, whose capital is Bejing, were influenced by “norte speech.” Pictographs Ws commanty though hat every Chinese charac ter is 4 picture, o “pictopraph,” but only a few hundred ofthe several thousand characters are te Pictographs. However, most of these are now teriten in such away that is ficult to immedi- ately guess their meaning. There is also a very tinal group of characters called “deographs” of deograme” which represen ideas or objects iret. All other Chinese characters are combi tions ofthese pctographs and basic ideographs. ——— ‘Mandarin I ‘The Mandarin Language (continued) {yak Wa In some parts of China, particularly the Central and southern areas, education and oficial bosines are transacted inthe lealy dominant tn guage, Akthough people from different pans of China generally do not understand one another's spoken language, they use the same basic set of characters for writing Today's Mandarin is closely based on “northern speech which was the lingua franca ofthe ruling las, spoken in Beijing, he capital during the Ming land Qing Dynasties. After dhe Nationalists over threw the Qing Dynasty in 1912, government oficial at ist considered creating a new “ational Tanguage” by adopting a mixture of dialects, bu in the end it war decided to retain Mandarin as the "National Language.” The Communists, who efeated the Nationalists in 1949, continued this policy bt they changed the name and coined the ferm, pu tong. hua of “common speech” for “Mandarin” This ie the word for Mandarin used throughout mainland China. In Hong Kong, however, asin Taiwan and most overseas commu rites. poy the older term, continues o be wed. s Mandarin | ‘The Mandarin Language (continued) Traditional and Simplified Script In 1949 Chinas new goverment considered insti- tuting an alphabet in place of the traditional characters, 83 refuaton of waditional of “Yeual” cule. inetead, they decided 10 “simplify” the existing. characters by reducing the number of strokes necessary o create them. By 1964 lis of 2.200 simplified characters was crested for use as 3 modified script” Farther simplification was briefly adopted. then abundoned, atthe end ofthe 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 overeat Chinese communities continue to use the tional characters,‘Mandarin “The Mandarin Language (conrinued) ‘Tonallty Chinese is 8 “ona” language. ‘This means that in tudition to the sounds of the consonants and, vowels, the tone with which a sllable is pro nounced helps 0 determine its meaning. The ‘Chinese languages ae almost exclusively made up of one-syllable words, composed of an initial con Sonant sound followed by the sllable’s main ‘vowel sometime 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 aceouot the tone with which a syllable is ro- nouced. 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 assigned to any one syllable, depending on the tone wrth which it pronounced. For example, when Pronounced sing a fllngising tone, the word hhar means “where.” However, when this word is pronounced with just a falling tone, nar, it means aT | Mandarin ‘The Mandarin Language (continued) Tere isan example of one sound with several di {erent meanings, depending a the tone with which itis pronounced Ist tone: high shi poem”) if 2nd tone: mi-ising shi ea" or "time" & ‘rd tone: fling ising shi history") ey “4h tone: ling hi (all ofthe forms of “Yo te") a int ‘The Mandarin Language (continued) There are four basic tones used In speaking Mandarin: high, mid-sing, flling-sing, and falling. In aio, there isa“ sound which is sed forthe second syllable ina set of doubled char aces, aswell a forte 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 ting this sft, filling sound, a5 if the sound is fading way. ‘Traditional Language Beliefs Just asthe number then is wadiionally regarded ‘as unlucky in the Wes, the Chinese number four, fs seen ab ominous, because i is very similar to the pronunciation of the word for “death” The only Aitference in this case Is that “four” i, is pro- nounced with a filling tone, while the word for “death,” sis pronounced with atone that falls and ries again Conversely, the number eight, ba is regarded as lucky singe it shares the sae ending sound wit the ‘character meaning "Wo pospef. In Cantonese, the mathematical form ofthe number two, i is com sidered lucky because iti pronounced the stme as the word for “easy yi. Although the Mandarin word fr "two" er does nt shire the same pron ciation as the Mandarin word for "easy," yh speakers of Mandarin sill believe the number two tobe good luck.| ‘Mandarin T ‘Traditional Language Belief (continued) “The umber nine, i, carves a postive meaning as this word sounds exaely like the Chinese word ‘meaning “long isting,” j. These two words are epresested in writing by two diferent characters, tut when spoken, the distinction is made only throvgh context The number “nine Kowloon, ji Zong, or literally, “nine dragons.” In Cin, the dragon isa symbol f royalty and good fortune, This number is also wadionlly used ‘when setting & woman's dowry. In contemporary ‘China, this price i largely symbolic, and therefore the amount chore ie signiant nt for is siz, bat forthe numbers used to describe it. For that reason, the price wil be st, for example, at “inety-nine dollars” rather than “one hundred,” as the repetition of this mmber i thought to ensre longevity intl mariage, 2 ‘Mandarin I ‘Color Symbolism (continued) Tn the West the prevalent color seen ata funerals back. This color implies “ominous” in Chinese, and it may indoed be seen at funerals in China bat the main color een a funeral is white the Chinese ‘color of mourning Mandarin 1 Color Symbotism ‘Colors tend tobe asociated with diferent meanings in diferent cultures. I's often useful tbe aware of these dtferent connotations In Chinese culture, the color red traditionally implies good fonune or good chee. Tis ustomary to use this color when decorating for such tra tional occasions asthe celebration of a wedding or a bith. For this reason brides wear red, babies are lad in red, and red is used most often when deco ‘ating forthe annual festivals. However, n today’s China, many people are adopting more typically ‘Wester styles of dress, For instance, many brides are combining Eastern and Wester traditions, choosing to wear a white gown tothe wedding cer- mony, and then changing iato a traditional red {own forthe wedding banquet ‘The color green symbolizes youth and nature. However. one must never give a man 2 gren hat capas agit 5“ give a green hat” may imply that fone iS committing adultery with the recipient's ite | Mandarin 1 ‘Names and Titles ‘As in many other Asian cultures, in China the Society or group is valued move highly than the individual. Your importance is measured by your value to the group. rater than by those qualities Which distinguish You from others This canbe seen inthe way a person is named in Chinese. The most important clement of the person's name is thought tobe the family of which he or she isa member, and so the family name i spoken first. The given name, which sets the person spar even from others within the same fami the final element. For example inthe name wang ‘uo ha, wang isthe family name, o surname, snd ‘2huo hua the given name. Some sumames have & spzcific meaning: wang, a very common Chinese sumare, means "kingMandarin 1 ‘Names and Titles (continued) “The given, or Fit, mame is represented by either cone oF wo onesllable characters, child's given ‘name i usually chosen very carefully, to represent the parents’ hopes for and expectations of the child In the given name 2huo fua, sho means “out standing” or “remarkable,” while hua can mean “magnificent” or “extravagant.” Westemers are usually refered by 2 phonetic representation oftheir names, and a few Westen fames have been adopted by some Chinese parens. ‘Among these are the names “Davi.” da wei, May.” ma li: and "Charli," cha Children usually ake thei fathers’ last names; ‘occasionally the mother’s Ist name may also be ‘sed. Most last names are writen using single char- teters, There ae afew two-character ast names in tse among thes, si and ouyoung are #0 of the ee Mandarin ‘The Concept of mian zi (tace”) (continued) ‘din ian,” "0 lose face.” means Wo lose dignity For example, you are thought to lose face i you are the only one of a certain group whois passed over fora promotion or wh fis receive an invitation toa sought-after even, | ‘Mandarin T ‘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 him or er can serve san imporant part of that person's identity. In “Mandarin this is often refered to a8 mian zi. of “face” Here are some commen phrases illustrating this concep You mian zi to have fae," means to be shown respect in a cetsin social station, For example, when atending 2 banguet, those Seated neat the host at the head of the table can be sid “Yo have face," you min Similarly, get mian vi, “to give face," means to show someone the respect due him or her When you attend & formal dinner, the host and hostess might geet you by stying, "Thank you forgiving face." whichis equivalent to saying, "Thankyou for coming 0 Mandarin Compliments Modesty is seen ab an essential vinue im Chinese caltue. This humility is shown by some typical responses a Chinese person will ive when compli- mented. Frexample, woman who is old hen ao lian, ("You are rally very beautiful) coud answer, na le? This literally means, “Where i i?” ‘Used inthis way, i isthe same assaying, "Where do you get tht?” Another common response 10 2 compliment might Tua jlang le? This means something ike, “Excessive pease!” and i's ured to sty, "You're exaggerating,” of “You're Mating me.” Either of these can be wed a5 a polite, modest response to most any compliment” Some more Westernized people may also answer simply, ses ior “tank you" when complimented, But this lees common,| ‘Mandarin 1 ‘Chinese Cuisine and Tea ‘A waditonal Chinese saying, “Food is the fist necessity of the people,” is reflected inthe great ‘atety of Chinese fod and its importance in tadi- foal celebrations. There are eight schools of ctisine, each associated with a parieular geo fraphie region: Beijing, Guandong, Sichuan, diangse, Zhejiang, Hunan, Anhui, and. Fujian. Knowledge and mastery of all eight cuisines is owe a6 the “ninth ar. The spe of a Chinese meal is fam or grain. In the agricultural south, the fan may be rice or rice products In Norther Chis, oodles, dumplings, nd other staples made from flour ae the basis of the daily dit The meat and / or vegetables that, ‘sccompany the fom ae called eal, or accompa ying dishes “The Chinese have a sytem of asvology dating tack thowsands of years. The Chinese zodiac difes foam the Western in that each sign represents an re yar, rather than one month Acconding to ancient Chinese legend, Buddha summ- ‘moneda th animals. He honored those who came ‘by miming a yea for them, Thereafe, the charac- {erste ofeach animal were given to people bor in Yearofthe Rat = sh Year ofthe Ox ar Yearofthe Tiger he Year ofthe Rabbit, «= — Year ofthe Dragon — lang Year ofthe Snake = — she ‘Year ofthe Horse = mat Year ofthe Goat = yang Year ofthe Monkey — how Year ofthe Rooster = — ji Year ofthe Dog — gam ‘Year ofthe Boat he Mandarin 1 ise Cuisine and Tea (continued) “The custom of drinking ea is also an important pat ‘of Chinese culture. The Chinese were the Fist (9 Aiscover the tea lea A prover sats that itis beter to be deprived of fod for tree days, than tea for one.” When a guest arrives, tis uadiional that a cup of tea will b Brewed for him or hee. The preparation of ta is regarded a8 an art form; the ‘meth of brewing it and the utensils used are very important People throughout the country drink te diy often ina local ea house, where one may meet informally with frends or associate, or hold a banquet oF ception. | ‘Mandarin ‘The Chinese Zodiac (continued) ‘ire isthe it of onimals associated with each yea, along witha ist of the qualities traditionally asso- ‘ated with each Anyone born dating the Year ofthe Rat is expected to be imaginative, charming and generous, with a Tendency to be quick-empered and somewhat Critical.” Recent Years of the Rat have been 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, and 1996. The next one wil bein 2008. Among famous people born inthe year of the Rat are Willa Shakespeare and ‘George Washington, “The Year ofthe Ox follows. Semmeone bor during ‘an Ox year is both intelligent and perceptive as well {6 one who inspires confidence. Napoleon and ‘Vincent Van Gogh were bor in the year ofthe x. ‘A person born in the Year of the Tiger is tadi- ‘ioally courageous and considerate of others, 38 well as stubborn and emotional. Marco Polo and ‘Mary. Quoen of Sect were bor in the Year of the Tiger‘The Chinese Zodiae_(continved) fa person is bom inthe Year ofthe RabbIL he or she willbe affectionate and obliging, succesful in the business world despite being sy, Some well ‘known people bom inthis year were Confucius, ‘Alert Einstein, nd Rudoiph Nareev. ‘A Dragon is perfectionist who i fll of viaity fand enthusiasm, Pearl Buck, Joan of Ae, and ‘Sigmund Freud were all born in the Year of the Dragon ‘Someone bor inthe Yeur ofthe Snake is wise and beautiful with a good sense of humor. Famous Snakes were Charles Darwin, Abraham Lincoln, and Edgar Allan Poe. you were bor inthe Year ofthe Horse, yu will te inlligent, hard-working, and very independent Some famous Horses were Rembrandt, Chopin, and Teddy Roosevelt, 4 Mandarin Hospitality Daring your waves, you may find youself invited to dimer in a Chinese home. ere are some cu toms which relate to hospitality and correct behav jras a dinner eves tis both appropriate and polite to bring a small gift such as a bottle of wine ora ta set. However, remember never to bring four of anything, ab the umber fur, is considered unlucky because is similar tothe word meaning death si. Also, a time- piece of any kind would be inappropriate since the words song zhong, meaning “ive clock.” are very similar to the words meaning “attend someone’ ane.” ‘When greeting yourhost or hoses, you should bow slighily and say ni hao, a greeting which means “you (are) good" of “you (are) well” A Chinese “hella. therefore, is 8 well-wishing hello, One never says ni hao ma, or “How are you?” which is used only by relatives or close fiends as an expes- sin of concer. ‘Mandarin 1 ‘The Chinese Zodiac (Continued) ‘Someone bom in the Year of the Goat wil be charming and artistic, but be relatively uncom fortabl na leadership role. Among famous people born in this year were Michelangelo and: Mark Twain ‘A person bom inthe Year ofthe Monkey is clever and wit, with gift for del. Famous people bor Jn this year were Julius Caesar, Leonardo da Vinci, and Hany Truman ‘A Rooster is shrewd and outspoken, as well as feavagant. Rudyard Kipling, Enrico Caruso, and (Groucho Marx were ll bom inthis year. Someone bor inthe Yer of the Dog is loyal and honest, although demanding of those aroun him or hee. Famous Dogs were Besjamin Franklin and George Gershwin, ‘Apes bor inthe Year ofthe Boars sincere, tol fran, and honest, with an ability 0 cary out difficult goals. Albert Schweitzer and Emest emingway were bor in this yer Hospitality (continved) [Asin the West, i's considered rade vo immediately bein eating when served. Rather, you should wait until everyone has been seated and all of the dishes Ihave been served. Once this has been dove i's cus- tomaty forthe ost or haste o say, “Eat ie!” or chi fon. This is similar to such American expres- ‘sions as, ‘Dig in!" of “Enjoy your meal” AMter the hos or hostess has greeted their guests in this way, ‘hey in turn may adress one another using the same phrase. chi fam having been said all around, everyone begins to eat ‘At a moce formal diaser party, you may bear the host and hostess greet the guests with the longer, more polite phrase, ge ve ging yon fan, which means, “Everyone please eat ie" Athi kind ofecasion, a toasts frequently fered before the food ie served. The person offering the toast could sy, gan bei ox “ty the eup.” Another ‘common oat is zhu jan kang, meaning “I wish you health”26 Mand: Hospitality (continued) ‘When serving youself during dinner, you will eed to remember to serve yourself only thse portions ‘nearest you atthe edge ofthe plate I's considered ude to stir the food in any dish. Ifyou have fin- ‘shod while others are stil eating, you should say ding man yong (Please, slowly ca) meaning. “Take your ime, enjoy your dinner.” After this you ‘an leave the able ‘When you are Teaving the home of your host and hostess, they may say 10 you, man man zou! This "Slowly slowly walk! and in ike saying. “Have a safe trip home! 8 Mandarin? Chinese Festivals (continued) Previous year Gifts such as paper money, tif Shapes, and frit are prepared for Nest Years Ds Pare and Bright Day Another important festival ie ging ming, ot “Pure tnd Bright Da." which is celebrated around April Sth, Familie visit cemeteries to hoaor their ‘ancestors ad beautify thee graves. As this Festival ‘occurs in epring, iti also a day for sporting on texts, kite flying, and other outdoor activities Dragon Boat Festival “The festival of dan wu is celebrated between ate ‘May and eatly June.” The legend connected with this day has to do with the great ancien poet Qu Yar, who lived mere than 2000 years ago in the Kingdom of Chu in southern China. As legend has the poet was deply patriotic and proposed tothe ‘ule of Chu that only honest and able people should ‘be employed by him, and not the Who wer his 2 Mandarin ‘Chinese Festivals (Chinese New Year ‘Chinese festivals ae based on the traditional lunar calendar The Chinese New Year, known asthe Spring Festival or chun ji, is the most important festival of the year and usually occurs between January 215 and February 18, according to the Westem solar ealendar. The entre family is present anda great deal of preparation is iavolved ia ‘ooking special foods which have symbolic value Dumplings jao 2, re considered lucky and will be 4 par of the northern Chinese meal, while a other houschold will have a mul-course tungoet with more meat served than usual Fish bulls represent 3 reunion, and eating turnips will bring good fortune. ‘The tational New Year's cake, made with sticky ric and brown sugar. is also The family stays up through the night vo watch fre ‘works which wil sate away demons and bad luck. Households are brightly it and fragrant with incense which is burned in order to welcome the ‘etum ofthe gd that left heaven atthe end of the 2 ‘Mandarin I Chinese Festivals, (ontinued) Tavorites. Qu Yuan was therefier banished from ‘Chu. Upo learning that Chu had fallen toa rival army, he threw himself into the Mluo River in Hunan province. The people of Chu rushed to the river to ty to sve him, But it was to late. They threw bamboo shfis filled with ice a a saciice to him, so thatthe fish would eat the rice and nt the poet's bods. So on this day, people throw rice lumplings ino a vero recreate the sacrifice. Is also customary to eat zong 2, a glutinous ice ‘wrapped in reed leaves. Today, the celebration aso includes dragon-boat races to commemorate the “people's poet.” Dragons are regarded as supematurl creatures and symbols of good luck. Many weeks are epent cr ating elaborate deagon boas, which are similar to canoes. "Teams then ace the "dragons" to mark the festival of dan wux0 Mandarin 1 ‘Chinese Festivals (continved) ‘Mid-Autumn Day ‘Mid-Autumn Day, hong ga isthe most important holiday afer the Chinese New Year Despite the ‘name, itis elbrated in August. during that month's full moon. In Chinese culture, the fll moon sy bolizes "completeness, perfection, reunion.” “On this day, people eat round “moon cakes” and fruits ‘wih around shape, such as watermelons. oranges, ‘or grapefruit. Traditionally, «person exchanges ‘moon cakes with his or ber friends, a well as other sift. The git of a moon-cake has a imal signi ‘ance to the Chinese which is similar t0 the exchange of Crisis gifts in the West Proverbs “The sky is high, the emperor i far away ‘$20 huang di yuan. The Chinese rotinel inelade foch sayings in their evenday conversation and have done so since ancient times. Tis proverd means that a powerful figure is faraway, and one can relax and enjoy a measure of freedom, Proverbs are generally fou to eight characters long, and like any common speech, or slang, na foreign Tanguage, they canbe early incomprehensible to 4 foreigner In a society that reveres its elders, respects authori, and ie always aware of ian zi, ‘or “face,” proverbs provide a sue way by which to avoid entiisms of any kind or to explain an ‘unpleasant ation o rath ‘Most Chinese proverbs originated from oft-told fales that taught a lesson, mich the same as in Aesop's Fables. The moral of the story is what ‘ecame the proverb. The following is simply a small selection of the many’ examples of Chinese Provesbs: 2 Mandarin 1 Proverbs (continued) Proverb "When one man finds the way his chick ens and dogs ascend to heaven.” yf rem de dao, i quan sheng tian “Meaning: When a man is prometed to a poston of authority, all is frends and eaves benefit Proverbs “Feling stones while erosing a river” ‘gue he tam shi Meaning: Feeling out the station as one goes. Proverb: "Never pull on your shoes in a melon patch, never adjust your cap under plum te.” ‘a an Ha ‘Meaning: Don’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 a ‘meteor ise in fame o fertune Proverb: "Come and not go not polite." la er bu 2 ‘Mandarin T Proverbs (continued) wang fee. ‘Meaning: Its impolite not to reciprocate Proverb: “Victories, defeats, are a. general's ordinary things." sheng boi nai bing ji chang shi ‘Meaning: Another victory or defeat doesn't mean ees eee sete Proverb: “Stet, mountain empty.” 240 ch shan dang Meaning: Sit idle and eat: in time your whole fortune wil be used up. Proverb: “Use egg to tke rock." yi luan ji shi. Meaning: To grossly overestimate one's own. strength, Proverb: “Map unrolled, dager revealed.” 4 giong Dison Meaning: Someone's real intention is reveled in the endu Mandarin T Proverbs (continued) Proverb: “Zhang's ep on Li's bead.” zhang guan Waa. ‘Meaning: To confuse ome thing with another Proverb: “Afox assumes atge's prowess." hu ja Ia, ‘Meaning: To bully others by Sauntng one's pow: erful connections, Proverb: “You never know at whose hand a deer will di” lai shel show. ‘Meaning: ‘There is no way to predict what will happen in the fue 3s ‘Mandarin T ‘Measure Words itis important to remember that in Mandarin, unlike in English, there are many “measure” words sed ‘when describing quantity. The word tobe used in ach case is determined largely by the nature of the item in question. For example, inthe phrase na tao for "which road” (meaning which one road), tia isthe “measure” word. rap is sed to indicate Jong things such a rads, bls, dresses, ines, eis the measure word used for people, for objects Such as cup oF a oom, of for an hour. To describe fla objects or things sucha a bed, ables, or pape, you we zhang. bel is the measure word used for liquids, such as soup, tea, or beer. Rua is the measure word used wit currency.Mandarin T ‘Questions In Mandarin, there are two ways 10 ask yes / 00 ‘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 conversation, a itis perceived asa faster way to pose a question. Forexample, you fan ask either mi wlang he cha ma?, meaning. “Would you ike to drink ea.” orn xiang bu xing he cha, "You would / woulda’ like to drink ea?” Either form is equally comet. Mandarin | Curreney Currency in China is called renminbi, or the “peoples curene.” the yuan being the standard mit of renminbi. Only in recent yeas asthe gov- ernment allowed renminbi 1 be taken out of the country and exchanged for foreign currency ‘Transportation and Communication For most of the Chinese, tavel is done on bikes, buses, trans, or on fot very few people own car. Domestic air travel is expensive and is used pr marily by businessmen, The government is creating a network of highways that will eventually Fink the major cities, Communication systems exis in the major cities and in some less urban areas. AIL TV channels are ‘operated by the goverment local stations 8 well 5 radio stations must have official approval. The telephone system is also goverment owned and ‘operated and contines to expand. Computers, ax ‘machines, electronic mail, and eter modem forms of communication are largely availble only 10 ‘welhto-do uranites ” ‘Mandarin T Climate ‘Mainland China is slighily larger than the United States. Due to its large land mass, the climate ranges from subarctic in the north to topical in the South. Consequently, the Chinese are likely to experience everything from monsoons and ‘doughs to tsunamis and earthquakes. China's Population of 1.2 billion (five times that of the Unite States) is largely centred in the easter past of the counuy. The tenain in the west consists largely of mountains and deserts. Although China boasts Some ofthe world’s longest river, only land in the east is ferile enough o support agriculture » ———— init Tincaton in 1978, Ci oped a elieon pay ta seni reece ee Ths potcy reer stad Toei porary ‘hala ide ehool Exch ying feeper term wend acu to schol Theses, Sd wo wa puna athe ction mast tas Fipuos xs Erte gh schol lovee eal Eats Canara vent of clos nee ee Re eas oe pegs a ph rete ‘cae tt rth sent he neta 8 “Sak Ia" Mon of be seen ho compe ¢ tiger eden se teed ws esa a mi aoa eres eae fer Chin's deepen ThE END