• Describe a person who taught you something important
• You should say:
• Who the person is
• Where did you meet him or her What did the person taught you
• And explain how you feel about what he or she taught you

I’d like to describe a person who taught me an important thing. The person is my American teacher, Chris. Chris is a very friendly person, good-looking, too. He’s been teaching English in China for almost 10 years now, and he’s quite familiar with Chinese culture.

The thing he taught me was how to respond to a compliment from a Westerner. It happened last month, when I was chatting with Chris at lunch. I remember he said to me that my oral English had improved a lot since he first met me. I responded by saying, “No. My English is poor.” At that time, he just looked at me in bewilderment, and then he smiled and said to me, “No, Jack. That is not a good way to respond to a Westerner’s compliment Your being modest can be viewed by us as a lack of confidence or even rudeness. Normally, you should accept it and just say thank you if you think the remark is true.”

What Chris taught me is really important. First of all, to truly learn a language well, one needs to know the cultural differences. I mean grammar can help you speak the language correctly, but the knowledge of culture can help you use it appropriately. And for me, it was a valuable lesson because I’m going to study in Australia, and some cultural background would definitely make the conversations between me and the local people much easier.

As for how I felt. Well, at first, I didn’t understand what Chris was trying tell me, and I thought he would appreciate Chinese modesty. But finally, I came to the realization that he was right. So I felt grateful to him for telling me such an important thing.

Part 3

1.What are the qualities that a good teacher must have?

Well there are piles of qualities that a good teacher must be equipped with. And let me take patience as an example. I mean, there can be students with slow thinking, but these students may sometimes tend to think deeper than others, and with a long studying period, they may do better afterwards, you know, just like eagles. And the duty for teachers is to believe their potential and guide them, in this situation, patience is of great importance.

2.When should children receive education?

Well definitely. It is only when students receive education that they can learn more about themselves as well as the world. Without education,

3.From your side, at what age should kids go to school?

Well usually go to school at the age of 6, which is the stipulated of the Ministry of education. Whereas there are also circumstances that kids cannot adapt to school and have to spend another year in kindergarten, and there are also kids who are smart enough to start school at the age of 5 or even 4, it depends.

4.What are the differences between the old and the young in accepting new ideas?

Generally, young people are more in accepting new ideas since they are not trapped by the precedents and the rules, just like the saying goes, newborn calves are not afraid of tigers. But this does not mean that old people are always stubborn and cannot accept new ideas.

5.What do Chinese parents feel if their children begin to learn English at a young age?

Well, in China, the situation tends to be complex. On the one hand, Chinese parents fear that their kids may not enjoy a happy childhood if they start learning at a very young age, and on the other hand, with so many kids begin learning, they feel like their kids win the race of their life if they can start at a younger age.