question: As young Chinese increasingly forget how to write characters because they don't have to, using keyboards and touch screen technology on mobile phones is changing the trend.

For Yin Liang, a 26-year-old purchasing agent at a company, his embarrassment over forgetting how to write characters has gradually disappeared since he started to use the handwriting input method on his iPhone 4 a month ago.

"When you write on the touch screen, you use your finger, instead of a mouse or keyboard," Yin says.

"Actually, your finger is like a pen, writing the complicated characters that have long been spelled by pinyin, an alphabet-based input system. Whether typing on computers or texting on phones, most users in China type by phonetically spelling out the sounds of the characters and the software then gives a menu of characters that fit the pronunciation, so users only need to recognize the character.

Handwriting technology on a mobile phone touch screen has been around for years and became popular with the iPhone, which recognizes the input and offers a wide selection of characters.

"It's efficient and accurate," Yin says.

Chinese characters are the oldest continuously used system of writing in the world, but as pinyin-based typing has become more widespread, youths have started forgetting how to write out characters. This was one of the main topics for debate at the first Cross-Straits Chinese Character Art Festival, held recently in Beijing, which attracted experts from Taiwan and the mainland.

According to Zhang Zikang, president of the Culture and Art Publishing House, writing with a pen on the touch screen brings handwriting into the digital age. It is even better when you write with your finger, feeling the flow of the cursive script and the grace and art of Chinese characters, he says.

"Smart gadgets don't take life from the square-shaped characters, instead they offer a new and advanced platform to show the charm of Chinese characters, which are always evolving," Zhang says.
1. What is like a pen?
2. Who are fogetting how to draw letters?
3. Why?
4. What is helping to change that?
5. What is the name of a purchasing agent?
6. How old is he?
7. How long has handwriting ability been available on phones?
8. Which phone made it popular?
****
answer: 1. your finge
2. young Chinese
3. they don't have to, using keyboards and touch screen technology on mobile phones
4. the handwriting input method on his iPhone 4
5. Yin Liang
6. 26
7. Handwriting technology on a mobile phone touch screen has been around for years
8. popular with the iPhone

Timothy likes to play sports. He spends his time after school playing basketball and baseball. Sometimes Timothy pretends he is a famous baseball pitcher for his favorite team with his friends. He plays with his friends Mandy and Andrew. Timothy also plays pretend when he is alone. He has an imaginary friend named Sean. Sean is an elephant who watches television with Timothy.

Mandy likes playing baseball but she also likes to paint. Mandy's favorite class at school is art. She likes making pictures of flowers. Her teacher says she is a good artist. She painted a picture of a tree for her teacher. There were red and yellow leaves on it. It had apples on it.

When Andrew goes home after baseball, he likes to eat a snack. He eats carrots and bananas. If he is a good boy his mom, Mrs. Smith, sometimes gives him milk and cookies. Afterwards, Andrew finishes his homework. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. what does timothy like to play
2. what kind of sports
3. what kind of sports
4. does he pretend he is famous for it?
5. Does he have an imaginary friend?
6. what is their name?
7. who are his real friends he plays with
8. What does Andrew do when he goes home after playing baseball?
9. what does he do after he eats?
10. Is had imaginary friend a person?
11. what is he?
12. What does he do with timorthy?
Answer: 1. sports
2. basketball and baseball
3. basketball and baseball
4. yes
5. yes
6. Sean
7. Mandy and Andrew
8. snacks
9. finishes his homework
10. no
11. an elephant
12. watches television

input: Make use of the article to answer the questions. Chapter 22. POSITIVELY LAST APPEARANCE

'Upon my word, I feel as if I lived in a powder-magazine, and don't know which barrel will explode next, and send me flying,' said Mrs Jo to herself next day, as she trudged up to Parnassus to suggest to her sister that perhaps the most charming of the young nurses had better return to her marble gods before she unconsciously added another wound to those already won by the human hero. She told no secrets; but a hint was sufficient; for Mrs Amy guarded her daughter as a pearl of great price, and at once devised a very simple means of escape from danger. Mr Laurie was going to Washington on Dan's behalf, and was delighted to take his family with him when the idea was carelessly suggested. So the conspiracy succeeded finely; and Mrs Jo went home, feeling more like a traitor than ever. She expected an explosion; but Dan took the news so quietly, it was plain that he cherished no hope; and Mrs Amy was sure her romantic sister had been mistaken. If she had seen Dan's face when Bess went to say good-bye, her maternal eye would have discovered far more than the unconscious girl did. Mrs Jo trembled lest he should betray himself; but he had learned self-control in a stern school, and would have got through the hard moment bravely, only, when he took both hands, saying heartily:

'Good-bye, Princess. If we don't meet again, remember your old friend Dan sometimes,' she, touched by his late danger and the wistful look he wore, answered with unusual warmth: 'How can I help it, when you make us all so proud of you? God bless your mission, and bring you safely home to us again!' 1. Is someone anxious?
2. Who?
3. Is she talking to someone?
4. Who?
5. Where is she going?
6. To do what?
7. What for?
8. What was she expecting?
9. Was there one?
10. Who reacts?
11. How so?
12. Was he hopeful?
numbered_answers:
1. yes
2. Mrs Jo
3. yes
4. herself
5. Parnassus
6. to see her sister
7. to suggest something
8. an explosion
9. no
10. Dan
11. quietly
12. no