Jane Austen ever popular

This summer, the UK will honor its favorite writer, Jane Austen (1775-1817), by making her face on the new £ 10 note. In the 200 years since her death, Austen’s fame has increased from the modest amount she enjoyed in her lifetime to the global fame she receives today.

And yet Austen’s work is so very English that it’s rather strange she should be so popular all over the world. Her novels are so of her time that it’s remarkable that she’s still appreciated in this very different age. Her most famous works — including Pride and Prejudice, the one for which she is most known — are set in the world of the English gentry (绅士阶层) in the 18th century.

Most of her fiction is about young women of that time. Women of the gentry could not work so their chances of happiness or even basic living depended upon finding a husband. This is a very serious subject, of course, but the joy of Austen’s stories is her ability to make wonderful, but also touching comedy out of something so serious.

Take Pride and Prejudice as an example. Elizabeth Bennet is one of five daughters in a countryside family that struggles because daughters can’t inherit (继承) the property. Her mother wants to marry off as many of them as possible. The pushy and annoying Mrs Bennet is one of the great comic characters in English literature.

The main plot of the novel is driven by the love-hate relationship between Elizabeth and Mr Darcy, a wealthy noble. At first, they don’t get on. Elizabeth finds Darcy too proud; she feels he thinks he is better than everyone else in the countryside. She thinks that he looks down upon her family in particular. Darcy, while admiring Elizabeth, believes that she has treated him unfairly. The pleasure of the novel is reading how these obstacles (阻碍) are overcome and how the comical and unexpected ending is achieved.

If we think about this story, it’s obvious why Jane Austen is still popular 200 years after her death, and why readers can still identify with (与……产生共鸣) characters from the long dead world of the 18th century English gentry. Although there have been many changes since that time, it’s still the greatest challenge in life for men and women to find the partner of their dreams.

   Iggy Azalea doesn't look like a rapper（说唱乐歌手）.On May 17, she attended the 2015 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, US, with pink hair and a blue coat. She looked like a model, but won big as a rapper. The Australian beat out big names like Nicki Minaj and Drake to win the award for Top Rap Artist.

It's a great achievement in many people's eyes, but Azalea knew what she wanted from the beginning. At 15 she dropped out of high school because she was only interested in art classes. She worked as a house cleaner to save money for her dream the following year. Before her 16th birthday, Azalea left her home, a tiny town in Australia, for the US, making up her mind to become a rapper. Moving from Miami to Houston to Atlanta, she started rapping in the Southern-style accent of her surroundings and her single Ignorant Art came out in 2011.From then on, she never looked back.

However, her style has caused lots of discussions. She might be one of the most polarizing artists. She raps with a southern American accent, even though she speaks with an Australian one. Many people say that she overuses black culture in her music.

Her supporters are against it. Female American rapper MC Lyte defended（为……辩护）Azalea in an interview, saying she should not be judged because of where she's from. "Hip hop is universal（全世界的）, and has no color line, "MC Lyte said. Azalea herself is proud of her music. "I really want to be focused on what I'm doing, "she said in an interview." That's really dangerous when you're trying to figure out ways to entertain people and make them happy. I don't want to be a part of that."

   Every Chinese-language textbook starts out with the standard phrases for greeting people. But as an American, I always found myself unable to speak freely when it came to _____ guests at the door. Just a goodbye would not do, yet that was all I had ever _____ the books. So I would smile and nod, bowing like a Japanese and searching _____ for words that would smooth over（缓和）the visitors' leaving and make them feel they would be _____ to come again. In my unease, I often hid behind the skirts of my Chinese husband's kindness.

Then finally, listening to others, I began to pick up the phrases that _____ relationships and sent people off not only successfully but also skillfully.

The parting for the Chinese includes a lot of necessary habitual practice. Although as a _____ I'm not expected to observe or even know all the rules, I've had to learn the expressions of politeness and _____ at a leave-taking.

The Chinese feel they are _____ to see a guest off to the farthest possible point-down the flight of stairs to the street below or perhaps all the way to the _____bus stop. I've sometimes waited half an hour or more for my husband to ______ from seeing a guest off, ______ he's gone to the bus stop and waited for the next bus to arrive.

That's all very well, but when I'm the guest being seen off, my polite refusals are always ______ .My hostess or host, or both, insist on ______ me down the stairs and well on my way, with my repeating the "Don't ______ to see me off" at every landing. If I try to go fast to ______ them from following, they are simply out to the discomfort of having to run after me. Better to ______ the inevitable（不可避免的）.

Besides, that's going against Chinese ______ , because haste（doing things quickly）is to be avoided. What do you say when you ______ someone？People often say "Go slowly" ______ "Farewell". To the Chinese it means" Take care" or" Watch your ______ ", or some such caution, but translated literally（按字面）it means "Go slowly".

   Britain is a very worldwide country. Women in Britain are usually independent and used to entering public places by themselves. The British are generally quite tolerant - they like to help if they can so don't be afraid to ask for help. The British people sometimes seem a little cool and it needs to take time to build close friendships. However，most people respond politely and positively to offers of friendship. Don't forget that if they are not familiar with your culture，they won't understand your needs and concerns unless you explain them.

But on campus you might be surprised by the lack of formality（遵守礼节）. In this relaxed attitude ，most members of faculty （全体教师）enjoy being with students and joining in conversation whether or not it is directly related to studying work. Social spaces and common rooms on campus will usually  contain a mixture of staff and students informally chatting over tea or coffee.

For drinking， alcohol is offered to anyone aged over 18. It's perfectly acceptable for adults to drink alcohol in proper amounts. For many British people ，drinking is a common part of social life -“ going out for a drink” is how they relax or spend time with friends. This doesn't mean that you have to drink alcohol. If you don't want to，you can always ask for a non-alcoholic drink instead.

You know，many people in Britain smoke. However， in some ways smoking is less acceptable than drinking， and from summer 2010 smoking was not allowed in all pubs，clubs and restaurants in England. Most restaurants provide separate smoking and non-smoking areas， and smoking is not allowed in many public places including  buses and the London Underground. If you smoke in these places，you have to pay a fine. If you are eating or drinking with friends - especially at someone else's house - it is polite to ask before you light your cigarette.