Wouldn't it be wonderful to travel to a foreign country without having to worry about the headache of communicating in a different language？

In a recent Wall Street Journal article，technology policy expert Alec Ross argued that，within a decade or so，we would be able to communicate with one another via small earpieces with built-in microphones. That's because technological progress is extremely rapid. It's only a matter of time. Indeed，some parents are so convinced that this technology is imminent that they're wondering if their kids should learn a second language.

It's true that an increase in the quantity and accuracy of the data loaded into computers will make them cleverer at translating“Noes Bueno dormer mucho” into“It's not good to sleep too much”. Replacing a word with its equivalent（对等词）in the target language is actually the easy part of a translator's job. But even this seems to be a discouraging task for computers.

It's so difficult for computers because translation doesn't — or shouldn't — involve simply translating words，sentences or paragraphs. Rather，it's about translating meaning. And in order to infer meaning from a specific expression, humans have to interpret a mass of information at the same time. Think about all the related clues that go into understanding an expression: volume, gesture, situations, and even your culture. All are likely to convey as much meaning as the words you use.

Therefore, we should be very skeptical of a machine that is unable to interpret the world around us. If people from different cultures can offend each other without realizing it, how can we expect a machine to do better? Unless engineers actually find a way to breathe a soul into a computer, undoubtedly when it comes to conveying and interpreting meaning using a natural language, a machine will never fully take our place.

   There are some differences between American English and British English. Some differences are quite interesting.

When my friend Lily from London used the word "larder", I didn't know what it meant. Realizing I didn't follow her, she used another word. I finally knew she wanted to find something to keep some food.

The next word came up when we were planning a lunch date. She jotted down the date and time in her diary, while I marked my calendar. If she called me on the phone, she would ring me up. But if the line was busy, she would say the line was engaged.

Most times, I can know what Lily means. Last week, she regretted sending her boys to watch an early morning tennis game without their fleeces. I thought that she meant without their jackets or something like those. Other times, we have to ask each other. She recently told me a funny tale about a woman who was pissed. I wondered what had made the lady angry. It turns out that pissed means drunk.

Here is one more example. My British friend Jane was filling out a ticket at the grocery store（食品杂货店）recently. She asked the young man if he had a rubber. When she noticed he didn't follow her, she quickly asked for an eraser, which, in England, is often called a rubber.

In order to communicate well with the British, we Americans should learn some words that the British use differently. And I think people who learn English as a second language should also realize that there are differences between American English and British English.

My name is Ann. I've been in China in a few years. With the help of Li Hua, a good friend of mine, I've been used to live in China. Li Hua, like other girls, are beautiful and lively. We became friends after we meet each other a few years ago. Although her English isn't easy to understand, but we enjoy chatting and we usually talk a lot about our favorite books. We're all surprised that Chinese culture and American culture are so differently. Now we are planning nice party for next Sunday. There, I will introduce Li Hua to my friends, one of who has been to China several time.

   The world is a rich landscape of different languages，skin colors，and different cultures. 【小题1】 One way to develop this appreciation is to try to learn about other cultures around the world.

There are several ways to become knowledgeable about different cultures. One way is to read books written by authors from a particular culture. Reading works by authors from a particular culture allows people to gain an authentic（真实的）look at the food，music，language，religion，and way of life of a particular group of people.【小题2】

【小题3】 A person can choose a language he has always wanted to learn. He can attend a foreign language class in order to learn in a more formal setting. Making contact with people who are native speakers of the language allows him to gain first-hand knowledge of a particular culture as she struggles to learn the language.

Seeking out restaurants that feature authentic food from a variety of countries is also a good way. 【小题4】 And it allows people to gain insight into a particular cultural group's way of life.

People who love to meet people in faraway areas of the world may not be able to travel in person, but they can always look for a pen pal. 【小题5】 Various websites offer pen pal services, offering to connect individuals with pen friends located around the world. Communicating with people from other countries through email or mail is another useful way to become familiar with different cultures.

   The word “ OK”, the most frequently spoken expression on the planet, celebrated its 178th anniversary (周年纪念日) on March 23.

Henry Nass, a 66-year-old retired English teacher, had spent the last few weeks handing out cards supporting “ Global OK Day” in advance of the coming anniversary.

The term “ OK” was born in the 19th century. Late etymologist Allen Walker Read found the twoletter word in 1839, when editors at The Boston Morning Post signed off on articles as “ all correct” with an “ OK” or “ oll correct”.

The word made it into print on March 23 of that year in an article against an editor in Providence who had said, wrongly, that a group of Bostonians heading for New York would pass through the Rhode Island capital. “We didn’t say a word about our group passing through the city of Providence,” The Boston Morning Post reported. “O. K. — all correct.”

The humour of the Providence-Boston joke has been lost to history — but the word OK took off from there, soon meaning agreement, acceptance, satisfaction, quality or likability. In 1840, it served as a slogan (口号) for President Martin Van Buren’s unsuccessful re-election campaign. OK was picked up by telegraph operators as an easy abbreviation (缩写词) to say they received transmission. “Buzz Aldrin’s first words spoken on the moon were ‘ OK. Engine stop,’” says Allan Metcalf, author of “OK: The Improbable Story of America’s Greatest Word”.

Modern texting has produced a new generation of abbreviations — BTW (by the way) and LOL (laugh out loud) among them, but none has replaced OK. That’s why many people support the English teacher’s call for an OK birthday celebration.

“We happen to know the exact date and place of the very first OK and that’s not very usual for many words, so why not celebrate that day?” says Metcalf.