财新传媒
2014年01月17日 14:00

短篇小说获奖作品《岁月》('Age')

By April Xiaoyi Xu © 2014

High above us rests the night sky - tranquil, subtle, and inscrutable. Powerfully, the scene arouses wonder and awe, which invoke a sense of morality and religion in me. Coincidental? Destined? Whether the high power resides there, I do not know. Neither does this bottle of wine, which sits in front of me. A sense of surrealism encompassed us.

At the age of ninety, ...

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2014年01月15日 18:18

饮水思源 The Dragon's Den

As someone who confesses to be an international citizen, I cannot help but reflect on my origins while also meditating on certain features of culture and its related issues.

Often metaphorized as a dragon, China has providing me with food and shelter for the past 17 years. The fact that the country is a rising dragon that has woken up from a humiliated slumber might be perceived as relevant, sin...

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2013年12月31日 19:37

哈佛法学院经典案例:骇人听闻的洞穴吃人案! The Speluncean Explorers Hypothetical

    When men return to the naturalistic state of living, free from all human interventions and social standards, certain laws shall cease to apply. In particular, situations should challenge the flexibilities of rigid regulations, for human ingenuity may not anticipate all possible outcomes outside of human societies. The case of the Speluncean explorers epitomises survival situations that take pl...
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2013年12月26日 08:29

莎翁的女巫

How does costuming of the three Weird Sisters in Macbeth on the Shakespearean stage correspond to the identities of the stereotyped witches in Elizabethan England?

 

The three Weird Sisters, as supernatural witches in Shakespeare’s tragedy ‘Macbeth’ were stereotyped as grotesque and were disrespected in the Elizabethan society in which the play was performed. (Britannica School) Witches, i...

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2013年12月19日 17:38

Cheers!

Cheers for Appetite

 

Learn to travel, travel to learn. Growing up, the increasing appetite for knowledge and progress as a learner is truly empowering. 

 

'Years, gone. Since when has the timid girl grown up? I still recall the time when she could only communicate with her English-speaking playmates with broken language, and silently watched her friends swim in the lovely lake during a v...

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2013年12月16日 11:02

编织记忆 Memory: The Seamstress

----The Role of Memory in Freud and Woolf’s Work

 

Sigmund Freud and Virginia Woolf, although distinct thinkers of two Areas of Knowledge (the Human Sciences and Literature), both use memory in their work. 

 

To Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, memory is ‘traumatic’, because memory is often the cause of his patients’ despair. Thus, his growing knowledge base of memory’s impact o...

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2013年11月27日 20:44

黄石公园历险记 Erupting…

Here are several words that were associated with our varied reactions upon our arrival back in Beijing: exhilaration, fear, anticipation, satisfaction, excitement. No matter how discordant our distinct voices are towards this unforgettable trip, we do agree on one adjective, ‘erupting’.

 

This is a rather specific word, as Yellowstone National Park naturally arouses views on its geological ...

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2013年11月22日 14:03

教育乌托邦 Edutopia

     "Utopia", literally "no place" in Ancient Greek, commonly suggests a perfect zenith. Generations of risk-takers and thinkers, intrigued by the hardship in achieving perfection, have attempted to establish their own utopias with countless philosophical ideas. As idealistic as I may be as a high school student who is inspired by them, I have secretly accepted a daring mission of creating (okay...

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2013年11月06日 09:36

星巴克的全球地方化: To What Extent Should Starbucks Glocalise its Products in China?

*Note: The following article is part of my IB Extended Essay. 

 

ABSTRACT

The question under investigation in this paper is “To What Extent Should Starbucks Glocalise its Products in China?”.

The investigation explores the aspects and implications of glocalisation, a common approach used by global conglomerates, as exemplified by one of the world’s most successful brand (Haig 87)...

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2013年11月03日 10:10

采访前常青藤盟校招生主任

Interview with Chair of Ivy League Admissions Committee

As a graduate of Wesleyan University and Harvard Business School, Mr. Karl Furstenberg has worked in selective university admissions for 30 years. Mr. Furstenberg has served as Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Wesleyan University and Dartmouth College, and was also Chair of the Ivy League Admissions Committee. Being well versed in a ...

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2013年10月30日 23:51

为什么美国名校受青睐

如果,学校为你的一个梦想买单,你最想做的事情是什么呢?

我先举一个例子:耶鲁大学,在正式开学之前,特别为大学一年级 “新鲜人”推出了“采购时段”。学校为学生们提供了多达数千门课程,耶鲁“新鲜人”可以自由选课。他们可以“大摇大摆”地在不同的课程中穿梭,喜欢的课程,留下来继续听;不喜欢的,径直走出课堂。这绝对不是对教授的“大不敬”,而是校方做出的一个明智的举措。

每一所大学,吸引你的原因各有不同。有...

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2013年10月25日 16:06

解密国际学校高中生的一天 (24 Hours of an IB Diploma Student)

 

When does it start? Why? How?

 

00:00, a brand new day arrives, signifying 24 hours until my digital clock declares this number again. A dozen of peers are still on Skype, but let me log off and concentrate more.

 

00:01 Sheet music, music sheets. Page one, two, and no, go back to one. How does it sound now? Examine this - the flowing melodies, the flying grace of each note, but ...

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2013年10月10日 20:11

根、芽与梦:传播希望的种子 (Roots, Shoots and Dreams)

 

We are young and perhaps ‘crazy’ at times. When I was in kindergarten, I was an introverted little girl who had secret dreams. I vividly recall that in the bright classroom with a view of the outside world, the little pony toys and Barbie dolls were at my service. I cuddled them closely, and imagined us in another world, where we were all equals. Why should we ride horses? Do they not fe...

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2013年10月10日 20:09

与“黑猩猩之母”珍妮·古道尔的对话 (Interview with the Chimpanzee Mother)

与“黑猩猩之母”珍妮·古道尔的对话 (Interview with the Chimpanzee Mother)

 

As a student journalist and Roots & Shoots founder and leader at my school, I had the pleasure of conducting an exclusive interview with distinguished British scientist and UN Messenger of Peace, Dr. Jane Goodall.

April: You greet people across the world using a universal language - the chimpanzee call. When was your first time doing it in public appearances? How often do you do that?

Dr....

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2013年10月10日 20:04

制胜 “高三”(The Legendary Weapon to Triumph)

 

Welcome! In order to embark on your pre-university journey, you must complete the following question. 

Which two of the following options would you choose, during your four years of high school?

Academics. 
Sleep. 
Socialise.

When are you done, click on 'Submit'.

SUBMIT

TEST ADMINISTRATOR: Congratulations! You have now passed the point of no return.

(Smirking is clearly heard from t...







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2013年09月23日 22:01

Why Do We Love Universities in America??

 

 

Starting Point

 

Last summer, I had the opportunity of visiting several research universities and liberal arts colleges in the New England region. I was particularly impressed with several aspects that really attract international students to study in America: collaboration, innovation and individuality. This journey excited me so much that I wish there was a time capsule to take me i...

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2013年09月18日 16:35

Oxford: City of Dreaming Spires (牛津:梦幻尖塔之城)

 

 Dashes, dots, disfigured shapes... Strolling forward, fascinated; wandering backward, bewildered at the sight, where the silent spires of Oxford savour their sensations in the dusking drizzles...

 

Emotions are heightened, indeed -- tiptoeing on the thin streams of raindrops, the flossy dark hair swings, moisturised; tip, top, tip, tap... And now, my shoes -- the elegant flats, dark col...

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2013年09月18日 16:21

Voyage, Quest, Inspired (牛津与剑桥)

 

Voyage, Quest, Inspired

 

  • ONE: Inspiration comes out of tranquility. 
  • TWO: Inspiration is omnipresent.

 

How do we get inspired? Is there a general pattern? Seeking an answer to this question, I observed my own case.

 

 

Oxford Revisited

 

A radiant day inspired the City of Dreaming Spires. With the awakening of the reborn sunshine, Oxford does not fail to empower me...

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2013年09月02日 07:18

Stages: Broadcasting Confidence (舞台...)

 

The spotlight is focused on Centre Stage.

 

And the microphone is set up.

 

A stage may be intangible, from my experience. Stages are mainly physical platforms of self-expression for me as a high school student, who regularly appears onstage as an actress, an MC, and a keynote speaker. Interestingly, the metaphorical meaning of intangible stages was discovered when I was at a rat...

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