summer

The temperature is easily exceeding 35 degrees – it’s time to talk about summer!
Is there anyone who likes it? Yes! Me!

What activities can we do in summer? Swimming, sleeping, eating fruits, skating!
Why is summertime better than wintertime? Why is it worse?
What special food can we eat in summer?
What clothes do we wear in summer?
Are there any festivals in summer?
How do people usually feel in summer in China? How do western people feel? Why do we have different feelings towards summer?
“A life without love is like a year without summer” – do you agree with this sentence?
What are some popular summer destinations?

***

Soundtrack:
Sabrina, Boys (Summertime Love)
Joe Cocker, Summer In The City
Texas, Summer Son
Chris Rea, Waiting For The Summer
Mungo Jerry, In The Summertime
Bryan Adams, Summer Of ’69
Don Henley, Boys Of Summer
Alexia, Summer Is Crazy
John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John, Summer Nights

需要人陪

打开窗户让孤单透气
这一间屋子 如此密闭
欢呼声仍飘在空气里
像空无一人一样华丽

我 渐渐失去知觉
就当做是种自我逃避
你 飞到天的边缘
我也不猜落在何地

一个我 需要梦想 需要方向 需要眼泪
更需要 一个人来 点亮天的黑
我已经 无能为力 无法抗拒 无路可退
这无声的夜 现在的我 需要人陪

闭上眼睛 就看不清
这双人床 欠缺的 温馨
谁能 陪我 直到天明
穿透 这片 迷骷啪br>
我 渐渐失去知觉
就当做是种自我逃避
你 飞到天的边缘
我已不猜落在何地

一个我 需要梦想 需要方向 需要眼泪
更需要 一个人来 点亮天的黑
我已经 无能为力 无法抗拒 无路可退
这无声的夜 现在的我 需要人陪

be the one

Finally, he’s the one. Number one. Moby.
And although he’s destroyed (according to the title of his new album), he’s done a great job.

Hitlist #542
July 25th, 2011

1. 3 (8) MOBY, Be The One
2. 1 (7) JAMIROQUAI, Smile
3. 13 (2) MAROON 5 FEAT. CHRISTINA AGUILERA, Moves Like Jagger
4. 2 (5) EXAMPLE, Changed The Way You Kiss Me
5. 4 (12) THE MUSIC, Ghost Hands
6. 10 (4) WITHIN TEMPTATION, Shot In The Dark
7. 5 (6) RADIOHEAD, The Butcher
8. 9 (5) CALVIN HARRIS FEAT. KELIS, Bounce
9. 11 (4) 萧敬腾 (JAM HSIAO), 狂想曲 (Kuangxiangqu)
10. 6 (6) LAURI, Heavy
11. 7 (10) 王力宏 (LEEHOM), 自己人 (Ziji Ren)
12. 12 (6) BEADY EYE, Millionaire
13. 8 (11) GEORGE MICHAEL, You And I
14. 18 (2) REEVE CARNEY FEAT. BONO & THE EDGE, Rise Above 1
15. – (1) BJÖRK, Crystalline
16. 16 (3) FRIENDLY FIRES, Hawaiian Air
17. 14 (13) WITHIN TEMPTATION, Sinéad
18. – (1) FOSTER THE PEOPLE, Pumped Up Kicks
19. 19 (3) ED SHEERAN, The A Team
20. – (1) EMINEM, Space Bound

don’t give up

“If something doesn’t break you, it’ll make you stronger” – do you agree?
Is suicide ever a good solution?
What pleasures of your life would you never give up?
How would you react in the following situations? How would you comfort somebody if they happened?

• lose home in a natural disaster
• find out you have a cancer
• get divorced for the 3rd time
• go bankrupt
• cast away – just like Robinson on a desert island
• your bicycle gets stolen for the 5th time

***
Soundtrack:
Josh Groban, You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up)
Dido, White Flag
Mariah Carey, Hero
Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush, Don’t Give Up
Adam Lambert, Whataya Want From Me
Rick Astley, Never Gonna Give You Up

eyes

How can you describe eyes?
Do you think that eyes are the mirror of your soul? Are they the window to your heart?
Do you like when people look at you? How does it feel?
Would you like to be invisible? How would you use it?
What parts of the eye do you know?

• eyelid
• eyelash
• iris
• pupil
• sclera

Explain the expression: “an eye for an eye”. Do you agree with it?
Can you imagine your life without eyes? How do blind people feel? How do they live?

***

Soundtrack:
Elton John, Blue Eyes
Enigma, The Eyes Of Truth
Coldplay, Green Eyes
Limp Bizkit, Behind Blue Eyes
Kelly Clarkson, Behind These Hazel Eyes
Bruce Springsteen, Sad Eyes
Travis, My Eyes
Ultrabeat, Pretty Green Eyes

giving up

To give up – to stop doing something, quit it, in case of war or fight: to surrender.
To raise the white flag, to wave it – have you ever had to do it? Has anyone or anything forced you?
What do we give up? What are the reasons people give up certain things?
– dreams, plans for future

• because they are unrealistic
• too expensive
• we are doubtful that they can come true
• we have no confidence
• we are too weak to fulfil our dreams

– principles, rules

• because they are too challenging
• we are lazy
• we choose more comfortable life
• everybody else is doing it, so why can’t we?

– studies

• because they are too difficult
• we find out they are useless
• we are too busy to study
• just got a great job, so why continue?
• got married/pregnant
• no money for tuition fees

– love/relationship

• because of betrayal
• forced by a family
• couldn’t/didn’t want to have kids
• financial problems
• distance

We should give up bad habits, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, taking drugs. Everybody knows that, but how to do it? It’s easier said than done.
Why do we give up? Do you give up easily? Are you a fighter? How many times do you need to fail before you finally give up?
Does the fear of failure stop you or on the contrary: give you an adrenaline kick?
Can anyone convince you to give up your decisions? Are you bossy or rather a push-over? Are you stubborn – are you not willing to change your mind, even if the change sounds reasonable?
Inspirational people who didn’t give up:

• Nelson Mandela
• Lance Armstrong
• Liu Xiang
• Thomas Edison
• Martin Luther King
• Marie Curie

still smiling

Hitlist #541
July 18th, 2011

1. 1 (6) JAMIROQUAI, Smile
2. 2 (4) EXAMPLE, Changed The Way You Kiss Me
3. 3 (7) MOBY, Be The One
4. 8 (11) THE MUSIC, Ghost Hands
5. 7 (5) RADIOHEAD, The Butcher
6. 6 (5) LAURI, Heavy
7. 4 (9) 王力宏 (LEEHOM), 自己人 (Ziji Ren)
8. 5 (10) GEORGE MICHAEL, You And I
9. 16 (4) CALVIN HARRIS FEAT. KELIS, Bounce
10. 10 (3) WITHIN TEMPTATION, Shot In The Dark
11. 14 (3) 萧敬腾 (JAM HSIAO), 狂想曲 (Kuangxiangqu)
12. 9 (5) BEADY EYE, Millionaire
13. – (1) MAROON 5 FEAT. CHRISTINA AGUILERA, Moves Like Jagger
14. 19 (12) WITHIN TEMPTATION, Sinéad
15. 11 (12) SADE, Love Is Found
16. 20 (2) FRIENDLY FIRES, Hawaiian Air
17. 12 (8) RADIOHEAD, Supercollider
18. – (1) REEVE CARNEY FEAT. BONO & THE EDGE, Rise Above 1
19. 17 (2) ED SHEERAN, The A Team
20. 13 (7) LADY GAGA, The Edge Of Glory

charming evening at West Lake

come on, smile for me

I still love “Smile”, it makes me happy and relaxed. Thanks, Jamiroquai – the summer is beautiful because of that song!

“Smile
Cause you are the one
Like beautiful birds
This is our song
I took you for a dancer
And now we’re here alone
No other eyes to see us
We’re on our own”
[Jamiroquai, Smile]

Hitlist #540
July 11th, 2011

1. 1 (5) JAMIROQUAI, Smile
2. 15 (3) EXAMPLE, Changed The Way You Kiss Me
3. 2 (6) MOBY, Be The One
4. 3 (8) 王力宏 (LEEHOM), 自己人 (Ziji Ren)
5. 5 (9) GEORGE MICHAEL, You And I
6. 4 (4) LAURI, Heavy
7. 6 (4) RADIOHEAD, The Butcher
8. 13 (10) THE MUSIC, Ghost Hands
9. 10 (4) BEADY EYE, Millionaire
10. 18 (2) WITHIN TEMPTATION, Shot In The Dark
11. 20 (11) SADE, Love Is Found
12. 8 (7) RADIOHEAD, Supercollider
13. 12 (6) LADY GAGA, The Edge Of Glory
14. 14 (2) 萧敬腾 (JAM HSIAO), 狂想曲 (Kuangxiangqu)
15. 7 (12) 林俊杰 (JJ LIN), 完美新世界 (Wanmei Xin Shijie)
16. 19 (3) CALVIN HARRIS FEAT. KELIS, Bounce
17. – (1) ED SHEERAN, The A Team
18. 9 (5) DURAN DURAN, Leave A Light On
19. 11 (11) WITHIN TEMPTATION, Sinéad
20. – (1) FRIENDLY FIRES, Hawaiian Air

yesterday

What did you yesterday? Was it a meaningful day? Do you try your days to be meaningful? How can you do it?
If it was possible, would you like to repeat your day? What days would you like to live again?
Do you often think about yesterday? About the past? Does it happen more often than you think about tomorrow? The future? Is the future bright?
Is yesterday’s world better than tomorrow’s world?
Are your days always different? Or maybe you sometimes feel that today is just as same as yesterday?
Why does past usually seem better than it actually was? Do you have more bad memories or the good ones?
What time of your life was the happiest? What was the most difficult? Childhood, teen age, college life…

***
Soundtrack:
The Beatles, Yesterday
The Carpenters, Yesterday Once More
30 Seconds To Mars, From Yesterday
Pet Shop Boys, Yesterday When I Was Mad
Guns N’Roses, Yesterdays