146. What does friendship mean to you? What kind of people do you make friends with?

Friendship is extremely important to me. It's like being brothers or sisters, but even more than that. I mean, I would do nearly anything for my friend, and I'd expect that he'd do the same for me. If he didn't help me when I was in need, then I would not consider him a good friend. I have many different kinds of friends. Some are loud, others are shy. There's not really just one type of friends that I like. I prefer having a real variety of friends.

147. What do you think is the difference between friendship and love?

Friendship is a kind of loyalty. It's strong and devoted, but it doesn't have the same feeling as love. When you fall in love with someone, there's this excitement, this chemistry, this feeling in the air that makes you feel really good. Friendship can provide you with some of that feeling, but not the depth nor heights of it. Love is stronger and more intense than friendship.

148. What do you think of the practice of setting up key schools in primary and secondary school education in China?

a. I think it's a good system because it helps the brighter students receive the educational challenges they need. When the students are streamed by ability level, it allows the schools to pick up the pace of instruction and the bright students never feel bored in school.

b. I think it's an old system that needs changing. Not every intelligent student is accepted by a key school, even if they are academically able. Also, intelligent students shouldn't be segregated. They need to learn to deal with all kinds of other students. Segregating bright students doesn't provide them with the skills they need to communicate and interact with others, which is what they'll need once they start working.

149. Do you think the subjects you are studying today are relevant to present day society? Why?

Most of them are relevant, but some, like History and Politics, are not. I think that most of what I'm currently studying will be useful some time in the future. It's true that there have been many changes in China, and there will be many changes to come. So, I suppose it's not possible that all my subjects will be relevant in the near future. Even so, I know that I'm learning a lot of good principles that will be important no matter what changes may occur.

150. What do you think the goal of education should be? Should it be a process of learning what is useful for your future life or should it be simply learning for enjoyment? Why?

Education should really be a time when you learn new ways of thinking and are challenged to go beyond what you know. But if I were to choose between learning useful things versus learning for enjoyment, I would definitely choose learning for enjoyment. I don't mean just learning when I feel like it. Rather, I mean studying things that interest me. If I am truly interested in a subject, I will delve into the material in greater depth and detail.

151. What do you think of TV and newspapers?

I like to know what's going on, so TV and newspapers are good ways for me to know what's happening. I can't say that I completely believe everything that I see on TV or read in the newspapers, but I do find them very interesting and entertaining. I'm kind of an information junkie, so I just like to know current things.

152. Do you think smoking is a problem that needs special attention and has to be solved? If so, why?

Yes. People in China aren't aware of the terrible health consequences of smoking. They just smoke because it's socially acceptable to do so. If more people knew they might get cancer from smoking, they would probably stop smoking, or at least smoke less. I do think that the tobacco industry is a big business, and if we tried to eliminate smoking, we'd also be eliminating jobs. It's a tough situation, but at the very least, people should be told that smoking causes lung cancer. That way they can make an informed choice about whether to smoke or not.

153. Do you think education should be more practical?

a. I prefer to study theory. Even if we do practice, it won't necessarily be exactly relevant to our future jobs. Also, learning theories helps to develop our way of thinking. It gives us new ways of understanding and seeing things. Learning these ideas will help us as we meet problems in our day to day work. We need to be good problem solvers, so if we learn many ways to conceptualize a problem, we will also have more ways to solve it.

b. I think practice is more important. What good are theories if they can't be used in some practical way? I've heard of many people who study in university and earn a bachelor's, master's, or even a doctor's degree, but they're really no use at work. This proves that practice is more important than theory. I certainly don't want to spend my time studying all kinds of theories, and not knowing anything useful for my job.

154. What do you think of the future of China if China keeps to the open policy?

I think China's future is very promising. The open policy has brought many benefits to the Chinese. For example, our standard of living has improved, China has become a stronger nation economically, and we have gained much knowledge about the rest of the world. China needs to continue with an open policy in order for us to gain strength and respect as a world-class nation.

155. What do you regard as the most significant events in your country's recent history?

The Cultural Revolution, which really changed many people's lives. This time was a very  emotional time in China's history, and many people suffered as a result of the movement from 1966 to 1976. Deng Xiaoping's leadership has also changed China's economic situation quite significantly. With his guiding principles, China has been able to increase trade relations with many countries, as well as gain much foreign investment in Chinese companies. Also, China's 50th Anniversary, which was celebrated on October 1st. This was a very proud moment for us, because this government has been very stable and has made great strides in developing our country.

156. In what way do you think university training is helpful or falls short?

In China, going to university can help me get a good job. But, many courses are too old and not very useful. The professors are just recently graduated and very new in their field, or older and not current with new developments. Also, we have to take all sorts of courses that are not directly related to our field. This, I feel, is a complete waste of time. We could be learning much more in our own field, instead of spending time learning courses that have no use for our future.

157. What roles does religion play in everyday life in your country?

I think different religions have different practices. Buddhists, for example, usually don't eat food from animals and pray to the Buddha at the beginning and in the middle of each month of the Chinese lunar calendar year. People who believe in Islam don't eat pork and usually live together. Besides, There are also Christians who believe in God and go to churches.

158. You just told me about a time in history you'd like to see. What do you think is the most important event in China's recent history?

I think it was the third plenary session of the eleventh central committee of the Communist Party of China, which decided on the policy of Reforming and Opening up. Because of the session, our standard of living has improved dramatically.

159. How aware do you think people are nowadays of environmental issues?

The average person knows very little about global environmental issues. Even environmental issues in China are nearly unheard of. I think it's probably because we're still a developing country, and we don't have the luxury of spending money on environmental concerns. I would say that most people know that it's important to conserve water if possible, though. 

160. What role does tourism play in your country's economy?

Tourism is playing a more and more important role in our country's economy. Since the

opening up, the number of tourists has increased dramatically, and this is a useful source of foreign currency for the country.

161. How serious is unemployment in your country?

Because China has a large population, there is always the unemployment problem. In recent years, however, things have been getting worse. Owing to the fact that the economic environment is not good, many state-owned companies and factories have gone bankrupt or are losing money and therefore have to reduce their workforce. Now, even university graduates can not find jobs. It is a serious problem for the whole society and measures should be taken to address it.

162. In your opinion, what are the most serious problems associated with modern life?

I think that parents are very busy with their work or careers and have little time to spend with their child. Many people only think about money, and as a result, their families often suffer. What's the point of leading a modern life if you're not very happy as a family? I really think that families are very important, but they are often overlooked and underrated. If China wants to be a strong country, we need to do all we can to strengthen our families.

163. What do you think have been the most important changes in your field over the past five years?

a. One big change has been the introduction of technology in all aspects of research. Now, it is possible to use computers to conduct simulated experiments, while controlling for most of the variables. This has been a great leap forward, as it opens up the doors for research to be conducted without the problem of extraneous factors.

b. I think the most important change in my field is that there is more and more competition from the western world. Many big foreign companies have entered the Chinese market. It is a challenge or an opportunity for some Chinese enterprises, but a disaster for others.

164. Some local students feel that overseas students are treated better. What do you think?

a. I don't think it's completely true. Overseas students have much greater challenges to face, so relative to what they have to go through, they are treated the same as the local students. Perhaps there are slightly more lenient entrance requirements, but international students are paying quite a lot of tuition in order to study at the university.

b. In my opinion, the school authority should give preference to overseas students. Overseas students come here all the way from their home country and everything is strange: the environment, culture, customs, and food are different and they have no relatives or friends here and most of them feel pretty homesick and lonely. Emotions of this kind may affect their study. So getting some preferential treatment can help them alleviate these problems and get used to college life as soon as possible.

165. You just talked about a frightening car accident you had. What do you think are the main causes of traffic accidents?

It's a case of modern society encountering the old way of life. Older people in China are not used to car traffic and do not have a "road sense" of how to travel on roads with cars. Sometimes I see a car zooming down a road, and the next thing you know there's a bicycle cart making it's way slowly across the road. The car slams on its brakes, but the man riding the bicycle cart really has no inkling of how close a call that just is. The other major factor causing road accidents is that there are really too many vehicles on the road. The more vehicles, the more likely it is that there will be an accident.

166. How do you think road accidents can be prevented?

Through education. If we can teach people the rules of the road, there will be fewer accidents. I don't mean just teaching the drivers, but also teaching pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, etc. Much of the problem behind road accidents lies in peoples' lack of understanding of how the system works. Of course not all road accidents can be prevented, but there will certainly be a great reduction in accidents just through a bit of education.

167. Do you think the government is doing enough to prevent road accidents?

No. In fact, apart from policemen standing at major intersections and giving out occasional tickets, I don't know what the government is doing to prevent road accidents. I have seen a lot of frustration on the part of drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, and accidents which have led to fist fights. The problem is so widespread, though, it's very hard to plan a preventative course. I guess it takes a lot of ways to tackle the problem.

168. How do you think China's membership in WTO will benefit China?

Well, it's a big topic to talk about. But I'm sure it will benefit China and other WTO members as well if China becomes a member of WTO. The common Chinese customers will benefit most from it because prices of imported products will be reduced and the quality and after sales services of national products will be improved.

169. Do you think drug trafficking is a serious problem in China? What are the consequences?

It's getting more serious than before. I think there are two main consequences. First, it's  obviously harmful to people's health. Second, it threatens the social stability of the country because people living on drugs may commit crimes if they are short of money. A lot of crimes are drug related.

170. What do you think of the unemployment problem in China?

I think the unemployment problem is getting more and more serious now. China is a country with a large population and there has always been more labour than required. It was not a big problem in the past under the planned economy system, but now enterprises could not afford the burden of a surplus labour force and many workers in state owned enterprises are being laid off. Something must be done about it before more serious problems arise.

171. How do you think the unemployment problem could be solved?

Well, there is no easy solution. I don't think the problem can be solved in the near future  because there are a large number of laid off workers and not enough job opportunities. The government should try to create more job opportunities in the field of tertiary industry, and on the other hand, laid off workers should put more efforts in self-improvement in order to find better jobs.

172. What do you think is the main reasons for the gap between rich and poor?

Well, if you ask me, I don't think you can expect everyone to become rich at the same time. Under the market economy system it's only natural for the most capable people to make a fortune first. Life is a competition after all.

173. What do you think of the "knowledge economy"?

In my opinion, people need to have a wider range of knowledge to survive in the modern society, and a country needs to have more and more knowledgeable people to survive in the world. Hardworking is not enough for a man to be successful. Knowledge and information play more and more important roles in a successful career.

174. What's the housing situation/condition like in your city?

Well, the housing condition in my city has been improved a lot in recent years. But there are still many people who live in narrow, shabby houses. Besides, instead of getting free houses from the government as part of their benefits, people have to buy houses from real estate companies, and many of them can not afford the high cost of an apartment.

175. What do you think are the main consequences of smuggling?

I think there are three main consequences: first, smuggling ruins the national economy. Second, smuggling brings in a lot of fake products which in turn violate-consumer rights. Third, it causes a lot of crimes in the field of economy and is one of the main causes of government corruption.

176. What do you think is the most serious problem in China?

I think it is the overpopulation. Although China has been carrying out a strict family-planning policy with one family having only one child, the population is already over 1.2 billion and is still growing. It causes not only the shortage of food and shelter supply but also more serious problems such as unemployment, crimes, the lack of education and so on.

177. Global warming has become a popular topic nowadays. What do you know about it?

Well, I'm no expert on this, but I've heard quite a lot of such discussion from TV programmes and other people's talking. I think it was mainly caused by the waste gasses exhausted from chemical factories and vehicles. It is said that the ice caps of the north and south poles will be melted and the sea level will be raised. As a result, some seaside cities and small islands will be swallowed by the sea.

178. How do you think global warming can be prevented?

Well, there is no easy solution. As far as I know, global warming is caused by green-house effect which results from too much carbon dioxide in the air. I think the government should take measures to limit the number of private cars and make efforts to develop the public transportation system. Besides, We should try to replace fossil fuels with new, cleaner energy resources.

179. How do you anticipate the development of Information Technology?

Well, Information Technology is developing rapidly in modern society. It is playing a more and more important role in our daily life. The Internet, for example, has become a part of many people's life. Instead of asking for friend's telephone numbers, people often ask: "Do you have an E-mail address?" When it comes to industry and business, Information Technology plays an even greater role. More and more operations and services are being computerized. Our whole way of life will probably be changed completely in the future.

180. What's your view on the increasing divorce rate in China?

Well, it's not an easy question to answer. The world today is changing rapidly, so are people's minds, I think there are three reasons for the high divorce rate. First, people's idea of happiness is changing. Many young people don't want to stick to a stable but unhappy relationship at the cost of their life-long happiness. Second, women's social position is much higher today, especially in big cities. Many of them don't want to sacrifice their own career to support their husbands. Finally, there are sometimes economic reasons. The cost of supporting a family is higher and higher and so are people's expectations of their quality of life. A family can not be happy without a solid financial foundation.

181. What does happiness mean to you?

Well, it's a big topic. For me there are three standards for happiness. First, I think I'd feel happy to live a carefree life though I think it's impossible. That's why many people like to recall their childhood, when they had little to worry about. Second, it would make me happy to have some close friends who have a lot in common with me. I think happiness will double when it is shared with friends. Finally, I would be happy to beable to help other people. I think it's pleasant to feel needed.

182. What kind of possessions indicate status in your country?

In my country, cars and housings are always in association with status. Most people would use these two criteria as a measurement to see whether a person is achieving something in his/her career.

183. Has it always been like that in your parents' time for example? Were the same things valuable in your parents' time?

Well, in my parents' time, these kinds of things were not an indication of success because first, housings were taken care of by government, so everybody was kind of equal. Second, there weren't many cars at that time. Most people owned a bike at home. So we are looking at a totally different time era.

184. How has technology changed?

Technology has taken a big leap since the open door policy. More and more people are  realizing the importance of technology in increasing productivity and efficiency. People are trained to use technology in work places. People are realizing that without technology, it will be difficult to compete in the global economy.

185. Can you give me an example of how technology has changed?

Yes, Internet is an example. More and more people are connected to internet at home or at work. It has become a part of many people's life to get news, contact with people around the world and even have entertainment on the net. The amount of information technology provides is incredible. This is something unheard of years ago.

186. In China, are there lots of advertisements and commercials telling people to buy this and buy that?

Yes, we are getting more and more commercials every day trying to influence consumers' purchases. It certainly has an effect because some people believe what they see on the commercials is true and will fall for it.

187. Is the Internet influential? Do people take notice of the advertisements on the Internet?

Well, I think Internet certainly is influential. If a person goes on the Internet very often, he or she will certainly be influenced by what's in there. I think people do notice advertisements on the Internet subconsciously. But whether it will have any effect then I'm not sure.

188. How do you think the Internet will change people's buying habits in the future?

I think the change will be incredible in the future. People rely so much on the internet nowadays that they would spend a lot of their time in front of the computer. We are seeing a trend now that more and more people are buying things over the Internet and I think this will be the trend in the future. People will not get out of their house but just shop from home.

189. Do you think that the Internet is going to change the way we get news?

Well, already we are seeing that. I get my latest news from the Internet. And I believe this will be the trend for the future if more and more people get wired up with the Internet. I'm not sure in the future whether newspapers will survive if more people get news from the Internet.

190. Why do you go to the Internet for your news stories?

Well, to get the latest updates. Also, in the Internet there is a variety of news so perhaps I may come across something I can never encounter in the newspaper.

191. Why do you say the internet is changing our lives?

Internet is changing because we can connect to the rest of the world without leaving the house; we can also work at home without going to the office; we can get the latest news without buying newspapers; we can also make purchases from home. All these changes have already taken place in some people's lives.

192. Why do you think that newspapers are more reliable than, say, TV news?

Because before a newspaper is printed, the editor will check through the articles and the sources often more reliable. In TV news, the news broadcaster may say something he or she thinks is right. So I feel newspaper are more reliable.

193. What qualities do you think a journalist needs?

A journalist must be responsible to his or her readers. Not only must a journalist be quick to react in any circumstances, but also he/she must always remember to uncover the real facts to the reader.

194. Why do you think advertising influences what people buy very strongly?

Advertising is a very powerful tool in the media. Because many people do not have the real knowledge of the product, most of the time they rely on media for information, which they think is trustworthy.

195. Do you think advertising creates a need that otherwise wouldn't exist?

Definitely, if there is no advertising, consumers will not realize certain products exist so they will not buy it. With advertising, consumers are introduced to products and will be stimulated to make purchases.

196. Can you give me an example of advertising that you don't like?

Yes, I don't like advertising targeting at children. I think children are too young to make a rational decision. Children are most easily influenced by what they see on the advertisement. I think this is not healthy for children and even a headache for parents if the kids always pester their parents to buy things for them.

197. Can you give me some examples of some negative effects of advertising?

Yes, sometimes advertising can provide false information and people will fall for that, because people perceive what they see in media as something credible. Also, when people see the advertisement, they might go and make a purchase but may not be something that they need. So I think it is a waste of money for consumers.

198. Do you think in the future people will be more conscious of what they see or hear in the advertisement?

I think as people become smarter shoppers, they will be more conscious of the message in the advertisement. Advertisers will have to be more responsible in what they tell people, because otherwise the product will not be able to gain a foothold in the market.

199. Do you think schools should let organizations put up advertisements in school compounds?

No, I don't think any school should allow organizations to put up advertisements in school