英語角-圓桌會議 RoundTable - 世界自閉癥日

Topic1 World Autism Awareness DayToday marks the World Autism Awareness Day.

The day is particularly memorable as it marks the 7th anniversary of the occasion which was first designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2008 to recognize the need to help improve the lives of those with autism and to raise awareness about autism and autismspectrum disorder.

We have invited Sun Zhong Kai, development officer for Stars and Rain, China's first non-governmental educational organization dedicated to serving children with autism.

So first of all, what is autism?

Topic2 Chinese City TiersA new list of Chinese city rankings is quite popular on the internet. According to the list, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Tianjin are considered first-tier cities. 30 cities including Hangzhou and Taiyuan are second-tier ones, and Lhasa is considered a 5th tier city.

Is this a reliable list?

Topic3 Seeing Eye Dogs Allowed in Public TransportShanghai issues a new regulation which takes effect yesterday, permitting blind residents to take their guide dogs to public places or on board public transport.

This is not the regulation in the country that allows seeing-eye dogs in public places. However, blind residents are still refused by public transportation frequently if they take the dogs with them.

What does regulations, national or local, say about seeing-eye dogs?

Topic4 Toy LibraryThe first toy library opened in Beijing recently. The 300 square meter library can allow around 50 people to play at the same time. With only 200 yuan deposit, each child can borrow at most 2 books and 2 toys at a time. And the longest borrow period is 2 weeks.

What is a toy library?