Chinese civilians from the mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong returned safely at around 7 a.m. Saturday(Oct 11th) after 88 hours of sailing to the Diaoyu Islands to proclaim China' s sovereignty over the disputed territory. 

"We want to remind Chinese people all over the world to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining China's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity," said Dr David 

Chu Yu-lin, who suffered an injury to his back during the trip. Chu is a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Legislative Councilor and also a Hong Kong Deputy to the 10th National People' s Congress. 

A group of 10 people, one from Taiwan, five from Hong Kong and four from the mainland, set off on Tuesday from Xiamen of the mainland's Fujian Province on the ship "Minlongyu F861" to the Diaoyu Islands, 120 miles northeast of Taiwan. 

They met another ship "Xinhang 166" that left Taiwan early Thursday morning and continued the trip together. 

However, the relatively small "Xinhang 166" was forced to turn back about 10 a.m. Thursday due to heavy winds and rough sea. 

The "Minlongyu F861" managed to reach the vicinity of the Diaoyu Islands four hours later. 

The vessel was blocked by Japanese ships and helicopters, and a severe collision badly injured Chu and damaged the vessel. 

During the four-hour confrontation, the vessel turned back only 100 meters from the islands and was tracked and monitored by Japanese ships for over five hours on the return journey. 

Many Chinese civilians waving national flags and banners welcomed the ship at Xiamen harbor. Chu was immediately sent to hospital, and returned to Hong Kong in the afternoon when he could walk in a normal way following a three-hour treatment. 

The operation was initiated by two ex-soldiers from the Chinese Army in September and was widely supported by people from the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan who backed the sovereignty proclamation over the Diaoyu Islands. 

Operation spokesman Zhou Wenbo said the operation aims to stop the attempts of the Japanese government and right wing activists to seize the Diaoyu Islands, and to safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial dignity with action. 

Participants in this non-government operation were strictly law- abiding and loved the motherland, and would not use violence against the Japanese, said Zhou. 

Before their departure from Xiamen, they issued a statement expressing their determination to safeguard the dignity of the Chinese nation and territorial integrity of China. They called for all Chinese people to join the effort. 

The statement also asked the Japanese government to make concrete efforts to shoulder their responsibilities for world peace and the peaceful coexistence of both countries.
"I will come again,'' he said, smiling.

Hu Jie, a senior at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, skipped classes one morning last week to take an important step in finding a good job. She was off to the other end of the city to have her pictures taken at the "magic photo studio." 

Located on Guangling Road in Hongkou District, the Qunlin photo studio has earned fame among local university students for the resume and credential photos it takes. 

The studio, which gained its "magic" nickname from one local student, is able to handle 50 students a day, and it is already booked through the end of November, despite not accepting telephone reservations. 

People who come to take photos can choose to wear professional outfits offered in the studio - such as white skirts and suits - to look more business- like. Cosmeticians will also make up the clients and offer advice on clothing. 

The photo studio even has contracts with beauty saloons nearby to offer hair styling and professional cosmetic services for its clients. 

Any flaws the stylists can't remove, the studio staff can clean up with an air brush. 

The company has earned such fame that it can charge 50 yuan (US$6) and take two hours to create a set of photos, while its competition only charges 20 yuan and can have clients in and out in less than 10 minutes. 

"I don't care about time and money, if a good image can be shot to facilitate my job-hunting process," said Zhu Lin, a senior at Shanghai University. 

Like a growing number of students and job hunters, she believes better-looking people find better jobs. 

So far, some 30,000 people have had their credential photos taken at Qunlin, which first became popular among students at nearby universities - such as Shanghai International Studies University and Shanghai University of Economics and Finance. Its reputation has since spread to almost every local college. 

In the past, before the reservation system was put in place, students would even line up overnight for photos, said a photographer surnamed Zhang. 

Human resource managers admit appearance plays an important role in the hiring process. "The first thing we do when reading a resume is to glance at the photo, especially for those job positions with appearance requirements," said Zhang Qian, a HR official at a local German company. 

Though some employers do tend to prefer good-looking employees, most ordinary-looking applicants still can find a satisfactory job, said Liu Tianyun of Shanghai Talents Service Center. "Most companies in our center still emphasize people's ability. It is only when two people are of the same competence that the balance will shift to the better-looking one," said Liu.

Anyone can enjoy the fun of learning to fly without spending a fortune in Shanghai, Guangdong Province or in Vancouver, Canada, because of a new flight training programme. 

To encourage private flight training in the Chinese market, four flight-training companies - Shanghai Eastern Aviation Educational Training Co Ltd, Guangdong General Aviation Company Ltd, Guangdong Baiyun General Aviation Company Ltd and Montair Flying School in Canada - have teamed up based on China as a great potential market for private-flight training. They cite its booming economy and improved living standards.

The training expenses vary depending on the type of aircraft flown, ranging from 35,000 yuan (US$4,232) to dozens of thousand yuan for one semester classes. 

"Private flight training has a great market potential internationally," said Wang Jinhua, vice-manager with the South China's Guangdong General Aviation Company Ltd who has been involved with private flight training in the Pearl River Delta region for about five years. 

He said most people still think flying an aircraft is out of the realm of possibility, and therefore the market has not matured. 

A lot of promotion and advertising will have to be done, Wang said. Chinese authorities this May launched new regulations for general aviation flight management which should help popularize private flying. 

According to a Chinese News Agency report, Zhang Yaokuan, vice-director of Chinese Aviation Management Committee, said the new rules enable people to enjoy more convenience in several respects, including simplified applications, use of air space, and shortened approval periods. 

There are now more than 10 aviation clubs and flight schools in China, with their main customers being professionals, permanent foreign residents in China, and business people from Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao. 

"The market for private flight training is growing fast, even with events like 9/11 and the SARS outbreak taking a heavy toll," Wang said. "We are currently collaborating with investors at home and abroad to enhance our training quality and to attract more investment to expand the market. We are also attempting to work with Beijing flight-training companies to develop a private-flight training market there." 

To realize the dream of flying, Yu Jilin, nearly 50, has been participating in the schooling. Born into an aircraft family and together with his wife Chen Yan, owner of two coffee cafes, he has participated in private flight training in 2001 and 2003. 

"I am very excited when I control the plane in the sky," Yu said. Now Yu flys more than 20 hours every year. 

Many of his friends are plane-lovers, too, participating in various aircraft activities, such as glider and power-engined umbrella flights. 

"I would buy a plane if the airspace under 600 metres is opened to public," Yu said. "I also look forward to a systemic aviation net around the country rather than aviation clubs.''

More than 6,100 couples took advantage of new marriage laws and tied the knot in the Chinese capital during the week-long National Day holiday from Oct. 1 to 7. 

The Beijing Municipal Bureau for Civil Affairs said more than 300 couples also divorced in the so-called "golden week" holiday. 

Both the figures were record highs for the period, reported Beijing Morning Post. China's new marriage registry regulations took effect on Oct. 1, when many people took advantage of the National Day holiday to legitimize their nuptials. Some couples believed the National Day added to their happy day. 

All the registration departments in China were ordered to keep working, for the first time, during the national week-long holiday in case of a marriage boom sparked by the new rules, and marriage registration offices around the country were urged to adjust their working hours to ensure registrations went smoothly, said the Ministry of Civil Affairs. 

The marriage registration offices in Beijing extended their working hours during the week-long holiday and will resume normal working hours on Oct 10.

Answer: 1. B 　2. C 　3. D 　4. C