In the summer of 1884, two Lucys from Virginia - Lucy Minor Davis (1840-1925) and Lucy Lee Trice (1857-1897) - took a grand tour of Europe. They followed a well-beaten path: home - New York - Ireland - Scotland - England - Netherlands - Belgium - Germany - Austria - Italy - Switzerland - France - England - Scotland - New York - home. The tour featured some rare and unforgettable moments. For example: performances by the legendary actresses Sarah Bernhardt and Mary Anderson, a meeting with the American sculptor Longworth Powers (son of Hiram Powers) at his studio in Florence, a minor eruption of Mt. Vesuvius at the crater's rim, a sermon delivered by the famous preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon in London, and a moving recital in Lucerne by Professor Meyer, the most noted organist of the day. These experiences were in addition to planned encounters with famous buildings, cities, natural wonders, and works of art. The Lucys traveled to Europe on the S. S. Furnessia, a steamer of the Anchor Line, and returned on the S. S. City of Rome. They were more than just traveling companions; they were close friends and first cousins, both descended from Thomas Jefferson's sister Martha Jefferson Carr. Each Lucy possessed a keen mind, a passion for reading, a profound Christian faith, and deep interests in art, literature, and history. They were well-read with some French, Latin, and a little German at their disposal. In other words, they were intellectually armed for Europe. With more than 160 illustrations.

Step Up with Chinese«??»is a pioneering, standards-based introductory Chinese textbook series designed by North American educators in collaboration with Chinese language specialists at the Beijing Language and Culture University. Highly learnerfriendly and task-centered, Step Up develops all four language skills while incorporating the ACTFL 5Cs. Students will learn all the necessary material to engage others in meaningful communication and gain a better understanding of the Chinese culture. This second edition features updated content, new images, and an additional vocabulary index that facilitates Chinese word search via English keywords. This series consists of three levels covering three to four years of instruction. Each level includes a Textbook, a Workbook and a Teacher’s Guide. Each Textbook offers ten thematic-based lessons. The accompanying Workbook features a wide variety of different types of exercises to enhance students’ proficiency in all four language skills. The Teacher’s Guide can be downloaded from the program’s companion website (http://stepup.cengageclt.com) which also offers a pinyin pronunciation guide, interactive vocabulary flashcards, mp3 files, and additional practices. Step Up makes an excellent course material for high school students as well as highly-motivated middle school students who have had little or no prior exposure to the Chinese language.