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To commemorate passing my 50th post, I'll be starting a new series on this blog called "Interesting Headlines", which will just include several one-line news headlines from major Chinese newspapers, and will hopefully help with newspaper reading skills.
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<img src="http://devenv.chinesereadingpractice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/20110903-INLINE.jpg" alt="Advanced and Intermediate Chinese Newspaper Vocabulary and Headlines" title="Advanced and Intermediate Chinese Newspaper Vocabulary and Headlines" width="100" height="100" class="imgborder alignleft" />I tend to find that if I can read a headline and get the gist of a story, then I can read the story. But if I can't grasp the overall concept, it's difficult to pinpoint what's being discussed - so I'll be tackling headlines directly, and linking to the news story. You're welcome to tackle it if it sounds interesting.

Almost all news headlines, with a few exceptions, are advanced reading material. I know most of my readers are beginner-level, so I apologize for the emphasis on advanced stuff. But the upshot is that news headlines are very short, which may give lower-level readers a shot at tackling something a bit more difficult. 

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<div class="postintro">
<h4>Click to Listen</h4>
减税 - [pinyin]jian3 shui4[/pinyin] - Tax cut
吉普赛 - [pinyin]ji2 pu3 sai4[/pinyin] - Gypsy
争夺 - [pinyin]zheng1 duo2[/pinyin] - To fight / vie over sthg.
仪式 - [pinyin]yi2 shi4[/pinyin] - Rite, ceremony
探秘 - [pinyin]tan4 mi4[/pinyin] - Explore the unknown, probe mysteries
亩 - [pinyin]mu3[/pinyin] - Chinese equivalent of the word "acre", one mu equals one fifteenth of a hectare
</div>
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<div id="chinesetext">
1) 新个税法明起施行: 月入五千每年将<strong>减税</strong>3360元
Finance: <a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/dfpd/2011-08/31/content_13224775.htm">Read it on China Daily</a>

2) 会说话<strong>吉普赛</strong>古董算卦机引天价<strong>争夺</strong> 美当地政府拒卖
Human Interest: <a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/hqzx/2011-08/31/content_13225695.htm">Read it on China Daily</a>

3) 杭州万松书院举办仿古入学<strong>仪式</strong>
Children: <a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/dfpd/2011-08/29/content_13207804.htm">Read it on China Daily</a>

4) <strong>探秘</strong>印度尼西亚原始部落的木乃伊
History & Culture: <a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2011-08/31/c_121936709.htm">Read it on XinHua </a>

5) 重庆国家级森林公园发生火灾 面积已超300<strong>亩</strong>
Disasters: <a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2011-08/31/c_121934715.htm">Read it on XinHua</a>

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1) New tax laws take effect tomorrow: those with a monthly salary of 5000 yuan will get a tax cut of 3360 yuan per year

2) An antique talking gypsy fortune telling machine creates a high-priced bidding war: American local government refuses to sell  

3) Hangzhou Wan Song Academy of Classical Learning Holds old-style school entrance ceremony 

4) Exploring the mysteries of primitive Indonesian tribal mummies 

5) Forest fire at Chongqing National Forest has already consumed over 300 mu

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