Phil talks to Charles and Anita

Zhao Qi Feng is 17 years old and is known by the English name 'Charles'. Why Charles? He likes the name and it is also the name of his favourite basketball player, Charles Barkley.

Charles is an only child and both his parents work in factories. He lives in an apartment block and rides a bike to school. His favourite sports are basketball and football and he would like to be a professional basketball player. So Charles spends his spare time practising.

His favourite singer is Michael Bolton and his favourite movie is 'Saving Private Ryan'.

Fan Jin Jing is 16 years old and is known as Anita. Her parents are doctors and her favourite pastimes are painting and swimming. If possible, she would like to be a painter when she leaves school. Her favourite singer is Celine Dion and her favourite movie is 'Titanic'.

Anita is one of the few students at her school to have been overseas and she visited her aunt in the USA ten years ago. She would like to travel to other parts of China when she leaves school.

Charles' and Anita's school is well equipped in comparison with more remote schools and they feel privileged to be there. It is an academically selective high school but is not regarded as 'elite'. There are about 2,700 students in 54 classes across seven grades and there are 200 teachers.