"Let the world know China and let China know the world." I can't remember exactly where I have seen this slogan  in Beijing. Considering the simple fact of the wish people have for learning foreign languages and the number of people going abroad each year, everyone can tell how hard China and Chinese people are trying to know the world. But I didn't know how equally important and urgent  it is for the world to know China until I came to the UK. In the self-introduction during our first class in a PhD course, when I told them I wanted to finish the degree as soon as I could and then go back to China, the British students looked at me in both surprise and disbelief. Their idea is that everybody who comes to the UK, including the Chinese, will stay here to look for a better life and that this is the only place where one can find a better life. When I asked my friend for advice about buying a new car, she looked at me, asking in surprise, "A new car?" Later I found out that her surprise was because of the popular image of Chinese students: either too poor or too economical. When we Chinese students for the first time joined the monthly performance hour of the department and sang some traditional songs and gave a short humorous introduction, all the teachers and students were surprised. To them, Chinese students are so serious and shy. These ideas have been because of the fact that Chinese students are sometimes not seen among the students. So "let the world know China" should no longer remain an empty slogan. It is something we all should do, home and abroad, and something we should do with confidence and openness. In British students' opinion, Chinese students come to the UK mainly because  _  .
they want to get a British degree the education in UK is the best in the world they want to know more about British they want to look for a better life in Britain