Gather together a couple of good friends and take a leisurely walk through the streets—this is     1     many youngsters in China enjoy doing when they visit a new city.

To them, Citywalk means roaming (漫步) around the city on foot. It can be a special     2     (guide) trip for a small group of people,     3     simply a leisurely walk for one or two to explore new areas, sticking to the key point: avoiding famous scenic spots and big crowds to gain     4     more inclusive experience of the places they visit.

Citywalk not only offers a way for young people to interact with a city but also     5     (provide) them with a new social scene. Xiao Yiyi, a Citywalk     6     (enthusiastic), launched her Changsha route on her social media account, including more offbeat sights like historical sites and even a stop-off     7     (sample) the local cuisine. Many tour guides also try to expand their influence online,     8     (share) their experiences to attract potential customers.

Citywalk is offering a positive change to urban travelers as they can     9     (well) choose the experiences that fit in with their interests and needs. At the same time, Citywalk represents an opportunity for tour guides and travel service providers to offer a more tailored,     10     (profession) service to meet ever-changing market demands.

Romancing the Library

I have a special place in my heart for libraries. I have for as long as I can remember. I was always an enthusiastic reader, sometimes     1     (read) up to three books a day as a child. Stories were     2     air to me and while other kids played ball or went to parties, I lived out adventures through the books I checked out from the library.

My first job was working at the Ukiah Library when I was 16 years old,     3     was a dream job. I had so much enthusiasm, shelving books, reading to the children for story time,     4     my friends and I would hang out there often, teaching and doing homework while I worked.

The library meant more to me as I grew older and had several children. It was a big deal for us to load up and go to the local library,     5     my kids could pick out books to read or books they wanted me to read to them.

I always read, using different voices,     6     I were acting out the stories with my voice and they loved it! It was a special time to bond with my children and keep them     7     (fill) with the wonderment of books.

Libraries offered story hour and I’d take my children, and then my grandchildren, there     8     (listen) to writers read books. Now, I see my children taking their children to the library and I am happy that the excitement of going to the library     9     (live) on from generation to generation.

As an author of romance novels, I’ve found a new relationship with libraries. I see libraries as a safe haven (避风港) for readers and writers, a bridge     10     (help) to put together a reader with a book.

I could say my first love affair was with books, and I was constantly romancing the library.

Aircraft carriers (航母) are kind of cool. Anybody     1     has ever seen “Top Gun” can prove it. But only a few of the world’s navies (海军) have the ability to build them. In 2017, China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)     2     (join) that club, launching the Shandong, the country’s first domestically designed and     3     (build) aircraft carrier.

The carrier is now getting its own clothing line,     4     collection of T-shirts, jackets, and basketball shorts and so on, as China tries to increase the military’s     5     (popular) among young people.

Showed via a street-style photo shoot, which sees models posing in front of the 70,000-ton ship, the collection combines practical workwear     6     casual items bearing (带有) cartoon pictures. One T-shirt     7     (print) with the image of a robot panda with jets in both paws.

A PLA Navy website paints wearing the clothing as a patriotic (爱国的) statement. “Passion is the love of the aircraft carrier cause,” it says. “It’s the love of the battle position.” For those    8     (serve) on the Shandong, the clothing lets them show their pride by     9     (firm) telling the world, “I am from the Shandong ship of the Chinese Navy,” reads a post on the website. “This is the     10     (proud) announcement of sailors,” it adds.

Anyone visiting Tibet and exploring its culture would visit the temples to view the colorful and educational Tibetan Thangka (唐卡) paintings. They are traditionally painted on either cotton or silk, with     1     (loose) woven cotton being the most common. The paintings usually show religious scenes, as indicated by their name, Thangka,     2     (mean) “recorded message” in Tibetan.

The Tibetan Thangka is     3     art form that originated in Nepal and was brought to Tibet later. The Thangka paintings were developed over the centuries from the early murals (壁画) that can be seen in     4     is titled “Library Caves”, such as the Ajanta Caves in India and the Mogao Caves in China.

The Mogao Caves were previously a storage place of many Tibetan paintings on cloth, including the earliest surviving Thangka dated to be from around 780-848 AD     5     the region was under Tibetan rule. Historians note that between the 14th and 15th century, Tibetan paintings     6     (integrate) many elements from the Chinese murals.

The Thangka painting is not a flat creation but consists of a painted picture panel, over which a fabric is mounted, and then over which     7     (lay) a cover, usually silk. It is the nature of     8     (delicate) that makes Thangkas prefer dry places     9     (prevent) the quality of the silk from being affected by wetness. When they are not in use, they remain rolled up, with coverings on the back and front to protect the painting.     10     (keep) in this way helps Thangkas last for a very long time.

Wu Yanni,     1     young hurdler (跨栏运动员), has run into the hearts of Chinese people and became an internet hit. On Aug 4, 2023, Wu won the silver medal with a personal best of 12.76 seconds in the women’s 100m hurdles at the FISU World University Games,     2     (help) her get into the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Despite her athletic achievements, some online comments moved to     3     (she) style. Wu wears light makeup and ties her hair into small twist braids, unlike     4    (tradition) image of athletes. In response     5     this, however, Wu told CGTN that she believes “it is my muscles     6     make me widely known, not my face. Ability is the most important. The battle for strength is my fashion.”

As an athlete, Wu looks much more at ease than many of her peers and becomes     7     (strong) when facing challenges. Before each competition, she     8     (see) turning her head around and pointing her index fingers at the sky. She explained that the gesture shows her ambition for the coming Paris Olympics. Wu told China Daily that she got     9     (inspire) from Liu Xiang. She desires to stand out in women’s hurdles on the global stage. “It’s not just about me; I want Chinese female hurdlers     10     (gain) more international recognition,” she emphasized.

It was a life goal of mine to explore every province in China, so when I had the opportunity to visit Henan, I quickly packed my bags, bought a train ticket, and raced     1    (see) an icon of Chinese culture, the Longmen Grottoes.

Built from 386-1130 and carved into the sides of two limestone cliffs, the Longmen Grottoes house a remarkable     2    (collect) of 100,000 ancient and marvelous Buddhist statues. Walking among these     3    (impress) statues, I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of insignificance, not only     4    (physical), but in a deeper sense. As the large, wise faces of the statues,     5    (wear) by centuries of time, gazed down upon me, I experienced a humbling moment     6     invited me to look beyond my own ego and engage in sincere reflection.

As I explored the grottoes,     7     sad reality struck me: a significant number of statues had suffered damage or were missing.     8     some degree of wear and tear was expected, certain areas were noticeably absent. I sincerely hope that they can     9    (restore) to their former glory.

Until then, the statues still stand, countless and resolute, with their missing fellow statues serving     10     a reminder of the enduring spirit of Chinese culture.