Drinking two or more cups of black tea a day     1    (be) associated with lower risk of death from all causes, according to a new study     2    (publish) Monday in Annals of Internal Medicine.

The study looked at nearly 500,000 men and women aged 40 to 69 years old who participated     3     the UK Biobank, which houses in-depth genetic and health information, between 2006 and 2010. The database included information participants reported about     4    (they) own tea drinking habits, such as     5    (frequent) and what they added to their cup.

Some participants didn’t drink black tea a tall, but since the data came from the United Kingdom, there were plenty of people who drank it     6    (regular) and some who drank up to 10 cups a day, said lead study author Maki Inoue-Choi.

The Biobank followed up about 10 years after the     7    (origin) survey, and researchers found that people who drank two or more cups of tea daily in the interim(其间) were less likely     8    (die) from causes such as heart disease.

The research is     9     exciting look into tea drinking habits, but there is still more work     10     needs to be done before recommending dietary changes, said Howard Sesso, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, who was involved in the study.

Many of us like to think our dogs are smart, as we point to their ability    1    (read) our facial expressions and understand    2    we say. But some dogs are    3    (except). Chaser,    4    American border collie could recognize and remember 1,022 nouns — one for each of her    5    (toy).

The scientists recruited dog owners and asked them to play fetch with their dogs    6    (day) in their homes while    7    (repeat) the name of the toy, a process    8     lasted three months. Dogs that succeeded    9    (give) a new toy and new name to learn. Despite the intensive training, only one dog, Oliva, learned to match a single word to a toy. In fact, she learned 21 names in two months. It’s    10    (interest) that except Oliva, none of the breeds learned a thing. It was such a surprise.

Steps to take to beat the pandemic

Last week, the number of COVID infections throughout China increased sharply, much faster than many people     1     (expect). Top Chinese respiratory (呼吸的) expert Zhong Nanshan said that the Omicron variant currently spreading in China is more transmissible, but a majority of infected people can fully recover     2     a week during a virtual meeting. Zhong added that ninety-nine percent of those infected can recover in 7 to 10 days, and     3     (have) a good rest is beneficial to the recovery. It is only a matter of time for China to go through the pandemic and for society     4     (return) to normal. What we need to do is to work together and cope with the epidemic in a more smooth and orderly way. To do this, at least three     5     (aspect) are urgent. First, we need to continue to reduce the panic at     6     social level. Judging from the nationwide rush to buy antipyretic (退热的) painkillers and Lianhua Qingwen capsules, we know that the anxiety and fear still exist in a certain range. If the panic cannot be     7     (effective) reduced, it will worsen the phenomenon. Second, we must increase the supply of therapeutic (治疗的) drugs and antipyretic painkillers. It is suggested that some drugs are mainly used to relieve the pain of ordinary infected people     8     have obvious symptoms. Third, a protection mechanism (机制)   for the   elderly and   the   weak with       9     (basis) diseases should be established.     10     we can protect the elderly and the weak with diseases and reduce the death rate as much as possible is not only related to morality and ethics, but also results in the overall achievements of epidemic prevention in China.

Dough (面团) sculpture, also known as dough flowers,     1    (date) back to the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220). Across north China     2     the folk art is widely spread, people take dough works as religious offerings and wedding gifts.

“The dough is made of wheatstarch (淀粉), glutinous rice flour and honey,” said Liu Zenghui, a dough sculpture inheritor in Binzhou, Shandong Province. Liu started to learn dough sculpture at an early age. His works center on     3     (hero) of ancient Chinese myths and classics. Each figure,     4     their shape, hair to the muscles and looks, is so vivid and eye-catching.

Watching Liu work is     5     visual delight. After he first shapes the colorful dough into a simple outline, it     6     (attach) to a small stick. With a knife, thread, and toothpicks, he then refines it and eventually creates a lifelike and visually     7     (strike) dough sculpture. “You can’t be too careful to control the knife, because once there is a wrong cut, you need to start all over again. Concentration is fundamental.” Liu said in his quiet workshop, which ensures minimal noise and     8     (disturb).

Also, Liu’ is glad to be invited     9     (give) lectures at schools. “Making the traditional art     10     (access) to children means not only fun but a way to keep it alive,” he said.

Peking Opera actress Dong Yuanyuan proposed integrating the art of Peking Opera with digital technology to compete for more young audiences.     1    a national treasure in China, the art form is becoming more and more alienated, especially by younger generations. Her     2     (propose) might be one of the most effective ways to help resolve the problem.

In November 2021, the “Digital Mei Lanfang” project     3     (launch) in Beijing. The late Mei Lanfang (1894-1961) now, is once again able to “appear” in front of audiences thanks to digital technology. Dong got very excited and emotional     4    she saw that Master Mei was “really talking” on stage.

Since then, she     5     (work) hard to deeply integrate the traditional Chinese art with modern technology. In addition, Dong has adopted more flexible means     6     (promote) Peking Opera and suggests that traditional artistic elements, such as tunes from Peking Opera, could also be used in pop songs in an ancient Chinese style. So far, a dozen such songs have been very well-received by audiences,     7     (include) young people. However, there are many obstacles to overcome.

A tech expert mentioned it was very difficult to imitate Master Mei’s facial expressions and voice as well as the materials of his costumes. This project was not only a process of technological implementation, but also one     8     integrated technology with traditional culture. So there is a     9     (true) long way to go before a digital Peking Opera human with real-time interaction capability is created.

A digital Mei Lanfang is a good beginning, a breakthrough in promoting Peking Opera     10     other traditional art forms. Therefore, all levels of society should pay attention and lend their support to this endeavor.