Can anyone be an astronaut?

Of course not. You don’t have to have a science degree but most astronauts do. Most of them are pilots too. Life in a spaceship is hard so you must have a healthy body and mind. You need to be easy-going, patient, and helpful to spend so much time in a small space with other people.

What’s the training like?

People have to train for a year to learn how to stay healthy and safe. They practise space walking and living in zero gravity(重力). They train in difficult conditions to learn how to solve problems and to work in a team. Everyday tasks like eating, washing and sleeping can be difficult on a spaceship. There is no running water so you have to wash with wet tissues: it’s hard to enjoy the dry food that astronauts have to eat. And to sleep you must cover your eyes because the sun rises every 90 minutes on the International Space Station. You also have to tie yourself to something so you don’t fly away!

What health problems do astronauts have?

Life in zero gravity causes changes to our bodies. Bones and muscles(肌肉) become thin and weak so you must do a lot of exercise in space to stay fit and to help the heart move blood around your body. Astronauts often get backache because you grow in space— up to 8 centimeters! It’s also common to have headaches and to feel sick, especially at the beginning. You must have vitamins to take the place of fresh fruit and vegetables. But you don’t have to put on sun cream because space suits can protect your skin (皮肤).

Are you still interested?

So now you know. If you want to go to space, study hard, learn to fly and take care of your body and mind.

Chinese paintings serve as a symbol of China, which come in different types such as figure, landscape, bird-and-flower painting. Traditional Chinese painting is usually done using a brush with black ink, mostly on paper or silk. The finished work can be put up on the wall. Traditional painting has also been done on walls, china, etc.

The goal of the traditional Chinese painter is interesting: to pursue not only the outer appearance of a subject but its inner theme as well—its energy, life force and spirit. To achieve his goal, the Chinese painter more often refused the appearance of color in its painting, as the color is seen as distraction. Instead, he preferred lines.

However, Chinese paintings come in varied styles. Some are made in Line drawing, using inked lines to draw the outline of objects. Some are made in ink and wash, using a brush, dipped into ink with more or less water, to spread the ink across the paper. It felt like painters brush the paper with great strength. Some are made in liberal style, using free and simple lines to show the spirit of the objects. Others are made in gong-bi, using every detail to appear much more decorative and real. Painters will make it “as detailed as it can be”.

To appreciate Chinese paintings, people usually have to go to special occasions. Paintings are usually placed in good condition out of reach by hand. Collectors who choose to display their works continuously should stop the sunlight from reaching on the paintings. Man-made low light and conditions that are neither too dry nor too wet are the best for keeping a traditional Chinese painting in good shape.

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Summer, winter and fall may have their fans, but spring is clearly the most lovable of the four seasons. Here are some scientific reasons why spring is great.

    26     In many places, the temperature in this season is about 15 to 21°C. People tend to be most comfortable at temperatures around spring means people can finally get off their heavy winter clothes and still be comfortable.

Following the spring equinox (春分), days lasting longer and nights get shorter.     27     Research has shown that those extra hours of sun can be an important mood-booster (心情助推器). The longer the sun is up during the day, the less blue people feel.

In addition, many animals move south during the winter.     28     For northern areas, there’s no better sign of spring than birdsong outside the window. Birds can start flying north as early as mid-February and it lasts into June. It means that throughout the spring, people can expect to see lots of birds.     29     A UK study has found that the more birds people see in their neighborhoods, the better their mental health.

Warmer temperatures mean people can spend more time outdoors without freezing their feet, which is great for mental health. Across the seasons, research has found that taking walks in nature slows people’s heart rate (心率) and makes them more relaxed. Spending 30 minutes or more outside in warm, sunny spring weather will put people in a cheerful mood.     30    

For many Chinese tennis fans, seeing Wu Yibing running around the court with fast speed and never-say-die spirit seemed     36     a dream, too good to be true.

For tens of years, they have been     37     for a Chinese male star to match their female counterparts’ achievement in the game.Then all of a sudden, Wu     38    .

The 23-year-old, who missed most of the seasons from 2019 to 2021 due to injuries, had won three ATP Challenger titles (冠军）    39     getting back into fitness. Last year, he made his mark on the international stage by becoming the first Chinese mainland male player to reach the     40     round of the US Open (美国网球公开赛). Now on February 12th, Wu reached another milestone when he became the first Chinese male player to lift an ATP Tour trophy (奖杯).

After the game, Wu expressed his feelings of pride at the historical     41     and thanked his fans for all their support over the week. “I made history here for my country and for my home. I’m very proud of     42     and I especially thank all the fans and my team who came here to support me. I couldn’t do this without any of you guys, ”he said.

He also mentioned the     43     of his win on the next generation of Chinese tennis players. “I think it’s not only about winning the title, it’s     44     about me personally making history and also for the country. That’s huge for the next generation.”Wu added.“For me, I need to keep going and stay     45    . I’m sure there’s more to come.”