【推荐2】① Sixty-eight cultural relics (文物) that were recently returned to China were warmly welcomed by Chinese people.

② The relics, which were smuggled (走私) to the United Kingdom in the past, arrived in Beijing on Oct 20. These relics include a number of fine works of art such as plates and teacups. Dating back to a time lasting from the Spring and Autumn Period to the Qing Dynasty (朝代), they come from many different provinces, including Fujian, Hebei and Guizhou.

③ Back in 1995, British police found these relies while investigating (调查) an international relic-smuggling group. After learning of the discovery, China set up a special working group to bring the items home.

④ However, a local buyer of the relics didn’t agree to return them, so British police held the relics for 25 years. But communication between the Chinese and British governments never stopped.

⑤ In January, the British police told China that the local buyer was missing and that the relics therefore had no owner. The UK offered to return the relics to China, Global Times noted.

⑥ In the history, it has not been easy to fight the crime of cultural relic smuggling, but this time it was successful. The return is a successful example of cooperation (合作) between China and the UK in fighting cultural relic smuggling under the 1970 Convention (公约) which requires its members to take action to protect relics.

⑦ Not only is the 1970 Convention helping cultural relics return to their countries, China is also taking action. Over the past 20 years, China has worked to protect and recover cultural relics. In recent years, it has become more common for people to purchase cultural relics and give them to museums for free. For example, a famous Chinese businessman Stanley Ho purchased Qing Dynasty bronze statues in 2003 and 2007 and then donated them to the National Museum of China.

【推荐3】How does it feel when someone listens to you without stopping or giving their opinion? This is called active listening and it’s a great way to understand other people’s feelings and build trust between friends.

The meaning of active listening

Active listening means trying to understand how someone feels by listening carefully to what they’re saying and by paying attention to their body language (how their face and body express their feelings). The Week Junior reader Annie, aged 11, explains what it means to her. “When my friends tell me something important, I listen to what they’re trying to say. I can tell by their voices and the looks on their faces if they’re upset or happy. This makes me feel like I understand them better.”

The ________ of being active listeners

Listening closely to someone without stopping or giving your own opinion shows that you’re interested in what they’re saying, even if you don’t agree. This helps to avoid mistakes and arguments and can make friendship strong. Samaritans is a charity that supports people by listening to their worries. It says, “Really listening to people makes them feel valued and understood, and being able to listen well to others helps you be someone who others feel they can turn to and trust.”

The ways to be active listeners

Listen carefully to what your friend is saying, and avoid jumping in with your own thoughts and feelings. If you really want to talk, Samaritans suggests making a listening sign like nodding your head instead. Ask questions or say things that need more than a yes or no answer, like “Tell me more”. Try looking for more information about how they’re feeling in their faces and bodies too. “Active listening is a skill and it takes practice,” says Samaritans, “but don’t give up, and remember you can only do your best.”

【推荐3】The number of people worldwide who have died of COVID-19 has passed one million, researchers say, with many regions(地区) still reporting the growing number. The report by Johns Hopkins University shows that deaths in the US, Brazil and India make up nearly half of that. Experts warn that the true fact is probably much higher.

“Yet we don’t want to lose every single life, ” he said in a video message. “They were fathers and mothers, wives and husbands, brothers and sisters, friends and colleagues. The pain has caused so much serious situation by this disease.”

The disease has spread to 195 countries with more than 60 million confirmed cases. The economy(经济) of many countries has descended so much that millions of workers lost their jobs.

Meanwhile, many countries have developed an effective vaccine(疫苗) but the World Health Organization(WHO) has warned that the death toll(死亡人数) could hit two million before one is widely available.