1 . Have you noticed the waste bins in different colors on the street? Do you often put all the waste in the same bin? It’s reported by Changehun Daily that people must do waste sorting (分类) in most places in Changchun at the end of 2019. Waste sorting is a wonderful way to make good use of energy and protect the environment. But do you know how to sort the waste?

Usually, people should sort their waste into four groups: wet, recyclable, harmful and dry. Different kinds of waste should go into different bins. Wet waste means the things you don’t want but pigs can eat, mostly coming from your kitchen. Things that can be used again, such as paper, metal and glass, are recyclable waste. Harmful waste might be dangerous or cause serious pollution, like medicine and batteries (电池). And any waste that’s not wet, recyclable or harmful will go into the dry waste bin.

Different countries are trying different ways to sort the waste. A university in England has a smart bin. When people drop their waste into the bin, it can tell what kind of waste it is and sort it correctly. The bin can also compress (压缩) the waste to make it smaller in size and take up less space. In South Korea, people have to separate their food waste from other kinds of waste and pay for it. The more food waste they throw away, the more they pay. In Japan, plastic bottles and their caps should go into different bins.

2 . Born at the Beijing Zoo, China’s giant panda Yaya was taken to the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee, the United States in 2003 for a research project. In December 2022, the Memphis Zoo announced (宣布) that it would return Yaya to China. After finishing her 20-year loan period (租借期), China’s giant panda Yaya finally returned home from the US on April 27, 2023.

In January, visitors in the Memphis Zoo found that Yaya became bony, making many Chinese and animal lovers abroad worried about her health and life quality at the Memphis Zoo. China prepared to welcome back Yaya and experts from the Beijing Zoo arrived in the US in March to learn about her habits and feeding situation from the zoo staff members. Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that the quarantine (检疫) and feeding places for Yaya were ready along with her feeding plans and medical care.

The news that Yaya is coming back to China has cheered up millions of Chinese people. By April 9, a topic about Yaya had received 250 million views. “Come home soon, Yaya. I’ll go to see you in the zoo even if I have to queue all day long!” an Internet user commented (评论) on Sina Weibo.

On April 27, Yaya arrived in Shanghai. Groups of people rushed to the airport to welcome Yaya. During the quarantine in Shanghai, the zoo prepared enough bamboo and foods for Yaya. Experts and carers took care of her 24 hours a day there. Yaya’s health was in stable (稳定的) condition. After finishing the quarantine, Yaya was safely transported to the Beijing Zoo on May 29. The giant panda Yaya will spend her late years there and won’t meet the public recently.

A slow train in Southwest China with its own study room has attracted much attention from netizens (网民), according to a CCTV report on Monday.

The train No.5609/5610, which runs between Chongqing and Xiushan county, is a public welfare “slow train”. In some carriages (车厢), some seats have been replaced with desks and chairs next to the windows to change it into a “study carriage” for passengers in need. The Chinese characters “Yu Yue” appear on the train, which mean “traveling and reading happily”. Other inspirational slogans (标语) can be seen throughout the changed carriages.

Besides No.5609/5610, other “slow trains” have been upgraded (升级) with “study carriages”, including No.5619/5620 and 5633/5634 which run along the Chengdu-Kunming Railway. Students from nearby schools often take the train between school and home. The trains are their “school buses” and many passengers use their travel time to complete homework.

On train No. Z150, which runs between Guiyang and Beijing, a transformed “book bar” carriage has been welcomed by college students. There are nearly 400 universities and colleges in the cities along the line, making train No. Z150 the first choice for most students on those campuses (校园). Since 2015, the train’s dining car has been open for free at night to provide returning students with a lending library, free tea and other services. These small measures by the railway department (部门) are a welcome comfort for passengers in need of a relaxing place to continue their studies.

7 . China’s first female pilots for the J-11 B fighter jet(战斗机) have recently completed their first flight.

“We have proved that female pilots can do the same things as men, and we can operate heavy fighter jets.” Yan Zhongyue, a 24-year-old girl, one of the five female pilots from Xi’an Flying College of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force, told Global Times proudly.

The five female pilots, at an average(平均) age of 23, have had strict training and tests. During the flight, they flew and had to perform stunts to test their tactical(战术的) skills. Besides hard physical training and training of tactical skills in the air, the female pilots were taught how to team with other pilots to perform complex moves in battles.

Although female pilots are weak in physical strength compared with men, they have their own advantages. They’re often more careful, patient, and better able to deal with stress.

“Flying these jets is not about arm wrestling(扳手腕). What matters most is decision-making and control of the jets,” Yan said. “With stronger endurance(持久力) and tolerance(忍耐力), women would be better fitting for long-hour fighting.”

9 . The “double reduction” policy（“双减”政策）

In July, China introduced the “double reduction” policy. It hopes to reduce students’ learning burden（负担）by reducing homework and after-school classes. One month has passed since the new term began. How do students feel about this new policy?

“Our homework is clearly less than before,” said 13-year-old Shen Yuzhe from Beijing. “We are not encouraged to buy workbooks any more. The exercises are mainly from the textbook.”

According to Shen, teachers now teach at a much slower pace（节奏）. Students have enough time to process new knowledge.“Our teachers are also giving us more chances to do experiments and learn from real life,” said Shen. “For example, we went to research earthworms（蚯蚓）in a field during a biology class. This is a much better way to learn things than just hitting the books.”

For 13-year-old Zhang Hangming from Tianjin, the best thing about “double reduction” is the increased time in after-school activities. “We can now spend more time taking part in clubs and activities, such as dancing, volleyball and drama. I have joined a group called ‘leadership development in business’ where I can learn all kinds of skills beyond academic（学业的）study,” said Zhang.

Both Shen and Zhang find there are fewer exams now. But they think it’s not necessarily a good thing. “Exams force me to study harder. Each exam shows my progress as well as my weak points,” Zhang said.

Shen also pointed out that when burden is lightened（减轻）, self-discipline（自律）becomes the key. “Some students now spend more time having fun when homework is finished early. But if you use all the free time to relax, you might fall behind others,” he said.

10 . The Battle at Lake Changjin, one of the most expensive films ever made in China. With three well-known directors—Chen Kaige, Hark Tsui and Dante Lam—the 176-minute-long film tells us about the battle between the US army and Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV). The joining of CPV quickly turned the situation of the whole war but most of them lost their lives.

The movie recreates the real fight on the Korean Peninsula (朝鲜半岛) during the cold winter in 1950. Breaking over 10 records, the movie has earned around 2 billion yuan since its opening on Sept 30. On the popular social media (社交媒体), most people praised the soldiers and showed great respect for them. They also said that the movie filled their hearts with national pride and reminded them to be thankful for today’s peaceful life, especially during the on-going China-US tension (紧张局势).

Most professionals say that the movie’s success has lived up to the expectation. Through the efforts to bring that history to life, the movie has raised Chinese war films to a new high level, showing great progress in the production of Chinese films. However, some professionals believe that Chinese film industry still has a long way to go. The waste of money and the shortage of international influences will not be good for the long-term development of the Chinese film industry.