The “Understanding Contemporary China” Foreign Language Contests were held in Beijing from December 4 to 8．

Nearly one million college students from more than 1,300 universities participated , with about 2,500     1     (enter) the national final. The contests aimed to     2     (deep) college students’ understanding of China, enhance their linguistic (语言的) abilities and intercultural communication     3     (competent), and provide a platform for them to tell China’s stories well.

The champion of the English group     4     (determine) through a simulated (模拟的) “Global Youth Summit”. Three contestants discussed     5     (topic) including cultural diversity and the future development of mankind with Xinhua News Agency’s reporter Simon Keith Robinson,     6     tested their knowledge and ability to handle diverse subjects.

Xu Chengcheng, from Beijing Foreign Studies University, won     7     national championship of the International Communication Contest. She demonstrated a high-level of English proficiency(熟练)and strong communication skills in the prepared speech     8     the Global Youth Summit session(会议).

A special session of “Multilingual Champions Showcase” was part     9     the closing ceremony, where champions used their foreign language skills     10     (share) stories about their understanding of China and communication with the world, showcasing youthful insights.

Maze Fist, also known as Mi Zhong Quan, is a traditional martial art from China. It     1     (know) for its clever footwork and advanced techniques.

Maze Fist masters use complex footwork     2     involves constantly changing directions and angles,     3     (make) it hard for opponents to predict and attack. They are also skilled at tricking opponents with tricky movements and mis-directions. Besides its     4     (effective) in fighting, Maze Fist also focuses on developing the mind and body. In fact, apart     5     improving physical strength, endurance and coordination, Maze Fist trainers also build discipline and concentration when practising.

Deeply     6     (root) in Chinese culture and history, Maze Fist represents Chinese martial arts’ wisdom and philosophy, emphasizing the balance between body and mind. Practicing Maze Fist leads to personal growth and self-improvement.     7     (master) Maze Fist, one needs dedication and continuous practice. It not only provides just a means to defend oneself but also     8     (promote) one’s self-discipline, respect, and humility. And it offers both     9     (practice) self-defense skills and a path to personal growth. All in all,     10     you are interested in martial arts or want an all-round approach to well-being, Maze Fist ensures you a rewarding experience.

13-year-old twin brother and sister Zhao Ziqian and Zhao Qinman are from Dongguan, Guangdong Province. They enter the waters off Xinbu Island in Haikou     1     (participate) in a swimming challenge across the Qiongzhou Strait,     2     lies between the island province of Hainan and the Leizhou Peninsula in Guangdong.

On Aug. 21, 2023, the twins     3     (successful) swam across the country’s Qiongzhou Strait, becoming the first set of twins to achieve the swimming feat (功绩). They were also the first     4     the 84th batch (批) of challengers to reach the shore in the attempt to swim across the Qiongzhou Strait, which is about 20 kilometers at its     5     (narrow) point. A total of six challengers from Dongguan took part in the activity. They entered the waters off Xinbu Island,     6     (begin) their challenge at 4:34 a.m. on Aug. 21 under the     7     (guide) of local teams.

According to Zhao Ziqian, the older brother, challengers could fuel their body with bottled water, bananas, chocolate and other food     8     (throw) down to them from protecting ships every 40-60 minutes.

The twins’ parents     9     (stay) with them and cheered them on throughout the journey. Their father, a former soldier, said he sent his children to swimming classes to help them build toughness     10     that he would continue to strengthen their physical fitness.

Highland barley (青稞) has been a main food of Xizang for thousands of years. Recently, it has helped Chinese bakers win international awards in Europe.

Lin Yeqiang and Feng Yingjie     1     (announce) as victors after a three-day baking     2     (compete) in Munich, Germany, last week known as the “iba. UIBC. CUP of Bakers 2023”. The Chinese team took first prize after     3     (defeat) the other bakers from 12 countries, including Japan, France, Germany and Italy, during the event,     4     ran from Oet. 22 to 24.

The event was held at the Baking Exhibition Center in Munich,     5     leading global meeting place since 1949. Most of the flour     6     (use) worldwide in the baking industry usually comes from developed Western countries. But this time,     7     was highland barley flour from Xizang that helped Lin and Feng beat their peers.

“This shows that highland barley has been recognized by the international baking industry, and that it provides a new alternative to high-end baking flour,” said Wang Zi, coach of the Chinese bakery team. Highland barley has     8     (gradual) gained more popularity overseas in recent years. It is considered a     9     (health) food, enriched with nutrients such as dietary fiber, beta-glucans, vitamins and other trace elements.

“Using highland barley to make fermented seeds integrates traditional Chinese cultural elements with their baking and gives the world a better understanding     10     the unique charm of Chinese baking,” Wang said.

The Yin-yang diagram is an illustration of t’ai chi. Yin and yang are not     1     (complete) opposite, one of which can turn into the other. Chinese people boil down the laws of the universe, nature and the human body to this:Yin and yang are in a circle; man and nature exist in unity.     2     (base) on such philosophical ideas,     3     (tradition) knowledge and sports practice about physical and mental cultivation have been formed and passed down from generation     4     generation. Thus t’ai chi ch’uan came into being.

Chinese people believe that movement is contained in stillness and fastness is contained in slowness. T’ai chi ch’uan     5     (contain) these two kinds of energy. Do you think the most important characteristic of t’ai chi ch’uan is     6     (soft)? No. The fighting principle of it is to mobilize the internal energy flow of the human body,     7     has both speed and explosive power.

The greatest uses of t’ai chi ch’uan are for people     8     (experience) life, the true principles of movement and stillness in nature, and to maintain harmony with nature in mind and body. So far, it     9     (prove) by medical research that t’ai chi ch’uan is     10     ideal therapy against a number of chronic diseases. It can not only promote physical health, but also help ease your mind and delight your spirits.