Doctors issue caution over rapid weight loss

The famous comedian and     1    (actor) Jia Ling has lost 50 kilograms within a year for a film role. It has even become one of the top searches and hot topics online.     2     , doctors warn that such a rapid loss of weight is not     3     (health), and has potential risks. It is possible to lose 50 kilograms in a little over a year,     4     is equal to losing less than 5 kilograms per month, said Chen Qiuxia, the chief nutritionist at Xinhua Hospital of Zhejiang province. She said if one     5    (aim) to lose so much weight in a shorter period, the body might protest.

Dr Qu Shen, director of the Shanghai thyroid disease research center, believes such promotion may     6    (lead) the public,     7    (say) “It is a process, which should be in line with     8    (science) and medical rules. Promotion focusing on a famous star’s quick weight loss can have negative effects     9     the public.”

According to experts, obesity (肥胖) is a chronic metabolic disease, closely     10    (relate) to many factors such as genetics, the environment and life habits. Intervention is a comprehensive measure, and weight loss should be gradual.

The good news is that we can change, if we understand     1     habits work. To facilitate     2     positive change in our bad habits, we must first examine our bad habit cycles and then try to adapt them. We can do this by combining the information from our habit cycles     3     our own positive ideas. We can also use the habit cycle     4     (create) good habits.

Every day, thousands of tourists from around the world plan their trips to the Great Wall of China.

Despite the wall’s 5,500-odd miles,     1     (spread) from east to west across the country, most travelers find     2     (them) at either the Badaling or Mutianyu sections, the two areas closest to Beijing. These visitors rise early from their downtown hotels, pack themselves into buses and wait in long queues     3     (see) the magnificent structures that consist of the Great Wall.

But what if there was another way?

An hour-long drive north of the     4     (crowd) capital is Commune by the Great Wall, a popular weekend getaway for Beijingers     5     a series of modern buildings consist of a luxury hotel, with award-winning design among yellow-leaved gingko trees. It is not only the rural surroundings     6     attract travelers to the town of Yangqing. Beyond the usual services — an expansive breakfast buffet and cozy bed sheets — Commune by the Great Wall     7     (provide) a rare opportunity to simply walk to the Wall. Just 20 minutes by foot from the hotel reception     8     (be) the Shuiguan section of the wall.

Commune by the Great Wall won     9     special praise at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2002, the year the 12 core buildings     10     (complete).

Visit any park in China these days and you are likely to see several people     1     (practice) qigong.     2    started as a traditional Chinese treatment has become a major health trend today.

Qigong is a combination of body posture, movement, breathing and meditation. It is used to improve one’s health and spiritual well-being, as well as in martial arts training. Qigong     3     (develop) over the centuries and today tends to have     4    more medicinal than spiritual focus. Meditative qigong uses still positions and     5     (focus) on breathing techniques to clear the mind. In 2020, the Chinese Health Qigong Association     6     (official) brought in five new health Qigong forms   (Five Animal Play)     7     the direct aim of improving teenagers’ health.

Qigong is made up of two separate words, qi and gong. Qi means air or breath but is often used to refer to the idea of vital or life energy. Gong on the other hand translates as cultivation or work. When     8     (combine) with qi, the two describe systems that seek to balance one’s life energy through hard work and     9     (commit).

Thanks to globalization in general, qigong is now practiced by people of diverse backgrounds, some of     10     do it for fun, some for exercise and some for healing.

My dream to study in China came true in 2016 when I registered for a medical degree at Gannan Medical University in Ganzhou City of Jiangxi Province.

At the beginning, it was difficult     1     (talk) to the local people due to the language barrier. The use of a phone translation app made my life     2     (easy) than before. With an interest in making local friends, I started studying standard Chinese. It was difficult at first,     3    (especial) with the four tones in Chinese pronunciation to deal with. But after more exposure, practice and hard work, I began to understand the basic sentences,     4     (allow) me to talk with locals.

Among the many friends I     5     (meet) is Sasha, a young, beautiful and hardworking single mother. She introduced me     6     the business world. I launched my own brand of women’s shoes produced in China.

Apart from studies, I got the opportunity to travel to many cities for business and     7    (please). Moreover, I also had the opportunity to participate in local Chinese talent competitions,     8     I won some awards as well.

These are my most memorable moments I will cherish for     9     rest of my life: the experience of being able to fit into the Chinese society and way of living, being accepted and treasured. I came to China as a foreign student but six years later, I became not only a     10    (qualify) doctor, but also a businesswoman with a well-rounded, balanced life overflowing with good memories and a wide knowledge of China. I consider it as my second home.

Despite being 75 years old, Chai Tixia’s expertise in Jianzi is truly impressive. With quick kicks, he effortlessly sends the Jianzi into the air and gracefully guides it to land    1     (gentle) on his head.

Jianzi,    2     game that dates back to the Han Dynasty, is surprisingly simple: players must keep the Jianzi in the air,    3     (use) any part of their body except their hands and arms. However, to master this game    4     (require) a lot of practice.

While enjoyed throughout China, Jianzi     5     (describe) by Chai as an important aspect of hutong culture. The narrow alleyways, situated within Beijing’s inner city, provide the setting for the game’s    6     (popular). Each mormning, Chai and his fellow hutong residents gather for their shared passion for Jianzi.

Chai’s spirited matches with his neighbors have a big audience     7     (draw) to the artistry and excitement of the game. The onlookers who watch them playing with great athleticism are amazed at     8     Chai and his fellow players can achieve.

Having practiced Jianzi for over 30 years, Chai cherishes the physical and social     9     (benefit) the game brings. Engaging in lively matches with his neighbors energizes his body, enhances his flexibility,     10     promotes unity within the community. Through Jianzi, Chai harvests not only health but a sense of belonging and friendship.

China is the hometown of tea. China has all kinds of tea products, the main     1     (variety) are green tea, black tea, Oolong tea, scented tea, white tea, yellow tea and dark tea. Tea is China’s national drink. Chinese believe that drinking tea is     2     (benefit) to health.

According to one of Chinese legends, the tea     3     (discover) some 5, 000 years ago by Shennong Shi, whose name literally means Divine Farmer. Shennong Shi tasted hundreds of plants and got     4     (poison). He found tea can relieve the toxin in the body. Afterwards the custom of drinking tea was passed down     5     generation to another.

China is a country with a time-honored civilization and a land of ceremony and decorum (礼仪). Whenever guests visit, it is necessary     6     (make) and serve them with tea. Generally     7     younger generation always shows its respect to the older generation by offering a cup of tea. At the traditional Chinese marriage ceremony, both the bride and groom (新娘新郎) serve     8     (they) parents with tea.

Chinese tea culture refers to the methods of preparation of tea, the equipment used to make tea and the occasions in     9     tea is consumed in China.

When taking tea, the taster should also be able to savor (品尝) tea     10     (careful). Attention is also paid to environment, atmosphere, music, infusing (注入) techniques and interpersonal relationships.

Young Chinese bring hanfu to the world during Spring Festival

Young people dressed in hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group in China,    1     (spot) in many    2     (locate) around the world during this year’s Spring Festival holiday.

An initiative launched in late January by Xiaohongshu,     3     Chinese lifestyle-focused social media platform, invited users to upload photos or videos of themselves and friends wearing hanfu at landmarks around the world from January 28 to February 19.

The first two weeks of the initiative saw some 10,000 Xiaohongshu users share their photos     4     (take) from around 30 countries and regions around the world. One user even posted photos from Antarctica.

Many young Chinese people working or studying overseas also invited     5     (they) foreign friends to wear     6     (tradition) Chinese costumes to celebrate the Spring Festival together.

Hanfu, as well as other traditional forms of Chinese costume,     7     (experience) a surge in popularity in recent years. Clothes featuring traditional Chinese elements combined with modern designs,     8     are dubbed the “new Chinese style” have developed into a fashion trend among the     9     (young) generations not only in China, but also worldwide.

Analysts say the rise     10     “China chic” reflects young Chinese people’s confidence in their own culture. Wearing Chinese-style costumes not only reflects the wearer’s Eastern temperament, but also presents Chinese aesthetics to the world.

From: chinadaily.com.cn

An exhibition featuring “Jiaodong flower bobo” was held-at Yantai Culture Center to greet the     1     (approach) Spring Festival.

Made of wheat, bobo can assume various forms of animals and figures,     2     (decorate) with red jujubes (枣) and colorful-flowers. Eatable and entertaining, this kind of bobo looks like a delicate handicraft, showing the food culture and artistic pursuit of the local people.

It’s hard to know when Jiaodong flower bobo first appeared. In ancient times it     3     (use) as offerings. It still enjoys great     4     (popular) in the rural areas of Weihai, Yantai and Qingdao, where people steam bobo to celebrate special occasions like the Spring Festival, weddings and birthdays, as the word for “steam”     5     (pronounce) “zheng” in Chinese, indicating life’s fortune will rise.

The exhibition was designed to showcase the city’s protection of the craftsmanship of Jiaodong flower bobo,     6     was included in the Shandong provincial government’s intangible cultural heritage list in 2009.

The exhibition gathered 100 works by 20 inheritors (传承人) of the Jiaodong flower bobo modeling craft from Qixia, Laizhou, Zhaoyuan and Longkou. These inheritors were also invited     7     (introduce) the ‘art of making Jiaodong flower bobo. One of them, Jia Yuping from Qixia, said it was     8     honor to preserve and promote the heritage and that she was     9     (optimism) about its future.

“We wish to introduce     10     our citizens the folk customs of celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year through the exhibition, ”said an organizer.

Many years ago, I went sightseeing in London. While there, I visited the Underground. Like most tourists, I was very interested in it as it is the     1     (old) system in the world. It is also very complex. I was told that the first part of the underground system opened in 1863, and     2     took people from the boundary of London to the city center. The underground passages were very narrow     3     (compare) to the last line that was constructed in 1977. When     4     (carriage) first ran in these passages, there was lots     5     smoke and noise. I think it must have been horrible and damp down there! Another problem was that there were a dozen different lines,     6     were not linked. This     7     (make) the system not user-friendly, but now the different lines have been joined. The union of the different lines makes traveling on the London Underground much more     8     (convenience). I bought a ticket at a discount and rode the underground three times. It was good for me     9     (have) the experience. Another interesting thing was that the passages were used for all sorts of things during war such as bomb shelters, and an anti-aircraft center. It’s     10     (true) amazing.