2 . The latest photo taken at China’s well-known Tsinghua University became a hit, where a student was seen using his laptop while riding on a bike. The moral of the story is that wasting time on things like commuting between university facilities becomes unacceptable, since the pressure to graduate top of the class is so intense.

Into the real world, working extra hours is a common practice of China’s most brilliant figures in technology. In finite overtime, premature balding (秃顶) and hospital admissions are all but part of standard professional life for the nation’s brightest. Similarly, blue-collar workers don’t have it easier. Food delivery riders are reportedly trapped by an algorithm (算法) that automatically works out the best delivery time for app users, and never minds if the workers are at the risk of road accidents.

People are wondering whether all this hard work really makes life better. Actually, it may well be making things harder for everyone, but there doesn’t seem to be a way out. A popular sense of being stuck in an ever so exhausting rat race where everyone loses has given rise to a new buzzword: neijuan (involution). The Chinese word, neijuan, is made up of the characters for “inside” and “rolling”, and is understood as something that spirals in on itself, a process that traps participants who know they won’t benefit from it.

“From a sociological point of view, involution is unavoidable because of society’s structural shifts,” said Yan Fei, a professor of sociology at Tsinghua University, “One big question for the middle class is how to remain in the middle class. Meanwhile, the lower class still hopes to change their fate. But the middle and upper classes aren’t so much looking upward, and they are marked by a deep fear of falling downward. Their greater fear is perhaps losing what they already have,” he explained.

5 . Emily Bhatnagar has always loved reading. “Growing up, I was really shy, so I always turned to books,” she said. “They became my best friends when I didn’t have one.”

In 2019, when Emily was in her second year of high school, her dad suffered from cancer. The news was difficult for the family. Books became an even bigger comfort, and she started thinking about families in similar situations. When her father recovered, she came up with a plan to help others. “The idea came from the fact that there were kids who were facing the same problem,” she said.

Then, Emily started the book drive in her hometown, Gaithersburg, Maryland. The goal was to collect books and give them to kids being treated for cancer in local hospitals. Her father was not surprised by this plan. “She always wants to do things for the neighborhood,” he said. Since the start of the book drive, which she calls For Love & Buttercup, Emily has collected more than 10,000 books.

Emily had no idea how much attention her work would get. She started by posting on social media, asking people in her area to donate. “I was expecting maybe two or three neighbors to do it,” she said. “But it ended up blowing up,” especially when newspapers began reporting it.

The Children’s Inn is one of the places where Emily has donated books. “Donations like Emily’s share a piece of the world with kids and families that they may not experience,” said its director, Aisha Campbell. Emily continues to run the book drive with her parents’ help. She hopes to one day make it reach more kids. The memory of the first time she visited children who’d received her books sticks with her. “It was the best day of my life,” she said. “I realized I wanted to do this type of work forever.”

The early 1400s was a glorious era in Chinese history. In 1405, a fleet of over 200 ships navigated the blue seas, with almost 28,000 people on board. The largest ships, which     1    (be) over 140 meters long, demonstrated the advanced technology and special skills in constructing ships. On behalf of the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He, a great explorer, made a total of seven     2     (voyage) between 1405 and 1433. The fleet, loaded with china, silk, tea and other treasures, paid friendly visits     3     more than 30 countries and regions. The navigators took compass readings, kept logs     4     charted the coast.

These journeys had     5     far-reaching impact on China and its neighbors. Legends have been passed on about Zheng He in the countries and regions     6     he set foot. Zheng He’s efforts helped develop     7     (harmony) relations with these countries and regions, introducing foreign people to Chinese culture, and     8     (allow) the Chinese to better understand overseas lands.

For many years, some historians dismissed the records of these explorations as legends. The final proof came when an enormous shipyard     9     (discover) in Nanjing, where the fleet had been built. With his accomplishments widely     10     (acknowledge), Zheng He is remembered as one of China’s most influential explorers.

7 . Putri Prihardinni, a freshman at the Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, is amazed at how traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has continued to develop since she began studying it a year ago.

When she was 10, she _________ from constant headaches. So, her mother took her to see a TCM doctor near their home in Indonesia. After several weeks of _________ the bitter herbal medicine, her symptoms disappeared.

“His medical skills were like magic,” Prihardinni recalls. The _________ of being cured by TCM encouraged her to _________ TCM study.

Also from Indonesia, 21-year-old Banon Sayekti is one of Prihardinni’s _________. As she has never been _________ to TCM therapy before, Sayekti found it _________ to understand this branch of medicine at the beginning of her first semester.

“Chinese people believe that good health requires a _________ of yin and yang, and TCM doctors not only _________ a patient’s symptoms, but also to his or her __________ physical condition.” Sayekti says.

Many overseas students, __________, face difficulties in fully understanding the meaning and function of TCM medical terms __________ cultural and language barriers. To help them, the university offers various training courses for freshmen.

“People in my country are becoming increasingly interested in TCM. Numerous social media vloggers(视频博主) in my country are __________ their experiences with Chinese medicine,” Sayekti says. She plans to open a TCM clinic after graduation. “I want to tell my friends Chinese medicine is a __________ choice.”

As for Prihardinni, she wishes to obtain a postgraduate degree. “TCM study is a lifelong __________. I know it is not easy to persist, but I would like to give it a try.”

8 . Qin Yueyu has managed to fulfill a dream that initially seemed unusual. Her reproduction (仿制品) based on the murals (壁画) at the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang gains online popularity and sees her fame grow, as technique and attention to detail wins many admirers.

Qin’s creation that was brought to public attention was meant to be displayed for her graduation. It runs 2.1 meters high and is her re-creation of part of the mural in Cave 159 of the Mogao Grottoes, a piece from Tang Dynasty. Qin restored every vivid detail of the mural and made sure its size was the same as the original. Her work made its way to the list of trending topics on social media platform Sina Weibo at the end of May. She has also attracted more than 10,000 followers to her personal account on Xiaohongshu, another social media platform.

Qin developed an interest in painting at 6. Then, the cartoon Nine-Colored Deer produced by Shanghai Animation Film Studio introduced her to the charm of Dunhuang. The strong elements of Dunhuang scenery in the cartoon left a deep impression on her. “I became curious about Dunhuang and more interested in art,” she recalls.

In the beginning, Qin struggled with every step of mural reproduction. “The only way is to practice over and again,and learn from your mistakes,” she says. Through trial and error, Qin continued perfecting her skills and has reproduced dozens of well-known murals in Mogao Grottoes.

Qin feels very lucky that she can now make a living by doing something she likes. She is glad that her efforts have helped popularize the murals. “I hope I can tap into more stories about Dunhuang and present them in my future works.”

9 . Last week, social media posts about a cooking course for school kids, as part of a life skill program to be delivered nationwide this September, went viral (迅速传播) on the Internet. It quickly became the top trending topic on China’s Twitter-like Weibo, sparking heated discussions among netizens.

Based on a new national curriculum standard for compulsory education launched by China’s Ministry of Education (MOE), it outlines different cooking and nutrition courses for students in different grades.

It is recommended that first and second graders learn how to peel fruits and brew tea and acquire a basic knowledge of nutrition as well as the ability to take part in basic cooking at home. Students in grades five and six are expected to acquire basic cooking skills such as frying and stewing, and be able to prepare a nutritious meal for their own families.

Apart from essential skills such as cooking and housekeeping, the program is also designed to enrich their knowledge in production work as well as services.

Many netizens hailed the life skill program and expressed their happiness toward the changing pattern of education.

“This should have been done earlier. Children nowadays lack adequate physical activities and can barely distinguish wheat from rice crops,” commented a user on Douyin. So far the comment has gained 24,000 likes and received nearly 500 replies.

Some netizens, however, expressed their concern that as a non-core curriculum, the program cannot be fully carried out in schools, while others are worried that the program will merely put an extra burden on parents.

“Through the learning and experience, students will develop respect for labor, the ability to make innovations and apply knowledge and skills in real life, and a sense of social responsibilities. Schools should take the lead in teaching life skills, while families should play a supporting role.” said Gu Jianjun, a MOE official.

10 . The following beach destinations range from ocean-side to lake-side locations, each one offering unique and quality experiences.

 Channel Island

You’ll have difficulty finding a more scenic and adventurous beach getaway with an abundance of sea life. Whales and dolphins visit the area every year. You can also camp on one of the islands in Channel Islands National Park. Hiking, exploring tide pools, diving, surfing-the activities are boundless.

 Gulf Islands National Seashore

Imagine cotton candy-blue water, sugar-white sand and lots of lemonade-yellow sun and the picture will look a lot like Gulf Islands National Seashore. Spend a day at Perdido Key or overnight at Fort Pickens campground. Or consider the “Coastal Curiosities” activity at historic Fort Pickens.

 Indiana Dunes National Park

The park hugs 15 miles of the southern shore of Lake Michigan. From camping to flying kites to a sunset stroll, this lakeshore will continually attract you. You will enjoy 45 miles of trails over rugged dunes (沙丘), mysterious wetlands, and peaceful forests. There are eight beach access points along the shoreline and most parking lots are open from 7 AM until 30 minutes after sunset.