Featuring a dynamic design, the horse-face skirt is widely preferred by fans of traditional clothing in China. Exploring ways     1     (promote) the culture, they prefer to wear traditional clothing when taking part in cultural activities and share the beauty on the Internet.

The horse-face skirt     2     (originate) in the Song Dynasty and grew popular during the Ming Dynasty due to its functionality and artistic style. It is     3     (traditional) composed of two identical overlapping (部分重叠) panels     4     (wrap) around the left and right side of the lower body. Each   panel is   composed of a   large   rectangular (长方形的) panel of fabric, a side piece made up of several smaller panels and another rectangular panel narrower than the first.     5     (attach) to a waistband by ties, the two sides overlap each other so that one of the large straight panels on each piece is in the front and back of the skirt. This overlapping nature leaves openings in the front and back of the skirt, making     6     very suitable for horse-riding.

While maintaining the essential design     7     (element) of the horse-face skirt, modern designers change its outline, length, or detailing to match current fashion trends, appealing     8     a broader audience for usual daywear or formal evening fashions.

“This kind of skirt shows the grand     9     (elegant) that is admired in Chinese culture. Knowing     10     we come from, we can then be clear about where we are going, ” Daben, a Chinese vlogger, told the Global Times.

In 1968, many precious relics were unearthed in the tombs of the Western Han Dynasty including the Changxin Palace Lamp, which is acknowledged     1     “the first lamp of China”.

The bronze lamp bears the shape of a girl on her knees     2     (hold) a lamp. The lamp plate is on her left hand while her right hand,     3     is covered by a loose sleeve (袖子), carries the lampshade. The brightness of the lamp and the direction of the light can be adjusted with a handle and it controls two movable shades.     4     (remarkable), the girl’s right sleeve traps smoke from the burning lamp oil     5     channels it into the hollow body where water is stored, thus preventing the lamp from polluting the indoor air. Apart from that, the six component parts of the lamp can all be taken apart, and     6     (be) easy to clean.

The delicate Changxin Palace Lamp provides a glimpse into China’s glorious past, showing     7     wisdom of ancient Chinese people as well as ancient China’s achievements in science and technology. The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic flame lantern     8     (inspire) by the Changxin Palace Lamp. Being a perfect     9     (marry) of green initiative and the Olympic Spirit, it uses double glass and a hidden division channel     10     (reduce) the smoke and carbon deposition (沉积).

On a cool day in winter, I boarded a small bus for Nuanquan Town, or Warm Spring Town in Zhangjiakou. It is an old town with ancient walled     1    (village) dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties,     2    (relative) untouched by the influence of modern redevelopment.

I went there not for its springs or well-preserved buildings, but for its performances of Dashuhua, literally     3    (translate) as “striking tree flowers.” It is usually performed at the Lantern Festival, when ironworkers throw hot melted iron against a cold brick wall to create a splendid shower of sparks (火花), just like the     4    (flower) branches of a large tree, and hence the name.

When the freezing cold night fell, the visitors sat around the stage     5     the fire show was performed. As the performers took center stage, all thoughts about the bone-cracking temperatures     6    (forget). And in the following hour, we witnessed firework-like sparks light up the town.

Dashuhua is a game for the brave.     7     requires not only professional skills but also physical     8    (strong) and courage. Maybe that is the reason why fewer and fewer young people want to learn this skill and take better-paying jobs in     9    (large) towns.

Luckily, the tradition has been listed     10     an intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) in China.

The artists of Dafen can paint like Van Gogh

The village of Dafen was once thought     1     (produce) the most oil paintings in the world every year.     2     (recognize) as the “world’s art factory”, Dafen impressed visitors with its many workshops, in which painters created mock masterpieces by Van Gogh, Monet and Warhol. But the village was always seen more as a production line     3     a place of culture. Today the future of Dafen may depend on     4     it is able to earn respect of the art world.

Things started to change for Dafen in 2008,     5     the global financial crisis cut down overseas orders. With more demand     6     (come) from domestic market, artists began painting different subjects. New customers preferred Chinese styles, says     7     painter in Dafen. He learnt the art of Shan Shui which involves representing natural landscapes. In some ways Dafen reflected the broader economy. As exports start to decline as a share of GDP, domestic     8     (consume) plays a larger role in driving growth.

China is the world’s second-largest art market.     9     it is not clear where Dafen fits in. Li Jinghu, an artist from nearby Dongguan, often visits the village hoping to discover new talent. But locals say the demand for their paintings     10     (decline) in the past two pandemic-struck years. “Most people would probably be surprised that Dafen still exists. It does and it will,”says Lisa Movius, a writer in Shanghai who covers art.

China has transformed into a cashless society thanks to the e-payment apps and more than 1 billion smartphone owners. Although there are no     1    (office)data,about 80 percent of the Chinese people no longer carry“enough”cash with     2     (they). The last time I saw someone paying in cash was a month ago when a senior citizen     3     (pay) for his purchase in a supermarket. Both the checkout staff     4     customers waiting behind the elderly person looked impatient.

To ensure that those who want to pay     5    cash are not laughed at—most of     6    are aged people not familiar with mobile apps — the central authorities have issued a regulation saying shops should not refuse cash payment, and those who do so will be punished.

So popular has e-payment become that even beggars outside some scenic     7     (spot), according to a media report, refuse     8     (accept) cash.Instead, they carry a board with QR code and ask the kind-hearted souls to scan. I thought it was not true until I came across a     9     (visual)impaired(受损的)beggar outside a Beijing hospital     10     (carry)a board with a QR code along with a cardboard box for cash bills and coins.

A lot of history and cultures are lost as the world progresses through modernisation and migration. However, all hope is not lost as certain cultures have found ways     1     (protect) their history through oral traditions, written     2     (account) and cultural practices handed down through generations, for example, Otjize, the magical red paste (膏) of the Himba people.

Found in present-day Northern Namibia, the Himba people are an African tribe (部落) with an     3     (estimate) population of 50,000 people. The Himba tribe is often referred to as     4     last nomadic (游牧的) people of Namibia. They count their wealth in the number of owned cattle.

Known for their red clay skin and hair, the Himba women     5     (picture) and described as a symbolic image of African tribes up to now. Otjize, the red beauty paste used by the Himba women, is     6     (responsibility) for their skins’ distinct red colour,     7     has earned them the name “Red People of Africa”.

Made from a mixture of things, Otjize lends the deep red color to their skins and is regarded     8     the ideal beauty standard for the Himba people. As a matter of fact, Otjize     9     (usual) holds great significance for the Himba people,     10     (stand) for the earth’s rich red colour, blood and nature of life.

A Pittsburgh-based robotics and engineering startup recently unveiled Moonwalkers, a pair of battery-powered shoes that it     1     (claim) can boost walk speeds by up     2     250%.

At first glance, Moonwalkers look like a pair of futuristic roller-skates, but there is actually a lot more to them than that. You’re     3     (actual) meant to walk with them the way you would regular shoes or sneakers, letting the motorized wheels put a spring in your step.     4     (power)by a state-of-the-art brushless DC motor, this ingenious contraption is actually a platform     5     can be attached to a wide variety of footwear to significantly increase your walking speed up to a reported 7mph/11kph. For comparison, humans’ average     6     (walk) speed ranges from 2.5 to 4 mph. The sensation of walking with the world’s fastest shoes     7     (compare) to that of walking on a ‘moving walkway’ in     8     airport.

Designed by Shift Robotics, an offshoot of Carnegie Mellon University, Moonwalkers consist of a 300W brushless motor in each 4.2-lb (1.9-kg) shoe that powers eight polyurethane wheels. There is also an AI-powered gearbox that increases or decreases speed according to data regarding the wearer’s walk collected by a series of sensors. The shoes are also able to detect downhill movement to prevent accidents.

But do the world’s fastest shoes work     9     (sensor)     10     uneven terrain, or things like stairs? We all know how tricky those are to mitigate in rollerskates. Well, apparently the designers took that into consideration and implemented a simple gesture that allows the wearer to lock the wheels so that they can walk up or down stairs as they would in regular footwear.

Guilin is considered one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world with its blue rivers, and rolling mountains. It has a rich ethnic tradition that     1     (attract) millions of local and foreign tourists every year and has served as the     2     (culture) center of the region since over 1,000 years ago.

Guilin was at the top of my must-see list last October. I took a boat down the Lijiang River to Yangshuo. I spent roughly four hours on the boat     3     (wind) down the river. The river is so famous for its     4     (beautiful) that it’s even printed on the 20-yuan note. As I watched a water buffalo cool off in the water and fishermen float past on their bamboo rafts, I suddenly felt very far     5     (remove) from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai.

Though every place I visited was beautiful, none was more picturesque     6     Yangshuo. It’s a paradise (天堂) for anyone     7     loves nature and the great outdoors. The mountains were the main reason why I’d traveled to Guilin, so I wanted to make sure I was outside exploring as much as possible and the best way to take it all in was     8     bike.

It was difficult to avoid crowds in Guilin during the October holiday. However, I found once I headed off the beaten track, I     9     (surround) by a sense of peace and calm set against one of     10     (nature) most amazing background.