Parts of the Middle East are some of the     1     (hot) inhabited places on Earth. Temperatures in Abu Dhabi can climb to over 50℃. Air conditioning is seen as a (n)     2     (necessary), and people tend to spend a lot of time indoors.

But people here haven’t always had air conditioning, and an ancient Arabic architectural cooling technique has made a comeback.

Mashrabiya refers to the latticed (格子状的) screens often     3     (see) in Islamic architecture that keep buildings cool without     4     (complete) blocking light. They are designed     5     (encourage) a wind and offer a spot of relief from the heat within a building. The idea is essentially to stop direct sunlight     6     (land) on a building’s outside.

That’s     7     inspired the design of Al Bahar Towers, a 25 story building wrapped in more than 1,000 hexagonal (六边形的) shades with built-in     8     (sensor) that allow them to respond to the sun’s movements. When the sun hits the shades, they unfold like an umbrella to keep away from the heat.     9     these measures, the outside of such a building in Abu Dhabi could reach as high as 60℃.

So far the technique     10     (help) reduce the building’s need for air conditioning by 50%. Cool, huh?

Layue is regarded as a preparatory phase for the upcoming Spring Festival. It is the     1     (twelve) month of the traditional Chinese calendar.

    2     (fall) on January 18 this year, Laba Festival was traditionally     3     occasion to honor their ancestors, and pray to deities, heaven, and earth for a good harvest and good luck. The last lunar month is called “la” in Chinese, and “eight’’ is pronounced “ba” in Chinese. This is     4     the name of the festival comes from. The custom     5     this day is to eat Laba porridge, cooked with a mix of eight ingredients, as eight is a     6     (fortune) number in Chinese culture.     7     (it) recipe varies across China depending on regional availability. Nowadays,     8     (boil) with sugar for at least four hours, Laba Porridge is regarded as a nutritious food. Distribution of Laba porridge at Yonghe Lamasery (雍和宫) in Beijing is one of the most famous activities. Today, waiting     9     (eager) in queues at the temples, people     10     (expect) to not just share a bowl of porridge, but be a part of the tradition and share the joys and expectations of the coming year.

The lion dance is a     1     (tradition) dance performed during Chinese New Year. It is     2     (wide) believed that it will bring good luck.

Two dancers dress up as the lion. One dancer holds the large head of the brightly colored costume and the other dancer is the body. The dancers have to be very fit as they perform lots of moves. They dance to music     3     (play) by drums, gongs and cymbals. A performer     4     is dressed as a laughing Buddha sometimes joins the lion dance. He     5     (wear) a longrobe (袍子) and teases the lion with a fan to make it perform tricks.

People will often hang the head of a lettuce (生菜) from ceilings or doorways. The lion will go in search     6     these. Sometimes, red envelopes with money inside     7     (hide) in the lettuce. The lion pretends to eat the lettuces and money. The     8    (leaf) are then thrown into the crowd for good fortune. The lion dance ends with       9     message of good luck written on a scroll, unfolding from the lion’s mouth. Firecrackers are set off     10     (frighten) away any evil beings.

Harbin, the capital city of Heilongjiang province, welcomed nearly 3.05 million visitors,     1     (gain) 5.91 billion yuan of tourism income during the three-day New Year holiday.

The trend was then enlarged on social media where influencers (网红) highlighted that many “southerners”, who     2     (refer) to as “little potatoes from the south”, flooded into the city’s ski resorts and bathhouses. The phrase is associated with the     3     (remarkable) distinctive light-colored jackets and lovely hats that tourists from southern China typically wear when traveling to the north, as well as their relatively     4     (short) figure compared with local’s. Though     5     (criticize) online for being stereotypes, locals clarified that it reflected a genuine sense of goodwill and friendship.

Apart     6     the iconic Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, tourist spots introduced varieties of new attractions, such as hot balloon rides and bonfire parties. On Central Street,     7     struck the tourists most was the organized parades featuring the Oroqen (鄂伦春族),     8     ethnic minority from the region.

To facilitate the     9     (consume) of Harbin’s popular frozen pears, the city has even introduced frozen pear platters (摆盘), making it more convenient for tourists to taste the delicacy.

“You can get the incomparable snow experience and service in Harbin,     10     the temperatures can drop to -35℃,” a tourist said.

DOHA, Sept 18 —The “Hello, Beijing” Photography Exhibition     1     (hold) on Monday herein the Qatari capital Doha, showcasing historical and cultural emblems (象征) of the Chinese capital. It also showed how the big city succeeds     2    becoming a world famous tourist destination.

Themed “Capital, Ancient Charm, New Look, Humanity and Ecology”, the exhibition    3     (feature) 79 photography works that highlight the natural beauty,    4     (tradition) charm, and cultural significance of Beijing.    5     (photo) of world cultural heritage sites such as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, as well as iconic Olympic venues (场地) like the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube, and beloved giant pandas, are all on display at the exhibition.

Abdulaziz Al Anzy,    6    Qatari civil engineer who brought his families to the exhibition, told Xinhua that     7     (see) these photos brought back many of the good memories in Beijing. “I love Beijing, particularly love the city in winter, as it’s the first place    8    I’ve ever seen snow,” he said honestly. “I hope there will be more events like this in the future    9     (bridge) both countries through tradition, culture and art. China is    10     (true) beautiful, and the Chinese people are very friendly. I often tell my family and friends that they must visit China to experience it for themselves,” Anzy added.

Yellow Crane Tower

Together with Yueyang Pavilion in Hunan Province and Tengwang Pavilion in Jiangxi Province, Yellow Crane Tower     1     (praise) as the Three Most Notable Towers in the south of the Yangtze River. In China, even a 4-year-old child may know this     2     (attract) because of the famous poem named Huang He Lou,     3     is the Chinese pronunciation of Yellow Crane Tower.

Due     4     the high frequency of being mentioned of this poem, everyone develops     5     (they) unique feelings toward the Yellow Crane Tower before they witness those real     6     (feature). In a word, Yellow Crane Tower deserves its fame.

With its original function of ministry changing into a scenic spot in the Tang Dynasty (618-907),Yellow Crane Tower had witnessed the artistic talent of many famous poets     7     (include) Cui Hao, Li Bai, Bai Juyi, Jia Dao and so on. Some famous poems are still     8     (wide) read nowadays.

Now the new tower is     9     five-story building with a height of 50.4 meters. Murals (壁画),statues of famous poets, poems and paintings are situated inside the tower. Standing on the grand tower, one can overlook the beautiful landscape of Wuban City as well     10     the remarkable Yangtze River.

Themed with “Ecological Priority, People-oriented Garden Expo”, the 14th China (Hefei) International Garden Expo     1     (hold) on 26 September 2023 in Hefei, Anhui Province.

The Hefei Garden Expo Park, the     2     (large) urban park in the world, is located in Hefei’s Luogang Park,     3     covers an area of 3. 23 square kilometers and features landscape architecture from 31 Chinese cities and 7 ones from abroad. Each garden has landscape pieces     4     (design) with local features.

In overall arrangement and tiny details, the Hefei Garden Expo Park is a     5     (reflect) of environmental protection and ecological sustainable development.     6     (walk) in the gardens is a good way for visitors to enjoy themselves in the natural landscapes and cultural customs of various cities and towns, both     7     home and abroad.

In the future, the Hefei Garden Expo Park will continue to play     8     (it) role as a green ecological showcase, attracting more and more visitors     9     (come) and visit. With this showcase, Hefei is opening     10     new chapter in urban development, providing now ideas for the sustainable development of future cities.