Long-term tai chi exercise can be used as a treatment for patients suffering from early-stage Parkinson’s disease(帕金森病), said a research team from Shanghai.

Parkinson’s is     1     progressive and disabling disease of the nervous system, resulting in slowness of movement, uncontrollable arm and leg shakes and muscle inflexibility.     2     is predicted that there     3    (be)nearly 5 million Parkinson’s sufferers in China by 2030. Doctors say patients face problems with current treatments, including some side effects     4    (cause)by long-term medication, and the limited     5    (improve)of patients’ well-being.

In the research,     6     began in 2016, a total of 143 participants trained with coaches twice a week and practiced     7    (regular)at home. Their conditions     8    (compare)with a 187-patient control group. Evaluations of patients in the two groups showed differences in their yearly levels of disease progression, and the patients     9    (practice)tai chi also needed less medical treatment in terms of both drugs and deep-brain stimulus.

Tai chi has been pursued as a treatment for Parkinson’s since 2012 with the specific benefits of long-term practice now     10    (far)clarified by the Shanghai study.

An ancient Chinese legend states that there is only one true path up Mount Hua — the 12 km track rising 1,800 m that took 3,000 years     1     (build). I still remember     2     (amaze) by photos of people standing on the Changkong Plank Trail (长空栈道), a wooden path only over 30 centimetres in     3     (wide), with part of their bodies hanging over the cliff. Years later, I found myself     4     (enthusiastic) pursuing the same ambition.

This is where I began—a trail initially pleasant and easy. While many chose to take the cable car     5     (mean) to minimize effort, I avoided the shortcut to the South Peak. I followed the river past some Taoist temples and climbed higher up steep stairs that     6     (carve) expertly into the stone. It took hours     7     I reached higher altitude where view expanded.     8     all directions, equally impressive summits stretched out before me.

Vertical (垂直的) ladders made higher points accessible, often with only chains to arrest your fall. By afternoon, I had reached the very spot     9     had captured my imagination about China. I just stood still, mouth open, leaning right out over the edge,     10     stared down into the vacant space below. Eventually, gathering my courage, I took a few photos. Who would have thought this girl would complete the world’s most dangerous hike?!

Palace Museum at 600: Old Palace, New Vitality

An exhibition titled “Everlasting Splendor: Six Centuries at the Forbidden City“ was held at the Palace Museum in Beijing to celebrate its 600th birthday. With more than 450 cultural relics and historical photos     1     show, the exhibition brings history to life     2     allows visitors to better appreciate the cultural charm of the palace.

The Forbidden City was completed in 1420 and     3     total of 24 emperors lived and worked there. In many people’s eyes, its beauty lies in the palace complex, being an    4     (extreme) precious and splendid artwork. With more than 70 palaces of various sizes and over 9,000 rooms, it is one of the     5    (large) and most complete existing wooden structures in the world. It is also mysterious, because ancient Chinese philosophies were integrated into its design and     6     (construct). However, the sense of mystery     7     (fade) gradually since it was transformed into the Palace Museum in 1925.

The Palace Museum is now a world-famous museum     8     more than 1.8 million artifacts are collected. Recently, it has become a real “online celebrity” on the Internet. Creative products     9    (inspire) by aspects of the museum, such as make-ups and folding fans, have gone on sale viae-commerce platforms.

    10     (witness) China’s history, it has to some extent shaped the mental world of the Chinese people. But nowadays it has become a brand-new cultural symbol.

More young people are trying their hand at farming the soil. Guo Lan, 29, works in a vegetable greenhouse on his organic farm     1     (locate) in the suburban district of Hefei, East China’s Anhui province. It is the eighth time this summer that Guo has failed to grow vegetables     2    using chemicals. Despite trying various homemade pest solutions, such as plant ash and mixtures of pepper and alcohol, the vegetable     3     (leaf) were still being eaten by insects. “I will not give up     4     (try),” the 29-year-old accountant-turned-farmer says. He is determined to turn his farm into     5     organic one, cultivating fruits and vegetables with the same flavors as those from his childhood memories.

“Growing tasty and healthy food     6     (be) my dream since I was a teenager. I know     7     challenging it can be, but if you take the soil     8     (serious), I believe it will pay off,” Guo says. He adds that farming is not a business that can make quick money, but for him, it has become an uplifting activity that brings back memories of spending time on the farm with     9     (he) parents as a child. Guo’s passion for organic farming and commitment to producing healthy food will surely inspire more young people to explore     10     (sustain) agriculture.

Facial surgery (手术) is a serious business, especially on children     1     are not yet fully grown but Melbourne researchers are developing a technique that could change the face of children’s surgery.

This new     2     (develop) will allow doctors to work out a child’s normal face shape at different ages to predict (预测) future growth.

Researchers at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) could soon replace the ruler currently     3     (use) to track changes in a child’s head and face with 3D images. By     4     (improve) the ability to predict normal growth and future changes in a child’s face, doctors will be able to    5     (well) complete their surgery than before.

MCRI’s Mr Harold Matthews said current     6     (method), including using patients’ photographs and X-rays were slow. Together     7     researchers in Belgium, Mr Matthews is pioneering a new tool that provides averages (平均值) for normal growth of the face throughout childhood.

The project intends     8     (take) some of the guesswork out of surgery. For example, in children with Pierre Robin Sequence, a serious condition which means they are born with an underdeveloped jaw(下颚), some doctors choose to fix it early while others wait to see if the child’s face will     9     (natural) correct itself as it grows. Without this new technology,     10     is difficult to know which method is better for each child.

For many of us in the UK and other parts of the world, having an electric kettle plugged in in the kitchen is a part of everyday life. But for people in America, it’s unusual     1     (use) a kettle–and the cultural difference has left many people     2     (confuse). Sophie Monk,     3     Australian host, recently sparked a debate when she     4     (detail) her experience of living in the US.

Sophie lived in America for 10 years before     5     (return) to her native Australia, and she was shocked at the fact that American people boiled their water on the stove. She said, “I was looking     6     a kettle, and they’re like, ‘Kettle?’ They don’t know     7     a kettle is. They don’t use them. They must heat water up on their stove. Yeah, no one has a kettle,     8     is crazy.” Although the concept of not using a kettle is more than a little strange to us Brits, there’s actually a pretty simple     9     (explain) for the decision.

In America, homes only have a voltage (电压) of 100-127,     10     in the UK and other countries, the voltage in a house is around 230. This means electric kettles in the US actually heat water more slowly than they do in the UK, so Americans haven’t bothered to invest in the appliances-choosing instead to boil on the stove.

The Ocean of Stars, a symphony (交响乐) concert by Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, was staged at the Jinji Lake Concert Hall in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, on July 15, 2023.     1     part of the ongoing Hua Xia Music Festival hosted by Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, the concert     2     (conduct) by Chen Xieyang, featuring famous pianist Wu Chun. Chinese music     3     (work), including The Ocean of Stars and Mulan Psalm, all by Chinese composer Guan Xia, were performed.

The orchestra teamed up with Suzhou Silk Museum, presenting a modern show, which saw musicians of the orchestra wearing and showing     4     (tradition) Chinese silk clothes at the Jinji Lake Concert Hall. Started by conductor Chen, artistic director of the orchestra, the two-week Hua Xia Music Festival,     5     was in the third year, aimed at     6     (promote) Chinese music works.

Suzhou Symphony Orchestra also announced     7     (it) 2023-2024 season on July 15, which would close in July 2024. It was the orchestra’s     8     (eight) season, which gathered music artists with     9     average age of 30 years old from around the world.

The year 2023 marked the 65th anniversary of foreign relations between China and Algeria. It was the first time the orchestra     10     (perform) in Africa at the 13th International Classical Music Festival in Algiers, Algeria.

Chinese poetry, an ancient art form,     1     (date) back thousands of years. It expresses the thoughts and feelings of poets through beautiful images and rhymes. Poets often use natural elements like mountains, rivers, and flowers     2     symbols of various emotions.

The earliest form of Chinese poetry can be traced back to the Book of Songs,     3     collected various poems from different regions and periods. Over time, poetry evolved into various forms, which allowed poets to express their feelings more freely.

One of the most notable     4     (feature) of Chinese poetry is its use of imagery and symbolism. Poets often use     5     (nature) scenery, flowers, birds, and the moon to convey their emotions and ideas. For example, in the famous poem “Quiet Night Thoughts” by Li Bai, he compares the brightness of the moonlight to the frost on the ground,     6     (create) a peaceful and serene atmosphere.

In addition to imagery, Chinese poetry also places great emphasis on rhyme.     7     (combine) with the beauty of the language, these elements contribute to the charm and harmony of the poems. Many Chinese poems are     8     (wide) recited and appreciated for their musical quality.

In conclusion, Chinese poetry is     9     unique and precious cultural treasure. It not only conveys deep emotions and thoughts but also reflects the     10     (wise) and spirit of the Chinese nation.