The 2024 Competition for the Transmission and Promotion of the Beijing Central Axis    1    (host) at the Capital Museum in Beijing on March 31st.

    2    (aim) at promoting the Central Axis, the core structure of Beijing that runs 7.8 kilometers    3    south to north, the annual competition has been hosted since 2021, attracting    4    total of more than 400,000 contestants from home and abroad.

This year’s competition featured six tracks,    5    includes three periodic ones focusing on old town rebuilding, creative expression via the art forms of video, painting and design, and cultural ambassadors who have made    6    (significance) contributions to the protection and promotion of the Central Axis.

    7    (additional), three new tracks have been added, focusing on travel, pattern design, and quality living, encouraging contestants    8    (explore) sightseeing routes, create diverse    9    (pattern) and images, and promote tea and food culture.

The competition, which is scheduled to run until mid-July, will include five stages of registration, review, preliminary, semifinal, and final rounds.

Entry details have been made available on the competition’s official website and WeChat account, seeking creative approaches to    10    (protect) cultural heritage and advancing the Central Axis’s promotion.

Researchers have found that tai chi could slow down Parkinson’s disease by years. Tai chi, with its slow movements,     1     (know) to benefit physical and mental well-being. The researchers     2     (conduct) a five-year study on people with Parkinson’s. They discovered that the condition became worse     3     a slower speed in those who practiced tai chi. They observed fewer falls, and     4     (little) dizziness (头晕) and back pain in the tai chi practitioners. They also noted that the cognitive function of the test participants who     5     (regular) practiced tai chi became worse more slowly.

Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder     6     (affect) the nerves and muscles. It steadily causes uncontrollable movements,     7     symptoms (症状) include shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance. People with Parkinson’s may have difficulties walking and talking. One of the most famous people with Parkinson’s was Muhammad Ali,     8     heavyweight boxing champion. The researchers suggest that tai chi is one of the most helpful ways     9     (keep) symptoms of Parkinson’s at bay. They said: “The long-term     10     (benefit) effect of tai chi on Parkinson’s could extend the time without disability, leading to a higher quality of life, a lower burden for caregivers and a reduction in drug use.”

The Sanya Nanfan (南繁) Seed Breeding (繁殖) Base, located in south China’s Hainan Province, plays a vital role as a seed centre in China.     1     (unique) blessed with nature’s gifts and a wealth of the country’s resources, it serves as the dedicated ground     2     skilled agricultural experts contribute to feeding our nation and addressing global hunger.

Dr. Xiao Feng stands at the forefront of agricultural innovation in Nanfan. Jokingly     3     (refer) to himself as a “mudskipper”, he is often spotted with rolled-up trouser legs knee-deep in the     4     (mud) fields. Dr. Xiao, along with other Nanfan researchers,     5     (commit) wholeheartedly to improving grain production, ensuring that people’s dinner tables are filled.

“Life can be compared to a seed, remarks Dr. Xiao.” Occasionally, it may either not grow as expected     6     remain inactive. Nevertheless, hope and opportunity persist. The seed of life will always manage     7     (emerge) through the ground.“

The term ”Nanfan“ itself implies to the practice of transplanting summertime crops from northern latitudes to Hainan during its winter. This makes for an     8     (extend) of growing seasons. Shortening the breeding cycle     9       half or more, Nanfan accelerates the breeding process.

Hope is a humble seed; when     10     (plant) in fertile ground, it transfigures (美化……的外表) into new life bearing fruits of change. The researchers at Nanfan are those seeds of hope.

An Ethiopian Airlines jet has crashed shortly after     1     (take) off from Addis Ababa, killing all on board.

Eight crew members, and 149 passengers, from more than 30 countries, including eight Chinese,     2     (be) on flight ET302 from the Ethiopian capital to Nairobi in Kenya. The plane     3     (put) to use on November 15 last year. Another plane of     4     same model was involved in a crash less than five months ago,     5     a Lion Air flight crashed into the sea near Indonesia with nearly 190 people on board.

The cause of the disaster is     6     (clear). However, it is said that the pilot had reported difficulties and had asked     7     (return) to Addis Ababa. An eyewitness at the scene told the BBC there-was an intense fire as the aircraft hit the ground. “The blast and the fire were so strong that we couldn’t get near     8    ” he said. “Everything is burnt down.”

Ethiopia bas declared Monday a national day of mourning(哀悼). Canadian Premier Minster Justin Trudeau said he was     9     (deep) sad to hear of the crash, adding: “We join the international community in mourning the loss of so many     10     (life).”

Virtual stars proved a success at many New Year celebration galas(晚会)hosted by television stations and video platforms     1     (attract) young audiences. Designed to increase human interaction, these digital avatars(化身)are created by technology     2     (power) by AI.

A virtual rock band caught the eye at a concert staged by Sichuan Satellite TV. The band consisted of five digital avatars that were based     3     cultural relics found at the Sanxingdui site in Deyang, Sichuan Province,     4     is known for its exotic-looking bronze statues. The joint director of     5     concert said that the band’s appearance     6     (design) to engage as many young audience members’ eyes as possible.

The appearance of virtual beings reflects how popular the     7     (figure) have become in China in the past year. According to a report on the virtual human industry, the market scale(规模)of virtual humans     8     (be) some 12.08 billion yuan last year and will reach about 20.52 billion yuan this year.

The report said digital beings are now     9     (wide) used. In China. this boom is largely driven by those born in the late 1990s or early 2000s, With the development of science say technology,     10     television stations and video platforms can do is update their views, or they’ll lose the young audience.

When I was    1    kid, if my dad threatened to take off his belt it only meant one thing: One of     2    (we) was going to be punished. That’s     3    I remember it and it has been years since I heard anyone use the phrase.

Until last weekend, I dined out at a restaurant with a few good     4    (friend) and our children. Since my daughter was leaving the table     5    (wander) around, her little friend, Ariana, was getting up to do the same. But     6    (Ariana) father wanted her to sit and eat. When she refused, her father threatened to take off his belt. Naturally, I thought he was joking. To my surprise, he got up from the table and    7    (actual) slid his belt off with an angry look on his face.

“Right, that’ sit,” he said,    8    (fold) his belt over.

He went over and picked up his daughter, who burst into tears, and put her back into the chair. I was really worried that the kid was going to receive an unpleasant     9    (punish) and wanted to protect the poor child. However, her father just used his belt to tie his daughter to these at. It was     10    funny that all of us laughed. After that, my daughter and her friend managed to sit quietly—at least for a little while.

Have you ever imagined exploring into the Yangtze River? A Welsh explorer is believed to have become the first person     1     (walk) the length of the world’s third longest river, the Yangtze River, in China.

The 28-year-old explorer spent two years     2    (plan) his epic (壮举),     3    he says has never been done before. Other members of his walking team dropped out within the first few days because of     4    (sick) and the threat of animal attacks. Yet Dykes managed to continue with his journey, and     5    (attract) millions of fans who followed him on social media.

Ash Dykes began the 4,000-mile journey in July 2018. He faced many challenges along the way, including packs (群) of hungry wolves and temperatures as low as -20°C. On 12 August, he finally completed     6    challenge. One of the highlights (优秀事迹) for Dyke was     7     (be) the first person from Europe to help release (释放) rare Chinese sturgeon (鲟) into the river. This species of fish is     8     (rare) than the giant panda and is well loved by people in China. Dykes wanted to monitor the health of the river, keeping track    9    pollution as he walked. He said “The good news is that I’ve seen a huge increase in knowledge and understanding within the communities, towns and cities along the way. People are aware of the damage being caused to their water sources and are now    10    (active) changing their ways for the better-it’s inspiring to see.”

More than 1,600 artists from 100 countries entered the 2021 Youth with Refugees(难民) Art Competition. The competition was run by the United Nations’ refugee agency. It     1    (challenge) young people to design a soccer ball based on a theme(主题)：“Together through sport”. Five young artists won in the competition.

Nadira Ganji, 17, was one of the     2    (win). She expressed her ideas     3    (different). Her design showed athletes playing a lot of games. Nadira was inspired(启发)by     4     (watch) sports on TV. “They were all players coming from different backgrounds,” she said, “all with different abilities.” She’s also a refugee. At 12, she was forced to leave her hometown for India     5     she lives with her family today.

James Cowley Lane, 10, was from Ireland. His winning design stood for hope. “When I play soccer,” James said, “I forget all my worries.” He had heard     6     refugees in the news. He saw the art competition as a way     7     (help) those in need.     8     five winning designs in the competition were turned into real soccer balls. This     9     (do) by a group called Alive and Kicking. “Their designs look so     10     (impress).” said Ben Sadler who is the group’s CEO. Money from sales will support sport programs for refugees.