On February 20, leading Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com reported that sales of traditional Hanfu clothing had surged over 300 percent year on year since January. This trend was mirrored on Taobao,     1    , over the Double 11 shopping festival sales topped 730,000 units. Sales and search data signal a widespread and growing     2     (fascinate) with traditional Chinese clothing styles.

The horse face skirt is a traditional Chinese skirt     3     (feature) a distinct pleated (有褶的) design. It is     4     (occasional) referred to in a more generic sense as an apron. This type of skirt is     5     key component of Hanfu, serving as a lower garment (衣服). It is celebrated     6     one of the most emblematic styles of ancient Chinese skirts, showcasing a rich cultural heritage through     7     (it) unique appearance and historical significance.

Influencers and content creators play a significant role in promoting Hanfu and fostering a sense of community. To date, the horse face skirt on Douyin     8     (attract) more than 17.6 billion views across related topics and short videos. Meanwhile, on Xiaohongshu,     9     (search) for the same term have resulted in over 880,000 posts.

    10     the horse face skirt’s popularity reflects is the growing appetite for Hanfu-inspired designs as well as a deeper cultural revival for classical Chinese aesthetics.

The 24 solar terms     1     (recognize) as “the fifth great invention of China”. Every year around May 21st, the second solar term of summer, Grain Buds, or Xiaoman in Chinese, arrives. While it’s getting hotter and     2     (wet), the seeds of summer crops are already full       3     not ripe. The difference in temperature between the North and the South narrows and     4     greater amount of rainfall is on the way.

“Low rainfall during Xiaoman will bring problems for planting during Grain in Ear (芒种).” Such sayings     5     (guide) agricultural production and the daily life of the Chinese people for thousands of years. In the area south of the Yangtze River, three types of     6     (equip) start to work as Xiaoman gets closer. At this time, the waterwheel is pedaled (蹬)     7     (water) crops. Farmers use the oil mill to extract (提取) oil from the seeds freshly     8     (collect). They also use the weaving loom to reel silk threads.

Xiaoman is actually an interval (间歇) between harvests, so people in the past had to eat wild vegetables in order to survive these tough days,     9     led to a unique eating custom. Meanwhile, as Xiaoman is the birthday of the Silkworm God, people in some areas pray     10     a good silk harvest on that day.

Mind reading is hard. But not impossible. Modern technology can reach inside someone’s head and pull out their     1     (intend).

Decoding (破解) thought usually requires placing sensors directly on or in someone’s brain. Using brain implants, researchers so far     2     (pick) up electrical signals in the brain linked to certain words or letters. This has allowed brain implants to transform thoughts     3     text or speech on a computer. Brain implants have even enabled scientists     4     (turn) the neural firings (神经网络滤镜) associated with a song in someone’s head into real music.

In a recent study, scientists decoded full stories from people’s brains     5     (use) MRI scans. This did not require any brain implants. But building the thought decoder     6     (definite) required many hours of brain scans for each person. What’s more, the system only worked on the persons     7     were willing to have their minds read.

Devices that might let someone secretly read your mind from across the room     8     (be) still a long, long way off Still, it’s clear that mind-reading tech is getting more and more     9     (advance). As it does, scientists are thinking hard about what it would mean to live in     10     world where not even the inside of your head is completely private.

Since its launch in 1981, China Daily has grown rapidly to become the nation’s leading English-language newspaper. With the online and mobile readership of more than 350 million, it serves     1     a vital role in telling the world about China, providing valuable insight into the world’s second-largest economy     2     witnessing China’s rapid development.     3     (consequent), it is quoted more often by overseas media than any other Chinese publication.

Besides the flagship edition on Chinese mainland and Hong Kong edition,     4     (report) news not only domestically but also globally, China Daily publishes an international edition     5     (cover) North and South America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific and Africa on various digital platforms.

Chinadaily.com.cn,     6     leading national website, is China’s most     7     (influence) English-language platform. More than 36 million readers from 180 countries     8     (download) the China Daily app so far, and its PV reaches 52 million. China Daily also has accounts on well-known social     9     (medium) such as Sina Weibo, WeChat, Facebook and Twitter. By the end of April 2022, its Facebook followers had reached 104 million, and Twitter followers 4.25 million.

China Daily plays a key role in the Asia news network through joint and constant efforts of the continent’s leading newspapers. China Watch, a China Daily supplement (副刊),     10     (issue) one year ago as an insert of more than 20 major international newspapers in 18 countries.

Maze Fist, also known as Mi Zhong Quan, is a traditional martial art from China. It     1     (know) for its clever footwork and advanced techniques.

Maze Fist masters use complex footwork     2     involves constantly changing directions and angles,     3     (make) it hard for opponents to predict and attack. They are also skilled at tricking opponents with tricky movements and mis-directions. Besides its     4     (effective) in fighting, Maze Fist also focuses on developing the mind and body. In fact, apart     5     improving physical strength, endurance and coordination, Maze Fist trainers also build discipline and concentration when practising.

Deeply     6     (root) in Chinese culture and history, Maze Fist represents Chinese martial arts’ wisdom and philosophy, emphasizing the balance between body and mind. Practicing Maze Fist leads to personal growth and self-improvement.     7     (master) Maze Fist, one needs dedication and continuous practice. It not only provides just a means to defend oneself but also     8     (promote) one’s self-discipline, respect, and humility. And it offers both     9     (practice) self-defense skills and a path to personal growth. All in all,     10     you are interested in martial arts or want an all-round approach to well-being, Maze Fist ensures you a rewarding experience.

The saying ‘All roads lead to Xianyang’ may not be widely known, but it is the     1    (true)in history. After Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, unified the country in 221 BCE, he began building state-level roads, Xianyang     2    the center. Several long roads were therefore completed,     3    (cover) a distance of about 750 kilometers, running through plains, mountains, grasslands, deserts, and finally leading to Xianyang, the capital city.

Like the Great Wall, these roads,     4    (call) Qin Zhidao, literally the Qin Direct Paths or Qin Highways, are considered another miracle in Qin Dynasty. Generally, the roads were 20 to 60 meters wide and 50 cars could run side by side at the same time on their     5     (wide) sections. The firmly made surface     6    (shape) like a turtle back above the ground to avoid standing water at that time. Another amazing fact is that grass     7    (rare)grow on the road and many parts are still in good condition even today.

The mysterious ancient roads,     8     date back over 2,200 years and predate the Roman Roads by over 200 years, are known to be     9     natural museum in the history of road construction. Historians evaluate it this way: if the Great Wall is compared to a defensive shield (盾牌), then Qin Zhidao is the weapon     10    (guard) the stability and prosperity (繁荣) of the Qin Empire.