Harbin, the capital city of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province,     1     (welcome) nearly 3.05 million visitors, raking in 5.91 billion yuan (about $832.39 million ) of tourism revenue (税收), during the three-day New Year holiday,     2     ended Monday.

Both the number of tourists     3     the amount of tourism revenue surpassed the figures for 2019, marking a     4     (history) peak.

Data from the city's commerce department shows a significant     5     (grow) of 129.4 percent in the accommodation and catering sectors during the period.

Wang Hongxin,     6     official from the city's tourism department, attributed this surge in tourism to Harbin's     7     (increase) popularity on social media platforms which transforms the city into a bustling holiday destination.

    8     (attract) more tourists and improve overall services, Harbin has rolled out an array of activities, including live performances     9     New Year's Eve, firework displays, theme parks, intangible heritage culture shows and concerts. So far a lot of measures     10     (introduce) to enhance the visitor experience in Harbin, covering sectors such as dining, accommodation, travel, shopping and entertainment.

The traditional Chinese solar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Daxue, or “Major Snow” is the 21st of the 24 solar terms of the Chinese lunar year. During Major Snow, the snow becomes heavy and begins to accumulate on the ground, the temperature     1     (drop) significantly.

The snow in North China may last     2     whole day, breaking tree branches and blocking the road. The natural scenery is “hundreds of leagues ice-bound go; over thousands of leagues flies snow”.

    3     a proverb about the snow says, “A     4     (time) snow promises a good harvest.” With the snow covering the ground, the low winter temperature kills pests.

The plum blossom, which     5     (origin) in China, is revered in Chinese culture for its resilience during severe winters. Along with the pine and bamboo, it is considered one of the Three Friends of Winter. Lamb is a favorite food for Chinese people during Major Snow. It’s excellent for nourishing the body, promoting blood     6     (circulate) and providing protection against the cold. People in Chongging like to have     7     (pot) or stewed lamb soup while Nanjing residents like to stew lamb with yams or wolfberries to make it more     8     (nutrition).

During this period, Chinese people watch     9     outbreaks of respiratory illness, which can be prevented by wearing a warm scarf to protect the neck and properly     10     (drink) water.

Aiming to connect two of world’s     1     (large) film markets, the 19th Chinese American Film Festival is scheduled to kick off on Thursday.     2     total of 10 films will be screened at the festival, and the Golden Angel Award     3     (reveal) that day.

James Su, chairman of the Chinese American Film Festival, mentioned that     4     (compare) to previous years, this year’s festival has seen a more practical approach from both China and the US. The government of Los Angeles County has decided to call November the “Chinese American Film Festival Month” for the     5     (eight) year in a row. Many important people in the US and top leaders from big Hollywood movie companies are supporting this     6     (year) festival.

One of the highlights of this edition is the introduction of the “investment and innovation unit” for the first time,     7     provides comprehensive support for excellent film projects from both China and the US. The unit is dedicated to identifying     8     (talent) filmmakers from both countries with creative potential and     9     (support) outstanding projects that have international, artistic, intellectual, and market value.

The festival will combine the best of world culture     10     Chinese culture in an open manner. By discovering and supporting high-quality works, it seeks to further enhance the progress and international reach of film culture in the new era, according to Su.

China’s 13th Arctic Ocean scientific expedition team is now working in the Chukchi Sea. During the roughly 80-day journey, the crew will have about 40 days     1     (carry) out scientific research.

The expedition this time     2     (focus) on the ecosystem changes against the rapid changes in the Arctic with four major tasks,     3     include the investigation of the ecological environment of the Pacific sector in the central Arctic Ocean, the comprehensive survey of sea ice and the geology and geophysics of the Gakkel Ridge (山脊), as well as research on circulation     4     sea ice.

It is the second time that a survey.     5     (conduct) on the Gakkel Ridge, a mid-ocean ridge     6     (stretch) about 1,800 kilometers in the Arctic. “The Gakkel Ridge, a new volcanic ridge, is the Earth’s slowest-spreading mid-ocean ridge, which is vital in studying the     7     (expand) of global plates,” said Wang Jinhui, leader of the scientific expedition team.

A survey of aerosols (气溶胶) in the Arctic is also     8     the way. “The special conditions in the area, such as the change of sea ice cover and density and the change of local species, are the influencing factors that may     9     (significant) affect the generation and emission of aerosols,” said Le, a member of the scientific expedition team.

“Polar scientific research is an     10     (importance) field for mankind to understand the mysteries of nature and explore new spaces for development,” said Wang.

The revitalization (复苏) of abandoned properties in rural China is on the rise. Each     1     (locate) in remote Chinese towns, the following three striking hotels are far from the hustle of the city.

WuYuan Skywells Hotel in Jiangxi province, a previously neglected 300-year-old mansion, was     2     (incredible) restored to its former glory, while maintaining its regional architectural feature Tianjing, a narrow and tall courtyard pulling sunlight inside,     3     introducing elements of modern comfort.

Similarly, by the end of 2022, designers     4     (restore) the Bamboo Craft Village near Chengdu city, preserving the construction traditions to build an extremely     5     (impress) roof. Seen from above, the shape of this building is like a figure “8” or the infinity sign “∞”.

The Treewow Tribe in Zhejiang province     6     (feature) houses that are surrounded by a sea of bamboo trees to provide tourists     7     comfortable privacy. Notably, the free-form roof imitates the free-flowing lines of nature, gracefully     8     (invite) the green landscape into the private space.

Marrying the charm of traditional Chinese designs and the     9     (rich) of modern living, these hotels will definitely offer you     10     unforgettable experience and a perfect getaway.

In old time, local officials must offer some tributes (贡物) to the emperor each year. Mian Bogao,     1    came from Yunnan, was sent to deliver a swan (天鹅) to the emperor. There was no transportation at that time and he had to walk to Chang’an. It was a long and hard time. He kept on     2    (walk) without a break whether day    3    night. A few days later, Mian Bogao was very tired and also found the swan was very    4    (dust), so he decided to help the swan take    5    bath in the river. As soon as the swan    6    (put) into the river, it beat its wings and flew away. Finally, Mian Bogao only got several feathers. He had no choice but    7    (send) these pieces of feathers to the emperor. But surprisingly, the emperor rewarded Mian Bogao instead    8    getting angry. This story can make us understand two points: First, people should be honest and trustworthy, like Mian Bogao. The swan flew away, only the swan feathers remained, and he    9    (honest) offered the swan feathers to the emperor; second, for a gift to someone else, it is the affection that matters, not the gift    10    (it).

Tai chi is a centuries-old Chinese martial art and an internationally popular form of exercise. It is a series of postures (姿势) and motions that develops one’s     1     (strong)and flexibility through careful, flowing movements and focused breathing. Each posture     2     (slow) transforms into another, and we gradually need to shift our weight     3     (maintain) balance. At the end, we return to the starting position: in other words, all of the movements     4     (connect) in an endless, continuous flow.

The practice of tai chi is rooted in     5     (tradition) Chinese philosophy, particularly the ancient concept of yin-yang. The tai chi symbol, or taijitu,     6     (show) yin and yang together: yin symbolizes the dark, female force in nature,     7     yang represents the bright, male force. Yin cannot exist without yang, and yang cannot exist without yin. Tai chi aims to achieve balance     8     opposites in life: yin and yang; soft and hard; mind and body, and so on. At the heart of tai chi is the concept of qi,     9     generally translates as “vital energy”. The different exercises help move the qi through your body,     10     (produce) positive effects on one’s mental and spiritual health.