China’s “ice city” Harbin in Northeast Heilongjiang Province has definitely become a tourism hotspot,     1    （attract） millions of tourists from home and abroad. Beyond the attraction of ice and snow tourism, the lesser-known     2    （diverse） and rich cultures of local ethnic（民族的） minority groups have also been brought under the spotlight.

At the tourist-packed Central Street, a street famous     3     its Western architecture during different times in downtown Harbin, a group of Aoluguya Ewenki（敖鲁古雅鄂温克民族） people     4    （dress） in their ethnic costumes with seven reindeer（驯鹿） are singing their     5    （tradition） songs while walking down the street. Tourists crowd around them,     6    （excited） taking photos and videos.

The Aoluguya Ewenki is the only ethnic group in China     7     raises reindeer. According to media reports, sometimes people confuse the Ewenki people with the Oroqen people, one of     8     smallest ethnic groups in China. The Aoluguya Ewenki decided to take advantage of the opportunity of Harbin’s booming tourism industry     9    （show） their unique culture and identity to visitors from all over the country.

Since the Aoluguya Ewenki people’s public appearance, more and more local ethnic minority groups     10    （do） the same, with some from other parts of the nation even journeying to Harbin. “If you want to see China’s rich multi-ethnic cultures, you should come to Harbin now,” netizens state encouragingly on social media.

Every year, from the 15th to the 18th day of the lunar month of March, the girls in the Miaozhai Village, situated by the Dou Shui River     1     Wuzhishan City and Baoting County meet,     2     (happy) celebrate the traditional Sister Festival.

During these days, following the age-old customs of the Heinan Miao people, they have a special meal known as the “Sister Rice”. It     3     (make) by girls picking wildflowers and leaves from the mountains, dyeing (给……染色) the rice different colors,     4     steaming (蒸) it. After     5     (enjoy) the rice, they join young men in special clothes for sports activities by the river.

Legend has it that the festival originated from the following story: A long time ago, many girls lived by the Dou Shui River. Due to its remote location, it was difficult for them     6     (meet) people from other places, and as a result, they remained unmarried. Later they came up with a     7     (wonder) idea. In March, each girl contributed some rice and invited girls and young men from other areas for a meal. During the meal, they did various lively     8     (activity): some sang and danced, some raced horses, some played drums, and a few even did bullfighting. Over time, the local girls and the visiting young men developed deep friendships, which eventually led     9     lifelong partnerships.

Since then, the village     10     (continue) the tradition, celebrating the Sister Festival every year.

The 2023 Chinese Bridge Calligraphy and Painting Contest lasted for six months,     1     (attract) 1, 084 contestants from 86 countries     2     a total of 1, 146 calligraphy and painting works.

According to experts, the award winning calligraphy works this year mirrored many Chinese classic elements with more     3     (expressive) and creativity, compared to the winners of last year's contest,

“I feel honored to be the judge again and also     4     (delight) to find that the entries for this year have been such a breakthrough. From their progress, you can     5     (definite) see the authors must have spent a lot of time and energy learning traditional Chinese culture, ” commented one of the judges.

At the closing ceremony, Zhang Bo, professor from Beijing Language and Culture University, gave high praise of the achievement of overseas Chinese teaching,     6     played a significant role in cultural exchanges. He said the quality of the entries resulted from the contestants' years of study, as well as     7     guidance and assistance of overseas Chinese teaching behind them.

The experts suggested watching the videos about the contestants on the website. “Through these videos, we can see their daily practice and creation process,     8     we can also feel their understanding and love for Chinese culture from their introductions. The creative process of calligraphy and painting     9     (have) a visual appreciation similar to dance. It is our hope that these videos     10     (share) on social media will encourage more people to develop a love for Chinese culture.”

The Angkor Archeological Park,    1     (lie) in Northwest Cambodia’s Siem Reap province and listed as a World Heritage in 1992, is the most popular tourist destination in the kingdom. It is also home     2     91 ancient temples built between the 9th and the 13th century. Cambodia     3     (have) a significant rise in the number of Chinese holidaymakers to its     4     (fame) park during the past two months in a state-owned Angkor Enterprise’s report, in which     5     total of 235,850 foreigners from 169 countries and regions toured the ancient park, up 50 percent in the same period last year.

Officials hope that the 2024 Cambodia-China Exchange Year would help bring Chinese tourists to Cambodia, especially to the Angkor. “I’m super confident that this year will become a new     6     (rise) force to attract more Chinese tourists,” Tourism Minister Sok Soken addressed at the launching event. He also said China was the fifth     7     (large) source of international tourists to the Angkor after South Korea, the USA, France, and Britain,     8     presence has significantly benefited the kingdom’s tourism development, economic growth and poverty     9     (reduce). He believes that the Chinese-invested Angkor International Airport, which officially launched its commercial operations in November 2023, would help motivate more international     10     (invest) to pump in fresh capital.

Thirty cultural relics have been returned to the Chinese mainland from Taiwan thanks to the joint efforts of people on both sides     1     the Strait.

They,     2     (transfer) to the National Cultural Heritage Administration on Monday, marked the     3     (large) return of lost relics to the mainland from Taiwan in recent years. Thirteen of the returned pieces, including the heads of broken Buddhist images,     4     (show) at a donation ceremony at the National Museum of China in Beijing on Monday. Wu Chih-yang, co-president of the association, confirmed that the returned relics were collected by “warmhearted people” from overseas     5     then gathered by the association. Wu said, “Donation of these items is more than     6     exchange of cultural heritage across the Strait. Cultural     7     (communicate) has always played a crucial role in     8     (strengthen）our links.” Sammy Yang, vice-chancellor of Taipei's Shih Hsin University, said a preliminary (初步的) assessment in Taiwan two years ago     9     (indicate) a high degree of similarity in the artistic styles, materials and craftsmanship of some of the painted sculptures with others in Shanxi province.

Analysis of cutting marks on some head statues led to the guess     10     they may have been stolen about 30 years ago, considering some statues were cut and stolen from a Shanxi temple in an identical way in 1993. They were later found and returned from Taiwan in 1999.

Archaeologists exploring     1     small village in China announced recently that they had discovered three tombs filled with ancient treasures, including gold ornaments, a jade sword and ivory lacquerware.

The tombs are     2     (actual) a “high-level family cemetery” from the Wei and Jin     3     (dynasty), experts said. These are the first such tombs found in Songzhuang village, in Mengjin District of Luoyang City. The tombs are large, and one was determined to be the second     4     (large) tomb from this time period found in the area, second only to the imperial mausoleum in Luoyang.

The three tombs have been broken into “many times,” according to experts, but still contained treasures including gold ornaments, pottery, coins and more. There were over 200 artifacts found overall, including ivory lacquerware     5     had never been seen before. Those items are believed     6     (be) high-end crafts or practical items, and show the     7     (wealthy) and power of the family in the tomb.     8     (use) the dates of these artifacts, archaeologists were able to determine when the tombs     9     (build).

Research in the area will continue. No information has been found about the tomb owners, so archaeologists said they will try to determine     10     might have owned the cemetery and uncover “more historical mysteries.”

A “White Box” Digital Transition Model for Education

Liu Xinsheng, a student in a rural school in Zibo, Shandong province,     1     the English teaching resources are limited, has been learning English through a small terminal (终端机) on a     2     (day) basis.     3     textbook-sized smart terminal, nicknamed “white box”, has become the most important tool for improving Liu’s English-speaking skills.

Technology enhances education and     4     (bridge) the gap effectively in educational resources between rural and urban areas. Students in the school can not only correct their     5     (pronounce) but also receive real-time feedback. Additionally, after submitting assignments through the device, they immediately receive corrections for certain tasks.

The AI-enabled rural education in Linzi district is just an example of how Zibo is     6     (true) promoting a digital transition in its education sector. By the end of last year, 97 percent of primary and secondary schools in Zibo     7     (complete) the digital transformation, with 295 schools establishing smart campuses     8     (equip) with multimedia classrooms.

Sun Yingtao, head of the Zibo Bureau of Education, said that     9     (ensure) that children enjoy high-quality education is the original intention of promoting digital education. “Digital education in Zibo has just begun and there are still many new situations, problems and challenges to deal     10    . In the future, we will accelerate the innovation of digital education application prospects and make every effort to strengthen the city’s digital education ecosystem,” Sun said.

The Mount Changbaishan Geopark, along with five other Chinese geoparks,     1     (recognize) as a Global Geopark by UNESCO on March 27. The number of Global Geoparks in China has increased to 47, making     2     the country with the most such geoparks in the world.

“China is rich in geological heritage, with a broad distribution and a complete range of geological types,” Ren Fang,     3     expert with the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, told People's Daily. “It is one of the first countries worldwide to propose and establish national geoparks.”

China set up national-level geoparks and began applying for Global Geopark status in 2003 in response to UNESCO's initiative     4     (establish) the Global Geoparks Network (GGN) . In 2004, Beijing witnessed the First International Conference on Geoparks,     5     17 European geoparks and eight Chinese geoparks joined the GGN. The network aims to promote best     6     (practice) and high standards for the conservation of geological heritage and the promotion of     7     (sustain) regional economic development.

The Mount Changbaishan Geopark, newly     8       (add) to the GGN network, is situated in Jilin Province and is home     9     the “millennium eruption,” a massive volcanic event that occurred roughly1, 000 years ago. Renowned for its Quaternary volcanic landforms, the park, spanning 2, 723 square km,     10     (feature) giant compound volcanic cones, ancient eruptions and their deposits, and the splendid Tianchi lake. With over 380 craters, it boasts the highest number, greatest density, and widest distribution of volcanic rock types in East Asia.

Distracted driving is an ongoing problem. A new poll by State Farm,     1     insurance company, proves once again that the roads are full of fools. One in five of the 912 drivers     2     (survey) last November admitted accessing the Internet on their smartphones while driving. Over the past several months, the company     3     (conduct) a deeper study.     4     (teenager) and young adults are more addicted to their phones, and they’re also less experienced drivers, a reason for danger on the roads with a likely     5     (high) percentage of smartphone use while driving.

Despite     6     (acknowledge) the dangers, none of the guilty drivers seems to be ashamed of     7     (them). “I’m not saying it’s the smartest thing in the world,” says Sean Black, a 38-year-old Illinois resident, “but I guess I just do it anyway.”Maybe, to a certain degree, this behavior will never change     8     a near-accident or actual crash doesn’t take place. Even then, the change will only happen     9     the basis of each individual case, and it puts the lives and well-being of innocents at the mercy of those     10     are too lazy to change their habits.

Art Nova 100 has returned to its regular venues near Beijing’s Wangfujing commercial area, offering a more diverse program this year. It’s     1    , annual celebration launched 13 years ago to promote and support artists. Exhibitions are     2     (current) taking place at the Guardian ArtCenter and Longfu Plaza in Dongcheng district, as. well as at the Rong Art space in Haidian district. They showcase recent works of       3     (emerge) artists and foster connections within the historic city center and       4     (it) surrounding university neighborhoods.

Each year, the exhibitions serve as a platform, spotlighting the     5     (innovate) creations of young artists. And they also provide opportunities       6     potential collectors and sponsors to engage with and support these rapidly growing talents.

A new     7     (add) to this year’s program is a creative section, which links shops located in the hutong alleyways run by artists, designers, and other individuals. The aim of this is       8     (enhance) attendees’ experiences by demonstrating     9     art can be integrated into their lives, inspiring new ways of living.

The activities     10     (continue) throughout the following holiday week, offering compelling opportunity for art enthusiasts and the community at large to engage with and be inspired by the burgeoning creativity showcased at Art Nova 100.