1 . The UK is home to 26 world-ranked universities of the top 200 globally. At the heart of each university is the library, a space for students to access resources, absorb knowledge and gather thoughts. Here are some of our must-visit libraries across the UK.

Located in London, the British Library is home to over 170 million items. The collections offer a glimpse into literary heritage over the ages, from books to maps to manuscripts. Visitors can browse treasures including Leonardo da Vinci’s notebook. Students with a reading pass are known to spend hours at a time in the reading rooms.

Dating back to 1488, the Bodleian Old Library has three notable reading rooms. It is celebrated for its late Gothic architecture. You may recognize the elaborately carved ceiling from scenes in Harry Potter. Students at the university automatically get access to the library.

Opened in 1900, this library is part of the University of Manchester, one of the top five universities in the UK. This library offers limitless research potential for students. Whether you want to make use of the rich collections available, or simply explore the site, this library should be on everyone’s must-see list.

The Mitchell Library is one of Glasgow’s most famous landmarks. On the top of the copper dome (圆屋顶) is a bronze statue of the Roman goddess, Minerva. Visitors can climb the dome for the city’s most distinctive rooftop views.

The Chengdu Sports Center, a giant stadium at the heart of the provincial capital of southwest China’s Sichuan, once     1     (house) many international group matches, where numerous stars including Mariah Carey and Avril Lavigne performed for their Chinese fans here.

Back to 2013, a renovation revealed relics dating back to the Han Dynasty right underneath the middle of the venue. It created a     2     (complete) unforgettable view. Surrounded by the     3     (seat) now still in good condition, the middle of the former field has become a grand excavation site     4     (expose) ancient city walls, streets and canals, houses and gardens.

After nine years of excavation, the Donghuamen historical site opened to a     5     (give) group of local residents on Sunday. The site has been through 21 dynasties,     6     relics dating back 2,000 years,” said Shan Jixiang,     7     established historian. Spanning (横跨) 50,000 square meters, the site proves Chengdu’s city site has remained in the same place for over 3,000 years,     8     is rare in the world. “Donghuamen has the potential     9     (fill) a blank of core cities of China on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List,” said Shan.

An archaeological park is under construction at the site. The first stage will be finished in two weeks and will be made public two months     10     the Universiade (大学生运动会) is held in Chengdu in July, 2023.

6 . Have you heard of these four monuments?

Carhenge. Floralis Genérica. Traffic Light Tree. Hand of the Desert — these are four unusual monuments from around the world you might like to visit.

Carhenge is in Alliance, Nebraska (USA). As the name suggests, it has a lot in common with Stonehenge, the famous stone circle on Salisbury Plain. But while Stonehenge was built with stones, Carhenge was created with cars. The monument was made in 1987 by a local artist Jim Reinders and his family. He used old cars and even an ambulance. At first, the people of Alliance didn’t like it, but they soon changed their minds after it became popular with tourists, who brought lots of money to the town.

Floralis Genérica is a massive statue of a flower. It stands in a pool of water in front of the National Museum of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Eduardo Catalano, a native of Argentina, gave the statue as a gift to the city in 2002. Every morning, the flower opens. Ask anyone who has seen it and they’ll tell you that watching it open is an unforgettable sight. In fact, many people believe it is one of the most beautiful statues in the world.

The Traffic Light Tree is situated at Heron Quay, in one of London’s financial districts. The tree has 75 sets of traffic lights. It was created by French artist, Pierre Vivant, and was installed in 1998. A computer controls the lights, which are turned on and off randomly. The roundabout where the tree is was voted the most popular roundabout in the UK in a recent survey.

The Hand of the Desert is in the Atacama Desert in Chile. The sculpture was designed by the Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrazabal. From a distance, it looks as if there’s a giant in the sand who has stuck his hand out of the ground.

If you’re looking for something new to see, you know where to go!

In recent years, various regions in China     1     (take) advantage of their unique resources and developed a diverse and dynamic rural tourism industry according to local conditions. They have created     2     (innovate) development models, giving rise to a number of desirable rural tourism destinations. They have paved the way for Chinese rural development     3     combines culture and tourism, promotes harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and fights     4     both material and cultural prosperity (繁荣).

With different types and rich forms, rural tourism is     5     (gradual) becoming a new hotspot in the Chinese tourism market. The annual reception and the tourism revenue (收入) have seen significant growth,     6     (boost) the world’s tourism development.

For foreign tourists, visiting rural areas in China is not just about sightseeing, but an opportunity     7     (get) a view of Chinese culture and customs. The beautiful countryside in China holds     8     strong appeal for foreign visitors.

Nowadays, some foreign tourists have shown a     9     (prefer) for immersive experiences in rural areas, such as enjoying tea and traditional opera performances in rural villages in Zhejiang, watching face-changing and fire-spiting shows of Sichuan Opera in rural parks in Sichuan,     10     listening to folk songs in ethnic villages of Guangxi.

8 . Amazing Exhibitions to See in 2023

Looking for your next culture fix? Explore the must-see exhibitions for the coming year.

The Adventure of Pottery, Kettles Yard, Cambridge

4 March - 25 June 2023

The potter, Lucie Rie, was a key figure in British post-war art. Her technical innovations permanently extended the language of studio pottery. Her achievements range from functional tableware to elegant bowls and vases. Rie’s early pots from the 1920s and 1930s underline the modernist principles of clarity and innovation.

Birds of America, Compton Verney

1 July - 1 October 2023

Audubon’s Birds of America examines the artistry and legacy of one of the world’s rarest and largest books. Published as a series between 1827 and 1838, Birds of America achieved international fame due to its epic scale and the book’s outstanding ornithological (鸟类学) illustrations. Compton Verney’s grounds are a wildlife reserve, making the perfect setting for the show.

Love Life, Charleston, East Sussex

1 September 2023 - 8 March 2024

David Hockney’s rarely-seen drawings from the late 1960s and 1970s. In 2017, David Hockney, one of Britain’s most popular and recognizable artists, painted the words “Love Life” on the final wall of the show. Explaining his actions, he said, “I love my work. And I think the work has love. Actually... I love life.”

Impressionists on Paper, Royal Academy

25 November 2023 - 10 March 2024

In the late 19th century, Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists in France totally transformed the future direction of art and challenged the traditional attitudes. They lifted the status of works on paper, drawings, watercolours, etc., from something left in a studio to artworks in their own right. This exhibition brings together around 70 works for visitors.

9 . Architects often spend months or even years perfecting a design to express their ideas more clearly, convey additional information, or outline the right proportions for a building. However, the urgent issue of climate change is placing new demands on their work. For example, in July, Super Typhoon Doksuri battered China, affecting more than 2.66 million people in Fujian Province alone.

Green architecture that conserves energy and reduces carbon dioxide emissions offers a solution, and concerted efforts have been made in diverse research fields over the past three decades to minimize heat loss. In addition, new buildings have to be tailored to the needs of people’s lifestyles.

Ren Jun, a professor at Tianjin University’s School of Architecture, who designed the first near-zero energy house in China in December 2019, said, “You can construct low-energy, environmentally-friendly houses, but if the interior design and environmental quality don’t meet residents’ requirements, these properties won’t be suitable to live in.”

The near-zero energy house, located-in Banbidian village in Beijing’s southern district of Daxing, won the International Design Award in the United States in January last year. The 400-square-meter property, which stands at the entrance to the village, runs on solar power gathered from rooftop panels, with the addition of a small amount of power from the grid (电网).

Ren said the first obstacle to conserving energy in the property was heat retention, which he attempted to achieve by keeping the indoor temperature at a certain level. The property is divided into five areas: a solar garden in the front yard, a central lounge, a water courtyard, a sponge zone, and a back room. For the exterior walls, Ren used three types of insulation (隔热层), including plastic foam, each about 25 centimeters thick.

Ren also looked for ways to deal with emissions at the house. He decided to install a ventilator, which pipes air that is polluted and replaces it with fresh air from outside in every room at the property.

Ren said it would take three to five years before more ultralow or near-zero energy buildings appeared in Chinese cities.

10 . My trip to Antarctic (南极洲) fulfilled a personal goal and dream of mine-reaching all seven continents. I’ve had the _______ to travel to some amazing places for work and pleasure throughout my life, but I had yet to _______ Antarctica.

Several months ago, I was ready to book the trip. To get _______, though, I needed a plan. For me, one of the _______ things I wanted to see was the Antarctic _______, which survives in the worst environment on Earth. So I _______ my trip to Antarctica based on the best time to see baby penguins (企鹅).

I am a self-described bookworm (书虫), and this was the perfect trip to relax and _______ new knowledge. I was able to _______ a variety of seals, birds, whales and penguins. A highlight during my _______ was when I got within a couple of feet of a ________ penguin, something that I will never forget. While I didn’t ________ it, this inquisitive creature decided to come to check me out. ________ took over me. It was ________ amazing to see Antarctic wildlife up close and personal. I was also surprised at how the wildlife ________ with me. These were priceless ________ that I was able to make on my Antarctic trip.