1 . To produce the classic clothing, blue jeans, producers rely on indigo dye (靛蓝染料), the only molecule known to provide jeans’ unique, beloved color. While indigo itself naturally comes from a plant, growing demand for blue jeans throughout the 20th century gave rise to synthetic (合成的) indigo, which is now more commonly used.

Indigo is the dye that makes jeans blue, but it doesn’t mix with water. To dye clothes, usually, chemicals are needed to make the color stick to the cloth. But in Denmark, scientists have created a new way to dye clothes using an enzyme (酶), which is a kind of protein that can cause chemical reactions, instead of harmful chemicals. This new method is better for the environment and doesn’t use poisonous stuff.

The chemical process for dyeing blue jeans has persisted for the last century. Workers are exposed to the poisonous chemicals, which also pollute the environment near factories. Waste water from those factories often ends up in waterways, decimating local ecosystems and even dyeing rivers blue.

Ditte Hededam Welner, the study’s lead researcher, says their new enzyme works really well and is strong enough for making lots of jeans without breaking down. This enzyme makes dyeing with indican, which is like indigo, much less harmful to the planet — about 92% better than the old way.

However, the new method doesn’t fix all the environmental problems of making jeans. Making a single pair of jeans uses a lot of water — enough to fill many bathtubs — from growing the cotton to putting the final touches on the jeans.

Even though the new dyeing process is better for the environment, it’s not always easy or cheap to change to it. Welner’s team isn’t sure if jeans companies will find it easy or affordable to switch to this method. It costs a little bit more — just seven cents extra per pair of jeans — to use the enzyme for dyeing. But Welner believes it’s worth it because it’s much better for the environment.

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

In recent years, Chinese consumers’ sense of identification and     1     (proud) with traditional culture has been growing, leading them to prefer products with cultural heritage and significance. Mamianqun, traditionally     2     (wear) by the Han people, is one of the main representative styles of Hanfu.

During the just-ended Spring Festival holidays, Chinese people wearing traditional clothing can almost     3     (see) everywhere, reflecting the revival of China’s rich culture and serving as a strong new driver for retail spending.     4    , few people know that the     5     (large) Hanfu production base in China is Caoxian County.

Caoxian started to produce Hanfu in 2018 and benefited a lot from the growth of e-commerce. Today, Caoxian accounts     6     40 percent of Hanfu sales nationwide. In 2023, sales of Hanfu in the county     7     (reach) 7 billion yuan.

Caoxian is     8     (current) home to 2,282 companies related to the Hanfu business and 13,989 online Hanfu stores. Meanwhile, close to 100,000 people are involved in the Hanfu industry. It has developed     9     complete Hanfu industrial chain including original research and development, design, production, copyright protection, and other     10     (aspect).

China is known as Xia for its grand etiquette (礼仪) culture, and known as Hua for its beautiful attire (衣裳). With the     1     (change) in society, economic development, and cultural development, clothing has evolved over thousands of years. However, while the forms may have been changed, the essence (本质)     2     (remain) constant.

“In ancient China, emperors like Huangdi. Yao, and Shun brought peace to the world through their clothing.” Clothing holds     3     significant place in Chinese culture. It is not only used for daily wear,     4     (cover) the body and protect it from cold but also as an instrument of management. In ancient Chinese society, there were strict rules and dress codes about clothing. The presence of clothing distinguished civilization     5     barbarism (野蛮), while changes in color and style     6     (gradual) developed into a form of etiquette. Their design conveyed behavioral norms and     7     (they) patterns were rich in cultural significance. Moreover, ancient attire were also an important carrier of morality. China has always been known as a nation     8     values formal attire and etiquette.

What is the Chinese style? It is something that makes people think of China as soon as they see it. For example, the horse-face skirt, which     9     (favor) by international brands and Chinese people for many years, will continue to be attractive. Chinese clothing, as a classical style. has been known to the world overnight with good opportunities. It’s not just a traditional costume style but also a source of     10     (admire).

5 . Ancient Chinese wore clothing that was lighter and thinner than modern imaginations can reach. Let us explore some examples of summer clothing from ancient China.

A sha gown unearthed from Han Tomb No.1 at Mawangdui in 1972, is the earliest, most well-preserved and thinnest dress in the world. The plain gown, “thin as a cicada wing” and “light as smoke”, weighs 49 grams. It is only 25g with the sleeve openings and collar removed and can be folded into a matchbox. This piece represents the highest level of early Han in silk reeling and fabric manufacture.

Well-suited for the humid southern regions of China, luo has larger holes in the fabric compared with sha, making it more lightweight and breathable. From the Han Dynasty to the Tang and Song Dynasties, luo was mainly used for the clothing of the nobility, and only officials of fifth rank or higher were permitted to wear garments made of the material.

Silk fabric s such as sha and luo were highly valued and considered luxurious for common people. However, resourceful individuals discovered a method to use plant fibers though with some weight for clothing production, significantly reducing the cost of summer garments. Ge represents the earliest use of natural fiber as fabric in China.

Among the fabrics used for summer clothing in ancient times, ge cloth was known for its quality and affordability. However, fabric made from the herbaceous plant “ma” offered an even better combination of quality and cost-effectiveness. Since the Han Dynasty, ma has been cultivated on a large scale, making the cloth inexpensive. It is breathable and easy to dye, making it a commonly used fabric for summer clothing.

China has a history of more than five thousand years,     1     makes its culture profound. The     2     (various) of Chinese culture always attracts foreigners to come to visit China. As the carrier of Chinese culture, Chinese costume occupies a place. Chinese costume is very special and its feature is always added in the foreign style. And the classic Chinese costume is cheongsam (旗袍), which is full     3     charm.

Cheongsa m has become     4     representative of traditional Chinese style. Many foreign ladies wear cheongsam to show respect in great occasions. And Chinese beauties dress cheongsam     5     (confident) to show the world the Chinese style in the great competition of Miss World. Cheongsam     6     (make) a lady’s body shape look so     7     (attract), and men are attracted by women’s charm.

Recently, in the fashion week, more and more Chinese features     8     (see). Cheongsam style is favored by a lot of famous designers. They combine their own fashion with cheongsam style,     9     (present) the world with the beauty of female’s body and the charm of Chinese costume style. As more and more foreigners become interested in Chinese culture, they have a strong desire     10     (know) the real China.

7 . The world continues to struggle with extreme heatwaves, which are becoming even more regular thanks to climate change.     1     Researchers have found that by wearing appropriate clothes, it is possible to save considerable energy, both saving money and cutting greenhouse gas emissions. So what should you wear?

When it comes to colour, most people wear white in summer, because white reflects the sun’s rays, rather than absorb the light.     2       When that heat from our bodies hits the white clothing, it is reflected back at us. A study of why Bedouins, who live in desert regions in the Arabian peninsula, Middle East and North Africa wear black robes (袍服) in the desert, found that heat exposure was the same whether they wore black or white robes.

How is that possible? Black coloured fabrics absorb heat coming from the body, which plays a role in cooling your body down.     3     The clothes heat up the space between the fabric and the skin, promoting an upward air current like a chimney—and providing cooling relief.     4       

In terms of material, it’s better to have fabrics that allow water vapour (蒸气) to pass through. Cotton absorbs moisture but it doesn’t dry quickly, so if you’re sweating a lot your clothes will stay wet.     5     Linen is widely worn as it has excellent breath ability due to its large fabrics, but like cotton it is slow to dry. Merino wool has been a popular choice for outdoor enthusiasts as it’s breathable.

Therefore, it turns out that picking an outfit to stay cool is more complex than simply throwing on a white T-shirt. But the right fabric and appropriate fit work.

An exhibition     1     (feature) traditional costumes of China’s Miao ethnic group and a show with models wearing Miao embroidery (刺绣) clothing kicked off on Sunday in Milan, the fashion capital of Italy. The event offered the audience an opportunity     2     (appreciate) the craftsmanship of Miao embroiderers at close quarters.

“Fashion first of all is culture,” Raffaela Godi, from the audience, told Xinhua. “This fashion show we just saw is an example of     3     is culture, art and fashion together.”

The Miao ethnic group residing     4     (large) in southwest China’s Guizhou Province has a population of 4.3 million and more than 100     5     (branch). Miao people use needles and threads to embroider patterns representing nature and the ethnic group’s history on their costumes. Due to its     6     (art) charm, techniques and rich culture, Miao embroidery has been recognized as a national-level intangible cultural heritage.

Shi Chuanying, an embroiderer from Taijiang County of Guizhou Province,     7     (bring) her works to the exhibition in Milan. “Miao embroidery’s presence at Milan Fashion Week will be     8     great significance to us, and I believe the embroidery will be appreciated on a global stage,” said Shi.

As an experienced embroiderer, she has led more than 300 local embroiders to make Miao embroidery products     9     (export) to France and Italy.

Long Youming, director of the Guizhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, said the event is     10     good way to present traditional Chinese culture and accelerate the industrialization, internationalization and branding of Miao embroidery.