1 . African grey parrots help their peers complete tasks despite no immediate benefit to themselves, researchers have found in the first study to show that birds display such apparently “selfless” behaviour.

Writing in the journal Current Biology, Brucks and colleagues report how they tested African grey parrots in a task that involved the birds passing a token, in the form of a metal ring, through a hole in their section to a neighbouring bird of the same species. This token could then be passed by the second bird to a human, via another hole, who would exchange it for a piece of nut.

The team found African grey parrots helped their neighbours by passing tokens to their neighbour when a human held out their hand, allowing the second bird to drop it through-the hole and receive a tasty treat.

The same behaviour was seen when the roles of the birds were reversed (颠倒). The more tokens a bird had previously given, the more they received in return.

However, the team stress previously the birds did not know that their favour would be rewarded, suggesting it is something of a “selfless” act.

The team say it may be due to African grey parrots gathering in huge flocks at night but splitting into smaller groups during the day to forage (觅食). Brucks said such behaviour is thought to require strong social cognitive abilities, adding that being helpful might help the birds gain a good reputation with their peers, making it more likely that they would team up for foraging and other tasks.

Dr Manon Schweinfurth, an expert in animal behaviour, said evidence of reciprocal (互惠的) behaviour in African grey parrots is quite interesting. “It has been thought that it is so cognitively demanding that only humans can show it. But we now get more and more evidence from other animals that they are able to show reciprocity,” she said.

The School Basketball Match

China Before China,     1    eight-episode documentary that tells stories of the origins and early development of Chinese civilization based on archaeological findings, is airing now.

The documentary     2    ( start ) from the Qin and Han dynasties and then traces key points at the dawn of Chinese civilization. The overall narration of the work remains clear, logical and     3    ( accurate ) conveys the sites and relics. “    4    we want to explore are the characteristics of Chinese civilization and its spirit transmitted through our blood, from which we can trace the cultural genes that make us the Chinese people,” says Jin Ruiguo , chief supervisor of the documentary .

The crew spent months     5    ( examine ) archaeological reports and articles. For instance, they explored the     6    (symbol ) meaning of dragon through dragon - shaped artefacts (手工艺品). To make this brief history of early Chinese civilization work , the production team filmed 230 domestic sites and museums and these video clips will also be screened at several     7    (museum) involved. Based on the information, they used digital technology     8    ( bring ) ancient architecture and cities back to life, and invited actors to recreate scenes of daily life. All of this provides the audience     9    a direct and visual idea of the long past. It vividly illustrates the process of historical development, which is the ultimate goal of historical research and archaeological     10    ( explore ).

Yours sincerely,

Tom

The latest film Re La Gun Tang, or YOLO in English, has finally hit the big screen as part of the Spring Festival movies in 2024.

The film    1     (direct) by Jia tells a story of an unemployed woman in her thirties who leads an aimless life. Jia once explained on her Weibo account: “The film is not related to weight    2     (lose) and even has very little connection with boxing. It tells how a kind person finds herself and learns to love    3     (her) ”.

After a family conflict, Le Ying (played by Jia Ling) decides to leave home    4     she lives with her parents and her divorced younger sister. From then on, she struggles to live    5    independent life, working at a small restaurant. Her unexpected encounter with Hao Kun   (played by Lei Jiayin), a boxing coach, brings a glimmer of hope into her gloomy (阴暗的) life. However, destiny    6     (play) another cruel trick on her, further complicating her journey. Instead of    7     (get) depressed, she turns to boxing and pulls through slowly.

The comedy film    8     (control) the box office chart since its debut (首映) , pocketing about 2.7 billion yuan in revenue. “It was    9     (terrible) moving,” said Cheng Zhangli, a viewer in Beijing. “It is the heroine’s unwavering persistence and determination    10    deeply touched me. I believe everyone should applaud their own journey,” she added.

10 . The Chinatown in San Francisco is the biggest in America, and also the oldest. It is a very popular tourist draw that receives more visitors each year than even the Golden Gate Bridge. The climate is mild all year round, meaning it is always a good time to visit.

Historically, Chinese immigrants settled in the area during the railroad construction and gold rush period. What started as a residential area for Chinese immigrants then turned into a centre for Chinese culture. The majority of residents in Chinatown are still ethnic Chinese, many of whom do not speak English fluently. This allows visitors to experience a real taste of China.

Traditionally, visitors enter Chinatown through the legendary Dragon Gate, which was built using materials donated from China. Other famous sites include the Tin How Temple and Bank of Canton. Portsmouth Square is also a key site, being the centre of Chinatown. It has a long and famous history, with the author Robert Louis Stevenson having spent much time writing there. These days, the square is a great place to see traditional Chinese culture in real life, such as games of Chinese chess, and people practising tai chi.

The stores in the Chinatown offer a unique range of souvenirs, goods, and clothing.A ll kinds of traditional Chinese herbal medicine can be found, too, and there are Chinese tea stores, where visitors can taste and buy varieties of Chinese tea. But perhaps what many tourists and San Franciscans treasure most about Chinatown is its food. There is Chinese food to suit everyone’s taste, with traditional dishes from all over China.

China towns are an important part of the diverse culture of the USA. They allow visitors who have never been to China to experience traditional Chinese culture first hand.