On Nov. 3, 2022, the Mengtian lab module of China’s Tiangong space station carried out a crucial transpositioning operation,     1     (mark) the completion of the Chinese station’s in-orbit assembly.

The lab module is about 17.9 meters long and     2     (weigh) more than 23 metric tons. It has 32 cubic meters of inner space, which can     3     (use) by astronauts. The spacecraft consists     4     four sections-a crew working compartment, a payload section, an airlock cabin and a service module.

Liu Guoning, deputy chief designer of the scientific cabinet system, said the scientific experiments     5     will be carried out inside the Mengtian are expected to enable scientists to conduct cutting-edge studies     6     get world-class findings.

In 2022, China launched two new crewed spaceships-Shenzhou XIV and Shenzhou XV respectively on June 5 and Nov. 29. On Nov. 30, the six Chinese astronauts from the two missions marked a     7     (history) moment as they met inside the Tiangong space station. It was the first time that six Chinese were in a space station at the same time and the first in-orbit gathering of two Chinese     8     (crew).

After accomplishing many “firsts” during their six-month space station mission, three Chinese astronauts on board the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship returned to Earth     9     (safe) on Dec.4. The Shenzhou XV astronauts are scheduled     10     (stay) in orbit for six months to carry out a number of assignments.

3 . Mexico is a very colorful country, which is located in the south of North America. It combines a relaxing beach holiday, unusual mysterious excursions and an energetic nightlife. If you happen to visit Mexico, be sure to visit at least some of its attractions.

CHICHEN-ITZA

This is a sacred village located on the Yucatan Peninsula, in which the ancient Mayan people lived. The combination of Mayan construction techniques with new elements from central Mexico make Chichen-Itza one of the most important examples of the Mayan civilization in Yucatán. Chichen Itza is considered the best preserved Mayan city, so it is highly popular. The most famous structure of the city is the temple of the god Kukulkan, a 30-meter-high pyramid.

PALACE OF FINE ARTS

The Palace of Fine Arts, which is considered a symbol of Mexico city, is one of the most spectacular buildings in the heart of the city. Situated at one end of the Alameda garden, it offers visitors endless architectural, artistic and historical facts, inside and out. On the top floor, you’ll find the National Museum of Architecture, which showcases the work and lives of famous Mexican architects, and multiple art museums and galleries.

PARK SHKARET

This is a natural amusement park with a zoo and a botanical garden, waterfalls and underground rivers, caves, bright evening shows (for example, dance and horse shows, and other performances). The territory of the unique park is huge, so it is unreal to bypass it in one day. Here you can also visit the buffet restaurant, which is included in the ticket price.

HIERVE EL AGUA

Hierve el Agua is an unforgettable destination in the mountains of Oaxaca. It is a set of stunning travertine rock formations that appear like a frozen waterfall from a distance. The hot springs on the top, as with many other mineral-rich springs around the world, have a reputation for supposed healing qualities. Swimming here, at the same time enjoying the mountain scenery around, is an absolute pleasure and, besides, the recovery of the body.

South Koreans have enjoyed their first close-up look of new baby giant pandas at a name-revealing ceremony that is also     1     early celebration of the 100 days since the twins’ birth.

What to name the twin sisters was widely discussed among netizens after they were born on July 7 in theme park Everland. The names were     2     (ultimate) decided on through two public voting     3     (procedure). One is named Rui Bao, which means wise treasure, and the other is Hui Bao or shining treasure. Half a million panda lovers helped choose their names with a handful of lucky fans     4     (invite) to the ceremony. “They are even     5     (cute) in real life than they appear on screen,” said a college student in attendance.

The baby pandas,     6     have just begun teething and crawling, are very healthy. Everland has shared videos documenting the pandas’ growth online. The twins’ birth has gained 640,000 views since it     7     (upload). “This feels like a great opportunity to call for better     8     (preserve) of pandas,” said Donghee Chung, head of the park’s zoo. Chung noted that between 40% and 50% of panda births result     9     twins.

Everland said it would monitor the twins’ health     10     (determine) when the twins are ready to be open to the public.

7 . Scientists have been experimenting with playing sounds to plants since at least the 1960s, during which time they have been exposed to everything from Beethoven to Michael Jackson. Over the years, evidence that this sort of thing can have an effect has been growing. One paper, published in 2018, claimed that an Asian shrub known as the telegraph plant grew substantially larger leaves when exposed to 56 days of Buddhist music — but not if it was exposed to Western pop music or silence. Another, published last year, found that marigolds and sage plants exposed to the noise of traffic from a busy motorway suffered growth difficulty.

Plants have been evolving (进化) alongside the insects that eat them for hundreds of millions of years. With that in mind, Heidi Appel, a botanist now at the University of Houston, and Reginald Cocroft, a biologist at the University of Missouri, wondered if plants might be sensitive to the sounds made by the animals with which they most often interact. They recorded the vibrations made by certain species of caterpillars (毛毛虫) as they chewed on leaves. These vibrations are not powerful enough to produce sound waves in the air. But they are able to travel across leaves and branches, and even to neighbouring plants if their leaves touch.

They then exposed tobacco plant — the plant biologist’s version of the laboratory mouse — to the recorded vibrations while no caterpillars were actually present. Later, they put real caterpillars on the plants to see if exposure had led them to prepare for an insect attack. The results were striking. Leaves that had been exposed had significantly higher levels of defensive chemicals, making them much harder for the caterpillars to eat. Leaves that had not been exposed to vibrations showed no such response. Other sorts of vibration — caused by the wind, for instance, or other insects that do not eat leaves — had no effect.

“Now speakers with the right audio files are more often being used to warn crops to act when insects are detected but not yet widespread,” says Dr. Cocroft. “Unlike chemical pesticides, sound waves leave no dangerous chemicals.”