It can be hard not to let negativity go into your day, especially during     1    (stress) periods of life. A bit of optimism makes you become better and emotionally     2    (healthy) in the long term. An optimistic person is always looking for the best in any situation and expecting that good things     3    (happen). But being optimistic doesn’t mean you go into denial and pretend everything is fine when it’s not. It is a particular state of mind     4     you hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

The horse-face skirt, or mamianqun in Chinese, is a traditional Chinese skirt that dates back to the Song Dynasty. Traditionally it has two panels     1     (attach) to a single waistband, which overlap in front of the body to form a “skirt door”, like the horse-face defenses on ancient city walls. It primarily     2     (represent) a Chinese philosophical concept that harmonizes strength and gentleness. The skirt has gone beyond time and space to become a fashion item today. It     3     (prefer) by fans of traditional clothing, who have continued to develop it.

An elderly couple has become stars in the marathon community.     1     (win) at least 200 medals from sports meetings in the past ten years, they are regarded as role models by many people. Initially, the couple started running just     2     (improve) their health. Later, they decided to challenge themselves and signed up for a marathon. Though neither of them had run a full marathon before, they managed to complete it. They believe no matter     3     age it is, the marathon spirit of fighting to the end is essential.

The Terracotta Army (兵马俑) was found in 1974 near Xi’an. It is formed of more than 8,000 sculptures, which     1     (bury) alongside the emperor Qin Shi Huang more than 2,200 years ago. Now, researchers have recreated the shoes of one soldier and analysis of them     2     (suggest) that shoes worn by the terracotta sculptures were surprisingly flexible and slip resistant. If the recreated shoes     3     (true) reflect the real ones, they can help build a better picture of     4     Qin dynasty soldiers wore and how this might have aided them in battles.

Harbin,    1     (know) for its ice and snow festivals, became very popular last winter. An increasing number of tourists rushed to the “Ice City of China” to experience the best of ice and snow culture. Besides the frosty delights, the city still has much more     2     (offer) all year around, including its traditional European-style architecture, unique cuisine and cultural events. The city’s individual attractions make     3     a must-see spot no matter the weather.

Zhao Chuang is a science artist working in Beijing,    1     job bridges science and art by painting and sculpturing ancient extinct species. Zhao reproduces each element described in papers on the history of life in an artistic way, and the     2     (blank) in scientific research are filled by his logic and imagination. His painting of a prehistoric flying animal became the cover of important scientific journal Nature in 2006, a highlight in his career     3     a science artist.