Large cloisonne (Jingtailan in Chinese) vases, striking plates and other colorful pieces     1     (display) in Beijing Gongmei Group’s arts-and-crafts factory’s studio near Yonghegong in the capital attract a lot of visitors.

Gaze upon these long enough, and you will be surprised by the     2     (diverse) of distinctive Chinese patterns traced by countless thin golden wires.

“It’s said that there are 108 steps in     3     process of producing cloisonne goods,” says Zhang Yongzhen, the factory’s director,     4     has practiced the craft for four decades. “The traditional handicraft is very complicated. No one can finish the process     5     (complete) by himself or herself. It’s a delicate art that takes dedication to every small step.”

The fundamentals of making cloisonne include     6     (shape) the object’s body; bending and inlaying copper (铜) wires     7     (present) surface patterns; coloring these wires; heating and finally, polishing and gilding (镀金).

Te technique was introduced     8     China in the late 13th century. It’s believed that cloisonne reached its peak and     9     (give) its present Chinese name during Emperor Jingtai in the Ming Dynasty. Lan means blue in Chinese. The craft was     10     (far) developed in the Qing Dynasty, following innovations in copper-smelting techniques.

The dizi, the Chinese flute, is a traditional Chinese woodwind instrument     1     has been played for thousands of years. It is one of the oldest     2     (know) bamboo wind instruments and is still widely used today in various     3     (style) of Chinese music.

The dizi is     4     (typical) made from bamboo. It is a thin, long and hollow（空的）pipe with a blowing hole at one end and several finger holes along the body. It produces a clear and bright sound. It is used in a variety of     5     (music) contexts, including traditional folk music and classical bands. Usually, it     6     (play) an important role in Chinese opera and dance accompaniments（伴奏）. Dizi players use a variety of skills     7     (improve) the instrument’s expressiveness. These skills include circular（循环）breathing, which allows for continuous play without taking a breath.

The dizi is     8     unique and necessary instrument in traditional Chinese music. With     9     (it) beautiful sound and rich history, it continues to attract audiences around the world     10     remains an important part of China’s cultural heritage.

International Tea Day is celebrated every year on May 21. On this day, tea lovers unite in celebration of their favorite beverage. International Tea Day also promotes ways     1     (sustain) the production and consumption of tea. You might be     2     (astonish) to know that tea is the most loved beverage for millions worldwide. Every second, people consume 25,000 cups of tea,     3     suggests more than two billion cups of tea are consumed per day.

In 2005, tea-producing countries came together to celebrate International Tea Day. These countries     4     (be) Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, and Uganda. In 2019, the Intergovernmental Group on Tea decided to celebrate International Tea Day on May 21. The U. N. said yes to the celebrations on December 21, 2019. The first official U. N. International Tea Day     5     (celebrate) on May 21, 2020.

Estimates show that as the world population increases, so will     6     number of tea drinkers. Tea enjoys great     7     (popular) in India and China. These two countries alone account     8     37% of the world’s total population, meaning a significant number of tea lovers live in India and China.

Besides     9     (drink) it for taste, there are numerous health benefits of tea drinking. Drinking tea can reduce the risk of heart attack, protect the bones, boost the immune system,     10     relax the body. Habitual tea drinkers are less likely to suffer from early death. They drink the beverage at least three times a week.

Nanxun Water Town

Located on the Hangjiahu Plain of the Yangtze River Delta, Nanxun Water Town was one of the     1     (rich) towns in China during the Qing Dynasty, largely due to its role in both the production and trade of silk. A few thousand years ago, China was the only place in the world     2     produced silk. Even after the country began to export the goods throughout the world via the Silk Road, the means of silk production remained a     3     (close) guarded secret.

In time, though, some other world powers got     4     (they) hands on some highly desired silk eggs. Though the secret was out, and China no longer maintained a monopoly (垄断) over global silk production, the wealthy continued to turn to China     5     high-end, luxury silk. The same holds true even today, with China still     6     (control) over three quarters of the world market.

Towns like Nanxun, as well as neighboring cities like Suzhou and Hangzhou, were, and still are, major silk production centers. They’re also strategically located close to China’s Grand Canal, the man-made 1,800 km waterway that stretches from Beijing all     7     way down to Hangzhou. During the Qing Dynasty, business was going     8     well that Nanxun Water Town was even home to some of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the entire country. These families were known as the “four elephants.” Their luxurious houses and gardens, most of which     9     (build) using a unique mixture of Chinese and Western architecture, are presently maintained by the town and open to     10     (visitor).

As a traditional and unique folk art craft of Beijing, Beijing silk figurine has     1     long history of more than a thousand years. Beijing silk figurine, “Jan Ren” in Chinese, is a kind of handmade doll made of silk, gauze (纱布) and so on.

Originating in the Tang Dynasty, figurines at that time     2     (make) of bamboo and covered with paper. Later in the Northern Song Dynasty, silk clothing and accessories were added, which     3     (basic) formed the first model of silk figurine.

In the Qing Dynasty, with the     4     (popular) of people’s worship of the God and Goddess of Longevity, silk figurines were made into such images and often used     5     gifts for elderly people to wish them a long and     6     (health) life. And high officials and the wealthy started to purchase silk figurines at high prices as art decorations in the home.

Most of characters of Beijing silk figurines come from Chinese folktales and traditional dramas,     7     are very familiar to the public. From its facial expression, clothing and postures,     8     is not difficult to tell that the silk figurine is all tinged with (带有) the Chinese flavor from head to toe. It takes twelve complicated steps     9     (complete) a final product, and it usually takes craftsmen up to two months to finish one silk figurine. The whole process includes sculpting, painting,     10     (design) clothing, making props (道具) and dressing hair, and each step requires extreme patience and skillful techniques.

In 2017, when Bonino was working for a Spanish e-commerce company doing business in Chile, she received an invitation from China     1     (participate) in a forum (论坛) about the Belt and Road Initiative. In 2013, China proposed this initiative to improve     2     (connect) between the countries along and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes. By 2023, 22 South American countries, including Chile,     3     (join) the initiative.

At first, Bonino was hesitant about     4     trip because she had an extremely     5     (limit) understanding of China. Her references to the country were only the Chinatowns in a few cities around the world. She said, “But then I figured this might be a little different from what I know. And so,     6     the end, I accepted the invitation.”

In June 2017, Bonino visited China for three weeks, and found     7     (her) pleasantly surprised. She recalled, “I was crazy about China. It fascinated me.”

She was so impressed     8     she found a way to return that same year and eventually got a master’s degree in business administration in Beijing. After     9     (complete) her graduate studies, she worked in China for a while and discovered a few new     10     (opportunity), all in all, living in the country from 2017 to 2019.

Today, Bonino manages Los Andes Beltroad from Chile, in the export of cherries and plums from the Andes Mountains to the Chinese market.

Microsoft-backed OpenAI is developing software capable of generating minute-long videos based on text prompts (提示), the company announced on Thursday.

The software, named “Sora” after the Japanese word for “sky,” is currently available for red teaming (红队测试),     1     helps identify faults in the: AI system. Additionally, it is intended for use by visual artists,     2     (design), and filmmakers to provide feedback on the model, the company stated.

“Sora is able     3     (generate) complex scenes with multiple characters, specific types of motion, and accurate details of the subject and background,” the statement said, adding that it can create multiple shots within a single video.

In addition     4     generating videos from text prompts, Sora can also animate     5     still image, as mentioned in a blog post by the company.

The video generation software follows OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot, which     6     (release) in late 2022 and created. a buzz around generative AI with     7     (it) ability to compose emails and write codes and poems.

Sora is still a work-in-progress, with the company     8     (acknowledge) that the model may sometimes struggle with spatial (空间的) details in a prompt and encounter difficulties in following a specific camera route.

OpenAI also mentioned that they are developing tools to determine whether a video is generated by Sora.

The new tool is not yet     9     (public) available, and OpenAI has revealed     10     (limit) information about its development process. OpenAI mentioned in a blog post that it is talking to artists, policymakers and other stakeholders before releasing the new tool to the public.

The Jinyun shaobing, a     1     (tradition) Chinese snack that originated in Jinyun county, located in Lishui city, Zhejiang province, has been enjoying increasing popularity both     2     home and abroad with its unique flavors and long history.

The snack is made of dough (面团) stuffed with various fillings—including pork, dried vegetables, sesame seeds and maltose syrup. It’s baked in a barrel-shaped oven at high temperature until the crust (外皮) is crisp and golden.

The snack has been passed down for more than 650 years in Jinyun. It     3     (be) once a favorite food of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty,     4     tasted it during his military campaign in Jinyun. Liu Ji,     5     famous scholar and official of the Ming Dynasty, also wrote a poem praising the snack.

Jinyun shaobing is not only a delicacy for locals and     6     (tour), but also a source of income and pride for many Jinyun folks.

The local government has     7     (high) valued the development of the Jinyun shaobing industry and set up a special office to support it in 2014.

By the end of 2022, the Jinyun shaobing industry had generated a total output value of 3.02 billion yuan,     8     (provide) jobs for some 24,000 people.

It had opened more than 8,000 stores across China and in 16 countries and regions—including the United States, Italy, Spain, Australia and in the United Arab Emirates.

    9     (adapt) to different markets and tastes, Jinyun shaobing makers have innovated     10     (they) products with various fillings such as seafood and cheese.

As winter draws in, many flock to the south of China for its warmer climate and great beaches. However, those who are more daring head north looking for snowy adventures in the icy climates of Northeast China.     1     particular, an increasing number of tourists have been drawn to the frosty delights of Harbin, known as the Ice City.

Harbin, whose name is said to originate from a Manchu word that means “a place for drying fishing nets”, sprung up from a small rural     2     (settle) along the Songhua River to become one of the largest cities in Northeast China and capital of Heilongjiang province.

The city flourished with the arrival of the Chinese Eastern Railway,     3     connected it to the outside world, especially the Russian Empire. This paved the way for Harbin’s future development of     4    (it) unique culture where East meets West.

The city is     5     (distinguish) for its ice and snow festivals across the globe. These attract thousands of visitors, with sculptors     6     (travel) from all corners of the world to showcase their talents and a variety of winter-themed activities and sports.

Apart from these festivals, the city has much more to offer, from its     7     (tradition) European-style architecture to its more modern buildings, such as the Harbin Grand Theatre and the city’s most famous landmark, the Saint Sophia Cathedral. The unique cuisine, including Harbin-style smoky-savory red sausage, guo bao rou and kvass, a fermented cereal-based drink, can all     8     (sample) along Zhongyang Street.

While winter may be the best time     9     (visit) Harbin, the city has plenty to offer all year round and its individual charms make it     10     must-see spot no matter the weather.