If you wake up in the middle of the night, you’re likely to check the time and see how many more hours you have     1     (leave) before morning. But this is a bad idea.

Looking at any source of light     2     (send) signals to the brain to wake up and turns off the     3     (produce) of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin (荷尔蒙褪黑激素).

Biological clocks help regulate the timing of bodily processes, including circadian rhythms (昼夜节律). Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles     4     are part of the body’s internal clock. One of the most important circadian rhythms is the sleep-wake cycle, which is     5     (easy) influenced by light. Even a quick look can make falling back to sleep     6     (difficult).

But even more importantly, checking can cause     7     (addition) stress. Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, a physiologist, sleep and stress management expert suggests that checking the time every time you wake up will just lead     8     a more disturbed night.

“Never check the time if you wake during the night — it is completely normal     9     (wake) during the night.       10     you’re a sensitive sleeper, then checking the time can send you into a whirl of calculations (一连串的计算) and make you worry about how much sleep you will or won’t be getting.”

Nowruz, also known as the Iranian New Year or the Persian New Year, is a holiday     1     (wide) celebrated in Asian countries like Iran. The holiday is believed to have been celebrated since 555 BC. But it was not until 2010 that the United Nations General Assembly officially     2     (recognize) it as a holiday.

Being     3     holiday marking the first day of spring and the renewal of nature, Nowruz usually falls around March 20th on the Gregorian calendar. As with most     4     (holiday), it comes with its own set of traditions. They include the “Haft Sin” table,     5     is made up of seven symbolic items starting with the Farsi letter “S”, all representing a     6     (vary) of hopes for the new year, including health, wealth and prosperity. People also welcome the new year     7     sparkling (闪亮的) homes and new clothes. They visit friends and neighbors and share meals and host parties. Communities come together     8     (celebrate) the beginning of spring and do so in hopes they will be surrounded by healthy and clean surroundings in the new year.

Nowruz plays a significant role in     9     (strengthen) the ties among peoples. Its traditions reflect the ancient and     10     (culture) customs of the civilizations of the East and West, and they’ve influenced those civilizations through the interchange of human values for thousands of years.

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.

Mountains are important sources of water supply to humans. Among the ecosystem services     1     (provide) by mountains, water supply is     2     most important because of the large quantity of free-flowing water. Mountain water resources are affected by glacier melt, snowmelt run-off or rainfall run-off.

Sustainable (可持续的) use of mountain water resources is important for both humans and global mountain biodiversity in the economic and     3     (society) context of human progress. Particular attention should be given in the water resources     4     (come) from the mountain areas. Sustainability has been     5     (previous) used as a term to describe a concern related to preservation of natural resources for future. The relation between human development and the need     6     (manage) resources forms a principle to design a dialogue regarding environmental needs. So far, a limited number of studies     7     (publish) on mountain water uses and sustainability. Most studies are focused     8     examining prevention, diversions, and mountain water storage during floods or droughts.

However, insights into water use, as well as employing state-of-the-art technologies, are very important from both a technological standpoint and as elements of practical sustainable     9     (solution) . The interplay between academics, policy makers, and decision makers is important in expanding the scientific knowledge of mountain regions and the ways in     10     water resources could be used in a more sustainable way.

The “relaxing and inspiration” area set up in a library at Guangdong University of Finance & Economics has unexpectedly become     1     hit online.

According to the library staff, the university     2    (set) up the “relaxing and inspiration” area for many years, which is named to reflect its purpose and has become popular among students. Currently, the library is     3    (continuous) planning and improving the area to make it more comfortable for students.

The library director, Wang Zhongzheng, explains that the main purpose of setting up this special zone is to provide students with a place     4    (relax), rest and inspire creativity after studying. Nowadays, the library has six “relaxing and inspiration” areas next to the study and reading area,     5     students can rest, have a snack, and enjoy the beautiful city landscape.

The area is equipped     6     outdoor tables, chairs, greenery, and other facilities. The library is also planning to upgrade the zone by incorporating     7    (element) of tradition and modernity to meet the needs of young students.

Wang Zhongzheng believes that the popularity of the “relaxing and inspiration” area demonstrates a positive and simple way for young people to cope with stress, which is worthy of     8    (recognize) and encouragement. He also recommends that such an area     9    (establish) in more schools and workplaces to satisfy the people who seek a peaceful and     10    (inspire) environment.

A new chain of coffee shops has sprung up in the city of Wuxi, East China’s Jiangsu province, themed on the ancient Huishan clay figurine (泥人) culture—with a few modern adaptations. The Nanimomo Cafe chain has expanded     1     (rapid) since May last year and now has 11     2     (branch) in operation. The coffee shops display     3     range of figurines and related creative cultural products. In addition     4     drinking coffee, visitors can choose whether     5     (have) a go at making clay sculptures on site.

Huishan clay figurines are made from the black clay found at the foot of Huishan Mountain in Wuxi. They are said to have a     6     (record) history of more than 400 years. And they     7     (list) among the first batch (批) of China’s national intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) in 2006. In Wuxi dialect, Huishan clay figurines are pronounced nanimomo. The two most famous     8     (tradition) figurines are A Fu and A Xi, meaning “good fortune” and “joy”, and the factory has designed and produced several new figurines, such as Nani and Momo,    9     are more modern and attractive to young consumers. There are also several cute and colorful characters,    10     (carry) different types of food for which Wuxi is famous: spare ribs (排骨), peaches and steamed buns.

Taklimkan Desert,    1    (locate) in the middle of Tarim Basin in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is China’s largest desert. It is also known as the world’s second largest shifting-sand desert    2     (cover) an area of over 337,000 square kilometers.

Sand dunes (沙丘) in    3    large desert are usually over 100 meters in height and some are even    4    (high). Because of the wind, the sand dunes are always moving forward, enveloping farms and villages, which    5    (serious) threatens the existence of oases (绿洲)    6    the survival of the local people. Over the past few decades, efforts    7    (make) to fight against desertification. Windbreaks and sand fixation forest belts have been built to improve the ecological environment. Local people have planted poplars and rose willows with the help of experts. There are some places    8    people can even grow corn now. A cross-desert highway has also been constructed to link Luntai and Minfeng counties. Thanks to these efforts, the place has witnessed a(n)    9    (improve) in the living conditions of the local people. Now it’s home to many species of birds, and    10    (it) rainfall is increasing as well.

In Dali, Yunnan Province, there is a beautiful lake, which is situated at 1,972 meters above sea level. It covers an area of about 250 square kilometers, making it the second     1    (large) freshwater lake in Yunnan. Its shape looks like an ear or a moon, so people give     2     a special name—the Erhai Lake.

The temperature of the lake’s surface is 12 °C-21 °C all year round, so the water never freezes. The natural conditions make the lake a suitable place for fish     3    (grow) in. The clear water and     4    (variety) of fishes have become the main food sources for the local people,     5     are very good at fishing. They fish in a special way-training cormorants, a kind of seabird, to catch fish for them.

The Erhai Lake is a hot scenic spot in our country and is famous     6     its wonderful scenery. It     7    (surround) by green mountains. Going boating on the lake is enjoyable,     8    (especial) at night. The moon is reflected on the lake and the soft warm wind     9    (touch) your face. You can see the reflections of lights and the moon sparkle as the water ripples. What a romantic experience!

There are some other places of interest around the lake, such as Erhai Park and Butterfly Spring. Many of them are worth     10    (visit).