Have you ever noticed when ordering takeaway food     1     there is an additional cost on top of the delivery fee? That is the packaging fee (包装费).

This fee is uneasy     2     (notice) because it is usually small and people acknowledge its value because takeaway food     3     (need) proper packaging.

Now,     4     , some shops have been found to be adding unrelated costs     5     it,     6     (give) consumers unpleasant surprises. Some     7     (shop) apply individual packaging fees for each ingredient of milk tea, each kebab in a barbecue, and even for choosing the flavor of     8     hot-pot meal. With all these charges stacking up, sometimes the     9     (seem) insignificant (微不足道的) outsourcing fees can account for half of the cost of a takeout order.

The Shanghai Consumer Protection Commission in Tune     10     (call) for rules on standardized and transparent packaging fees for takeaways in June, 2023.

Have you ever wondered what life is like now     1     (compare) to, say, the 1980s or the 1990s? I went to ask some people I know who were adults in the ‘80s and 90s’, and the answer I got was that “Overall, life is a lot     2     (good) now!” This didn’t really surprise me. I mean, these days we’ve got mobile phones and the internet and so on — but     3    (actual) those weren’t the things they talked about.

So what did they talk about? For     4     start, we don’t have to work physically hard since now there are a lot of things like dishwashers for housework. Then there’s the matter of how, these days,     5     is possible to work at home — it’s mainly     6    (computer) that have made this possible. Not only that, there’s a lot more     7     (equal) now. It’s easier for all people, whatever their social background, gender (性别), colour and so on, to have equal access     8     a variety of career opportunities.

That said, it’s not all a matter of improvement. Quite a few people told me that they feel more stressed these days because they rely a lot on technology and they are always     9    (anxiety) about security on the internet. Plus, we spend a lot of our time     10     (use) smartphones. One person said, “Wouldn’t it be great to be off the grid (不上网) for a few days?”

Ma Mian Qun, also     1     (know) as “Ma Mian Zhe Qun (horse face pleats (褶) skirt) ”, is a kind of traditional Chinese dress. The question of why the dress     2     (name) Ma Mian Qun has always been puzzling. What’s the relationship between the animal’s name and the skirt? In fact, “Ma Mian” is a kind of structure used for defense in the city wall system.

But     3     its name is really related to the city wall is still a question to be confirmed. All the books about Ma Mian Qun, whether they are related to costumes, operas     4     cultural relics, only show that the smooth surface without pleats in the middle is called “Ma Mian”, but there is no     5     (far) explanation for the source of “Ma Mian”.

The Chinese Horse Face Skirt shows     6     unique structural design that pairs practicality with elegance. Its form-fitting waistband transforms into an A-line shape, characterized by a series of pleats that expand outward,     7     (offer) a glimpse of the wearer’s grace with every step.

The Horse Face Skirt, with its deep historical roots, has successfully transitioned into modern fashion, where it serves     8     a bridge between the past and present. In today’s fashion landscape,     9     (design) frequently draw inspiration from the Horse Face Skirt,     10     (skillful) weaving its traditional elements with a modern twist, which thereby broadens its appeal to a contemporary audience.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) said a large atlas moth (皇蛾)     1    (find) on a garage (车库) was identified as the first atlas moth ever documented in the United States.

The department said     2     university teacher took place photos when he found the large moth resting on the wall of     3    (he) garage on July 7. State officials     4    (careful) examined the photos and     5    (confirm) the insect was an atlas moth, one of the world’s largest species of moth.

Atlas moths are native     6     the tropics (热带地区) and have never been documented in the United States.

“This is an     7    (attract) type of insect because it is so large,” said Sven-Erik Spichiger from the agriculture department. “Even if you don’t keep an eye out for insects, this is one that people will get their phones out and take a picture of — they are that striking.”

    8    (researcher) said they are now trying to find out if the moth is part of a population in Washington. They are asking anyone     9     discover s a similar insect     10    (report) it to pestprogram@agr.wa.gov .

“We hope residents will help us learn if this was a one-off escapee or whether there might be a population in the area,” the department said.

Curly the robot beats athletes at curling

A robot has beaten top-class humans at the sport of curling (冰壶运动). Klaus-Robert Muller at the Berlin Institute of Technology in Germany and his workmates built the robot,    1    (call) Curly, to master the sport.

In curling, players slide heavy stones down an icy path towards a target (宫垒). Players compete in two teams of four, with most players    2    (take) turns to “throw” a stone or to use brooms (冰壶刷)    3    (sweep) the ice in front of a moving stone. Points are given for stones closest    4     the centre of the target and a team wins by having the highest score.

Curly won three out of four     5    (match) against top-class South Korean women’ s curling teams. The robot throws stones, but doesn’t sweep.

Placed on wheels, the robot has     6     long neck with a video camera to check     7     stones are. Curly’s     8    (power) learning program takes into consideration the position (位置) of other stones and the state of the ice when deciding the next moves. Once the game     9    (begin), Curly continuously learned how to improve on    10    (it) earlier moves, based on the errors it had made.

The silk industry in Sichuan is one of the original points of Chinese silk culture. Sichuan brocade (蜀锦) originated from the Spring and Autumn period, and fully developed in the Han and Tang     1     (dynasty). It has a history of more than 2, 000 years and had a far-reaching influence     2     traditional Chinese silk production. Sichuan brocade features light shades     3     (integrate) in an elegant and care free style, which shows Han Chinese characteristics and local traditions.

Sichuan brocade is one of China’s four most famous branches of brocade, the others     4     (be) Yun brocade in Nanjing, Song brocade in Suzhou and Zhuang brocade in Guangxi. With its     5     (attract) designs and bright, clear colors that follow the style of Chinese-ink paintings, Sichuan brocade was put on the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006.

Silk     6     (produce) in Sichuan Province since ancient times and Chengdu was the starting point of the southern Silk Road. Sichuan brocade is made with local silk and colored silk threads,     7     are the raw materials. Special embroidery (刺绣) skills are used     8     (turn) brocade into quilt covers, pillowcases, clothes and shoes.

    9     subjects of the Sichuan brocade are rich and varied. Some come from legends, myths, historical stories, and others come from landscape, figures, flowers, birds and animals,     10     (especial) the beasts that symbolize fortune and long life.

Xiamen, lying in Fujian Province, is a famous coastal city. As far as I’m concerned, Xiamen is very clean and pretty. In that city, we can enjoy the clear sky, the beautiful sea,     1     green tropical plants. As Xiamen is in the southeast of China and close to the sea, it’s neither too cold in winter     2     too hot in summer. The best seasons to go to Xiamen     3    (be) both spring and summer. Besides, there are some famous tourist    4    (site) in Xiamen. And the most beautiful scenic spot is Gulangyu Island. We can visit foreign architectures, nice gardens, beautiful parks, and     5    (tradition) museums there. Once we are in Xiamen, we can’t miss going to Gulangyu Island, or we won’t have     6     good time.

However, in recent years, Xiamen has become a lot     7    (much) modern than it used to be. Nowadays, more and more skyscrapers and shopping malls     8    (build), which make Xiamen a wonderful city for sightseeing and shopping. So I     9    (eager) wish to spend my summer holiday there next time.

Next year if I have enough time and money, I plan     10    (have) a nice sightseeing tour in Xiamen with my close friends. I hope we can spend the happiest time together there.