China’s “ice city” Harbin in Northeast Heilongjiang Province has definitely become a tourism hotspot,     1    （attract） millions of tourists from home and abroad. Beyond the attraction of ice and snow tourism, the lesser-known     2    （diverse） and rich cultures of local ethnic（民族的） minority groups have also been brought under the spotlight.

At the tourist-packed Central Street, a street famous     3     its Western architecture during different times in downtown Harbin, a group of Aoluguya Ewenki（敖鲁古雅鄂温克民族） people     4    （dress） in their ethnic costumes with seven reindeer（驯鹿） are singing their     5    （tradition） songs while walking down the street. Tourists crowd around them,     6    （excited） taking photos and videos.

The Aoluguya Ewenki is the only ethnic group in China     7     raises reindeer. According to media reports, sometimes people confuse the Ewenki people with the Oroqen people, one of     8     smallest ethnic groups in China. The Aoluguya Ewenki decided to take advantage of the opportunity of Harbin’s booming tourism industry     9    （show） their unique culture and identity to visitors from all over the country.

Since the Aoluguya Ewenki people’s public appearance, more and more local ethnic minority groups     10    （do） the same, with some from other parts of the nation even journeying to Harbin. “If you want to see China’s rich multi-ethnic cultures, you should come to Harbin now,” netizens state encouragingly on social media.

The 2023 Chinese Bridge Calligraphy and Painting Contest lasted for six months,     1     (attract) 1, 084 contestants from 86 countries     2     a total of 1, 146 calligraphy and painting works.

According to experts, the award winning calligraphy works this year mirrored many Chinese classic elements with more     3     (expressive) and creativity, compared to the winners of last year's contest,

“I feel honored to be the judge again and also     4     (delight) to find that the entries for this year have been such a breakthrough. From their progress, you can     5     (definite) see the authors must have spent a lot of time and energy learning traditional Chinese culture, ” commented one of the judges.

At the closing ceremony, Zhang Bo, professor from Beijing Language and Culture University, gave high praise of the achievement of overseas Chinese teaching,     6     played a significant role in cultural exchanges. He said the quality of the entries resulted from the contestants' years of study, as well as     7     guidance and assistance of overseas Chinese teaching behind them.

The experts suggested watching the videos about the contestants on the website. “Through these videos, we can see their daily practice and creation process,     8     we can also feel their understanding and love for Chinese culture from their introductions. The creative process of calligraphy and painting     9     (have) a visual appreciation similar to dance. It is our hope that these videos     10     (share) on social media will encourage more people to develop a love for Chinese culture.”

Thirty cultural relics have been returned to the Chinese mainland from Taiwan thanks to the joint efforts of people on both sides     1     the Strait.

They,     2     (transfer) to the National Cultural Heritage Administration on Monday, marked the     3     (large) return of lost relics to the mainland from Taiwan in recent years. Thirteen of the returned pieces, including the heads of broken Buddhist images,     4     (show) at a donation ceremony at the National Museum of China in Beijing on Monday. Wu Chih-yang, co-president of the association, confirmed that the returned relics were collected by “warmhearted people” from overseas     5     then gathered by the association. Wu said, “Donation of these items is more than     6     exchange of cultural heritage across the Strait. Cultural     7     (communicate) has always played a crucial role in     8     (strengthen）our links.” Sammy Yang, vice-chancellor of Taipei's Shih Hsin University, said a preliminary (初步的) assessment in Taiwan two years ago     9     (indicate) a high degree of similarity in the artistic styles, materials and craftsmanship of some of the painted sculptures with others in Shanxi province.

Analysis of cutting marks on some head statues led to the guess     10     they may have been stolen about 30 years ago, considering some statues were cut and stolen from a Shanxi temple in an identical way in 1993. They were later found and returned from Taiwan in 1999.

Mamianqun, also known as Horse-face Skirt, is one of the     1     (representative) of the ancient Chinese style skirt.     2     appeared in the Song Dynasty and grew popularduring the Ming Dynasty. Ever since, it has reserved its     3     (distinction) “horseface” structure and undergone a fascinating evolution.

This traditional skirt is composed of two overlapping panels of fabrics, each of     4     is identical and forms half of the skirt. With four openings, two in the front and two behind, the skirt is well-suited     5     women planning to go horseback riding. Typically, the decorative patterns of mamiangun     6     (divide) into individual and broad embroidery (刺绣) fabric patterns,     7    (carry) unique meanings respectively.

Up to now, Hanfu designers and enthusiasts     8     (develop) more modified andmodern-style mamianqun.     9     (additional), to bring new life to this historical cultural costume, Hanfu enthusiasts have integrated mamiangun with more casual clothes like T-shirts or blouses, presenting     10     more casual look.

A “White Box” Digital Transition Model for Education

Liu Xinsheng, a student in a rural school in Zibo, Shandong province,     1     the English teaching resources are limited, has been learning English through a small terminal (终端机) on a     2     (day) basis.     3     textbook-sized smart terminal, nicknamed “white box”, has become the most important tool for improving Liu’s English-speaking skills.

Technology enhances education and     4     (bridge) the gap effectively in educational resources between rural and urban areas. Students in the school can not only correct their     5     (pronounce) but also receive real-time feedback. Additionally, after submitting assignments through the device, they immediately receive corrections for certain tasks.

The AI-enabled rural education in Linzi district is just an example of how Zibo is     6     (true) promoting a digital transition in its education sector. By the end of last year, 97 percent of primary and secondary schools in Zibo     7     (complete) the digital transformation, with 295 schools establishing smart campuses     8     (equip) with multimedia classrooms.

Sun Yingtao, head of the Zibo Bureau of Education, said that     9     (ensure) that children enjoy high-quality education is the original intention of promoting digital education. “Digital education in Zibo has just begun and there are still many new situations, problems and challenges to deal     10    . In the future, we will accelerate the innovation of digital education application prospects and make every effort to strengthen the city’s digital education ecosystem,” Sun said.

The Mount Changbaishan Geopark, along with five other Chinese geoparks,     1     (recognize) as a Global Geopark by UNESCO on March 27. The number of Global Geoparks in China has increased to 47, making     2     the country with the most such geoparks in the world.

“China is rich in geological heritage, with a broad distribution and a complete range of geological types,” Ren Fang,     3     expert with the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, told People's Daily. “It is one of the first countries worldwide to propose and establish national geoparks.”

China set up national-level geoparks and began applying for Global Geopark status in 2003 in response to UNESCO's initiative     4     (establish) the Global Geoparks Network (GGN) . In 2004, Beijing witnessed the First International Conference on Geoparks,     5     17 European geoparks and eight Chinese geoparks joined the GGN. The network aims to promote best     6     (practice) and high standards for the conservation of geological heritage and the promotion of     7     (sustain) regional economic development.

The Mount Changbaishan Geopark, newly     8       (add) to the GGN network, is situated in Jilin Province and is home     9     the “millennium eruption,” a massive volcanic event that occurred roughly1, 000 years ago. Renowned for its Quaternary volcanic landforms, the park, spanning 2, 723 square km,     10     (feature) giant compound volcanic cones, ancient eruptions and their deposits, and the splendid Tianchi lake. With over 380 craters, it boasts the highest number, greatest density, and widest distribution of volcanic rock types in East Asia.

Distracted driving is an ongoing problem. A new poll by State Farm,     1     insurance company, proves once again that the roads are full of fools. One in five of the 912 drivers     2     (survey) last November admitted accessing the Internet on their smartphones while driving. Over the past several months, the company     3     (conduct) a deeper study.     4     (teenager) and young adults are more addicted to their phones, and they’re also less experienced drivers, a reason for danger on the roads with a likely     5     (high) percentage of smartphone use while driving.

Despite     6     (acknowledge) the dangers, none of the guilty drivers seems to be ashamed of     7     (them). “I’m not saying it’s the smartest thing in the world,” says Sean Black, a 38-year-old Illinois resident, “but I guess I just do it anyway.”Maybe, to a certain degree, this behavior will never change     8     a near-accident or actual crash doesn’t take place. Even then, the change will only happen     9     the basis of each individual case, and it puts the lives and well-being of innocents at the mercy of those     10     are too lazy to change their habits.

Shadow puppetry—also called shadow play—     1     (get) its start thousands of years ago in China and India. This unique form of storytelling is the     2     (old) type of puppetry in the world so far.

    3     is placed between a light and a screen is a vividly—shaped shadow puppet. Moving it creates the illusion(错觉) of a moving image on the screen.     4     experienced puppeteer can make figures appear to walk, fight and dance.

The first shadow puppets were likely made out of animal hides (兽皮). Their strength and     5     (flexible) allowed the puppeteer to move the puppet easily to create the desired effects. Today, a wide variety of materials are accessible     6     people. You might see shadow puppets made out of paper, plastic, wood or cloth. There’s no end to how creative puppeteers can be when     7     (make) puppets.

Shadow puppets are usually constructed in     8     (whole) separate pieces that are then put together with strings or wires. The strings or wires are usually attached to long rods (杆) that the puppeteer will use     9     (control) the movement of the puppet.

Although shadow puppets can be very creative and elaborate, they also can be very simple. With little       10     no experience, a classroom can put on a simple shadow play with little expense and just a little time.

The fairytale-like scenery of Harbin,     1     its extremely beautifully made ice sculptures and snow-covered Western-style architecture, has been attracting tourists all winter, but the boom (激增) is expected to peak during the eight-day Spring Festival holiday     2     (begin) on Saturday.

“All 24 of my rooms     3     (book) out for the Spring Festival holiday since around Jan. 10,” said Li Liwei, who     4     (run) a homestay in Xuegu, on Harbin’s southeastern outskirts. “Most of the customers are people from southern cities and provinces, including Shanghai, Sichuan and Guangdong,     5     wish to experience the festive atmosphere in the world of ice and snow.”

He said his family helps him run the homestay, and they want to make travelers from the south “feel at home”.

The increasing     6     (popular) of winter tourism has led travel portals (门户网站) to predict a busy holiday season in Harbin,     7     capital of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province.

Mafengwo, a travel service and social networking platform, said Harbin is its     8     (users) most popular domestic destination for the Spring Festival holiday.

The Trip.com Group travel portal said bookings for Harbin are up     9     (considerable) this year, with most made by people from warmer southern cities such as Guangzhou, in Guangdong, and Hangzhou, in Zhejiang province, who are eager     10     (see) snow.