Due to temperature rise and safety concerns, the     1     (huge) popular Harbin Ice and Snow World dropped its curtain on Thursday evening.

Since opening on December 19, 2023, the winter wonderland     2     (draw) record-breaking visitor numbers from around the country and the world, with around 30,000 visitors to the park every day, nearly double pre-pandemic records.

Crowded with people on the last opening day, the winter wonderland became a paradise where both adults and children were immersed in a     3     (joy) atmosphere. Right before closing, the saxophone tune of “Going Home” gently echoed (回响) in the park,     4     many tourists wandering about. Children were spotted     5     (rush) to the gate of the giant ice slide, anxiously asking, “Do we have time for one more round?”

The recent temperature rise and windy weather have worried the park’s management about the safety of tourists. According to videos posted by visitors, some ice sculptures can be scratched and marked by nails. Local residents     6     are familiar with the matter warned that snow sculptures do not melt (融化) inch by inch     7     rather could suddenly collapse.

The Ice and Snow World     8     (build) by thousands of craftsmen every winter in Harbin with care and     9     (affect). Despite widespread unwillingness     10     (link) to the park’s closure, it’s an example of how ice and snow art represents the beauty of disappearance.

Pamela Reif, one of the world’s most popular fitness influencers, has become an     1     (inspire) for many people worldwide, offering pathways to fat-burning, increased energy, and improved sleep quality. Lately , she has added baduanjin—a traditional Chinese fit ness exercise     2     her workout videos. The nearly two-minute video has become     3     hit on Chinese social media, with many netizens leaving comments such as “    4     ( apparent), no one can resist the charm of baduanjin”.

Baduanjin, originally     5     (create) over 800 years ago during the Song Dynasty, is a set of traditional Chinese fitness exercises     6     ( combine) physical movement with breathing and meditation. The practice doesn’t require much space or time.

Reif's video has helped introduce the ancient exercise to a wider audience, especially to young people. Film stars and fitness influencers     7     do baduanjin have also shared videos online, which has attracted many new practitioners. Compared with other types of qigong exercise, such as tai chi and wuqinxi, baduanjin is     8     (suitable) for beginners thanks to its simple, gentle movements. Since it also relates to meditation and breathing exercises, it     9     ( regard) as a way for young people to relax and cope with stress.

From online exercise to temple spiritual practices, young Chinese fall in love with it and are keen     10     (spread) Chinese traditional fitness around the world.

I’ve seen my share of wildfires’     1    (destroy) on communities, but in more than eight years of covering these disasters as a photojournalist, the scene over Hawaii was one of     2     worst.

Based in Las Vegas, I’m used to being sent to wildfires in other places. I flew to Hawaii on Wednesday, and by Thursday morning, I was in a helicopter     3    (fly) over Lahaina, a normally busy west Maui town that draws     4    (visitor) from all over the world.     5    struck me the most was the lack of color of the burned earth sandwiched between the shiny blue ocean and deep green-brown mountains in the distance.

No plants or signs of life in sight. Just gray. Street after street was nothing but ruins. It was hard     6    (imagine) the scenic town that was once here.

One sight     7    (make) me worried and provided a clue of the serious damage of approaching fire: burned vehicles on the road along Front Street. They weren’t parked on the side of the road. They were     8    (obvious) abandoned in a big hurry. What happened     9     their owners? Did they escape or were they     10    (kill)?

Beijing roast duck

Beijing roast duck, known for its unique taste and rich historical significance,     1     (refer) to as a “delicacy among all delicacies”. This famous dish traces its roots back     2     the Ming Dynasty and has become synonymous (等同于) with Beijing’s rich cultural relics. To create this masterpiece, chefs start with a selection of fine ducks,     3     (careful) cleaned and inflated to stretch the skin. The duck is then roasted over an open flame     4     (fuel) by fruit woods, such as peach or date,     5     contributes to the distinctive aroma and flavor.     6     sets it apart is the thin, crispy skin that crackles under the     7     (tooth) and the tender, succulent meat beneath. Served with thin pancakes, green onions     8     sweet bean sauce, each bite of the Beijing roast duck is an explosion of taste that embodies centuries-old tradition meeting modern culinary artistry.

The Beijing Duck Museum, founded by Quanjude,     9     Chinese restaurant that has served duck for more than a century, is welcomed by customers during summer vacation because of its free tickets and cozy environment. With high temperatures     10     (heat) Beijing, museums provide welcome relief.

Cheng Yongmao was born in a village in Huairou, Beijing and began to learn the skill of building under the     1     (guide) of his uncle in 1972. Although he didn’t receive a     2     ( high) education, his practical experience enabled him to readily take in the theories, which in turn     3     (improve) his skills significantly.

Cheng received his first Great Wall assignment in 2004. He led a construction team of dozens of members, most of     4     came from mountainous areas in neighboring Hebei province and were     5     (consequent) good at hiking up and down the peaks.

In 2016, he started to work on the Jiankou section, which     6     (consider) one of the most dangerous parts of the Great Wall in Beijing and is known by hikers as the “Wild Wall”. The toughest place is called Yingfei Daoyang (Eagle Flies Upside Down),     7     (suggest) that even an eagle would have to fly straight up,     8     its beak pointing up directly toward the sky to fly over this spot. Working there is dangerous, but under Cheng’s leadership, the workers adapted to the     9     (challenge) environment and built up their strength.

After years of efforts, the section has regained its historical appearance. “Protecting the Great Wall is my responsibility,” he said, “As long as I can climb up the mountain, I’ll do my best to lead my team, especially to assist them in gaining experience     10     making their due contributions.”

The Great Wall of China was built in sections over a period of around 2,000 years, the most famous parts of     1     were built from stone. However, in some areas it was built using “rammed earth (夯土).” This is when soil and rocks are pressed together. Over time, wind and rain can easily wear down rammed earth, so scientists have often questioned how these old sections of the Great Wall     2     (manage) to survive for such a long time.

A group of researchers from China Agricultural University examined     3    370-mile-long section of the wall and found that more than two thirds of it     4     (cover) by biocrust (生物土壤结皮). The scientists took some     5     (sample) of the biocrust back to their lab for testing and discovered that the natural material was     6     (actual) stronger than the rammed earth. Some pieces of the plant-based layer were up     7     three times stronger. This means that the biocrust has strengthened the wall and protected it from     8     (destroy) by weather over the years.

These findings could be important for people who manage ancient structures around the world. Although biocrust may not look     9     (appeal), its natural ability to preserve things could be a very useful tool for experts attempting     10     (protect) precious ancient buildings.

For some, cloning (克隆) is a problem, since it means that the awkward day     1     somebody proposes cloning people is unavoidable. For others, it will help medical researchers mass-produce animals for     2     (they) experiments.

That sort of cloning is the goal of Dr Sun Qiang of the Chinese Academy of Science. In 2018, Dr Sun made headlines by     3     (raise) a crab-eating monkey. The following year, he performed     4     same trick with five crab-eaters. On January 16, 2024, he reported in Nature Communications that he has invented a better way to clone monkeys in quantity and that he has in his lab a healthy two-year-old male monkey     5     (produce) with the new method.

Cloning has become     6     (popularity) since it gave the world Dolly, a sheep that, in 1996, became the first animal to be cloned from an adult with this method. But success     7     (rate) are low. For most species only, 1—3% of implants produce a surviving new-born. Even for cattle, where the odds are better, they are still only 5—20%. At the moment, the only people making money from cloning are companies that clone pets and horses. If cloning animals is to become a     8     (scientific) useful technology, then better ways of doing it have to     9     (find).

“    10     we have just obtained one healthy baby monkey from 11 implants, it’s not a bad outcome for the first trial of a new technique,” said Dr Sun.

Xiangsheng, or crosstalk, is arguably the most popular comic performance in China, appealing to people of all ages.

Xiangsheng first appeared in China during the Ming Dynasty. But it was not until the middle and late Qing Dynasty     1     xiangsheng, established itself as     2     unique and independent art form.

Performed mainly in Beijing or Tianjin dialect, xiangsheng is     3     (essential) known for its humorous and satirical (讽刺的) nature. It could be a comedic monologue, dialogue or multiplayer sketch.

As the     4     (early) form of xiangsheng, dankou, or monologue, is performed by an actor who mainly cracks jokes or simply narrates humorous stories. It’s known as qunkou when it is performed by three or more people.

But most of the time, xiangsheng is performed by two actors,     5     is called duikou. The two actors usually discuss or argue over a subject or a social phenomenon     6     a satirical and humorous manner. The main purpose is     7     (cause) laughter among the audience.

In the early years, xiangsheng performers typically came from a humble background,     8     (start) off as street performers. The most popular     9     (venue) of xiangsheng used to be Beijing Tianqiao, Tianjin Quanyechang and Nanjing Confucius Temple. Later, they began to perform in teahouses and theaters. With the     10     (arrive) of radio and television, xiangsheng began to reach audiences everywhere.

Before moving to the city of Xi’an, capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, Robin Gilbank had     1     (limit) knowledge about the city despite a keen interest in Chinese culture.

“Like many foreigners     2     had never been here, I knew nothing about the historic city except for terracotta warriors at that time,” recalled the 41-year-old scholar from North Yorkshire in Britain.

Enchanted by its profound history and distinctive culture, Gilbank applied     3     a teaching position at Northwest University in Xi’an in 2008. “Shaanxi boasts (拥有) many famous writers. So I decided to translate their works into English so as to provide a new window for the world     4     (get) a glimpse (一瞥) of the real and diversified life here,” said Gilbank.

    5     (work) with Hu Zongfeng, dean of School of Foreign Languages of Northwest University, Gilbank travels     6     (wide) in Shaanxi and learns the dialect from locals to have a deep understanding of customs. They have translated over 30 Chinese novels into English.

The past decade witnesses his deeper friendship with the     7    (native) and the centuries-old city. In 2018, he was awarded as one of the 40 most     8     (influence) foreign experts during the past 40 years since the initiation of China’s reform and opening-up policy.

Since the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was proposed by China in 2013, China     9     (open) wider. Gilbank’s experience is a microcosm (缩影) of the story of     10     increasing number of foreigners settling down in Xi’an. They are kick-starting a new journey in the open and livable city with a population of 13 million.

Kyrgyzstan hosts Chinese culture exhibition

An exhibition of Chinese culture “Walking the Silk Road, Allowing Cultures to Integrate,” devoted to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was recently held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

On Tuesday, Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Edil Baisalov, Charge d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan Li Baojie, representatives of educational institutions of Kyrgyzstan and China and business representatives     1     (attend) the event.

Baisalov said the BRI has changed the entire region, including Kyrgyzstan. It     2     (actual) had a huge impact on the political and economic situation around the world. Li said that over the past ten years, the BRI     3     (develop) from concept to action and has become     4     important platform for international cooperation. He said that Kyrgyzstan and China have been cooperating within the framework of the BRI for more than ten years and have achieved fruitful results.

Li noted that     5     (culture) interaction and exchange are an important part of the initiative. The representative of the Chinese embassy said it is very important     6     (hold) cultural exchange exhibitions,     7     will help the Kyrgyz people to better understand Chinese traditional culture and folk customs, and also help strengthen mutual (相互的)     8     (understand) between the two peoples.

The exhibition featured stone carving with a Spring and Autumn period theme, wood carving with the theme “New Year’s Pictures,” as well     9     paper-cutting. The exhibition was organized by the Kaifeng Management Committee of the Pilot Free Trade Zone of China (Henan), the Kyrgyzstan-China Friendship Association and other     10     (organization).