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.

U.S. lawmakers, educators and students are among those     1     (push) for all school-age children to be taught more Asian American history.

The Asian American Student Union at Farmington High School in the state of Connecticut is part of this effort. It organized a meeting after the killing of six Asian     2     (woman) in Atlanta, Georgia in March.

Lily Feng is co-president of the group. She thought maybe 10 or 15 students would attend. By the end of the meeting,     3    , nearly 100 people had joined. When she saw the     4     (react) of other students, she said she knew how much they wanted to learn about Asian American issues.

Feng said, “Our Asian American and Pacific Islander community members, they want their voices     5     (hear).” The student group has brought in speakers, had discussions and created lessons     6     Asian American history.

Illinois could become the first state     7     (require) public schools to teach events of Asian American history if the governor signs a bill     8     passed the state legislature in May.

Up to now, lawmakers     9     (propose) similar requirements in Connecticut, New York, and Wisconsin.

Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz is     10     Illinois state representative. She said she supported the bill because of increasing anti-Asian violence and language.

The Silk Road is neither an actual road nor a single route. It instead refers to a trade network     1    (date) from the Han dynasty of China. German geographer and traveler Ferdinand first used the term “silk road” in1877 C.E.    2    (describe) the well-traveled pathway of goods between Europe and East Asia. Although the trade network is commonly referred     3     as the Silk Road, some historians favor the term Silk Routes because it better reflects the many paths     4     (take) by traders.

One of the most    5    (influence) travelers of the Silk Road was Marco Polo. He traveled with his father to China when he was just 17. Upon his return, he wrote about his adventures, which    6     (make) him and the routes he traveled famous.

From China, merchants carried silk to Europe,     7     it was well received by the nobility and wealthy people.     8    traveled together with silk from Asia were jade, porcelain, tea and spices. In exchange, horses, glassware, textiles and manufactured goods traveled eastward.

The significance of the Silk Road to human history has received widespread    9     (recognize). Towns along    10    routes grew into multicultural cities. The exchange of information gave rise to new technologies and innovations that would change the world. Today, parts of the Silk Road are listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

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).