Located in Lichuan, Hubei proince, Tenglong Dong is one of the world’s largest caves. The cave     1     (list) as the 74th longest cave of the world and the third longest in China with a length of 53,210m. The cave offers extraordinary big passages and one of the     2     (tall) cave entrances on earth, 74m high and 64m wide. The cave     3     (it) is a huge passage, only slightly smaller than the entrance.

The cave is entered at one point by a huge river,     4     (call) Qingjiang River, a branch of the Changjiang. This river first drops     5     almost 10m high waterfall, right before it enters the cave. Here a path was built about 20m above the water,     6     (enter) the river cave. The water deepens and calms down, while it is narrowed by the cave     7     (wall).

The first written mention of the cave is from the Qing dynasty. The cave was     8     (original) named Dong Po or Shui Dong     9     means Water Cave, probably in the meaning river cave. It was renamed     10     the unique name Tenglong Dong, after a Chinese evergreen about flying dragons (龙). And of course, there are mountains in the cave, caves in the mountains.

It’s a harvest that’s almost magical: growing rice in saline (含盐的) soil and making a fortune at the same time.

Wu Zaizhou is     1     local farmer in Da’an, Jilin Province. He says his secret for success is following a     2     (science) recipe that really transforms the saline soil, a kind of soil even the scientists     3     (them) called “problematic”. But by     4     (pull) in opinions from some 1,400 scientists, a way was found to transform that unwanted soil. It’s a comprehensive     5     (solve) that involves treating and improving the soil itself, screening salt-tolerant crop varieties, and employing special planning techniques as well as caring for the overall environment.

“We call it Da’an Model,     6     improves the soil, the seed and the technique in agriculture. It’s proven cost-effective, easily repeatable, and     7     (wide) applicable and good for Jilin’s saline oil area,” said Wu.

Since 2021, lots of land (almost 5,000 square kilometers) in the province     8     (transform). That was previously almost impossible for agriculture, including Wu’s cropland.

Wu said he’s not only expanding his field, but his experience has convinced some of his     9     (neighbor) to join him. “In the new year, we will continue to work     10     (change) the saline land into fertile (肥沃的) land, and we may have a good harvest of rice from here,” he said.

According to Albert Estrada, a Spanish student, studying Chinese is one of the best ways to get closer to the culture.

Estrada     1     (study) at the Confucius Institute of Barcelona in Spain for five years. He says the huge     2     (difference) between the two languages mean that Chinese people find some aspects of Spanish grammar hard while Spanish people find the pronunciation of Chinese, as well as Chinese characters,     3     (challenge). “I wouldn’t say I speak Chinese right now.     4     the last few times I’ve been to China, I have been able to shop, buy food and talk to people without turning to English,” he says.

The Confucius Institute     5     (found) in Barcelona in 2009 as part of a collaborative effort between Spanish and Chinese universities,     6     offers Chinese language courses at 14 different levels. Estrada is     7     (current) on the fourth of the six HSK levels. He stresses that it is important to mix with Chinese people, both at home and in China.     8     (break) the linguistic barrier is the first step, and once they see that you are learning     9     language, they feel more relaxed and then it is easy to establish a relationship.

Estrada spent two months in China last summer, and he hopes to visit it again at the end of this year     10     (experience) Chinese New Year.

An exhibition of zodiac (生肖) sculptures,     1     (call) Peak Life and Water, opened in Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province on Saturday.

The 12 zodiac signs are     2     (traditional) used in Chinese culture to mark each year. Each zodiac sign also corresponds to twelve hours in the day. In addition     3     the traditional calendar function, the 12 zodiac signs are also a kind of folk custom and culture,     4     reflects Chinese people’s understanding of the year.

Each sculpture     5     (base) on a single zodiac animal. For example, the tiny golden birds     6     (stand) on the head of an ox remind visitors of birds settling on an ox, chewing the worms they have just captured. In another, a monkey balances     7     golden peach on the head. For the dragon sculpture, a golden and glorious ball floats in front of the intimidating dragon.

The expressions of these zodiac sculptures are vivid but calm. Some of them seem to be resting, content in their mediation. Only the snake has     8     (it) eyes open. If you see a snake’s eyes are closed, that     9     (mean) it is in hibernation (冬眠). The elegant and exquisite modelling has delighted visitors so much that even before the opening ceremony of the exhibition, some collectors expressed a desire     10     (buy) the sculptures.

Dating back thousands of years, Chinese art focuses on many different areas including landscapes, animals, and other     1     (beauty) with careful detail.

As a style of painting that is unlike any other in the world, Chinese art     2     (remember) today for its distinct characteristics and incredible landscapes that can be seen throughout the nation.

Wu Guanzhong, a Chinese painter, is honored as one of the most famous artists of the modern era in the history of the nation.     3     (consider) a pioneer among Chinese artists during the 1940s, Guanzhong’s career didn’t take off until later in his life     4     he developed his own unique style of painting. He painted many works that     5     (virtual) launched a new style of modern Chinese artwork in his lifetime.

His most famous work titled Water Village in Jiangnan was done in 1980s. It is a very simple painting that consists     6     large white surfaces that are outlined by sharp, bold black edges.

Guanzhong’s simple yet straightforward style of painting captured the attention of both Eastern and Western art critics and enthusiasts in     7     way that brought new focus on Chinese culture as a whole.

He painted many additional works     8     (feature) birds, plants, landscapes and other scenes, but few matched the artistic     9     (high) of this painting, which was seen to be one of the most     10     (influence) pieces in modern Chinese art. It is regarded as one of the most famous Chinese paintings of all time.

Since 1981, Pat Sajak has been the host of Wheel of Fortune. And the show     1     (it)has been around since 1975. With four     2     (decade) under his belt, Pat Sajak and his co-host Vanna White have become the faces of the popular show.

“It’s     3     honor to have been in people’s living rooms for that long. People were out there welcoming us. We’re happy and     4     (pride),”Pat Sajak shared. “In most television shows, by this time, you would have said, ‘That’s     5     (probable) enough.’ But this show will not die.”

With Pat Sajak being 75 years old and Vanna White being 65, he shares that their time on the show will not be for much longer.

“Years go by fast,” Pat Sajak acknowledged. “We     6     (get) near the end. It’s been a long time. We’re not gonna do this for another 40 years. The end is near.”

In all his time hosting Wheel of Fortune, Pat has only stepped away once, and that was     7     he needed a surgery.     8     that time, Vanna White was the host of the show.

Back in December 2021, when this     9     (respect) host celebrated his 40-year hosting anniversary, his fans shared a     10     (touch) speech to him online.

What’s been the most successful film at the worldwide box-office this year? James Bond, Disney cartoons and Marvel logo remain a license to print money. But none of them have taken as much     1     The Battle at Lake Changjin, a film that     2     (make) over 800 million yuan so far. It is even more impressive because it’s     3     (basic) only played in one country, and that country is China. It’s now the     4     (big) market for movies. Actually,     5     (watch) the films often gives us a better idea about the people of this     6     (wonder) land. The Chinese film market has experienced a noticeable     7     (recover) this year. The annual box-office earnings for Chinese cinemas in 2023 were 50 billion yuan on November 13, taking 317 days     8     (achieve) this milestone, according to data. Domestic films accounted     9     41.7 billion yuan, or 83.4%, of the total. Because the Chinese market is so large, it will come as no surprise that Hollywood has taken     10     interest, which will lead to more co-productions.

China is known as Xia for its grand etiquette (礼仪) culture, and known as Hua for its beautiful attire (衣裳). With the     1     (change) in society, economic development, and cultural development, clothing has evolved over thousands of years. However, while the forms may have been changed, the essence (本质)     2     (remain) constant.

“In ancient China, emperors like Huangdi. Yao, and Shun brought peace to the world through their clothing.” Clothing holds     3     significant place in Chinese culture. It is not only used for daily wear,     4     (cover) the body and protect it from cold but also as an instrument of management. In ancient Chinese society, there were strict rules and dress codes about clothing. The presence of clothing distinguished civilization     5     barbarism (野蛮), while changes in color and style     6     (gradual) developed into a form of etiquette. Their design conveyed behavioral norms and     7     (they) patterns were rich in cultural significance. Moreover, ancient attire were also an important carrier of morality. China has always been known as a nation     8     values formal attire and etiquette.

What is the Chinese style? It is something that makes people think of China as soon as they see it. For example, the horse-face skirt, which     9     (favor) by international brands and Chinese people for many years, will continue to be attractive. Chinese clothing, as a classical style. has been known to the world overnight with good opportunities. It’s not just a traditional costume style but also a source of     10     (admire).

Socializing with my friends online is my life. The moment I wake     1     I check through all my social networking     2     (app), reading my emails and posting updates. I have 500 friends online and I live with several roommates, but I feel lonely. It seems that I have an active social life,     3     (attend) parties and playing sports, but I’m absent-minded because I     4     (strong) obsess over my phone.

Social networking     5     (be) the master of my life. Though sometimes I set deadlines    6     (tear) myself away from my phone, I fail again and again. Spending so much time socializing online. I always feel     7     (depress) and alone. As a result, I can’t finish what I should do in my real life.

It is common that at parties or at a family holiday, most members fix their eyes on their phones,     8    they think is normal rather than rude.

What is most worrying is that it is     9     (possible) to drop my phone. I need it for my studies because my teachers and classmates need to contact me. It is     10     problem that we are so close but really so far.

On Nov. 3, 2022, the Mengtian lab module of China’s Tiangong space station carried out a crucial transpositioning operation,     1     (mark) the completion of the Chinese station’s in-orbit assembly.

The lab module is about 17.9 meters long and     2     (weigh) more than 23 metric tons. It has 32 cubic meters of inner space, which can     3     (use) by astronauts. The spacecraft consists     4     four sections-a crew working compartment, a payload section, an airlock cabin and a service module.

Liu Guoning, deputy chief designer of the scientific cabinet system, said the scientific experiments     5     will be carried out inside the Mengtian are expected to enable scientists to conduct cutting-edge studies     6     get world-class findings.

In 2022, China launched two new crewed spaceships-Shenzhou XIV and Shenzhou XV respectively on June 5 and Nov. 29. On Nov. 30, the six Chinese astronauts from the two missions marked a     7     (history) moment as they met inside the Tiangong space station. It was the first time that six Chinese were in a space station at the same time and the first in-orbit gathering of two Chinese     8     (crew).

After accomplishing many “firsts” during their six-month space station mission, three Chinese astronauts on board the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship returned to Earth     9     (safe) on Dec.4. The Shenzhou XV astronauts are scheduled     10     (stay) in orbit for six months to carry out a number of assignments.