The Ganqiu Festival is one of the oldest traditional celebrations and social activities of the Miao ethnic group in China. It falls on the first day of “Liqiu”,     1     indicates the end of summer. Miao people     2     (settle) down in Huayuan County, Fenghuang County, Jishou County, Luxi County and several other counties in Hunan Province hold a series of grand     3     (ceremony) to celebrate the day. The festival is not only an opportunity for Miao people to celebrate a good harvest, but     4     important social occasion for young Miao men and women as well.

According to local tales, Miao people drove out demons (恶魔) from their lands and began planting rice to build up their homeland. And due to their hard work, they were blessed     5     a harvest every autumn. Since then, the festival has remained a celebration of their victory, an expression of their     6     (appreciate) for the harvest season, and a way to send blessings to others.

Having a long history, the Ganqiu Festival observes many customs     7     (pass) down from generation to generation.     8     (traditional), during the day, Miao people wear colorful costumes and gather for a feast featuring     9     (attract) shows and sports activities. The festival     10     (list) as national intangible cultural heritage in 2014 and later as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage in 2016.

Statistics     1     (release) by the China Tourism Academy (CTA) in March show Chinese people made only 87 million trips abroad last year,     2     is a mere 56 percent of the 2019 level. However, the CTA said the number could reach 130 million in 2024.

Traveling abroad seems to have become     3     (difficult) than before for the Chinese people because of the     4     (rise) requirements by some embassies. Many embassies still require every visa     5     (apply) to make online appointments three months in advance. And even after following all the procedures and fulfilling all the requirements, one may still have to spend some     6     (sleep) nights waiting for the visa, and get it, if any, just a couple of days before departure.

According to authorities, only 4,782 international flights operated between China and other countries and regions a week last year,     7     (account) for only 62.8 percent of the pre-pandemic level, with less than one-third being operated by foreign airlines.

Another factor that may prevent Chinese tourists     8     going abroad is people’s changing attitude toward spending money. With both the domestic and global     9     (economy) yet to recover to their pre-pandemic peak levels, people have become cautious about lightening their wallets, with overseas tours being the first     10     (delete) from a family’s budget.

This makes it important for foreign countries to take measures to attract more tourists from China—the world’s biggest source of tourists.

For thousands of years, marbles (弹珠) have provided     1     (enjoy) to people, transcending (超越) their role as mere playthings. With a rich history and wide range of shapes, sizes, and colors, they’ve also found     2     place in the world of collectors.

Early marbles, crafted by ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Native Americans, were handmade from materials like stone, wood, and clay. In contrast, modern marbles are     3     (primary) machine-made from glass, available in various colors and styles. “Clearies” are made of clear glass or colored glass that allows light     4     (pass) through, while “cat’s eyes” feature clear glass with colorful bands inside. Some marbles, made from stone or light-blocking glass, are not see-through.

Marble collectors have a preference     5     seeking out different types. Some hunt for rare or antique marbles like handmade German     6     (one) from the 1800s or mid-1900s American marbles. Others gather a collection of visually     7     (attract) and fascinating marbles.

Marble enthusiasts can grow their collections by engaging in the popular game of “ringer,” but only if they play under the rule of “keepsies”. In this game, thirteen small marbles known as “mibs” are arranged inside a circle. Players take turns using a larger, heavier marble     8     (call) a “shooter” to displace mibs from the circle. Points     9     (award) for every mib successfully pushed out, but in keepsies, players keep the marbles they’ve knocked out. Thus, players may either walk away with additional mibs     10     risk losing their prized possessions.

Everybody knows that exercise is essential to keep us healthy, It lowers the risk of heart disease, and helps keep     1     (we) weight healthy. It also reduces stress and makes us a lot happier. Doctors say that exercising in cold weather is even better for us. Going for a jog or even a swim when it’s freezing outside     2     (have) extra benefits for our physical and mental health. The reason     3     this is that the cold gives our heart a more     4     (energy) workout. Dr Angela Pepdjonovic, from the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, explains why. She says, “Your heart needs to work a little bit harder in order to pump blood around your body in the cold,     5     (boost) your endurance (耐久力) over time.”

Cold-weather workouts can help the body burn calories at     6     faster rate. Dr Pepdjonovic says. “As your body is required to work harder     7     (maintain) its core temperature, you actually increase your calorie burn by exercising in the cold.” Physical activity in cold temperatures can improve our metabolism (新陈代谢), which helps us lose weight. In the cold, our metabolism slows down, so we can preserve fat and keep warm. Another benefit is     8     being in natural light helps to reduce our stress. This is     9     (particular) great for people who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression     10     (cause) by the shorter and darker days of winter.

On the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau (高原), the Sanjiangyuan Region, which has the     1     (impress) landscape and various wildlife, is home to the headwaters (上游) of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers,     2     is thus known as Asia’s “water tower”. The Sanjiangyuan Region is not only the source of splendid rivers, but also an important habitat for species on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. In the past few decades, the delicate ecological environment     3     (preserve) silently by the locals.

Little known to the outsiders, Jianzuo Village, located near the headwaters of the Lancang River, is the first community on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau to lead a zero-waste life. People gave up using plastic products     4     (protect) the water and soil in the Sanjiangyuan Region. In 2017, local people made use of floors, doors and windows     5     (desert) in the Yushu earthquake to build     6     zero-waste environmental protection school.     7     makes the school unique is that the insides are decorated with recycled things and second-hand furniture. And every old object has a special story. The zero-waste school also     8     (remind) the local people of the beauty of traditional culture. As the “zero-waste dream” comes true, people who have lived     9     generations on the plateau have also regained their cultural     10     (confident).

The popularity of ancient towns in the south of the Yangtze River, such as Zhouzhuang and Wuzhen, has aroused a nationwide trend in the construction of ancient towns. Lin Peng, the director of China’s Institute of Ancient Cities and Cultural Studies, pointed     1     that there are more than 2,800 developed or developing ancient towns in our country,     2     is definitely the highest number globally.

In ancient towns,     3     immersive (沉浸式) experience being mentioned here is historical and cultural characteristics — the “ancient” of ancient towns. Apart from visible “special buildings”, characteristics also include invisible “culture”. Tourists in ancient towns want to see the living     4     (condition) of local people, feel the vitality of town life, try characteristic local snacks     5     (influence) by geography and folk customs, and understand how long history     6     (shape) local culture. Out of modern fast-paced work and life, tourists want to awaken their inner softness with a slow-moving ancient town.

Touring ancient towns is for recreation, relaxation, and pleasure,     7     if all the ancient towns in different places are the same and cannot find their own     8     (unique), then ancient town tourism will     9     (eventual) decline. Let every ancient town become a unique historical imprint (印记), so that tourists can find their “poetry and distance” while     10     (wander) through the ancient towns. This is the soul that ancient towns need to regain.