My hometown is Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi Province. The province     1     (previous) went through a period of speedy development given its large coal reserves, but was then trapped in an unhealthy mode of economic development     2     (dominate) by coal.

But those days     3     (be) long gone. In recent years, Taiyuan     4     (witness) many pleasant surprises. With its strong promotion of the green transformation and development of tourism, Taiyuan has become     5     hot tourist destination.

Beyond Taiyuan, the whole Shanxi Province has become popular. Tourism     6     (order) in Shanxi on the first day of the Spring Festival holiday increased by 16 times compared to the same period of last year. A friend of mine came up     7     the idea of driving around Datong City but found that all the hotels had been fully booked. The Yungang Grottoes in Datong City and the Ancient City of Pingyao were both crowded with tourists, with the locals     8     (describe) the scenes as feeling like "a billion people have come". The queuing (排队) time at some scenic spots could be around five hours or even     9     (long).

Taiyuan,     10     was once covered by coal ash (煤灰), has completely changed its image with nearly 20 forest parks, while enjoying a green environment.

In the digital age,     1     (take) advantage of new technologies to create new cultural and tourism is a trend. In Langfang, Hebei Province, digital technologies have been combined with traditional Chinese culture.     2     theme park has been built based on the Qing Dynasty novel Dream of Red Mansion,     3     reflects aspects of ancient China, such as its social life and customs.

During the trip, a digital travel platform, Xiaowa, acts     4     a travel planner and provides real-time insights and personalized recommendations. Once the schedule     5     (confirm), visitors can compare it with the current conditions, including information about lines for various performances, which is     6     (continuous) updated. The application enables visitors     7     (experience) traditional Chinese culture at the park and     8     (help) to draw in many tourists since it is launched.

Tang Jinnan, Peking University’s School of Journalism and Communication’s Party secretary, claim that AI’s full     9     (capability) are yet to be fully unlocked. Whether it’s drawing by hand in the past, using a computer now     10    integrating artificial intelligence, the essence of inheriting cultural heritage remains unchanged.

On February 10, 2024 ambitious young scientists flooded Brown University’s classrooms and laboratories, ready to put their knowledge to the test at the 7th Annual Brown Science Olympiad tournament, which provided a     1     (true) enriching and enjoyable experience for all involved.

The STEM competition welcomes nearly 1, 000 high schoolers from across New England.     2     (feature) a lineup of 23 diverse challenges, the single-day academic tournament integrates written assessments with hands-on design and build tasks. Each challenge     3     (score) individually, with points awarded based on performance, accuracy and completion of tasks. Teams win by accumulating (累积) the highest total score across all 23 challenges in the tournament.

Contestants get     4     (them) involved in various scientific disciplines, from fundamental subjects like biology, chemistry and physics to     5     (specialize) areas such as astronomy and robotics. Throughout the event, students engage     6     a series of activities in a day filed with curiosity, creativity, exploring the     7     (wonder) of science and pushing the boundaries of their intellectual capabilities.

But the Brown tournament isn’t just about becoming a strong competitor. It also offers a platform for young scientists     8     (wander) Brown’s campus. “With the tournament, you can get an insight into college life and     9     great understanding of the whole college experience,” Golditch a contestant, said. “Participating in the Science Olympiad has been the most valuable experience     10     allows us to explore fun science concepts,” added Golditch.

Nanjing, situated in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, was the capital of China for six Dynasties. An Australian Nanjinger Townley loves the rivers in the city. He     1     (ride) a bike along the bank of a river to the Nanjing Fishmouth Wetland Park in Jianye District every Saturday and Sunday mornings, about a 15-km round trip.     2     (walk) around the city or visiting museums is also an enjoyable part of his life.

According to Townley, Nanjing is in an ideal     3     (locate) in one corner of the Yangtze River Delta region, close to Shanghai.

Now, Townley works with and     4     (support) by the Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute. He serves     5     a visiting professor at the School of Environmental Science and Engineering at Nanjing Tech University. After being a consultant and in the industry for     6     (year), he loves being connected to a university again     7     (share) his knowledge and experience with younger people and to initiate research based on the problems he has encountered in the real world so far. “I know my education and life are different from the     8     (type) Chinese students. Despite the differences,     9     I want to do with my Chinese students is encourage them to think, to be curious     10     to always search for new things.”

Rong Hong, also     1     (know) as Yung Wing, was a pioneering figure in China’s modern history. He was born in 1828 in Guangdong Province of China. Rong is best known as the first Chinese person to graduate from     2     American university.

In 1854, Rong graduated from Yale University,     3     (mark) a significant milestone in the history of Chinese overseas education. His time in America     4     (shape) his perspective on education and     5     (modern), leading him to advocate Western-style education in China.

Upon returning to China, Rong worked to bridge the cultural and educational gap between China and the West. His most     6     (exception) achievement was the Chinese Educational Mission, a program     7     sent Chinese students to study in America in the late 19th century.

Rong believed that introducing Western science and technology would help China modernize and strengthen. While his ideas     8     (meet) with resistance in his time, his efforts laid the groundwork     9     future generations of Chinese students studying abroad.

Rong Hong was a pioneer for Chinese education and international exchange. His vision for a modernized China and his efforts     10     (promote) Western education have left a lasting impact on the country’s development.

If New Year’s Eve had an official song, it would be Auld Lang Syne. Every year, just after the clock strikes midnight, many people around the world will sing this beloved song. Why is Auld Lang Syne a New Year’s tradition? From its beginning as an 18th-century Scottish poem     1     its popularity today, Auld Lang Syne always    2    （carry）the spirit of the holiday.

The song is actually a poem written by Robert Burns in 1788. Traditionally     3    （consider）Scotland’s national poet, Burns raised the country’s national awareness by writing it in the dying-out Scots language. In English, “auld lang syne”     4     （rough）means “times long past”. The song tells of old friends meeting after time apart.

Although Burns’ version is the only one we know today, there were also some earlier     5    （version）of the poem,     6     （include）Allan Ramsay’s from 1724. Burns’ version     7     (inspire) by an old man’s singing.

Burns was not satisfied with his version of the poem’s     8    （origin）tune and dismissed it. So between 1799 and 1801, George Thomson composed     9     different tune for the song. It’s the one we sing today.

With its emphasis on friendship and parting, Auld Lang Syne expresses the spirit of New Year’s Eve,     10     is saying goodbye to one year so that another can begin.

Shi Taiheng, 83, has dreamed of being a painter since he was a child. He would spend hours drawing, dreaming of one day becoming a     1     (profession) artist.

Sixty years ago, in     2     (pursue) of a better life, the young farmer and his wife moved to Qitai County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. In the village of Erqi, Shi     3     (grow) fruit for around four decades before he retired 10 years ago, expanding his apple orchard to     4     100-hectare apple planting demonstration base. Now, with his sons     5     (take) over the care of the fruit trees, the old man has enough time     6     (follow) his passion for painting.

Every day, Shi spends hours sitting at his desk, preparing ink and drawing on Xuan paper. The self-taught painter is skilled at painting gongbi, a careful realist technique contrary     7     the interpretive and freely expressive xieyi style. His subjects range     8     (wide) from flowers, birds, countryside scenery to rural life.

“I love painting peonies the most, because the peony is a traditional famous flower in China and represents peace and wealth,     9     mirrors the life of Chinese farmers today,” Shi said.

The more Shi continues to draw, the more noticeable his progress becomes. Many people have asked if they can collect the     10     (work) of the “fruit farmer painter”.

Three sites in China˗˗an ancient tea-producing area, a nomadic livestock-rearing region and a rain-fed stone terrace farming system˗˗were formally recognised as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), for their unique ways of using traditional practices and knowledge while maintaining unique biodiversity and ecosystems.

An ancient tea-producing area (中国福建安溪铁观音茶文化系统)

Tea production in Anxi, Fujian, is believed to date from the 10th century, with its most famous tea, Tieguanyin, coming into    1     (exist) in the 18th century. It belongs to the Oolong tea category between green tea and black tea. Local farmers’ unique technique includes wisely managing the natural environment to guarantee the production of     2     exceptional quality tea leaf.

A Grassland nomadic system (中国内蒙古阿鲁科尔沁草原游牧系统)

The Ar Horqin grassland nomadic system in northern China’s Inner Mongolia region has a variety of ecosystems, such as forests, grasslands, wetlands, rivers with important ecological     3     (function). To adapt     4     the fragile grassland environment, the ancestors of today’s herders (牧民) adopted a typical nomadic lifestyle. By    5     (constant) moving grasslands, they ensured the protection of vegetation (植被) and full use of water resources,    6    (avoid) soil degradation (恶化) and overgrazing and bringing a steady supply of livestock products.

The Shexian Dryland Stone Terraced System (中国河北涉县旱作石堰梯田系统)

The Shexian Dryland Stone Terraced System in Hebei, is a rain-fed agricultural system dating back to the 13th century.     7     (surround) with mountains, the stone terraced fields still play an important role in making     8     possible to farm on the steep slopes. The county is well-known for corn, soybean and other agricultural and forestry products. With this variety of crops and farming techniques, local communities     9    (manage) to guarantee their food security and well-being over hundreds of years, while shaping a remarkable landscape     10     bears witness to their ability to live with their environment.

“The real China that I saw with my own eyes was so different     1     what the Western media had been portraying for years,” says Wong, who studied in China. The Chinese government     2     (award) her a scholarship in 2013. Wong studied the Chinese language at Central China Normal University in Wuhan for a year,     3     then went to Shijiazhuang and completed her Bachelor’s in law at the Hebei University of Economics and Business in 2018.

“China was full of energy,” Wong recalls. She says she     4     (impress) by the culture, people and landscapes when she was in China. “I really have wonderful     5     (memory) of my visits,” Wong says.

Wong now works as a     6     (manage) at Dingjin Real Estate Development Co and oversees Nausori Plaza,     7     is one of its largest investments in Fiji.

China’s ambassador to Fiji, Zhou Jian, says Fijians are becoming more interested in     8     (learn) about China.     9     (recent), many young people and students have traveled to China.

“If you’ve never been to China, you should visit,” Wong says. “It’s the only way you will know what China     10     (true) is.”

The Great Silk Road World Heritage Exhibition, being held in Japan, is the first large-scale event with the Silk Road as     1     (it) theme held outside of China. Hosted by the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, the exhibition features a select ion of 237 precious artifacts (工艺品) related     2     the Silk Road from 27 major museums and academies in China,     3     (include) those in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Dunhuang, Gansu province.

The     4     (item) on display at the exhibition include gold and silver ornaments, bronze artifacts, paintings and statues. Many of them are being     5     (public) displayed in Japan for the first time. Of these, 45 pieces     6     (regard) as first class national cultural relics in China.

“The Silk Road themed exhibition is being held for the     7     (three) time in Japan. It was previously held once in the 1990s     8     again in 2004. After a gap of 18 years,     9     is roughly a generation, we feel it is necessary to hold another exhibition with the Silk Road as the theme to show the     10     (significant) of this cultural heritage. It represents the exchange of goods and trans-boundary communication-based interactions between people,” says Chen Jianzhong, president of the Kouzan Finearts Company, the exhibition planning partner.