Taoism (Daoism) is one of China’s best-known religions. It’s an ancient tradition of philosophy that reflects a deep-rooted Chinese worldview. But what exactly is Tao? We visited the largest Taoist establishment in Beijing, the Baiyun Temple,     1     (find) out more.

Zhong Daosong is a Taoist master at Baiyun Temple. “The Tao, or the Way, is the approach in tune with the flow of Nature.     2     different counties and various regions have their own cultures, if we pursue harmony between humanity and nature, there will be no friction-and no     3     (violent).” said Zhong.

Taoism is China’s native religion.     4     is evident in its best-known symbol, the circle of yin and yang, it’s also a religion of unity and opposites. This represents two fundamentally opposite forces in     5     universe: light and dark, male and female, hot and cold.

“The supreme good is like water, which benefits all of creation without trying to compete     6     it” That’s a very famous sentence     7     (note) by Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu in Tao Te Ching, the ancient Taoist text, over 2,000 years ago. This philosophy     8     (fascinate) and inspired people in China, as well as those in many Asian countries and more recently in the West, over the course of many centuries. “The culture of Taoism is universal without any barriers,     9     (promote) cultural exchanges and mutual learning. The reason why western people like Taoism so much is mainly because Taoism has no boundaries.” Taoism has become increasingly     10     (influence) around the world.

Every early morning in Southwest China’s Chongqing, there is a common scene at the city’s Rail Transit Line 4: A group of farmers     1     (shoulder) vegetables for sale are busy riding on the subway to downtown.

Nicknamed “packbasket special line”, the second phase of the subway line, connecting Shichuan town to the city center, has     2     total length of 32.8 kilometers and 15 stations. It     3     (provide) local farmers near the town with a wider channel for selling their produce since its opening.

Every morning around 6 o’clock, the entrance and exit of the Shichuan Town station of the line are     4     (crowd) with these special commuters (上下班往返的人)     5     baskets are filled with fresh seasonal vegetables. It took them more than one hour     6     (reach) the city before the opening of the line as they had to take several buses. Now, by taking the subway, they can get there in less than 30 minutes     7     any difficulty. The opening of this subway line not only saves money for the farmers but also time, bringing great     8     (convenient) to them.

To facilitate the farmers, the station, which was supposed to open at 6:15, now opens five minutes earlier every day. The staff members     9     (arrange) at the station also assist as much as possible: guiding them to     10     (efficient) enter the station in order and to use the elevators, and helping them with the baskets.

The Water-Splashing Festival, also     1     (know) as Buddha Bathing Ceremony, is the New Year’s celebration of the Dai ethnic minority in Yunnan Province. For Dai people, the annual Water-Splashing Festival is the most important holiday, attracting tens of thousands of locals and     2     (tour).

Jinghong, the capital of Dai Autonomous Prefecture, usually     3     (celebrate) it from Aprill3 to 15. On the first two days, a grand celebration marks the beginning of the festival. An outdoor market is set up,     4     locals come for new-year shopping. At night, the banks of the river are     5     (colorful) lit, and locals float river lanterns on the river. The third day     6     (reserve) for water splashing. The Dai people will put     7     their newest and best clothes, and then gather at the local Buddhist temple. It isn’t until people splash the Buddha statue with clear water     8     they can flock to the streets, parks or squares with pots or bottles, to splash each other with water.

For Dai people, water is     9     symbol of holiness, goodness and purity. Therefore, splashing others with water during the Water-Splashing Festival is     10     (wish) that person good luck and happiness.

The “Understanding Contemporary China” Foreign Language Contests were held in Beijing from December 4 to 8．

Nearly one million college students from more than 1,300 universities participated , with about 2,500     1     (enter) the national final. The contests aimed to     2     (deep) college students’ understanding of China, enhance their linguistic (语言的) abilities and intercultural communication     3     (competent), and provide a platform for them to tell China’s stories well.

The champion of the English group     4     (determine) through a simulated (模拟的) “Global Youth Summit”. Three contestants discussed     5     (topic) including cultural diversity and the future development of mankind with Xinhua News Agency’s reporter Simon Keith Robinson,     6     tested their knowledge and ability to handle diverse subjects.

Xu Chengcheng, from Beijing Foreign Studies University, won     7     national championship of the International Communication Contest. She demonstrated a high-level of English proficiency(熟练)and strong communication skills in the prepared speech     8     the Global Youth Summit session(会议).

A special session of “Multilingual Champions Showcase” was part     9     the closing ceremony, where champions used their foreign language skills     10     (share) stories about their understanding of China and communication with the world, showcasing youthful insights.

As awareness of the human impact on the environment     1     (increase), people are becoming more willing than ever before, to accept clean lifestyles. But some people aren’t totally sure where to begin. While large steps require planning, smaller steps can    2     (take) right away.

In many cases, your choices will depend     3    various factors: where you live, the resources available to you, your lifestyle, and others. Therefore there is probably no “one-size-fits-all” solution to going green. But there are plenty of things you can do     4     (live) a greener life, through your day-to-day     5     (activity), and most of these apply to just about anyone.

Save water. Every drop of tap water you use consumes energy. It might just be water, but a lot of fossil fuel (矿物燃料) is consumed in processing it. You can turn the tap off while       6     (brush) your teeth and collect rainwater for use in your garden.

Wear the right clothing. Your choice of clothing can make a big       7     (different) to the environment. One of       8    most heavily grown crops is cotton. Chemicals       9    are used as insecticides (杀虫剂) harm the environment, and harm people’s health. Try to find and buy clothing that uses these       10     (nature) materials. Wearing such clothing is also better for your health.

It is well-known that the Great Wall is a symbol of China and enjoys great popularity. In c. 220 B. C., under Qin Shi Huang, sections of earlier fortifications (防御工事) were joined together     1     (form) a united defence system against invasions from the north. Construction continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644),     2     the Great Wall became the world’s largest military structure. Its historic and strategic importance is matched only by its architectural significance.

The Great Wall was     3     (continuous) built from the 3rd century BC to the 17th century AD on the northern border of the country as the great military defence project of successive (连续的) Chinese Empires, with a total     4     (long) of more than 20, 000 kilometers. The Great Wall begins in the east at Shanhaiguan in Hebei province and     5     (end) at Jiayuguan in Gansu province to the west. Its main body consists     6     walls, horse tracks, watch towers, and shelters on the wall, and includes fortresses (要塞) and passes along the Wall.

The Great Wall reflects conflicts and exchanges between     7     (agriculture) civilizations and nomadic (游牧的) civilizations in ancient China. It is one of the significant physical     8     (proof) of the far-sighted political strategic thinking and mighty military and national defence forces of central empires in ancient China, and is     9     outstanding example of the superb military architecture, technology and art of ancient China. It embodies incomparable significance as the national symbol for     10     (safeguard) the security of the country and its people.

The Well That Changed The World

There used to be some problems in many developing African countries,     1     which how to get enough drinking water was the largest. Ryan, a six-year-old Canadian schoolboy, had difficulty     2     (believe) it, because there were quite a few drinking fountains in his small school. “Life is easy for me, but hard for them,” he thought     3     himself, “why don’t I help?”

    4     (determine) to build a well in Africa for them, he tried and managed to earn 70 dollars in a few months. However, he     5     (tell) he needed to make at least 2,000 dollars to have a well dug in Africa. He then started to ask     6     could donate money in his school and neighborhood for help. Only in a few months, he raised 2,000 pounds, with which a well was built near a primary school in Uganda. The local people were too grateful for what he     7     (do) for them and invited him to visit.

On arriving there, Ryan was struck by the     8     (surprise) poor life they lived. But all the students were always wearing a big smile on their faces. Nervous though he was on the first few days, what he saw filled him with     9     (warm) soon.

Today, more and more people joined him,     10     this makes it possible to build more wells. Tens of thousands of people in Africa have benefited.

Hanfu, the traditional Chinese clothing, has become increasingly popular as a symbol of Chinese culture,     1     (attract) enthusiasts (爱好者) from around the world.

Rian Neves, a 29-year-old Brazilian, is a hanfu lover. Six years ago, he traveled thousands of kilometers to China where he experienced a       2     (total) different culture, experiencing a huge culture shock (文化冲击).

To deal with his loneliness, Rian made Chinese friends     3     provided selfless support and introduced him     4     different Chinese cultures.

In 2019, Rian and his friends saw a group of youngsters dressed in hanfu in Hangzhou.     5     (impress) by hanfu, Rian developed a fascination (兴趣) for this traditional clothing. Then he moved to Xi’an,     6     starting point of the ancient Silk Road, where Rian discovered many people wearing hanfu while exploring historical sites, taking pictures, and making short videos.

Rian decided     7     (try) and experiment with making hanfu videos. He     8     (support) by his friends. He started on his first video shoot in 2022, in which he presented     9     (he) in hanfu on Chinese social media platforms, receiving words of encouragement from several Chinese     10     (viewer). Now Rian has more than 15,000 followers on Xiaohongshu, a lifestyle platform popular among young people in China.

On a freezing cold day in January 1994, Jiesang Suonandajie found what he was looking for --- a group of poachers. He gave     1     (he) life to save the Tibetan antelope, which was an     2     (endanger) species.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, millions of antelopes lived on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. By the 1990s the number     3     (fall) to about 50,000. The reason is that the wool of the Tibetan antelope is the     4     (expensive) in the world. A shawl     5     (make) from the wool can sell for 5,000 dollars. There has been a ban on the trade since 1975. However, the shawls came into fashion     6     rich people in the 1990s.

In the 1990s the Chinese government began to take an active part in     7     (protect) the antelopes in the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve. The number of poachers has fallen thanks to the efforts of the officials and     8     (volunteer). Meanwhile, in those countries     9     the shawls are sold, police are getting tough with the dealers. International co-operation seems     10     (work). The antelope population has slowly begun to grow again since 1997.

China has been working quietly to address air pollution. In addition to observing, I also communicated with locals and foreigners     1     (learn) about China’s efforts.

According to Cui Xiaoyi, a resident of Beijing, due to serious air pollution the local administration (行政部门) sometimes warned     2     elderly not to go out in the past . But Beijing     3     (see) a great improvement in air quality over the last few years. They no longer need such emergency measures.

Muhammad Asghar, a representative of the Associated Press of Pakistan in China     4     has been living in Beijing for the past few years, said that the green transportation and energy industries that China has developed over the years have largely replaced fuel-powered (燃料驱动的) cars,     5     that the Chinese people are willing to use electric cars and public transportation.

Asghar added that China has not only done good work to address air pollution, but has also made contributions     6     promoting greener practices. The living environment has been     7     (significant) improved with the greening coverage of urban built-up areas nationwide     8     (increase) from 39.22 percent to 42.06 percent between 2012 and 2021.

The ideas     9     (share) by China in international conferences are impressive. Chinese netizens (网民) believe that rather than just talking about it, it would be     10     (effect) if we put our efforts into planting trees.