Almost 400 Xinjiang scenic spots offer free admission during the Spring Festival

Near four hundred A-class scenic spots in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region offer free admission to travelers during the Spring Festival holidays,     1    February 10 to 24, a move to further embrace the ice and snow tourism boom across China over the upcoming major festival holiday.

Xinjiang also introduced     2    series of high-quality travel routes and key cultural activities during the Spring Festival holidays. During the Spring Festival     3    Lantern Festival,     4    (vary)cities in Xinjiang will host a total of 724 key cultural     5    (event) showcasing local customs, folk traditions, and cultural heritage. There will be 221 tourism-related activities in total.

Local scenic areas have     6    (quick) moved to capitalize on(利用) market trends like the ice and snow boom and continuously launched marketing events     7    (expand) related consumption, attracting consumers from across the country and even globally.

The surge(激增) in ice and snow tourism,     8     started from the New Year holiday, or even earlier, has already brought benefits of consumption     9    (recover) to China, from Harbin in Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province to Sanya in South China’s Hainan province.

In the whole year of 2023, tourism in Xinjiang also     10    (achieve) rapid growth. As the Chinese Lunar New Year holidays approach, it is expected that the tourism market nationwide will continue to see a relatively big boom.

Climate protection strategy is fascinating the globe during the 19th Asian Games, not just athletic talent .    1     (boost) climate cooperation, China, with the centuries old history and unique culture, is using green measures. Hangzhou city has adopted a     2     (practice) eco approach. The emphasis of the Asian Games     3     (be) on “green, intellectual, frugal, and civilized” contests, reflecting a trend toward more ecologically friendly and sustainable practices in major events.

Avoiding fireworks during the opening ceremony promotes environmental awareness. Traditional fireworks displays are fun     4     pollute the air. The Asian Games intend to exhibit a     5     (commit) to sustainability while providing an engaging and memorable experience     6     all guests by replacing this event with digitally powered visual effects and sound presentations. The Asian Games’ eco friendly licensed items include backpacks     7     (make) from recycled bottles and frisbees from rice husks (谷壳). As all Asian Games venues and facilities employ green energy, the event’s green elements demonstrate China’s recent green transformation and     8     (it) responsibility and promise to meet the dual carbon goals.

The Games Village gave residents a “Low Carbon Account” as part of the green measures. Carbon points     9     (use) in promoting low carbon habits including p late recycling, green commuting, and plastic-free purchasing. Points could be traded for low-carbon Olympic mascots and other prizes. China continues to carry out a climate change policy, develop     10     better carbon market, and participate in global climate governance. China aims to peak and neutralize carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and 2060.

With more and more children being overweight, we need to find     1    (create) ways to encourage them to develop healthy habits. How do you inspire teens to lose weight?

Overweight teens bear a heavy burden. Being overweight affects their     2    (popular), self-esteem, ability to make friends — everything important to a teenager. Bruce, son of dietitian Anne, describes his anxiety about being overweight. He was worried about     3     clothes made him look fat. When he finally lost weight, he felt that a huge burden     4    (lift).

At her STAR (Service for At-Risk Teens) Clinic, Anne finds that overweight kids are at risk for depression, poor self-image, and lack of friendship. Teens can’t succeed at weight loss alone. They need helpful parents, who create healthy home environments and serve     5     good role models. When parents succeed at weight loss, their children are more likely     6    (succeed) as well.

She suggests     7    (turn) off the television and limiting computer time. Studies show kids spending hours in front of screens are more inactive and that they have a strong tendency to be snacking     8    (mindless) while sitting.

She also says parents may need some additional guidance to help overweight teens get to the stage     9     they are ready to lose weight. Health care professionals can provide valuable     10    (suggest) that teens will listen to, as well as support for both parents and teens.

An exhibition titled Symbiosis of the Chinese Zodiac (生肖) opened at the Tocumen International Airport in Panama on Dec 19 and would run until Jan 20.

Sally Huang,     1     Chinese Panamanian artist and a doctor of art from Beijing Normal University, presented thirteen paintings,     2     combined the freehand brushstrokes of traditional Chinese paintings with the beautiful colors of Latin America, and presented the zodiac animals. Also there were some sculptures (雕刻品) of zodiac animals     3     display, which were created by Chinese artist Zhang Yong, graduating from the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

The exhibition     4     (include) in the project Painting Our Canals (运河), which was sponsored by the Beijing Culture and Arts Fund this year. The Beijing Culture and Arts Fund is a nonprofit fund     5     (found) by the Beijing Bureau of Culture and Tourism to provide support in the three major fields of stage art, cultural exchange     6     the cultivation (培养) of art talents.

The lead institution applying for the project was Beijing Normal University,     7    (feature) a series of events themed on the canal culture in both China and Panama, also inviting artists from both countries     8     (attend) the exhibition as well as hosting academic forums.

The opening ceremony was joined by representatives from both countries, such as the Chinese ambassador to Panama and the vice-minister of culture in Panama.

The ambassador expressed some     9     (message) congratulating the artists in his speech, while emphasizing that China and Panama should work together to promote     10     (globe) peace and development.

Paper-making is a reflection of ancient Chinese wisdom,     1     (regard) as one of the Four Great Inventions of China. Among various types of paper in China, Xuan paper, traditionally handmade in Xuancheng, Anhui province, is famous for its close association    2    Chinese calligraphy and ink paintings.

The     3    (early) mention of Xuan paper is in On Famous Paintings Through History, a book by a scholar from the Tang Dynasty. It listed many characteristics of Xuan paper, like its stability, its durability and its    4    (resist) to insects. Yet     5    positioned it as an ideal medium for calligraphy and painting is its capacity to display various ink shades. Such are the features of the Xuan paper    6    it has gained favor among artists and calligraphers across generations.

With the growing popularity of Xuan paper in recent years, the industry has expanded     7    (dramatic) in Anhui. Last year, large quantities of Xuan paper, to be precise, about 500 metric tons,     8    (produce) in Xuancheng,     9     engaged more than 30, 000 local people in the industry. Currently, the local government is building a Xuan paper cultural park and a Xuan paper town    10     (develop) cultural tourism.

In 1910, Chairman Mao had his first contact with English when he entered     1     new-style school. By 1913, when he enrolled in Hunan First Normal School, formal English courses     2     (be) already in place.

During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Chairman Mao seized opportunities to practice spoken English when interacting with foreign journalists. Despite inaccurate pronunciation, he had managed     3     (grasp) some simple English expressions.

In the Liberation War period, Chairman Mao’s English communication skills improved to con duct basic daily dialogues. He also     4     (create) translated “paper tiger” into English.

After the establishment of New China, in 1954, Mao began to systematically self-study English     5     the aim of directly reading original works. He insisted in reading English newspapers and magazines, learning vocabulary, as well as making comments while reading the     6     (origin).

In his later years of illness, Chairman Mao persisted in learning English and used simple English vocabulary to express     7     (he) when meeting foreign guests. Throughout his life, Chairman Mao never ceased     8     (learn) English, which witnessed different stages of his revolutionary career.     9     (drive) by determination and practical needs, Chairman Mao’s progress in English demonstrated the spirit of struggle     10     defines a visionary leader.

The “Chuanbei Big Puppet (木偶) Show” in Nanchong, Sichuan Province,     1     (list) as an item of national intangible cultural heritage since 2006. And     2     makes this traditional performance so special is the use of life-sized puppets.

The art dates back over 300 years, and 82-year-old Li Siyuan is a     3     (recognize) master of his trade.

You can’t     4     (simple) rely on your hands to perform the big puppet show. Footwork is needed as well. The puppets, through the control of puppeteers, can dress up, light     5     candle, and even perform magical face-changing shows. Each puppet is at least 1.8 meters tall, and weighs over 20 kilograms.     6     takes skill and effort to really control them well.

“The traditional puppet, along with the ability     7     (control) it, is fast becoming a rarity in China. So,     8     (pass) this dying cultural heritage from one generation     9     the next is becoming a real challenge,” noted Li.

The good news is that the big puppet show in Nanchong is slowly gaining     10     (accept) and popularity among younger generations. Masters like Li Siyuan hope this age-old art and tradition can thrive in the modern era.

Recently, the Chinese     1     (animate) film Chang’an has been a smash hit. The film is like a love letter to Chang’an and the stars in the Tang Dynasty poetry, magnificent and touching.

The story of the profound friendship between poet Gao Shi and the master of romantic poetry Li Bai offers a taste     2     the star-studded history of the Tang era,     3     is often seen as     4     golden age in Chinese history due to     5     (it) economic prosperity and cultural integration and advancement.

The Chinese language is extensive and profound, and the ancient poems are even more mysterious. The words are often extremely concise and brief,     6     they contain profound cultural background and the     7     (beautiful) of Chinese characters.

The 48 Tang poems featured in the movie     8     (present) a panorama of the most excellent poets of that time as well as their political aspirations and ideals. The movie is     9     (undoubted) a masterpiece     10     (show) the characteristics of Chinese culture to the world.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention (《世界遗产公约》), Beijing held    1     event titled “The Next 50 Years: World Heritage Where Challenges and Development Coexist”, during which experts discussed how    2       (make) the sites more accessible and sustainable for future generations.

Since joining the World Heritage Convention in 1985, the number of world heritage sites in China    3     (grow) to 56, including the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Grand Canal,    4     (allow) the nation to rank second in the world. And over the past decade, China has added 15 new world heritage sites, six of    5     have been included in the relevant lists of intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产).

Chinese experts said that the 56 listed world heritage sites reflect the country’s    6     (abundance) heritage and that China’s cultural heritage achievements over the past 10 years can be seen in many aspects.

For example, in 2013, the Tianshan Mountains    7     (list) on the World Heritage List. The beauty of Tianshan lies    8     its snow-capped mountains and glacier-capped peaks. It is really an outstanding example of a mountain ecosystem with a    9     (diverse) of landform features and ecosystems.

Experts said that the world heritage application is just a means to perform better protection. We should behave more    10     (responsible) to conserve the heritage of all humanity.

Designer Yuru Zhang recently won     1     design competition with a thin, card-like lipstick.

The lipstick tube has become so widely adopted that     2     (basic) it is the only way most of us visualize lipstick. However, the designer has come up with a design for lipstick that looks nothing like the old tube-like lipstick. Instead, he has created a card-like design     3     (inspire) by the sheets of pigment-infused(浸入颜料的) paper that Chinese women used to apply lip makeup     4     (century) ago.

Called Yanzhi, once used for lip makeup in China, the new lipstick has a rectangular design, and features a simple way     5     (push)the lipstick paper out. All the users need to do is push on the back of the container gently, and simply press their lips against the paper to apply the lipstick. After the makeup     6     (do), the lipstick can be pulled back into the container.

“I got my inspiration     7     ancient Chinese lipstick. Yanzhi is the lipstick of ancient China. Women only need to sip (抿)it to make up. Our motivation is to make this ancient product more     8     (suit) for use in modern life,” Yuru Zhang said.

It's unclear     9     the Yanzhi lipstick will ever be commercially available, but it's a fresh take on a century-old     10     (invent) in need of a refresh.