Tiger-themed sculpture exhibit kicks off online

To greet the Chinese Year of the Tiger,     1     falls on Feb 1, the first online exhibition of painted sculptures featuring images of tiger, one of the 12 Chinese zodiac（黄道带）animal signs,     2     ( launch ) on social media platform WeChat on Jan 26, 2022.

Running through the Lunar New Year holiday, the exhibition displayed more than 400 painted sculptures singled out from about 1,300     3     ( entry ), created by both     4     ( experience ) and emerging Chinese artists from across the country.

Tiger has long been a favorite subject for artistic creation as the Chinese zodiac animal sign is believed     5     ( represent ) such qualities as bravery, dignity, justice and loyalty.

“ In my view, the participating artists have tried their best to bring     6     life the tiger in their head, with a wide     7     ( vary ) of subject matters, materials and styles, ” Xu Jianguo,     8     art professor with the Tsinghua University and a key organizer of the exhibition, told the media.

The exhibition is designed “ not only to show respect for the time-honored shengxiao culture in China     9     also to send an artistic well-wishing to Chinese people     10     ( live ) in different parts of the world, ” Xu added.

From ancient times to the present, Qinghai Lake is called "blue sea" because of the natural beauty reflected on it. As to the area, it is the     1     (large) inland and salt water lake in China. Shaped like an ellipse (椭圆), Qinghai Lake reaches 28.71m at the deepest point but     2    (average)19m overall. Due to the high altitude, its weather is very cool,     3     is why it is often selected as a summer resort (旅游胜地) .

Qinghai Lake presents     4     as a really good place for travelers and it offers year-round     5    (please). Many prefer when it is a green and lively world. Many birds     6    (attract) to this beautiful lake, resulting in this place     7     (be) a kingdom for birds' watchers. Every year in July, Qinghai Lake is central to the popular bicycle racing and cycling around it is     8     great way to enjoy the scenery.

When the cold winter comes, the ice     9    (cover) the surface of the lake shines brightly in the sun, adding another degree of beauty. Catching the famous "Icy Fish" is an     10    (incredible) wonderful experience at this time when they are trapped by the ice. All things considered, its an awesome journey for you to explore in full this beautiful spot on the Earth.

Human beings previously illustrated their imagination about humanoid robots through art and literature but it is only in the past ten years that these conceptions     1     (begin) to take physical form.

In 1 BECH Robotics, a company     2     (establish) in Shenzhen, developed a robot model named Wukong —the Chinese name of     3     Monkey King from the classic Journey to the West. Wukong robots can imitate human movements like dancing and practicing kungfu. They can even get to     4     feet after falling over like a human.

Using their “eyes,” Wukong robots can identify human     5     (face) expressions and interact with them accordingly. Wukong robots also have information storage and     6     (share) capabilities. They can store large number of picture books. This book-storing capacity, along with their vocal (发声的) capabilities,     7     (allow) such robots to read books to children.

In 2016, UBTECH Robotics     8     (start) developing its humanoid robot Walker X. Launched in July last year, it can walk at a maximum speed of 3 km per hour. Walker X has realized multiple technical     9     (update) and can provide more flexible services.

Compared with ASIMO and Atlas,     10     have high costs, UBTECH Robotics has reduced costs by independently developing core components and key technologies that lay the foundation for the commercialization of its products.

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, more and more Chinese have realized the importance of health and     1     (start) exercising at home because of the control and prevention policy that hinders them     2     going out sometimes.

In addition to such fitness games, they are also choosing to follow the guidance of online exercise short videos or livestreams. A few are seniors,     3     (inspire) by their families.

According to China Insights Consultancy, the number of people who exercised in China was about 300 million last year, and     4     (expect) to rise to 420 million by 2026. It’s expected that     5     value of China’s online fitness market will rise from 370.1 billion yuan ($56.44 billion) last year to 895.8 billion yuan in 2026.

Since the COVID-19 epidemic started in 2020, many people have formed the habit of     6     (take) exercise at home every day via livestreamed fitness classes.

Workouts at home are the     7     (good) option because the commute from home to the gym is time-consuming, and people prefer to exercise in a more private place.

“There is     8     better than doing a workout there when I finish my daily work. I feel unwell if I don’t exercise for one day,” said a woman,     9     runs an online store and works from home.

Fitness app Keep offers those with paid memberships livestreamed exercise classes. While watching such livestreams, users can post “bullet screens”－real-time comments that appear on the screen－    10     (cheer) on each other and ask questions, which the coach answers to ease any doubts.

Flower arrangement is the combination of several elements to produce visually pleasing display of fresh, silk, or dried flowers. General design principles include unbalance, and harmony,     1     often involves the use of light, space, and accent. Despite parts of the world use     2    (vary) design techniques for flower arrangement.

The art of Chinese traditional flower arrangement, originally     3    (serve) as offerings at temples and decorations in the palace, has survived over the centuries. “    4     a history of more than 3,000 years, the image of flower arrangement sometimes is still limited bunches of flowers in flower shops.” Zhang Yan,     5     master of the art, said.

In recent years, Zhang has been     6    (devoted) popularizing the traditional flower arrangement, hoping people will be familiar with the art, take pride in its centuries-old history and hold an ability     7    (appreciate) the beauty in life.

In Zhang’s view, Chinese traditional flower arrangement is not only a decoration, but also a form of psychological     8    (treat) for modern busy bees. The art emphasizes simplicity, and the arranger must decide on     9     is truly necessary in his or her work and life. The healing effect of the art     10    (realize) when the arranger comes to terms with what they truly want.

Providing sound education for the young population is a critical means of ensuring a better Nigeria. Year 2020     1     (introduce) a challenge to education in form of COVID19 and nations are adjusting to the disaster. This is the time to give the educational sector the attention it needs so we can measure up     2     today’s global world.

South Africa spends over 20% of its resources on education today. This is in direct contrast to     3       involves Nigeria, which has not increased budget for education over 10% since 1991. We don’t have enough resources allocated to our educational sector and the little     4     (allocate) to the sector is not well managed.

There is a need to adapt new technology if we want to be     5     (compete) in today’s world. Information technology is beneficial. It promotes inventive thinking and develops effective communication, eventually     6     (lead) to high productivity.

In addition, improvement of teachers’ professional development cannot be over emphasized     7     technology will never replace a knowledgeable teacher.

There is also a need to     8     (continue) revise the curriculum for instructional programs. The world has turned into a global village     9     new ideas are pouring in a constant stream. It is, therefore, urgent     10     (update) our curricula by introducing the recent developments in the relevant fields.

Over the centuries, farmers     1     (discover) thousands of different species of food crops. Each species has special qualities. To feed the seven billion people on Earth, most farmers today are growing only species of plants that are easy     2    (produce) in large numbers. Meanwhile thousands of other species are becoming extinct. For example, in China, 90 percent of the wheat     3     (vary) grown just a century ago have disappeared.

One solution     4     this problem is to collect and preserve the seeds of as many different species as we can     5     they disappear. This idea     6     (suggest) for the first time by Russian scientist Nikolay Vavilov. In     7     1920s and 1930s, he collected around 400,000 seeds from five continents. There are now around 1,700 seed banks in countries around the world. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which preserves almost one million seed samples, has one of the     8     (large) collections.

In the US, Diane Ott Whealy and her husband founded Heritage Farm, a place     9     people can store and trade seeds. By doing this, they are reintroducing foods into the marketplace     10     haven’t been grown for years.

Over decades, people     1     (fascinate) with exploring secret differences between male and female brains. The question of     2     men and women have different brains rarely fails to annoy people. Just last year, the Google engineer James Damore caused an uproar after announcing that women are     3     (biology) different from men in various ways.

But Lise Eliot, a professor of neuroscience (神经科学) at the Chicago Medical School, says anyone who goes searching for innate differences between the sexes won’t find them. “Men and women’s brains do differ slightly,     4     the key finding is that these distinctions are due to the brain size, not sex or gender,” noted Lise Eliot, in     5     news release. “The brain is like other organs, such as the kidneys and heart, which     6     (be) similar enough to be transplanted between women and men quite successfully,”

Eliot blames academia and the media in part     7     the cycle that leads to the ongoing     8     (argue) over brain differences. “Sex comparisons are super easy     9     (conduct) after an experiment is already done. If they find something, it gets another publication. If not, it gets     10     (ignore),” Dr. Eliot said.

It is no secret that China has an     1     (incredible) rich, complex and ancient history and culture. My first exposure to Chinese culture came at a very early age, totally by chance. At 8, I walked into a bookshop and picked a book from one of the     2     (shelf). Nevertheless, the book turned out to be the “Tao Te Ching,” a deeply philosophical book of Taoism. As     3     8-year-old, the book’s content was obviously lost on me, but it provided me with an early connection to a profound philosophical tradition by     4     I am still influenced today.

At school I began studying Chinese. My interest in the language developed early on,     5    (combine) my love of travelling with my love of meeting new people. I am lucky enough to have lived in China for three years. It was a good opportunity for me to experience the     6    (nation) diverse customs and traditions.

Culture and food are closely connected and perhaps nowhere else can this be seen more clearly     7     in China. In recent years there     8    (be) a rise in restaurants offering a variety of foods here. I have introduced many of my friends to Chinese history and culture through a     9    (share) love of food.

It is safe to say that my journey has only just begun. These first steps are only a drop in the ocean of lifelong learning, but as the Chinese philosopher Laozi said, “A journey of a thousand miles     10    (begin) with a single step.”

Lu frequently finds its way in Chinese dishes. It    1    (origin) meant salted water used for meat that's boiled, and then served cold, and for vegetables.

“Salt is the core    2     Lu, even more important than spices. Spices can add a pleasant smell or remove some smells，    3     it is the salt that is crucial to the flavor," says Cao Yu, a food writer at Jinan University.

The earliest     4    (preserve) recipes for making Lu date back to Qimin Yaoshu, an ancient Chinese agricultural text written in the 5th century.

Cao believes the Lu we know today emerged around the Ming dynasty,    5     private agricultural businesses and food markets sprang up in China.    6    (attract) customers, these businesses began introducing new flavors to Lu by adding spices. And they then used it to season cooked meats and vegetables that    7     (sell) cold for takeaway.

In the centuries since, Lu has been diversified, taking on the characteristics of each of China's     8     (region) cuisines. For example, in Sichuan province, fragrant peppercorn (干胡椒) is put into Lu to add flavor and    9     (intense).

Some Lu is even alcoholic: Zao Lu is     10     light one made from the fermented rice remains from making Chinese yellow wine. Zao Lu is used across south-eastern China to season vegetables.