In Nanchang, an opera professor turns classroom into performance stages. An optional college course named “Appreciation of the Jiangxi Opera”     1     (teach) in a packed house recently at Nanchang University due to the professor’s     2     (innovate) way of teaching.

Waving water sleeves, and spinning folding fans while wearing traditional makeup and costumes, Chen Li, the     3     (instruct) of this course, displays the charm of Jiangxi Opera in front of the students. They recorded the performances and posted the video clips of the class on social media platforms,     4     (receive) millions of views and likes from netizens.

Professor Chen is also     5     inheritor (继承人) of Jiangxi opera, one of the national intangible cultural heritages. The course she teaches has been open for many years, mainly introducing the history, tunes and performance characteristics of Jiangxi Opera.     6    remains unknown to all is that this course, which is full of people now, was originally rarely attended.

Chen devotes more attention to her students’ interactive experience     7     (engage) students’ interest. “I invite my students to experience the whole process of the performance by     8     (they) and then they appreciate it gradually.” Chen added.

Although     9     (face) with the unexpected fame, Chen was satisfied but also realized that a greater responsibility now rested     10     her shoulders.

“Xixi Tonight”, a reimagined performance at Hangzhou’s Xixi Wetland Park,     1    (return) with a fresh, multi-sensory experience recently.     2    (base) on Song Dynasty(960-1279)and local Hangzhou culture, the show tells the tale of the Hong family during the Southern Song era,     3    (highlight) Hong Hao’s diplomatic missions and his wife’s     4    (devote) to their children’s education. The show used the natural scenery of the park as a backdrop     5     modern technologies to emphasize     6    (it) unique beauty, applying digital technology, indoor-outdoor performances and     7    (engage) audio-visual effects. In the viewing area, visitors could feel the fresh air     8     watching the show. This innovative combination of art and nature     9    (perfect) creates an exceptional tourism attraction, which offers visitors a unique encounter     10     the beauty of both culture and wetland ecology.

A piece of fossil sponge (海绵) that formed during the early Cambrian period was recently discovered in Changde, Hunan Province.

The     1     (discover) fossil sponge can date back to 540 million years ago. It ranges around 4 centimeters in     2     (high) and 3.5 centimeters in width. Paleontologist (古生物学家) Zou Hesi told the Global Times that the size is giant for a sponge from that period of time.

“Sponges become bigger and bigger over time; another fossil piece     3     (date) back to around 300 million years ago was also recently discovered in Ireland, for example. It was about 50 centimeters,” Zou told the Global Times. Found near the Cliffs of Moher, the piece     4     (name) as “Cyathophycus balori”. It is so far the largest known fossil sponge in the world.

    5     4-centimeter Chinese piece was unearthed     6     (unexpected) during a field survey that local researchers were conducting in the Taoyuan District, Changde. Tong Guanghui, a research fellow at the Hunan Museum of Geology,     7     (tell) the media that the team found a piece of rock on their way     8     research destination in the town of Sanyanggang.

“So we stopped, and used a geological hammer     9     (examine) the piece. It was unearthed in such a complete condition,     10     made us all thrilled about the discovery,” said Tong.

To truly experience Cambodia (柬埔寨), a visit to Angkor Wat is a must. Angkor Wat is one of     1     most valuable religious sites in the world. It attracts tourists all over the world with     2     (it) amazing beauty and incredibly preserved cultural heritage. If you know a little about the history of it, you’ll understand the reason     3     Angkor Wat is such an important and attractive place     4     (visit).

Located     5     northwest Cambodia, just outside the city of Siem Reap, Angkor Wat was built in the first half of the 12th century.     6     (original), Angkor Wat was a temple to the Hindu god Vishnu as the king’s state temple and later the king’s tomb. In the following years, it     7     (rebuild) into a Buddhist temple.

As an iconic architectural wonder in the world, Angkor Wat is only one of the     8     (temple) in the great Angkor Archaeological Park,     9     (cover) an area of 1000 square kilometers. The whole Angkor Wat site is in the UNESCO World Heritage List for the well preserved remains and the     10     (influence) cultural heritage there. It is also a source of national pride for Cambodians.

Since its launch in 1981, China Daily has grown rapidly to become the nation’s leading English-language newspaper. With the online and mobile readership of more than 350 million, it serves     1     a vital role in telling the world about China, providing valuable insight into the world’s second-largest economy     2     witnessing China’s rapid development.     3     (consequent), it is quoted more often by overseas media than any other Chinese publication.

Besides the flagship edition on Chinese mainland and Hong Kong edition,     4     (report) news not only domestically but also globally, China Daily publishes an international edition     5     (cover) North and South America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific and Africa on various digital platforms.

Chinadaily.com.cn,     6     leading national website, is China’s most     7     (influence) English-language platform. More than 36 million readers from 180 countries     8     (download) the China Daily app so far, and its PV reaches 52 million. China Daily also has accounts on well-known social     9     (medium) such as Sina Weibo, WeChat, Facebook and Twitter. By the end of April 2022, its Facebook followers had reached 104 million, and Twitter followers 4.25 million.

China Daily plays a key role in the Asia news network through joint and constant efforts of the continent’s leading newspapers. China Watch, a China Daily supplement (副刊),     10     (issue) one year ago as an insert of more than 20 major international newspapers in 18 countries.

“Jianbing” stands are common in every Chinese city. At around five in the morning, the vendors (小商贩) appear with everything     1     they need, packed on the back of a bicycle or motorbike. They set up in unused spaces, doorways, or street corners and minutes before the first bing (pancake) becoming available on the hot griddle (鏊子), many people are     2    (ready) waiting for it.

Although these “jianbing” stalls might be temporary, this is no grab-and-go street breakfast. For “jianbing”, there is always     3     long line. You might be late for work, or filled with extreme     4    (starve), but that’s all irrelevant to the vendor behind the griddle.     5    (preserve) the crispness of the pancake and fried wonton wrapper, “jianbing” are never cooked ahead of time, so waiting for your turn     6     (be) part of the culture. Maybe in the midst of our busy days, this moment of     7    (silence) observation, of waiting while someone cooks something especially for you, is the true secret of “jianbing”. Buy a baozi (steamed bun) or other fast food instead, or you     8    (have) nothing fast to eat.

If “jianbing”were that easy to make, it would have taken the world by storm long before now. Part of the challenge in copying the dish is that the batter (面糊) and fillings     9    (use) in “jianbing” differ by region, and even by vendor. Many consider making your own “jianbing” impossible     10     months of practice and tuition from a master.

It’s a harvest that’s almost magical: growing rice in saline (含盐的) soil and making a fortune at the same time.

Wu Zaizhou is     1     local farmer in Da’an, Jilin Province. He says his secret for success is following a     2     (science) recipe that really transforms the saline soil, a kind of soil even the scientists     3     (them) called “problematic”. But by     4     (pull) in opinions from some 1,400 scientists, a way was found to transform that unwanted soil. It’s a comprehensive     5     (solve) that involves treating and improving the soil itself, screening salt-tolerant crop varieties, and employing special planning techniques as well as caring for the overall environment.

“We call it Da’an Model,     6     improves the soil, the seed and the technique in agriculture. It’s proven cost-effective, easily repeatable, and     7     (wide) applicable and good for Jilin’s saline oil area,” said Wu.

Since 2021, lots of land (almost 5,000 square kilometers) in the province     8     (transform). That was previously almost impossible for agriculture, including Wu’s cropland.

Wu said he’s not only expanding his field, but his experience has convinced some of his     9     (neighbor) to join him. “In the new year, we will continue to work     10     (change) the saline land into fertile (肥沃的) land, and we may have a good harvest of rice from here,” he said.

The Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo, once struggling to sustain its     1     (survive), has undergone a remarkable turnaround. It has become a popular destination     2     visitors can glimpse diverse animals and appreciate the beauty and significance of life.

The man behind     3     U-turn is Shen Zhijun, an animal welfare advocate. Last August, Shen took to the Internet     4     (publicize) his decade-long reform efforts—a comprehensive campaign transforming the conventional zoo into a conservation-focused sanctuary (保护区). During his 30-minute speech     5     (title) A Zoo’s Pursuit, Shen showcased the successful changes that he had performed.

After witnessing the helpless and hopeless expressions of the animals, Shen’s team set about making changes.     6     (initial), they removed animal shows, which traditionally serve as the financial backbone of zoos. Subsequently, they transformed the park’s landscape, cleverly using the     7     (exist) mountainous terrain of Hongshan to reproduce the natural habitats of animals in the wild. Plus, they introduced “multi-level villas” where animals belonging to the same ecological zone but not occupying the base of the food chain can     8     (house) together, based on their ecological and geographical distribution.

This zoo has emerged     9     the most animal-friendly zoo in China. Striking a balance between respecting animals’ dignity and providing visitors with enjoyable experiences is a challenging task,     10     Shen’s team has successfully achieved it.

For many of us in the UK and other parts of the world, having an electric kettle plugged in in the kitchen is a part of everyday life. But for people in America, it’s unusual     1     (use) a kettle–and the cultural difference has left many people     2     (confuse). Sophie Monk,     3     Australian host, recently sparked a debate when she     4     (detail) her experience of living in the US.

Sophie lived in America for 10 years before     5     (return) to her native Australia, and she was shocked at the fact that American people boiled their water on the stove. She said, “I was looking     6     a kettle, and they’re like, ‘Kettle?’ They don’t know     7     a kettle is. They don’t use them. They must heat water up on their stove. Yeah, no one has a kettle,     8     is crazy.” Although the concept of not using a kettle is more than a little strange to us Brits, there’s actually a pretty simple     9     (explain) for the decision.

In America, homes only have a voltage (电压) of 100-127,     10     in the UK and other countries, the voltage in a house is around 230. This means electric kettles in the US actually heat water more slowly than they do in the UK, so Americans haven’t bothered to invest in the appliances-choosing instead to boil on the stove.

Were you born in the Year of the Tiger, the Rabbit, or maybe the Loong? Read on to find out more about the Lunar New Year.

The lunar calendar     1     (base) on the cycles of the moon. so the date of the Lunar New Year is different each year. In China and in many other places,     2     Vietnam, Singapore and Korea, the Lunar New Year is usually celebrated in January or February.

Each year is named after one of 12 animals. There is a traditional story about     3     the animals were chosen. The Jade Emperor,     4     important god in traditional Chinese religions, wanted to find a way to measure time. He decided     5     (have) a race for all the animals in the country. Only 12 animals actually managed to get to the race and the Jade Emperor rewarded them by     6     (name) the 12 years of the lunar calendar after them. The first to finish     7     (be) the rat, so the first year was the Year of the Rat. The other eleven, in order, were the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the loong, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the rooster, the dog and the pig. In many countries, the animals are the same as these. However, in some places they are of a bit     8     (different).

Different places celebrate in     9     (slight) different ways, but the Lunar New Year is indeed a family celebration everywhere. The younger generation greet their parents and grandparents with good wishes for the year ahead. Older members of the family give younger ones     10     (gift) of money, traditionally in small packets.