Spending time in the great outdoors is a full-on sensory experience with endless skies, beautiful forests, the sounds of the wind and the warm feeling of sunrays     1     (rest) on your face. In addition to nature’s     2     (enjoy) sights, sounds and sensations, the familiar smells of nature can be just as appealing. In fact, a recent study found that nature doesn’t just smell good, but its fragrances make people feel good as well.

The researchers from the University of Kent in the UK     3     (send) 194 participants to relax in the woodlands throughout the four seasons. The participants reported feeling relaxed when they smelled     4    they described as “fresh air” or “earthy” smells. According to the study, these smells brought back fun memories of their childhoods.     5    instance, pine trees made some participants think about Christmas.

“We found that smells affected multiple fields of well-being with physical well-being discussed most    6     (frequent), particularly in relation to relaxation, comfort and rejuvenation (恢复活力),” wrote the researchers in the study. They also found that people feel more settled in a smell-free zone, with this result possibly     7     (link) to the absence of bad- smelling urban smells, like pollution.

Dr Jessica Fisher, study co-author, pointed out these results could     8     (apply) in future practice. In his opinion, when    9     comes to enjoying a hike in the woods or a picnic under the open skies, it pays     10     (keep) not only one’s eyes and ears, but also one’s nose, open.

In front of a packed hall at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on Friday, dancer Hao Ruoqi     1     (graceful) moved across the stage as she waved her sword against her opponent. Hao, playing.     2     heroine Hua Mulan, was the star of Ningbo Performing Arts Group’s Chinese dance drama Mulan.

Based on the beloved folklore of family devotion, loyalty and love, Mulan tells the tale of a young woman in ancient China who disguises herself as a man     3     (take) her father’s place in the army.

This modern interpretation re-imagines the classic tale of the     4     (distinguish) female Chinese warrior Hua Mulan through remarkable and compelling dance numbers and exquisite music,     5     (explore) the themes of self-identity and empowerment.

Hao, a member of the China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater, said there might be a thousand     6     (version) or Mulan in a thousand people’s eyes, but there are things common to the audience     7     the cultural and geographical differences. “I think the love and peace brought out from Mulan is understandable and acceptable both in China and the United States,” she told China Daily.

Lisa Richards Toney, president and chief executive officer of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals, said     8     impressed her was the true warrior spirit that Mulan displayed     9     her love for humanity.

The story of Hua Mulan     10     (inspire) numerous productions in the globe over centuries, including Disney’s 1998 animated film and 2020 live-action movie.

A 5,100-year-old dam, capable of flood control and irrigation (灌溉), has been identified as China’s earliest     1     (know) water engineering project. The Xiongjialing Dam is part of the Qujialing relics site in Jingmen, China’s Hubei Province.

The dam was initially built around 5,100 years ago on a branch of the Qingmudang River. The     2     (exist) dam measures 2 meters in height, 13 meters in width and 180 meters in length. It has a water storage area to the east, equal to the size of three West Lakes, and     3     8.5-hectare irrigation area to the west, with the     4     (late) found to have been an expanse of prehistory rice field. A floodway at the northern side of the water storage area allowed for discharge (排放) of extra water during flood seasons. The dam     5     (construct) with local earth, which was mixed with plant roots     6     (increase) the structure’s toughness.

The design of the water project suggests that prehistoric     7     (ancestor) in the area had learned to control water use rather than     8     (simple) defending against floods and droughts. The Qujialing relics site is famous for witnessing the first-ever discovery     9     carbonized rice along the midstream of the Yangtze River. Researchers say the dam further illustrates that, in the Neolithic Age, the area had a mature rice-growing agriculture. That’s     10     this relies heavily on irrigation.

Wang Xin, a marketing manager based in Shanghai, paid special attention to the carbon consumption figures shown on a flight booking platform. “When booking a flight, I will first check the flights     1     meet my time requirements. If multiple flights within the time range are approximately the same price, I will     2     (definite) choose the one with     3     (little) carbon consumption.” Wang says.

Business travelers like Wang have shown a     4     (prefer) for trips that leave a smaller carbon footprint, according to a recent report. More than 60 percent of its business customers have options     5     low-carbon travel products. “The low-carbon travel trend began in 2022 when we launched flight carbon emission data, which has been recognized by     6     increasing number of business clients,” says Zha Jun, an official with the travel management division.

Afterwards, the carbon emission data of hotels, trains and cars     7     (add) up to now. Business travelers have been encouraged to use new energy vehicles and save electricity and water at hotels, as well as food on flights. Those     8     (choose) low-carbon travel products can also get rewards, such as air miles and credits that can be used     9     (reduce) future travel costs.

According to the US-headquartered Global Business Travel Association, 25 percent of companies worldwide consider carbon footprint and sustainability important in business travel. Among     10     (they), 35 percent have carried out sustainable policies.

Military-Style Cotton Coats (军大衣) Have Made a Major Comeback this Winter and Stormed College Campuses

A video of college students in northeastern China     1     (wear) military-style cotton coats to class has trended on social media platforms. Meanwhile, many young women have started buying floral coats, often on sale.

With the price of down jackets (羽绒服) increasing, college students in China have picked up floral cotton-padded jackets and military coats to fend off the winter cold. Thanks     2     their low cost and high quality, cotton coats have made a major comeback this winter and stormed college campuses.

The general thinking among students     3     (be) that it isn’t about whether or not they can afford a down jacket     4     that cotton coats provide better quality at a much lower price.

One can buy ten cotton coats at the price of one down jacket. The     5     (cheap) military-style cotton coat costs less than 100 yuan, and they have become the most     6     (fashion) winter wear for college students in northern China.

Down jackets have been     7     must-have for many Chinese people. However, the prices have increased. According to data from the China National Commercial Information Center, the average price of down jackets     8     (rise) from 438 yuan in 2015 to 656 yuan in 2020.

The price of goose down has increased,     9     (main) due to the demand downstream. Many     10     (brand) have started to move towards high-end development, resulting in a more significant increase in demand for high-quality materials like white goose down, according to a down jacket seller in Jiangsu Province, surnamed Si.

The awards ceremony for the Fifth Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)Short Video Competition took place in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. With     1    theme of “Open up a New Chapter Together through Connectivity”,the competition centered on the global practices of China’s modernization drive     2    highlighted the universal understanding of the BRI’s spirit and China’s strong desire to build a community with a     3    (share)future for mankind.

2023 marked the 10th anniversary of the BRI’s launch.By collecting short video stories from both builders and beneficiaries(受益者),the competition     4    (allow)audiences to grasp the key part of     5    (develop),social progress,cultural integration(融合),and people’s dreams in countries economic along the route.It also recreated     6    (memory) moments of genuine exchanges among people.

Among the over 1,000 entries from nearly 100 countries, 99 final winners were announced.“    7    one of the leading corporations engaged in the BRI, Dongfang Electric Corporation    8    (commit) to sustainable, high-standard development and people’s well-being since 2012,” noted Song Zhiyuan, a director of the company.“We’ve offered green energy equipment and services to over 100 countries and regions,    9    (project)a responsible image of China. Moving forward, we’ll grasp the opportunities to remain at the forefront of BRI’s joint construction and provide more top-level green energy     10    (global).”

Luban lock is a traditional Chinese folk educational toy that was believed to be invented by Lu Ban,     1     structural engineer from the Spring and Autumn Period (770—476 BC). Lu was later became known as the “father of     2     (carpent)” in the country.

The concave and convex parts within the toy dovetail (吻合) perfectly. Luban locks come     3     different shapes and sizes, and with different internal structures. They are known for being easy to take apart     4     difficult to reassemble.

The interlocking burr puzzle with the simplest construction uses three rods (杆)     5     can be assembled into a three-way cross, in which each rod is perpendicular (垂直的) to the other two.

Its structural integrity relies     6     (sole) on its internal arrangement, removing the need for nails or cords. Similar to folding a piece of paper to create a standing shape, this seemingly simple yet ingeniously     7     (craft) toy encapsulates (概括) a reservoir of extraordinary wisdom.

Beyond its role as a toy, the principles behind the Luban lock’s interlocking structures have been extended into the realm (领域) of     8     (architecture) design.

In 2020, the craft of making this toy     9     (name) a Shandong provincial intangible cultural heritage item. In Tengzhou, Zaozhuang, the birthplace of Lu Ban, this ancient craft has been passed down over the centuries. Many workshops in the city can still be found     10     (manufacture) this lock today.

Shaanxi History Museum

Shaanxi History Museum is located on the northwest side of the Big wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province.    1    (build ) in 1983 and opened on June 20, 1991, it is China’s first large-scale modem national museum.    2    (it) completion marks a new development milestone for the Chinese museum industry. The museum is    3    high-rise and group-combined building built according to the layout of the palace courtyard,    4    , covers an area of 65,000 square meters. The collection of cultural relics totals 1,717950 pieces (sets),    5    (rang) from the simple stone tools used in the initial stage of ancient humans    6    the various kinds of artifacts in social life before 1840. The time    7    (span) more than one million years. Since the opening of the museum, it has     8    (full) demonstrated the    9    (advantage) of cultural relics collection. Meanwhile its collections    10    (exhibit) abroad, displaying the splendid Chinese civilization and dazzling Sanqin culture to the people all over the world.

“Pure love, only for China.” When the host of the Harbin Ice and Snow World in Heilongjiang province read out the words on the wallpaper of a lost phone to find its owner,     1    (applaud) broke out among the audience, CCTV News reported.

The sentence was from the diary of a soldier Chen Xiangrong, who lost his life in a border conflict with Indian troops in June 2020.     2     owner of the cellphone, surnamed Xie is a student of the Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine. She learned about Chen’s story when she was in high school. Since then, Xie     3    (regard) Chen as an example and hoped one day she could also contribute to the country. So she took the patriotic(爱国的) expression     4    (write) by Chen as a motto, and placed together with the national flag     5     the background of her cellphone.

She said     6     she didn’t expect was the sudden popularity of the wallpaper on the internet, with many netizens     7    (ask) her to share it. “I am very happy that this resonates with so many people. We post-2000s generations are not a lost generation,     8     a generation that can contribute to the future of our country,” Xie said. “I firmly believe that through our efforts and hard work, our country will become more prosperous! We will     9    (definite) live up to the expectations of the times, and make an effort     10    (create) a better future for our country!” She added.

Tang Yan gave up a promising career in 1992 to save an almost lost art—that of “Beijing silk figurine” (北京绢人) . In 1997, she established a studio with five other enthusiasts. Then they spent     1     entire year making several figurines, only to find there was no market for their products.

“A figurine could cost     2     (basic) the annual salary of many people at the time due to precious materials and complicated handicraft techniques. ” Tang said. “Many potential customers were amazed by the beauty of our products, but their price     3     (drive) them away.”

The first failure taught Tang     4       they needed: finding ways to reduce production costs. She made many creative and bold     5     (adaptation) to the traditional figurines, like using machines to paint the clothes. These measures cut the price to less than a tenth of the     6     (origin) one. However,     7     (lend) the dolls a sense of delicacy and craftsmanship, she preserved several handmade processes for hair and makeup.

After decades of whole-hearted devotion     8     the craft, Tang now runs her own Beijing figurine product brand Tang Wawa. “Girls in China need their own dolls. When I was little, dolls     9     (call) yangwawa, meaning Western dolls.” Tang continued. “I wanted to create dolls     10     (bear) a cultural connection to Chinese people, figurines with a rich historical implication. ”