Sichuan cuisine, one of the eight major cuisines in China, is now popular all over the world. In February 2010, Chengdu     1     (award) the honorary title of “City of Gastronomy” (美食之都) by UNESCO. To experience comprehensive Sichuan cuisine culture, you should definitely visit Sichuan Cuisine Museum (also Chuancais Museum), the first museum     2     (display) a regional cooking culture in the world.

    3     (cover) an area of more than 40 mu, the museum forms     4     unique cultural landscape of ancient Kingdom of Shu in Chinese history. In this AAA national museum, you can appreciate more than 6,000 pieces of antique and cultural relics related to Sichuan cuisine culture, as well as     5     (catch) a glimpse of new style classic garden scenery and traditional western Sichuan style folk houses. Sichuan Cuisine Museum is the only “EATABLE MUSEUM”,     6     you can not only learn Sichuan cuisine culture by using eyes and ears, but also enjoy it by using mouth and nose. Interesting, meaningful and featured activities are     7     (special) designed from the moment you stepped into the museum to the time you leave. The highlighted experience for your visit should be cooking the typical Sichuan dishes     8     the guidance of the professional chef. There is arguably no better way to know more about a cuisine     9     learning how to cook it yourself.

Start your     10     (explore) from Sichuan Cuisine Museum, enjoy different aspects of Sichuan cuisine, satisfy your curiosity and taste buds and experience all fun for “Playing with Chuancais”.

Shoushan Stone was first discovered in Shoushan, Fuzhou. For centuries, craftsmen have been carving stones primarily     1     (mine) from the Shoushan village. The stones are carved     2     figures, animals and many other artworks.

The Charm of Shoushan Stone,     3     ongoing exhibition at the National Art Museum of China,     4     (gather) antique and modern objects which introduce the tradition of stone carving in Fujian. It offers a visual introduction to both the fine quality of Shoushan Stone and the superb skills required     5     (process) it. On show at the exhibition are seals(印章) made from excellent examples of the stone,     6     were sought after among the literati (文人墨客) of the Ming and Qing dynasties. There are also mini sculptures which show craftsmen's different     7     (approach) to carving Shoushan Stone based on its rich color schemes: a red and yellow stone that is suitable for sculpting mountains, flowers and fruits, a black one for trees and stones     8     a grey one for clouds.

So far, Shoushan Stone,     9     (official) named “China National Stone”,    10     (become) a symbol of elegance, dignity and wisdom, which is worthy of collection.

The Organizing Committee for the 9th Asian Winter Games     1     (official) showed the emblem, mascots (吉祥物) and slogan on Thursday for the regional games     2     (schedule) for February 2025 in Harbin, Heilongjiang province.

The mascots of the 9th Asian Winter Games—Siberian tigers “Binbin” and “Nini”—made their public debut (首次亮相) amid cheers at an unveiling ceremony in Harbin. They were created by a team from the Academy of Fine Arts at Tsinghua University, and symbolize the in-depth     3     (explore) and shape of the unique natural and cultural heritage of the Northeast—the Siberian tiger culture. “The archetypes (原型) of Binbin and Nini are two cute little Siberian tigers born in September 2023 at the Siberian Tiger Park in Harbin,” Zhang Qixiang, mayor of Harbin, said at the ceremony. “Their names mean ‘Welcome to Harbin’, and show Harbin’s eager anticipation and sincere welcome to friends from Asian countries.” Binbin represents the ice events as he shows off his winter sportswear and shares his joy of ice dancing,    4     Nini represents the snow events,    5     (wear) traditional Chinese clothes.

In traditional Chinese culture, the tiger is a symbol of good luck and is endowed (赋予) with many positive characteristics, among     6     integrity, strength and courage are highly     7     (consistency) with the Olympic spirit.

The emblem of the 9th Asian Winter Games in 2025—“Breakthrough” —was also created by the team from the Academy of Fine Arts at Tsinghua University, and expresses the beautiful pursuit of accelerating the construction of China’s sports power in the new era, making constant efforts to challenge the goal of higher, faster and stronger, and making new contributions to Asian ice and snow sports.

The slogan of the 9th Asian Winter Games—“Dream of Winter. Love among Asia” —highlights the concept of connecting Asian countries     8     ice and snow, creating new growth     9     (pole) of ice and snow economy, and promoting cultural exchanges between Asian countries, according to the committee.

It also highlights the practice of the vision of “a community with a shared future for mankind”, and the Asian Winter Games should     10     (use) as a link to promote cooperation and common development among Asian countries.

Paper-cutting artist Rich McCor creates small silhouetted (显出轮廓的)     1     (shape) and brings them to life by holding them against European monuments. He positions simply cut-outs at the perfect angle,     2     (make) it appear as though buildings, statues, and fountains are     3     (direct) interacting with his work. McCor then takes a photo     4     (document) the unusual scene.

The playful project     5     (start) when McCor decided to be     6     tourist in his own city—London. He wanted to explore the landmarks and history he had previously ignored, so he began researching for interesting facts and brainstorming     7     to photograph the place in an     8     (origin) way. McCor’s first photo transformed the Big Ben Tower into a wrist watch. While he was there, his work was appreciated by others nearby,     9     encouraged him to build on the idea.

Since he took his first photograph, McCor has applied the same playful treatment     10     many sites in London. And thanks to a commission (委托) from Lonely Planet, he’s created similar cut-outs for monuments in Stockholm. Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Paris, introducing each image with random facts about the respective landmark.

The Internet is one of the     1     (great) creations and provides people with instant access     2     an endless supply of knowledge and entertainment. Using a search engine, you can ask almost any question     3     may confuse you, and find a web page with information about that question. There are also millions of videos on websites or social media,     4     (explain) various topics.

In the past, it would take days and sometimes even months     5     (receive) a letter from someone else. Today, with the Internet, you can send an e-mail to anyone in the world and often have it     6     (deliver) in less than a minute.

However, the Internet is not without its     7     (disadvantage). Playing games on the Internet can become very addictive, which leads to much time being wasted. And constant connectivity means some people     8       (expect) to be available to work at any time of the day, even if they previously refused to.

Despite the drawbacks, the Internet has     9     (undoubted) changed the way we live, work and communicate, and it’s here to stay. It’s up to us to use it wisely and make     10    most of its benefits while minimizing its negative effects.

Chinese achievements in pollution control, ecological recovery and protection, and green development China     1     (make) in the past decade were highlighted at a Friday press briefing,     2     a senior official pointed out China’s     3     (participate) and leadership in global climate governance.

According to the press briefing, China has been the fastest in improving air quality and the PM 2.5 level in cities at the prefecture level and above dropped by 34.8 percent from that of 2015. Days with good air quality reached 87.5 percent. Pollution of water bodies and the soil is also     4     (effective) tackled. Ecological systems     5     (protect) and restored. National parks are set and more than 300 endangered animal and plant species saw their wild populations recover, marking achievements in protecting ecological diversity.

The country has taken     6     active part in cooperation on climate change. It has done its     7     (good) to help other developing countries to improve their climate response capacity     8     (reduce) the harmful impacts of climate change. It also has distributed over 1.2 billion yuan on climate change and trained about 2,000 officials and experts in the field of climate change     9     more than 120 developing countries.

    10     (head) forward, China will work with all parties to actively participate in the global governance of climate change.

As a distinctive visual art symbol of China, Chinese paper cutting, has been around for centuries. With     1     (simple) a piece of paper and a pair of scissors, diverse patterns ranging from portraits to animal zodiacs     2     (create) with delicate designs.

Due to their     3     (culture) value and low cost, Chinese paper cut-outs are popular ornaments used to decorate windows and mirrors. When light shines through the negative spaces of the cut-outs,     4     elegant pattern is formed indoors.     5     (refer) to as ‘window flowers’, the pretty cut-outs decorating windows are significant in Chinese traditional culture.

The oldest     6     (survive) paper cut-out is a symmetrical (对称的) circle from the 6th century found in Xinjiang, China. The art of Chinese paper cutting is believed     7     (originate) in China even before the invention of paper by Cai Lun in 105 CE. There have been documentaries     8     record the Chinese using other thin materials such as leaves, silk, and leather to carve hollowed patterns. It was found that during the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC), people had already cut tree leaves into various art forms     9     given them out as presents. They created paper-cuts to depict beautiful things, worship, and express good     10     (wish) .

Since the holding of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, teenagers and young children     1     (show) a greater interest in skiing-related activities. Chinese people born in the 1990s and after the year 2000 are the main groups of skiers, according to Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China,     2     (base) the result on data from a renowned travel agency.

“During the winter that just ended, the number of bookings for skiing-related services made by these two age groups accounted     3     60 percent of the total, and the number of children who had gone skiing with their parents was on the rise.” the travel agency said.

With the trend of Chinese consumers’ higher enthusiasm for skiing     4     (notice), a Swiss luxury watchmaker organized a day on the slopes for young skiers in early winter last year. “This reflected the company’s     5     (commit) to helping children believe in themselves through sports.” it said.

“We     6     (firm) believe that sport is important for the integration of children. So,    7     means a lot to us to be able to create environments     8     children can experience the fun and joy of sport,” said Franziska Gsell, chief marketing officer of the company. China had become one of the most dynamic markets for the company and they were     9     (confidence) about their operations in the country.

The widespread popularity of ice and the emergence of indoor ski resorts and snow parks have enabled people from the southern regions of China     10     (experience) skiing-related activities at any time of the year.

People worldwide have enjoyed noodles for thousands of years. But did you ever stop     1     (think): who made the very first noodle? People first started     2     (grow) wheat and making flour in the Middle East around 10,000 years ago. However, until 2002, no evidence of ancient noodles had been uncovered. Archaeologists discovered an upside-down clay bowl in the     3     (ruin) of an ancient Chinese village. When they lifted it, they found a 4,000-year-old noodle. This “mummy” noodle     4     (make) from grain. Traders brought wheat     5     China about the time this ancient noodle was cooked. The Chinese     6     (eventual) mastered the art of stretching wheat dough (面团) into long noodles.

Some people claim that Marco Polo brought pasta (意粉) to Italy. The tale of his discovery was likely enhanced to promote pasta consumption in America. Marco Polo’s writings suggest that noodles were already present in Italy during his time, as he compared Chinese noodles to     7     (that) in Italy. The Middle East also played a     8       (significance) role in noodle history. The oldest written mention of pasta outside China dates back about 1,600 years in the Middle East. Dried noodles were a popular travel food in the region and beyond, making them a likely prospect for spreading the noodle recipe to other parts of     9     world.

So who REALLY invented noodles? We may never know — the history of noodles is as complicated as a bowl of pasta. But     10     invented them, we’re sure glad they did!

Soil     1     (find) nearly everywhere. And it seems unlikely that we would ever lose all the soil on Earth. However,     2     we may lose is the deep and rich agricultural soil because of over-farming, a lack of plant cover off-season and a collection of salt from watering and fertilization (施肥).     3     proper measures, some experts warn, there could be serious agricultural soil problems before the end of this century.