When Zhao Shuxian started working at an art and craft factory in 1973, the then 19-year-old was given the job of     1     (master) the time-honored craft of making “velvet” flowers from silk. His goal was to be promoted to the designer’s workshop     2     he would be able to make whatever he wanted, and earn a     3     (good) living. Today, Zhao is recognized as one of the few seasoned     4     (make) of this ornament (装饰).

The practice of wearing velvet flowers     5     (believe) to date back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). They were sent to palaces during the reign of Wu Zetian,     6     they became a popular hair embellishment (点缀) for women serving at the court.

“It was common for court ladies     7     (decorate) their hair with flowers,” Zhao says. “But fresh flowers are not available all year around, so     8     (gradual) fabric flowers became a substitute.” Velvet flowers are called ronghua in Mandarin, a homophone for the characters meaning “prosperity”. Wearing them as     9     blessing became popular at wedding ceremonies, Lunar New Year, and Mid-Autumn Festival. Today, Zhao’s customers, who come from all over the world, wear his flowers both as an everyday item and     10     special occasions.

The Terracotta Army (兵马俑) was found in 1974 near Xi’an. It is formed of more than 8,000 sculptures, which     1     (bury) alongside the emperor Qin Shi Huang more than 2,200 years ago. Now, researchers have recreated the shoes of one soldier and analysis of them     2     (suggest) that shoes worn by the terracotta sculptures were surprisingly flexible and slip resistant. If the recreated shoes     3     (true) reflect the real ones, they can help build a better picture of     4     Qin dynasty soldiers wore and how this might have aided them in battles.

Harbin,    1     (know) for its ice and snow festivals, became very popular last winter. An increasing number of tourists rushed to the “Ice City of China” to experience the best of ice and snow culture. Besides the frosty delights, the city still has much more     2     (offer) all year around, including its traditional European-style architecture, unique cuisine and cultural events. The city’s individual attractions make     3     a must-see spot no matter the weather.

Zhao Chuang is a science artist working in Beijing,    1     job bridges science and art by painting and sculpturing ancient extinct species. Zhao reproduces each element described in papers on the history of life in an artistic way, and the     2     (blank) in scientific research are filled by his logic and imagination. His painting of a prehistoric flying animal became the cover of important scientific journal Nature in 2006, a highlight in his career     3     a science artist.

5 . Going on a vacation might seem like a rather     1     (conventional) way to try to improve your sleep habits, but sleep tourism has been growing in popularity for a number of years, with an increasing amount of sleep-focused     2     (stay) popping up in hotels and resorts (度假胜地) across the world.

In fact, interest     3     (increase) since the pandemic, with a number of hotels focusing their attention on those     4     (suffer) from sleep-deprivation (剥夺). Over the past 12 months, Park Hyatt New York has opened the Bryte Restorative Sleep Suite (套房),     5     800-square-foot suite filled with sleep-enhancing facilities, while Rosewood Hotels Resorts recently launched a collection of retreats (休养处),     6     are designed to “promote rest”.

The global pandemic appears     7     (play) a huge part in this. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that 40% of the over 2,500 adults who took part reported a reduction     8     their sleep quality since the start of the pandemic.

But can short term sleep-focused travel experiences actually have a long term impact on a person’s overall sleep? According to Dr. Robbins, a sleep researcher and co-author of the book Sleep for Success, travel experiences centered around “healthy sleep strategies” that aim to supply guests with the tools they need to improve their sleep     9     (be) hugely beneficial.

“The concept of travel actually allowing you to return home     10     (refresh) is a really exciting proposition,” she adds.

The Spring Festival Gala (Chunwan) is an annual television show broadcast on China Central Television (CCTV) on the eve of the Chinese New Year. The Gala is a four-hour TV show featuring     1     (diversity) performances, including traditional and modern dance acrobatics (杂技), comedic acts, and musical performances by popular singers and     2     (celebrity). It also features special parts     3     (highlight) Chinese culture, history, and achievements.

The Gala     4     (become) an important part of the Chinese New Year celebrations since 1983. Families and friends gather around their televisions to watch the show,     5     is seen as a symbol of unity, prosperity (繁荣), and good luck for the coming year.

The Gala is     6     (typical) four hours long, but it can sometimes run longer. It is estimated that over 10,000 people     7     (involve) in its production. The Gala is hosted by a team of popular CCTV hosts, and it features performances by some of the biggest names in China.

The Spring Festival Gala is     8     unique and remarkable event that shows the best of Chinese culture and     9     (entertain). It is a cherished (珍贵的) tradition that brings people together     10     helps to create a festive and joyous atmosphere for the Chinese New Year.

It’s part of life to have challenging experiences that get you down. At times like this, you might try to change your mindset,     1    (remind) yourself that it won’t last forever or to focus on the bright side. Changing how you think about     2    (emotion) events in this way can change how you feel about them.     3     sometimes this is easier said than done.

Imagine you lost a dream opportunity and you may wonder whether you’ll ever get another chance like that again. It can be difficult to break out of your mindset when having negative experiences.     4    (fortunate), getting a good friend’s perspective(见解) can help.

Here     5    (come) the question: Is getting a friend’s perspective when rethinking a negative event more powerful than rethinking it     6     your own? According to some research     7    (conduct) lately, we can choose the former. How you think and feel can     8    (shape) by getting a friend’s perspective, both in the moment and over time. The next time you can’t get rid of your negative thought     9    (pattern), remember that humans are fundamentally social creatures. It’s okay to turn to the people around you and your friends, from     10     you can get new perspectives and some help.

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.