A     1     (remark) image of the Andromeda Galaxy, located over 2 million light-years from Earth, has been released after the use of the most powerful wide-field telescope in the Northern Hemisphere, demonstrating its capability.

China’s Wide Field Survey Telescope (WFST)     2     (put) into operation on Sunday in Northwest China’s Qinghai Province, developed by the University of Science and Technology of China and the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The telescope,     3     is also known as the Mozi surveying telescope, will be     4     (extreme) useful for enhancing China’s capabilities in time-domain astronomical (天文的) research, according to CAS. Mozi was an ancient Chinese philosopher who is said to be the first in history     5     (conduct) optical (光学的) experiments.

According to CAS, the WFST boasts an optical telescope of 2.5 meters in diameter and a 765-million-pixel camera, equipping it     6     the strong surveying ability that allows it to survey the entire northern sky every three nights.

The Andromeda Galaxy is     7     closest large spiral (旋涡) galaxy to the Milky Way and     8     (have) a similar structure and metallicity, making it an ideal research object for exploring the formation and evolution of the Milky Way and similar galaxies. The WFST has both a large field of view     9     high-resolution imaging capabilities, enabling it to take multicolor images of the Andromeda Galaxy and its outlying regions. The telescope generated the image using 150 photos     10     (take) on multiple nights of observation.

On October 15, 2023, the Chinese Embassy in the United States on Sunday hosted a ”Discover Beijing Opera“ cultural event at its Public Diplomacy Center in Washington D. C.,     1     (bring)the charm of the traditional Chinese stage art to nearly 100 people from all walks of life.

The event was co-organized by DC’s Beauty of Beijing Opera Lad(DCBBO)and a local     2     (organize)Things to Do DC. Minister Jing Quan of the embassy attended the event.

At the event, the guests     3     (show)the make-up process of a ”guifei”(noble consort)as well as props(道具)and costumes     4     (use)in the Beijing Opera. In addition, the history, performance features, and beauty of the traditional art were also on show.

Through performances such     5     “Battle at the Hu Village”, “Empty City Strategy”, “Monkey King” and “Drunken Beauty”, the audience experienced a great joy of the major types of roles of the Beijing Opera and the     6     (base)skills including singing, reciting, acting, and martial arts.

The audience went on stage     7     (experience)horse riding, male role walking, fighting, playing small gong(锣)—     8     musical instrument in Beijing Opera-and acting with water sleeves.

“This is unique. This is fantastic,” Gregory Bland, CEO of Things to Do DC, told Xinhua. “I’m looking around: everyone’s smiling; everyone’s happy. They’re running up to take     9     (picture); they’re running up to get involved; they’re all asking questions. ”

This cultural event was held successfully,     10     would help promote people-to-people exchanges, he said.

In recent years, shared vegetable plots     1    (find) in the city’s suburban (郊区的) districts in Shanghai as more white-collar workers turn to farming     2    (escape) the pressures of city life.

Yang Hui is one of them. He has rented a 20-square-meter vegetable plot for 1600 yuan per year. The family tends radishes (白萝卜), lettuces and other vegetables they have planted. When they aren’t around during the week,     3    (professional) take over the work.     4     (found) by Chen Yougui     5     October 2022, the shared farm spans about 13.33 hectares (公顷) and comes with shared vegetable plots, barbecue pits and leisure areas. According to Chen, the monitoring system covers     6     entire farmland, allowing members to view their vegetables and fields remotely through their phones.

This farm has about 200 members, some of     7     even raise chickens and ducks running in the fields. Interestingly, each animal comes with its own QR code (二维码). The farm also uses technology to ensure that the chickens and ducks don’t go missing     8     run in someone else’s plot.

Those who wish to     9    (active) participate in the cultivation (种植) of their crops, mainly from the older generations, can opt (选择) for the package to plant by     10    (they). Meanwhile young customers, like Yang, usually choose a package that comes with additional services from the farm to care for their plants whenever needed.

Climate protection strategy is fascinating the globe during the 19th Asian Games, not just athletic talent .    1     (boost) climate cooperation, China, with the centuries old history and unique culture, is using green measures. Hangzhou city has adopted a     2     (practice) eco approach. The emphasis of the Asian Games     3     (be) on “green, intellectual, frugal, and civilized” contests, reflecting a trend toward more ecologically friendly and sustainable practices in major events.

Avoiding fireworks during the opening ceremony promotes environmental awareness. Traditional fireworks displays are fun     4     pollute the air. The Asian Games intend to exhibit a     5     (commit) to sustainability while providing an engaging and memorable experience     6     all guests by replacing this event with digitally powered visual effects and sound presentations. The Asian Games’ eco friendly licensed items include backpacks     7     (make) from recycled bottles and frisbees from rice husks (谷壳). As all Asian Games venues and facilities employ green energy, the event’s green elements demonstrate China’s recent green transformation and     8     (it) responsibility and promise to meet the dual carbon goals.

The Games Village gave residents a “Low Carbon Account” as part of the green measures. Carbon points     9     (use) in promoting low carbon habits including p late recycling, green commuting, and plastic-free purchasing. Points could be traded for low-carbon Olympic mascots and other prizes. China continues to carry out a climate change policy, develop     10     better carbon market, and participate in global climate governance. China aims to peak and neutralize carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and 2060.

Chen Xingzhi had to wait till her retirement to follow up on her dream “job”. The 74-year-old Shanghai citizen has turned her childhood hobby of     1     (make) sachets (香囊) into a successful career today.

Chen’s great-grandfather was a     2     (tradition) Chinese doctor, and her grandmother would make sachets filled with Chinese herbal powders (中药粉) for children before the Dragon Boat Festival every year, which is a tradition dating from ancient China.

The Dragon Boat Festival, or Duanwu, falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month when the weather gets hot and some harmful things, like bacteria and insects produce     3     (rapid). In the past, people would hang sachets     4     were filled with herbs not just for their nice smell but for their ability to keep insects away. Now the herbs     5     (say) to be good for people’s health.

As a child, Chen learned     6     (develop) the hobby from her grandmother. It was only after retiring from her regular job around the year 2000 that she decided to give her hobby     7     try. At first, Chen made some sachets     8     gave them away to relatives and friends, and as people expressed interest in them, her confidence grew.

Chen has created about 180 different     9     (kind) of sachets over the course of nearly 20 years. Her products have been shown at the 2010 World Expo as well as the China International Import Expo. Some have served     10     Shanghai gifts and have been given to important guests on special occasions.

Meatballs are a main part of cuisine from Italy to East Asia, and their flavorings and taste vary somewhat,     1    (reflect)local texture (材质) and traditions. China, in particular, is a meatball center of interest, and while you may have come across lion head meatballs before, bouncy meatball soup is as     2    (attract)as its name.

Chaoshan is famous     3     its unique meatballs. The name “bouncy meatball soup” doesn’t come from its ability     4    (make)you jump, but it comes from the finished spring y texture of the meatballs. In fact, in Xing Ye’s movie “God of Cookery”, these meatballs are even used as ping-pong balls.

Although this may slightly exaggerate (夸大) the springiness of the balls, it’s     5    (general) believed that if one were to take one of the meatballs from the soup and drop     6     on the table, the meatball would bounce (反弹). This special texture     7    (achieve)by pounding the meat by hand in a process that a machine cannot properly copy. It’s     8     makes this so up very special indeed.

The birth of these meatballs     9    (date)back to only a century ago. The Hakka people from the mountainous areas of Guangdong began to make meatballs as a helpful way to cook and store fresh meat. Later, the Hakka people began to sell their beef meatballs and soon the meatballs gained     10    (popular)with the Chaoshan communities. And it’s said that they developed the springiness and flavor into what the meatballs are today.

People have been applying silk, known as si in Chinese, into fabrics for 5,000 years. The     1     (produce) of silk involves the growing of mulberry trees (桑树) and raising of silkworms. It remains a     2     (tradition) practice even today. 

Once upon     3     time, when spring turned to summer, the Grand Canal, a vast waterway system connecting Beijing and Hangzhou, was very busy. Countless boats used the waterway     4     (transport) fabrics. This valuable goods would take two months to reach the capital city,     5     it would be transformed into cool clothes.

Silk has also played a significant role in Chinese interactions     6     the rest of the world. The Silk Road     7     (establish) during the Han Dynasty and promoted the exchange of goods and cultural     8     (practice). Chinese silk was one of the main goods traded, traveling as far as Rome.

In China, fabrics such as ling, luo, chou, and duan represent the improvement of techniques in making textile (纺织品) . Silk is processed     9     (different), which results in silks of different shapes and patterns. Silk combines the beauty of art and technology. It     10     (be) an important carrier of Chinese culture since ancient times and remains so today.

Shu embroidery (蜀绣) enjoys a long history in China. As early as the Han Dynasty, Shu embroidery was already famous, enjoying a high reputation as “    1     treasure of Sichuan”. During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, a     2     (relative) peaceful society and large demand provided     3     (advance) conditions for the rapid development of the Shu embroidery industry. Shu embroidery experienced its peak development in the Song Dynasty,     4     (rank) first in both production and     5     (excellent). In the mid-Qing Dynasty, the Shu embroidery industry was formed.     6     the People’s Republic of China was founded, Shu embroidery factories were set up and the craft entered a new period of development.

Shu embroidery     7     (form) its own unique characteristics, since it originated among the common people in the west of Sichuan Province. Shu embroidery has strong expression and artistic effect,     8     features are said as “fine and smooth needlework, simple and elegant colors, graceful and easy lines and the traditional Chinese paintings style”. Altogether, there are 122     9     (approach) in 12 categories for weaving. The embroidery took locally-produced colorful satin (缎子) and threads     10     its materials.

Public attention will often be focused on the collective stories of soldiers on the anniversary (纪念日), which     1     (fall) on July 27, marking the end of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea(1950—1953).

However, this year,     2     new documentary (纪录片), Searching Beyond Time and Space, tries to view history     3     (different)—to go beyond the collective and uncover the thoughts of individual soldiers, and find out if they have any regrets or unrealized     4     (wish) at the end of their lives. Moreover, the production unit, by using virtual reality technology, offers the old soldiers an opportunity to go back to moments in the past and address those regrets in the virtual world.

For instance, Tian Wei, a 90-year-old CPV soldier, returned to China in 1954 and learned that his comrade-in-arms (战友) Wei Jiamin,     5     he saved on the battlefield, had sent his family money to help him care for his parents. Tian had been sincerely desiring to express his gratitude to Wei face     6     face until Wei passed away.

    7     (use) a photo, the documentary team managed to recreate Wei’s     8     (appear). Then a “meeting” between Tian and Wei     9     (realize) in the virtual world as Tian wore VR equipment.

The purpose of the documentary is to encourage today’s younger generation     10     (get) closer to the inner world of their grandparents and older ancestors.

Hotpot is one of China’s favorite dishes. The recommended place in the country to enjoy the food is Chongqing in Southwest China. Hotpot is not a one-person meal. The atmosphere in hotpot restaurants is     1     (live). People chat while putting meat or vegetables into the pot and waiting for it     2     (boil).

Though the origin of hotpot     3     (be) hard to determine, the current “hotpot capital” is Chongqing. Eating hotpot is part of the city’s culture. The city has more than 20,000 hotpot restaurants     4     own 50,000 franchises around the country, according to the Chongqing Hotpot Association.

It is said that Chongqing hotpot     5     (invent) in the ports along the river by sailors and porters who sought     6     simple and cheap way to cook. This may explain     7     the typical raw ingredients for Chongqing hotpot are animal organs such as duck intestines, tripe and pork arteries—as they were leftovers coming     8     the markets near the ports. For first-timers, the ingredients may be a bit difficult to stomach. But there is no     9     (short) of choices— lamb, beef, seafood, potato, bamboo shoots, lettuce—for today’s diners.

There is a health consideration for eating hotpot in the summer from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine. Chongqing is very humid which increases the dampness in the body, so     10     (eat) hotpot can burn off the excessive moisture.