World Poetry Day takes place each year     1     March 21 to promote the teaching of poetry, as well as the publishing, writing, and reading of this form of writing around the world.

It     2     (declare) by UNESCO in 1999 in the hopes of supporting language diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages     3     (hear). World Poetry Day was about giving fresh drive and     4     (recognize) to international, regional, and national poetry movements. It also focused on promoting a return to the oral (口头的) tradition of poetry recitals, as well as     5     (strengthen) the association between poetry and other forms of expression, such as dance, music, and painting.

The day is celebrated     6     (global). Government agencies, community groups and individuals get involved in promoting or participating in the day, which enables children to learn and enjoy     7     (variety) of poetry. It is a time     8     students are busy examining poets and learning about different types of poetry. Poets may be invited to read and share their work to audience at book stores and schools. Ceremonies are held to honor poets of     9     (remark) achievements.

All in all, it’s a day for poetry:     10     ancient art form that still enriches our understanding of humanity today.

A Guizhou golden Monkey “Xiao Fan” gave birth to a baby on March 21, 2024 in southwest China’s Mount Fanjingshan region, the Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve Administration announced Friday. The Guizhou golden monkey is also called the rare Guizhou snub-nosed monkey     1     (know) as the “Earth’s only child”.

The baby monkey is in sound health. Amazingly, over the past eight years, “Xiao Fan”     2     (give) birth to four healthy babies successfully, according to the reserve administration. And this has made a great contribution to     3     (they) research work.

The rare Guizhou snub-nosed monkey,     4     exclusively lives in the area of Mount Fanjingshan, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, is under top-level     5     (protect) in China and is listed as a “    6     (critical) endangered” species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Yang Wei, head of the Guizhou snub-nosed monkey research center of the nature reserve, said that the breeding (繁殖) period of the monkeys was shortened from three years to two years at the center, thus     7     (help) carry out scientific research on the monkeys greatly.

Among the three species of golden snub-nosed monkeys endemic (特有的) to China, the Guizhou snub-nosed monkey is the one with the     8     (small) population, the narrowest habitat and the least ecological information.

There has been     9     estimated population of 700 to 800 rare Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys.     10     present, there are nine captive Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys at the research center.

The Shenzhou XVI crew members shared their space stories with the public on Friday since their return from space last October after the     1    (five) crewed mission to the space station     2    (involve) China’s first civilian astronaut.

“I felt particularly happy to fly with the diverse crew members, which     3     the first time included a pilot, an engineer, and a payload specialist,” Major General Jing Haipeng, 57, said at     4     news conference held in Beijing.

Jing also revealed that, unlike his previous space missions, he actually gained weight by the end of this one. “We strictly followed our exercise and dietary plans, which is     5     our physical and mental conditions were     6    (exception) good.”

Flight engineer Zhu Yangzhu said that his primary     7    (responsible) were assembling and maintaining the space station’s equipment and the greatest challenge was to ensure “zero mistakes in daily operations” during the five-month mission.

Professor Gui Haichao, said he was so proud, as the first civilian astronaut     8    (enter) China’s own space station and conduct     9    (science) research in space.

Jing also expressed his long-lasting passion for his career. “Since 2003, Chinese astronauts     10    (advance) steadily, step by step, and will explore with greater courage and wisdom to realize even bigger dreams,” he said.

Weiqi, an ancient strategic game,     1     (date) back over 4,000 years. It involves black and white stones     2     (place) on a board, with the aim of surrounding the opponent’s pieces. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the game     3     (spread) to Korea and Japan, where it gained great popularity. In Korea, it was known as baduk,     4     in Japan it was called igo or go. Despite its popularity     5     East Asia, it was only introduced to the West in the late 19th century through Japan. Accordingly, most non-Chinese know the game by its Japanese name and use Japanese terms to play it.     6     (distinguish) it from the English verb “go”, the game is often capitalized as “Go”.

Though Go looks quite simple, it is actually one of the most complicated games. In fact, there are so many possible moves in Go     7     a whole new field of mathematics has been created just to describe the game. While this shows     8     level of thinking skills that Go players must have to become champions, it also shows the difficulties involved in creating a computer program that can play the game well. Meanwhile, top Go players like Ke Jie have been excited by AlphaGo’s     9     (innovate) strategies, opening up whole new worlds of     10     (possibility) in the game of Go. Nowadays, many Go players now use AI programs like AlphaGo to help them improve their playing skills.

China ramps up space ambitions with record launch schedule

China has ambitious plans for its space industry in 2024, with     1     (approximate) 100 launch missions scheduled, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC), the nation’s leading space contractor. The announcement of this record-high number of launch plans     2     (make) during a news conference in Beijing on Monday.

CASC will be responsible for nearly 70% of the planned missions,     3     (arrange) over 290 spacecrafts into orbit, said Ma Tao, deputy head of the company’s space program planning department. Notable spaceflights for the year include two     4     (crew) journeys and two unmanned missions to the Tiangong space station.

Experts highlight that     5     (significant) mission in 2024 will be Chang’e 6, tasked with bringing back     6     first-ever samples from the little-known far side of the moon. The majority of planned     7     (launch) will be conducted by CASC’s Long March rocket family, with additional ones by the company’s secondary rocket series named Smart Dragon, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp’s Kuaizhou fleet, and several models from private companies.

In 2023, China was the second-ranking country in terms of launch numbers, having carried     8     67 rocket launching missions, with 47 conducted by the Long March rocket family, all of     9     were successful.

The company laid     10     (emphasize) on its contionuous efforts in the research, development and construction of over 200 spacecrafts to be launched in the coming years.

Chengde Mountain Resort

Chengde Mountain Resort lies in the north of Chengde City, Hebei Province in the north of China and covers an area of 5,640,000 square meters. First     1     (build) in the 42nd year during the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, the whole construction of Chengde Mountain Resort     2     (last) a total of about 90 years. The resort is mainly composed of Palace Zone and Garden Scenery Zone.

Located in the south part of the resort, Palace Zone comprises rows of buildings in a perfect layout,     3     look like those in the Forbidden City in Beijing.     4     buildings fall into four groups: Central Palace, Pine and Crane Studio, Valleys and Pines, and East Palace.

Garden Scenery Zone is divided into the lake area, the plain area and the mountain area.     5     (lie) in the west and north of the plain area, the mountain area has an area of 4,435,000 square meters, accounting for four     6     (five) of the total area of the resort. The towering peaks seem as if they are natural blockades preventing the bitter wind from entering the zone and that seems to be     7     the weather here is regulated.

Unlike other royal gardens, Chengde Mountain Resort is a perfect     8     (combine) of quintessence of both the south and north gardens that follow the natural terrain and suit measures to conditions of mountains and waters for construction. It is an outcome of inheriting (继承) and     9     (far) expanding the architectural philosophy of Chinese classical gardens. It is a milestone of pride in Chinese garden history and a masterwork of Chinese classical garden art, claimed     10     the largest existing royal garden in the world.

Zhang Daqian was one of the best-known Chinese artists of the twentieth century. He grew up in a small village in China     1     he developed a passion for painting. However, his parents did not     2     (particular) support his interest in art, believing that it would not lead to a     3     (promise) future. Despite their     4     (object), Zhang Daqian continued to go after his dream, often setting aside some time from his chores     5     (practice) painting.

As Zhang Daqian grew older, his talent became even more obvious. One day, a famous painter visited Zhang’s village and     6     (amaze) by his works. So he offered to take him on as his pupil.

    7     the guidance of the master painter, Zhang Daqian made great progress. Eventually, he became     8     master painter in his own right, known throughout China for his vivid landscapes and portraits (肖像).     9     (influence) by Western painting techniques as well, Zhang’s work used a style that was both traditional and modern.

In his lifetime, he was the mentor (导师) to many other young artists,     10     (give) his knowledge and techniques to the next generation.

China’s long history, vast territory and rich culture     1     (give) birth to the distinctive Chinese cuisine art so far. With several thousand years of creative efforts, Chinese cuisine has become     2     (increase) popular among more and more overseas gourmets (美食家).

Originated from different regions and ethnic groups of China, Chinese cuisine can     3     (divide) into many categories.     4     (root) in the traditional Chinese philosophy, Chinese food represents the harmony and balance of nature, not only satisfy     5     gourmet’s appetite, but also preserve people’s health.

For most of foreign travellers, Chinese cuisines are equal to Sichuan Hot Pot, Peking Roast Duck, Kung Pao Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork... These are all tasteful and popular     6     (dish) in China, however, the real Chinese cuisines are far more beyond that.

With vast territory and abundant resources, Chinese people have developed diverse cuisines based     7     different regions, weathers and raw materials. Generally, there are over a dozen of regional cuisines in China, among     8     the most popular ones are called Eight Famous Cuisines. Except regional cuisines, ethnic foods, such as Tibet food and food in Minority areas, have their own unique flavours and features. Local snacks, though not formal meals, win     9     (it) position among all kinds of people. Chengdu and Xi’an are famous for their snacks, and some people travel to these cities just     10     (taste) the local snacks!