Established in 1927, the Henan Museum is one of the country’s oldest modern museums. In 2009, it was chosen to be one of the first national-level museums     1     (create) by the central and local governments. With a collection of over 170,000 artifacts, it houses a wide range of treasures,     2     (particular) prehistoric relics, stone carvings and so on.

With 2.7 million visitors and over 39 million yuan in revenue (收入) from cultural products last year, the museum is not just preserving history     3     shaping the future of cultural exploration.

The Henan Museum has been a pioneer in this direction, making use of a variety of     4     (approach) including exhibitions, digital activities and educational programs. Over the past year, the significant progress     5     (make) in the use and promotion of artifacts around the world. Thanks     6     major discoveries and research results, a large number of exhibitions have encouraged     7     creative transformation (转变) of traditional Chinese culture.

Ma Xiaolin, director of the Museum, stresses the great need     8     (protect) cultural relics, and sees this as a long-term task that demands continuous efforts. Ma suggests that tourists     9     (visit) Henan should take the time to explore the museum. “It’s an important window     10     people can appreciate the culture of the Central Plains, the Yellow River, and Chinese civilization.”

The Icehotel is the world’s first ice hotel in northern Sweden. The hotel, including the chairs and beds, is constructed from snow and ice blocks,     1     are taken from the nearby Tome River. Artists are invited to create different     2     (room) and decorations built by ice. Besides bedrooms, there is a bar with glasses made     3     ice. Each suite is unique and the architecture of the hotel is changed     4     (annual), as it is rebuilt from scratch.   

    5     (design) the main hall and the imaginative suites, artists around the world send applications to the Icehotel each year. When spring comes,     6     is pitiful to see everything melt away and return to the Tome River.     7     the Icehotel only exists between December and April, it     8     (consider) as one of the Seven Wonders of Sweden recently.   

At the Icehotel the beds are bedded with furs and people are given special equipment to use while     9     (sleep) in the hotel. The guests sleep in polar-tested sleeping bags. Since there is no heating in     10     hotel, the bedroom temperature remain constantly around -5℃. The ice suites do not have any bathroom facilities but bathroom for guests can be found in a warm building close by.

Chinese screen, also known as pingfeng, is     1     unique and elegant piece of traditional furniture in Chinese decoration.

    2     (typical), it is made of wood and features a delicate appearance. Famous for its carvings and paintings, the Chinese screen can block wind and noise from the outside, cover a door and make the room     3     (privacy). When decorating a house, Chinese people attach great importance     4     the harmony of their living space with the surrounding environment. Architects believe a screen can help to control     5     the energy flows in a room and promote a feeling of peace and     6     (calm).

With its roots in Chinese culture and ancient history, the screen is more than just a physical barrier or decoration. In addition to its decorative and practical     7     (function), the Chinese screen     8     (consider) a symbol of honor and respect as well. When important guests visit, the host often greets them behind the screen as a sign of respect and privacy.

Today, Chinese screens are still treasured and employed for their multiple roles. Whether     9     (use) to divide a room, create privacy, or add a touch of traditional elegance to a space, the Chinese screen     10     (remain) a beloved and valuable piece of design.

An old courthouse in London is set to change into an office building with a rooftop forest. The seven-story building     1     (locate) in Pocock Street. There will be more than 10,000 plants in total. The building will have its own water collection and irrigation system     2     (meet) all the plants’ needs. The project,     3     includes 385,000 square feet of office space, a rooftop bar, a restaurant and a swimming pool, will cost about £ 180 million. The project is to provide separate entrances for the public, who will have access     4     the rooftop woodland to enjoy     5     (impress) views of the City of London. The aim of the project is to makegreen-fingered members of the community participate     6     (active). Some 1,300 tons of soil will be brought up to the roof that first     7     (appear) as a printing factory in the 1960s. Real estate investment platform Fabrix has been given the     8     (approve) for the project by the Council. It is believed     9     the new project will help achieve the goal of net zero in London by 2030     10     attract various forms of wildlife to make the rooftop forest their home.

Beijing is a city bridging the ancient and the modern. From Buddhist temples to museums, narrow hutong     1     royal palaces, it is home to more than 3,000 years of glorious history even down to its layout, with the city keeping its carefully     2     (build) system of ring roads.

But for all its ancient buildings, Beijing is also a place     3     welcomes the fast-paced development of modern life, with 21st-century architectural     4     (wonder) standing side by side with historical buildings of the past.

It is a distinct visual contrast (反差) that shouldn’t work,     5     somehow these two very different worlds make a good combination.     6     (visit) several times over the last 10 years, I     7     (amaze) by the co-existence of old and new, and how a city was able to keep such a rich heritage (遗产) while constantly growing. As a photographer, I have spent the last two years     8       (record) everything I discovered.

The     9     (remark) development of this city, which is consciously designed to protect the past while stepping into the modern world,     10     (mean) there is always something new to discover here, and I could be photographing Beijing for the next 50 years.

The artists of Dafen can paint like Van Gogh

The village of Dafen was once thought     1     (produce) the most oil paintings in the world every year.     2     (recognize) as the “world’s art factory”, Dafen impressed visitors with its many workshops, in which painters created mock masterpieces by Van Gogh, Monet and Warhol. But the village was always seen more as a production line     3     a place of culture. Today the future of Dafen may depend on     4     it is able to earn respect of the art world.

Things started to change for Dafen in 2008,     5     the global financial crisis cut down overseas orders. With more demand     6     (come) from domestic market, artists began painting different subjects. New customers preferred Chinese styles, says     7     painter in Dafen. He learnt the art of Shan Shui which involves representing natural landscapes. In some ways Dafen reflected the broader economy. As exports start to decline as a share of GDP, domestic     8     (consume) plays a larger role in driving growth.

China is the world’s second-largest art market.     9     it is not clear where Dafen fits in. Li Jinghu, an artist from nearby Dongguan, often visits the village hoping to discover new talent. But locals say the demand for their paintings     10     (decline) in the past two pandemic-struck years. “Most people would probably be surprised that Dafen still exists. It does and it will,”says Lisa Movius, a writer in Shanghai who covers art.

For Greek photographer George Doupas, Beijing is home now. During the past decade, he has been photographing the city, capturing its beauty     1     sharing these photos online and in exhibitions.

“This     2     (true) represents Beijing — the old and the new, nicely mixing together,” Doupas said while showing his photograph of the Zhihua Temple, a delicate Ming Dynasty building. It     3     (locate) in front of a modern office building, Galaxy SOHO, which features weaving bridges and interlocking passageways.

With rich historical heritage, Beijing     4     (be) an important center of traditional Chinese culture since the Ming Dynasty. Doupas often gets     5     (lose) in the city’s splendid ancient architecture. Meanwhile, he is also amazed by the modern city     6    (combine) high-end businesses and various industries. “It is fascinating to see a rapidly-developing city that invests so much effort in preserving its past, which is     7     I decided to pursue my career here,” he said.

Doupas is determined to continue with his career in China, hoping to serve as     8     bridge between China and the West. The     9     (display) that show his photos about Beijing have attracted a large audience in Greece and the Czech Republic.

“I call Beijing my home now,” he said, “I’ll keep sharing photos of China     10     the rest of the world.”

Secrets of an Ancient Arena(竞技场)

The Colosseum, one of the world’s most famous buildings, was built over a period of about eight years nearly 2, 000 years ago. Experts consider it one of the most     1     (remark) examples of Roman architecture. Arches and columns (拱门石柱) supported the weight of the arena, which was made of stone and concrete.

Over the centuries, more than two-thirds of the Colosseum     2     (destroy). Since the 1990s, the ancient round theater, including the basement, has been     3     (slow) repaired. It’s the most popular tourist site in Rome,     4     more than 5 million visitors in most years.

Gladiators (角斗士) were the star athletes of the Roman Empire, most of     5     were slaves or prisoners, but some were citizens who volunteered to fight in     6     hope of becoming a celebrity. Most gladiators fought only a few times a year, like today’s boxers.

As gladiators fought on the Colosseum floor, a lot was happening below their     7     (foot). The underground tunnels were equal to the backstage of a theater. Sets, costumes, and weapons were kept there. In     8     (hide) rooms, gladiators prepared for battle. In other areas, doctors treated gladiators’ wounds. Lions, tigers, and elephants were also kept in the basement. Gladiators didn’t fight them, but skilled hunters     9     (do). The animals were raised up in elevators pulled by ropes. The creatures would burst into the arena from trapdoors,     10     (surprise) the crowd.

On the afternoon of April 7, Liu Feng     1     (smooth) drove     2     electric wheelchair into Hangzhou Asian Games Village. “The village is very friendly to wheelchairs.” He said with a smile.     3     (invite) by Asian Para Games Hangzhou 2022 as the “Barrier-free Experience Officer” (无障碍体验官), Liu Feng went to Hangzhou Asian Games Village     4     (experience) the construction of barrier-free facilities and put forward     5     (suggest). More than 1,000 wheelchair-accessible rooms     6     (build) since the beginning of this year,     7     will serve as accommodations (住处) for more than 5,000 people.     8     (enter) the wheelchair-accessible room, people can find many specially    9     (design) furniture, such as the barrier-free bed and bathroom. “I am more than delighted to be told that many other improvements     10     (make) now”, commented Liu, “I’m moved by and proud of the consideration that the city shows to handicapped people.”

In recent years, big changes about “greenways” have taken place in Beijing. These greenways, permitting residents       1    (get) more exercise to benefit their own health, provide an opportunity for them to pursue a more carbon-free lifestyle.

The most outstanding example is the "Beijing Greenway ", a large part of       2     runs next to the ancient city moat (护城河). The wonderful "narrow park" not only offers enough       3     (opportunity) for walking and cycling,       4     also provides vast areas for seating and exercise. Therefore, residents can get rid     5     the feeling of constantly being trapped by large buildings and automobiles. Honored as a model to apply a more       6     (environmental) friendly way forward for city planning, the " Beijing Greenway" is considered as one of the most exciting projects in     7     increasingly car-dominated (统治的)city.

Another typical one is the " Chaoyang Greenway". So far, it     8     (cover) a distance of around 10 kilometers in Beijing's Chaoyang district. The path       9     (combine) walking and cycling is a new and welcome addition. With the “greenways", Beijing becomes a greener and       10     (good) place to live in.