America's holiday shopping season started on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.
Shoppers make the most money this time of year, about 20 percent to 30 percent of all revenue all year. About 136 million people shopped during the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend.
In an era of instant information, shoppers can use their mobile phones to find deals. Nearly 80 percent of this year's holiday shoppers, or about 183.8 million people, shopped on Cyber Monday.Online spending on Black Friday rose 15 percent to hit $2.7 billion this year. Cyber Monday spending increased 12 percent to $3 billion. NBC News reported that for many, shopping online was a more comfortable alternative than crowded malls.
The shift to online shopping has had a big impact on solid shopping malls. Since 2010, more than 24 shopping malls have closed and anadditional 60 are struggling. Fortune says the weakest of the malls have closed. However, the business in malls is thriving again, it adds. According to a survey, 94.2percent of malls were full with shops by the end of 2014.
The average American consumer will spend about $805 on gifts. That's about $630.5 billion between November and December – an increase of 3.7percent from last year.
That goes toChina's Singles' Day, celebrated on November 11, which posted record sales of$14.3 billion in 2015.
A．More and morepeople shop online nowadays.
B．That is thehighest level in 27 years.
C．It is thebusiest shopping day of the year.
D．One-in-fiveAmericans used a tablet or smart-phone.
E．Thetraditional mall industry can hardly survive.
F．Cyber Mondayfalls on the Monday after Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
G．Nonetheless,Cyber Monday is not the biggest online shopping day in the world.
S ome Ways to Have an Amazing Day
Here are a few tips for making sure you can answer the pop quiz of life confidently:
Be kind.
How often do you stop to talk to the people you encounter every day? Do you know the names of the people at the bank, the grocery store, or restaurant? One great way to get more out of your day is to fill it with people you know. The best way to know more people is to be kind to everyone you meet. Take a moment to learn a little about them.
I avoided saying “Stay Busy” because sometimes we can fill our day with meaningless activities and feel busy but then at the end of the day we look back and realize we accomplished nothing. A great way to stay productive is to look at the things you would like to accomplish today, this week, this month, etc. and then plan some time to work on each of them.
Look for ways to serve.
I truly believe that giving meaningful service to other people is the greatest key to our personal happiness. It may be just a smile and a “hello”. It may be just a phone call to tell them “thank you for being a friend.” When we serve other people, we develop personal joy.
Find a purpose.
The happiest people have one or more big “life goals”.When we have a big goal that we feel passionate about we become more excited to work on that goal every day.
When you give yourself the pop quiz at the end of the day, you will be ready to say you did everything you could.
A. Keep learning new things
B. Make the most of every day
C. Stay productive all the time
D. Try to do more in your everyday life
E. It may be helping them with their work
F. It has been said that you can measure a person by how they treat the people who can do nothing for them
G. It may be to run a marathon, write a book, start a business, develop a product or learn a new hobby or profession.
We accomplish our goals one step at a time, doing a little each day. So, starting your day on the right foot is most important.
Get up an hour early.
People who get up early in the morning have a jump on the day. In American English, we like to say, “The early bird gets the worm.”This expressions means that people who rise up early have a head start and, therefore, are more likely to succeed.
Don't answer e-mail or jump into social media as soon as you get up.
We've all done it. You see a Facebook post from a friend you haven't seen for a long time. He is angry about some political issue and the heated discussion pulls you in.You hurry out the door so as not to be late for work. This is not the best way to start your day.
Exercise!
Physical fitness experts and trainers often suggest some form of exercise in the morning because the middle of the day is a busy time for most people. By the day's end, you may not have the time or energy to exercise.
Think about your day at night.
Take time at the end of the day to think back on all the things that have happened.It may help you to prepare if you take a few minutes to think about what you need to do the next day.
A. And spend a little time to think about tomorrow.
B. Here, if you're a bird, the worm is the reward.
C. In fact, the morning may be the most productive part of your day.
D. Exercising in the morning prevents that from happening.
E. Avoid jumping into social media as soon as you get up.
F. Here are four ideas on how to start your day off right.
G. Before you know it, an hour has passed.
When you ask people how to make friends as an adult, they usually give you suggestions like, “just get out there,” “join a dance class,” or , “try speed dating.”.
After all, making friends does require us to get out into the world and take a few emotional risks. Most of the time, however, we are not lacking for ideas on where to meet people.
For this reason, most people find that reconnecting with themselves is a first step towards reconnecting with others.
If you feel tired, out of shape, or sad, most of the time, making friends is going to be extremely difficult.
Start small. Use the1-minute technique to gradually increase your commitment to exercise. Get out into nature. Set a timer to remind yourself to get up every hour to stretch. Try gentle yoga.
While you build up your body, don't forget to nourish your mind. Write down one thing every day that you are grateful for.
Learn to become your own best friend.
Instead of relying on our social circumstances to bring people into our lives, we need to change ourselves first and then invite people into our lives.
A. On the surface, these are fine suggestions.
B. Spend a few minutes every day in reflection.
C. It will be even more difficult when you are an adult.
D. We only need to know how to start a conversation with strangers.
E. We are missing the motivation and self-confidence to get started.
F. Making friends as an adult is possible, but it requires a new approach.
G. Fortunately there are plenty of simple things that you can do to increase your physical and emotional resources.
How parents can help children with reading skills
Making sure that your children read well can help them perform better in school and increase their confidence in their ability to communicate well. The following ways can be very helpful.
Have your children read to you.
Have your children choose their favorite book and sit down to read with you each evening. It doesn't matter whether that starts after dinner or around the time your children go to sleep.
Stock (储备) your house with reading materials.
It is reported that children who have different kinds of books and magazines to choose from at home actually score higher on standardized tests.
Researchers suggest having your children read signs on the road, menus, game directions, movie listings and other daily things. This will help your children try to understand the importance and applicability (适用性) of being able to read well.
Pay attention to reading problems.
See how well your children can sound out words, understand what they have read and use reading context (上下文) to understand the meaning of new words. For example, you can take them to reading learning centers.
Use other reading tools.
Take games as an example, try to use them as much as you can, since they can make children look forward to and enjoy the process of improving their reading ability.
A. Read wherever it is possible.
B. Take your children to a library.
C. Make reading an important part of each day.
D. Keep some reading materials available in your house.
E. Games, textbooks and books on tape are good choices.
F. If your children have difficulty reading, get them some help.
Being a volunteer
What can you do to help people? The answer is-to be a volunteer!
Help yourself by helping others
When you volunteer to help others, you can helping yourself. Lots of people really enjoy volunteering. Doing volunteer work means one important thing: You make a difference in the world. So where do you start?
Things to do with family members
Volunteering is a great way to have fun with your family. Talk to your parents, brothers, or sisters and see what they might be interested in. Find something you all agree on. You can do the things as a family like cleaning up a park and planting trees or flowers in your local community（社区）
Invent your own opportunity
You can make and sell products, and donate（捐赠）the money. Volunteering gives kids a taste of responsibility. Volunteering can also help kids learn important things about themselves-like what kind of things they're best at. A volunteer job can even help some kids decide what they want to do when they grow up. Make a plan to start volunteering today!
A. Why not come?
B. School is a good place to start if you are looking for volunteer ideas.
C. Volunteering means to spend time helping others.
D. If you're upset, doing something can be a great way to calm yourself down.
E. Kids can come up with their own ways to raise money or provide needed services.
F. So what are you waiting for?
G. Clean up a school or other public buildings.
Test anxiety is actually a type of performance anxiety-a feeling someone might have in a situation where performance really counts. It can be a real problem if you're so stressed out over a test that you can't get past the nervousness to focus on the test questions and do your best work.
Use a little stress to your advantage.
Stress is a signal that helps you prepare for something important. So use it to your advantage. Instead of reacting to the stress with fear, take an active approachChances are that you'll keep your stress under control. After all, nobody ever feels stressedout by thoughts that they might do well on a test
Ask for help.
Although a little test anxiety can be a good thing, too much of it is another story. If sitting for a test gets you so stressed out that your mind goes blank and causes you to miss answers that you know, then your level of test anxiety probably needs some attention. Never let test anxiety get to be too much to handle
Be prepared.
Many students find that their test anxiety eases when they start to study better or more regularly. It makes sense-the more you know the material, the more confident you'll feel When you expect to do well, you'll be able to relax into a test after the normal first-moment nervousness passes.
Watch what you're thinking
If expecting to do well on a test can help you relax, what about if you expect you won't do well? Watch out for any negative messages you might be sending yourself about the test.
If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts (I'm never any good at taking tests "or It's going to be terrible if I do badly on this test"), replace them with positive messages. Not unrealistic positive messages, of course, but ones that are practical and true, such as "I've studied hard and I know the material, so I'm ready to do the best I can.”
A. They can contribute to your anxiety.
B. Let stress remind you to study well in advance of a test.
C. Having confidence going into a test means you expect to do well.
D. A little nervous expectation can actually help you do better on a test.
E. However, feeling ready to meet the challenges can help manage test anxiety.
F. Your teacher, a school guidance counselor, or a tutor can be good people to talk to.
G. They can help to learn ways to calm yourself down and relax when you're anxious.
Here come some of the ways advised to keep delighted and a healthy mood by Harvard.
Be grateful and say thanks often
the tiny purple flowers on the sidewalk, the beautiful sunset, and the smile in your partner's eyes. When you have a grateful heart that is appreciative of life's beauty, wonder and blessings, you're automatically filled with delight. Always be appreciative of the blessings in your life. And it's equally important to express your appreciation to those who've made your life better in some way.
If your tendency is to imagine the very worst case whenever you have a trouble, train yourself to change that tendency. Ask yourself what good can come from the situation or what you can learn from it. Optimism surely fuels success and delight.. Try to find humor and laughter in life's everyday struggles.
Understand and forgive
Step into others' shoes and understand a situation from another's perspective, and we're more likely to handle the situation with objectivity and effectiveness. There will be less conflicts and more delight.
Hate and anger are forms of self-punishment. When you forgive, you're actually practicing kindness to yourself. Most importantly, learn to forgive yourself. Everyone makes mistakes..
Keep learning and be a problem solver
Learning keeps us young and olive. When engaging our brains toward productive uses, we're much more likely to feel delighted and fulfilled.
Delighted people are problem solvers. When facing a challenge in life, they don't beat themselves up and fail into a depressive state.. By becoming a problem solver, you'll build up your self-confidence and your ability to accomplish whatever you set to.
A. Be optimistic and laugh often
B. Pay attention to the little details in your life
C. Do what you love freely and live happily in the present
D. Laughter is the most powerful treatment to anger or depression
E. It's through our mistakes that we learn and grow to be bigger and better
F. Only by making mistakes repeatedly will we realize it is normal to make mistakes
G. Instead they face the challenge and channel their energies to finding a creative solution
Moving from high school into college can be especially difficult because of the freedom students experience in college along with a new set of expectations.
In high school, students usually live at home, and their parents take care of all their physical needs such as food and housing. Parents are also there to offer help and make sure that the students' homework is done. During the school day, students rarely have free time. They go directly from one class to another. Teachers are always around to tell the students what to do. So students can often complete their homework and reading in a short time.
They may be responsible for shopping, paying bills, and laundry. They also may have to cook their own meals. Their parents are not around to help with homework or even to check if it has been done. Contrary to students in high school, students in college may have a lot of free time between classes, but must discipline themselves to use this time productively for homework and other assignments.
A．High school students have to bury themselves in piles of papers.
B．Finally, the work itself is not so challenging.
C．By contrast, in college, students often live away from home in dorms or apartments.
D．In college, students may apply to a bank loan and others will try to find parttime jobs.
E．Each new level of education brings new challenges and demands to students.
F．Most importantly, college requires a higher level of thinking and a lot more work than high school.
G．Students do not usually have to shop for their food, take time to pay bills, or even do their own laundry.
For serious birders who regularly observe birds in the wild, ignoring climate change isn't possible. We have been seeing and documenting the effects of a warming climate since at least the 1950s.
Glossy black great-tailed grackles (美洲黑羽椋鸟), for example, previously found primarily in the tropics (热带), first reached southeastern California in 1964. They are now found throughout most of the state.
New research from the National Audubon Society highlights the dangers of the trend. For its new report, "Survival by Degrees," Audubon scientists analyzed the current geographic ranges of 604 North American bird species, and modeled how those ranges would change at different levels of warming. At a global temperature rise of three degrees Celsius, they found that 389 of those species—or nearly two-thirds of those studied—would become endangered, losing much of their current habitat.
Why does this matter to anyone who's not a bird watcher? For one thing, birds play a crucial role in the ecology, keeping down insect populations and serving as food themselves for larger predators (食肉动物). Their shifting ranges warn of increasing droughts, floods, fires, rising seas and unlivable cities.
Audubon scientists modeled what would happen at lesser levels of warming, and the results are striking. Limiting warming to 1.5 degrees would reduce the danger for three-quarters of those threatened birds. Audubon's report "Survival by Degrees" is not a depressing forecast but rather a call to action. It stresses the need for action at every level, by individuals and governments alike, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
As a lifelong birder, I'm proud of the role my tribe has played in documenting the effects of climate change. When local conditions change, particular types of frogs or wildflowers may decrease and disappear, few will notice. I hope people can pay close attention to the urgent message in this new report and work together for solutions. Birds tell us we don't have time to wait.
A. We still have time to do something about it, however.
B. But they also serve as a visible symbol of broader environmental shifts.
C. This would greatly benefit humans, reducing the potential suffering for people.
D. But when a bird species disappears, we dedicated birders document the change.
E. In recent decades, that has meant a consistent northward shift in where species are found.
F. The changes will make birding exciting, with birders finding new species in unexpected places.
G. Even if some could shift their range northward, they would soon start to run out of room on the map.
Light in a bottle
This is such a simple idea! It's a special lamp that needs and costs nothing to run. It wasn't invented by a famous scientist, but by a man called Alfredo Moser in Brazil sixteen years ago. In his hometown at the time, they had problems with electricity. One day, Moser and his friends were talking about how they could create a signal in an emergency. One of them suggested using a bottle to reflect the light from the sun. This made Moser think.
All you need is a clean plastic bottle. Fill it with water and close it with a black top. The black top attracts the sun. A drop of bleach (漂白剂), the kind you use to clean the house, is added to the water to keep it clean. Then a small hole is cut in the roof of the room where you want the light, and the bottle is pushed through the hole. It's much stronger than the light from a candle!
Moser shared his idea with his neighbours and his light bottles were fixed in the local supermarket. Ten years later, the MyShelter Foundation in the Philippines heard about Moser's idea.Now there are Moser lamps in more than 140,000 homes throughout the Philippines and the idea has spread to a number of other countries, too. Moser lamps have surely made life easier for a lot of people!
A. Why not use water to make light?
B. In India, the bottles are used in countryside schools.
C. Moser was very good at making things around the home.
D. People's homes and small businesses were often left in the dark.
E. Following Moser's method, the organization started making lamps in 2011.
F. While there's sunlight outside, the light will be carried through the water into the room below.
G. MyShelter also offers training for people who want to earn money by fixing the lamps in their communities.
Most college students have their money from their parents, but college is the time for them to begin true responsibility. With the right information at hand and some practice, you can definitely get major financial assistance for college tuition (学费). The following is the ways you should know about.
Play a sport.
I know it is obvious to the football player that sports will increase the possibility, but did you know you can get scholarships for less-known sports? Have a try on golf, sailboat and marathon! A senior year spent learning and perfecting a new sport can lead to a full ride in college.
Do voluntary work.
Most nonprofits have good scholarships for their volunteers. Try volunteering in your community or a community chapter of a major organization. It can be best to work for an organization that you are familiar or have a childhood history with.
Try building a personal connection with someone at a scholarship society. Building a relationship through visits, phone calls and gifts can make you stand out the crowd. Remember, these people chose the winners om hundreds of applications a day and a personal touch can really make a difference.
Apply early.
It can never be too early to apply for a scholarship Applying early is another way to stand out of the crowd You can definitely score a better scholarship earlier with much less competition.
Applying early can lead to more applications overall, and someone who applies to 100 scholarships against 10 has a much better chance of being awarded!
A. Bear in mind.
B. Keep in touch.
C. It can also be a numbers game.
D. Living in a poor community may help you a lot.
E. Some of the highest scholarships are given to college athletes.
F. A high level of community service will give you a leg up in college.
G. Experience has proven that scholarships will be given to those who deserve.
How to Break the Anxiety Cycle
People who suffer from anxiety tend to be stuck in an ongoing loop of avoidance. It's the classic dynamic of anxiety: , our symptoms tend to increase, and in turn this drives the anxiety up and makes the things we're afraid of scarier. Here are some techniques on how to slowly overcome this mental health challenge. . Words have power. For example, saying “I am panicked about going to this party tonight” will put you in a more negative state of mind compared to saying “I'd prefer if I didn't have to go to this party.” Start by putting your words to the positive and to a point where you still feel it resonates（共鸣）.
Let go of perfectionism. People with social anxiety feel as if they are walking on a social tightrope. . We have unrealistic high standards where we think we must be cool, positive, and witty while carrying the entire conversation—it's too much. And keep in mind that you are not expected to be someone you're not in order to get people to like you.
Make small gestures. Instead of “jumping off a cliff” and walking straight into a situation that makes you anxious, start becoming more expressive in situations that you feel are less threatening.
, say good morning to a neighbor you rarely speak with, or tell your hairstylist the exact look you' re going for instead of agreeing with their suggestion.
Shift your awareness. Our attention is like a spotlight and we choose where to point it. Those with social anxiety tend to point that spotlight inward and state the commentary of our inner critic.
.
A. Choose your words carefully
B. Pay attention to your health condition
C. For example, ask a stranger for directions
D. When we avoid the things we're afraid of
E. If the things reduce feelings of social anxiety
F. It's this idea that we need to perform perfectly
G. Focus on what's happening around you, not inside you
If your roommate snores in a way that is preventing you from getting your much-needed zzz's every night, you'll need to address the situation as soon as possible. Doing so wisely, however, is likely to increase your chances of finding a workable solution that everyone is happy with.
1 First and Foremost, Mention It to Your Roommate
If your roommate snores a lot, you'll have to bring it up if you're ever going to move toward a solution. Avoid angry accusations like “You snore so much!” or “Why are you snoring like that all the time?”
2 Remember That Snoring Can Indicate Some Other Issues
Don't just view snoring as a bad habit; it can be a medical issue for some people, too. The multiple causes of snoring should help you keep in mind that this isn't something that can just be fixed, like a dirty roommate or one who takes your stuff all of the time.
3 Find Some Temporary Fixes
As you and your roommate work to find long-term solutions to the snoring problem, look into some short-term fixes first. Can you get earplugs? Rearrange the beds of your room so they aren't so close? Perhaps you can ask your roommate to avoid alcohol before bed, or look into getting and using a white noise machine.
4 Look into Long-term Fixes
Your roommate might just need to change some sleeping habits; similarly, they might also have some serious medical concerns that-aren't going to be fixed quite so easily. Know that it's perfectly okay for one of those fixes to be finding another roommate. Sleep is important—for both of you.
5 Keep Things Pleasant and Friendly
Would you want someone, for example, taking video of your snoring and posting it online somewhere? Definitely not. Your roommate's snoring isn't an intentional act designed to make your life horrible. Consequently, aim for understanding and patience as you both work to find a solution.
A. For example, you've been told you snore a bit.
B. If that is the case, turn to some long-term fixes.
C. How you bring the topic up, however, matters a lot.
D. Ask your roommate to try to sleep on the other side?
E. It doesn't have to mean anyone is doing anything wrong.
F. Consider how you'd want to be treated if you were in your roommate's shoes.
G. Be patient and considerate as your roommate looks into what's causing the snoring.
When you step into a new environment, you must have a strong wish to fit in. Fitting in means making more friends, having more influence on others and getting more chances to live a happier life.
Be confident. Confidence attracts most people. Everyone is special and unique in this world. Spend some time thinking about your strong points. And you won't have much difficulty fitting in.
Be kind to everyone. Kindness is the bridge to your own happiness. When people notice your kindness, they will return it one day. Always give more than you receive, and think more of others than of yourself.
Various activities like playing football can help you to be known by others. You may add more friends to your circle. At the same time, you'll be amazed to see how much they like you. Instead of wasting time being alone, go out to dance and sing together with others to develop friendships.
Do smile at everyone every day. It makes both you and others feel happy. Humour catches others' attention as well. People will like you for making them live happily.
If you follow what is mentioned above, you will be accepted by people around you. As a result, you will fit in very well and enjoy your new life.
A. Be active in group activities.
B. However, everybody needs friends.
C. Here is some advice that can help you.
D. A pleasant smile costs the least and does the most.
E. A person who cares for others is popular everywhere.
F. Even so, it often leaves us to wonder if we fit in well.
G. If so, you will be able to build up confidence step by step.
The benefits of keeping a journal (日志)
If you want to grow, one important thing you should do is keeping a journal. It may seem simple, but it can make a big difference in your life. I have been keeping journals for years. Writing all the lessons I learn and all the ideas I get has become a habit for me. Here are some benefits you will get by keeping a journal.
It prevents you from losing an idea. Have you ever gotten an idea only to lose it later because you didn't write it down? But then I developed the habit of writing down every idea that came into my mind as soon as possible. If I'm away from my computer, I usually write it down on a piece of paper that I bring wherever I go. I will then transfer the idea to the journal in my computer.
It helps you review all the lessons you've learned. By reviewing your journal, you can quickly see the lessons you've learned and the ideas you've gotten. You can use the ideas to propel (鞭策) yourself forward.
After keeping a journal for years, you can look back at it and see how far you've gone. Things that were big problems in the past might seem small today. The raw ideas you had in the past might have been realized today.
It helps you expand your ideas. When you try to come up with a sentence to express an idea, you are thinking actively about it. In the end, you will expand your ideas.
A. I often experienced that myself.
B. It trains you to express your thoughts.
C. It allows you to see your progress over time.
D. Just use whatever tool you feel comfortable with.
E. Thinking actively helps you connect your idea to another idea.
F. And to be honest, I can't imagine what my life would be like without it.
G. Then you can do whatever necessary to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
Choosing accommodation (住宿) is one of the most important considerations for students who study abroad. Dormitories (宿舍) , provided by universities can be a good choice.
Many foreign families open their homes to students across the world. In a homestay, students can observe, learn and experience a new lifestyle and culture, while practicing English skills in a home environment.
Students can even feel that they have found a second family who loves and cares for them. Hosts may involve their student guests in day-to-day family activities and also include them in social gatherings, such as holiday celebrations or trips to local attractions.
Homestay hosts can reflect the diversity (多样性) of the region in which they live. They may be single parents, retired couples or families with young children.
You can check university homestay programs, which will set certain standards for hosts, including transportation, facilities and access to shared rooms such as the kitchen and bathroom.
Although homestays can be convenient, host families are not completely responsible for students' welfare. Don't count on hosts to solve all of your problems. Also, remember that living in a homestay will require an adjustment period. There may be simple house rules or guidelines about internet usage, laundry, television viewing, meal times, cleanliness and money matters. Remember to be polite and respect the host family's different lifestyles.
A. They are ready to help students.
B. Students still need to be independent.
C. As guests, students always need to mind their manners.
D. Good homestay can help students learn foreign culture.
E. Successful homestay experiences can help ease homesickness.
F. In addition to dormitories, homestay is another popular choice.
G. They will come from different social and cultural backgrounds.
The Silk Road was a historical network of trade routes that connected China and the Mediterranean Sea, allowing cultural and economic interaction between the East and the West. Begun in the 2nd Century BC, (the Silk Road carried goods, ideas, and even illness for thousands of miles between great civilizations for more than a thousand years. It was the creation of Germany's Ferdinand von Richthofen, who traveled to China several times in the second half of the 19th century.
China's powerful Han Dynasty began expanding its trade routes towards the West in the years around 100 BC. Some shipments made it through to Europe and to northern and eastern Africa, through the port of Alexandria.
As its name suggests, the Silk Road was home to large amount of silk, which made its way from China to the Mediterranean and, to Rome. It wasn't only silk, however, that was carried along the Silk Road. Chinese traders brought delicate porcelain plates and thin but durable paper money. Romans brought delicately carved pottery (陶器) and jewelry to China.
Merchants carried shipments from major center, and then others carried the foods farther on the route. Many merchants traveled in groups, called caravans (商队). Many caravans and individual merchants traveled with bodyguards because theft along the routes was not uncommon.
Several cities along the Silk Road became major trading centers. Some of the more famous of these were Alexandria, Karakorum, Antioch, Constantinople, and Persepolis. Local taxes placed on goods traveling along the route were quite common. .
A. The name, however, is a modern idea.
B. Diseases also spread along the Silk Road.
C. It sent silk and other goods to other civilizations.
D. Merchants would prepare some supplies in advance.
E. Goods did not travel with the same person all along the route.
F. As a result, many goods traveled only part of the way due to the high cost.
G. Many other things made their way from the East to the West, or from the West to the East.
The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Major Snow, the 21st solar term of the year, begins this year on Dec 7 and ends on Dec 20. . Here are five things you should know.
Snowy winter
, breaking tree branches and blocking the road. In the south, snowflakes fall and the world turns white. A proverb about the snow says, "A timely snow promises a good harvest". As the snow covers the ground, the low winter temperature kills pests.
Appreciating plum blossoms
Plum blossoms usually flower in mid-to-late December in some southern cities of China, and sometimes bloom even earlier. The plum blossom is admired in Chinese culture for its toughness during severe winters.
Eating lamb
Lamb is a favorite food for Chinese people during Major Snow. . People in Chongqing like to have potted lamb soup or stewed lamb soup with their families and friends.
Eating porridge
Hot porridge could help warm you and nourish (滋养) your body in cold weather. In China, it's customary to eat red bean porridge on the first day of Major Snow. , such as wheat porridge, sesame porridge, radish porridge, walnut porridge and tuckahoe porridge.
Preventing lung illness
During this period, Chinese people watch for outbreaks of lung illness, which can be prevented by properly drinking water. During Major Snow, it's drier and colder, so people should drink more water. But you should not drink too much water at once. .
A. In addition, there are other varieties
B. People in southern China make sausages
C. The snow falls at night and melts in the day
D. Don't drink cold water after exercise, either
E. The snow in North China may last a whole day
F. It's excellent for protecting the body against the cold
G. During this period, the temperature drops significantly
China has made great improvements in environmental protection during the past 70 years. Each species on Earth has a role to play in the ecosystem.
In recent decades, a series of wildlife-protection movements has been carried out by the central government. The giant panda and the crested ibis(朱鹮) are among these successful stories.
The giant panda used to have a population of 1,114 in the 1970s. It now totals 1, 864 thanks to 52 protection areas. By the end of last year, seven of the nine released pandas had survived in the wild. In 1981, only seven crested ibises were found in Yang County, Shaanxi Province. Since then, breeding programs have helped the population reach 2, 000. China has even sent crested ibises to Japan and South Korea in recent years to help with the species' survival.
Key projects will be continually carried out to improve protection, including making the lists of wild animals and plants under State protection, and also fighting against illegal wildlife trade, which includes the ivory(象牙)trade.
A. Another species was once thought to be extinct.
B. Protecting wildlife is, without doubt, an important part.
C. China will continue its efforts in the wildlife protection.
D. People call for immediate protection of the remaining species.
E. Scientists have worked to feed pandas and then release them into the wild.
F. As environmental damage has increased, signs of change have appeared around the world.
G. Several species in danger of extinction have made impressive progress thanks to the methods.
