How did the ancient Chinese keep food warm in winter?

    Facilities like electric rice cookers, microwaves, and electric kettles, make it easy for people to keep food warm and enjoy a comfortable winter. So how did Chinese people in ancient times keep food warm in winter without these? In fact, ancient Chinese people used their own methods of heat preservation as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties.

● “Wen Ding”, ancient rice cooker

    One of the major functions of an electric rice cooker is to keep food warm. The “Wen Ding”, an ancient cooking container, served the same purpose, but instead of using electric energy, the ancient cooking container, served the same purpose, but instead of using electric energy, the ancient cooking container preserved heart by burning fuels like charcoal.

    The “Wen Ding” unearthed in Nanjing in 1989 is thought to be the oldest of its kind discovered in China, dating back to the Stone Age, The craftsmanship of making the “Wen Ding” was developed in the Bronze Age. The bronze Ding from Shang and Zhou dynasties took on different shapes and structures.

● “Ran LU”, ancient small hot pot

    The “Ran LU” is a small size cooking vessel(器皿) made of bronze, which can be divided into three parts. A charcoal stove forms the main structure, with a bottom tray to hold charcoal ashes, and a movable cup at the top. Some experts have concluded that the vessel's structure suggests it may have been used as a small hot pot and that these vessels became popular in the Warring States Period(475—221 BC)

●Bronze You, ancient kettle

    The Bronze You was one of the most common wine containers during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The Bronze You can also be used to warm wine. For example, the Bronze You with beast mask design, unearthed in Jiangxi province, has an opening where charcoals could be placed. Just as people today can't do without an electric kettle, the Bronze You allowed people to enjoy a hot drink.

●Bronze Yan, ancient steamer

    Although the “Wen Ding” was effective at keeping food warm, the ancient Chinese people later found that its burning produced pollution. As a result, the Bronze Yan was made with a two-tier structure and used to steam rice and other grains. After the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-AD 220), further improvements to the Bronze Yan led to the modern-day steamer.

    Watching a 3D movie can more than double the concentration powers and cognitive(认知) processing of children, a new research claims.

    A study made by visual technology firm RealD and led by child psychologist Dr. Richard Woolfson suggests that children aged between 7 and 14 experienced twice the cognitive processing speed and performed better in testing after watching 20 minutes of a 3D film. This is despite suggestions that attention spans(时期) in children have shortened in the last decade due to unlimited to access to entertainment, including on-demand TV, gaming and social media. A 2015 study claimed that watching 3D content had a similar effect to brain-training exercises.

    Consumer psychologist Mr. Fagan said that the increased stimulation(刺激) found in watching something in 3D "exercised" the brain and improved performance in the short term. "3D films can play the role of ‘brain-training' games and help to make children ‘smarter' in the short term," he said. "The shortening of response times after watching 3D was almost three times as big as that gained from watching 2D; in other words, 3D helps children process aspects of their environment more quickly. This is likely to be because 3D is a mentally stimulating experience which ‘gets the brain's juices flowing'."

    The experiment saw children given a range of cognitive tests before watching 20 minutes of a movie in either 2D or 3D and being tested again. The results showed those who saw the 3D content reacted faster and performed bettering the second round of testing. Mental engagement also rose by 13% among 3D watchers. Child psychologist Dr. Woolfson added that “supportive parenting” and regularly listening to classical music can also aid a child's memory.

    Whenever the word “hero” comes to me, I immediately think of three Hs: honorable, hardworking, and happy. When I think more about this word, I picture someone who has accomplished good things for people and tries to do the right thing Hattie Elizabeth Alexander is one person whom I find to be very heroic.

    Hattie was born in Baltimore, Maryland on April 5, 1901. During her time at College she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Bacteriology and Physiology. These were just the first steps towards what she was finally going to be remembered for. After college Hattie attended Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and received her medical degree.

    After her education, she pursued her career, and after much time and hard work, she drastically reduced the number of infants(幼儿) dying from meningitis(脑膜炎). Hattie was very dedicated to her work and helped at as many locations as she could. Spending substantial(大量的) time in the laboratory, Hattie successfully developed a cure against the disease, which decreased the death rate to 20 percent. At the same time, she was also a teacher working with Columbia University.

    She was a caring lady interested in other people's lives. When she was teaching at Columbia University, other members would talk to her about students that were failing their classes, and somehow Hattie could always find convincing reasons as to why they should not be driven away. Later, Hattie became an instructor in Pediatrics at New York City's Babies Hospital. After many honors, she became the first woman president of the American Pediatric Society in 1965. This was her last major achievement, for soon after, Hattie died of cancer on June 24, 1968.

    Hattie is my hero because her positive attitude and strength helped her accomplish great things for others. She gave them her strength by developing medicines against diseased, which, by doing so, made them stronger. This is what makes Hattie Elizabeth Alexander my hero.

    The new two-child policy is making job hunting more difficult for women when about 40 percent of them said they were asked whether they planned to have a second child during job interviews, according to a report in Chongqing.

    China dropped its decades-long one-child policy in October and allowed each family to have two children. The country now has about 270 million married women of childbearing age.

    This change has put millions of career women in a dilemma between family and career. Employers also face big challenges as more female workers will have two childbearing leaves, seven to eight months altogether.

    A human resources website www.job.cq.qq.com conducted a survey among 500 employers and 5,000 job seekers about how the two-child policy affects the job market.

    Though two thirds of employers said the policy would make no difference to their recruitment(招聘), the survey showed that more than 70 percent of job seekers believe that bearing a second child will make women less popular in the job market. Forty percent of employers said they will give priority to married women with two children, according to the survey.

    Lin Xia, 29, quit her job after giving birth to her first child. She is now preparing to return to work. After several inquiries at a job fair, she found that the employers are concerned about future birth plans. "I thought it would be easier to find a job after giving birth," she was quoted as saying by the website. "I had to answer whether I will have a second child before I could get a chance for a job interview."

    Liang Siqi, 23, a college graduate, said although employers did not ask her the child question yet, she will not plan to have two children. "It (having two children) will definitely affect my career and personal life, so I will have only one," she said.

    Zhou Jiansong, who is in charge of human resources at a large private high-tech group in Chongqing, said the company will discuss birth issues with interviewees in order to make a better work plans. "We fully respect a women's right to bear a child or two," he said. "But you don't want them to go on a childbearing leave soon after they join your company." The experts expect more labor dispute cases concerning childbearing leave rights when bearing a second child in future.

    As the saying goes, rose given, fragrance in hand. I am always in the 1 of giving money to every beggar or homeless person I pass by. My friends say it is not good to 2. We may come across beggars or homeless people begging every day and all beggars have their ability to survive. It 3 them that I never listen.

    On a 4 day, my friend and I were walking to the 5 when I passed a beggar lady. I had seen her several times before and had always given her a few 6. That day, I gave her 2 Euros. I was waiting for the bus and reading a book when I7 to see that lady standing in front of me. She 8 me a piece of paper covered in a plastic bag to prevent it from getting 9. She stood there, looking at me 10. Putting away my book, I took the paper, which 11 she and her family had to 12 their country because of floods, and she was 13 to support them. She had got a bit of money, but she needed 5 14 Euros to get home. I 15 in my pockets and found 20 cents. My friend 16 a 5 Euro note. I asked her to give it to the lady, and said that I would 17 the next day. When she got the money, the lady hugged us and said thanks again and again, and went on her way. Later on the bus, I wondered where her home was and 18 she had gotten to this country. In her story, I felt that my friend and I would always remain part of it as the 19, who helped her get home on a rainy day. But for me, helping a stranger did bring me happiness, giving me a pleasant 20.

How To Study English In China

    English is obviously not the native language in China. Although many Chinese want to improve their English level to the amount needed in daily work, it's very hard when only a few people speak English around them.        Here are a few tips that might help.

Join a school with native teachers to guide you.

           The more exposure you can get to these foreign teachers, the faster and better you're going to learn English. If a school doesn't give students maximum exposure to native English speakers' classes, find one that does.

Read English daily.

    This means using websites that are permitted in China, accessing English texts, newspapers and books. Read short stories in English. When you come across words you don't know write them down immediately.       

Find some English speakers.

    Spend time with them and share conversations. There is nothing better for learning any language than finding native speakers of the language to practice with. When you speak, you are practicing every aspect of the language(except writing) in the most efficient way possible.

Memorize vocabulary.

    Write new words in a notebook every week, with English definitions and a sample sentence, not a Chinese translation.        Carry it with you everywhere you go. Even if you have a question about something that you see and you don't know the English word, write it down in your own language with the plan to look it up later and learn that word in English.

           English is not well controlled by grammar rules. For every rule, there is an exception to that rule. Your time will be better spent in watching movies and learning from them than studying grammar for long hours. Find someone to write emails in English to or write a dairy every day.

    There are many other ways to improve your English. Come on!

A. Learn to write.

B. Watch an English film once a month.

C. What can you do to study more English?

D. There are many English speakers in China.

E. You can do this by writing in your notebook.

F. Follow a soap opera, comedy or radio program or TV drama.

G. You should be carrying a notebook with you everywhere you go just to write down something important.

    In Hangzhou, borrowing books from the library is now as simple as shopping online: click, pay        wait for delivery.

    The city's public library recently launched a program on WeChat,       popular Chinese messaging software, enabling its readers to check out books online and get them        (deliver) to their homes at low prices.

    To enjoy the “Hangzhou enjoyable reading” service, one first needs to follow the library's official WeChat account,        provides a list of books. After picking books, borrowers are required         (present)the information such as their library membership cards, cell phone numbers and so on. The selected items will be delivered by express within three days after payments. Each reader can borrow up to 5 books once and 20 books at most        total. The books can be borrowed for up to 40 days. Reading now can borrow the library's most popular books in this way. The online books will be renewed and enriched        (gradual) according to readers' borrowing habits and        (prefer). At the end of December, the library's old and classic books        (put) online too, making the total number of books available and bringing borrowers a lot of        (convenient)

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。

修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词。2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

    During the National Day holiday, I paid a visit my grandma in the countryside. It has been almost two years since I last saw her. In my memory, my grandma was a hardworking but strong woman full of energy. Whenever she saw me, she always hugged me deep. But when I gave her a hug this time, I found that she was much short and thinner than before. Her back was become bent and her hairs turned white. But luckily, she was still health. She could laugh like a child. To my happy, she could cook some delicious food for me. I love my grandma. I know he will always be there, helping me and loving me.

1). 来自全市15所36名学生参加了此次英语演讲比赛；

2). 比赛分为三个环节：英语演讲、回答评委提出的问题和才艺表演；

3). 活动的意义。

注意：1. 词数100左右。2. 可适当增加细节，使行文连贯。

Dear Mike,

    On December 9, an English speech contest was held in our city.

Yours,

Li Hua