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Here is the news. Beijing and its neighbours Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province have joined hands to launch this year's Ice and Snow season, attracting fans and tourists both domestic and overseas.
A launching ceremony for the ice and snow season has recently been held at Tai Wu Ski resort in Jiangjiao -kou City in North China's Hebei Province, unveiling 10 travel routes of ice and snow in the region.
The ice and snow industry is booming in the region after the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.
The number of visitors to Tai Wuh ski resort has increased from five thousand to eight thousand per day since the resort reopened last month.
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A 600 square kilometre zone, located approximately 300 kilometres southwest of Beijing, has been green -lit as the largest drone testing airspace in North China, Set to boost the growth of the nation's burgeoning low -altitude economy.
Located in Xuejia Zhuang in North China's Hebei Province, the zone allows flights up to 4 ,000 metres, surpassing the standard 3 ,000 -metre limit for low -altitude airspace.
According to Zhang Ming -hui, an engineer at China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Company, This airspace is designed for trial flights of all manned and unmanned aircraft, including large industrial drones.
It can support the demands of aviation emergency response, air transport, weather modification zone, as well as low -altitude tourism and pilot training.
Zhang Xuiqian, a local official in charge of investment promotion, said that the unified management of the test zone can effectively streamline processes for enterprises to secure airspace while the adoption of 5G advanced technology facilitates real -time drone flight status monitoring.
Shi Jia Zhuang is among the latest Chinese cities jumping to establish a foothold in the emerging sector.
with numerous Chinese companies already capitalizing on the vast economic potential of the airspace by launching a variety of drones, small aircraft and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft or EVTOL for short.
Over 20 the provincial governments in China, have incorporated the development of the low -altitude economy into their work plans, or have introduced relevant policies.
In August, Beijing launched its first unmanned delivery route via aerial vehicles on a section of the Great Wall, helping to transport heat relief items and emergency supplies.
Chongqing, a mountainous municipality in southwest China, launched the trial operations of an interprovincial low -altitude air route to the city of Zigong in its neighboring Sichuan province in March.
Last month, a small aircraft with a 10 -passenger capacity flew from Zygong to Chongqing for the first time at an altitude of approximately 3 ,500 meters.
The test flight took two and a half hours, cutting the commute in half compared to driving.
The route is set to launch officially by the end of this year.
Chongqing and Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, have reportedly been selected as pilot cities for EVTOL flights below 600 meters, with local governments being granted increased approval authority.
The low altitude economy was defined as a strategic emerging industry at the country's annual Central Economic Work Conference last year.
According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the size of China's low -altitude economy was estimated to rise to 2 trillion yuan by 2030.
This is Special English.
Small plastic particles in water have become one of the most concerning consumer pollutants due to their pervasive presence in water sources.
A Chinese team has developed a new strategy to remove those micro plastics that adversely affect health.
The study, published in the journal Science Advances, described a new kind of reusable and biodegradable foam that can absorb microplastics in water with an efficiency of up to 99 .8 percent in its first use.
the researchers from Wuhan University and Huajong University of science and technology employed sustainable foam made of cellulose from cotton.
The foam has a porous structure that can attract and interact with diverse micro plastics, commonly found in electronics, food packaging, textiles and other industrial products.
The team evaluated foam's performance using samples from four real -world water sources, namely irrigation water, lake water, sea water, and pond water to see if the material would work in a natural setting.
The foam absorbed nearly 100 % of microplastics in its first cycles in samples and the removal rates of this biopolymer based material exceeded 95 % after five cycles, demonstrating its good re -usability.
According to the study, the material's absorptive capacity remains basically unaffected by inorganic particles, heavy metals, organic pollutants and microorganisms in water".
Dung Hong Bing, the study's corresponding author, said that microplastics entering terrestrial and aquatic habitats will continuously increase for thousands of years due to the alarming volumes of plastic waste in the environment, and the biomass material could be a cost -effective solution for tackling the intricate problem of microplastic contamination in water.
The team has already applied for a patent for this technology, hoping to bring it into real -world water treatment or home water purifiers in the near future.
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China's first overseas atmospheric background station has begun operation in Antarctica, bolstering global response to climate change.
According to the China Meteorological Administration, the Yongshan National Atmospheric Background Station in Antarctica will conduct continuous and long -term operational observations of the concentration changes in Antarctic atmospheric components, and offer faithful presentation of the average state of the atmospheric composition and related characteristics in the region.
Ding Ming -hu, Director of the Institute of Global Change and Polar Meteorology under the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences noted that polar regions are regarded as amplifiers of global climate change and the observation data of the station possesses unique geographical advantages and scientific value.
A comprehensive observing system comprised of seven categories of meteorological elements datasets, including ozone and aerosol, has been set up at the station.
China has nine national atmospheric background stations.
Meanwhile, ten would -be such stations kicked off one -year observation experiments in July.
You're listening to Special English More than 300 Oriental white stalks, an endangered bird species, have been spotted in Nan Dagang wetland, a world natural heritage site in North China's Hebei province.
The Oriental WhiteStalk, under top protection level in China, is listed as an endangered species, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Nandagang Wetland, in Sangjo City, is an important stopover and breeding site along the East Asian Australasian Flyway.
Over recent years, a natural wetland ecosystem consisting of water bodies, shallows and habitat islands has been gradually restored due to improved ecological conditions.
More than 100 ,000 migratory birds were monitored in the wetland last year compared to 20 ,000 in 2019.
October to December each year is the season for or migratory birds, to migrate to the wetland.
The oriental white stalk has extremely demanding requirements for its living environment.
They can only find ideal habitats in wetlands that are rich in food and abundant in water sources and have a good ecological environment.
During the freezing winter last year, the stalks used their long beaks to peck through the relatively fragile ice around the roots of reeds, catching fish that were hiding underwater.
According to Feng Guoqiang, a patrol officer at the Nature Reserve Management Office, this vivid example demonstrates how this wetland provides a rich source of food and a suitable living environment for the stalks in different seasons.
Feng added that the reserve will continue to Strengthen daily patrols and monitoring work with the help of AI technologies to ensure a comfortable habitat for migratory birds this is special English If you've only ever followed a single calendar the idea of using two might sound unusual or complex. Yet for people in countries like China, the practice of using both the Gregorian calendar, based on the movement of the Sun, and the Lunar calendar, aligned with the moon's cycles, is a normal part of life.
In China, this dual calendar system has been in place for over a century.
It's less confusing than it might seem.
Each person has two birth dates, one according to the Gregorian calendar and another based on the Lunar calendar.
For example, someone born on January the 1st, 2020 would celebrates their Gregorian birthday on January the 1st every year.
However, their lunar birthday corresponds to the 7th day of the 12th lunar month in 2019, and shifts each year, due to differences between the two calendars.
A typical Chinese calendar conveniently displays both Gregorian and lunar dates, along with major anniversaries and traditional festivals for the year." But which birthday do Chinese people celebrate?
That depends on personal or family preferences.
Some choose the Gregorian date for celebrations with friends and colleagues, and the lunar date for family gatherings.
Either way, rest assured, they age only one year at a time.
When it comes to official documents, only one birth date is recorded, and it's almost always the Gregorian one.
Since the early twentieth century, China has adopted the Gregorian calendar for formal and business purposes.
The official year starts on January 1st and ends on December 31st, just like in many other countries.
Still, the lunar calendar remains deeply significant, especially for traditional festivals, like Chinese New Year or Spring Festival.
cycle. This grand celebration, marked by a week -long holiday, falls on a different date each year, according to the lunar calendar.
The lunar calendar has guided Chinese society for millennia, based on the moon's roughly 30 -day orbit around Earth.
It tracks time time through its phases, full, half, new, and back to full.
A new lunar month begins with the appearance of a waxing crescent moon, while the full moon marks its midpoint.
The calendar's invention in Chinese culture is attributed to the Yellow Emperor in ancient times, where accurate astronomical measurements were needed to align it with the Moon's orbit.
Since its founding in the 20th Century, the Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanjing has been calculating the lunar calendar, ensuring its alignment with celestial movements.
months—the months of the lunar calendar carry names inspired by traditional activities, or natural phenomena.
For example, the first is called jang yue, meaning, first month, the second, apricot month, the third, peach month, and so on—the eleventh is winter month, and the twelve month, reflects the practice of preserving meat during this season.
Beyond marking time, the lunar calendar has been a vital tool for understanding seasons, weather, and biological cycles.
It states influence key decisions, including weddings, house relocations, investments and more, are often planned around auspicious days, determined by the lunar calendar.
Surprised by how much the lunar calendar means to the Chinese, now you know.
You're listening to Special English That is the end of this edition of Special English.
To recap, I'm going to read one of the news items again at normal speed.
Please listen carefully.
Beijing and its neighbours, Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province, – have joined hands to launch this year's ice and snow season, attracting fans and tourists both domestic and overseas.
A launching ceremony for the ice and snow season has recently been held at Tai Wuski Resort in Zhangjiaqou City in north China's Hebei province, unveiling 10 travel routes of ice and snow in the region.
The ice and snow industry is booming in the region after the Beijing 2022 winter games.
The number of visitors to Tai Wiski Resort has increased from five thousand to eight thousand per day since the resort reopened last month.
The ice and snow tourism season lasts from November to March next year.
That is the end of today's programme.
I hope you will join us every day to learn English at a slower pace.
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