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Here's the news. China's domestically developed regional jet liner, the C909, marked another milestone in its international expansion, as Lao Airlines recently took delivery of the aircraft, becoming its second overseas operator.
This C909 aircraft, featuring a 90 seat all economy class configuration, was delivered under a leasing arrangement.
It is expected to undergo a series of preparations in Laos before entering commercial operations.
According to the aircraft maker, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, the model boasts excellent, high temperature performance and the ability to take off and land on short and narrow runways, able to adapt to South -East Asia's operational environment.
Formerly known as the ARJ21, the C909 aircraft is a domestically developed regional jet liner with a range of 2 ,225 to 3 ,700 kilometres, making it suitable for most domestic routes in Laos as well as regional international flights.
So far, 162 C909 jets have been delivered, serving 645 routes across 158 cities and safely transporting more than 20 million passengers.
In 2022 this model was delivered to its first overseas client Transnusa, an Indonesian airline, making it China's first indigenously developed passenger jet liner to enter foreign markets.
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While blueberry bushes in most parts of China are just beginning to bloom, early ripening varieties in southwestern Yunnan province are already being harvested.
Originally native to North America, blueberries have found a second home in China.
Last year the country's cultivation area surpassed 73 ,000 hectares, yielding around 500 ,000 tonnes of berries, making China one of the fastest growing blueberry producers in the world.
Yunnan Province, with its ideal climate and extended growing season, has emerged as a leading production hub, contributing about 30 % of the national output, thanks to its unique geographical conditions, abundant sunlight, significant temperature variations between day and night, Yunnan offers an optimal environment for blueberry cultivation.
The province is now home to 46 wild blueberry species, more than half of China's total, making it one of the best production areas worldwide.
The city of Mengzi in Honghe, Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture is home to over 2 ,300 hectares of greenhouse grown blueberry cultivation space generating over 3 billion yuan, about US $418 million in revenue, and improving incomes and livelihoods for more than 20 ,000 local farmers.
Yunnan's blueberry boom has attracted over 100 domestic and international companies to Honghe, creating jobs for more than 100 ,000 people.
According to the province's Agricultural Department, Yunnan's blueberry cultivation area reached 16 ,660 hectares in 2024, producing 171 ,000 tonnes with an estimated industry value of 17 billion yuan.
While Chinese blueberries were initially grown for domestic consumption, they are now making their mark on the international stage.
Wang Rei, chairman of FengJie, an agricultural development company, said that every four days they would air freight 2 tons of blueberries to Dubai, adding that customers in Dubai can enjoy fresh blueberries from Yunnan in about 40 hours.
China's blueberry exports are rapidly gaining momentum.
According to Kunming Customs in 2024, the customs office in Hmongzi supervised the export of more than 1400 tonnes of blueberries, accounting for over half of China's total blueberry exports and making it the country's top blueberry exporter.
According to Li Yadong, a professor at Jilin Agricultural University, since China first exported home -grown blueberries to Russia in 2020, they have reached more than ten countries and regions, highlighting the immense market potential of Chinese blueberries.
This is Special English An artificial intelligence paediatrician is expected to enter more grassroots hospitals in China, as it has won widespread recognition since its debut at Beijing Children's Hospital in February.
The hospital recently unveiled the country's first pediatric large -scale AI model, under the name Fu -tang Bai -chuan, introducing two AI -powered applications, the AI Pediatrician basic version, and the expert version.
According to the developer, the applications will be deployed in medical centres and community hospitals across Beijing, as well as over 150 county -level hospitals in neighbouring Hubei province.
The model features a robust knowledge system for common and rare childhood diseases, leveraging paediatric, evidence -based medicine to generate personalised diagnosis Practice and Treatment Plans Trained on clinical expertise from more than 300 renowned specialists at the hospital, and decades of high -quality medical records, It excels in clinical reasoning, multimodal processing, and multiround chatting.
When interacting with patients' parents, it can autonomously conduct multiround inquiries and engage in communication patiently.
Ni Xin, head of Beijing Children's Hospital, said the basic version targets daily pediatric care, empowering grassroots clinicians, while the expert version addresses complex and rare diseases to enhance decision -making efficiency.
Ni gave an example.
The basic version can differentiate early symptoms of viral encephalitis, often mistaken for the common cold, to prompt timely testing and reduce misdiagnosis risks.
Since February the 13th the expert version has entered operation and participated in over 10 multidisciplinary consultations.
its diagnostic alignment with expert decisions reached 95%.
Developed by the hospital, in collaboration with two technology companies by Chuan AI and Shao R.
Feng, the AI Pediatrician stems from a tripartite partnership which aims to advance pediatric AI models and expand equitable access to high -quality pediatric healthcare through innovative technologies.
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Using 3D technology, scientists in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region have reconstructed the face of a prehistoric human who lived 16 ,000 years ago, with joint efforts by researchers from home and abroad.
Their results have been published in the Journal of Archaeological Science and experts believe they could provide important technical methods and reference materials for the study of the physical characteristics of early humans and the evolution of human facial features in South China.
A fossil of the early human's skull was discovered at the Yahui Cave Site in Longan County in Guangxi.
According to Xie Guangmao, a researcher at the Guangxi Institute of Cultural Relics Protection and archaeology the Yahwai Cave burial site was the second paleolithic burial site found in China.
Xie noted that the fossil is the only complete human skull fossil found in South China that has allowed for precise stratigraphy and reliable dating, and it is of significant value to the study of the diversity of early people, the migration and communication practices of prehistoric populations and the burial customs of humans in the late Paleolithic age.
The team adopted a 3D method to analyse and compare the similarities and differences between in the geometric shapes of the skull found at the Yahweh cave site, and modern human skulls.
The scientists found the prehistoric skull to be bigger than female skulls today, but smaller than modern male skulls.
Its geometric shape more closely resembles that of a modern female skull, with a more elevated frontal bone.
Guangxi is an important gateway linking East Asia and Southeast Asia.
Xie said that the study of the skull fossil from the Yahui Cave site is helpful in developing the understanding of the physical characteristics of early humans in South China, and is of great importance to questions such as how the prehistoric humans there migrated and spread.
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China boasts the world's largest man -made forest and grassland areas, a fact that demonstrates its commitment to ecological conservation.
According to a report recently released by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the country's planted forests cover a total area of 92 .4 million hectares, and its grasslands span 263 .2 million hectares, with both figures ranking first globally.
The report shows that China has seen achievements in ecological protection and resource conservation in recent years with a total forest area of 283 .7 million hectares and forest coverage exceeding 25 % of the country's total land area.
In this year's Government Work Report, the country has pledged to make coordinated efforts to cut carbon emissions, reduce pollution, pursue green development, and boost economic growth, while accelerating the green transition across all areas of economic and social development.
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Chinese experts have warned of the effect of overusing cell phones on sleep quality, as the electronic devices have become indispensable to modern life, while problems with sleep have surged.
A recent survey about Chinese people's sleep condition reveals that 48 .5 % of Chinese adults have sleep disturbance, and the suffering will sharpen as people age.
Medical experts have reminded people to reduce the use of electronic devices before sleep time, especially to avoid indulging in social media and video -sharing platforms. The survey, conducted by the Chinese Sleep Research Society and the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, notes that the population spending more than three hours on social media per day is 2 .3 times more susceptible to sleep disturbance.
Meng Fanqiang, a senior doctor at a Beijing -based hospital leading in mental disorders, said and that each hour of exposure to electronic screens will shorten 10 to 20 minutes of deep sleep.
Experts also warned that many teenagers have poor sleep quality due to the overuse of mobile phones before going to sleep.
The blue light emitted by electronic screens can reduce the secretion of melatonin, an important hormone that helps people fall asleep.
Mung said that teenagers suffering from poor sleep for a long time will experience a significant decline in their daytime attention and memory.
In recent years, China has pooled efforts from both school and family to ensure sufficient sleep for students, requiring that at least eight hours of sleep are needed each night.
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That is the end of this edition of special English.
To recap, I'm going to read two of the news items again, at normal speed.
Please listen carefully.
China's domestically developed regional jetliner, the C909, marked another milestone in its international expansion as Lao Airlines recently took delivery of the aircraft, becoming its second overseas operator.
This C -909 aircraft, featuring a 90 seat all economy -class configuration, was delivered under a leasing arrangement.
It is expected to undergo a series of preparations in Laos before entering commercial operations.
According to the aircraft maker Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, the model boasts excellent high -temperature performance and the ability to take -off and land on short and narrow runways, able to adapt to South East Asia's operational environment.
Formerly known as the ARJ -21, the C -909 aircraft is a domestically developed regional jetliner with a range of 2 ,225 to 3 ,700 kilometers, making it suitable for most domestic routes in Laos, as well as regional international flights.
So far, 162 C -909 aircraft have been delivered, serving 645 routes across 158 cities, and safely transporting over 20 million passengers.
In 2022, this model was delivered to its first overseas client, Transnusa, an Indonesian airline, making it China's first indigenously -developed passenger jetliner to enter foreign markets.
You're listening to Special English.
An artificial intelligence paediatrician is expected to enter more grassroots hospitals hospitals in China, as it has won widespread recognition since its debut at Beijing Children's Hospital in February.
The hospital recently unveiled the country's first paediatric large -scale AI model under the name Fu -Tung Bai -Chuan, introducing two AI -powered applications, the AI Paediatrician basic version and the expert version.
According to the developer, the applications will be deployed in medical centres and community hospitals across Beijing, as well as over 150 county -level hospitals in neighboring Hebei province.
The model features a robust knowledge system for common and rare childhood diseases, leveraging pediatric evidence -based medicine to generate personalized diagnosis and treatment plans.
Trained on clinical expertise from more than 300 renowned specialists at the hospital, and decades of high quality medical records, it excels in clinical reasoning, multimodal processing and multiround chatting.
When interacting with patients' parents, it can autonomously conduct multiround inquiries and engage in communication patiently.
Ni Xin, head of Beijing Children's Hospital, said that the basic version targets daily pediatric care, empowering grassroots clinicians while the expert version addresses complex and rare diseases to enhance decision -making efficiency.
Ni gave an example.
The basic version can differentiate early symptoms of viral encephalitis, often mistaken for the common cold, to prompt timely testing and reduce misdiagnosis risks.
Since February 13, the expert version has entered operation and participated in over 10 multidisciplinary consultations.
Its diagnostic alignment with expert decisions reached 95%.
Developed by the hospital in collaboration with two technology companies, Baiquan AI and Xiao 'er Feng, the AI Pediatrician stems from a tripartite partnership, which aims to advance pediatric AI models and expand equitable access to high quality pediatric health care through innovative technologies.
That is the end of today's programme.
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