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[Cultural Heritage, Cruise Expansion, and AI Innovation: A Weekly Digest]-[Night riders get new cycle routes]

Special English · B1 · 2024-08-26

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📋 Summary

Beijing's Nighttime Cultural Exploration

Beijing has introduced ten new nighttime routes designed for "curious and adventurous writers" and tourists. Hosted by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, these initiatives focus on the city's "Central Axis" and "Intangible Cultural Heritage," aiming to maximize the utility of local cultural and tourism resources by highlighting iconic locations like the Bell and Drum towers.

The Resurgence of China's Cruise Industry

The cruise sector in China is experiencing a rapid recovery. According to Shanghai Border Inspection authorities, the first half of this year saw over 180 entries and exits by international liners, carrying more than 840,000 passengers. Domestic operators are scaling up; notably, Adora Magic City, China's first domestically-built cruise ship, has served over 200,000 guests since its maiden voyage. CEO Leo Hui emphasized that the company plans to operate nearly 170 international routes next year. Furthermore, Shanghai Blue Dream International Cruises is launching a 33-night route, which general manager Shu Ying notes will "fill the gap of super long cruise trips" while paying tribute to the maritime explorer Zheng He.

AI Innovation: Moving Beyond External Complexity

Researchers from the Institute of Automation (Chinese Academy of Sciences), in collaboration with Tsinghua and Peking University, have proposed a "brain-inspired network model" to overcome the limitations of current AI. Current models rely on "external complexity"—building larger, deeper neural networks based on the "Law of Scale." However, this leads to the "unsustainable consumption of computing resources." By mimicking the internal structure of the 100 billion neurons in the human brain, which operate on only 20 watts of power, the team developed an "internal complexity" approach. Published in Nature Computational Science, this research provides a more energy-efficient and interpretable path toward general-purpose artificial intelligence.

The Legacy of Traditional Chinese Wood Architecture

While global ancient structures like the Taj Mahal or the Colosseum were built primarily with stone, Chinese architecture historically favored wood. This preference was driven by the material's abundance, flexibility in absorbing earthquake shocks, and ease of carving. Philosophically, wood represents "spring" and "life," aligning with feng shui beliefs. Contrary to Western desires for eternal stone monuments, ancient Chinese builders accepted that wooden structures require frequent repair, viewing them as living environments for generations rather than "immutable" historical objects. A prime example is the Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fo Gong Temple, built in 1056 using "Tenon and Mortise" techniques, which remains the world’s tallest wooden multi-storey structure. To commemorate such architectural marvels, the People's Bank of China has released a set of commemorative coins featuring this historic pagoda.

🎯Key Sentences

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The world is changing fast, but you can learn it at a slower pace.
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Which of these isn't like the others?
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I'll give you a hint.
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If you look around, most of the world's ancient structures were made of stone.
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But the buildings in China tend to be an exception.
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📝Key Phrases

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tap into
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maiden voyage
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at home and abroad
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meet the needs of
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pay tribute to
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📖 Transcript

The world is changing fast, but you can learn it at a slower pace.
Special English You're listening to Special English.
Here's the news. Beijing has unveiled ten new routes for curious and adventurous writers at night.
site. One of them covers major cultural landmarks, including the Bell and Drum towers and popular commercial sites.
Hosted by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the routes Mounts feature the city's Central Axis Huitongs and Intangible Cultural Heritage.
According to the authorities, those routes are aimed to better tap into the city's cultural and tourism resources.

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