The world is changing fast, but you can learn it at a slower pace.
You're listening to Special English, here's the news.
Beijing has recently launched an English map to enhance travel services for foreign nationals in the city.
The MAP is now available for a one -month trial run on the Beijing platform for common geospatial information services.
The Beijing English MAP includes both digital and printed versions.
The digital MAP covers categories such as administrative divisions, natural features, transportation, health care, sports and leisure, with over 30 ,000 annotations in total.
The digital map features six additional thematic sections with over 4 ,000 annotations, such as bank card services and SIM card services, offering convenient information for foreigners visiting, working and living in Beijing.
The printed map notably marks historical landmarks like the Beijing Central Axis.
The digital version of the printed map is available for free download on the MapWorld website.
During the trial run, feedback will be collected to improve and enrich the map's content.
This is Special English.
China has launched the country's first facility dedicated to training heterogeneous humanoid robots in Shanghai, a key innovation hub of the sector.
The training facility, officially known as the Humanoid Robot Kaolin training ground, is co -hosted by Shanghai -based National and Local Co -built Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center and the Jiangjian Group, and is able to accommodate over a hundred humanoid robots for simultaneous training in its initial phase.
Xu Bin, general manager of the Innovation Center said that the training facility will significantly reduce investment costs associated with the development of embodied intelligence technologies, while addressing issues related to redundant infrastructure construction in industry within China.
Heterogeneous humanoid robots are cross -disciplinary robots.
They involve advanced locomotion, manipulation, biomechanics, as well as artificial intelligence, machine vision, perception, learning, and cognitive development.
These robots are significant in driving the evolution of next -generation industries.
Xu said that the new training facility aims to become a national -level platform for the development of embodied intelligence technologies, fostering the growth of China's humanoid robot industry, and providing strong momentum for strategic, emerging and future industries.
The facility covers over 5 ,000 square meters with over a dozen specialized training scenarios, such as welding, 3C product manufacturing, and automotive testing.
Jiang Lei, chief scientist at the center, said that the trained robots can perform a variety of tasks including desk organization, item sorting, and equipment operation, achieving an average success rate of over 90%.
China's robotic industry has entered a period of rapid development in recent years, according According to a report on the humanoid robot industry released in July at the 2024 World AI Conference, China's humanoid robot market scale was approximately 2 .76 billion yuan, about 385 million US dollars in 2024.
And it is expected to expand to 75 billion yuan by 2029, which would account for 32 .7 % of the global market.
Jiang said that humanoid robots are regarded as a critical technology for addressing the issues of an aging society and 2025 is expected to be a landmark year for the mass production of humanoid robots.
You're listening to Special English.
A commercial spacecraft launch site on China's southern island province of Hainan has started constructing its second phase that will include two launch pads designed for liquid propellant rockets.
According to the Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Company, the launch site's operator, the second phase covers a total area of over a hundred and thirty -three hectares on the coast of suburban Wanchang City, in addition to the two launchpads and their supporting systems.
The second phase includes a commercial aerospace command and and control center, a rocket assembly and testing building, and a tracking and command station.
According to the company, the second phase will enhance the comprehensive launch capabilities of the site, meet the growing demand for commercial space launches in China, and boost Hainan's efforts to build an innovative industrial cluster for the commercial space sector.
The Hainan Commercial Spacecraft Launch Site completed its first launch mission on November 30, 2024.
This is Special English.
Chinese scientists have successfully launched a detector prototype for the High -Energy Underwater Neutrino Telescope into the South China Sea.
According to the Institute of High -Energy Physics, under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the scientific research ship Tansu -3 and the manned submersible Shenhai Yongshir or Deep Sea Warrior helped precisely deploy the detectors at a predetermined location, 1 ,600 meters below sea level.
The detectors have been connected to China's undersea scientific observation network, a major national scientific and technological infrastructure.
Neutrinos are highly penetrating particles that carry primordial information.
Thus, they are an effective tool for studying the origins of high -energy cosmic rays and the evolution of celestial bodies.
Chinese scientists have proposed the next -generation high -energy underwater neutrino telescope as a large -scale scientific device expected to lead the development of neutrino astronomy.
The South China Sea is the only viable site for the telescope in China which will cover approximately 600 square kilometers of sea area.
A team of researchers from the Institute of High Energy Physics, Ocean University of China, the Institute of Acoustics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and other institutions are carrying out the project.
You're listening to Special English Official data shows that mangrove forests in China have expanded since the start of this century, making the country one of the few to have seen a net increase in mangrove coverage.
According to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the total area of China's mangrove forests has reached 30 ,300 hectares, up approximately 8 ,300 hectares from the beginning of this century.
Mangroves are evergreen trees or shrubs that grow in intertidal zones on tropical or subtropical coasts.
Sometimes referred to as coastguards, they play a vital role in purifying seawater, mitigating the impacts of wind and waves and maintaining biodiversity.
According to an administration official, China has planted over 8 ,800 hectares of mangroves and rehabilitated an additional 8 ,200 hectares over the past five years.
This progress has been part of the country's broader work to protect its wetlands.
More than 1 million hectares of wetlands have been created or restored since late 2012, with China's total wetland area remaining stable and now at over 56 million hectares.
More than 2200 wetland nature reserves have been established nationwide and major wetlands have seen notable ecological improvements.
Over the last two decades, China has established 903 national wetland parks, which collectively protect 2 .4 million hectares of wetlands and are mostly open to the public and free to enter.
The officials said that to strengthen wetland conservation, the administration will implement China's law on wetland protection in full, enhance its monitoring and supervision work, as well as advance mangrove conservation and invasive plant control initiatives and support the construction and operations of an international mangrove center.
This is Special English.
We all enter this world with the Universal greeting.
With that, learn to speak.
Though our languages, cultures, and traditions may differ, we still share one thing in common.
We have hope for humanity and the world.
in additional 500 ,000 south of direct of the international migration zone for civilian health.
Hear the difference with CGTN radio.
Join a global network to connect with the world.
CGTN radio. Hear the difference.
This is special English.
During bull fighting tournaments, a matador uses a red cloth to provoke the bull.
Flamenco dancers wear red dresses to perform their most archetypal Spanish dances.
Red is also a preferred color in China, especially around the Chinese New Year.
The Chinese knot, a traditional ornament for the spring festival, is red.
When the year of their Zodiac sign comes around, Chinese people wear something red to avoid bad luck.
Why red? Why not green?
Yellow? Purple or black?
How has the love for the color red endured over generations?
Well back in ancient times, the ancestors of Chinese people worshipped fire, blood, and the sun.
The sun gives life to the plants, which provide sustenance to people.
Fire drives away wild animals and offers protection, and blood represents life.
All three things happen to be red.
This inspired ancestors to turn their reverence for nature and life into a worship of the color red.
The second reason is much more straightforward.
The color red just happens to be quite abundant in nature.
It can be extracted from things such as red flowers, certain vegetables, and cinnabar etc. These are things that are readily available almost everywhere, so the ancient Chinese people dyed many things in red.
The Chinese love for the color red also has something to do with the five elements theory.
theory. Under this belief system, the natural world is formed by the five elemental substances – metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
The theory still exerts a major influence on Chinese beliefs and customs.
The theory has even shaped fashion.
For example, five of the most popular colors in China down the centuries supposedly correspond to these five basic elements.
White represents metal, blue represents wood, black water, red fire, and yellow represents the earth.
Why would the color red appear to have prevailed and become China's favorite color in the end?
Well that's thanks to China's most beloved teacher, Confucius.
The great philosopher once said that red was the color of elegance, the very representation of legitimacy.
The color red is particularly well received during celebrations to mark the traditional Chinese New Year, a certain Chinese folktale may explain why.
There was once a monster called the Nian, meaning year in Chinese language.
The monster would come to attack people and livestock on the eve of the Spring Festival.
people had to hide to escape from the Nien.
Over time, however, they learned that the monster was afraid of the color red, fire and the sound of explosions.
To scare the nian away, people started to set off red firecrackers as part of the celebrations on New Year's Eve.
They would also paste Red Spring Festival couplets onto the door frames of every household, Banners of all sizes, bearing the Chinese character fǔ, which means good fortune in Chinese, would also be prepared in red, and then pasted on doors, walls, and windows.
Small children would be dressed up in red.
had, people believed that they could ward off evil spirits and protect themselves in this way.
Another custom that has continued till this day is that older members of the family would give the younger ones red envelopes containing money during the Spring Festival.
In doing so, people joyously welcome in the new year and give their blessings to younger members of the family.
And so, red remains not just a color, but a symbol of life, luck, and the enduring spirit of Chinese tradition.
You're listening to Special English.
That's 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 has recently launched an English map to enhance travel services for foreign nationals in the city.
The MAP is now available for a one -month trial run on the Beijing platform for common geospatial information services.
The Beijing -English MAP includes both digital and printed versions.
The digital MAP covers categories such as administrative divisions, natural features, transportation, healthcare, sports and leisure, with over 30 thousand annotations in total.
The digital map features six additional thematic sections with over 4 ,000 annotations, such as bank card services and SIM card services, offering convenient information for foreigners visiting, working, and living in Beijing.
The printed map notably marks historical landmarks like the Beijing Central Axis.
The digital version of the printed map is available for free download on the MapWorld website.
During the trial run, feedback will be collected to improve and enrich the map's content.
This is the end of today's program.
I hope you'll join us every day to learn English at a slower pace.
