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Here is the news. In 2025, six Zebra fish are set to journey to China's space station.
system, assisting scientists in exploring how the space environment impacts the muscle and bone development of vertebrates.
This research is expected to bolster long -term human survival in space and pave the way for interplanetary habitation.
According to Wang Gao Hong from the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a fish bowl in China's Tian Gong space station will house 6 zebrafish and 6 grams of Seratophilum this year.
The study will focus on the impact of microgravity on the proteins in the zebrafish's bones and muscles.
In April 2024, a container with four zebrafish and four grams of ceratophyllum was sent to the space station on the Shenzhou -18 manned spacecraft, forming China's first space -based Self -Sustaining Aquatic Ecosystem This ecosystem ran smoothly for about 43 days, setting a global record for the longest operational duration of such a system.
During the 43 -day space experiment Wang and fellow scientists observed that the Seratophilum and Zebrafish initially showed instability in various metrics but gradually self -regulated and adapted to each other.
Wang said that initially the zebrafish had displayed abnormal spatial behaviour, such as upside -down swimming and circling.
For fish, like humans, cannot discern up from down in microgravity, leading to disoriented movement.
The water samples, collected from this space aquatic ecosystem, returned to Earth with the Shenzhou -18 spacecraft in November 2024, and scientists are now delving deeper into their analysis.
Zebrafish share a high genomic similarity with humans.
They are small, reproduce rapidly, and have a short development cycle, making them a prime model organism in life sciences.
Microgravity in space can induce a range of pathophysiological phenomena in humans including cardiovascular issues, weakened immunity, bone loss, muscle atrophy, and hormonal imbalances.
This study will help to enhance the collective understanding of how the space environment impacts genes, cells and overall life.
A celestial body recently discovered by a Chinese observatory has been confirmed as a comet by the International Astronomical Union.
Astronomers at the Purple Mountain Observatory under the Chinese Academy of Sciences first spotted the comet on January 5, 2025.
This situated in Nanjing in East China's Jiangsu province.
The closest distance between the comet and the sun is 5 .7 astronomical units, while the farthest is 14 .9 units.
One astronomical unit is the distance from the sun to earth, which is almost 150 million kilometres.
The newly discovered comet orbits between Jupiter and Neptune with an orbital period exceeding 33 years.
The comet is projected to reach Perihelion, – its closest approach to the sun in May 2026.
The observatory said on its WeChat account that despite this approach, the comet's orbit will remain beyond that of Jupiter.
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A half marathon for humanoid robots is scheduled for April in Beijing, presenting an intriguing test of the swiftly advancing robotic technologies.
According to the Beijing Economic Technological Development Area Administrative Committee.
The competition, open to robot clubs world -wide, is now inviting humanoid robots to participate.
Tian Gong, a humanoid robot with an average speed of 10 km per hour, will take part in The Running Race.
Last November the full sized robot designed by China's Embodied Artificial Intelligence Robotics Innovation Centre, ran with participants at the starting and finishing points of the Yizhuang Half Marathon in Beijing.
The athletic capabilities of Chinese humanoid robots are evolving rapidly.
Last year, a robot model developed by Beijing based robot ERA ascended the Great Wall, showcasing its stability and strength in different types of terrain.
In January this year, a Chinese team unveiled a robotic dog that sprinted into the 10 -second club for the 100 -meter dash.
In August, Beijing will also host a sport event, primarily for humanoid robots covering track and field, football, comprehensive skills, and other application scenarios.
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The construction of China's first national mangrove germplasm resource bank has begun region, in Beihai City in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
The project, which is expected to be completed by the end of this year, includes three key areas, the in -situ experiment area.
The project is of great significance to the conservation, screening, cultivation, and promotion of mangrove genetic resources and biodiversity.
In recent years, Beihai has been focusing on restoring and protecting its mangrove forests, continuously increasing the size of its mangrove ecosystems.
The city's mangrove forests now cover more than 4 ,600 hectares, improving the integrity and stability of these critical coastal ecosystems.
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At the Yu -Shu snow mountain ski resort in Liu -Pan -Xuei city, visitors dressed in brightly coloured ski attire meander through the snow -covered slopes surrounded by dense forests.
As the first high -altitude ski resort in southwest China's Guizhou Province, the Yu Shi Ski Resort has attracted many skiing enthusiasts since it began operation in December 2013.
The resort features ski trails for beginners, intermediates and advanced skiers, accommodating approximately 3 ,000 skiers at the same time.
In the ski men—se Chuan and Guangdong—are seen renting ski clothing and boards.
Twenty -two -year -old ski instructor Lee Jung -young said that an increasing number of southern tourists are coming in groups with family and friends.
While, skiing enthusiasts also arrive from afar to experience this sport's novelty and joy in the city.
In recent years, Liu Panshui has leveraged its unique mountainous natural conditions to transform its snow resources into a new driving force for cultural and tourism integration.
According to Zhang Kai, Deputy General Manager of Guizhou Yeryu High Tourism Development, skiing is no longer just a sport.
It has become a leisure activity.
The company is clearly witnessing an increase in skiing enthusiasts each year.
Zhang said that during the 2024 ski season, the Yu Shi ski resort has received over 7 ,000 visitors with online presales exceeding USD 6 .5 million, about USD 880 ,000 and total revenue from related activities reached 1 .8 million yuan.
According to Chen Tao, director of Lu Pan Shui's Cultural Tourism Development Centre, the city has developed three high altitude ski resorts, gradually forming a winter tourism and leisure product system centered on skiing and hot springs.
The three ski resorts have received more than 200 ,000 visitors in the to leverage winter sports to promote the deep integration of cultural, sports and tourism industries, providing tourists from home and abroad with higher quality winter tourism experiences and services, and establishing the ice and snow tourism industry as a new Economic Growth Point.
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You're listening to Special English Thanks to the popularity of electronic devices and mobile apps, we now have more choices for leisure activities.
Time is easy to kill in this digital age, before you realize it, two hours of recreational screen time fly by.
Now, what if you want to spend less time online, but still be entertained when you happen to find yourself with plenty of free time?
Let's learn about some internet free, family -friendly, ancient Chinese games that are still popular in this day and age.
The first one is playing the Diablo or the Chinese Yoyo.
In Chinese, it's called Kongju literally meaning hollow bamboo.
The diablo is always made of wood or bamboo and is shaped like an hourglass that is hollow in the centre.
By juggling a diablo on strings the high speed rotating top will make a humming sound.
It is not easy to get the diablo to balance and rotate on the string.
You need to move the hand sticks on both ends of the string, up and down, alternatively with a vibrating motion.
Thus, the Chinese referred to the playing of the Diabolo as Dokongjú or Shake the Diabolo.
players with the highest skill can toss the yo -yo up and catch it on the strings or manipulate the strings into patterns while keeping the yo -yo spinning.
Playing the Diablo is a very interesting folk game and especially very popular in in North China.
If you visit a park in Beijing, the chances are pretty high that you could see some locals playing with a diabolo.
The Chinese yoyo is also used frequently in performances, places, often where acrobatics are involved.
Some famous acrobatic troops employ the Chinese Yo -Yo's use in several of their acts.
So there's the first recommendation if you want to polish your acrobatic skills, too.
The second game I would recommend is kite -flying.
The kite was said to be the invention of the famous Chinese philosopher Mao Zed and the handicraft master Liu Ban in the 5th century B .C.
The original kites were made of wood.
By the middle of the 6th century paper kites were being flown.
A paper kite was used as a message for a rescue mission.
Chinese people have loved flying kites since ancient times as a pastime and hobby so much so that it was declared an official sport in 1986.
Regular The kite -flying competitions are held in several cities across the country as well.
The most renowned one is the annual Weifeng International Kite Festival, held in the city of Weifeng, in east China's Shandong Province, in April each year.
Tens of thousands of participants come from China and abroad to compete with their beautiful and colorful kites in all imaginable shapes and sizes.
One of the most popular kite designs in China is in the shape of the swallow bird.
3. Butterfly and dragon -shaped kites can often be found in parks too.
The third ancient Chinese game to recommend is called Tijianzi, kicking the shuttlecock.
While the term shuttlecock usually refers to the projectile in badminton, it is also often used to refer to this feather -covered toy that is also called a jian chou or jian zu.
The shuttlecock jian zu is essentially a weighted hacky sack, and it's passed from foot -to -foot by kicking.
The object is to keep it from touching the ground.
ground. Players can not only use their feet, but also other parts of their bodies, except for the hands.
Besides being played in the schoolyard, it is also very popular among senior citizens as a way to keep their limbs active.
active. The benefit of the game is very obvious.
Playing with the shuttlecock is a vigorous aerobic exercise, but builds hand -eye coordination and provides the health benefits of any such active sport.
The last one is Hide and Seek which is a traditional game for children in China and very popular around the world as well.
There are two ways to play in China, covering a child's eyes, while the other kids run around to tease him or her, or more commonly participants hide and one child must try to find them.
So there you go, the internet -free, family -friendly ancient Chinese games that are still fun to try whenever you want to spend time away from computers, mobile phones, tablets, or TV.
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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.
A celestial body recently discovered by a Chinese Observatory has been confirmed as a comet by the International Astronomical Union.
Astronomers at the Purple Mountain Observatory under the Chinese Academy of Sciences first spotted the comet on January 5, 2025.
This marks the ninth comet discovery made by this astronomical observatory situated situated in Nanjing, in East China's Jiangsu province.
The closest distance between the comet and the sun is 5 .7 astronomical units, while the farthest is 14 .9 units.
One astronomical unit is the distance from the sun to Earth, which is almost 150 million kilometres.
The newly discovered comet orbits between Jupiter and Neptune with an orbital period exceeding 33 years.
The comet is projected to reach perihelion, its closest approach to the sun in May 2026.
The observatory said, on its WeChat account, that despite this approach, the comet's orbit will remain beyond that of Jupiter.
That is the end of today's program.
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