With the flame gradually extinguished（熄灭），the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games neared its end. Ma Yifei，a 16-year-old visually impaired（视力受损的）girl，gave the violin1 of the Beijing 2022 theme song，Snowflake. She said it was her best present for Paralympians（残奥运动员）across the globe.
When playing the piece，Ma 2 athletes（运动员）with disabilities who had worked so hard to achieve their goals in the Games. "I felt very3 . I'm also a person with disabilities and want to do 4 for them with my music，" she said. Four days before the closing ceremony，Ma5 a call and knew that she would be performing in Beijing. While she only had a few days to practice，behind her performance was a girl's pursuit（追求）of her dreams for long.
Ma is a student who lost her eyesight at the age of two6 illness. She became interested in music when she was young. She started to learn to play the piano at five and violin at nine，7 the "colorful" music through sound，temperature，atmosphere and emotion.
Learning the violin was harder for the visually impaired girl. She needed to feel the teacher's hands，arms and back to learn the8 ，and listen to the strings over and over again to feel the muscles herself. "She could not see the keys and always played the wrong notes. It took a few thousand times for her to play a piece9 ，" said Ha Chunyan，Ma's mother.
Despite the financial burden（负担）on the family，her mother feels that it is all 10 it for the sake of her daughter's dream.
Sequoia（红杉）National Park，California，is the land of the giants. The giants are the sequoias，the largest species（物种）of trees on the planet.
The President is one of the largest trees in the world. It was recently studied by scientist Steve Sillett. Because the tree was too large to get in one photo，Sillett's team of cameramen combined several photos of the tree into one complete shot. This project was done to educate people about these huge trees，and all of the life they support.
As the tree continues to grow，it competes with other plants for soil，light，water. The President has been growing for 3，200 years. Because of their size，sequoias can protect themselves well against threats（威胁）like wind and fire.
The National Park Service estimates（估计）that over 260 forest plants，animals，and insects depend on the sequoias，and over 150 of those life forms are rare or uncommon. Humans also depend on the sequoias to break down huge amounts of carbon dioxide，providing cleaner air for breathing.
In addition，he also encourages more talltree researches throughout the world.
A. They are too strong to be harmed.
B. Even lightning usually fails to harm them.
C. A few among them are so special that they have names.
D. In 2012，Sillett and his team took pictures of the entire 75 m tree.
E. Sillett hopes his work will not only inspire the public to help protect these giants.
F. One of the most interesting discoveries Sillett's team made is that sequoias never stop growing.
On March 20，2021，the Sanxingdui site （三星堆遗址） in Guanghan，Sichuan drew the world's attention. Chinese archaeologists （考古学家） have found more than 500 cultural relics （文物） in six pits （坑） at the site，which dates back over 3，200 years.
The Sanxingdui site，which was first discovered by a farmer in 1929，is believed to be the site of the ancient Shu Kingdom （蜀国）. The kingdom was a center of civilization （文明） along the Yangtze River.
In 1986，archaeologists discovered two pits. They believed they were used for large sacrificial ceremonies （祭祀仪式）. At that time，over 1，000 relics were found.
The discovery of Sanxingdui raised an important question about the origins （起源） of Chinese civilization. The ancient Shu civilization that built Sanxingdui is believed to be one of the earliest examples of Chinese civilization. The site，along with the Liangzhu and Shijiahe sites along the Yangtze River，shows that the birthplace of Chinese civilization might not have been only along the Yellow River Basin （流域） in north China.
The newly-discovered relics are similar to those found in 1986，and they further support the idea that the pits were used for sacrificial purposes.
New kinds of cultural relics have also been dug up. For example，experts found a kind of ancient bronze jar （青铜罐） that was used for holding water or wine. They also found a jade （玉） relic commonly found at 5，000-year-old Liangzhu Archaeological site in Zhejiang Province.
"These relics show that the Sanxingdui site had a close connection with Central China，but it also marks an ancient civilization in Sichuan with strong creativity，" said Chen Xiandan，a member of the excavation （发掘） project.
Sometimes, we remember our childhood neighborhood even better than our childhood homes. For both children and adult, neighborhoods are places to play, learn, and make memories.
In the majority of US suburbs, almost everyone knows each other on the block. Coming home together on the bus is usually just the beginning of neighboring children spending time together. Whether it's playing soccer or chasing each other around on bikes, kids often take advantage of the daylight to get some fresh air outside. When it's hot, children can jump in a pool together. And when it's cold, they can have a snow ball fight with one another. Adults also take advantage of living in a community by befriending their neighbors. Neighbors are often the ones to babysit or dog-sit for each other. If someone holds a party, neighbors might lend some space for guests to park their cars in. Having kind and caring neighbors can make a world of difference in how a person views their home. To some people, a home may not be just the house they live in, but also the community they're a part of.
Besides from helping each other out, neighbors often get together for block parties. Block parties are usually held in the summer, when the sun stays out late. Kids can play games, and adults bring delicious treats and socialize. There are even some times when local firefighters will bring their fire trucks to the party.
Neighborhoods, just like homes, come in all different shapes and sizes. Some neighborhoods may contain over 100 people, while others may only have a few people. But whatever the size, neighborhoods can be a powerful and memorable part of our lives, filled with neighbors we'll always remember.
With two in five plant species（物种）at risk of disappearance，the Germplasm Bank of Wild Species（中国西南野生生物种子资源库），or GBOWS，in Yunnan Province is racing against time to protect the nation's plant species.
Founded in 2007，GBOWS is a research and preservation（保存）bank for rare and endangered plants and animals. As the largest bank of wild species in Asia in terms of species，GBOWS has preserved 85，046 seeds from 10，601 species and 60，262 biological samples（生物样本）of 2，203 animal species. The number of seeds at GBOWS is close to that of the world's biggest seed bank—the Millennium Seed Bank in the United Kingdom.
So how does the bank work？Scientists collect the endangered and useful wild species and send them to the seed bank. Once the seeds arrive at GBOWS，they're dried and preserved in a special room. X-rays will make sure the seeds are undamaged and no insects are hidden inside after they are cleaned and separated from broken ones. The seeds are then frozen（冷藏），preserved in glass bottles and placed in a huge room at -20℃ for long-term preservation. Each bottle has a barcode（条形码）. By scanning it，scientists can view detailed information about the seeds inside.
The bank works with many international organizations on collection，exchange and research. It has 2，176 sets of seeds from 45 countries and regions，with each set including thousands of seeds.
"As China has rich and special plant and animal species，we plan to increase the number of our collections and conduct further research to protect endangered species，" says Li Pei，a worker at GBOWS. "If the world ends one day，these collections will bring hope of a new beginning to life on Earth. "
①The seeds are sent for X-rays.
②The dried seeds are put into a special room.
③The seeds are put into a room at -20℃.
④The broken seeds are taken out.
A. Located in the center of Rio de Janeiro，Brazil，the Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading is a library and cultural organization. It was built in the late 19th century. Open to the public since 1900，the library has the largest collection of Portuguese literature outside Portugal，holding more than 350，000 books. | B. The Alexandria Library in Alexandria，Egypt，was one of the largest and most important libraries of the ancient world. The library，destroyed in 415 AD and rebuilt in 2002，is not only a library，but also a museum and scientific research organization. It is known as the Egyptian cultural center and a lighthouse of thought，culture and science. |
C. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm Center officially opened as the main library of Humboldt University in Berlin，Germany in October 2009，with about 2.5 million books，of which about 2 million are available for readers to borrow. | D. Mazarin Library is located in the Organization of France，on the left bank of Seine in Paris. Created in the 17th century，it has one of the richest collections of rare books and manuscripts （手稿） in modern France，and is the oldest public library in the country. |
E. Yunxi Library in East China's Zhejiang province is located in Daijiashan village，Tonglu county. It is changed from traditional folk houses of the She ethnic group （畲族）. With yellow mud rooms and wooden windows，the library has rich categories of books，coffee and cultural areas | F. The Indonesian National Library，located in Jakarta，the capital of Indonesia，has the most complete collection of publications in the country，recording the history，culture and information of Indonesia in various times. Manuscripts written on leaves，bark，bamboo and Indonesian native paper are some of the rare items kept in the collection. |
There are many kinds of art forms in China. And each different part of China has its own special forms of（tradition） art. These usually try to represent the things that are important in life such as love， beauty and family. The most common things， from paper to clay to bamboo，（ turn） into objects of beauty.
Paper cutting（be） around for more than 1，500 years. Paper cutting sounds very easyit can be difficult to do. The paper， usually red， is folded before it is cut with scissors. The most common pictures are flowers， fish， animals， and things about Chinese history. During the Spring Festival， they are put on windows， doors and walls as（symbol） of wishes for good luck andhappy new year.
Chinese clay art is famous because the clay pieces are so small that they look very real. The pieces are（careful） shaped by hand from a very special kind of clay and then allowed to air-dry. After drying， they are fired at a very high heat. They are then polished and painted. Finally， materials such as wood or paper are added（make） different things. takes several weeks to complete everything. These small pieces of clay art show the love that all Chinese people havelife and beauty.
