In the mid 1990s, people started doing business on the Internet. At that time, there were two kinds of companies. First, there were traditional companies which sold things in shops. Then, there were Internet companies which didn't have shops; they sold things only over the net.

    Traditional companies didn't want to lose any business. Quickly, they created their own website and began selling things over the net. These are the so-called "brick and click" companies. Many shops are made of brick, and you click on your mouse to buy things with your computer. That's where the name "brick and click" comes from.

    By the late 1990s, e-businesses like Amazon.com and Buy.com were in trouble. Their profits were not very high, and there was a lot of competition. Many of these businesses lost a lot of money, and in 2000, many e-businesses went out of business.

    Why are "brick and click" companies, like Barnes & Noble, Toys "R" Us, and Walmart so successful? First, many customers know and trust their names. Their websites, like walmart.com, are easy to remember. These companies also have a lot of experience. They know how to run a successful business.

    In the world of e-commerce, companies are fighting for every dollar and every customer. Will "brick and click" companies win the war? Only time will tell.

    Playing sports is good for both your body and mind, as scientific studies have proven. China has been encouraging people to exercise more. The fitness equipment that can be seen in different communities is part of these efforts.

    China plans to do more. On Sept. 2, the State Council published an outline for developing the country's sports industry, China Daily reported. The outline aims to build the country into a "modern sports power" by 2050.

    The government's work will mainly focus on the following areas public sports participation competitive sports performances, the sports industry, culture and international sports exchanges.

    According to the outline, people will have easier access to sports equipment. By 203.5, 45 percent of the population. Is expected to exercise regularly, up from 33.9 percent in 2018.

    The sports industry, including the production of sports goods and sports tourism, will become an important part of the national economy by then, making up 4 percent of China's GDP.

    The outline also lists specific goals for teenagers. For example, teenagers are expected to learn at least two sports Other goals include promoting winter sports in schools and building more outdoor sports youth camps.

More importance will be placed on the three "big balls"—soccer, basketball and volleyball. More people will be encouraged to play them.

    China hopes to have a stronger voice on the international sports stage, Xinhua reported. The outline says China will make Chinese martial arts go global. By perfecting rules and standards, it is hoped that this sport will be added to the Olympic Game.

In recent years military (军事的), movies are becoming more popular, such as 2017's British hit Dunkirk, 2014's American Sniper. It's common to see heroes fighting for their countries on the big screen. But even though we are used to seeing patriotic Western soldiers saving the world, Chinese filmmakers are also showing that China also has heroes that they want to share with the audience.

Operation Red Sea is based on the real-life events of the Chinese Navy who rescued hundreds of Chinese and foreign nationals from Yemen in 2015. This military action movie came out on Feb. 16^th, 2018 in Chinese cinemas. It became headlines across the country, from newspapers to social media.

Many Chinese people may have thought that the Chinese military only dealt with disaster and public safety within Chinese boundary. However, the success of Operation Red Sea changed people's ideas.

"These days there is more and more news in China about the military, perhaps reflecting the global environment and China becoming a great power," Beijing-based film and box office Jiang Yong said. "It's influencing young people more."

Operation Red Sea was co-produced by the Chinese Navy's media arm, and came hot after Chinese box office records Wolf Warrior 2 (《战狼2》). The Chinese military's willingness to show its latest arms and equipment (装备) is due to the fact that " the national strength of China has risen and in some aspects even surpasses (超过) other leading powers", Chinese naval expert Li Jie told the Global Times.

Money is what people use to buy things they need or want. A long time ago, people didn't use money. So how did they get the things they wanted? Well, there is a long and interesting story about this.

At first, they would exchange something they had for what they needed. For example, if the shoemaker needed some bread, he would give the baker shoes and the baker would give him bread. This was called "bartering"(易货). Bartering worked fine for a while. But after the baker had too many shoes, the shoemaker still needed more bread. What could they do? The solution to this problem was money.

There were many earlier forms of money, such as cattle(牛), salt, grain and shells(贝壳). But it was not easy to move them to far-away places or store them. So coins began to take the place of things.

Coins had a fixed(固定的) value and could be stored. It became possible for people to trade in a standardized(标准的) way. Different coins are worth different amounts. Metal money was used in China as early as 1000 BC.

About three hundred years ago, paper money came into wider use. Paper money is cheaper to make than coins. It is also easier to carry around. Now people use paper money and coins in most countries.

Cash(现金) has been the most popular form of money. But these days, it seems that things have changed. Cashless payment has come into our lives and changed our world. China was the first country in the world to use paper money. Now, centuries later, it may become the first cashless society soon. Cashless payment apps such as Alipay(支付宝) and WeChat Pay are becoming more common in China. The buyer just scans the QR code (扫描二维码) of the seller, or the other way around. No real money is needed at all. Is tomorrow already there?

    We are often told by our parents not to spend more than we have. It seems that the people who run several big US companies never learned that lesson.

    Over the past years, a number of the US banks have gone out of business. Millions of people have lost their money. Thousands of workers have lost their jobs. The financial crisis (金融危机) that began in 2007 has taken a turn for the worse.

    Experts say that the crisis was caused by banks lending too much money. With rising oil prices and falling house prices, many people and companies who borrowed money have found themselves unable to pay it back. This has left the banks out of pockets.

    However, the financial storm in the US is now affecting the rest of the world. If so, China will be one of the first countries to be hurt. No country has lent more than China to the US now. Moreover, the US is one of the largest buyers of Chinese goods. China will suffer a great loss (遭受巨大损失) if Americans have less money in pockets to spend on Chinese goods.

    Huawei planned to develop its own operating system(操作系统). Huawei planned to use it as early as autumn in 2019 or spring in 2020 at the latest.

    "But that is our plan B," said Yu Chengdong, CEO of Huawei's consumer business group. "We would prefer to work together with the system provided by Google and Microsoft."

The decision was made after the US government planned to ban(禁止) the sale of American technology to the company. Google decided to cut off some of Huawei's products from its Android operating system. As a result, users of some Huawei products can't install(安装) their favorite apps from the Google Play Store.

    Huawei has had the plan to develop its own operating system since 2012. The company said that its own operating system would be used if they could no longer use systems like Android.

    Its self-developed operating system is named "HongMeng". According to Yu, the new operating system will be able to support a lot of produces, including smartphones, computers, tables, TVs, automobiles and some other products.

    According to IT experts, building an operating system is very difficult. But Huawei knows that as a big technology company, it have to have its own technology. And the company is fully prepared for the challenge.

    China's two sessions, a key event on the country's political calendar, began on May 21 after having been postponed for more than two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Apart from the delayed opening, this year's two sessions are "unusual" in many aspects, as China Daily noted.

    First and the most important, the world will "watch how China plans the course for a crucial year to build a moderately prosperous society (小康社会) in all respects and achieve its development goals, while effectively warding (防止) off coronavirus risks", reported Xinhua.

    In 2019, China achieved a GDP growth of 6.1 percent, meeting the target range of 6-6.5 percent. Analysts expect (分析人士预计) this year's target will continue to be a feasible (可行的) one, and with stronger boosting measures (更有力的促进措施下), China could achieve growth faster than that of all other major economies, Xinhua noted.

    In the two sessions, national lawmakers and political advisers will be discussing how to strive for (争取) good performances (业绩) in all areas of economic and social development while implementing regular epidemic prevention and control measures, according to Xinhua.

    Meanwhile, to ensure public health safety, some arrangements for the session have been adjusted (调整).

    According to Xinhua, the duration of the session has been shortened from two weeks to about one. There are fewer reporters covering (采访) the event, according to Global Times. Journalists who are overseas have not been invited to Beijing to report on the event this year. Meanwhile, news conferences (新闻发布会) and other interview activities are "appropriately streamlined and conducted in new forms (适当精简并以新形式进行), such as by video link," chairman of the National People's Congress Foreign Affairs Committee, Zhang Yesui, told Xinhua.

    Because of the need for continued COVID-19 control, on May 13, the State Council's executive meeting (国务院常务会议) called for adopting (采纳) new ways for taking in views and suggestions of national legislators and political advisers, including via video-link, phone calls and the internet.

    Technology is playing a key role in bringing the nation's top political advisory body (国家最高政治咨询机构) closer to the people.

    The website of the CPPCC (全国政协) National Committee started to seek opinions and suggestions from netizens on May 8. It is a move that aims to help the national political advisers learn more about the opinions of the public before they gather in Beijing.

    "The new platform has helped the public share their ideas with CPPCC members on China's major political, economic and social issues at the annual meeting," according to China Daily.

China Surprises the World With New Technology

Many years ago, China was always criticized by foreigners for copying their technology, which seemed that we lacked of (缺乏) creativity.. China surprises the world with its new technology. Many foreigners feel shocked and enjoy the convenience brought by the Chinese wisdom.

As the policy Belt and Road becomes the hot issue around the world, foreign media focus their attention on this great old country. Many foreigners tell the media that this country is no longer poor and develops very fast and many technologies even take the lead. The original applications(原创应用) . Many new projects receive great praise.

We are used to be humble (谦虚) and always depreciate ourselves, .

The one who comes to +China is surprised by the change and they speak highly of China. People here 'are friendly and the diversity(多样性) of culture catch them all the time. , China is gaining more reputation (声誉).

Hello, everyone. Here's NBTV-1. I'm Wang Yi. At the beginning of 2021, the Chinese government said it would provide free COVID-19 vaccines(疫苗) to all Chinese citizens(公民). Since then, tens of millions of people have got the vaccine. It's really helpful but some may still have some questions about the COVID-19 vaccines. I collected some main questions--"How does the vaccine work? ", "Are you allowed to get it? And how?" and "What do you need to do before getting it?" Now let's ask the doctor, Mr. Zhang about it.

Wang Yi: How does the vaccine work?

Mr Zhang: The vaccines China is now using are called" inactivated vaccines"(灭活疫苗). There are "dead" viruses in these vaccines. They cannot cause the disease, but can show your body what the virus looks like and make you immune(免疫)to it. Studies show that China's vaccines are 79. 34 percent effective. This means that for every 100 people who get vaccinated, about 79 people will become immune to the virus. If 79 percent of the whole population becomes immune, the possibility of COVID-19 spreading will be very low.

Wang Yi: How is the vaccine given?

Mr. Zhang: The vaccine is given by injection (注射). It's suggested to get two periods. You should wait about two weeks after the first injection to get the second one.

Wang Yi: Can people of all ages get vaccinated?

Mr. Zhang: The vaccines have been tested among three different age groups: 3 to 17. 18 to 59, and 60 and above. The 18-to-59 age group has the most data(数据)--the vaccines have shown that it's safe to this group. The other two groups are expected to be included soon.

Wang Yi: Thanks a lot. I have the last question.                          

Zhong Kaitong, a fourth-grader from Guangzhou, enjoyed a fun vacation this summer.

A new guideline(指导方针) introduced by central government on July 24 helped Zhong enjoy some free time during the summer. The guideline aims to ease the schoolwork burden (负担) on primary and junior high school students. What's more, after-school training are also regulated so that students can enjoy their school life.

According to the guideline, children below the third grade will not have homework anymore.

Off-campus tutoring organizations(校外培训机构) are not allowed to offer teaching ahead of time. No subject-based training will be allowed on weekends, national holidays or during winter and summer vacations. According to Global Times, more than 75 percent of children in Chinese cities from grades 1 to 12 are taking private(私人的) tutoring courses.

" Some training organizations have made money from parents' anxieties (焦虑), "said Chen Xianzhe, a professor at South China Normal University. "The guideline is meant to relax parents and society as a whole."

"But this does not mean the tutoring courses will completely disappear, since there are still exams, " said Chu Zhaohui, a senior researcher at the National Institute of Education Sciences. One-on-one or one-on-two tutoring might see a rise due to this need.

Young people in China are more optimistic (乐观的) than those in other countries, according to a survey. It asked 200,000 young people in 20 countries how they think and feel about the world. These countries include China, the US, the UK and so on. The survey found that 53 percent of Chinese youth think the world is becoming a better place.

When asked why they felt hopeful for the future, most of them think it's because of high technology (科技), many of them also think China is a good place to live in. The biggest reason is that China is "a country in which anyone can make their dreams come true if they work hard"

Following China, Indian youth are the next most optimistic (49 percent). But those in France, Italy and Turkey are the most pessimistic. The rise of global terrorism (恐怖主义) worries them most.

           . As much as 82 percent of them worry about climate change (气候变化). In China, it is the biggest worry for the future. The survey takes this as a good thing. Because Chinese youth care a lot about the climate problem and expect for great changes.

When you wear clothes made from cotton, do you know where the cotton comes from? Countries along the Indus River like India are believed to have grown cotton for the first time, bu China is the world's largest cotton producer now.

China produces about 22% of the world's cotton, of which 87. 3%comes from Xinjiang, according to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics. Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region（新疆维吾尔自治区）in the northwest of China is home to the nation's largest cotton-producing area.

The planting of cotton in Xinjiang dates back to the late Western Han Dynasty（朝代）. According to historical records, cotton was introduced from West Asia to Xinjiang. It soon spread across Xinjiang because of the region's full sunlight and plenty of water, which the plant needs.

Xinjiang is famous for its long staple cotton（长绒棉）, which is popular among customers. In the past, people mainly picked the cotton by hand, but now machines have gradually replaced it. In Xinjiang, nearly 70% of cotton is grown mechanically. The use of machines prevents the cotton from being polluted and improves its quality （质量）.

After bags of cotton are packed and transported to many factories, they become clothes, shoes, dolls, toys and many other things we see in our daily life. Therefore, the versatility of cotton has earned it a nickname —"white gold".

Teens take a stand

COP 26 was held in Glasgow, Scotland from Oct 31 to Nov 12. It's the United Nations climate change conference (会议) for dealing with global warming.

Many world leaders took part in the event. But there were also lots of teenagers from different countries there to make their voices heard. At 15, my friend Chelsea Liang from Edinburgh was one of the young participants at COP 26. I was able to ask her some questions about her experience there.

Liang participated as a junior representative (代表) of C Team, a non-governmental organization, which organized all the events at the China Cooperate Pavilion (馆). "I helped set up stadium, hosted meetings, engaged in youth events, and joined the audience in the meetings. I met many young people who really care about the environmental problem," said Liang.

"The major topic from teen participants is that governments act to limit global warming to 1.5 C," she said. "Some of them met in Glasgow to call for a better future."

The well-known British naturalist David Attenborough was the eldest participant of the event. Liang said that the 95-year-old made an inspiring speech.

"He said, 'In my lifetime, I've seen a terrible decline (衰退). In yours, you could and should witness a wonderful recovery. That desperate hope is why the world is looking to you and why you are here.' His words encouraged me to take action," Liang said. "And I realized that as teenagers we are able to come up with good ideas to make a difference."

"I have seen that over the last two weeks, companies and people are doing much more than expected. Social awareness of global warming is only increasing. I am optimistic (乐观的) about the future," said Liang.

Do you know the two lovely mascots (吉祥物)? You may know the five "Fuwa" dolls from the 2008Beijing olympic Games (奥运会). On September 17 of 2019, the two lovely mascots first showed on TV. Now, let's see who they are.

Look at the panda! It looks like an astronaut(宇航员). It wears an ice shell (冰壳) and looks fat, so we call it "Bing Dwen Dwen". White is the color of ice and snow. "Bing Dwen Dwen" likesice sports very much and is good at them. That's why it is the mascot of 2022 Beijing Winter 0lympicGames.

Do you think the red mascot looks like a lantern (灯笼)? The lantern's name is "Shuey RhonRhon". When the Chinese New Year comes, people always make or buy red lanterns. Red is the color of hope and good luck, so people think their dreams will come true in the new year. "Shuey RhonRhon" can give players hope and help them do well in the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games(残奥会).

Many people in different countries like the two mascots very much, and they show their love for them on the Internet.

A: What a cute panda!

B: Its name is Xiao Qiji, which is  into English as "little miracle". It was born in August 2020, at the National Zoo, US.

A: How meaningful the name is! Xiao Qiji is a true miracle during the pandemic(疫情).

B: Quite right. Interestingly, the choice was the result of a five-day online vote(投票). According to Chinese tradition, the name was not chosen until 100 days after his .

A: Pandas are Chinas national treasure after all. Can you say more about him?

B: Sure. Although the zoo is closed during the pandemic, people still enjoy seeing him live on camera. Can you imagine the baby's daily life attracted over 3 million visitors in a month ?

A: That's amazing! It is true that pandas are loved by people all over the world.

B: Actually, it's not the first panda born in the US National Zoo.

A: Haha, I know that Baobao is the first one. In 2017, due to a/an  between China and America, Bao Bao would be sent back to her ancestral home. Information about her flight to going home was even made  online so that people could better understand her journey.

B: And the black-and-white animals without  play an important role in the country's diplomacy(外交).

A: "Panda Diplomacy". People from different countries are  by them in the growth of pandas, and in our shared joy. It makes us closer together.

B: That's right. In fact, by 1982, China had given 23 pandas to 9 countries. However, most of them have died. So China has stopped giving away pandas. The animals are loaned(租借) to other countries , and babies are sent back before they turn four.

A: Why do pandas find it hard to live in other countries?

B: Adult pandas eat about 40 kilograms of bamboo daily. It takes 10 years for a new crop of bamboo, and many countries  to provide a suitable environment for bamboo growth.

A: Although many  don't own the pandas, the efforts the whole world makes help save the panda.

Benjamin Kang Lim is a reporter from Philippines and he has been in China since1994. Philippine-born reporter Benjamin Kang Lim has been writing news stories about China for forty year. Lim first came to Beijing in 1994He has had a special experience of being a foreign reporter in China Lim said, "The Chinese people have been working hard to build a rich and strong county for the past century under the leadership of the Communist Party of China(CPC中国共.产.党)China stood up in 1949. president xi Jinping sad, China can l at this world at eye level Now And China is now more confident than before. "

Back in the 19s, Lim visited the hilly and poor province of Gansu, where at the time, people there were very poor. But now they have changed a lot. They are not poor any more. "If you look at the world history, no single county has ever achieved (获得) what the CPC has achieved. It's not just lifting a few million out of poverty(贫困). Its lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty. We See the CPC is trying to make sure that those people do not fall back into poverty. Xiaokang' turns Chins into a great county again."

Singapore, as a small island country, has depended mostly on water supplies from neighboring Malaysia for a long time. Low Pei Chin, a water engineer from the government, told reporters from Agency France—Press, "Singapore is short of natural resources. That is why we are always looking for ways to explore water resources. One major plan is to "collect every drop" and "reuse endlessly."

The government has created a highly developed system that turns wastewater into drinkable water. Reused wastewater can meet 40 percent of Singapore's water need. The government expects to meet 55 percent of the need by the year 2060.

Most of the water is used for micro—chip producing factories. But some of it is added to the country's drinking water supplies. The system also helps reduce ocean pollution, as only a small amount of the treated water is sent into the sea. According to the United Nations, 80 percent of the world's wastewater runs back into the oceans without being treated or reused.

The Changi Water Reclamation Plant on Singapore's eastern coast is the main part of the country's recycling system. The system has a network of tunnels and high—technology treatment centers. Parts of the water treatment centers are underground and wastewater enters the center through a 48—kilometer tunnel. In one building, a network of air flow systems has been put in place to keep the water smelling as fresh as possible. When waste arrives at the plant, it goes through cleaning process before powerful pumps send it to areas above ground for more treatment. There, the treated water receives the last process, through which bacteria and viruses are cleared out. Every day, this large center can treat up to 900,000,000 liters of wastewater.

Now the country also continues to enlarge its recycling system. It will add another underground tunnel and a major water treatment center to serve the western part of the island. The government expects work on the center to be completed by 2025. By the time the project is finished, Singapore will have spent about $7. 4 billion on its water treatment systems.

What's the Silk Road? In history, it was an important international trade route贸(易路线) between China and the Mediterranean Sea (地中海). The Silk Road began in the Western Han Dynasty and has a history of more than 2,000 years.

In the past, the road started in Chang'an（now Xi'an）and ended in Eastern Europe near the Mediterranean Sea. It was about 6,500 kilometers long and went across 1/4 of the world.

The Silk Road got its name in the 19th century because Chinese silk was famous, and traders carried it to other places along this road. Traders also carried porcelain and other things to the West. And glass, gems and food like carrots from the West came to China.

The Silk Road was very important to both China and the rest of the world. It was more than an international trade route. Lots of arts and science of other countries came to China across the Silk Road. In this way, languages and cultures influenced each other.

Today, China is trying to make the dream of the Belt and Road come true.