—Well, I     a cigarette in the car on the way home.

    Chengdu has dozens of new millionaires, Asia's biggest building, and fancy new hotels. But for tourists like me，pandas are its top {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(attract)．

    So it was a great honour to be invited backstage at the not－for－profit Panda Base, where ticket money helps pay for research. I {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(allow) to get up close to these cute animals at the 600－acre centre. From tomorrow, I will be their UK ambassador. The title will be {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(official)given to me at a ceremony in London. But my connection with pandas goes back {#blank#}4{#/blank#} my days on a TV show in the mid－1980s， {#blank#}5{#/blank#} I was the first Western TV reporter {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(permit) to film a special unit caring for pandas rescued from starvation in the wild. My ambassadorial duties will include {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(introduce) British visitors to the 120－plus pandas at Chengdu and others at a research centre in the misty mountains of Bifengxia.

    On my recent visit，I held a lively three－month－old twin that had been rejected by {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(it) mother. The nursery team switches him every few {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(day) with his sister so that while one is being bottle－fed， {#blank#}10{#/blank#} other is with mum—she never suspects.

    Earthquakes are quite common. In fact, thousands of earthquakes {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (happen) almost at every moment. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, most of them are too weak to feel. During a big earthquake, there is often a big noise first. Then the earth shakes {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (terrible) and many houses fall down.

    As one of the most deadly natural disasters in the world, the earthquake often result {#blank#}4{#/blank#}many people being injured or killed. In 2008, a severe earthquake hit China's Sichuan Province, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (kill) more than 80,000 people there.

    Besides the great damage and {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (death) caused by the earthquake, other accidents such {#blank#}7{#/blank#}fires often follow. More buildings may be damaged and more {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (injury) may be caused. For centuries, people have been making studies of earthquakes. About 2,000 years ago, for example, a Chinese scientist {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (name) Zhang Heng invented a machine which could find out the direction{#blank#}10{#/blank#} the earthquake waves came.

She {#blank#}1{#/blank#} {#blank#}2{#/blank#} {#blank#}3{#/blank#} {#blank#}4{#/blank#} in designing when she was 16.

Hollywood filmmakers visit Mulan's roots

    Hollywood filmmakers, including creators of the 1998 Disney film Mulan, will start {#blank#}1{#/blank#}"discovery trip" to Mulan's birthplace —Huangpi District in Hubei Province this week.

    During the two-day visit, they will see a number of Mulan-themed{#blank#}2{#/blank#} (perform), such as the horse lighting show and the local opera. They will also visit places of historical interest, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}the Mulan Mountain and the General's Temple.

    In the 20 years since the Disney film came out, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (it) director Tony Bancroft hasn't been to the land of Mulan's roots. "For me, it's a full circle tour of where my favorite character was born. I'm also doing my homework for the next film," he said.

    "China used to be closed off to Westerners, thus {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (create) a mystery, but in the last few years, U. S. films {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (explore) the Chinese culture and environment, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} has opened audiences to a whole new world. I believe the tale of Mulan appeals to Westerners mainly {#blank#}8{#/blank#}  it's about a daughter's respect for her family, {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(especial) her father," Bancroft added.

    A live-action remake of the 1998 film is expected to hit theaters in 2019. The Walt Disney Studios has announced that Chinese actress Liu Yifei, also{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (know) as Crystal Liu, is going to star in the classic Chinese tale.