Settled by the Celts, invaded by the Romans and the Normans, and ruled by the English, Wales' population has regularly changed over the ages. Wales, particularly South Wales, became a melting pot (熔炉) of European nationalities and cultures. At first workers from England, Ireland and the rural areas of Wales rushed into the coal mines of South Wales. By 1911, workers from Ireland, Italy and Spain had joined the industrial workforce (劳动大军) there. Many of these newcomers were prepared to work for less pay.

    But during this period, workers, dissatisfied with regular pay cuts, poor safety, returned to the land. In 1891, the rural population of Wales was about 616,000 and by 1911 just over 649,000 people lived and worked in these areas.

       The rural population continues to grow slowly even today. People from richer parts of the UK, particularly southern England, are buying holiday homes in Wales. In some areas this has led to a lack of housing for local people. This, combined with the lack of employment in rural Welsh communities, has started a new movement of people in search of jobs and homes into the towns and cities of Wales and to other parts of the UK and Europe.

    As so many Welsh people have moved to other countries over the last 200 years, it's really no surprise that many visitors come to see friends and relatives. These visitors strengthen their links to their land of origin and continue to support the Welsh's development. During the hot summer days, about 28% of the visitors visit the countryside and nearly 70% visit the seaside.

    Lawns（草坪）are some of the most common things in the world until you really start thinking about them. That's when you realize that they make no sense. Why do people keep these uninteresting, pointless little plants outside their homes? They're not beautiful like flowers, they don't provide food and you have to take care of them constantly.

    Israeli bestselling author Yuval Noah Harari thought these deeds were weird too. He looked into their history and ended up with an interesting story.

    No one considered putting patches of grass outside their homes in ancient times. That changed in the Middle Ages, when French and English kings and nobles started putting patches of grass at their castle entrances.

    “Well-kept lawns demand land and a lot of work,” wrote Harari in his book. “In exchange, they produce nothing of value.” Peasants could never afford to waste their time or land on lawns, so these lawns were a perfect status symbol（身份的象征）for nobility（高贵）.

    When the Industrial Revolution began in the 18th and 19th centuries, the middle classes started being able to afford their own suburban（郊区的）houses. And guess what became the suburban status symbol? A perfectly kept lawn.

    The popularity of lawns continued to grow, taking over public event spaces and sports. In the past, people played sports on all kinds of surfaces—dirt, ice, sand. But in the last couple centuries, they made the switch to green grass.

    “Grass is nowadays the most widespread crop in the USA after corn and wheat,” Harari continued. Lawns spread beyond Europe and the U.S, and they're now status symbols around the world.

    Suburban people may not realize it, but they care for lawns just because centuries ago, French and English kings wanted to show off by intentionally planting something useless. It's strange that people should continue to spend so much time and money on what's really a leftover（遗留物）from the Middle Ages. When you plan your house, you can shake off（摆脱）the cultural leftover and imagine for yourself a rock garden or some other new creation.

    If you want to convince the boss you deserve a pay rise or promotion, the solution could be simple — eat the same food as they do. Psychologists have discovered managers are much more likely to instantly trust us if we choose the same dishes as them.

    During experiments, discussions over wages and work conditions were much more successful if both sides chose to snack on the same treats. And shoppers were much more likely to buy a product advertised on TV by someone eating a similar food to them at the time.

    The reason is thought to be so-called similarity attraction theory — where people tend to like others who have similar tastes or habits to themselves. But this is believed to be one of the first studies highlighting the role of food in this relationship. Researchers at Chicago University in the US conducted a series of experiments to examine food's role in earning trust.

    In a test, participants were told to watch TV — where someone pretending to be a member of the public praised a certain product. The volunteers were given Kit Kat bars to nibble (咬), while the TV people ate either a Kit Kat or grapes as they talked.

    The results showed viewers were much more likely to express an interest in buying the product if the TV showed the other person eating a Kit Kat too.

    The researchers added, “Although similarity in food consumption is not a sign of whether two people will get along, we find consumers treat this as such. They feel more trusting of those who consume as they do. It means people can immediately begin to feel friendship and develop a bond, leading to smoother transactions (交易) from the start.”

    Harley Street psychologist Dr. Lucy Atcheson said it was already known that wearing similar clothes could instantly create trust. But this was the first report that food had the same effect. She said, “This is really interesting. It makes sense as people feel they have common ground and can trust the other person. That means negotiations are more likely to be successful.”

    The world's insects are going down the path of extinction, threatening a "catastrophic collapse of nature's ecosystems", according to the first global scientific review. More than 40％of insect species are declining and third are endangered, the analysis found. The rate of extinction is eight times faster than that of mammals, birds and reptiles.

    "It should be of huge concern to all of us, for insects are at the heart of every food web. They pollinate (授粉) the large majority of plant species, keep the soil healthy, recycle nutrients, control pests, and much more. Love them or 1oathe them, we humans cannot survive without insects, "said Prof Dave Goulson at the University of Sussex in the UK.

    The analysis, published in the journal Biological Conservation, says intensive (集约型) agriculture is the main driver of the declines, particularly the heavy use of pesticides. Urbanisation and climate change are also significant factors.

    "If insect species losses cannot be stopped, this will have catastrophic consequences for both the planet's ecosystems and for the survival of mankind. It is very rapid. In 10 years you will have a quarter less, in 50 years only half left and in 100 years you will have none," said review author Francisco Sánchez-Bayo, at the University of Sydney, Australia.

    One of the biggest impacts of insect loss is on many birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish that eat insects. "If this food source is taken away, all these animals starve to death," he said. Such effects have already been seen in Puerto Rico, where a recent study revealed a 98％fall in ground insects over 35 years.

    Matt Shardlow, at the conservation charity Buglife, said: "It is thoughtful to see this evidence that shows the pitiful state of the world's insect populations. It is increasingly obvious that the planet's ecology is breaking and there is a need for a strong and global effort to prevent and change these terrible trends."

    Idioms are one of the hardest parts of learning a language. For those of you who don't know, an idiom is a phrase which has a meaning, but the meaning is not clear from the words themselves. If you translate an idiom word for word, it sometimes makes no sense at all. They are like puzzles and even native speakers can get confused when someone uses a phrase that they've never heard of.

With that in mind, here are five common English idioms that you can use in a variety of Situations.

⒈Get your act together (Meaning: you need to improve your behaviour/work)

    This might be something your teacher says to you if you score badly in an exam or if you misbehave in class. You can also use it to talk about people in general. For example, if your friend is being mean or nasty for no reason, then you can tell them that they need to get their act together.

⒉Pull yourself together (Meaning: calm down)

    This is a somewhat impolite way of telling someone that they are overreacting and that they need to relax. Only use this if you think the person you are speaking to is getting upset over something insignificant. If your friend tells you that their close relative has died, it is NOT the time to tell them to pull themselves together.

⒊I'm feeling under the weather (Meaning: I'm sick)

    Yes, it's longer and more difficult to say than 'I'm sick', but if your English teacher asks you why you haven't done your homework, he or she is more likely to forgive you if you say that you were feeling under the weather. You may not have done your English homework, but your teacher might be impressed that you know how to make eloquent excuses in a foreign language.

⒋It's a piece of cake (Meaning: it's easy)

    I don't know why this means what it does, but sometimes you just have to accept that English people use weird phrases.

⒌Break a leg (Meaning: good luck!)

    This is perhaps one of the most confusing yet well-known English idioms. If someone says this to you, do not take offence or think they are threatening you; they are just wishing you luck. It is most often used for people wishing success to actors and actresses before they perform on the stage, but it can be said in other situations, too.

    All in all, learning a new language can be challenging. It's definitely not a piece of cake, especially when there are so many confusing idioms. However, with enough hard work and interest, you will succeed in no time. Break a leg!

Chinese pastries (糕点) have a rich and divers history that spans thousands of years. Traditional Chinese pastries are popular {#blank#}1{#/blank#} their beautiful shapes, delicate flavors and cultural symbolism.

The origins of Chinese pastries can be traced back to ancient times when they were primarily made for {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (religion) ceremonies and special occasions. Over centuries of evolution, Chinese pastries {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (develop), combining various regional flavors and techniques.

During the Tang dynasty, Chinese pastries experienced a significant {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (grow) in popularity. The Tang dynasty emperors were known for their love of desserts and pastries, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} led to the development of numerous delicate and complicated pastry recipes.

It was during this time {#blank#}6{#/blank#} many symbolic pastries were created, and the art of pastry-making reached new heights.

Mooncakes, closely {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (associate) with the Mid-autumn Festival, are among the most famous Chinese pastries. Mooncakes have a history {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (date) back over 1,000 years. They were{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (original) used as an offering {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (honour) the moon goddess during the harvest season. Mooncakes are often imprinted with amazing designs and symbols that represent good luck and prosperity.

Each region in China has its own pastries with distinct flavors, ingredients and making methods. Chinese pastries are an essential part of Chinese cuisine and cultural traditions.