Although Paris is often considered the city of romance, close to a million adult who call it home are single. Many single people say that France's capital is one of the most difficult places to meet people. The complaints of this lonely group have inspired a new phenomenon known as “supermarket dating.” At Galerie Lafayette Gourmet, singles can shop for more than just the items on their grocery list. They can look for someone who has blue eyes, brown hair, and is 1.8 meters tall, or whatever may be on their romantic shopping list.

    At this Paris location, single people of all ages can schedule their shopping for Thursday nights between 6:30 and 9:00 p.m. When they walk through the door, they pick up a purple basket to advise that they are looking for love. They try to arrive early because the baskets disappear quickly, and then they have to wait in line for their turn to wander the store aisles.

    With purple baskets in hand, shoppers can consider their romantic options while they pick out their groceries. When they are ready to pay, they can go to the checkout line for singles who want to chat.

    Most of the people who look for love in the supermarket are skeptical of Internet dating. They know that it is easy to embellish（美化）one's appearance or to lie about one's age over the Internet. The supermarket, on the other hand, is considered a safe and casual environment in which to meet a potential match. In addition, what one finds in another's grocery basket can say a thing or two about that person's character or intentions. Buying pet food can be a man's way of showing a potential match that he has a sensitive side. Women who fill their baskets with low-fat food show their healthy style of living. These days it's possible to find much more than food at a grocery store.

    Scientists in Britain have managed to teach bumblebees(大黄蜂) to pull strings to get to food and then pass on what they have learned to others in their colony(群体)—showing a high level of intelligence despite their tiny brains.

    Researchers at Queen Mary University of London said the experiments, often used to test the intelligence of apes (猿) and birds, showed for the first time that some insects are up to the task, and can also pass skills on through several generations.

    The findings add to the evidence suggesting the ability for “culture spread” — the ability to learn and pass on knowledge and skills — may not be exclusive to humans.

    In the research, published in the journal PLOS Biology on Tuesday, the scientists were able to train 23 out of a group of 40 bees to pull strings with their legs and feet.

    The strings were attached to discs — or artificial “flowers” — containing food at their center but placed under a transparent screen. The bees, spotting the food beneath the screen, learned to pull the “flowers” out by pulling the string with their legs and feet to be able to get to it.

    From another group of bees given the chance to solve the task without any training, only two of 110 were successful.

    Another group of bees was then allowed to observe the trained bees pulling the strings, and 60 percent of them successfully learned the skill. Finally, trained bees were put in colonies, and the scientists found the technique spread successfully to a majority of the colony's worker bees.

    Lars Chittka, a Queen Mary University professor who guided the project, said the team is interested in figuring out the brain processes behind the bees' learning and teaching skills.

    People who like travelling have their reasons. They believe that travelling can help them expand their field of view, especially in the geographical and historical sense. They also think that touring will give them more chances to enjoy different kinds of food and experience new things that would never be brought by other activities. But those who dislike travelling also have some reasons.

    Travelling, in my opinion, does more good than harm. Most importantly, it broadens  (使扩大) our mind. We can get in touch with other civilizations (文明), cultures, customs and ideas.

    Through history, most people travelled because of necessity (必要性)—not for pleasure. People travelled just in order to remain alive. They searched for food to eat or places to live in. They sometimes ran away from enemies. This is not to say that no one ever travelled just for the fun of it. In ancient times, for example, rich Romans travelled all the way to Greece to take part in the Olympic Games, and festivals. Of course, some people decided to travel just out of curiosity (好奇心). They wanted to find out what it looked like beyond the horizon (地平线). Also business travel has been going on for centuries. Traders could not only make money but also learn to speak several languages and be introduced to different cultures.

    So, travelling does enrich our mind and draw new ideas to us. There is no doubt that we can get much from it.

Porcelain(瓷器)is a material made from well-chosen porcelain clay through a series of technological {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(process)like mixing, molding, drying and firing. Although porcelain developed from pottery, it is superior in both practical {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.artistic terms. Perhaps that is {#blank#}3{#/blank#} it gradually replaced pottery in history.

The{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (early) porcelain, commonly called "primitive porcelain", appeared during the Shang Dynasty, But the first porcelain in real sense was not produced until the Eastern Han Dynasty. Later with the processing techniques{#blank#}5{#/blank#} (mature)all the way, famous kilns(窑), including what are known as the "Five. Great Kilns", emerged {#blank#}6{#/blank#} quantity during the Song Dynasty. In the Yuan Dynasty, Jingdezhen, the Capital of Porcelain, produced blue and white porcelain which later became the {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (represent)of porcelain. Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty is classical, graceful, delicate and splendid, thus becoming superb goods popular at home and abroad.

Porcelain is the creative fruit of {#blank#}8{#/blank#} working people of ancient China. Since the Han and Tang Dynasties, porcelain {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (export)worldwide. It promotes economic and cultural exchange between China and the outside world, and {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (dramatic)influences he traditional culture and lifestyle of people from other countries.

Traveling to Europe can be so expensive. If you have a tight travel budget, we have other options for your next European vacation. We found some places as cheap as Thailand while looking as pretty as Spain, Greece or Italy.

Bulgaria

Bulgaria is often characterized as being a country of stunning landscapes and friendly people with a rich history of culture. And it has a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters. In Bulgaria you can find accommodation for under fifteen dollars per night and a meal at a local restaurant will cost you no more than five dollars. From Sofia the capital, why not take a train to Istanbul for about fifteen dollars? What an adventure!

Romania

Romania is a country that not a lot of people know about, but it might be one you want to try on your next trip. Bucharest has a rich, historic architecture and a great nightlife for younger travelers. Besides the capital, there are many other beautiful places to explore in Romania, like you can go to Transylvania and see Dracula's castle. Good accommodation and a lot of restaurants are available here at a low cost. What a deal!

Albania

A perfect alternative to Spain or Italy, Albania has a lot of history and culture, but without all the crowds of tourists that you'll find in those places. It has some of the best beaches in Europe, so you can take advantage of that as well. The food is cheap and the average cost of accommodation in Albania is also low, with around thirty dollars per night for a mid-range budget.

Chinese brocade(云锦) has a history of 1,300 years. It {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(be) once for the Chinese elite. Now, young fashion{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(design) like it. Things like flames, beasts, weapons, and stars decorate the brocade. Flowers are a common pattern, like in a silk piece from the middle of the 18th century.

This art is very complex. Old craftsmen can only make about two{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (inch) of cloth a day. Traditional looms are 18 feet long and have thousands of parts. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (Operate) them needs dozens of steps. Artisans sing songs to remember the process. The made fabric is bright, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} patterns made of silk, gold, and peacock-feather yarn.

The {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (early) Chinese brocade is from the Tang Dynasty. Different regional kinds {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (develop) in places like Nanjing and Chengdu. Silk museums there let tourists buy real brocade scarves and bags. Factories can't copy this complex fabric. It can only be made on traditional looms. It is a proud symbol of cultural heritage and {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(appeal) to older Chinese people. More and more new fashion designers are working with{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (tradition) weavers. Designer Chen Liwen launched a series of scarves and accessories for Gen Z consumers last year with the hu bu tiger pattern. Ancient brocade seems closely tied {#blank#}10{#/blank#}China's future.