2017-05-22 Special English
This is Special English. I’m Mark Griffiths in Beijing. Here is the news.
China will boost the development of online media by encouraging eligible websites to go public and create new mainstream media groups.
A government blueprint has been issued by the Party authority and the State Council, China’s Cabinet. The document on cultural development and reform vowed to gradually set up a modern communication system by 2020.
This is a major project to "build public opinion fronts" online. Efforts will be made to improve the communication abilities of major news websites and online radio and TV stations. It also aims to develop a system for communication on the mobile Internet.
Eligible websites will be encouraged to go public.
The authorities will give support to mainstream media institutions in developing their websites and new media. Efforts will be stepped up to guide and standardize investment in the Internet cultural sector with both state and private funds.
Meanwhile, existing laws and regulations on news and publishing will be extended to cover the management of online media.
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A butt joint weighing 6,000 metric tons has been lowered into the Pearl River, bringing work on an underwater tunnel linked to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge a step closer to completion.
A chief engineer at the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center said favorable weather conditions made it suitable for connecting the butt joint, which involved 160 welders.
The tunnel is the final component of the long-awaited bridge which is scheduled to open to traffic later this year.
The Y-shaped cross-sear bridge is estimated to cost more than 10 billion yuan, roughly 1.5 billion US dollars. It is expected to play a significant role in the economic development of the area comprising Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macao.
Construction started in 2009, and the bridge is part of China's planned national highway network, linking the eastern and western banks of the Pearl River.
The bridge includes a 7-kilometer underwater tunnel and a 23-km overwater bridge, making it the longest cross-sea bridge in the world.
The service life of the bridge is expected to reach more than 120 years.
You're listening to Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing.
China's manned submarine Jiaolong has explored submarine turbidity currents in the South China Sea.
With a depth of 2,980 meters, Jiaolong was underwater for almost 10 hours in the ocean scientific expedition.
Three crew members in the submarine collected samples and measured environmental parameters in the ocean. They brought back sediment and seawater near the seabed as well as high-definition photos and video footage.
Scientists say China started the research on submarine turbidity currents relatively late, compared with other countries. This study is a major challenge in geoscience.
The dive helped scientists to obtain evidence of the topographic features in northeastern South China Sea. It enriched scientific understanding of canyon turbidity current in the region and provided key data and technical support for future research.
The oceanic scientific expedition started in early February. The team will conduct surveys in the Yap Trench and the Mariana Trench later in the year.
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China's new-generation training vessel has set sail on its maiden voyage from the port city of Dalian in northeast China to South Africa.
The 340-million-yuan, roughly 50 million US dollar-ocean-going vessel is China's most advanced cruise training ship.
The 200-meter long ship, "Yupeng", is owned by the Dalian Maritime University.
During its maiden voyage, 87 graduating students joined the crew to undergo training. It was also loaded with four locomotives and other equipment for customers in South Africa.
Founded in 1909, Dalian Maritime University is one of China's largest maritime universities. It already owns and operates another ocean-going training vessel that boasts more than a 10,000 deadweight tonnage.
The new ship has a carrying load of 30,000 tonnes and can be used for training, scientific research and shipping.
You're listening to Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing.
Scientists say they have switched on the world’s biggest X-ray laser, designed to capture images of structures and processes at the atomic level.
The DESY research center near Hamburg in Germany said bringing the laser to life for the first time "marks a new era of research in Europe".
Operators say the first laser pulse lasted one second. This frequency will be increased to 27,000 flashes per second by the start of September when it officially opens for research.
Scientists hope the European X-ray laser project will open up new areas of research, including mapping the molecular structure of new drugs and seeing biochemical reactions in real time.
Institutions from Germany, France, Italy and other countries are involved in the project.
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China has conducted a maiden flight of its dual-seat FC-1B trainer/fighter jet, aiming to seize a bigger share of the global military aircraft market.
The flight took place at an airport of the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, a State-owned aircraft giant and the manufacturer of the plane. The flight was witnessed by executives from the Aviation Industry of China, guests from other countries and journalists.
The aircraft is capable of training pilots and engaging in aerial combat as well as striking ground targets.
Officials say the new aircraft is one of the best trainer fighter jets in the international market. It is able to carry beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles and precision land-attack ammunition.
You're listening to Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing.
More than 20,000 authors from universities and research institutions across China have joined a project to write an authoritative online Chinese encyclopedia in an effort to promote China's historical heritage and soft power.
The digital encyclopedia is the third edition of the Chinese Encyclopedia. It will feature more than 300,000 entries, each with an average length of 1,000 words. It will be twice as large as the Encyclopedia Britannica. The online encyclopedia will cover more than 100 disciplines and be put into use in 2018.
The project's editor-in-chief Yang Muzhi said China faces challenges from every corner of cyberspace, so it should have its own online encyclopedia to lead public opinion."
According to Yang, the new encyclopedia's top rival is Wikipedia. The goal of the project is to surpass Wikipedia rather than play catch-up with it.
Yang said people think Wikipedia is correct and authoritative, while it claims to be a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit. He said the idea is alluring, but China has the world's largest group of authors, so they can do better.
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The Palace Museum in Beijing plans to stop selling paper tickets from its box office, probably by later this year.
An official from the museum says an Internet-based system will be set up to better coordinate the number of visitors for different hours of the day.
He said the new plan is preliminarily scheduled to be launched in an "appropriate time in late October", but it still depends on whether conditions are ripe. Starting in July, the museum will gradually decrease the percentage of tickets available at traditional box offices.
The Palace Museum opened its online ticket system in 2011. Almost half the tickets are sold via the internet. The tickets sold at the box office in the first quarter of this year decreased by 10 percent from the same period a year earlier.
The Palace Museum, or the Forbidden City, was China's former royal palace from 1420 to 1911. It is one of the most visited museums in the world. The Forbidden City received more than 16 million visitors last year.
The Palace Museum set a daily quota of 80,000 visitors in 2015 due to safety concerns caused by overcrowding. The new move is another step to handle the crowds.
You're listening to Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing. You can access the program by logging on to crienglish.com. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. Now the news continues.
It is critical and important for children in the United States and Europe to learn Chinese. Education experts say a booming Chinese economy provides great opportunities for foreigners who can speak both English and Chinese.
That was the consensus among teachers, students and experts who gathered to mark the Experience China Day in the United States.
The event was held by the Chinese Consulate General in New York City. It attracted more than 200 American teachers, students and parents to the Chinese Consulate General for the event. Various activities were held for people to experience traditional Chinese culture, including calligraphy and traditional Chinese musical instruments.
Acting Consul General Cheng Lei said the event aims to motivate young people' interests in learning Chinese and understanding Chinese culture.
American students entertained the crowd by playing the Kongzhu, also known as the Chinese yo-yo. They also staged a short drama in both English and Chinese.
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Zambia will host the first-ever Africa Cup Wushu Tournament next year. Wushu is a Chinese martial art.
The tournament has attracted kung fu experiments from around 20 countries to participate. T competition has been tentatively set for June or August.
The event is organized by the Zambia Wushu Association. Officials say the tournament is a milestone for Zambia in promoting the Chinese martial art.
Preparations for the event have already started. As a host country, Zambia will pick its final tea