Have you seen the clay soldiers （士兵） in Xi'an's terracotta museum？Do you know the true colors of them？
More than 2, 000 years ago, Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of China, ordered people to build the Terracotta Army.He hoped that the army would guard him after he died.
In 1974, some farmers found several clay soldiers by accident in Xi' an.After that, about 8, 000 more were found by archeologists （考古学家）.Today, the clay soldiers in Xi'an's terracotta museum are light brown.But they weren't always this color.When they were made, they had the colors of white, green, blue, red, purple and yellow.Sadly, most of the colors disappeared today.
An area with more than a hundred clay soldiers was discovered by archeologists a few years ago.Many of them still had black hair, pink faces and black or brown eyes when they were found.If they were not protected well, their colors would disappear, too.After a clay soldier was found, archeologists used two steps to keep its color.First, they sprayed （喷） a special "water" on it.Then, they covered it in plastic.
Archeologists are facing a new challenge now.They are going to find a way to put the colors onto the clay soldiers again.If they succeed in doing it, people will be able to see what the clay soldiers originally （最初） looked like.It must be very amazing.
It was a school trip. All of us were hungry for it for long. I went to Changbai Mountain with my classmates at the beginning of 2023. The trip was really wonderful.
Jilin Province, in the northeast of China, is famous for Changbai Mountain. It is one of the "Top 10 Mountains in China". The name of it means "a mountain which remains white all year round" in Chinese. The name Changbai Mountain was first used in the Liao Dynasty. The mountain was recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas under the name Buxian Mountain. It was called Taibai Mountain in the Tang Dynasty.
In the early morning, we climbed the mountain from the western side. Along the way, we saw several wild animals and we were totally shocked at the beauty of the mountain. The whole mountain area is under thick snow cover for two months every year. The higher points from 1,500 meters to 2,400 meters above the sea level are covered with snow for more than six months. Changbai Mountain is one of the most popular places for winter sports and amusements. We even tried many thrilling rides on the snow. It was so much fun. Besides, wed enjoyed different kinds of foods.
What excited us most is undoubtedly the Tianchi Lake. It is the deepest alpine (高山的) lake in China. The Tianchi Lake is the place where the Songhua, Tumen and Yalu rivers begin and it has been regarded as a mysterious lake. Not all visitors are lucky enough to see the Tianchi Lake clearly the first time they go there, but we were.
One more thing we remembered was taking baths in the hot springs. All our tiredness and pressure were gone there. As visitors, we can't stop being in love with everything we experienced in Changbai Mountain.
Today, many teenagers have already put technology to good use. Here are two good examples.
• A new reader (阅读器) for the blind
The two 14-year-old students, Meng Shuqi and Feng Boyao, are from Taiyuan. They invented a new kind of reader to help the blind read books. The new reader can turn words into raised dots (盲点) when connected to a computer.
As we know, the blind read by touching raised dots. However, there weren't many books for the blind in the past, and it was difficult for them to get new information in time. As the old readers in the market were very expensive and difficult to use, the two students decided to invent the new reader which was easier to use. They hoped that the new reader could be widely used to help more blind people.
• A smart system for the old
A 16-year-old American boy Vetri Vel created a smart system. It is made up of a small computer and a camera. The system can catch the heat signals (热感信号) of a fallen person and send messages for help at once.
After Vetri's neighbor had fallen down alone at home, Vetri realized that falling down was a common problem for many old people. It may even lead to death. Vetri hopes that his invention can help more old people in time.
Teenagers' technological inventions full of love and intelligence can make our lives easier and more convenient. Why not have a try?
Has your mother or grandmother ever made embroidered（刺绣的）clothes for you? In the past, Chinese people often embroidered on hats, shoes and dresses to show the beauty of nature or the best wishes to others. Some girls would even embroider on a sachet（香囊）as a gift for their lovers.
Shu embroidery comes from Sichuan. It is said that Shu embroidery is the oldest kind of embroidery in China. People began to make it during the Han Dynasty（206 BC—220 AD）. They sold it to other countries such as ancient Rome.
Shu embroidery takes time. It might take as long as a whole day to finish just 10 cm. Embroidery workers need to divide each silk thread（丝线）into more than 10 or even 30 smaller threads. Each smaller thread is thinner than a human hair.
Meng Dezhi, who used to work at the Chengdu Shu Embroidery Factory, has been making Shu embroidery for 40 years. She loves this form of art and wants more people to try it, so she gives lessons in universities. She said, "Although the work is hard, Shu embroidery stands for thousands of years of Sichuan culture. It is a symbol of Chinese culture as well."
