HIGH SCORER TAKES PATH LESS TRODDEN

　　Zhong Fangrong， a high school graduate from a small village in Hunan Province， central China， scored 676 out of 750 in the national college entrance examination， also known as the gaokao. She applied to Peking University （PKU） to major in archaeology as she likes learning about history and cultural heritage.
　　Her decision became the talk of China’s social platform Weibo because archaeology is commonly regarded as an unattractive subject with dim career prospects.
　　Some netizens said her major would not lead to a lucrative career and would be a waste of her high score. However， many admired and supported her， saying students should choose majors based on their personal interest and aspiration.
　　Zhong said she was inspired by her idol Fan Jinshi. Fan， an archaeologist who graduated from PKU， is known for her work on cultural relics at the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang， Gansu Province in northwest China， famous for their Buddhist art. Fan sent a letter to encourage Zhong to realize her dream. Many Chinese museums and archaeological institutions also rallied behind her.

Black Soil Protection

　　People’s Daily July 29
　　Northeast China is a crucial grain-producing area with its black soil ensuring high yield. It is considered to be one of the most fertile areas in the country.
　　Today， the region’s grain and commodity grain outputs account for 25 percent and nearly 33 percent of China’s total output， respectively， indicating the strategic importance of the black soil.
　　However， the high yield has led to a decline in organic matters in the soil and its fertility. In addition， the huge population and limited land have also had a detrimental effect on farmland.
　　During a recent visit to Heilongjiang Province， northeast China， President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of grain production and food security and said measures would be taken to protect the black soil.
　　Production capacity is a guarantee of food security and fertile lands are the foundation of the capacity. Therefore， it is vital to protect farmland with soil enrichment.
　　As local farmers’ awareness of soil protection grows， they are taking measures like using mulching to increase fertility and resist drought.

Tourism Incentive

Yangcheng Evening News July 28
　　Over 80 tourist attractions in Shandong Province， east China， have discounted tickets by 50 to 80 percent to revive local tourism affected by the novel coronavirus disease. It will continue till the end of the year. 　　China’s domestic tourism， with epidemic containment， is gradually resuming. Cross-province， city and district group trips are now allowed in parts of the country. To spur demand， the number of visitors allowed to scenic spots has been increased from 30 percent to 50 percent.
　　According to a survey by online travel agency Trip.com， 88 percent of its clients plan to travel to other provinces in the second half of this year. More than 70 percent said they would visit other areas shortly.
　　The tourism industry has a long industrial chain， including accommodation， transport and shopping. Together， they can generate about seven times the value of admission tickets. The discount policy will help Shandong attract more visitors and gain an edge in market competition.
　　In 2016， ticket sales for the top-tier scenic spots in the country accounted for over 40 percent of their total revenue， with some exceeding 90 percent. The high price of tickets forced visitors’ expenses to mount. The discount will lead to tourist attractions adjusting their operation by multiplying income channels， which will benefit other links in the industrial chain.
　　Shandong’s policy has set a precedent for other provinces to lower ticket prices at scenic spots， which will give more vitality to the industry during the summer vacation and National Day holiday in the second half of the year. Local governments can continue the policies in the future to give more benefi ts to tourists.

Facelift for Old Houses

Qianjiang Evening Daily July 31
　　Renovation plans for aging residential areas have been unveiled in Hangzhou， Zhejiang Province in east China. Traditional culture will be highlighted in the facelift. For example， the Mawang Community will adopt a style of white walls and black tiles to showcase local features.
　　Renovation of old urban residential areas has been intensifi ed this year to benefi t nearly 7 million households in 39，000 communities across the country. The work includes upgrade of infrastructure such as building elevators， charging piles， water supply lines and roads.
　　Efforts are also being made to mobilize residents to participate in the work and enhance long-term neighborhood management mechanisms. That can play a significant role in managing community affairs. Property management should also be improved by introducing professional teams that can provide better services in community maintenance and operation.
　　In areas with large elderly populations， services such as nursing and medical treatment should be introduced. Libraries， gyms and other public spaces should be added to increase communication between residents.

CHINA’S PIONEER TV HOST PASSES AWAY

Shen Li， China’s fi rst TV anchor， died in Beijing on July 28， after battling illness for several years. She was 87.
　　Shen appeared on screen in 1958 as a newsreader for Beijing Television， the predecessor of China Central Television （CCTV）. Subsequently， she hosted many social， art and sports programs.
　　In 1978， CCTV was offi cially launched and became the national media outlet. Shen started to host CCTV’s At Your Service program， which focused on people’s daily life and became hugely popular， in 1983.
　　She retired in 1988 but was rehired by CCTV for a program called Sunset Glow targeting elderly viewers.
　　Seen as a vanguard of China’s TV industry， Shen was loved both by Chinese industry insiders and viewers.
　　“China-U.S. cooperation has never been a case of one party giving favor to the other， or one party taking advantage of the other. Both countries have benefited much from this cooperation.”
　　Wang Yi， Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister， commenting on China-U.S. ties in an interview with Xinhua News Agency on August 5
　　“To blame China for this pandemic is to rewrite the history of the novel coronavirus disease and to marginalize the failings of Western nations.”
　　Richard Horton， Editor in Chief of The Lancet， saying it was the Trump administration’s true purpose behind its slander of China， in an article in The Guardian on August 3
　　“China has managed the aftermath of the coronavirus much more efficiently than Western economies and will therefore catch up with these economies.”
　　Douglas McWilliams， Deputy Chairman of the Centre for Economics and Business Research， a consultancy based in London， talking about China’s economy in the post-epidemic era with China Daily on August 5
　　“ We’ll obviously keep watching them， but there’s no evidence to suggest to us today that that is a step that is necessary.”
　　Scott Morrison， Australian Prime Minister， talking about U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to ban Chinese short video-sharing app TikTok at the Aspen Security Forum via Zoom on August 4