China's economic output has jumped from 53.9 trillion yuan in 2012 to 114.4 trillion yuan in 2021, with its proportion in the world economy increasing from 11.3 percent to more than 18 percent, the country's development and reform commission announced on Tuesday. In that same period, China's per-capita GDP rose from $6,300 to more than $12,000.

The three astronauts of China's Shenzhou-13 mission met the press and public on Tuesday, their first such appearance after returning to Earth in April. Launched on Oct. 16, 2021, the Shenzhou-13 spaceship sent Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu to China's space station core module Tianhe where they lived for six months, setting a new record for Chinese astronauts' stays in space. The three returned to Earth safely on April 16.

More than 25 million foreigners were learning Chinese as of the end of 2021, according to the Ministry of Education. At that time, Chinese language learning was available in more than 180 countries and regions around the world. The Chinese language had been incorporated into the national education systems of 76 countries, and nearly 200 million people had received training in the subject, the ministry said at a news conference on Tuesday.

The monkeypox virus strain that has emerged across the world in recent weeks may be evolving at an abnormally fast rate - making it more infectious than previous versions of the virus. 

This means the virus, which is generally believed to spread by physical touch, contaminated surfaces or close bodily contact could spread in ways atypical to the tropical virus'normal patterns. 

It would explain the recent global monkeypox outbreak, where 201 cases have been detected across 25 US states and Washington, DC and over 3,500 cases detected worldwide in countries where the virus is not endemic. 

1. commission n. an official group of people who have been given responsibility to control sth, or to find out about sth., usually for the government （通常为政府管控或调查某事的）委员会

2. infectious adj. an infectious disease can be passed easily from one person to another, especially through the air they breathe 传染性的，感染的（尤指通过呼吸）

3. contaminated adj. 被污染的

4. atypical adj. not typical or usual 非典型的；反常的

5. endemic adj. regularly found in a particular place or among a particular group of people and difficult to get rid of 地方性的；（某地或某集体中）特有的，流行的，难摆脱的

Q1: What’s China's economic output in 2021? 

Q2: How long did the three Shenzhou-13 astronauts stay in China's space station? 

Q3: How many foreigners were learning Chinese at the end of 2021?

Q4: How does the monkeypox virus spread? 

KEY 1: 114.4 trillion yuan in 2021.

KEY 2: They lived for six months.

KEY 3: More than 25 million foreigners.

KEY 4: It is generally believed to spread by physical touch, contaminated surfaces or close bodily contact.