At 00:23 on Oct 16 in 2021 the Shenzhou Ⅷ spacecraft rose into the sky. Three Chinese astronauts-Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu — set off for the Tiangong Space Station.

During their six-month stay, they setup robotic arms and did medical experiments, among other tasks. Wang Yaping has become the first Chinese woman to take a spacewalk.

It’s not an easy job to do all these things. Chinese astronauts get difficult training before going to space. As Peoples Daily reported, all the Chinese astronauts are excellent pilots with hundreds or even thousands of hours of flight time. They also receive hundreds of classes to prepare for space travel.

One of the toughest parts is the high-G training. It simulates(模拟) the environment when the spacecraft takes off. Sitting in a super-fast spinning(旋转) machine, astronauts’ face muscles(肌肉) change shape. They cry tears as they spin. Blood can’t flow to their brains properly, causing a lack of oxygen(氧气) and even blindness. Astronauts must operate the spacecraft under these conditions.

Another exhausting exercise, as Wang Yaping told Peoples Daily, is the underwater training which lasts seven hours each time. It simulates a weightless environment. She had to wear a 200-kilogram suit and do tasks in 10-meter-deepwater without eating or going to toilet. After each training, Wang lost up to 2kg of bodyweight.

When Chinese astronauts do the high-G training, they have a red button on hand. If they feel too sick and can’t bear it anymore, they can press it to stop the spinning machine. But no one has ever used it. “The ‘stop’ button never exists(存在) in our hearts,” Wang Yaping told People’s Daily.

“We may have to repeat such training every single day for years or decades,” said Wang. “But there is no ‘give up’ in our dictionary.”

Have you ever heard of prodigies. The following are just three of them whom the world has known so far.

SARAH CHANG is described by other musicians as “the most wonderful, perfect violinist (小提琴手)” they’ve ever heard. What makes this praise especially surprising is Sarah’s age: She’s only a teenager, and people have been describing her this way for years. On Sarah’s fourth birthday, her father gave her a violin. By age 5, she was accepted at the famous Juilliard School of Music, in New York City. By 8, she was performing as a violin soloist (独奏者) with major orchestras. Since then, Sarah has performed around the world. She has also recorded many albums.

Before MICHAEL KEARNEY was born, the doctors warned his parents that he might have learning difficulties. He’s been proving them wrong ever since! By the time he was 4 months old, Michael could say full sentences like, “What’s for dinner, Mom?” By 10 months, he could read words. Studying at home with his parents, Michael completed four grade levels each year. At 5, he entered high school-and finished in one year. By 10, he graduated from college with honors. At 11, he went to graduate school.

When ALEXANDRA NECHITA was 2, her parents gave her some crayons (彩色铅笔) and coloring books. Alexandra was soon working in inks, watercolors, and by the time she was 7, oil paints. At 8, Alexandra had her first art exhibition. Her paintings are often compared to those of Picasso and other great artists. They have sold for as much as $80,000. She has been on TV, and a book of her paintings was published.