Shen Congwen       1     (bear) in Tuojiang Town, Fenghuang County, Hunan Province. He was     2     great modern Chinese writer as well as a research scholar of historical cultural relics. The Border Town is Shen Congwen’s representative work,     3     centers on Cuicui.

Cuicui is raised by her grandfather. 17 years ago, her mother was pregnant (怀孕的) before marriage and she committed suicide after giving birth to Cuicui by drinking cold water in the river. When Cuicui grows up, her grandfather begins to worry about her     4     (marry), because he doesn’t want Cuicui to have a miserable life like her mother. There is a rich man in the border town, who has two handsome sons that both fall in love with Cuicui. Cuicui likes the younger son while her grandfather misunderstands her feelings and thinks the older son is more suitable for Cuicui.     5     (sad), the older son dies in an accident and the rich man puts the blame on Cuicui’s grandfather.     6     the younger son loves Cuicui, he can’t marry her after the death of his dear brother. Finally, he chooses     7     (leave) the town. Cuicui’s grandfather dies     8     a cold, rainy night, leaving Cuicui alone in the world. However, grief doesn’t break her down. She takes over her grandfather’s work,       9     (wait) for the younger son to come back.

From this simple story of love, family duty, and doubts about what the future might bring, Shen Congwen paints a vivid picture of early 20th Century rural life in China. Recently, this book     10     (become) symbolic to a new generation of Chinese people, providing a fascinating image of life in rural China.

5 . Dorothea Dix was born in 1802 in Massachusetts. When she was 12 years old, she left her unhappy home to live with her grandmother in Boston. There Dorothea went to school and was so quick at her lessons that two years later she went back to Worcester, Massachusetts and taught in a school for little children. She was only fourteen and rather small for her age. Anyway, she proved herself a good teacher, and the children loved her and respected her. In 1821, she opened a school for girls in Boston.

Gradually, her health broke down, and she began to think that she could never work any more, but after a long rest in England, she came back to America and did something far greater than teaching. She went through the whole country where she first observed the inhumane treatment of the mentally ill. During Dorothea’s traveling for nearly two years throughout the state, and meeting similar conditions, she always spoke kindly to the ill-treated, but she spoke wrathfully to the men who ill-treated them. In January 1843, she submitted to the Massachusetts legislature (立法机关) a detailed report of her fully documented findings.

In the next 40 years Dorothea inspired legislators in 15 US states and in Canada to establish state hospitals for the mentally ill. Her continuous efforts directly affected the building of 32 institutions in the United States. When the Civil War broke out, she went straight to Washington and offered to nurse the soldiers without pay. She hired houses to keep supplies in and bought an ambulance. She gave her time, strength and money to her country.

Dorothea Dix has been called the most useful woman of America. She is an, American educator, social reformer and humanitarian whose devotion to the welfare of the mentally ill led to widespread reforms in the United States and abroad.

9 . Recently, video clips of Zhang Jianns, a sanitation (环卫) worker, directing foreigners have gone viral online. Her fluent English and confident feature showcased in the videos have deeply impressed the viewers, sparking curiosity about how an ordinary-looking sanitation worker had such impressive English skills.

Behind the hit lies a decade-long journey of persistence. In 2012, Zhang Jianna took on the role of a sanitation worker in the embassy (大使馆) area of Sanlitun in Beijing’s Chaoyang district. A special encounter while working has motivated Zhang to learn English by herself, which she continues with determination to this day. “My goal is quite simple. I just want to help whenever Someone is in need, whether asking for directions, visa procedures, or telling them about the embassy area I am responsible for,” said Zhang.

Thus, at the age of 40, Zhang began a personal challenge. Without a teacher, she began learning English from her children’s textbooks, starting with basic words and phrases commonly used for giving directions. With no fixed study hours, she used every spare moment. While others rested, she memorized vocabulary and practiced speaking. Upon arriving home after work, she would write down new knowledge points and review them until she thoroughly understood them. Over the years, she has filled over a dozen notebooks. Her memory posed her biggest challenge. “Learning English at an older age, I would easily forget the words I learned before. Persistence is the key to learning English. Learn step by step, learn every day,” Zhang said.

When asked about the greatest reward of learning English, Zhang said, “Growing up in a rural area without a college education, I sometimes feared being looked down upon. But every time I help a stranger in English, I feel incredibly accomplished.” “Tiring, but satisfying,” Zhang Jianna reflects on her work and language learning. “To serve others makes me happy, and it’s where I prove my self-worth,” said Zhang. “After retirement, I also want to introduce my hometown in English and improve local tourism,” she said, acknowledging that her inspiring journey has led to this new goal.

Over eighty years ago, the internationally praised Chinese-French painter     1     (begin) his artistic journey of Zao Wou-Ki in the beautiful city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, where his     2     (creative) was carried forward.

Now, on the 10th anniversary (周年) of his death, Zao’s famous art works have found their way back to their home before.

Exhibition of Zao Wou-Ki opened at the Art Museum of China Academy of Art in Hangzhou last month. Divided    3     six units, the exhibition shows around 200 of Zao’s most important works, including oil paintings, Chinese ink-wash paintings, watercolors,     4     works of literature.

As     5     important cultural program, held as part of the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games, the exhibition is also linked with the 2024 China-France Year of Culture and Tourism, and a key project     6     is supported by the Zhejiang Culture and Art Development Fund.

“His works create a modern Eastern style by     7     (bridge) the distance between Eastern and Western cultural traditions, and it allows the spirit of Chinese culture     8     (develop) quickly in the rich soil of modern painting,” Gao says.

Zao’s work has found a proper place in the collections of 150 major     9     (museum) and art galleries around the world.

In 2017, Zao’s painting “29.01.64” (1964)     10     (buy) for around HK $200 million (US $25.6 million) at Christie’s in Hong Kong, setting a new record for his works and the world record for an oil painting by an Asian artist.