I don't like the freezing Northeast winter. So when I had the chance to spend a weekend in Sarasota, Florida, I had my bags     1     (pack) in no time. I     2     (leave) for the land of warmth,     3     (think) of beaches and orange trees. Swimming pools and pink sunsets filled the weekend. But the best part was a 7:00 am visit to the farmer's market there,     4     proved to be worth the early wake-up call.

You have probably dreamed about     1     you would change the world, only to find that it seems impossible. However, you may have the power     2     (make) the world better with steps by steps. That^’s the idea behind the BA Challenge, which is a public service campaign co-initiated by Alibaba and Sina Weibo. It asks people to do something positive and then record the changes before and after. Since its first     3     (appear) on Sina Weibo on Sept. 2^nd, the BA Challenge has attracted millions of viewers and participants.     4     these little things may be easily ignored in our daily lives, they are well received by many viewers.

Playing it by ear?

A video clip of a blind musician has captured the attention of many in China. Xiong Linghao, 18, played a Beethoven sonata (奏鸣曲) in the national finals of the 13th Shanghai International Youth Piano Competition in August. 2020.

The video,     1    (publish) on China Daily’s Sina Weibo account, has been viewed more than 7 million times. Many Internet users said they were touched by Xiong’s     2    (brave) and optimism.

Xiong lost her eyesight in early infancy (幼年) due to a medical accident Her mother discovered Xiong had a talent     3     music early in her childhood. “The piano is my best friend,” said Xiong,    4     high school student at the Chengdu Special Education School. “    5     brings so much pleasure into my life.”

Unlike most pianists, who play by reading music, Xiong relied entirely on the sound of the music to guide her, “Repeated practice is key     6     I need muscle memory to find the right keys,” she explained.

Xiong     7    (honor) with the Special Jury Prize in the competition. “Through her piano playing viewers could feel the vitality (生命力) of life and a     8    (true)strong will,” said Ding Quan, a judge in the competition.

“I never pursued prizes     9     fame while learning music,” explained Xiong. “Like Beethoven, I wanted     10    (express)hope, feelings and passion for life in difficult conditions through the piano.”

From Monday to Friday, most people are busy working or studying, but in the evenings and on weekends they are free to relax and enjoy     1     (they). Some watch TV    2     go to the cinema. Others take part in sports. There are many different ways    3     (spend) their spare time.

Almost everyone has some kind of hobbies. It may be anything from collecting stamps to     4     (make) model airplanes. Some hobbies are expensive,     5     others don’t cost anything at all. Some     6     (collect)are worth a lot of money. Others are valuable only to the owners.

I know    7     man who has a coin collection worth $250. He was very happy about his purchase and     8     (think) the price was reasonable. On the other hand, my youngest brother collects matchboxes. He has almost 600 of them but I doubt if they are worth any money. However, to my brother they are     9     (extreme) valuable. Nothing makes him     10     (happy) than to find a new matchbox for his collection.

This is what a hobby means, I guess. It is something we like to do in our spare time simply for fun. The value in dollars is not important. We do it for the pleasure it gives.

The British like DIY. A lot of people always spend their holidays    1    (make) their homes more beautiful. If there is anything     2    needs repairing or decorating around their homes, such as painting walls and putting in a new shower, they will do the jobs     3    (they). They share DIY experience     4    their friends. DIY can save money. So, it is not surprising that DIY is very popular.

DIY can be difficult. People often find it not easy     5    (build) a piece of furniture because they can’t understand the     6    (instruct) well. What’s more, DIY can also be     7    (danger). For example, anything electrical should be done by a professional worker.     8    (unlucky), many people don’t care about this warning and put themselves in danger. It is reported that thousands of people    9    (injury) while doing DIY in the UK last year.

All in all, DIY can bring us fun and help us save money,     10    it is not always as easy as it is thought to be.