What makes something a sport? Traditional definitions usually included some physical activity     1     shows athletic ability or strength. But some sports can take the form of mental competitions. For instance, chess     2     (recognize)as a sport by the International Olympic Committee in 1999. Now, some people wonder     3     eSports should also be considered sports.

The word eSports is short for electronic sports. It is     4     form of competition in which professional players or gamers play video games either in teams or individually.     5     (typical), the winners receive prize money at the end of the competition.

The first eSports event was the one     6     (hold)by Stanford University in the 1970s, for the game Spacewar! Over the next 30 years, video games exploded in     7     (popular). More and more countries, such as South Korea, China and the United States, started to develop eSports into an industry. In the 2000s, television broadcasts of the competitions,       8     (feature) games like Street Fighter III, StarCraft, and Counter-strike, became popular. In the 2010s, thanks     9     online streaming services, eSports grew rapidly with more worldwide tournaments, more viewers, and larger     10     (prize). In 2020, the industry made more than US$1 billion for the first time ever.

It’s evident that not everybody has a sense of humor. Learning about theories of humor doesn’t guarantee that one’s ability to tell a joke will improve in any measurable degree. It would be distressing to learn about humor’s many benefits only     1    (discover) that it’s an entirely a product of genetics. Still, psychologists are divided on whether humor is an innate or learnable trait. In the past, they believed that only some cultures developed humor, but this     2    (believe) has changed, as no culture has ever been found lacking of comedy. So, if you want to improve your sense of humor, trying to look on the funny side of life     3    (work).

August 3rd is Watermelon Day, an annual holiday that celebrates everyone’s favorite summer fruit.     1     (make) of almost 92% water, the fruit is full of vitamin A and vitamin C and antioxidants (抗氧化剂). So what are you waiting for? Get yourself a few slices of watermelon     2     (celebrate) this delicious holiday.

Watermelon is an ancient food that     3     (believe) to have originated in Africa. Historians have found evidence of watermelon planting as far back as 4,000 years ago. Today,     4     (variety) of the fruit are grown in warm parts of the world.

Because of     5     (it) high water content, watermelon is a kind of thirst -quenching (解渴的) fruit. In fact, in the Kalahari Desert,     6     watermelon is called “tsamma”, it is one of the main sources of water during the dry, hot season. In the past, people     7     (go) across the desert only during a good tsamma season.

Some studies have shown that the antioxidants in watermelon can reduce the risk of some types of cancer. Moreover, all parts of the fruit are eatable. Its flesh can be eaten     8     (direct) or juiced. In many parts of the world,     9     thick green outer covering of the fruit serves     10     a dish, and its seeds are dried, roasted and enjoyed like nuts.

From “pocket parks” between communities to forest parks in the outer cities, local governments are     1     (ambition) to make China’s cities greener. That’s     2     there are more parks in cities these days.

From 2021 to 2022, Shanghai transformed 62 woodlands into leisure spaces. These leisure spaces open up forests,     3     allows visitors to enjoy natural beauty as well as wildlife. In urban     4     (area), more companies and universities are sharing their greenery. For instance, the Shanghai Research Institute of Sports Science opened its 1,000-square-meter green space to the public.     5     (join) by historical buildings in the area, the park can provide more space for tourists to rest.

Apart from meeting people’s needs, parks can also do good to the environment. Take Beijing’s Central Green Forest Park     6     an example. Since it was opened in 2020, the park     7     (reach)carbon neutrality (碳中和). It means although the park’s facilities produce carbon dioxide, more can be     8     (take) in by the plants there. The park also fully reuses rainwater and creates green energy     9     (supply) the park. As cities in China become greener, “park cities” are becoming a reality. The concept of a park city was     10     (initial) put forward in 2018. It is a concept that takes the form of an improved natural environment in all aspects, noted China Daily.