Today’s festivals have a wide range of origins,     1     (include) the seasons of the year, famous figures, important events, and     2     (religion). All festivals have the spirit of sharingjoy, gratefulness, love, or peace in common.

The harvest festival is one of the most popular festivals,     3     is celebrated in many cultures. In China, families gather     4     (admire) the moon and enjoy mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Customs play a significant role in festivals,    5     they can change over time. For example, some Chinese cities no longer allow     6     (light) firecrackers during the Spring Festival, because it can increase air pollution. These days, festivals are becoming more and more     7     (commerce), with people spending more money on gifts, which     8     (result)in different opinions.

Festivals are     9     important part of society. They reflect people’s wishes, beliefs, faiths and attitudes     10     life. They are occasions that allow us to relax and enjoy life.

A spoonful of pickles (榨菜) can sometimes make a meal taste way better. Now, a new type of pickle     1     (discuss): “digital pickled vegetables”. It refers to the videos people watch while eating that make their food more appetizing.

The topic received more than 16 million clicks on Sina Weibo and about 100, 000 people participated in the discussion. Many believe that their food is     2     (delicious) with the “digital pickles”.

According to a research paper     3     (publish) in 2019, this habit can affect your diet and you may eat more unconsciously (不自觉地). The international research team asked 62 volunteers to follow different eating     4     (pattern) on four different days, which included eating while looking     5     the mobile phone, reading magazines and without distraction. After     6     (analyze) their diets, the team discovered that eating with a distraction increased calorie intake (卡路里摄入) by about 15 percent.

    7     (explore) the reason, the team also invited two groups of people: one group ate while listening to a sound clip about another person eating, and the other listened to a clip that helped them imagine     8     (they) eating. The results showed that     9     second group ate less since they were more focused on their meals. When eating with the “digital pickles”, our attention can be distracted,     10     leads to eating more than expected.

In my last semester of college, my favorite professor made an     1    (announce) that he would be teaching a study-abroad course over the winter break in Cambodia. The more he talked about the opportunity, the more     2    (interest) I became. I left class thinking I might     3    (actual) do it.

My immediate excitement gave in to excuses     4     the weeks passed. The trip would be expensive, I would have less time to spend with my family over the break and so on. In short, I was     5    (terrify) of taking the risk.

On the day I made my     6    (decide), I suddenly felt as if I had seen myself clearly. Why was I so scared to take this chance? How could I let fear get     7     the way of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? Besides, I had always dreamed of travelling the world and     8    (study) abroad was a major point in my life. So I took the challenge and     9    (fly) to Cambodia.

Now, looking back to my experiences in Cambodia, I cherish them very much. It has taught me     10    (conquer) fears, big or small and have a faith in myself.

Every student will     1    (face) with the question when he or she    2    (pass) the College Entrance Examinations: Should we choose a good major (专业) or a good university first?

Some students prefer to consider majors first so that they can learn     3    they are interested in. It will also make     4    possible for them to take their favourite jobs in the future. However, those who think     5    (different) believe that the environment is important to one’s     6    (develop) and that graduates from leading universities are often more likely     7    (find) a good job.

In my opinion, the best choice is a good major at a good university. If we cannot obtain     8    , the first thing to consider is a good major, because no matter     9    we study, we can still achieve a lot in     10    certain field if we try our best.