A major fire on Monday, April 15, 2019, began to burn at France’s world-famous Note-Dame de Paris cathedral (巴黎圣母院). Flames could be seen     1    (rise) through the top of the monument,     2     tall, narrow spire(尖塔) later collapsed.

The cathedral     3    (date) back to the 12th century. French writer Victor Hugo used it as the setting of his famous story, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. It is one of the world’s     4    (famous) tourist sites, which receives about 12 million     5    (visit) each year.

The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo wrote on Twitter Monday, “A terrible fire is underway at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.” Hidalgo added that Paris firefighters were still trying     6    (control) the fire. She urged people to stay away     7     the area.

French President Emmanuel Macron delayed a     8    (plan) speech to the nation because of the fire.     9     speech was to present his answers to the yellow vest crisis that has taken over the country since November. He arrived at the scene of the fire Monday night.

The cause of the fire was not     10    (immediate) known. France 2 television reported that police were treating it as accidental.

Two firefighters     1     (wait) in line at a fast food restaurant when the siren (警报器) sounded on their fire engine outside. As they turned to leave, a couple who had received their order a moment ago     2     (hand) their food to the firefighters. The couple then got back in line to reorder. To appreciate their selfless act as a reward, the manager refused     3     (take) the couple’s money.

Sammy   Armstrong   was   driving   to   his office   when   he     1    (notice)   a car was stuck on railroad tracks. Then he heard a train whistle. Sammy threw down his sunglasses and keys and ran toward the car.    2    elderly man, Jean Papich, eighty­four, sat in the driver’s seat,    3     (turn) the key and hitting the gas. His wife, Marion, seventy­eight, was looking     4    (nervous) at him. Then Sammy walked    5    the car and pushed it forward, but his boots slipped on the warm asphalt (沥青).He could see the train approaching fast.

It might be    6    (easy)to push the car backward, Sammy thought. He ran around to the front to the vehicle and shouted at Jean     7    (put)the car in neutral(空挡). Sammy could feel the ground trembling under his feet. He put his boots against the track and pushed forcefully. Finally, the car rolled off the tracks. When Sammy looked up, the train was just a couple of     8    (foot )away. Sammy, shocked and     9    (speech), went back to work as the crowd gathered at the scene.

Weeks later, Marion called to thank Sammy. He responded, “I just did     10    I had to do.”

Windsor Castle is surrounded by a lot of green gardens in the English countryside. It looks out onto the River Thames and sits next     1     a hunting ground. It was built just outside of London     2    (protect) the capital from the enemies on the west side.

Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest castle     3    (build) in the world. The castle has a long, rich and troubled history.     4     the castle walls could talk, they’d have many stories to tell.

Kings were born and     5    (die) here. It’s been used as the home of kings and queens for centuries. However, it was also used as a prison during the English Civil War Ⅱ. The royal family     6    (secret) slept at Windsor Castle because it was safer than London’s urban areas.

Then, Windsor Castle was the private home of Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ. When she didn’t meet guests at Buckingham Palace, she went to Windsor Castle.     7     that’s not all. Windsor Castle is open to the public. It is now one of England’s most popular tourist     8    (attract). Visitors can look at some of the finest artworks,     9    (include) the paintings of Rembrandt as well as the well-kept gardens. Is there a better way to learn about England     10     to enjoy some of the country’s finest scenery?

    1     (draw) inspiration from nature is a tradition that goes back centuries. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in the beautiful Lingering Garden of Suzhou. The main principle of its design is     2     (recreate) natural landscapes in miniature. First established in the Ming Dynasty, the original garden contained a rockery to symbolise Tiantai Mountain. Pine and bamboo groves were added later, along with a pond and an island. Visitors would be     3     (astonish) to find the garden modeled closely on natural features.

Visitors are also supposed     4     (explore) it scene-by-scene. This could vary from a view of a pond and the splashing of fish, to a tree in blossom, a pagoda or a moon-shaped gate.