Using needles to help life’s energy flow

For thousands of years, the Chinese have relieved pain and cured disease through acupuncture (针灸).     1     (evolve) from the discovery that using stone needles to prick specific points on the surface of the body could relieve pain and symptoms, acupuncture has become     2     integral part of traditional Chinese medicine, in line with the philosophy that promotes the harmonious coexistence of humans with nature.

According to Records of the Grand Historian,     3     (write) by Sima Qian about 2,100 years ago, Bian Que, a highly skilled     4     (physical) during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), was famous for having saved a prince from “death” by using needles to stimulate the Baihui acupoint on the head of the unconscious man.

According to TCM (中医), there are a dozen meridians (经脉) in the human body,     5     the qi, or life energy, circulates to nourish the organs. Cold, infections or diseases can result in blocking of the energy, and so stimulating the acupoints can unblock stagnant (不流动的) qi, restore normal circulation and improve health. Today, acupuncture is still     6     (wide) used in China.

In 2010, UNESCO inscribed acupuncture and moxibustion of TCM on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Yet, the practice is not just cultural and historical,     7     a medical technique widely used and researched today.

For years,     8     the clear therapeutic effects of acupuncture in treating many diseases, there were few convincing studies that explained how acupoint stimulation worked, or what meridians were anatomically speaking, so the technique always seemed somewhat    9     (mystery).

However, as scientific research of acupuncture     10     (grow) in recent years, producing good quality results, the technique is gaining traction around the world.

When the action movie Wolf Warrior II broke China’ s box-office records in 2017, a less prominent (突出的) figure unexpectedly left a strong impression     1     the audience—a military scientist     2     (call) Dr. Chen who developed a vaccine for a deadly virus spreading across Africa.

Two years ago, a real military scientist Dr. Chen Wei     3     (send) from China to Africa to fight against the deadly Ebola. The only difference between the two figures is     4     the real Dr. Chen is “she”.

When SARS broke out in China in 2003, Dr. Chen and her team isolated (隔离) the virus and identified (确认) the cause of the disease without delay.     5     (lucky), the efforts devoted by them had prevented about 14,000 front-line medical workers from     6     (get) infected.

After SARS, the forward-looking woman shifted her attention to Ebola which claimed (夺去生命) over 10,000     7     (life) worldwide. In 2015, she and her team went to Sierra Leone and started their second phase of clinical experiments (临床实验). After countless trials and errors, her vaccine has proven safe and     8     (effect), and been widely administered (供给) to staff assigned to help people in Africa.

From SARS and Ebola to COVID-19, Dr. Chen has spent half of her life fighting against life-threatening viruses.“ We do not have any other choices but     9     (win),” she said. And she made     10    .

【推荐3】阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Acupuncture (针灸), an ancient Chinese medical practice that is     1     deep cultural significance, has been the therapy(疗法) for countless patients for thousands of years. Before modern medicine appeared, the ancient Chinese used stone tools     2    (ease) the pain. Gradually, this practice changed into a comprehensive and influential medical system,     3    (shape) the root of acupuncture.

Acupuncture is an     4    (effect) treatment that aims to promote the body’s self-regulating functions. Its health-friendly principles are in line with the philosophical concepts of traditional Chinese medicine,     5     emphasis is on the balance of bodily functions, overall well-being etc.     6    (practice) of traditional Chinese medicine vary in forms. Needle insertion, one of the most common and well-known methods,     7     (conduct) by inserting needles into specific points on the body that channel vital energy(the qi), in order to unblock the flow of energy, restore our body’s yin and yang balance, and     8    (complete) awaken its inborn potential to recover.

Looking beyond China, acupuncture is a global therapy. Over the years, acupuncture     9    (see) notable advancements in scientific research and modern medicine. It is now a mainstream option for certain diseases     10     complementary(补充的) treatment for a variety of other illnesses.

Two way most of us spend our mornings is exactly opposite to the     1     (condition) that promote flexible, open-minded thinking. Imaginative ideas are most likely to come to us when were unfocused. If you are one of those energetic morning people, your most inventive time comes in the early evening     2     you are relaxed. Sleepy people’s lack of focus leads to an increase in creative problem solving. By not giving yourself time to tune into your wandering mind, you’re missing out on the     3     (surprise) solutions it may offer.

If you're looking to maximize     1     amount of fat burned in your next workout, think about having a coffee half an hour before you get     2     (start)—as a new study suggests it can make a significant difference     3    fat burning, especially later on in the day.

Recently, researchers     4     (find) that 3 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight can boost the rate of fat burning during aerobic exercise, based on     5     (result) gathered from 15 male volunteers.

The coffee dose was shown     6     (increase) maximal fat oxidation rate (a measure of     7     efficiently the body burns off fat) by an average of 10.7% in the morning and 29% in the afternoon.

    8     (general) speaking, these results suggest that a     9     (combine) of acute caffeine intake and exercise at moderate intensity in the afternoon provides the best scenario for individuals     10     (seek) to increase whole-body fat oxidation during aerobic exercise, the researchers conclude.