If new hobbies don't in and of themselves have a social element, it often doesn't take much to make them social,and it can help to keep you invested and     1    (have) fun. If you want to learn to paint, learn to paint     2     other people. If you want to garden,get     3    (know) the horticulturist(园艺师）at your local garden centre. If finding a physical community is too challenging（and these days it can be),go online,find a group,build social connections and try new things, all while staying     4    （comfort) close to home.

Here's how it works for me: I now take trumpet lessons over Zoom,     5    holds me to playing at least once a week; my teacher is an impossibly     6    （patience) and lovely person (I feel supported); when I started in February, I promised my son that I'd learn to play "Happy Birthday" for     7    he turned three in May (l gave myself a goal and a deadline); and I even     8    （participate) in an online summer recital.

I know playing trumpet won't solve any of my existential middle-aged-mom     9    （crisis), but it's loud and it's fun and I like that.I can toot-toot my way through a “Happy Birthday" serenade for special people. Plus, I'm investing in future     10     (fulfil), a more balanced life and long-term fine-tuning for my brain, which all feels pretty great.

Among various types of papers, Xuan paper, also known as rice paper,     1     (hold) an importance place. Originating more than 1500 years ago, the traditional craft of making Xuan paper     2     (include) on UNESCO’s the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

Today, top-quality Xuan paper is still produced in Jingxian County thanks     3     the mild climate, abundant rainfall and crystal-clear streams. These     4     (condition) provide a favorable environment for the blue sandalwood (檀香) tree and rice growing,     5     (offer) the materials needed to make the best Xuan paper.

The traditional process of making Xuan paper by hand is extremely time-consuming and demanding,     6     consists of more than 100 steps including collecting, leavening (发酵), whitening, screening, and sunning. The entire process may take more than two years     7     (complete). The skills to make the paper are     8     (high) difficult and have been passed down through generations from masters to apprentices.

The thinnest Xuan paper may be as thin as a cicada’s (蝉) wing. Super-sized Xuan paper can measure 11 meters in length and 3.3 meters in width. It is noteworthy that besides the     9     (remark) craftsmanship, the specially designed tools and machines employed during     10     process, such as the fine screen used to drain (滤干) the fibers, also possess profound cultural connotations and great technological value.

A taboo (禁忌) is a social action that is not allowed. Every culture in the world has     1    (it) own taboos. The breaking of a taboo sometimes makes people feel     2     (comfort). I learned this through my own experience.

Last weekend, Wang Lin and I showed two     3     (foreign) around our city. Mr. Singh was from India and Mr. White from the USA. When I     4     (hold) out my left hand to shake hands with Mr. Singh, he seemed to be unhappy. Mr. White,     5    , was quite casual. He said hello to me with a big smile and a wave of his hand.

In the evening, we stopped at a restaurant for dinner. I noticed that Mr. Singh didn’t touch the beef and Mr. White seemed not     6     (like) chickens’ claws. During the meal, Wang Lin said sorry to Mr. Singh and continued     7     (explain) that we didn’t know it was a taboo in India to shake one’s left hand. Mr. Singh explained that     8     oxen are sacred (神圣的) in India, people don’t eat beef there. Mr. White joined in and said that     9     was not usual in the USA for people to eat chickens’ claws. He went on to say that     10     (America) don’t usually get into each other’s personal space. Isn’t it a good lesson that needs remembering?

This is the first time I have spent the Naadam Festival with my friend Burin in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region this year. The festival     1    (represent) by horse racing, wrestling and archery (射箭) falls on the fourth day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar,     2     lasts for three days.

Of the three events, two have left a deep impression     3    me: wrestling and horse racing. Mongolian wrestling is different from the wrestling in the Olympic Games. There are no     4    (round), and wrestlers are not separated by weight. The     5    (wrestle) loses if any part of his body above his knee touches the ground. As for horse racing, it was     6     (amaze) to see that the riders were boys and girls. That is because children are     7    (light) and the horses can run faster and farther. There is no need to worry about their safety, for they     8    (ride) horses all their lives. It is no wonder that people say “Horses are at     9    heart of Mongolian culture”.

Though I am tired now, celebrating Naadam with my friend was     10     (total) worth it.

There is a gigantic study that’s been done in 38 cultures.     1    turns out that in every culture, both males and females desire their potential mates to be bright. But we don’t have our IQs     2     (print) on our forehead. How do we know that someone’s     3    (intelligence)? In Western cultures, at least, it’s often by the person’s sense of humor. Because creating and appreciating jokes both require us to make     4     (connect) between many separate pieces of information,     5     (have) a sense of humor shows that we possess a wide knowledge and     6     we know how to think about things in novel and creative ways.

Take a cartoon     7     example: a mouse is standing outside his house, having just pulled a gun on a cat, who pretends to give in by raising one paw (爪). “Six rounds. Nine lives. You do the math,” the cat says. In order to appreciate this joke, you need to know that mice are     8     (usual) the victims of cats, many guns have six bullets (子弹), and cats     9     (say) to have nine lives because of their ability to always land on their feet. You also need to be able to do some math     10     (understand) that the cat has the advantage in this scene after all.

Have you ever been to a Michelin restaurant? For most chefs, there’s no    1     (big) honor than having your restaurant awarded a Michelin   Star,   let alone three.     2       that’s   not the case for Sebastien Bras, 46, one of France’s most famous chefs. He is the head of a three-star restaurant, Le Suquet,    3     is located in the center of Paris.