2 . Mukbang, a South Korean word, means “eating broadcast”. It is an online broadcast in which a person eats tons of food while talking with the people watching him or her. It began in South Korea around 2014 and has spread all over the world.

Why did mukbang first appear in South Korea? Jeff Yang, an Asian-American cultural critic (批评家), thinks that it is down to “the loneliness of unmarried or uncoupled South Koreans”. He believes that eating on your own can be hard in a country like South Korea where social eating is a tradition with such a long history. However, eating alone is becoming increasingly common. It seems that mukbang gives people the feeling that they are part of something larger.

Alice Stride, a spokeswoman for the Campaign to End Loneliness, says, “It might bring someone great comfort to watch mukbang.” She is worried if younger people prefer to watch people eating rather than eat with friends or family. But for older people, it could be a comfort. “If you can’t go out, if you’re ill, for example, then perhaps that will bring you a great sense of comfort. On the whole, though, we would like more people to have face-to-face communication. It’s something that won’t change.”

“I would always encourage people to do whatever makes them feel better as long as it is a healthy habit,” says Ben Edwards, a relationship expert, “I don’t think mukbang is a healthy way to have a meal. But if people feel like watching others eat, and it gives them some kind of satisfaction, I see no harm.”

The word “cartoon” came form Italy. It first referred to the picture before an actual drawing on the wall.

________ Since the 1840s, it has also come to mean any drawing that is humorous, satirical or showing an opinion. It usually appears in a newspaper or a magazine, with or without a short text.

________ People of all ages, especially children enjoy all kinds of cartoons in newspapers and magazines, on TV and at the movies. Cartoons not only show their life, but help form it. ________ They have supplied ideas to plays, movies and television series and so on. Names or words form cartoon series have also come into modern languages.

Many cartoonists draw with special pens. ________ Surely, computers are especially effective for the making of animated cartoons. This helps us to enjoy more lively cartoons.

6 . Where do the used masks go? Were now used to wearing masks (口罩) in public during the novel coronavirus outbreak. It’s said that about 300 million masks are used and then thrown away every day in China. You might think that they just go in a garbage bin. But that’s just the first stop on the masks journey.

After the masks are thrown in bins, garbage trucks empty the bins and take the trash to landfills (垃圾场). Next, the masks will be dumped into garbage incinerators (焚化炉). Burning masks might not seem to be very good for the environment. Will it cause pollution?

The answer is “no”, according to People’s Daily. That’s because most masks are made of non-woven fabrics (无纺布), an environmentally-friendly material, It’s non-toxic (无毒的) and can break down easily. After burning, it turns into water and carbon dioxide (二氧化碳), As long as landfills are properly disinfected (消毒良好的) and deal with their emissions (排放) correctly, burning the masks won’t cause pollution.

In fact, burning the masks can bring some benefits (好处). The steps of burning garbage can become electricity. Burning one ton of garbage can offer more than 400 kilowatt hours (度) of electricity. Some people predict that there will be 162,000 tons of used masks in China this year. Burning all of them can create 64 million kilowatt hours of electricity. This is enough to allow an electric car to drive 370 million km. In addition, the slag (残渣) from burning masks can be recycled to make bricks (砖块).

8 . Air plants can grow without soil. They can get all the water and nutrients (营养)through their leaves. They use their roots only for fixing themselves to rocks, trees or the ground. Air plants originally come from the southern United States, Mexico, Central America and South America. They love warm weather. There are more than 650 types of air plants.

People can grow air plants easily. If you have little time to care for your house plants, they are perfect for you. They are also good choices for you if you consider soil too dirty. However, although air plants are easy to care for, there are still a few rules to follow when you are growing them. One of the most important things is air! Fresh and clean air keeps your air plant healthy and happy. While they are called air plants, they still need water, fertilizer (肥料)and light. Air plants need to be watered two or three times a week. They need fertilizer weekly. Sufficient sunlight is important, too. Although they love warm weather, most air plants need protection from strong sunlight. If they are taken good care of, air plants will live for many years.

Many people make air plants part of their home decorations(装饰). The plants can grow almost everywhere except in soil or in water. You can pin(钉住)them on your curtains, make a wreath, stick them on your mirror or put them in a pot. Many people place air plants in glass vases and hang them up in their rooms. Each air plant will flower once in its lifetime. Flowers can last from several days to many months.

9 . Since the beginning of 2020, COVID-19 (新型冠状病毒) has spread across the world, just at the moment, many people around the world are suffering from the horrible disease.

So, what is such a terrible COVID-19? Let’s get to know some information about it. First, COVID-19 is a common cause of colds and other respiratory (呼吸的) infections (感染). It can infect humans and certain other mammals like tigers. In fact, COVID-19 gets its name because the virus is like the sharp spikes (尖) on the crown. It first exists (存在) in some wild animals. It can spread from one animal to another. For this time, the coronavirus (冠状病毒) in animals may change suddenly and it can easily spread to people. It has never been met before and we have no experience, so it is quite hard for doctors to cure it.

The symptoms (症状) of COVID-19 are similar to those when people get a flu. The patients have a fever, cough and bad headache. They feel tired and can’t breathe. Some also have muscle pain. So if you have such symptoms, you must pay more attention to yourself and see a doctor soon.

COVID-19 mainly passes by droplets (飞沫). So scientists suggest wearing masks, washing hands with soap and avoiding (避免) touching the eyes, nose, or mouth with hands. When coughing and sneezing, we should cover our nose and mouth with tissue. Also, we should stay away from people with flu — like symptoms. Everyone, please stay away from any public place which might risk infecting you.

10 . Life has changed quickly since COVID-19 broke out worldwide. Many people find themselves isolated（隔绝的）at home, bored and lonely. But if we look at history, we see many great people produced their best work when they were alone.

Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, and James Clerk Maxwell, three of the greatest physicists in history, worked by themselves most of the time. They learned from others not by working with them directly, but by reading their papers and books. Here is another example. In 1606, when an epidemic（流行病）hit London, all the theaters in the city were closed. At that time, English play writer William Shakespeare worked as an actor at The King Men Theater. After finding himself without a steady（固定）job, but lots of spare time. Shakespeare began writing. He wrote King Lear, Macbeth, and Antony and Cleopatra before the year was over.

Coming back to the present, do you know “the Reader in Fang Cang”? The picture of him reading in bed in the newly-built makeshift（临时）hospital in Wuhan really touched people. “When you feel worried and sad, reading is a way to help you feel relaxed and comfortable. This picture of him reading in bed gives me courage and hope.” said one Weibo user.

2020 is a special year. People all over the world have to fight against COVID-19. This special period helps us think more deeply about ourselves and our environment, which leads to even greater creativity.