4 . When I was a little girl, every time when my dad was repairing something, he would ask me to hold the hammer. Then we could have a time for a _________ with each other.

I grew up and left home for the college, and since then, he had been _________ me every Sunday morning. Later, when I bought a house, my dad was _________ it by himself for three days in the 30℃ summer _________. All he asked for was to hold his paint brush and _________ to him.

Several years ago, he was _________ me. He spent hours _________ a swing set for my daughter. He asked me to bring him a cup of tea and have a talk with him, but I had to _________ for a trip, so I did not have time for any long conversations.

One Sunday morning, we had a telephone talk _________ , and I noticed that my dad kept forgetting some things we discussed __________. Few hours later came a call. He was in hospital with an aneurysm(动脉瘤). Immediately I bought a ticket for the __________ and by the time I got to the hospital, my dad had passed away. Now it was he who did not have __________ for a talk with me.

After his __________ , I learned more about him, and I realized how little I knew about his deepest __________ and dreams. All he ever asked me was my time, but now he has all my __________ every single day.

5 . Before the year has even come to a close, climate experts are certain that 2023 will be the hottest year in recorded history.

On Dec. 6, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) — part of the European Union's space program — revealed that this year's average global temperatures have been 2.6℉ (1.46°C ) higher than temperatures in preindustrial times and 0.2°F (0.13°C) higher than January to November in 2016. These “extraordinary” temperatures mean that 2023will be “the warmest year in recorded history,” C3S deputy director Samantha Burgess said in a statement.

The researchers note that this year's record heat was partly caused by the latest El Nino event — a phenomenon where warmer water near the equator triggers warmer global air temperatures — that began in June. Some other experts have suggested that the January2022 eruption of Tonga's underwater volcano, which pumped record levels of water vapor into the atmosphere, may also be partly responsible.

Despite these factors, the major cause of climbing temperatures is global warming caused by runaway greenhouse gas emissions, which, noted in a C3S statement, have trapped more than 25 billion atomic bombs' worth of energy in our atmosphere over the last 50 years. And still worse, the global carbon emissions have reached a new high this year, according to scientists at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) On Dec 4.

The effects of global warming are becoming more obvious. In 2023, research revealed that climate change is causing major US cities to sink and more than half of the world's largest lakes and reservoirs to shrink. Studies also predicted that the Gulf Stream, which plays a vital role in ocean circulation, could collapse by as early as 2025, and that rising sea levels could swamp the U S coastline by 2050.

However, scientists say that we still have time to prevent further disaster. Leading climate change expert Michael Mann, from the University of Pennsylvania, recently wrote that “we can still stop the worst effects of climate change” if we stop emitting greenhouse gases as soon as possible.

6 . Gather together a couple of good friends and take a leisurely stroll through the streets — this is what many youngsters in China enjoy doing when they visit a new city.

To them, Citywalk means “roaming around the city” on foot. Participants can follow a distinctive urban route, soaking up the atmosphere, exploring old buildings, browsing boutique shops, sipping a cup of coffee, or indulging in authentic local snacks.

Citywalk can be a special guided trip for a small group of people, or simply a leisurely stroll for one or two to explore new areas, sticking to the key point: avoiding famous scenic spots and big crowds to gain a more inclusive experience of the places you visit. Besides interacting with a city, Citywalk provides young people with a new social scene, where they who share the same interests and ideas can easily make friends.

In China, the Citywalk trend is spreading from first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai to second and third-tier cities, encouraging more participants and event organizers to get involved. Some organizers invite folk culture researchers and enthusiasts to act as tour guides. Xiao Yiyi, a young entrepreneur in Changsha, recently launched six Citywalk routes in different cities on her social media account, with the aim of providing experiences for visitors to “walk in open-air museums”. Her Changsha route features more offbeat sights like historical architecture from the 19th century, artsy old alleys, and even a stop-off to sample the local spicy crayfish specialty.

Even though Citywalk is a relatively new phenomenon, it is offering a positive change to urban travelers as they can better choose the experiences based on their interests and needs. At the same time, Citywalk represents an opportunity for tour guides and travel service providers to offer a more tailored, professional service to meet with ever-changing market demands.

7 . My three grandchildren grew up, listening to someone read and learning to read. They discovered Jeanne Birdsall, Ben Hatke, Sara Penny packer and Rick Riordan. I read and loved — many of the books. Often, I was reminded of my running story.

I started running when my older daughter was in primary school. During those early days, she made her disrespect for running clear. Later she did run. She ran throughout high school and had been running ever since. We often ran together. At first, I slowed down for her. But very soon, her pace improved, and she was slowing down for me.

Now I compared this with my reading grandchildren. At first, adults-parents,grandparents and teachers-led the way. Then the kids learned to read, and soon they were mere specks in the distance, gulping down books we’d never heard of, referring to series we’d never come across.

Early on, I began preparing myself for the inevitable. The era of cozy reading sessions would end.Indeed, it ended,in the case of my granddaughter. She and her mother still read together, but mostly she read on her own. My grandsons also read like they breathed-in the car, at the table, while walking from the parking lot to the ball field and back again, eyes on their books.

I trailed behind them this summer as they collected a heaping pile of books from the library. They sustained them through ten days in the Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. The night before our flight home, each of them were read, some more than once.

Recently, I picked up a book once owned by a child who was now these boys’ uncle. I began reading aloud during a moment of wild enjoyment, and within minutes both boys were beside me on the couch, listening to narrator Ludlow Fitch describe a terrifying attack and his escape to the tiny village of Pagus Parvus.

8 . Walk and dance on the ceilings, sit in a bathroom with an upside-down toilet, grab a chair in the home office, and traverse the entry way, sitting-room, bedroom, kitchen and more. Come on down, upside-down, to House Down Under, Australia’s first inverted house photo experience!

This hugely successful, unique and exciting attraction is back just in time for the school holidays at Rouse Hill Town Centre in Western Sydney. It is a must-see, family-friendly, fun experience with a range of installations and activities inside a completely inverted house.

Visitors can spend as much time as they like inside the house, so they can take their time perfecting poses and taking as many photos as they like. House Down Under staff are always on hand in the house,offering advice, tips on best photo ops and to snap pictures of the whole group.

House Down Under is open from 1 April and opening hours can be found at the end of this article or on the official website. The building is located between the Metro and the Town Centre at Market Square, Rouse Hill Town Centre and you won't be able to miss it.

Rouse Hill Town Centre is also a great place for families with a variety of entertainment and food options, so make it a day out and enjoy everything on offer.

Entry tickets to House Down Under are $27 for an adult; $19 for a child;$23 for a concession (优惠), with family passes ranging from $52-$74 for a family of four. For further information on House Down Under, visit the website, www. house downunder.com.au.OPEN DAILY-Weekdays 9 am to 6 pm; Weekends 10 am to 6 pm.

9 . On July 30, 2013, Ralph Harms, 78, was out on the golf course with his son Joe and friend Doug Green. At the fourth hole, Ralph was _________. He shouted, “Yeah, baby!” after nailing a long putt (推杆).

However, three days later Ralph_________ in the hospital. He had gone into cardiac arrest (心脏停搏) and did not_________anything until then. He compared the event to suddenly_________a light switch. He did not_________ anything suggesting something was wrong. Ralph’s son, Joe, had_________ CPR from his father about four years earlier. At the time, the two men were watching football and_________an ad about getting CPR certified (认证). Ralph was already CPR certified. Ralph remembered _________Joe how to perform CPR during a break in the game.

According to Ralph, it was _________ that Joe remembered how to do CPR, otherwise he would __________ have been able to tell his story of __________ .

As Doug dialed 9-1-1 on his mobile phone, Joe performed CPR on his dad. Ralph’s heart__________three times while emergency personnel were on the way. Joe continued CPR while he waited for__________.

For the first three days of his recovery, Ralph did not wake up. The knowledge and use of CPR were both __________ to Ralph’s survival. CPR saves lives and does not take a lot of time to learn. Moreover, you can learn this must-have __________ easily anytime. With the knowledge you receive, you might very well end up saving the life of someone you love.

10 . What’s the size of a soccer ball but can jump from the Statue of Liberty’s feet to her eye level?

A new record-setting robot.

A mechanical engineer at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Elliot Hawkes has been working on this robot for seven years. “It started out as a stick with weights and rubber bands (橡皮筋),” he recalls. After years of work, the robot has reached heights of 30 meters, higher than any other jumping robot or living animal. This robot’s legs are made of carbon fiber, a super-strong material. Rubber bands add extra spring but also help hold the legs together.

These researchers studied how animals jump. They looked into leaping (跳跃的) frogs, spiders, kangaroos, dogs and more. But Hawkes’ group didn’t want to copy any of these animals. Instead, the team learned what features set the limits for animal jumpers.

“It’s very exciting,” says Cynthia Sung, a roboticist at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, who was not involved in the new study. She was impressed with how high the robot leapt. And getting as high as possible was the main goal here. However, for the robot to be of great use, it will need some improvements. “They don’t have any steering (转向装置) at all,” notes Sung. That means this robot can’t control its jump height or direction. Sung’s team has made their own jumping robot, named REBOund. That robot can’t jump very high. But it can be programmed to jump to any of several different heights.

Hawkes’ team is working to add steering to their robot. These researchers hope to send their robot to the moon, so they also want to find a way for it to make collections there. A jumper can go to places a robot with wheels can’t. “This type of robot could leap into the bottom of a crater (火山口), take samples and return to a wheeled rover (探测器),” points out Hawkes. His team is already working with NASA. They hope to turn their robot into a space explorer.