1 . Resting her phone on a stand and making the light more suitable, 49-year-old Lyu Min started her livestreaming session — her daily job during the COVID-19 outbreak. Dressed in a qipao, a traditional Chinese dress, Lyu started the livestreaming session from her workshop at 10 in the morning, sharing the art of making Chinese knots with many handicraft (手工艺) lovers. Lyu, an inheritor (继承人) of the art of making Chinese knots, which is listed as an intangible (非物质) cultural heritage, became a livestreaming host.

“Though the sales of Chinese knots have dropped a lot, I’m still confident that I can get out of the trouble brought by the outbreak. I can make full use of this period to improve my skills and develop this traditional handicraft online,” she said. Lyu is quite new to the world of livestreaming, having bought all the necessary equipment (设备) after following her friends advice. She practises livestreaming every day and records a large number of educational videos. As face-to-face interaction is still impractical for many, even as the outbreak has been largely brought under control in China, she thinks livestreaming classes can meet more Chinese knot lovers’ needs to learn the handicraft.

She has integrated the anti-epidemic spirit into her works, expressing the determination (决心) and confidence of the Chinese people to win against the COVID-19. “I love Wuhan, where I showed my works in 2019. Chinese knots are popular among many local people, and I made lots of friends there,” Lyu said. She designed a special Chinese knot to express her thanks to the medics who were sent to support Wuhan several months ago.

She has more than 200 followers right now. There are more and more Chinese knot lovers on her online platform. She is using a length of colored string and determination to keep this traditional art of Chinese knots alive online and help more people understand the culture.

3 . Looking at art should be like walking in the countryside. You may not know exactly where you are, what bird is making that strange sound, or what the hill ahead of you is called, but that’s part of the fun of it. You don’t need to know these things to feel the beauty of nature.

Of course, if you do know your birds, trees and local history, a walk can be more attractive. Yet such knowledge comes slowly. It is picked up through experience. A true knowledge of nature cannot just be given to you through an app on your phone. Imagine pointing your phone at the hill and getting plenty of information on screen. Would that enrich your dreamy walk or ruin (毁灭) it?

Braggarts enjoy an app that allows them to show off their knowledge, for example, about baroque (巴洛克风格的) paintings. In fact, apps in museums try to provide on-screen art history at once just to encourage people to read their phones instead of looking at paintings.

It is a mistaken idea that you need to be spoon-fed (灌输) amazing facts about a work of art in order to appreciate it. Our first experience of a work of art should be raw (自然状态的), unguided, and a bit puzzling, like following a path in the woods. Later, you might choose to do some personal research into the work. It can further increase your enjoyment and appreciation for it. Yet it is best done when you’re away from the art itself, so that even when you return, the work still feels fresh.

Anyone who thinks knowing some dates and details makes you better understand a work of art is wrong. We all need to put aside our screens and our supposed knowledge when we look at art. Let the paintings flow in;let your intuitions (直觉) fly off. Art is a journey in the wilderness or it is nothing at all.

6 . At present, there are over 36,000 McDonald’s restaurants around the world, but it started out as a small one. The McDonald brothers, Dick and Mac, opened the first McDonald’s in San Bernardino, California in 1948. The menu included hamburgers, soft drinks, pie, French fries, milk, coffee and milkshakes. Ray Kroc, a travel salesman, visited the store and became interested in it. The brothers said that they wanted to open stores in the whole country, and then Kroc became their first franchise agent (特许经销商) in 1954. Kroc opened up a restaurant for McDonald’s on April 15, 1955. That store came with a lot of difficulties in the beginning.

After dealing with the difficulties, McDonald’s started to spread to all over the United States. The McDonald brothers wanted to show their Speed Service System-what we call fast food. Customers were served at large windows in the front of the building. The houses of the first restaurants were red and white with two golden arches(拱)on the side to make the roof look less flat.

The McDonald’s menu in 1977 shows how different its food choices are from today. What’s more, today McDonald’s have digital screens to show menus again and again.

In 1969 McDonald’s changed the style of restaurants. This change is found on the first McDonald’s in Moscow, Russia in 1990. Crowds line up outside to get their first taste of a Big Mac.

With billions of people served, McDonald’s has played an attractive role shaping international culture since its first restaurant opened.

7 . One Saturday morning, an old man went into the market to buy something. He was dressed _________, his coat worn and his hat old. On his arm he carried a small _________.

“I wish to get a _________ for tomorrow’s dinner,” he said. The market man showed him a fat one. “Ah! That is _________ what I want,” said the old man. “My wife will be _________ with it.” He asked the price and paid for it. The market man packed it and put it in his basket.

Just then a young gentleman _________ the market. He also bought a turkey. When he asked the market man to send it to his _________ at once, the market man _________, “My errand (跑腿) boy is sick today, and there’s no one else. _________, it is not our __________ to deliver goods. It is not __________, so you can carry it yourself.” The young gentleman began to grow __________.

“Carry it myself! Who do you think I am?” said the young gentleman.

Hearing all that was said, the old man said, “Well, that is lucky. I __________ to be going that way. I’ll carry your turkey, if you will __________ me.” The young gentleman agreed happily.

__________ reaching the gentleman’s home, the old man politely handed him the turkey and turned to go. The young gentleman __________ the old man.

“Oh, it’s nothing, sir,” replied the old man. “It was no __________ to me, and you are welcome.” He bowed and went on. The young gentleman stared after him and __________. Then he walked hurriedly back to the market.

“Who is that __________ old gentleman?” he asked the market man. “John Marshall, Chief Justice (首席大法官) of the USA,” the market man answered. The young gentleman was surprised and __________.

In fact, Mr Marshall taught us a lesson that no man should feel himself too fine to carry his own goods.

9 . Like many six-year-olds, Sam Pointon loves trains and dreams of working with them when he grows up. However, when the position for Director of the National Railway Museum in England was offered, Sam couldn’t help applying for it. And he got the job finally!

It all began during a family vacation, when Sam’s dad noticed the job opening. He joked that it would be the perfect position for little Sam when he grew up. But Sam thought he was able to do the job. After all, he had been on several train rides, owned an electric train and had mastered the technique of controlling two trains at once.

Little Sam’s handwritten letter caught the eye of the museum staff, who were so impressed by his enthusiasm that they decided to hire (雇用) him.

While the job doesn’t pay anything, it does have its perks (补贴). But young Sam doesn’t care about it. He thinks it would be an important experience for him. Therefore, he has been doing his job quite seriously and has already suggested that the museum should set up a model train area to attract more children.

In order to encourage Sam, his family was invited for a special VIP, behind-the-scenes tour of the museum, which covers more than 400 years of railroad history and houses over 100 old trains. They were also given free tickets to see a stage adaptation (版) of the popular kids’ book The Railway Children.

Sam is so serious about his new position that the six-year-old believes he doesn’t even have to go to school anymore — which of course, is not the case. His parents just haven’t had the heart to tell him yet!