1 . Silk Road countries celebrated at a forum

I was honored to be invited to the International Forum on the Silk Roads at the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Headquarters in April.

Before ________ this event, I didn’t know much about what UNESCO was, except that they had ________ the World Heritage (遗产) List. However, as I did more ________, I realized that there was so much more about UNESCO than just listing valuable heritage sites around the world.

UNESCO was ________ in 1942 in the midst of World WarⅡ. Many European ________ that had been fighting against Nazi Germany came together to ________ ways of rebuilding the ________ system after the war was over. Since then, the organization has expanded (扩大) beyond Europe to include all ________ of the United Nations while keeping to their ________ goal of achieving ________ through the intellectual and moral education of humanity.

I had high expectations for this event, which ________ to be an evening of music, dance and a display of arts by three countries along the Silk Road. The performances were indeed excellent. The three musical performances by the Kazakh band, filled with wonderful music and low drum beats, had everyone on the edge of their ________. I also enjoyed the hanfu fashion show which was the final performance for the evening. The history of hanfu was ________ by models wearing clothes from different Chinese dynasties. They walked onto the stage while the host explained the details of each hanfu style. I found the event to be not only ________ entertaining, but also a great opportunity to explore the ________ of different countries along the Silk Road. UNESCO’s events offer chances to celebrate and appreciate their unique beauty.

2 . UNICEF, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, is a special _______ of the United Nations (UN) devoted to aiding national efforts to improve the health, nutrition, education, and general welfare of children.

UNICEF was created in 1946 to provide relief to children in countries harmed by World War II. After 1950, it directed its efforts toward general programmes for the improvement of children’s welfare, _______ in less-developed countries and in various emergency situations. The organization’s broader mission was _______ in the name it adopted in 1953, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. UNICEF was awarded the Nobel Prize for _______ in 1965. It is headquartered in New York City.

UNICEF has concentrated much of its effort in areas where even a(n) _______ amount of money can have a great impact on the lives of the most disadvantaged children, such as the prevention and treatment of disease. _______ this strategy, UNICEF supports immunization (免疫) programmes for childhood diseases and programmes to prevent the _______ of HIV/AIDS. _______ , it provides funding for health services, educational facilities, and other welfare services. Since 1996 UNICEF programmes have been guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child(1989), which affirms the _______ of all children to “the enjoyment of the highest standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and recovery of health.”

For example, UNICEF promotes girls’ education — ensuring that they complete primary education as a ________ — because it benefits all children, both girls and boys. Girls who are educated grow up to become better thinkers, better citizens, and better parents to their own children. It also believes that no child should suffer or die from a ________ illness. “We work to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among young people ________ it is right to keep them from harm and enable them to protect others. We help children and families affected by HIV/AIDS to live their lives with dignity,” said a staff member in UNICEF.

UNICEF was created with a distinct ________ in mind: to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. Its activities are financed by both government and ________ contributions. It advocates for measures to give children the best ________ in life, because proper care at the youngest age forms the strongest foundation for a person’s future.

3 . New Tech Network, a new education organization, strives to ensure all students have the skills, knowledge, and attributes they need to thrive in post-secondary education, career and civic life.

New Tech Network cooperates with district leaders, administrators, and teachers who share a common purpose: to provide an education in which students acquire knowledge and develop skills vital to________in the post—secondary path of their choosing. The New Tech design is simply a blueprint,________a set of core beliefs, tools, and strategies to help each school fulfil its purpose. New Tech design principles provide for an________approach centred on project-based learning, a culture that empowers students and teachers, and the use of technology in the classroom. Through extensive professional development, personalized coaching, and access to Echo, a learning________system, New Tech Network enables principals, teachers, and students to develop relevant and meaningful learning communities.

TEACHING THAT ENGAGES

AK-12 pathway

Through project—based learning, internships(见习期), dual enrolment, and other experiences in New Tech schools, students are well________post—secondary pursuits.________, New Tech Network has worked with public school districts to redesign high schools. More recently, however, New Tech Network is partnering with several school districts to________New Tech middle schools and elementary schools. In some districts, this provides students with a K-12 pathway. In elementary and middle schools, the design principles are the same—teaching that engages, culture that empowers, and technology that enables. As the elementary and middle schools mature, New Tech Network will measure success on student________.

Learning________

The years spent in a New Tech school allow students to gain the academic and deeper learning skills necessary for success in any post-secondary option. New Tech students learn disciplinary knowledge and skills to conduct enquiry and solve real-world problems. Throughout a project, they cooperate with peers, facilitators, and experts in the field. Students________their learning through effective oral and written communication for authentic audiences.

Ownership of their learning experience and engagement in relevant and challenging tasks helps students develop a sense of agency, a skill essential to success in________, career, and civic duty.

Project-based learning

Project-based learning is at the heart of New Tech Network’s instructional approach. Students cooperate on projects, ranging in________from two to eight weeks, which require critical thinking and communication. Projects often occur in integrated subject area courses, where Entry Events, the Need-to-Know(NTK)process, and skill-building workshops support student-centred learning. During projects, students often engage with subject matter experts who provide feedback on real-world products. Through project—based learning, students not only master________content, but also successfully apply content when solving authentic problems.

________-based internships

New Tech students also engage in experiences designed to prepare them for success in the contemporary workplace. By cooperating with others on projects, students acquire a level of responsibility similar to a________work environment. Students engage with field experts and community stakeholders(利益相关者)during projects, and final products are presented to authentic audiences. Additionally, two-thirds of New Tech high schools offer such practical activities, with nearly half of all seniors participating.

6 . Anyone who has ever travelled on airplanes knows how annoying delays (延误) are. Not only do they _________ us from getting where we need to be _________, they are also really boring. That’s why some Southwest Airlines employees tried to _________ their passengers when they were hit with a two-hour delay by holding a(n) _________ driver’s license photo contest (比赛)!

Kristen, a passenger, was _________ at first when her flight was delayed for several hours. However, her anger _________ when the gate agent announced the start of a(n) _________ game called “Win a prize for the worst driver’s license picture”.

“My flight to Washington, D.C. had been delayed for almost two and a half hours and I was getting heated until this gate agent _________ playing games with everyone waiting to pass the time, after which I started thinking I’ll be willing to _________ here all night if you keep this up,” Kristen wrote in her post, adding the game was ____________.

Kristen, who was ____________ to Washington, D.C. from Orlando to visit friends, praised Southwest Airlines in her post, and someone from the company quickly ____________.

“I’m glad our agent was able to make the delay a little more ____________ for you all, Kristen! We ____________ to have you on your way as soon as possible,” the spokesperson said, adding when Kristen asked the company to ____________ the prize to the Orlando-based team, “send over your confirmation, and I’ll be sure they get the recognition they deserve!”

When Kristen later described her ____________ to reporters, she said ____________ for the worst photos included Southwest products and $25 vouchers (代金券) toward future flights.

“I was really annoyed that the flight kept getting delayed,” Kristen said. “Once he started playing games, I was ____________ and having a great time and didn’t even ____________ that the flight was delayed.”

No wonder so many people ____________ Southwest!

8 . Gone are the days when big businesses were looked upon by environmentalists as enemies in the fight against global warming.

Just two weeks after U. S. President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the Paris Climate Agreement, more than 900 American firms put their _______to a “We Are Still In” open letter to the United Nations. Together, they promise to help reduce America’s carbon emissions by 26 percent by 2025, _______the Paris Climate Agreement.

_______, big businesses have been taking climate change seriously for years now. Alongside energy-efficiency measures, the strongest evidence of their _______has been the number of new wind and solar projects that they have been helping to build around the world. IT firms such as Amazon and Google have been using clean energy to power their servers (服务器). Some environmentalists now believe that big businesses could become strong _______behind the worldwide spread of renewable energy. “There used to be little action,” says Marty Spitzer of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), “Now, I see fundamental _______being made.”

More recently, this enthusiasm for environmental protection has _______from corporate headquarters to branches and suppliers, and from developed countries to emerging markets. Take Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, for example. In March 2016, it said that it would require its own operations and those along its _______chain to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by one billion tons by 2030. This is _______to taking 211 million passenger cars off America’s roads for a year. The announcement was ________by the WWF and other conservation organizations, which are helping Walmart’s suppliers work towards this goal. Apple, maker of the iPhone, has said that seven of its biggest global manufacturers have promised to power their Apple-related ________with renewable energy by the end of this year.

According to the WWF, in the United States alone, nearly two dozen of the biggest firms have committed themselves to becoming 100 percent renewable in the near future. Hervé Touati of the Rocky Mountain Institute, a clean-energy research firm, explains the ________behind this trend. Going green improves the companies’ public image and helps attract customers, staff and investors.

Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s biggest brewer (啤酒公司), has lots of young people among its many ________. Many of them take environmental issues seriously. Electricity, used ________in the brewing process, amounts to a tenth of its total costs. Last year, the company set out to increase the role of renewables in generating ________to 100 percent by 2025. “My generation often takes energy and clean air for granted,” said Tony Milikin, the firm’s chief sustainability officer. “The generation coming up now looks at it totally differently.”