1 . My 14-year-old son, Gus, is severely allergic to peanuts and other nuts, so for years we’ve been washing hands like surgeons, and we wipe down surfaces every time we eat out. We know the closest emergency room and exactly what to do during a reaction. Our preparedness to guard against a worst-case situation felt like a win when the pandemic hit. Our everyday caution, which can be exhausting and make us feel awkward at social events, is now a great advantage.

As it turns out, COVID-19 life has had multiple advantages for food-allergy families like mine. Stuck at home with just the food we cook ourselves, we’ve been safe from all the land mines, like big holiday parties with boxes of walnut cookies, or Halloween, with kids eating Snickers while sticking their hands into shared bowls. Not to mention restaurant meals that have unexpected ingredients.

So the pandemic gave me a gift I didn’t even know I needed: I felt seen. The whole world was in prevention mode, weighing what might have touched their groceries or takeout food. We all wash our hands now whether our kids have food allergies or not. We all might call ahead to double-check a restaurant’s precautions and whether the chef wears gloves. I didn’t feel strange anymore.

Of course, the limitations on regular life will ease up soon, and families like mine will need to be on guard again. When I think about the new normal, I’m fine with that post-COVID-19 life. I hope we can keep this appreciation that not everyone’s immune system functions in the same way and some people do need to be more cautious. This makes me think of the classic home-design advice: “You need to take everything out of a room to know what you want to put back.” We’ve taken everything out of the room, and I hope we put back empathy, understanding and tolerance.

3 . Yesterday, after a day of Zoom (视频会议软件) meetings in my living room, I stepped out for a walk leaving my teen son bored on the couch. Bleecker Street, usually packed with people, was sprinkled with only the occasional pedestrians. Bars and restaurants lining the street were dark. Stores with bright neon lights, doors open, beckoned for the rare passers-by to enter. After just a week of the Covid-19 pandemic, an afternoon walk in Greenwich Village neighborhood felt surreal.

But then I noticed a row of daffodils(水仙)reaching for the sun in the small triangle-shaped park by Minetta Lane. On the windows of a locked restaurant, in bright yellow paint, were the words “We love you, West Village. Take care of each other. ” My phone buzzed—a colleague sent a picture of her newborn baby just home from the hospital. I arrived home to find my son animated on the couch playing a video game virtually with his friends. Life, love, play, and human connection persist, even though our world has been tuned upside down.

In my welcome note to the new students in the Fall, I wrote that this year is about our college’s core values of inclusion, innovation, and impact and emphasized the power of interconnection. Today, these core values persist, with interconnection taking on even greater significance. Our collaborative spirit has always given us an advantage—academically, creatively, culturally, and now, remotely.

A wise person once told me that getting through a crisis is like being given a new hand of cards in the middle of a game. We are halfway through the semester, with new hands to play, but the game hasn’t changed. We will find new ways to continue to work, teach, create and learn. Let’s also continue the informal interactions that make us a community—the study groups, coffee dates, drop-ins just to say hello. In doing so, we will remain connected.

We will come together, from spaces around the world, to meet this new reality. This is who we are. Nothing—not space, nor time—can keep us from moving forward, together.

Every year I travel a lot to appreciate tourist     1    （attract）. As the saying goes, “Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles.” Large quantities of practice     2    （be）the same important as reading large volumes of books. Since 2015, I have visited more than twenty cities at home and abroad, during     3     time I enjoyed wonderful views of mountains and rivers and saw the powerful strength of our motherland as     4    （good）as the great changes of the world.

However, COVID-19     5    （sweep）the globe during the past two years.     6     great many, people were infected with the disease. But a great part of them have been cured on account     7     the wise policies of our government. Despite     8    （affect）, we firmly believe that our government will pay what it takes     9    （save）her people. At the same time, there are countless organizations and individuals voluntarily     10    （struggle）against the disease. Victory belongs to us, our country and the whole world.

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

Major school districts around the United States     1     (permit) students to attend class without face coverings to date. New York City ended the     2     (require) rules on March 7.

As we all know, the rules relating to face coverings or masks have caused fights among     3     (educate), school boards and parents throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Some families are happy that their children no longer have to wear masks, which can make children focus     4     study better, while others hold the different ideas about the quitting of the restriction.

Falling COVID-19 infection rates and new federal health recommendations are the driving force for     5     drop of the rules. Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued new guidelines     6     (say) most healthy Americans, including students can     7     (safe) stop wearing masks. However, there are still many concerns about low vaccination rates among American children     8     officials in many large cities have said they will keep mask rules for the time being.

Undoubtedly, wearing masks can cause trouble for students to understand     9     teachers are instructing in the classroom. But it remains     10     (see) what will happen in the following months, so we are supposed to be cautious about the ongoing changes.

8 . The world has spent a long time living with the pandemic. But many people have become lazy about protecting their safety. Are you spending time indoors and unmasked with trusted friends? Or eating in restaurants or making more trips to the grocery store? New types of COVID-19 mean you should try to cut back on exposure. And where you can, double down on basic safety.     1    .     .

Wear masks

The N95 mask is the gold standard. It may cost too much or be hard to find. A cloth mask does a good job of filtering particles that cause infection.     2     — two cloth layers with a filter in the middle. Double masking is the best answer when you find yourself around strangers. The KF94 mask is a good bet.

    3    

If you go to the store two or three times a week, cut back to once a week. If you have been spending 30 to 45 minutes in the grocery store, cut down your time in the store.     4    . If you are waiting in line, be mindful of staying at least six feet apart from the people ahead and behind you. Try using delivery services or curbside pickup.

Spend less time indoors with people who are not from your household. If you must spend time with others, wear your best mask. Be sure any space is well ventilated (通风)(open windows and doors). Keep the visit as short as possible.     5    

The coronavirus vaccine may or may not be the solution. As of now, you are the best answer. Take care. Do not let your guard down!