A Chinese factory, called “mother-friendly factory”, has arranged flexible working for the women who work there. This measure allows them     1     (balance) their careers with caring for their children.

Mothers often have to make a tough     2     (decide) in rural areas—whether to stay home to raise their children or work elsewhere to contribute financially.

Gong Qin, a worker at the factory, now and then glances over at her 4-year-old daughter with a smile. It brings her comfort to see her child playing with friends nearby while she focuses     3     her task. “My little girl is considerate and never     4     (bother) me during work,” Gong said with pride.

Gong began working at the factory eight years ago, and when she     5    (face) with the challenge of her husband working away from home, she suggested     6     (bring) her children to work. To her delight, the factory welcomed her suggestion. Since then, Gong’s son has stayed with her in the workshop after school, where he and other children engage in playful learning     7     complete their homework.

Zhang Tiantian, a manager, says the factory employs over 120 women, 80 percent of     8     are mothers with young children. Around 50 mothers work together with their children year-round.

To further support children's development, the mother-friendly factory has established     9     parent-child canteen with nutritious meals, repaired 16     10     (apartment) for mothers and children, and organized volunteer-led after-school care.

In March 2017, Enea Dumitru-Sorin came to Beijing International Studies University (BISU)    1     (teach) Romanian on a 7-year Eastern European languages teaching program. He was     2     (immediate) impressed when he arrived in Beijing.

“Everything looks so big, and I was afraid I would get lost. When     3     (arrive), I only knew how to say hi, how to pronounce my name and how to say where I come from in Chinese. Luckily, I discovered the Chinese people are very friendly and many of them can speak English. I found out that the phone apps can help figure out the solutions     4     some problems,” said Sorin.

He     5     (fascinate) by China’s picturesque scenery when he went traveling in July 2023. “Xizang is beautiful and is different from what I thought. I had the impression that it would be covered in snow     6     would be very cold because of the high altitude. I didn’t expect that Xizang would be so dry and have so much desert. So far the efforts people     7     (make) to have forests there are amazing. I think that in the future, most parts of Xizang will be greener and the life of the people will be     8     (easy),” said Sorin.

“I like my job, and I like to work with Chinese students,    9     are smart and hardworking. I have very good relations with my colleagues, and I feel we are like     10     big family,” he added.

My favourite sport

I like table-tennis, chess and football. Football is    1    (I) favourite sport. I’m good at    2    (play)football. I think it is easy    3    me. I have my favourite football    4    (play). He is Shevchenko. He is    5     AC Milan Club. I want    6    (be) a famous football player     7     Shevchenko. I often play football    8    my father at weekends.    9     Sunday I like     10    (watch) football matches.

Xiaoxue (Noel) is an exchange student, now studying international relations at Beijing Foreign Studies University. Since Xiaoxue showed great interest in Chinese martial arts (武术), she decided to try Chinese wrestling (摔跤) after     1     classmate introduced her to it.

She had never learned Chinese martial arts before she came to China,     2     she had learned a little bit of Taekwondo   (跆拳道) in her country. At first, she     3     (think) it would be similar because they’re both martial arts. But then she found that Taekwondo and Chinese martial arts have     4     (they) own uniqueness. And she also found that Taekwondo usually uses the feet     5     (fight), but in Chinese martial arts, they use force from the hands to attack.

According to her, she feels very happy and very     6     (relax) after she learned to wrestle. She’s also happy that she can learn new skills every day. She says friendliness is the     7     (big) feeling she has had about China and Chinese people since she came to China.

When she was not familiar     8     China, many of her Chinese friends helped her to get used to the life here. She also took part in many exchange     9     (activity) to feel the culture and traditions of China. Now she tries to share the culture of her country with everyone. She     10     (believe) it is a good chance to improve understanding between the two countries.

You don’t need to wait until you’re an adult to take part in community service.

You can develop good habits now. Community service is a great way to make     1     difference in your neighborhood. You also can enjoy     2     (spend) time with friends and meeting new people. Here are some ideas for you to start     3       (quick) .

Do you play an instrument or love to draw? Offer to give free concerts at a senior center or spread your love of art by giving     4     (lesson) to younger children. You can never imagine     5     happy you will be after that.

Do you live near a public park? You can volunteer     6     (plant) or clean up the park. You’ll bring pleasure     7     everyone who uses the park.

Do you know any sick or disabled people in your neighborhood? Offer to do yard work for     8     (they) . Sweep the floor and     9     (do) the dishes. Or just stop by for a friendly visit with some food.

Does your school encourage a buddy (伙伴) system? You can set up buddy systems which connect older children with     10     (young) ones. Buddies often spend time together reading books. Helping a young person grow into a smart reader is a gift that keeps on giving.

My name is Randall Davis. Years ago, I wanted     1    (make) something of myself working as an editor. However, I realized later that the most important things in life lived within the walls of my own home. So today my     2    (great) interest is my family.

I enjoy     3    (spend) time with my family. I have four children, and we go hiking and camping together. On our hikes, we often talk about life or tell     4    (story). We always have fun taking pictures. I can also focus     5    my kids without the distractions (分心) of video games or the Internet. Telling stories sounds easy,     6    when you have to think of a new story on a hot, 12-kilometre hike through the desert, you have come up with ideas off the top of your head.

Now, this doesn’t mean we don’t have problems; all families face challenges in     7    (they) lives, and our family     8    (be) no exception. However, we try to talk     9    (open)about our problems, and we try to solve our problems together. Building     10    strong family takes time, but it is worth the effort.

Jim was a boy. He was afraid of talking to    1    (strange). As a result, he didn’t have any friends after he entered high school.

One day, when Jim    2    (walk) on his way back home from school, it suddenly began to rain    3    (heavy). He saw a boy walking in front of him. The road was so wet that     4    boy slipped(滑倒) and fell on the ground. Jim quickly ran to the boy and helped    5     (he) get up.

The boy was wet all over. Jim    6    (think) the boy must feel cold, so he asked the boy where he lived. When Jim    7    (tell) about the address, he found it was a bit far from there. Jim lived nearby,    8    he invited the boy to his home. After they arrived, Jim gave him some clean clothes and asked him to get changed.

The boy was so grateful    9    Jim that he thanked Jim again and again. The following day, the boy saw Jim at school. He thanked Jim again for    10    (help) him out. From then on, they often spent time together and became best friends.