In September, UNESCO Director-General Audrey visited Zhoukoudian in Beijing. She was full of praise     1     a special structure which     2     (successful) protected Yuanrendong Cave from an unusual rainstorm in July. The karst cave     3     (reveal) the fossilized remains of 40 individuals so far.

The structure protects the site from the extreme weather, secretary-general Qin Changwei said at the 2nd World Cultural and Natural Heritage Forum. “    4     provides a reference for the protection of cultural relics, and suggests     5     (measure) for helping heritage sites respond to the influence of climate change.”

Organized by various organizations,     6     forum brought together some 50 professionals to discuss the protection and     7     (sustain) development of heritage sites.

“Climate change has been the subject of in-depth discussion by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. Questions like how to balance humans and nature, how to respond to natural disasters     8     what new challenges this brings to World Heritage Sites are worth     9     (consider),” says Qin.

“Addressing the issue requires multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary cooperation, making full use of cutting-edge technology and jointly     10     (develop) risk prevention and response plans,” he adds.

2 . He is a Chinese superstar, a piano genius who has sold millions of albums worldwide. Lang Lang has also used his fame and fortune to help state schools around the world that lack music, warning at a 2019 awards ceremony in London that such lessons had become “a real challenge” for children in the most disadvantaged communities.

Now he is bringing music to British state schools in an ambitious project that will set up modern “piano labs” in needy schools across the nation. Each lab will have 20 to 30 keyboards. The plan is inspired by his programmes in the US and China, in which he has invested tens of millions of pounds.

In the US, he has set up piano labs in 86 schools, giving 70,000 kids access to keyboards. In China, he has installed them in 104 schools, enabling 110,000 children to make music. This is primarily for pupils aged seven to 12.

The first UK school to benefit is the Winns primary school in Waltham Forest, London’s 12th poorest area. It will receive 30 keyboards within the next few weeks. Every lab is accompanied by a curriculum created by the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto and Lang Lang, with ongoing teacher-training, financial support, and headphones, allowing group piano classes.

Asked what inspired him to support UK schools, Lang told the reporter: “We were able to identify many similarities between state schools in the UK and public schools in the US in terms of the way access to music and arts can be extremely limited when budgets are cut…I was so surprised by how music classes are never guaranteed. The schools and teachers are incredible, and are so dedicated to providing their students with everything they can. But it shocked me how access to music education can be so limited.”

His charity quotes the Greek philosopher Aristotle: “Music has the power of producing a certain effect on the moral character of the soul, and if it has the power to do this, it is clear that the young must be directed to music and must be educated in it.”

Lang Lang said: “When I visit our partner schools and see the joy on the students’ faces or hear from our teachers about the progress students are making, I’m reminded of why we created this programme—to give children an opportunity to discover what they’re capable of achieving and to find their voices through music.”

3 . My favourite rock band graced the town. I headed to the concert with the desire to ______ my youth. At that time, I wasn’t exactly depressed, but in middle age, I had come to believe that all the big moments in my life were ______ me.

From the first song, I was ______ by the complexity of Jon’s new, innovative music, and I realized that Jon and his band were almost the same ______ as me. But unlike me, they were continuing to develop ______ . As the concert went on, I began thinking that I should also explore in new, untried ______ . If they could hug change, why couldn’t I?

The following day, I eagerly downloaded their new album. I found the song ‘Welcome to Wherever You Are’ ______ inspiring, since it seemed to speak directly to my situation. The words encouraged my belief in the power of untapped potential. As I listened, I resolved to ______ my own horizons and push myself towards new goals.

Within four months, I had proudly published my first short story. Another success soon ______ , and then a poem I ______ about summer giving way to fall won a national award. ______ by that success, I wrote a children’s book, found a publisher, and the book remains in ______ even now.

This ______ journey all began at that Jon’s concert, where what I thought was a destination turned out to be a(n) ______ . Taking the ______ path has led me to incredible, new places, and there is still much undiscovered territory awaiting me.

6 . Anne Frank Walking Tour—360 Amsterdam Tours

Description

As one of the most tolerant cities in Europe, Amsterdam became the “safe place” of the Jewish community during the 16th and 17th centuries. In this 2-hour tour, our expert guide from 360 Amsterdam will relate the past of a city that suffered the horrors of World War II, through the perspective of Anne Frank. Discover the story of Anne’s diary and how it was published. Find out how the Dutch treated the Jews of Amsterdam, as in the case of Anne Frank.

The tour shows the old Jewish Quarter to the Anne Frank House. Our professional guides will bring history to life and narrate how things unfolded during these times of terror.

Recommended: For people interested in European history.

What’s included?

•Local guide in English(Spanish, German, Italian, French, Portuguese and Dutch).

•A walking tour about Anne Frank and W. W. II throughout the historical sites of Amsterdam.

What’s not included?

•Entrance ticket to the Anne Frank House

•Food and Beverages

•Transportation

•Tips to the guide

•Entrance ticket to the Jewish Museum and the Portuguese Synagogue

Additional information

Please arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes before the departure of the tour and buy your tickets online in advance.

Tickets to the Anne Frank House must be purchased in advance and online as there are assigned time slots to enter the museum.

Meeting point

Tour Starts: Nieuwe Amstelstraat 1— in front of the Jewish Museum.

Look for the orange umbrellas from 360 Amsterdam Tours.

9 . Different forests in the western United States have unique combinations of trees and birds. One type has broad-leaved trees like ash and cottonwood, along with kingbirds. Anoher type has evergreen trees like pine and white spruce, along with juncos. Ecologists in the early twentieth century once claimed these ecological communities were precisely balanced systems, where every species had a specific role to play in a complex machine. They believed that removing or adding any plant, bird, or insect, could disrupt this balance and harm the habitat. One of these pioneer ecologists was Frederick Clements, who believed that in a specific climate area, ecological communities gradually moved toward the most balanced and integrated group of species in that region.

Clements was challenged by another pioneer ecologist, Henry Gleason, who took the opposite view. Gleason viewed the community as largely a group of species with similar tolerances to the stresses given by climate and other factors typical of the region. Gleason thought chance played a big role in where species lived. His concept suggests that nature is not highly integrated. Each species is responding individually to its surroundings. Gleason thought things could change in different ways, depending upon local conditions.

Who was right? It now appears that Gleason was more accurate than Clements. The ecological community is mostly a random collection of species with similar responses to a particular climate. Ash trees are found in association with cottonwood trees because both can survive well on floodplains and the competition between them is not so strong that only one can survive.

This is not to say that precise harmonies are not present within communities. Most flowering plants rely on pollinators (传粉者). But if we see a precise balance of nature, it is largely a product of our perception, due to the false belief that nature, especially a complex system like a forest, seems so unchanging from one day to the next.