2 . Have you seen people who take pictures of food for more than 10 minutes before eating? My friend Stella is such an example. Every time we went to a restaurant she would not take a bite until all the dishes we ________ were on the table. Then she would spend five minutes in ________ the dishes in a seemingly random but in fact ________ order. Then the most important part: taking pictures. After that, she would choose one of the ________ and click in the filter app. The food eventually looked 10 times more delicious than it really was, but we had no ________ to really enjoy it—it all went cold, actually Stella’s real life is much less elegant. For example, she hates to wash the dishes, so she leaves them in the sink for days.

Many people care too much about others’ opinions and try too hard to ________ others. They find it hard to be ________ and to accept themselves, and thus they are afraid to show their ________ life on social media. What they are trying to prove is ________ what they lack in reality. But this will not bring any ________ to reality, as they still ________ the same old pattern of life.

If they really want an elegant life, they should put more ________ into achieving it ________ fabricating it. Being more confident, ________ themselves and trying their best to be better are much more meaningful than ________ their life on social media.

4 . A 63-year-old Chinese carpenter’s traditional skills have become an unexpected Internet hit as he creates woodwork with a single piece of wood, without glue, screws or nails. Wang De wen, known as “Grandpa Amu” on YouTube, has been praised as the modern day Lu Ban, a well-known Chinese structural engineer during the Zhou Dynasty, thanks to his rich carpentry(木工手艺) knowledge.

Grandpa Amu’s most popular video, which shows him making a delicate wooden arch bridge, has gone viral on YouTube, gaining more than 40 million views. “If you do something, you have to love it, and you have to be interested in it; however, being interested doesn’t mean there’s only happiness and no pain.” Grandpa Amu shared when talking about his excellent carpentry skills.

His most popular works include a folding stool, a model of the China pavilion from the 2010 Shanghai Expo, and an apple-shaped interlocking puzzle, known as a Lu Ban lock. Grandpa Amu follows an ancient Chinese mortise and tenon(榫卯) technique, which means no nails or glue are involved in the entire process of building the arch bridge.

The master carpenter has also made several wooden toys for his grandson using the same technique. His young grandson’s favorites include a walking Peppa Pig and a bubble blowing machine. Attracting over 1.17 million fans on YouTube, Grandpa Amu’s videos so far have gained more than 200 million views.

His wonderful woodworking skills, using the same mortise and tenon joints found in the Forbidden City, were developed from the age of thirteen as a way of supporting his family in East China’s Shandong Province. “The grandson is so happy, as there have been so many fine and unique toys made by grandpa from an early age,” commented one netizen; while another said “It’s amazing. I hope these traditional crafts can be passed on!”

5 . At first, the earthˈs surface layer (层) was made up of huge blocks of hard, solid rocks. Then slowly, the rocks broke up into smaller and smaller pieces. Finally stones, pebbles (卵石) and grains of sand were formed. Many sorts of plants and animals lived and died on the surface of the earth. Their remains mixed with stones and pebbles formed soil. The outmost layer of the earth is soil.

There are many ways in which large pieces of rock break into smaller ones. Wind, water, heat and cold help to break up rocks. When winds blow grains of sand against a large rock for a long time, the softer layers of the rock are slowly worn away. That leaves holes and cracks in the rock, which become bigger and finally the rock breaks up into smaller pieces.

The moving water of streams and rivers also helps to break up rocks. As the water moves along, it carries with small pieces of rock. These rub the larger ones. Thus, the larger rocks are worn down to smaller pieces.

The heat of the sun is also helpful to breaking up rocks. When the sun shines, the rocks become very hot. If these rocks are suddenly cooled, they may crack. Ice also plays a part in making soil. Water in the cracks can turn into ice in cold weather. As this happens, the cracks become bigger and wider, and finally break into smaller pieces.

6 . How to Meet New People

Everybody knows that first impressions are important. If you want to know how to meet people, just follow these steps.

●Live in the moment.

To meet new people, the first thing you have to do is to enjoy the present moment of the new conversation. Let go of your expectations and fears.     1    

When you meet a new person, don’t ask yourself, “How do I look?” or “How do I sound?” Instead, ask, “What would this person like to talk about?” “What matters to this person?”

●     2    

If you keep up your confidence, people feel that you’re a person who is worth talking to. You should be confident before you walk into a room with new people in it and build your confidence as the conversation goes along. Just smile, talk about the things that you love, and show everyone that you love who you are, where you are, and what you do.

    3     Stand tall, maintain eye contact, and don’t fidget with your hands or look at the floor. When you introduce yourself, speak clearly and loudly enough to be heard.

●Be positive.

    4    You should smile from time to time. Talk about the things you love, the things that make you happy, and your interests to keep people engaged.

Don’t talk about your long-standing hatred for a certain person.     5     The occasional “That’s so true!” or “I know exactly what you mean!” will be far more positive.

7 . Are you thinking about traveling alone? You must have a million questions: Where should you go? Will there be someone to talk to?     1     And is it all right to travel alone?

In fact, traveling alone is not as scary (吓人的) as it seems. Here are some good tips.

Choose a place where you feel comfortable and safe

Truth be told, traveling alone for the first time is more about the experience than the destination.     2     It could be somewhere close to home or somewhere you’ve already been with friends.

Make a plan

Always make a plan. That way you’ll avoid worrying too much over where you’re staying, what to see and how you’re getting from A to B.

Book hotels ahead of time

    3     Besides, when you book your hotel, ask if they will send a driver to pick you up.

Talk to people

If you’re going to a touristy place like Thailand, there are lots of other people who are traveling alone.     4     They might also ask you to join them for dinner or a beer. That happens a lot.

Let someone know where you are

Your family and friends love you and probably worry about you every day, so text them and let them know what you are up to throughout your trip.     5     And in case something does happen, they’ll know where you are.

A few months ago I left my hometown for Canada to study. I felt nervous because I was going to     1     new place with new people. What worried my at first was that I couldn’t speak English     2     (fluent), and I also couldn’t understand     3     (they) customs. Everything was different     4     my own country. I had to deal with everything alone.It was a sad moment     5     I had to say goodbye to my family and friends at the airport. Suddenly, I felt unwilling     6     (leave) my hometown because I grew up there and had wonderful     7     (memory) of the familiar place. However, I know studying abroad was a     8     (decide) that I made myself. I had to accept the challenge. By now I     9     (get) used to the new life here already, though I’m looking forward to     10    (spend) the coming vacation with my old friends back home.

Thank you very much for your letter. Your trip sounds exciting! I can't wait to hear what Africa is like.

Since my last letter to you, I have had a little adventure of     1     (I) own. Early this month, my mother and I took a     2     (fly) to Dunhuang, in the north-west of China. The desert out there was really quite amazing—I had never seen so much sand in my life! While we were there, we     3     (arrange) with a tour company to ride.     4    (camel). I was very excited because this was the first time I had seen one up     5     (closely). We had hoped that we would get to see some other wildlife on our trip, but sadly we didn't.

Since you are going to the Sahara, I have some advice—be sure     6     (bring) a large hat and a shirt with long sleeves—you'll need these     7     protection. The sun can be so brilliant you'll need to keep covered or you'll get     8    (burn)—my cheeks were red for days after my trip. And another thing, you'll need to keep.     9     good supply of water with you, since it is so dry and hot.

I'm sure you'll have a nice trip. I look forward to     10     (receive) your postcards!

10 . The beach may seem like an inviting place to run on a cool summer morning, but is running on the sand good for your body? It can be, but it’s important to be aware of the challenges that some beach runners experience before you get ready.

Running on the beach can be a good thing. It’s certainly different from running on a track or a pavement. For starters, sand can be a challenge because it has an uneven (不平坦的) surface. As you push off, you’re going to lose some of your push as the sand moves. So, you’re not going to be able to push yourself forward as you would on a track or a pavement. But this unevenness has an upside; It gives your body an extra workout, forcing you to exercise muscles that don’t get as much use during runs on firm surfaces. For example, your feet, ankles and lower back might feel sorer and more tired than usual after a beach run just because the surface is constantly moving and changing step to step.

You also might feel sore afterward because beaches tend to slope (倾斜) down to the water. If you’re going for a long run on the beach, you might notice that one side of your body might feel sorer because you’re putting more pressure on it due to the slope.

Some beach runners prefer to run barefoot — not wearing anything on feet. However, if you’re not used to barefoot running, start slowly and don’t run long distances at first. That’s because running barefoot uses more different muscles than running with shoes does, and it’s important to strengthen these muscles and adapt your feet. If you want to run barefoot and as long as you run carefully enough into it, go for it!

Running on the sand can be a smart choice for you, because running on softer ground surfaces can reduce muscle damage.