Reaching for the stars

Within three years, he won China's top sci-fi award—the Galaxy Awards—twice. Tianrui Shuofu, brought home the Best Online Sci-fi award for his novels, Die On Mars, in 2019 and We Live in Nanjing, in 2021. At only 25 years old, he is already a     1     (lead) figure among China's young generation of sci-fi writers.

Many of these young sci-fi writers started as freelance online writers.     2     did Tianrui Shuofu. Among all kinds of sci-fi writings, Tianrui’s works are famous for     3     (they) hard-core style. There are many details of space engineering,   radio communication and other     4     (technology) in his works.

However, Tianrui Shuofu thinks hard-core is just one style and he might include more themes in his works in the future. “Many argue against each other on     5     is real sci-fi. Some hard-core sci-fi fans look down upon soft sci-fi. But that's just killing the growing Chinese sci-fi,” he said.

    6     (actual), it is cross-boundary writing that has become     7     trend in online sci-fi works by young writers, according to Tianrui Shuofu.     8     (compare) to traditional sci-fi, the themes and elements in today's works have expanded a lot. Popular themes of other online writings such as city life and farming       9     (become) parts of sci-fi works in recent years, too.

“This is a good thing,” Tianrui Shuofu added. “Going cross-boundary means going     10     limits, which helps with writing good stories and helps sci-fi reach more readers.”

3 . Jessica Nabongo longs to set foot in every nation. She started traveling at age four, along with her parents on family trips from Detroit, Michigan and completed her mission when she landed in the Seychelles, having visited 195 countries.     1     Along the way, she became a writer, photographer, and passionate advocate for inclusive and ethical(道德的) tourism .

Here she talks to us about her experience and tips for traveling better.

What inspires your adventures?

    2     I have a strong desire to see the differences and similarities in how people live everywhere in the world, even at home in the United States.

Did you ever experience any obstacles?

I don’t believe in failure.     3     Embarrassment isn’t a natural human personality, in my eyes－it comes from socialization. If I fell over in the middle of Grand Central Station, I’d laugh at myself. I firmly believe that every failure in your life is just an opportunity to learn.

    4    

My mother has always said “ humble(使谦逊) yourself.” I appreciate it because when you travel, depending on your passport, depending on your social class, depending on so many different things, you can go to places with a lot of ego（自我）, or you can humble yourself and know that everyone is equal.

What are some things people can do to travel more sustainably(可持续地)?

Single－use plastic is one of the biggest things harming Earth right now, so a lot of my focus is on that.     5     If you’ re in a restaurant and you don’ t have a big appetite, ask for a half portion. It’s about being a deliberate(慎重的) traveler, just taking that extra minute to think how I can have a lower impact on this place that I’ m in and on the planet in general.

4 . For people who are planning a trip, a visit to a museum might not be the first thing they think of. After all, there are plenty of ways to appreciate the world’s civilization, gain exciting experiences and spend quality time with family and friends.     1    

Museums are where people learn something new, at every age! Are you interested in something specific?     2    . There, you will find yourself drawn in and inspired! Museums are a fantastic place to learn about a region’s history, scientific achievements, major cultural events, and of course, dinosaurs. They also design exhibitions related to visual arts, industrial innovations and anything that inspires an individual to learn about the past and create new paths to the future.

    3     They will surely be an exciting part of the educational experience with the main purpose to expose children to knowledge of various fields and expand their horizons. To achieve that, museums are working to create meaningful and engaging activities, interactive and knowledge-based.

Museums support tourism. They are tourism promoters in small towns and large cities. Museums aren’t a burden on tax revenue (税收) or a separate concern from other city projects.     4    Statistics show that museums support more than 726, 000 jobs in America.

Museums shape communities. They have activities and exhibitions through which visitors can learn about local history. Museums are places where a shared heritage is celebrated and a collective identity is formed. They provide an interesting public space where people meet and talk to each other.     5    

Chinese high school principal Zhang Guimei has been honored     1     the title “Role Model of the Times” in recognition of her dedication to education for girls.

With the support of the Party and the government, she helped establish the country’s first senior high school to offer free education for girls from poor families. Since it opened in 2008, it     2    (see) more than 1,800 students progress to universities and colleges.

About 20 years ago, while on the way to visit a student’s house, Zhang Guimei, then a rural teacher in Huaping county, Lijiang, Yunnan province, noticed a girl     3    (sit) on the hillside. She was staring     4    (blank) into space. The girl, 13, told Zhang she was about to get married and it was arranged by her parents.

That fateful encounter(邂逅) persuaded Zhang     5    (build) a free high school for girls, aiming to help break the spell (魔咒)     6     women drop out of education, marry early and spend     7    (they) whole life in the remote mountain.

After years of trying to raise funds, in 2008, Huaping High School for Girls, a free public high school,     8    (found) at the foot of the Shizi Mountain in Huaping, where Zhang is the principal. Over the decades, More than 1,800     9    (graduate) have been admitted to college,     10     is regarded a “miracle” in the remote area, as most students didn’t perform well in academic study before the school was established.

10 . When 72-year-old Randy Long was cleaning out his garage not long ago, he came across some practice baseballs he used to throw around with his son and grandson.

Thinking some kids might get ________ of them, he took them to a local baseball cage, where he ________ them along with a touching note that might just bring even the strongest men to tears:

“Hope someone can use these baseballs. I found them when ________ my garage. I pitched (投球) them to my son and grandson for countless ________ . My son is now 46 years old and my grandson is 23 years old. I am 72. They have both ________ away. If you are a father, ________these times. You won’t believe how quickly they will be gone.”

________, Long’s grandson, Ethan Anderson, tweeted about his grandpa’s generous gesture. He never expected the post to go viral. The impact of the story finally hit home when the family ________ by the media, but Anderson says while his grandfather is amazed by all the attention he’s getting, he really doesn’t have much use for social media.

Anderson may be grown-up, but he fondly remembers his grandpa as a thoughtful coach who helped him ________ his true athletic potential. “When I was a kid, we would usually go a few times a week to practice in the cages,” he recalled. “Many times, I didn’t even want to go, but he always wanted me to be the best ________ I could be.”

After the story was shown on the news, Anderson was nearly swept away by the wave of ________ feedback. There are a lot of kids younger than me telling me they’ll cherish the times they have with their dads or granddads,” he told CNN, “And they won’t ________ it for granted anymore.”

“I get to go back and ________ every now and then,” he said. “I just didn’t realize that he missed ________ in the cages. Although he’s moved to Birmingham, about a two-hour drive from Long, Anderson has decided it’s time to team back up with his grandpa on a more ________ basis.