1 . In an era dominated by texting and messaging apps, phone calls seem to become a relic (遗物) of the past among younger generations, Gen Z in particular. A recent survey shows that a quarter of 18 to 24-year-olds refuse to pick up the phone, and over half ignore calls from their parents. Why do we find phone calls so awkward, and is avoiding them damaging our relationships?

The avoidance of phone calls isn’t just a preference; it’s a display of anxiety. Phone conversations can be awkward due to the lack of non-verbal clues. In face-to-face interactions, we rely heavily on gestures, facial expressions, and body language to interpret messages, which are absent in phone conversations. This can lead to misunderstandings and a feeling of disconnect. Additionally, the pressure to respond immediately without enough time to think, as afforded by messaging apps, can increase the anxiety associated with phone calls.

Despite the discomfort they may cause, phone conversations are an important skill. In the professional world, the ability to communicate effectively over the phone remains a critical skill. As I emphasize in my teachings and workshops, clear, confident, and real-life communication can significantly impact personal and professional success. Therefore, it’s crucial for younger generations, including Gen Z, to learn how to communicate well with others over the phone, not just for professional success but also for developing personal relationships.

Relying merely on messaging apps can have harmful effects on Gen Z’s well-being and relationships. The survey indicates a growing discomfort with direct voice communication can lead to a lack of deeper, empathetic (共情的) connections. This can potentially impact their ability to form meaningful relationships and deal with situations where direct communication like phone calls is momentous.

Moreover, as I advocate in my approach to public speaking, including emotional elements into communication enhances memorability (值得记忆) and impact. Phone conversations, with their immediate and personal nature, can develop a deeper emotional connect ion than text-based communication.

This is the first time that I     1     (spend) the Naadam Festival with my friend Burin in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region this year. The festival,     2     (represent) by horse racing, wrestling and archery, falls on the fourth day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar,     3     usually lasts for three days.

Of the three events, two have left a deep impression     4     me: wrestling and horse racing. Mongolian wrestling is different from     5     in the Olympic Games. There are no     6     (round) and wrestlers are not separated by weight. The wrestler loses if any part of his body above his knee touches the ground. As for horse racing, it was     7     (amaze) to see that the riders were boys and girls. That is because children are much     8     (light) and the horses can run faster and farther. There is no need to worry about their safety, for they have been riding horses all their lives. It is no wonder that people say “Horses are at     9     heart of Mongolian culture”.

Though I am tired now, celebrating Naadam with my friend was     10     (total) worth it.

3 . About 15 years ago, I packed my suitcase and traveled to a town a few hours away. I would have an important ______ the next day, so I arrived ______. When I woke up the next morning in the hotel and started to get ______, something came to my notice —I had ______ to pack a white shirt.

This discovery made me get into ______. There was only about an hour left. Without thinking, I ______ went down to the lobby (大厅) immediately and flew to the attendant at the front desk. I explained my ______ situation and asked if he could suggest a nearby store where I could get a new shirt. I received a response before I finished speaking. “Sir, I have got a ______,”The attendant replied. How excited I was when I heard that! But instead of ______ me to a nearby shop, the man did something ______. Without saying a word, he ______ his own white shirt and handed it to me.

I finally arrived on time. Things ______ in the end—I got my dream job. I expressed my ______ when giving back the shirt.

That nice ______ has stuck with me over the years and that man’s behavior has ______ me ever since. And so now, when I see someone who needs anything, I’m willing to share.

4 . People may typically think of memory as the recollection of the past. Memory enables people to learn from past experiences and apply that knowledge in present cases. It is an important part of our identity. So is culture, the way of life specific to a group of people.

Cultural memory is the constructed understanding of the past that is passed from one generation to the next through text, oral traditions, monuments and other symbols. Cultural memory is often amassed in objects, such as museums or historical monuments. To understand culture, humans access a mass of cultural symbols, such as books. Artifacts (历史文物) of the past provide insights into where we came from. Libraries and the Internet keep a seemingly boundless amount of data on what it means to be part of a culture. Cultural memory is the longest-lasting form of memory.

Like all forms of memory, cultural memory has important functions. For example, it makes the experiences a nation owns clear. It provides us with an understanding of the past and the values of the group to which we belong. Besides, it creates a form of shared identity and a means for communicating this identity to new members. The most powerful forms of cultural memory may involve memories of past disastrous experiences undergone by groups of victims. For example, in Russia, their role in World War II —in which tens of millions of Russians were killed — is still an important part of modern Russian identity. Because all groups have cultural memory, it can bring about a spirit of resistance or survival among threatened groups.

The main function of cultural memory is not to recall the past, whether it is good or bad. Rather, it is to use knowledge of past experiences to avoid making the same mistakes again and again. Aleida Assmann, a professor who has worked on memory theory since the 1960s, calls this “remembering forward”. Cultural memory enables people to adapt to their culture; it enables cultures to adapt to new circumstances by keeping traces (痕迹) of what worked in the past.

7 . Not much trash and almost no plastic actually gets recycled. About a third of U.S. garbage gets recycled, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s most recent estimate. The rest goes to landfills, which release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and pollute their surroundings.

To make recycling easier, many U.S. cities don’t ask Americans to separate paper, glass, metal and plastic. They just ask people to put anything recyclable into one bin and let waste plants do the sorting. But waste plants don’t catch everything. AI is now an essential tool for the world’s waste management leaders. Greyparrot, a tech company has already installed more than 100 AI trash spotters in about 50 sorting facilities.

Greyparrot’s device is, basically, a set of visual and infrared (红外线的) cameras hooked up to a computer, which monitors trash as it passes by on a conveyor belt and labels it under 70 categories, from loose bottle caps to books to aluminum cans. Waste plants could connect these AI systems to sorting robots to help them separate trash from something recyclable more accurately. They could also use the AI as a quality control system to measure how well they’re sorting trash from something recyclable. That could help plant managers adjust their production lines to cover more recyclable objects, or cheek that a bundle of recyclable objects is free of pollutants, which would allow them to sell at a higher price.

In the next few years, some recycling companies plan to retrofit (改良) thousands of material-recovery facilities with Al trash-spotting tools. Of these companies, Bollegraaf has built thousands of these facilities, including 340 in North America, accounting for a majority of the recovery plants in the world.

The trash-spotting computers could one day help regulators punish companies that produce tsunamis of non-recyclable packaging because the AI systems are so accurate that they can identify the brands on individual items. Putting the AI tools in thousands of waste plants can raise recycling percentage. If the needle can be moved by even 5 to 10 percent, that would be a phenomenal outcome for greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact.

Fusong County in northeast China’s Jilin Province was abuzz (热闹) with activities last winter, especially when the World Robot Contest Finals 2023     1     (hold) there. The finals attracted over 5, 000 youngsters from across the country     2     competed fiercely with their self-designed robots.

“We need to compete in assembling, programming and operation. I believe that maintaining a resilient mindset     3     (be) the key to winning out,” said Yu Yiyang , who is     4     fifth grader from Shanghai and has a profound passion for robots. Yu said that from robotics class, he acquired knowledge beyond conventional textbooks, refining his practical skills and     5     (encourage) innovative thinking.

Many of the contestants     6     (receive) robotics education before participating in the robot contests. Their skills, mental strength and the sense of team work improved a lot as a result of their     7     (expose) to such competitions.

The young contestants,     8     various places and with diverse backgrounds, offered a glimpse of the popularity of robotics education among Chinese students. For many, learning robot programming and participating in robot contests not only offer     9     (opportunity) to sharpen their cognitive abilities and their skills, but also serve as an effective means to boost     10     (they) spirit of teamwork.

9 . At the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Romanian gymnast Nadia Comǎneci made history. She performed a routine ________ on the uneven bars (高低杠), scoring a perfect 10. She pursued ________ in her practice, which led to remarkable achievements in the game.

Perfectionism is generally ________ as a good quality. Therefore, it’s not surprising that perfectionism in society has been on the rise for years. And it is more ________ in certain professions like top athletes and medical specialists. Perfectionism can be seen as a ________ tendency. Perfectionists usually set extremely ________ standards for themselves and others. According to researchers, such behavior is rooted in ________. Many perfectionists worry that if they don’t pay enough attention to detail, it will hurt their performance. So they ________ their perfectionism even when it’s self-defeating.

Aiming for a high degree of success isn’t necessarily ________ as long as you behave reasonably. People with adaptive perfectionism work hard to meet ambitious goals, but are also able to tolerate mistakes, changes, and problems that they didn’t ________. When encountering ________, they stay flexible.

Maladaptive perfectionism, which ________ an intense desire for others’ approval, and a high level of concern over mistakes, is ________. It tends to weaken individual confidence and affects relationships and overall well-being. To overcome it, it’s crucial to shift your mindset. Start by being realistic and gaining a ________ perspective. Give yourself permission to loosen up a bit on certain matters, enabling you to prioritize what truly matters. ________ can be challenging, but it is indeed attainable.

10 . A music festival, which is often presented with a main idea, is a community event mainly about live performances of singing and instrument playing. On the list are the music festivals for fans around the world. Find your favorite now!

Field Day

January 1, 2022. Sydney

Field Day means New Year’s Day for young people in Sydney. Seen as the city’s original outdoor party, it’s a gathering of friends coming together for a great fun-filled first day of the year. There’s an air of hope and active energy on a perfect summer’s day.

Envision Festival

February 21 — 26, 2022, Uvita

The Envision Festival is an annual event in Costa Rica that wants to provide a chance for different cultures to work with one another to create a better community. The festival encourages people to practice art, music and dance performances. At the same time, our connection with nature is expected to be strengthened.

McDowell Mountain Music Festival

March 2 — 4, 2022, Phoenix

The McDowell Mountain Music Festival is Phoenix’s musical celebration of community culture. Since its founding in 2004, it is the only 100% nonprofit (非营利的) music festival designed to support, entertain and educate the community. The festival attracts thousands of visitors each year from around the country, and it is an opportunity to experience true culture.

Old Settler’s Music Festival

April 19 — 22, 2022, Tilmon

The Old Settler’s Music Festival is a nationally known music festival for American music. The festival is held in Tilmon, Texas at the height of the wild flower season. The Old Settler’s Music Festival offers great music and activities for the whole family.