1 . It was a cold Saturday night in February. Some 200 New Yorkers carefully made their way to the reservoir (水库) in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the magical snowy owl, who had touched down in the park the week before in what was reported as the first visit there by the species in more than 130 years.

Except for a few excited screams from children, people were quiet — patiently awaiting the owl’s arrival at the reservoir’s north gatehouse. The snowy owl did not disappoint. She flew down from the darkness and surveyed the water and the people holding phones and cameras before taking off into the night to the applause of her many fans. They simply wanted to see this lovely creature whose improbable appearance seemed to signify hope after the lockdown.

New Yorkers who had long taken Central Park for granted felt a renewed love for this rectangle of green in the heart of the big city and, of course, its amazing wildlife. That the park is a beautiful and essential refuge is something that humans have only come to fully appreciate during these recent times of uncertainty.

Central Park was originally planned and constructed during another difficult time in the nation’s history — in the years before and during the American Civil War. Unlike many European parks that had originally been built for the aristocracy (贵族), Central Park was designed as a public space. In its chief architect Frederick Law Olmsted’s words, the poor and rich alike could “easily go there after their day’s work is done” and “stroll for an hour, seeing, hearing, and feeling nothing of the noise of the streets.”

As spring turns into summer, we see people sitting on the grass or benches — catching some sun, having family picnics, or tapping away on their laptops and iPads. Just being in proximity to other people in Central Park gave us a sense of community — the sense that we would somehow persevere.

“Happy Camp”, the king of all Chinese variety shows, started airing in 1997. Since then, it     1     (gain) hundreds of millions of followers. The age range of its viewers is     2     (extreme) broad, from people born in the 1970s all the way to the 2010s.

“Happy Camp” has some of the best show hosts in the country,     3     are the backbone of the entire show. Not only do they create     4     fun and exciting atmosphere for guests and audience, but they also throw in plenty of     5     (humorous).

Every episode (集) of “Happy Camp” has a different theme. Everything in the episode is centered around that theme,     6     (range) from the games the hosts and the guests play to the food     7     (serve) to them as a reward or punishment! And the trendy, fun and relatable themes appeal especially to the younger generation. Actually, young people make     8     the majority of viewers.

“Happy Camp” embraces interculturalism. When there are foreign guests on the show, they talk about their culture as well as teach them about Chinese culture. This, in return,     9     (allow) the audience to learn more about cultures around the world!

After     10     (broadcast) for more than 20 years, “Happy Camp” has survived it all. They have learned to adapt and fit the needs of the audience.

4 . Many people want to buy the newest gadget (小玩意儿), the fastest car and the most expensive watch, but what are these things really worth?

For some people, these things _______ them to achieve status (社会地位). They are cool because they have a cool car, or they are _______ at the newest Xbox game. Lots of people say that _______ new things makes them happy. They _______ having new, pretty, impressive things. _______, the problem is that people can’t remain _______ and the feeling you get when you buy something new fades . There’ll always be another _______ iPhone. You’ll stop liking your car. Your friend will get Beats headphones in a more _______ colour and they’ll look so much nicer! Things get old and out of _______, and someone else will always have something better.

So, what can you buy and stay happy with? The research ________ that the best thing to spend your extra ________ on is doing things like travelling, learning to cook or learning a language. What about going to the theatre or climbing a mountain?

In the long term, people are happier with money they spend on ________ than on things. You forget what shoes you wore, but you ________ running a marathon! When you do new things or things you enjoy, you ________ life experience and memories. You can share adventures with people and tell stories. Furthermore, it is always ________ when you meet someone who has done the ________ thing as you can swap stories. You have an instant ________with this person and can have an amazing time ________ the things you’ve done. Even if you don’t enjoy the experience, you can ________ something and often a little while later you see the positives of it. At the very least, it’s a story to tell — maybe even an amusing one.

So forget about designer clothes and fancy gadgets — a new skill or ________ lasts longer!