Games come to a complicated end

The flame that burned throughout one of history’s most controversial Games was extinguished Sunday as Japan brought the curtain down on the Tokyo Olympics with Closing Ceremonies that were as unusual as the event     1    .

It was a fitting, bittersweet end to a complicated Games.     2     the ban on spectators meant the Games looked and felt nothing like the electric showcase of Japan that organization     3     - (hope) for, the Olympics nonetheless provided a much-needed respite, a burst of joy and human wonder, for viewers around the world     4     (exhaust) by the pandemic. Day after day over two weeks, the magic of Olympic competion cut through the gloom and isolation of the pandemic. Hour after hour, athletes emerged after years of sacrifice, self-discipline and adversity to enter the global spotlight and light     5     the world’s hearts with their modesty, grace and joy.

Japan proved to the world that, despite all of the criticism, it     6     hold an Olympic Games in the midst of a global pandemic. Some of the rules, including forcing athletes to wear masks on the podium and put medals around their own necks, might have seemed suffocating, but the thick web of restrictions     7     (prove) effective in allowing the competition to go ahead.

There were signs of incremental progress: There were the most gender-balanced Games and the most diverse in terms of openly LGBTQ participation. Yet the emtpy venues also engendered a sense of loneliness and even a bitterness     8     the joy and achievement couldn’t wash entirely away. Likewise, the stories of resilience and indomitable spirts     9     (overcome) adversity couldn’t make up for the communal passio, the fervor and the fun that come with a hyped-up crowd. Athletes clutching medals and waving gamely at their far-off families on video screens couldn’t mask the absence of their families and friends.

“The pandemic Olympics featured some glorious performances, but the empty venues made them a strange     10     epic experience, a brief diversion from the surging delat curse,” said Jeff Kingston, a professor of political science at Temple University Japan.

It was nearing midnight and the Prime Minister was sitting alone in his office, reading a long memo that was slipping through his brain without leaving     1     (slight) trace of meaning behind.

He was waiting for a call from the President of a far distant country, and     2     wondering when he would telephone and trying to put down unpleasant memories of what had been a very long, tiring, and difficult week, there was not much space in his head for     3     else. The more heat tempted to focus on the print on the page before him, the more clearly the Prime Minister could see the gloating(幸灾乐祸的) face of one of his political opponents.

This particular opponent had appeared on the news that very day, not only to list all the terrible things that had happened in the last week (as though anyone needed reminding)     4     to explain why each and every one of them was the government's fault.

The Prime Minister's pulse quickened     5     he thought of these accusations, for they were neither fair nor true. How on earth was his government supposed to have. stopped that bridge     6     (collapse)? It was outrageous for anybody to suggest that they were not spending enough on bridges. The bridge was fewer than ten years old, and the best experts were at a loss to explain     7     it had snapped cleanly in two, sending a dozen cars into the watery depths of the river below. And how dare anyone suggest that it was lack of policemen     8     had resulted in those two very nasty and well—publicized murders? Or that the government       9     have somehow foreseen the freak hurricane in the West Country that had caused so much damage to both people and property? And was it his fault that one of his Junior Ministers, Herbert Chorley, had chosen this week to act so peculiarly     10     he was now going to be spending a lot more time with his family?

5 . Most animal species in the world have developed some sort of natural camouflage that helps them find food and avoid attack. The specific nature of this camouflage varies considerably from species to species.

Camouflage develops differently depending on the physiology and behavior of an animal.    1    

An animal's environment is often the most important factor in what the camouflage looks like. The simplest camouflage technique is for an animal to match the "background" of its surroundings.

Since the ultimate goal of camouflage is to hide from other animals, the physiology and behavior of an animal's predators or prey is highly significant.     2    . For example, there’s no point in an animal replicating the color of its surroundings if is main predator is color-blind.

In addition to background-matching coloration, many animals have distinctive designs on their bodies that serve to conceal them. These designs, which might be spots, stripes or a group of patches, can help the animal in a couple of ways. First, they may match the pattern of "the model", the background of the animal's surroundings. Second, they may serve as visual disruptions. Usually, the patterns are positioned out-of-line with the body's contours (外形).     3    . This makes it hard for the predator to get a clear sense of where the animal begins and ends — the pattern on the body seems to nun of in every direction.

Other animals use a more aggressive sort of mimicry. Several moth species have developed striking designs on their wings that resemble the eyes of a larger animal. The back of the hawk moth caterpillar actually looks like a snake head, a frightening visage for most predators he moth would come across.

Mimicry is a different approach than ordinary camouflage, but it works toward the same end. By developing a certain appearance, an animal species makes itself a harder target for predators and a sneakier hunter for prey. As animal species evolve, they become more and more in tune with their environment.     4    . After all, being entirely overlooked by a predator is preferable to having to put up a fight.

6 . A breed of upstart apps is taking on an internet function that might seem unneeded or even ill—advised: helping teens talk to strangers.

Branded as “social discovery” services, these apps pitch themselves as alternatives to outlets that already specialize in online connections, like Facebook and Instagram. They say they are better at helping young users meet like —minded people outside their existing circles. And they say they have safeguards, such as separating users by age and using artificial intelligence, to protect against their appropriate or unsafe behavior that has plagued previous attempts to connect young people online.

Their user numbers suggest that, whether they succeed in striking the right balance, apps like Yubo and Hoop are tapping into a need among teens and 20 —somethings for new ways to branch out online.

“There is no place today to socialize online,” says Sacha Lazimi, the 26—year—old French co—founder of Yubo, which connects strangers with messaging and live streaming.

It is a counterintuitive statement for anyone who had seen teens sending Snaps rapid fire to their friends, responding to videos on TikToK, Face Timing for hours, or using Instagram. But Mr. Lazimi thinks those platforms allow for too much passive participation. “Snapchat, Instagram and Tik Tok are all about performance, content and individual”, he says.

Yubo features a swiping interface similar to that of Tinder. But Mr. Lazimi insists it is not adating app. The point, he says, is to facilitate communication between people all over the world who share mutual interests. Yubo isn’t present everywhere in the lives of American teens yet —and may be never will be—but the company says the app has 25 million users signed up, with nearly half of daily use now coming from America.

But some of these apps have also been the subject of safety concerns. Yubo has also faced its own safety challenges. In Florida, law—enforcement officially say they arrested a man who reportedly lured a teenager through Yubo.

In a statement, Yubo said that the prevention of child abuse has been a key priority for the past three years. “Yubo recognizes its responsibility in protecting young people using its service and has gone far beyond many of the main social media services.”

However, actually teens are doing more to protect themselves than many give them credit for, says Dr. Hinduja. “They are doing something to keep themselves safe or we would have strikingly more victimization than we do.”

8 . The virtual world is full of opportunities to share with people around the world. It’s also a place where nothing is _________ and there are no “take-backs.” A lot of what you do and say online can still be found again even if you have _________ it, and it’s often something that is easy for others to access.

Research shows that a high percentage of teens receive _________ messages and requests when they’re online. These can be scary, strange, and even embarrassing. If you feel _______ by a stranger or a friend online, immediately tell an adult you can trust. It is never a good idea to _________. Any response you make is not only likely to make things worse, and might result in you saying something you wish you hadn’t.

If you are eager to let out angry comment on a message board or blog, it’s a good idea to wait a few minutes, _________ , and remember that your comments may stay up long after your temper has cooled and you have perhaps changed your mind. You might mistakenly find yourself regulated on social networks and this could _________ mean, insulting, or abusive comments toward someone else. But later you may _________ all that you have done. We’ve all heard of cyber bullying （网络欺凌）, but most people think online bullying is something people do _________. But sharing stuff or dropping random comments when we’re not face to face with someone can __________ just as much, if not more. And it can damage how others see you if they find out. __________ , a good rule to remember is that if you wouldn’t say it, show it, or do it in person, you probably shouldn’t do it online either.

Chances are that you’ve already checked your “digital __________ ” -- nearly half of all online users do. Try typing your screen name or email address into a search engine and see what comes up. That’s one way to get a sense of what others see as your online identity. In general, if you have questions about the trail you’re leaving online, don’t be afraid to ask a trusted adult. __________ , you might know more about the online world than a lot of adults do, but they have more life experience, which is something that can often be of more help. Your online identity is __________ in much the same way as your real-life identity, except that when you’re online you don’t always get a chance to explain your tone or what you mean. Thinking before you post and following the same rules for __________ behavior online as you do offline can help you avoid leaving an online identity trail you may over time come to regret.

It was very hot outside. The Chengdu Little Warriors were facing off against the Legendary Mighty Dragons of Beijing at a local indoor skating-rink (溜冰场). When I arrived, the Little Warriors, whose oldest player was eight years old, had just     1     their northern competitors. Near the lockers, a poster advertised hockey classes. Olympic     2     has begun to spread so far south that Chengdu now has nine skating-rinks and local hockey leagues for both kids and adults. It clearly shows China’s     3     to take the opportunity of holding the Olympics to promote winter sports across the country.

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games were praised as a success by almost every     4    : the wonderful opening ceremony, the tight security, the large crowds of     5     volunteers, and Team China’s place atop the gold-medal rankings. Each aspect of the event signaled the country’s arrival as a world power, capable of competing with the best and winning.

If 2008 was about China getting a seat at the table, the 2022 Winter Olympic Games     6     a different purpose. China's status as a global power is no longer in question. Beijing 2022 will not be just a two-week sporting event but the     7     of a multi-year campaign to promote winter sports. “ We no longer need to put on shows of ten thousand people performing Tai Chi,” said Zheng Kan. “ Now we just want to show that we are relatable.”

While the audience for winter sports may still be a small, relatively rich group, it is growing. To prove his commitments (承诺) to winter sports, President Xi Jinping     8     a “ three hundred-million-person winter-sports plan.” The plan is aimed at raising China’s participation rate in winter sports from less than two percent to twenty-two percent. Some schools in Beijing have already introduced courses     9     to winter sports. A high-speed rail line that was opened at the end of 2019 cuts travel time between Beijing and Zhangjiakou, where many of the events will be held in 2022, to under an hour.

With all these efforts, the 2022 Winter Olympic Games are     10     to be wonderful and unforgettable.