1 . British brothers James and Thomas Lindesay have spent months traveling across the Great Wall of China on foot. They _________ 9,263 kilometres, a remarkable achievement at any time.

Their _________ to complete this adventure came from their father, William Lindesay, who _________ along the Wall decades ago and attracted a great deal of media attention. Born in 1956 in Liverpool, William became _________ about the Wall later in his life. In 1987, he made the _________ in China by hiking the Wall. He has committed over 30 years to the protection of the structure, and has _________ 10 books on the Wall based on his knowledge and experiences.

His action and books influenced his two sons, who now share his _________ in the Wall. In 2016, the Lindesay brothers flew drones (无人机) at many _________ along the Wall and edited video works on the _________ of the Wall, hoping to keep it safe from damage. Not __________ with merely documenting parts of the Wall, the young brothers __________ wanted to find a new way to experience the structure and finally they __________ hiking its length, following in their father’s footsteps.

The brothers’ trip was __________ than they had imagined. They me t many difficulties. But __________ the great wonder was life-changing, which gave them a better __________ of the structure and the history behind it.

2 . I thought I knew a lot about Hamlet. As a high school student with English literature as one of my main subjects, I have to! Shakespeare’s Hamlet is probably the most important play by the most important writer in English. Almost everybody knows “To be, or not to be”, right? Having seen quite a few productions of Hamlet and read the play many times, I was full of confidence-until the Peking Opera will came to town!

Dating back to the 18th century, Peking Opera has a over two hundred years of history. Does this mean it’s easier than a Shakespeare play to understand? To find out the answer, I just had to go and see The Revenge of Prince Zidan — the Peking Opera version of Hamlet.

...The costumes and masks were amazing. The performers of course sang in Chinese, but the music, exaggerated movements and mime helped get the meaning across to the audience. The voice themselves sounded really unique-some of the female voices were so high that I was sure they could break glass! And the stage was really simple: a decorated whip represented a horse, and a screen with Chinese characters, a study. Using such techniques, the opera had transformed a small stage into the whole universe. Easily my favourite part of the show was how the characters moved on stage. I had never seen Prince Hamlet do a backflip before! That was simply incredible. It was so dazzling and energetic that I wasn’t sure if the characters were performers or athletes!

Before experiencing The Revenge of Prince Zidan, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it. But, in fact, I was on the edge of my seat! Feeling the strong emotions of love, anger, fear and grief in the performance, I could easily recognize the me of Hamlet. So, if you want to see a show that combines music, singing, drama, poetry and costume design with explosive effect, The Revenge of Prince Zidan ticks all the right boxes.

4 . Smartwatches and fitness trackers (健身追踪器) have gained popularity recently. These tools can record your daily steps, heart rates, etc.     1    . If yes, it might be a sign that you’re addicted to your fitness tracker.

    2    . If you keep setting unrealistic daily goals that involve working out for too long, and if you begin to ignore friends and responsibilities to make time for your workout, then you’re most probably addicted to your fitness tracker.

It’s a struggle to overcome the addiction to fitness trackers.     3    . For example, the number in your smart watch showing how far you’ve come can give you a sense of achievement.

Of course, failing to meet your daily goal can be discouraging. You might focus on your shortcoming rather than your progress. Another problem is that you might find yourself paying too much attention to the step number rather than how your body feels.     4    .

Therefore, if you’re spending too much time looking at your smartwatch, limit your daily step count to a comfortable level.     5    . For example, concentrating on your hobbies or socializing with friends can be a great way to keep your mind on other things.

6 . The most unforgettable thing during my long summer holiday last year, of course was my trip ______ England. This was my first time to go abroad, so it really made me ______.

There were quite a lot of interesting places in England, ______ Oxford. When we walked around Oxford, we saw quite a lot of ancient buildings on ______ sides of the streets. One of the most famous tourist ______ in Oxford is Christ Church. It’s ______ one of the Oxford University’s 39 colleges. There is a huge hall in Christ Church, ______ was used as the dining hall at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter ______. I felt really excited when I heard this.

______ place that impressed me ______ during my trip was a place called Stratford upon Avon. It was a small town. Maybe you haven’t ______ it, but I’m sure you have heard about William Shakespeare(莎士比亚)—it’s the great man’s ______. In Stratford upon Avon, I could ______ Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Shakespeare Countryside Museum, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and a lot of places that are connected with ______.

I went to Shakespeare’s Birthplace. It was the house where Shakespeare was born and spent his early years. Its sitting room, hallway(走廊), bedrooms, and kitchen were furnished(布置) in 16th century style. I also went to see the Shakespeare Exhibition. It illustrated(以图解说明) Shakespeare’s life and career in both Stratford and London.

I really enjoyed this nice ______ to England, from which I learned a lot. I’m very happy that I could visit such an interesting country. I want to go there again in the future.

7 . To help you understand what 5G is, and what it means to you, we’ve put together a handy guide here.

What is 5G?

    1     At its most basic level, 5G will be used to make calls, send texts, and to simply get online. But it’s going to be significantly faster than previous generations, and could open the door up to a range of exciting new uses.

    2    

5G will use new higher radio frequencies to send out data, which are less cluttered (挤了) and carry information much faster. While these higher bands(频段)are faster, they don’t carry information as far. That’s to say, smaller multiple input and output antennas (天线)will be used—promoting both signals and capacity (容量). This means 5G will support up to 1,000 more devices per meter than 4G.

    3    

5G is expected to be faster than 4G, with some firms claiming it could be as much as 100 times quicker. The fastest 4G networks can deliver (传输) peak (峰值) download speeds of around 300 Mbit/s.     4     In real life, this could allow you to download a full HD film in less than 10 seconds!     5     It means there will be very little—if any—delay when you carry out tasks on a device (设备). While this will help improve things like gaming experiences, it could also pave (为…铺平道路) the way for safer self-driving cars—in which even a short delay could be life-saving.

Finally, 5G will have a larger capacity, meaning networks will be able to deal with several apps at once. Generally, this should mean that devices have a faster, more stable connection.

8 . While most lifestyle and fashion magazines are full of photos of slim (苗条的) male and female models that create an unrealistic image of the human body, a fresh Japanese men’s magazine called Mr. Babe is taking an unusual approach. It is targeted at chubby men, a body type that is rarely represented in the mainstream (主流) fashion industry.

Mr. Babe describes itself as Japan’s first fashion and lifestyle magazine of chubby men, by chubby men and for chubby men. Its major goal is to increase the confidence of its readers and convince them that they can lead a happy and successful life regardless of the few extra pounds. It offers fashion tips, health advice and articles on marriage. The chief editor said, “Mr. Babe is in no way persuading men to become fat. Our message is that chubby men can be attractive by making use of what they have now.”

Norihito Kurashina was in charge of Men’s Knuckle for over 10 years before shifting completely and launching Mr. Babe. Up to now, Men’s Knuckle is still a famous magazine for young Japanese. 52-year-old Kurashina describes himself as a chubby man for 25 years.

According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey, the percentage of overweight men in Japan has been increasing gradually over the last decade, while the number of overweight women has decreased. Kurashina says the growing number of chubby men is largely due to the long working hours. In addition, they go drinking after work to relax. Naturally, they have no time, energy or money to go to the gym and keep in shape.

The chubby men in Mr. Babe magazine are not much more different than the handsome and sexy men that show up in most mainstream magazines. They are charming and well-dressed. 50, 000 copies have been printed of the first issue (发行), which has film star Jack Black on the cover. Norihito Kurashina says he is already feeling a good response from the audience and is confident of the magazine’s success.

9 . Sometimes parents wonder if they should really give their children chores (家务活). After all, isn’t it the parents’ responsibility to manage the household? And don’t children need an opportunity to “just be children” for now because they have the rest of their lives to worry about chores?

Most children have really busy schedules. They rush around from one activity to another with little time to clean the house. Despite those concerns, however, giving your children chores may be one of the most important things you’ll ever do.

While giving your children chores can certainly take some of the stress off you, that’s not the only reason you should expect your children to do the chores. Studies show chores are good for children. Research from a well-known 75-year Harvard study shows that chores can shape children to be more likely to become happy, healthy and independent adults.

Why are chores like sweeping the floor and clearing the table so important to children’s happiness in life? One reason is that children feel a sense of achievement when they do their chores. No matter whether they’re making their beds or they’re sweeping the floor, helping out around the house makes children feel capable. Doing chores also helps children feel like they’re part of the team and learn responsibility. Helping family members is good for them and it encourages them to be good adults.

Children who do chores gain important life skills that will serve them well throughout their lives. Life skills such as meal preparation, mowing the lawn, or doing the laundry will be important after high school, which helps your children live independently.

10 . A famous magazine, Amusement Today, does a survey among park lovers every year both in the US and overseas, based on which, “Top 5 List of the Best Amusement Parks in the World” has come out as follows:

Disneyland, California

Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California, the US. More than 515 million guests have traveled to this American landmark from around the world since the park first opened to guests on July 17, 1955. The park consists of many world-famous sections, such as Main Street, Adventure land, New Orleans Square, and so on.

Magic Kingdom, Disney World, Florida

Magic Kingdom is a theme park within the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, near Orlando opened on October 1, 1971. It is the most famous theme park in Florida. The park’s design and attractions don’t make much difference from Disneyland Park in Anaheim.

EPCOT, Disney World, Florida

EPCOT is the second theme park built at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida. The park opened on October 1, 1982, and was named EPCOT Center from 1982 to 1993. It was the largest Disney theme park in the world until 1998, when Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened.

Disney­MGM Studios, Florida

MGM’s streets are the home for some great movie­themed attractions with a history of less than 30 years. With the addition of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the Rock and Roller Coaster, the park is now home to Disney World’s most thrilling rides.

Universal Studios, Florida

Go behind the scenes, beyond the screen and jump right into the action of your favorite movies at Universal Studios, the number one movie and TV theme park in the world.