Economic development is necessary if we want to improve society. So, there comes a time     1     keeping the right balance between progress and the     2     (protect) of cultural sites can be a problem. But the Aswan Dam project might have set us     3     example of how the problem can     4     (solve). If a problem seems too difficult for a single nation, a     5     (globe) community can sometimes provide a solution.

3 . Believe it or not, sheep are playing an important role in protecting the ruins of Pompeii, an ancient Roman city that was buried under volcanic ash about 2,000 years ago.

Archaeologists have been digging the ruins for over 250 years, but only two-thirds of the 66-hectare area have been explored, reported CNN. To prevent the unexcavated (未发掘的) parts of the ruins from being naturally damaged over time, archaeologists have turned to a group of 150 sheep for help.

Many grassy hills there are dotted (布满) with the remains of old houses and shops. Grass and other plants can cause problems if they are left to grow on ancient walls and houses. Therefore, the task of these sheep is to eat up the grass, preventing any overgrowth that may harm the ruins. Besides, turning to sheep instead of herbicides (除草剂) costs less and is more environment-friendly.

This sheepy solution is part of the Pompeii Archaeological Park’s protection efforts. Since 2018, new excavations have been launched (启动) in Regio V area, the northern part of the city. It has resulted in exciting discoveries such as frescoes (壁画), a snack shop, and the skeletal remains (遗骸) of people who died in the disaster.

Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, told Go Top News that the sheep initiative (倡议) is a sustainable (可持续的) project that saves money and protects the landscape. Besides, the sheep have become part of the landscape itself, bringing the ancient city back to life. “It’s also something that really gives an idea of what Pompeii was like when it was rediscovered,” said Zuchtriegel. “It was forests, vineyards, sheep and that kind of rural setting, and in the middle of it was Pompeii.”

4 . The Bedford School has held activities to celebrate the Chinese New Year before the winter vacation—this time with a unique change compared to other years. The celebration is a blend (融合) of traditional food, calligraphy, and a performance using Chinese instruments.

The school’s Chinese Society introduced an art form that attracted the students: Chinese calligraphy. The students were surprised at the combination (结合) of visual art and the interpretation (解读) of literary meaning as they wrote Chinese characters with grace. And they tried their best to make what they wrote correct and beautiful. The students also enjoyed delightful Chinese New Year foods, including spring rolls, rice cake, dumplings. They ate fish-shaped sweets with great enjoyment, symbolizing abundance (富足) for the coming year as the Chinese character for “fish” can also mean “surplus”. The idea behind this is that if we manage to have something left over at the year’s end, then more can be made in the new year. Keeping with tradition, the students exchanged red envelopes filled with sweets, symbolizing good luck and prosperity (繁荣). In Chinese culture, the color red symbolizes good luck and good fortune for the year ahead. This is why red decorations are used during many important cultural festivals and significant events.

Due to(由于)China’s rocketing economy and reputation (声誉), Chinese New Year has become a worldwide event. The Bedford School provided a great opportunity for the students to gain (获得) a deeper understanding of Chinese tradition and culture.

5 . A visit to one of the New Seven Wonders of the World can be one of the most exciting and unforgettable vacations you and your family can take. For a quick introduction of the Wonders, this text presents only four of the historic sites.

Located (位于)about 12 miles from Cairo, Giza Necropolis features (以……为特色) the Great Pyramid and the Great Sphinx of Giza and is about over 4,500 years old. It is easy to take public transportation from Cairo but families should consider booking a personal guide or group trip from a tour operator such as Go Travel Egypt or Viator.

With a history dating back to 476 BCE, the Great Wall stretches (绵延)13,170 miles across China. The most famous and most visited section of the Great Wall is Badaling. A number of tour operators can be found in Beijing, with recommendations including Viator, Great Wall Hiking and Discover Beijing Tours. Admission (门票费) to Badaling is just 45 Chinese Yuan(about $7.50)but a guided tour from Beijing starts at around $75.

Rediscovered in 1812, Petra was the fourth century BCE capital of the Nabataean empire. Known for its intricate (错综复杂的) carvings into a sandstone mountain, Petra was a business center, located between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea. Tours to the Lost City can be arranged in Israel or from Anman, the capital and largest city of Jordan 150 miles to the north.

Located in the ancient center of Rome, the Colosseum started to be built in 72 CE and was finished in 80 CE. Till today, the Colosseum is still the largest amphitheater (圆形竞技场) in the world. Guided tours are easy to find from a number of operators but tickets for self-guided tours can be bought on site for 12 euro.

6 . 语法填空

Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education,     1     can help the young feel a sense of     2     (responsible)and honor to contribute their wisdom     3     our world while they enjoy its beauty. Travel, in the elder, is a part of experience. One of a certain age,     4     life is full of gifts from our world, will live at peace with himself. So, to travel, to hug and preserve the best of our     5     (amaze)world!

7 . A giant origami (折纸艺术) “snail” gets a Guinness World Record. Filled with ________ and craftsmanship, origamist Pei Haozheng and his team have created the world’s ________ origami “snail”, according to Guinness World Records.

This ________ “snail” is a single but complete structure made from a 9.21-meter-long square sheet of gold foil (箔) paper without any ________ or pasting (粘贴). It stands proud at 4.1 meters in ________ , 1.47 meters in width and 1.3 meters in height.

Making a giant paper “snail” isn’t ________ . Since the ________ used was so large, during the folding (折叠) process, it soon became a lopsided (向一侧倾斜的) 3D object. “This added much ________ in practice. Even the ________ part could easily become deformed (变形的),” Pei said to China Daily.

Another ________ was the deviation (偏差) the final version took from the prototype (原始模型), which can ________ many unexpected difficulties. For example, when the paper becomes ________ after folding, it may suddenly spring (弹开) open and create gaps. Pei added that the stylistic difficulty of this artwork lies in the need to ________ spinal (螺旅形的) shell layer (层) by layer. Pei did many ________ , finally overcoming these difficulties in the end.

“Gold foil paper symbolizes the beauty deep within people’s hearts. Therefore, I hope that everyone who sees this artwork can feel the ________ within their own hearts, pursue their passions, and cherish (珍惜) every moment in their lives,” Pei said.

China has many famed explorers. There was Zhang Qian,     1     traveled into Central Asia,     2     (open) corridors of trade that became the Silk Road. Zheng He was a great mariner in the 15th century. Yet these voyages     3     (undertake) under the direction of governments Xu Xiake was different.

Born in 1587, Xu Xiake grew up in a rich family. Yet he rejected the     4     （comfort) life to travel the lost world of imperial China. As one of the greatest land explorers, Xu Xiake is said     5     (travel) thousands of miles of Chinese mountains and rivers on foot in his lifetime. The written work of Xu Xiake's travel records and diaries contains some 404, 000 Chinese characters,     6     enormous work for a single author of his time. It mixes     7     (detail) of geography, botany and local history with the ratings of the Ming Dynasty lodgings (住宿).

“On the surface, Xu's travel can neither be classified as great affairs of state     8     great undertakings that changed the course of history.” writes the cultural historian Zheng Peikai. “Xu traveled to satisfy his own     9    (curious) — he traveled for the sake of traveling.”

Xu Xiake traveled across China for 34 years. Perhaps his     10    (great) journey was his last. At age 50, he traveled to the tropical frontiers of Yunnan. Hundreds of years later, we follow. Naturally, he is the father of Chinese backpacking.

10 . “Few articles change owners more frequently than clothes. They travel downwards from grade to grade in the social scale with remarkable regularity,” wrote the journalist Adolphe Smith in 1877 as he traced a coat’s journey in the last century: cleaned, repaired and resold repeatedly; cut down into a smaller item; eventually recycled into new fabric. But with the improvement in people’s living standards, that model is mind-boggling in the era of fast fashion. The average British customer buys four items a month. And it is reported that 350,000 tonnes of used but still wearable clothes go to landfills in the UK each year.

Yet the gradual revival of the second-hand trade has gathered pace in the past few years. At fashion website Asos, sales of vintage clothes (古董衫) have risen by 92%. Clothing was once worn out of necessity, and now it is simply a way of life. Busy families sell used items on eBay, teenagers trade on Depop and some fashion people offer designer labels on Vestiaire Collective. Strikingly, it has become big enough business that mainstream retailers (零售商) want a slice of the action.

For some buyers and sellers, the switch to the second-hand is born of financial difficulties. Only a few have become worried about the impact of their shopping habit on the planet. But the shift is only a partial solution. Some people worry that some mainstream brands may “greenwash” — using second-hand goods to improve their image, rather than engaging more seriously with sustainability.

However, the biggest concern may be that people keep buying because they know they can resell goods, still chasing the pleasure of the next purchase but with an eased conscience (愧疚). Boohoo, a powerful fast fashion company, has seen sales and profits rise, despite concerns about environmental problems in its supply chain that led to an investigation last year.

A new Netflix series, Worn Stories, documents the emotional meanings that clothes can have: Each old item is full of memories. Actually, a handbag from a grandmother and a scarf passed on by a father are both valuable for us. A love of style is not a bad or an unimportant thing. But a committed relationship is better than a quick flash. Can we learn to appreciate our own old clothes as well as others’?