Yu Rong, a Chinese artist, thinks of a new way to introduce     1     ancient story of Hua Mulan in her picture book. In the book, I Am Hua Mulan, she tells the story by     2     (combine) Chinese paper-cutting with international artistic styles. She places Shaanxi papercuts over western-style pencil sketches (素描)    3     (create) typical presentation of Chineseelements (要素), which turns out to be a     4     (success) and impressive breakthrough.

Hua Mulan,     5     story has been told by generations in China, was a fighter from the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). As a devoted daughter, she dressed herself as a man to serve in the army     6     place of her father. Mulan’s character, such as courage, kindness and a disinterested attitude towards fame and fortune, made     7     (she) one of the most respected historical Chinese heroines. Mulan’s story has been adapted     8     (frequent) in modern media. For example, in 1998, Disney produced a film named Mulan, which     9     (consider) a great success by critics and the public right after its release.

To better tell the story, Yu Rong takes inspiration from her several     10     (visit) to sites of ancient battles and Henan Province’s Yu Opera. After years of preparation she finally makes this extraordinary work.

2 . Exercise and I had never had a good relationship due to my fear of sports. From a young age, my dad _______ me into a dozen sports. I didn’t like any of them, _______.

When I entered the University of Regina, my dad _______ telling me “You have to find a way to stay _______.” or “You don’t want to get the Freshman 15, do you?” So I _______ to give swimming a shot, but I _______ managed to go to the pool twice during the fall semester (学期). Worse still, I was _______ to convince myself that’s OK.

The spring semester came. A friend of mine _______ me if I wanted to try Zumba (尊巴) with her. All I knew about Zumba was that it was basically a kind of exercise: dancing to Latin pop songs. It didn’t sound too bad, but I couldn’t be _______.

I went, and that was it. Zumba became my ________ of tea. The instructor would always say, “Don’t worry about the steps. Have fun. Do your own thing.” That removed my ________ of sports. I didn’t have to be ________. I didn’t even have to be good. I just needed to ________ the music and move. Zumba did ________ me from the Freshman 15, and it also did so much more. It let me make ________ with my unpleasant past about physical exercise, and enjoy staying healthy.

With the development of modern technology, people can stay     1     (connect) with their families and friends easily, however far apart they are from each other. WeChat is one of the most     2     (frequent) used means of communication in China. It is reported that the number of the WeChat users     3     (reach) over 1.1 billion so far.

Once joining the WeChat, people can find more and more people start to add them     4     fiends. They don’t have to consider time     5     (zone) when communicating. Another reason why it is so popular is that it costs nothing. It’s also very convenient for people to immediately update     6     they are doing by WeChat.

However, addiction to WeChat will rob people of the time that should otherwise     7     (spend) on something more important. And the many so-called friends on it are not really friends at all, who simply want     8     (put) ads or sell items on Moments. Besides, people on the WeChat are more likely to compare     9     (they) with others, which will make them feel bad when finding some people seem to be     10     (success).

My Family’s Reunion Dinner

6 . It was six years ago that something unforgettable happened. My wife and I celebrated our 40th wedding _______ that year. We drove from Ontario into Alberta, then southward into Glacier National Park in Montana, and _______ to Yellowstone National Park.

It was a _______ spring day, and the Beartooth Highway had opened for the season just days before. Alongside the road, there was still a great amount of snow there. The scenery was so impressive that we made lots of _______ to record memories with my camera. At the highest point of the highway, I stopped at a lookout to catch the _______ views, with my wife in the center of my camera lens.

There were not many cars on the road. Sometimes, cars with energetic young tourists _______. And then we heard a motorcycle in the distance. The driver of the motorcycle, who wore dirty clothes, _______ behind our cars. As he _______ us, his only words were, “Give me your camera and get over there with your wife.” I must _______ I felt nervous that we might be robbed where we just created some beautiful memories. ________, he just took a picture of us, handed back my camera and rode off ________we could express our ________. The photo he took is one of the most valuable and ________ of our trip.

I learned my lesson somewhere I ________ expected it. We should never judge a man by his ________. If the motorcycle driver reads this story and remembers the situation, we would like to say “Thank you” to him.

7 . Quiet Quitting

While not a new concept, the term “quiet quitting” has recently gained popularity on social media.

Quiet quitting doesn’t mean an employee has left their job, but rather has limited their tasks to avoid working longer hours.     1     They stick to what is in their job description and when they go home, they leave work behind them and focus on non-work duties and activities.

    2     It may also mean they are ready to change positions or may be currently looking for another job.

Quiet quitting may be a popular term, but this practice isn’t new. Workers have quietly quit their jobs for years to look for something new, whether it was because of poor pay, unmanageable workload, burnout or lack of growth opportunities.

Working from home has also changed the dynamics of the workplace because employees and managers are communicating in different ways through online meetings. These interactions may feel more formal than the chat sessions that happen in an office. Limited meetings can cause a disconnect between employees and management.     4    

The biggest way to prevent disengagement is to improve the employees’ experience. Talk to employees, gather their feedback and discuss what can be done to make them feel appreciated. Make sure workloads are realistic and that there are appropriate boundaries to maintain a work-life balance.

Further, managers should clearly outline paths of career progression to each employee.    5     A recent report revealed that more than half of employees surveyed would accept 10% less pay in exchange for a “more interesting career path or more opportunities to learn new skills”.

8 . If a president, a legendary philosopher, and one of the best-selling authors of all time credited the same secret for their success, would you try to follow it too? What if the secret was something you already knew how to do? In fact, you probably do it every day. Here’s what Friedrich Nietzsche wrote: “It is only ideas gained from walking that have any worth.” Thomas Jefferson: “Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far.” And Charles Dickens made his point: “If I could not walk far and fast, I think I should just explode and perish (死亡).”

Researchers have traced numerous connections between walking and generating ideas. A Stanford University study found that participants were 81 percent more creative when walking as opposed to sitting. According to the study, walking outside — versus on a treadmill (跑步机) — produces the most novel and highest-quality ideas in participants who walked and then sat down to do creative work.

The movement aspect of walking is obviously key. You’ve probably heard the phrase Exercise your creativity, which refers to the brain as muscle. Our creative mindset is triggered by physical movement, which is exactly why walking — with your dog, a friend, or alone — feeds creative thinking. Just by going outside, you are stepping out of your habitual surroundings and your comfort zone, which is necessary if you want to open your mind to new possibilities.

Research has shown that immersion in nature, and the corresponding disconnection from multimedia and technology, increased performance on a creative problem-solving task by a full 50 percent in a group of hikers.

So why not set a creativity goal that starts with walking? Turn off your phone and give yourself the chance to be present in the world, to hear conversations and natural sounds, to notice the way people move, the way the sun reflects in a puddle. Walk not just for exercise. Walk for wonder.