1 . Around 2000 years ago, ancient Chinese divided the sun’s annual circular motion into 24 equal segments, each segment was called a ‘Solar Term’. Each solar term ______ a unique period of a year. But have you ever heard the term—“Hui Nantian”, a unique meteorological (气象) ______ that occurs ______ in southern China? This term, which translates to “the return of the south wind,” encapsulates(概括)a seasonal shift that not only ______ the weather patterns, but also deeply affects the way of life and cultural practices in this region.

“Hui Nantian” occurs during the ______ from winter to spring, when the cold, dry air of winter ______ the warm, damp air of the south. This change is not merely a meteorological shift; it’s a cultural event. People in the southern China anticipate “Hui Nantian” with a ______ of excitement and caution.

On the one hand, it signals the end of winter and the ______ of spring, a time of renewal and rebirth. On the other hand, the ______ humidity and dampness can present challenges, especially in terms of maintaining the integrity of buildings and ______ personal items. In Chinese culture, “Hui Nantian” is often associated with traditional practices and beliefs. It also reflects the importance of respect for ______ and traditional values in Chinese culture. In addition, it is also connected with the concept of “harmony with nature.” This belief encourages people to live in harmony with the natural world and respect the ______ of nature, such as the changing of the seasons and the flow of energy.

By ______ these natural rhythms, it is believed that people can achieve a state of inner peace and harmony, which is essential for leading a healthy and ______ life. Overall, Hui Nantian shows a blend of traditional practices, beliefs, and values that are unique to Chinese culture. These practices not only serve to preserve the cultural heritage of China but also ______ harmony and balance in people’s lives.

3 . By the age of 27, Vincent had made the most important decision of his life, to become an artist. He spent the years between 1880 and 1885 developing his _______. He had little money and lived in _______ rooms all over the Netherlands, including the flat agricultural landscape of the Drenthe. There he _______ country people. He was often ill and miserable, but determined to _______ this new career.

After the failure of his studies for the priesthood, Vincent didn’t want to _______ art formally at an academy. But he knew nothing of anatomy (解剖学), the study of the human figure, or of perspective, by which artists show a sense of _______ in work done on flat paper or canvas. Theo, his brother, knew a rich young _______, Anthon van Rappard, who taught Vincent perspective, and _______ him prints to copy. Vincent made hundreds of drawings of people, _______ charcoal, crayon, ink, and watercolor. Theo provided ________ for oil paint, and he began to paint in oils. Vincent often traveled to the ________ or the coast to draw working people. He was beginning to believe in himself as an ________.“Diggers, sowers, planters, male and female, they are what I draw ________. I have to ________ and draw everything that belongs to country life.” The compassion that Vincent ________ for poor people as a preacher was now channeled into his art.

4 . Changing the world may be impossible, but changing a world is realistic—that’s how Lorenzo Amani looks on the life. Amani’s journey from the football team to the ________ world is a story of perseverance and personal growth.

Growing up in a military family, Amani experienced frequent moves and ________ requirements, which influenced his character and ________ his capacity to handle stress, particularly in sports. ________, a career-ending foot injury in his junior year ________ his dream of football. With the encouragement and assistance of coaches and the staff, Amani ________ his attention on other off-field interests—studying at Virginia Tech. “Student athletes at the time didn’t really study abroad,” he said. “We were generally too busy ________ our sport. This was a (n) ________ experience that taught me that we’re all a lot more alike than we are ________, even in various corners of the world.”

Following his graduation, Amani served as an academic coach to ________ others facing the same career ________ from sports to others post-college. It’s a (n) ________ many athletes struggle with—fewer than 2 percent of student athletes go on to be professional athletes.

Today, Amani has founded an athleisure clothing company, with a (n) ________ to contributing a portion of its profits to organizations that offer education training to minorities. Additionally, he remains devoted to ________ individuals, helping develop their leadership skills and financial literacy.

Amani’s experience proves that as long as we ________ setbacks (挫折) bravely, we can change not just our own world, but the world of others as well.

5 . If you want to stand out, 10,000 hours of training will take you much further than your natural abilities. Mozart is considered by many as the greatest composer who ever lived. Traditionally, many people ________ outstanding achievements like Mozart’s are due to talent, or even inborn inspiration or ________.

This assumption holds especially true for child prodigies (神童) like Mozart whose music talent ________ the world at the age of six. But looking more ________ at this phenomenon, we find that these individuals actually had to practice countless hours before showing their ________ remarkable talent. In fact, scientists indicate that a prodigy’s training typically ________ at a very early age, with massive time invested in practice.

For example, when the six-year-old Mozart toured Europe to ________ his brilliant piano skills, he had already ________ 3,500 hours of musical training. If you compare this to other pianists who have practiced for as long, Mozart’s ________ wasn’t all that exceptional. It seems that outstanding abilities come from intensive strict practice ________ natural talents. A study shows the only factor directly ________ the students’ level of achievement was the amount of serious practice time: the most ________ performers had practiced for an average of 10,000 hours, while the least skilled had only 4,000 hours of practice. What’s even more revealing is that there were no ________: All of the top performers had ________ great efforts to their practice. It seems that no extraordinary talent can ________ without tough practice.

7 . I vividly remember the day when my husband and I set off on a new journey to Tanzania. He had been ______ a position there as a Civil Engineer. Accompanying him, my aim was to find a job shortly after. As you can imagine, I was very excited, even rather ______, as I’d never been abroad before. So, my first ______ was to get settled in this small town called Dodoma in the middle of Tanzania.

As we got off the train, however, at six in the morning, a lady came rushing along the ______ towards us. Completely out of breath, she said, “We’ve heard you’re from England and our school ______ needs an English teacher — please say you’ll help us.” I felt tired and ______ a shower after the journey. Though shocked by her ______, for some reason or other, I agreed to ______ it!

I washed, changed, had a quick bite to eat and was ______ to the two local teachers and my ______ at 8 o’clock. It felt like being thrown into the deep end, as my teaching timetable began ______ at 8:30! Although I’d hardly had time to get my breath, I never ______ my sudden decision.

Though my entry into this ______ was unexpected, I found joy in teaching those youngsters and gradually became part of the local community in the following years. I’ve been fortunate to ______ lifelong friendships, which has left a lasting ______ on both my students and myself.

8 . Dad often says that hope is everywhere. In his fifties, he lost his job. But he managed to get the chance of a newspaper delivery. It became a family _________. Dad drove around delivering the papers most weekday mornings. We all helped.

Delivering papers is one of the most _________ jobs you can imagine. I was young, but I always worked. When I was   _______ enough to drive, Dad bought a car that I was _________ to drive to high school. My brothers and sister were all _________ and living away by this time. So I became the No.2 _________ on Sunday mornings. Not only would I _________ the papers, but I would jump into the car and drive a section of the _________. Mike was a hired worker, a year younger than me. We worked with _________ and my parents really trusted us.

The paper delivery, though very hard work, gave me many things. First, it __________ me with my father in a way that I __________ needed. He trusted my driving __________, and gave me directions on how to drive down icy steep streets in winter. I felt I was a __________ member of my family. Besides, I learned to love the early morning sounds of the city, the awesome quiet of __________ neighborhoods, and the relationship that only two teenagers working together could ever __________.