A wonderful experience happened to me this Saturday on my way to a mall. Two children ran towards me     1     bottles in their hands, asking if I wanted to have bottled water. It was so     2     (surprise) that I was unsure whether this was for real. I wondered if they     3     (do) fund-raising. I asked them where     4     (they) parents were and how much a bottle of water was. Then two adult women came to me and explained what the children were doing, “We are teaching the children     5     (give) without getting anything in return.” What     6     great idea!

An exchange of ideas opened up between me, the mothers and the children. We were no longer strangers to each other. We were having such a great time     7     (chat) and I ended up helping them give away the rest of the bottled water.

One young lady was so     8     (thank) that she said it was the best thing     9     happened to her all day since she had a “bad” day at work. A couple accepted the water     10     (happy) and kept on thanking us. After all was done, the children and I gave each other a high-five. I really had great fun that day.

Being nearsighted is far more common than it once was. The case rate of myopia (近视) in Americans     1     (increase) by 66 percent since the early 1970s, according to a study by the National Eye Institute; in China and other East Asian countries, more than half of recent high school graduates are thought     2     (be) the persons who suffer myopia.

Myopia results when eyeballs are     3     (long) than normal, changing the angle at which light enters the eye and the ability to focus     4     distant objects. The disorder     5     (usual) begins before adolescence, when the eye is growing, but it can worsen in early adulthood.

Some experts connect the myopia to the many hours young people spend in staring at     6     (computer) and other screens. But a recent study published in JAMA Ophthalmology suggests that a greater factor may be a side effect of all that screen-watching — it’s     7     (keep) children inside.

This new study shows that a lack of direct sunlight may damage vision. Strong correlations   (关联) were found between current eyesight and     8     (people) lifetime exposure to sunlight. Those     9     had gotten the most sun, particularly between the ages of 14 and 19, were about 25 percent less likely to have developed myopia by middle age. Exposure to sunlight up to     10     age of 30 also brought a protective benefit.

Local     1     (official) in Beijing promised to further protect the city’s cultural heritage, in particular the narrow streets known as hutongs.

Hutongs are     2     (common) found in the cities of North China, but they are in danger. Beijing is currently believed to have fewer than 1,000 hutongs, most of     3     are near the Forbidden City. Only 60 years ago, the number of the hutongs     4     (be) 3,250.

“Every year more than 100, 000 people visit the Forbidden City during the National Day holidays. The visits put pressure on     5     protection of cultural relics,” said Huang Yan, director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Planning,     6     (add) that hutongs should be protected from human damage.

The government concentrated     7     how the protection plans were carried out and how the management of cultural heritage worked. Wang Shaofeng, head of the Xicheng District Government, said the area has 182 cultural relics, and many of them were built as far back as the Yuan Dynasty. The district of Xicheng has 1.28 million residents in     8     (it) 57 square kilometers of land. “The most efficient way is to decrease the local population to reduce the possibility of causing harm to the heritage,” Wang said. “Each community has been required     9     (report) the status of its cultural heritage.” No one knows for sure how many hutongs     10     (leave) in the coming 100 years.

Do you wish you could capture (捕捉) the     1     (excite) of a weekend beach trip? Would you like     2     (share) the view from your morning bike ride? If the answer is yes, consider     3     (buy) an action camera, whose functions will     4     (huge) improve your experience.

An action camera has a wide-angle lens     5     can record all the actions. You can put one on your bike’s handle or just about anywhere. They are small and durable, so they can go wherever you go! Besides, the quality of the photos is more than     6     (accept), making it possible to appreciate them after     7     event.

There are lots of things to pay attention     8     when choosing an action camera. Above all, look for one with high video quality and Wi-Fi connection. This will allow you to quickly view and edit videos on your smartphone. Other possible     9     (character) include time-lapse and slow-motion video modes. You can use these to speed up or slow down time in your videos!

Whichever model you choose, you     10     (enjoy) sharing impressive videos of your adventures. An action camera is also of great use for activities with friends and families.

Chinese paper cutting or jianzhi is the first paper-cutting design,     1     (date) back to the Eastern Han Dynasty. Due to its     2     (grace) art, after hundreds of years’ development, the paper-cuts have become a means of decorations     3     is popular both home and abroad.

    4     (general), the paper-cuts are used to decorate doors and windows, thus sometimes they     5     (refer) to as —chuanghua (Window Flower). They are also used for religious and ceremonial purposes, buried with the dead and burned at funerals. Chinese people believe the red paper-cuts on the door can bring good fortune and happiness     6     the whole family. As a result, paper-cuts are more often seen during traditional Chinese festivals, the Spring Festival in particular.

People find hope and comfort in expressing best     7     (wish) with paper-cuttings. For instance: for a wedding ceremony, red paper-cuttings are a traditional decoration on the tea set, the dressing table glass, and other furniture.     8     big red paper character Xi (happiness) is a traditional must on the newly-wed’s (新婚夫妇) door. With its popularity     9     (increase), we may never fail     10     (feel) the existence of Chinese paper-cutting all over the world.

Many strange things happened before Tangshan earthquake happened. The well walls had deep cracks. Some     1     (smell) gas came out of wells. Chickens and even pigs were too nervous to eat.     2     3∶42 a.m. on 28 July 1976, everything began to shake. It seemed as if the world     3     (come) to an end. Hard hills of rock became rivers of dirt. In less than one minute, the whole city     4     (lie) in ruins. Two thirds of the people died or were injured. Everything in the city was     5     (destroy). People were shocked at this and wondered how long the disaster would last.

The army organized teams to dig out those     6     were trapped and to bury the dead. Workers built shelters for     7     (survive). Fresh water and food were taken to the city. Slowly, the city began     8     (breath) again. With strong support from the government and the tireless efforts of the city’s people,     9     new Tangshan was built upon the earthquake ruins. It has proved that in times of disaster, people must unify and show the     10     (wise) to stay positive and rebuild for a brighter future.