No structure is as symbolically significant or     1     (cultural) important to China as the Great Wall. Architectural     2     (engineer)are part of a huge project to repair this centuries-old structure.

Jiankou     3     (believe) to be one of the most rugged stretches of the relic. Some of the most dangerous work includes laborers hanging from towering heights. With ropes tied around     4     (they) waists, repair workers spread cement on the wall’s steep sides, while others hold the ropes for support.     5     (survive) a fall from the steep sides would be unlikely. A laborer explains     6     he risks his life to make repairs to the ancient structure, saying that it is an honor to be part of such a great cause, and it is very     7     (meaning) to do so.

Getting supplies to this part of the wall is also a demanding effort. Because the path is so steep, donkeys and mules must be used to transport bricks,     8     can weigh as much as 150 kg each. The repair team goes to great lengths     9     (keep) the principle of minimal intervention. “We have to stick     10     the original format, the original material and the original craftsmanship, so that we can better preserve the historical and cultural values, ” said Cheng Yongmao, the engineer leading Jiankou’s restoration work.

A museum showcasing the culture of the Grand Canal is expected to open in Beijing next week. Some 6,000 items or sets of exhibits     1     (close) related to Beijing and the ancient canal are to be displayed.

“The Grand Canal Museum of Beijing, also called the Capital Museum East Branch,     2     (locate) in the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center and has     3     total floor area of 99,700 square meters,” said Feng Hao, who is     4     charge of museum collections at the Capital Museum.

With a daily capacity of 6,000 visitors, the new museum is designed     5     (combine) boats, sailing and water elements, showcasing the culture of the Grand Canal.

The exhibition area consists of basic,     6     (theme), open, and temporary exhibition     7     (section). “Visitors can enjoy an interactive experience     8     (reflect) the themes of Beijing and the Grand Canal in the open exhibition section through     9     (digit) technology,” Feng said.

With a history of more than 2,500 years, the Grand Canal connects Beijing and Hangzhou in East China’s Zhejiang Province,     10     served as a significant transportation route in ancient China.

Every morning, millions of people in China do Tai Chi. It is popular    1    women and men. Tai Chi is    2     good kind of exercise for old people. It is good for the body and the mind. It is healthy and    3     (relax). Tai Chi    4    ( arise) from China. It is    5     (hundred) of years old. Tai Chi is a “soft” martial art (武术),    6     means it is slow and calm.

There are also “hard” martial arts. Shaolin Kung Fu, for example, which has a history of over 1, 500 years, is a “hard” martial art. It is fast and    7    (danger). You have to be very fit and strong    8    (do) “hard” martial arts.

In Beijing, Master Li Yu    9     (teach) Shaolin Kung Fu to thirty young students now, three of whom come from abroad. “Shaolin Kung Fu is    10     (extraordinary) difficult,” said Li Yu. “You must practise every move many times. ”

Sports like football and basketball are also popular in China. But martial arts like Tai Chi and Shaolin Kung Fu are part of Chinese culture and history.

25-year-old Wan Minghui is a girl from a small city of Zigong in Sichuan Province. When she was young, she grew up closely with her grandparents. Now her grandfather is 84 years old,       1    (live) alone after her grandmother passed away. During an unannounced visit    2    him one day in May, Wan noticed his loneliness,    3    made her sad. Then an idea came to mind that she would quit her job to accompany him and set out to help him realize some of his wishes on his bucket list.

However, neither her parents    4    her grandfather agreed with her decision to quit her job, afraid that it would harm her career development. To make    5    living after quitting,she got three part-time jobs,including writing advertising online. So they    6    (final) agreed. Wan began to record her grandpa’s life in videos, which were posted to Douyin (抖音). Recently，the short videos under the names “Fulfilling Grandpa’s 100 Wishes ” and “Taking Grandpa for Travel”    7     (view) more than 100 million times, receiving more than five million likes and a long list of    8     (comment), including praise for Little Wan, best wishes for her grandfather and discussions about the meaning of life.

Although Wan has to stay up late    9    (work) sometimes, she thinks it’s all worthwhile when she sees her grandpa smile more and more.“She wrote in the video, My grandpa accompanied me as I grew up and I will accompany him as he    10     (grow) old.”

The impact of pandemic (流行病) on life expectancy (预期寿命), one of the most widely used standards to assess population health, was assessed by a study    1    (publish) in the Informational Journal Epidemiology. The study    2    (conduct) by the Oxford University's Leverhulme Centre for Demographic (人口的) Science.

The study revealed that women from 15 countries and men from 10 ended up    3    a lower life expectancy at birth in 2020 compared to 2015.     4    biggest drops in life expectancy, however, were witnessed in men instead of women in most countries. American men were the worst off, with 2.2 years shaved off their life expectancy at birth. Men in Lithuania faced the second    5    (large) impact on their life expectancy, with a cut of 1.7 years.

Reductions in life expectancy overall    6    (occur) in 27 of the 29 countries analyzed by the study. Only men and women in Denmark and Norway and women in Finland managed to    7    (successful) avoid drops in life expectancy, the study said. Non-pharmaceutical interventions and strong healthcare systems in these countries were cited as    8    (factor) that could help explain this.

All the countries    9    life expectancy dropped had taken an average of 5、6 years    10    (achieve). Just a one year increase in life expectancy. The pandemic wiped out of this progress, the study said.