We all know that honesty is     1    important value and     2    lying is wrong. But sometimes we tell some “white lies”    3    (protect) others from the truth.

There are three main reasons     4    we tell a white lie. First, we try to make others feel better, so we protect ourselves from the     5    (disappoint) and anger of others. Another reason for     6    (tell) a white lie is to give encouragement. For example, when our friend asks us what we think of his singing, we surely say it’s wonderful, despite     7     (secret) thinking that it’s awful. Stop for a moment and consider that perhaps our friend wants some frank     8    (comment). Finally, we may also tell a white lie when we want to protect others from bad news.

We may find even white lies have     9     (expect) results. Perhaps the meal we said was “delicious ”     10     (serve) every time we visit. Or when we only share good news, others won’t truly understand our emotions.

Ben is a basketball fan but he is in     1       total mess now. After losing a basketball match, he thought the team     2    (let) down by one member and told a close friend what he thought. To his sorrow, the friend shared his     3    ( disappoint) with others. Now Ben is turning     4     Agony Aunt for help. Agony Aunt shared an old American saying, “Loose lips sink ships.” She asked Ben     5    ( apologise) to his teammate first     6    talk to his friend because friendship is one of the    7    ( great ) things in the world. And most     8    ( important ) , Ben should think about his own behaviour.     9     (fill) with anger, we tend to speak out our minds quickly without thinking clearly. Agony Aunt suggested Ben raise his     10    (concern) with his team coach.

The Amazon rainforest is home to a great     1     (various) of plant life; however, its soil is     2     (surprise) poor in nutrients. In fact, the soil in the region cannot support agriculture for more than a few years. If a scientist is shown a report     3     (list) the nutrients of that soil, he or she will probably think that only desert plants can survive in it! Then why is the soil so poor in nutrients? For one thing, the rainy season has     4     impact on the soil. In this season, the water level can rise to more than 12 meters.     5     the water goes away, it takes away the nutrients in the soil. For another thing, due to the Amazon’s hot climate, it is difficult for the soil     6     (build) enough nutrients. Dead plants and animals     7     (break) down more quickly. The nutrients are soon taken     8     by the roots of the plants deep beneath the ground. As a result, most of the forest’s nutrients are locked up in the plants     9     (them), thus allowing them to grow at a (n)     10     (believe) speed.

The 53-year-old craftswoman Ji Yulan, an inheritor (继承人) of the intangible heritage (非物质遗产) of paper-cutting from Xinjiang, has engaged in the art for over 40 years.

She made paper-cuts of people from all     1     (walk) of life. One of her pieces showed a nurse with long, beautiful hair, wearing a mask and a protective hat. The craftswoman was deeply     2     (impress) by female medical workers     3     cut their long hair to better fit into the protective suits while fighting in the front line against the epidemic. “Women are attractive in long hair and     4     takes a lot of courage to cut it,” Ji said. So she created a paper-cutting work to show the image and named the piece The Angel in Harm’s Way.

Ji has 12 students, aged from 3 to 23. She often encourages her students to create works based on a younger mindset. “I am     5     (extreme) positive about the future of the craft. The younger generation have a real sense of responsibility to protect     6     (culture) heritage.”

Among the many arts in China are the performing arts. Like paintings, sculptures, carvings and other physical arts, the performing arts in China have a long history. The performing arts range from martial arts like kung fu     1     folk songs and dances that vary by region and area.

The performing arts in China date back to ancient times     2     the tribes (部落) took control of the land long before the culture became well developed. As the country began to unify and change, the performing arts used elements of different tribes     3     (create) harmonious performances.

The performing arts     4    (find) in China have constantly grown, developed and changed while keeping elements of the original art.     5     (current), performing arts like singing, acting and the traditional Chinese Opera hold many elements. The elements     6     (discover) in folk songs and dances with a modern change that includes newer    7     (instrument) and techniques.

Chinese art has     8     unique aspect that sets it apart from other cultures. Because several generations spend lots of time     9     (develop) it, Chinese art has a developed and unique design that is a     10     (significance) part of the country’s history.

Last year, Lu Liqing, a folk artist in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province,     1     (produce) artistic works combining sugar paintings and paper-cutting     2     the elements of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games.

Located in the city's Shangcheng district, Lu's studio presented kites with Asian Games mascots. Among the works, paper-cutting from Lu called "Welcome to Hangzhou" brought traditional Chinese paper-cutting to a     3     (creative) level than before. The square paper-cutting, with a     4     (long) of 70 centimeters, had a big lotus at the center, representing the opening and closing ceremonies and the track and field events,    5     featured the event's mascots, logo and landmarks of the three World Cultural Heritage site s in Hangzhou.

Lu said it had taken about two months     6     (finish) the work. "Paper-cutting is not hard, but its design highlighting (突出) the spirit of the Games is difficult," he said. Before that, he had created     7     paper-cutting scroll (卷轴) 4.8 meters long and 60 centimeters wide describing the history of the Games.

"The creative process also allows me to     8     (full) understand the history of the Asian Games over the past decades. Then I added my     9     (understand) of the spirit of the Games into creating this paper-cutting scroll," Lu said.

The Asian Games, initially (最初地) taking place between Sept 23 and Oct 8 in 2022, was announced     10     (hold) in Hangzhou and five other cities in Zhejiang province—Ningbo, Wenzhou, Jinhua, Shaoxing and Huzhou in 2023.

The Hangzhou Asian Games were opened on September 23, 2023, drawing worldwide attention. They are not only a grand sports event,     1     a cultural feast that displays the diversity and harmony of Asia.

One of     2     (impressive) cultural activities is the Asian Games Aesthetics （美学）. It covers six categories：visual arts, literature, music, dance, drama, and film. The works     3     (display) in different places and platforms, such as museums, galleries, theaters, cinemas, and online media. Another remarkable cultural activity is the Asian Games Memories, which is     4     collection of stories     5     (record) the history and development of the Asian Games. The Asian Games Memories invites the public     6     (share) their personal experiences and memories of the previous Games, and to express     7     (they) expectations and wishes for the future of the Games. The Asian Games Memories also features interviews     8     some of the legendary athletes and officials who have participated in the Games.

Known as the world’s largest sporting gala, the Hangzhou Asian Games serve as a platform for the athletes to compete. Most importantly, it’s a stage for people’s communication and     9     (interact) .The Hangzhou Asian Games are a beautiful gathering of nations,    10     the spirit of Asia is celebrated and the dream of Asia is realized.

The average cost of raising a child until the age of 18 was 485,000 yuan in China in 2019,     1     is higher than many countries including the US, France, Germany and Japan.     2     (compare) with 13 other countries in Europe, Asia and America, China ranked the second among all these countries in expense of raising a child to the age of 18. The report said that is one of the main reasons stopping couples from considering     3     (have) a child. Experts warn China’s aging population will put pressure     4     the health and social safety systems. The decreasing birth rate will     5     (deep) affect China’s economic growth and     6     (it) welfare problems.

New policies in 2021 encourage families     7    (have) up to three children, but China’s birth rate dropped to 7.52 births per 1, 000 people in the same year. That is the lowest since the National Bureau of Statistics began recording the information in 1949.

Three major ways — cash rewards, housing subsidies (补贴) and baby care centers     8     (expect) to improve China’s birthrate. Some areas     9    (give) couples money for having     10     second or third child since 2021.